Stiff vs Flexible Tennis Racquets
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
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In today's lesson, I discuss stiff vs flexible tennis racquets. Follow intuitivetennis on Instagram if you want to read the heated discussion mentioned in this video.
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Heated Discussion on Flexible Racquets on my IG post (follow me) 👉🏻 instagram.com/reel/Cgrgk1OgLd8/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
I also use the Team Pure Drive Babolat Racquet And I blast serves in with it at over 80-130 mph with no issues with lack of power or any pain with my arm or shoulder so the racquet is pain free for me to drive and spin the ball around with both serving and groundstrokes. And because the top club guys hit heavy fast balls back with power, is why I use a stiff frame racquet to drive the ball back with and not use a more flexible frame. And its easier to generate power but I don't use lead tape to add more weight behind the racquet, when there's really no need to.
I used to get tennis elbow as well. Against the recommendation of everyone I knew I purchased a babolat pure drive and haven't had tennis elbow ever since.
You are saying you use hard facts and hard data but your entire argument is based on anecdotal evidence.
Using data would be saying “100 players came to me with tennis elbow and of those 100, 50 had it cured by my racquet recommendation to use a lighter racquet. Of those 50, 45 of them had my advice supplemented with additional coaching supporting the use of a lighter racquet.”
I hope you can understand your bias here so that viewers get a clearer understanding of what you are trying to say.
Hi Nick, I’m the president of Babolat and would like to offer you a sponsorship deal. 😉😂
Thank you Mr President. How kind of you 😂
Smart man! Nick is the best coach on youtube, the go to guy for clear tennis knowledge.
Lol
Thank you coach, the same can be said for squash racquets, I couldn't agree more with you. 30+yrs playing, best regards from Canada.
When it comes to tennis, I trust Nick more than anyone else. Thanks for the videos Nick. i watch all of them.
I’m a 49 year old beginner (fairly strong and athletic). After discovering your channel I bought a 2021 Pure Drive and had it strung with co-poly at 46lbs. Pure enjoyment this racquet! I also have a Pro Staff Precision 103 that is 270g, but play almost exclusively with the Babolat.
Direct and simple explaination. Well said 😉
Thanks for the info, Nic. The Wilson Burn 100 v4 is a great racquet that is stiff and only $179. The beam width is similar to the Babolat racquets which are great too.
🙌🙌
Great video, very informative. I can't remember having to swing harder using a Yonex HD (very flexy), but I do know when I try to use a Pure Drive I get annoyed at the power, I don't want it, so there's definitely a dynamic there I never tied to tennis elbow.
bad technique and stiffness leads to arm pain more than anything else.
loosen up. relax. don't force and muscle things.
use your legs as hard as you want. drive them. don't force your arm to do things that hurt
definitely technique is the biggest enemy.. I left tennis for about 15 years after I stopped playing competitive and when I came back I didn't spend any time on working my way back in with good technique.. ended up with tennis elbow and an extremely sore wrist(I was gettin wristy on my forehand)
I switched to the suggested Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange and dropped from 25 to 22kg on my speed mp 360. Never had any issues with my arm since . It's quite affordable on top of it compared to my prior setups. Thanks.
22/21? Doesn’t the ball fly more?
Thanks for this video! The stiffness / flex / amt of work conundrum is certainly ongoing with differing points of view. Lifelong player/ longtime coach here who has TE from trying too speedy of a comeback from a terrible car crash (rehab 3yrs). 58 y/o now. Even gut strung frames over RA65 hurt me. I currently use the PK Black Ace Kinetic, RA55, modded to 350g / 31cm with 17g gut @55# and it plays like a pillow. As far as weight, I rely on my volleys, where i prefer heavy and headlight. The day I change my modern strokes back to the way I learned in 1969 (continental-open face), is the day I'll emulate McEnroe's strokes and go lighter...
I absolutely love kichbaum super smash (orginal 1.3mm). I stung it 22kg (48lbs). Thanks for good advises Nick!
