THE LATEST AND THE GREATEST {1998}

By Vince Chiarelli, PTR, MRT and Owner of String Along With Vince in Largo

I'm inundated on a daily basis with new information from manufacturers about the "latest and the greatest" in racquet technology. Ten years ago, frames were an average of about 12-12.5 ounces, which was considered very light in those days. The "latest and greatest" is now 8.5 ounces--a triumph of technology. To make a light racquet playable, most of the weight has to be at its head. This allows the racquet head to gain more speed thereby maximizing power. The combination of light weight and heavy head is a definite winner to gain power; no question about it. My question is: How much power do you actually need, and at what cost?

HOW MUCH MORE POWER?

In the "old" days, wood racquets were marked "H" (Heavy) "M" (Medium) and "L" (Light); the "L" being around the 12 ounce mark. I never even saw a tennis elbow brace until the lighter frames came on the market. There is an old saying, "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." I think there is a correlation here that often goes unnoticed. When a person tells me they want to buy a new frame to get more power, the first question I ask is, "How deep does the ball go when you hit a normal forehand?" At least 3 out of 4 people tell me that's not the problem. I hate to tell you all, but that's about the only problem that's solved with more power. Even if you do need more power, something as simple as reducing the string tension may do the job.

If you spent the equivalent cost of a "latest and greatest" racquet on lessons with a good teaching pro, in my opinion you would get more benefit. That's because more often than not HOW HARD you hit the ball is not as important as HOW you hit it. If you're like most people, you would rather spend money on equipment than expend effort, but it's the effort that does the trick. Now let's talk about control. This is the result of striking the ball at the proper time at the proper angle. It really doesn't have much to do with the racquet. Having more power CERTAINLY doesn't help.

THE "WOW" FACTOR

If you pick up a racquet and there is a noticeable difference from what you have experienced before, you have a tendency to say, "WOW, this feels better." What you really mean is, "WOW, this feels different." But different is not necessarily better. I see many people who buy new racquets playing with their old ones and wanting to sell their newer one. It's "the WOW factor" at work again. If you buy that maximumextraultimatesuperultra light racquet, are you buying it because you really need a racquet that light? The less mass in the racquet, the more potential shock may be generated when it comes crashing into the ball. You may never have a problem using a lighter racquet, but, my observation of customers has led to my opinion that there can be a downside to lighter racquets. If you haven't started wearing a tennis elbow brace from the last time you changed to a lighter racquet, and you're considering going even lighter, you may increase your risk.

REALITY CHECK

What I've said may sound strange coming from a tennis shop owner, but it's not completely altruistic on my part. I don't believe in a lot of bull, so if that's what you want, go to one of my competitors. If you get discouraged or injured because of your equipment, you may give up the game in frustration. I'd rather see you enjoy the game, with less pain so that you will continue to have need of my services. It's just good business.

If like many people, you just want to buy a new racquet, that's really a good reason in itself, and you may benefit from "the latest and the greatest." Just make reasonably sure that you aren't having to change your game to accommodate the racquet. Find something comfortable to play with, then forget the equipment and work on your game.

Copyright 1998 (Previously published May/June, 1998 - THE LATEST RACQUET)