It is also very important if you play regularly to work on exercises that strengthen the smaller muscles that are used when playing. Basic things such as strengthening your wrists and forearms can really help avoid injuries.
Excellent point. To add to this, properly warming up said smaller muscles. The amount of people I see on court with all the wrist and arm strapping whose idea of a warm-up is going out and immediately slapping balls at max pace is staggering.
For me, using bands to excervise rotator cuffs helped me a lot.
Do you know any good exercises for that?
How do you strengthen wrist
@@rsmith02 Here's one video ua-cam.com/video/R37_inXpZ3g/v-deo.html These guys also have a bunch of other videos going over other parts of the body too
I used to play with a Kfactor Tour 90 which is interestingly a very small racket head and headlight racket but also somehwat stiff. I remember feeling I could really crank it on my backhands. I think I'll try this advice out when scouting for a more forgiving racket though. Thanks Nik!
A few years ago I didn’t believe Nic when he talked about stiff racquets. But I’ve played with soft heavy racquets vs stiff lighter racquets with low tension poly. Both are easier on the elbow. One racquet I have is around 56 softness strung at 55lbs weighing 12.2 ounces strung with poly filament. My other racquet is 10.3 ounces 70 stiffness rating strung mono filament polyester at 45 lbs. I gave both a long trial period during my tennis elbow pain. Nic is correct at least for me when he says that it’s harder on the elbow to play with low power soft racquets because you need to force more. I think I plow through and tense up more on the grip. The lighter stiffer racquets end up easier on the elbow because I don’t need to force myself and can get away with a lighter grip. It’s tensing up on the grip that imho causes more issues with vibrations up the elbow with the heavier softer racquets that you need to put more energy into to get the ball to do what you want. Of course, if you use a heavier softer racquet as a rehab racquet and hit more softly than you usually hit then it’s ok. But eventually, sometimes you’ll want to hit out and that’s where you get into trouble.
Great advice Nick. Thanks
I often get pain in my shoulder after a long tennis session. What I realized is that I get lazy when I get tired and my technique and timing gets worse. I don't coil and I just muscle the ball over.
Learned using "wooden" racquets, took a break and when I started playing again it took me ages to find something that felt good in my hand.
I like flexible, heavy racquets (but head light in balance), strung with "dead" poly at 26-27 kg.
I have a full, very fast swing. My club teammates are calling my forehand "the whip".
Used to play with Ezone DR 98, customized to 350 g, 310 strung, etc. But stringing quality varies wildly here and the racquet is very sensitive to it.
So I have switched to stock VCore Pro 97D, strung with PolyTour Rev at 26-27. My serve and ground strokes are not quite as powerful as before, but I make much less mistakes. A lot. I gladly give up 5-10% speed/power if my UE drop 50% or more. It annoys me a little, as it is a touch too head heavy, but yeah...can't have everything.
I struggled from arm pain with Ezone 98. But no problem with RF97. I think the balance plays a big role
Love all your video, thank you for sharing ! Nic you are an Ace !
Totally agree with you on stiff rackets and lower tension. I used to have elbow issues all the time then started stringing at 38 - 42 ib even with hyperG in a PureDrive. No elbow issues for over a year now with that setup. Recently switched to the orange supper Smash strings at 17G and seems even better now.
That’s awesome Jeff 🙏🙏
This is so interesting to watch. Recently I played tennis with a Gravity S and low and behold the next day, tennis elbow soreness. Prior to that I had borrowed a Pure Drive several times, no issues at all.
Hi Nic, your videos are really top level, I definitely get a lot from them. Just a comment on your parallel with the shoes: it's actually kind of the same thing, because soft shoes are good for casual (and short) stroll, but if you want to hike, run or just seriously walk, you need more sustain, therefore a stiffer frame, there as well.
Keep it up!
I have 3 rackets (one Babolat, two Wilson) and they have similar weights unstrung (300, 304 and 308, I think). It's easier to hit big with the Babolat, but then it's easier to control the ball inside the court with the other two. The difference isn't enormous. I sometimes surprise people switching between the Babolat and Wilsons mid service game when a string break and it doesn't show... It would show if the tension or the weight was **way** different, but otherwise rackets that look different often give you remarkably similar performance.
One thing in particular struck me about the arm problems. I first reduced the stringing tension, especially with stiffer strings (e.g. also the Kirschbaum Super Smash) - I got myself a relatively soft frame (Wilson Clash 100)
Over time I noticed that the "harder" I had to hit (with better opponents), the more problematic I found the soft frame, because it was no longer stable enough (for me) at high speed. (possibly also because of the weight)
I then switched to a YONEX EZone- which plays similarly to the Clash, but is a bit stiffer and a bit heavier. ( More Stable, little bit more power)
I also tried "a lot" of Strings (Babolat, Yonex, Kirschbaum, Head, Wilson, Luxilon....) but finally i switched from Krischbaum to Solinco X-Perience wich just fits my personal demands a littel bit more.
After one of the last games with the Clash in a hard-hitter match, I had arm pain. that lasted for weeks. It may also be that the pain even came from the home office (mouse arm). (or in combination with tennis)
Despite slight pain in my arm, I played tennis (1x week in winter), it was OK. Then cooled with ice and massaged. As a result, I even had the feeling that the pain was getting better 1 Day after Tennis.
But I forced myself to swing looser, not to hold the grip "too hard" and I actually think that was the main problem in my game. I used too much force. Interestingly, because of the "forced" looseness, it was easier to play fast and also got more control.... for me that was an "eye opener".
All I'm telling myself now is that I need to play "more loosely". I think cramping and too much power in the grip is often the core problem of arm injuries.
Same expercience here. Think that is (great part of) the solution.
As a former tennis elbow sufferer I don't agree with this statement and here's why.
I agree that string tension plays a critical role in tennis elbow, so lowering your tension will massively help you. I also agree that if you string a stiff racquet at a low tension (40-45lbs) can make it comfortable enough to counter act elbow problems.
However where Nick's statement is misleading is that stringing a flexible racquet at a low tension will also have the same positive effect on your elbow.
The big difference here however is that if you're a more advanced player looking for control it's much easier to retain control with a loosely strong flexible racquet then it is with a loosely strung stiff and powerful racquet.
I used to play with a Pure Areo, and because it was such a powerful racquet I found myself going up and up in tension to get the control I was after which eventually led to me battling with tennis and golfer's elbow for almost 1 year...I switched to a flexible racquet and dropped tension and it really helped me.
I've since gone back to a slightly more powerful frame Babolat VS but have managed to adjust my game to allow me to play at a lower tension but when I originally made the switch I started feeling pain again...
i played the pure drive team 2021 as well and i felt a huge difference with different strings. i didn´t develop a tennis elbow but could definitly could feel stress in my elbow with some strings. with other strings i didn´t feel the stress at all and everything was fine. so i agree on the oppinion, that it´s not only the racquet, but the whole setup which causing stress/pain.
thanks for your videos. I totally agree with you.
I use a Clash 100 with wilson sensation 17 and have no forearm pain. I have a old pure drive and I will string it lose to see how that feels. My Wilson 5.1 surge rackets were killing my forearm. Maybe they were also strung too tight! Thanks for your videos!!
I get a bit of TE sometimes. I never had this before, but since working as a coach, hitting many hours a day, it's starting to become an issue. Two things I do to ease the pain: 1. Use a big basket of balls hitting first serves for 30-90 minutes. It might sound strange and I'm not certain why this helps, but it actually does. 2. Change racquet from my normal Vcore 98 to my Vcore pro HD (heavier and more flexible).
Yeah, look, my theory, that is based on my own experience when I played somewhat high level (relative to my state/country) juniors tennis, is that if you can generate your own power and have naturally fast swings, using a stiff frame will cause 1 of 2 thing: 1) You will string low to save your arm and spray balls like crazy, or; 2) You will bump up the tension to keep the ball in play and ruin your arm.
The second one is whats happened to me and I absolute despise pure drives for it. Does it mean that it's a bad racket? No way, there are two tipes of people who benefit a lot from it: 1) People with slower strokes that maybe aren't that strong and need help from the reacket, and; 2) Beginners, since they don't have the muscles needed to handle a heavy flexible frame. Both of these gourps can use a stiff frame and still string somewhat low, so they will be fine.
High level players may use stiff frames if they have grown acostumed to them of have arms like Roddick's, Rafa's, Moya's, Fognini's, but preferably should use flexible, kinda heavy rackets, given that they can swing relaxed, freely and use their body weight, together with the reacket's weight to generate pace.
My 2 cents on the matter.
The lower the tension the more of your own control you need to bring. It's more demanding on your timing. However, I'm talking advanced and upwards there. For most intermediates and below, which the guy states is the biggest audience here, a lower tension will be greatly beneficial when paired with a stiff racket like a pure drive. An intermediate does not miss or spray shots because of a pure drive but rather their technique/need for stronger fundamentals.
Now, there are more types of players that benefit from stiff rackets like a pure drive than you've listed.
Advanced all the way to top pro level. Ok. On the ATP side, the no 1 style that benefits from such a racket is a spin based style. And, by no coincidence, the tour leaders for average forehand RPMs mostly use what? Rackets in pure aero/pure drive class. So you have Casper Ruud with a 71 RA 27.7 inch ezone 100 with a 350 swing weight. Berretini with an IG head extreme with a 72 RA and a 357 swing weight. Nadal with an Aero Pro Drive and a 360 swing weight. Those guys are powerful tennis players. And no they would no play better with blade 98s, not likely anyway. Their styles are based on heavy spin and explosive shot making. And most pros, unlike amateurs, care more about winning matches than what sounds good for their ego re what equipment they use. So it's no surprise that many of the bigger servers use extended length rackets, precision players use precision rackets and so on. Building on your strength can be a good a idea.
A good player must generate their own power, their own spin, their own control and so on. A racket and setup can only influence what's there. It cannot create what's not. But at same time pairing ones swing style and game with a setup is important. For some players, and yes this goes well the way up to some of the best players on the planet, that setup involves a tweener. Note as well on this point that very few pros are using low powered rackets. And those that are get their power through swing speed etc. My point is that even pros using control rackets tend to have them customised to be rather powerful, with hybrid strings perhaps and say huge swing weights. Combined with excellent technique and conditioning, they're able to hit huge shots. And some players using fairly light control frames may opt for custom higher RA.
Such frames, tweeners, basically rule the WTA, but spin isn't really the dominating factor there. Instead, things like energy return, launch angle, forgivness and so on play a big part. It's actually something most non pros should use as a reference.
@@sjjapp I agree with you. Great in depth analysis.
I was trying to simplify something that is not that simple and therefore I ended up leaving a lot out of the picture I painted.
Anyways, thank you for your patience and insight for writing such a great comment!
Great video, very informative and agree with all the points. Can I suggest that u also remind people about the frequency of changing their poly strings. Because I know plenty of recreational players who use poly strings but are unable to snap them thus playing with forever resulting in many people playing with dead strings which also contribute to tennis elbow.
ua-cam.com/video/aTFZZhS8XqA/v-deo.html
One question if possible. I am writing to you from Armenia. I am 33 years old (58кг 166-168cm height). I have wanted to learn to play tennis for a long time. I found a coach for myself, and today was my 9th lesson. I was able to play with him 10 times already :DD
. I really like the videos on your channel, and I've learned a lot from watching them too. So here's my question... Could you recommend 1-2 specific tennis racquets that are suitable for a beginner player like me but also that have really good quality? I can order them from the United States or Europe, so that's not a problem. Also, I believe a larger head size would be beneficial to easily hit the ball ( BUT IF THE TREND IS SHIFTING TO 98 HEAD SIZE, MAYBE BETTER ME TO START FROM THERE?) . Also what you think is it better for me to pick light weight version of a racquet or a standard one like 280gram or near 300?
Was thinking about these ones....
1 - Yonex VCORE "L"
2 - Yonex EZONE "L"
3 - Pure Drive "team"
4 - Pure Aero "team"
Thank you in advance, would highly appreciate if you respond in a little elaborated way ) thanks again
3:20 the more "detailed" explanation is - the lighter racquet gets a 330 or more balance, where the heavier ones are 310 or around this value.
Because a recreational player usual does not "slap"/swing (at) the ball, but has the tendency to push and guide it, the heavier racquet will punish his elbow. With the lighter one, being more head heavy, it will actually almost force him to "swing" not "push" and force him to let his wrist lose. And so on.
This is spot on. Light racquets get their stability from being head heavy and higher didn’t. Heavier racquets are innate more stable from the static weight and therefore don’t need to be head heavy or firm - that is if you can move the heavy racquets while staying loose and relaxed.
Through my own experiences I’ve discovered this as well. I love that you’re making this video. The people on the TW forums heads are going to explode
I'm a 4.5-5.0 player, used to play a long time with Pure Drives(in fact, it's still mybpet peeve racquet), but I used to string it with PRM Blast 1.25mm, at about 25 kgs. I didn't get tennis elbow, bur occasionally i found get tired if during practice I was late on contact. Overall itvwas just a harsh feeling. Then someone suggested I drop the tension, I did so gradually, but then my shots became more erratic. A couple of years ago I demoed the Yonex Ezone DR98 and fell in love with it, it's a 62 RA racquet, so flexible. I still strung it with RPM Blast, but at 24 kg. Then I thought to try and switch to a hybrid setup, so I put RPM Blastbon the mains and monofilament on the crosses, 22 kg each, and I finally found the sweetspot that I wanted. Depends on what people are comfortable with. But I agree that a lot of people play with 350+ grams racquets when they don't have the physical condition of ATP players. 300-310 grams unstrung seems to me the perfect weight for an intermediate recreational player.
I've experienced much better improvement when I changed from a RA71 Pure Aero 100 to a Ezone 98 RA 63. And with a power/stiff beam, you tend to increase string tension to get more control.
This issue is higly personal considering the level, frequency,of play and that's not even inc string tension.Great video Coach.
Great idea and thinking. I am still struggling with the stiff feeling of my Babolat PureAero Drive racquet, though it is quite easy to play with this racquet's nice power and control. I am NTRP 4.0.
Great video, only one that doesn't feel like a marketing video. I used to play with a Prince Exo3 Red racquet when I was in my mid-40s, I was a 3.0 3.5 player and had terrible tennis elbow, some days I couldn't even hold a can of soda in my hand. I haven't played in years and am thinking of starting again (I am 70). I was looking for a new racquet and your video has absolutely changed my priorities and what I am looking for. Thank you very much!
More detailed advice here ua-cam.com/video/JefKI18-HkM/v-deo.htmlsi=knwUb_4kmMLnCJd_
When I was trying rackets and I did not know all those aspects I tried the pure drive and I felt some pain so I was thinking also that stiff was bad for pain but I guess probably what is bad is the combination of tight or dead strings with the stiff racket. Then I also tested the blade that is much softer but I felt so much vibrations that It was also not confortable for me. So is not 2+2, stiff bad, soft good. At the end I picked prostaff and it felt fine to me so I picked that
I think lighter and stiffer is fine if you have a slow, relaxed swing -- if you're under 4.0. If you have an aggressive swing, stiff racquets will send vibrations up the arm. But yes, heavy racquets and/or too tight a string bed can also cause arm pain. So eliminating those factors is important. But advanced rec players, 4.5-5.0 who play with aggressive strokes have a decent chance of hurting their arms with a stiff racquet. Not every player but it's not unheard of. It happens a lot.
Playing aggressive =|= staying relaxed. Quiet the opposite. A lot of players up to 5.0 are way too tight, preventing them from creating the racquet head speed they would staying more relaxed.
I dont think vibrations are key in the matter. Arm movements, some of them not natural, I mean, forced, are the real problem. So its not the stiffness of the raquet and stringing.
@@pilroone stiffness & vibration are a HUGE factor in arm & joint pain.
@@MAA-gf5it Henning & Rosenbaum (1992) undertook a study on racquet head vibrations, with over 5,000 individual measurements. They found that racquets with a higher stiffness have more damped vibrations. This makes intuitive sense - a less stiff racquet will flex more on impact, resulting in a greater amplitude of vibrations. So their research shows that the opposite should be true. It strikes me that there is a different underlying cause that is not related to racquet vibrations.
@@Sa1d1n you're quoting a 30 year old study? LOL Rackets were way softer & heavier in the 90's than now. Since the 2000's rackets became way more stiffer and lighter and arm problems shot up because of it.
Good point, thanks
Nic, off topic but I must say you're in great shape! Gives me some motivation to lose some of my gut.
You mentioned the Wilson Hyper Hammer. I have a Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 and it's my favorite racket, but needs to be restrung. Have been using a heavier, older Prince racket that's easy for me to hit with. Never ever had tennis elbow. I'm 75. Low rating because no mobility. Bad leg, bad back, you know, the usual elderly guy stuff. I like to hear your opinions on anything to do with tennis. Thanks.
Thx Nick. Nice to hear the “use what works for you” message. I get all kind of crap for the racquet I use. Its heavy high sw stiff and strung with kev/poly as high as the machine will go. Its a hyper hammer 5.2 with about 100g added. Its perfect for me though I wish it was stiffer….
Same username on TT? And, Jesus... 100g added? Well, if it works and you don't hurt, it's all fine. Just don't lend your rackets to anyone without a tennis elbow warning. 🤣
@@stephanesurprenant60 yep same guy. One advantage of a jacked up stick is that people dont borrow it for long. Ironically, I ended up here because I got elbow issues with lighter racquets. Now I dont fear TE. Imho mass and a big handle make it almost impossible.
From experience Nick is right/ following his advise I got a stiffer racket. no tennis elbow for me. I also got rid of the multifilament strings. Huge difference : plus with a spin type technique those strings were not lasting me more than a single day.
above all do what works for you. But if something not working . Try it out.
its very hard to take granted even from this channel until you experience yourself! in my case I switched form a beginner Wilson 275g to BB Puredrive 300g as now I am intermediate level. PLAYED with OEM strung 3-4 hours and then died but it was really good, no arm issues at all; then put ALU POWER and disaster stroke: huge arm pain and tendon inflamation; cut that luxilon ALU and put Signum PRO strung...looking forward to play 1st time with new setup. From my experience Stiff racket is causing arm issues since all the vibration go into your arm especially when you miss clean shots (with the edge); in my opinion a stiff racket >300g is for PRO not recreational since we are not having those clean shots every time
Thanks, Coach Nik! How low would you recommend stringing the racquets with the poly strings?
Hi Nick, thanks for the great work. Keep it up no matter what. What is the difference between super smash orange and optic yellow? Why I am asking because I decided to follow your recommendation and put super smash and tension is 45 lbs (racquet is pure drive 300 gram). Unfortunately there was no orange one but only yellow. Tonight I am going to test it and of course give you feedback.
I have been playing tennis with the same racquets for decades, the Wilson Profile 95 the stiffiest racquet ever made, I have been using the best strings possible at a lower tension like 45 on the mains, 41 on the crosses. I have 3 of same racquets and I get all 3 strung different tension 45, 42, 38, with my crosses 4lbs lighter on the crosses. The Profile is a heavier racquet, and I have never had tennis elbow or any issues with my arm shoulders, etc. I also Krirschbaum strings they are great all around strings, I use a 16g on mains and a 17 on crosses, and I get the most out of the racquet. Great job on the video coach, you are doing an awesome job explaining these types of topics to the people who are trying to learn. Thank you
Wilson Profile is a Classic
@@IntuitiveTennis my babes! I have Little Bertha 1, Little Bertha 2, and little Bertha 3. My ladies of destruction. Hahe
Weight of the racket may depend on style. The modern style emphasizes swing speed for more topspin, and a lighter racket gives you more swing speed.
I think heavier rackets may be more appropriate for the classic style of ground stroke. You're hitting flatter, so you need more height control. Weight at 3 and 9 o'clock help keep the angle of the racket face from turning much if the ball hits slightly off-center. It also helps you play in and take the ball on the rise -- because even with minimal backswing the racket will stand up to the ball.
Experiment and play what feels good.When i had tennis elbow i played with the Prince Oversize Graphite racket which was 12.5 ounces. Gut string 100%. Tennis elbow solved.Still love that racket.
I reckon it's the added effect of stiff polys with stiff racket that is a big problem with arm pain, I've experimented with loads of rackets and have settled kind of in-between. Was hitting with 320g prince flexible and hybrid poly/multi. Now with 305g prince flexible with full poly. Have a stiffer racket also with full multi and works well. But can't do stuff racket and poly, that's the arm killer and juniors who want to be like pros should be discouraged from polys till older IMO
All poly setups can be very stiff, especially with most Babolat racquets such as the pure drive plus. I always string mine with natural gut in the mains and a good poly in the crosses and haven't had any arm problems since!
This guy is onto something. I had a Babolat Pure Aero stifness 67. Had arm issues when I changed to full bed poly strings. Started getting better as I changed the strings to hybrid. Poly in the mains and synthetic gut in crosses.
However, I wanted to prevent this happening again so I bought Wilson Clash with a stifnness of 57. Strung with hybrid strings poly in the mains and synthetic gut in crosses. My arm and shoulder issues started to come back!
It makes sense what Nik says. From a Science angle, Physics 101: energy cannot be lost, only transferred from one from to another. So when the ball hits the strings of a racket with a low stifness, the racket bends. But before the racket can bend back and retransfer the energy back to the ball, the ball has already left the strings. Meaning that stored energy is left on the racket and so also transferred to your arm shoulders etc.
With a stiffer racket, soon as the ball hits the strings, the racket doesn't bend as much, but immediately redistributes the energy back to the ball. Hence the extra power. So minimal energy in the form of shock has been transfered to your arms.
💯
Actually also noticed this myself. First is right technique and some elbow exercises. Then switch to slightly stiffer rackets (65-68RA) and looser string tension. (21-22kg). No more tennis elbow even though I play almost every day. I can say though that when you return hard balls and hit late you can feel the stress on the fore-arm/elbow, so good technique is definitely a must here imho :)
One question if possible. I am writing to you from Armenia. I am 33 years old (58кг 166-168cm height). I have wanted to learn to play tennis for a long time. I found a coach for myself, and today was my 9th lesson. I was able to play with him 10 times already :DD
. I really like the videos on your channel, and I've learned a lot from watching them too. So here's my question... Could you recommend 1-2 specific tennis racquets that are suitable for a beginner player like me but also that have really good quality? I can order them from the United States or Europe, so that's not a problem. Also, I believe a larger head size would be beneficial to easily hit the ball ( BUT IF THE TREND IS SHIFTING TO 98 HEAD SIZE, MAYBE BETTER ME TO START FROM THERE?) . Also what you think is it better for me to pick light weight version of a racquet or a standard one like 280gram or near 300?
Was thinking about these ones....
1 - Yonex VCORE "L"
2 - Yonex EZONE "L"
3 - Pure Drive "team"
4 - Pure Aero "team"
Thank you in advance, would highly appreciate if you respond in a little elaborated way ) thanks again
Hey Nic, I love your videos and watch all of them, but I think you forget some important aspects. The problems many people (and also I) have with light and stiff racquets is the vibration which is transfered into their arm everytime they hit a ball. When I play with a PureDrive, PureStrike, any stiff racquet, I don't get tennis elbow, but I can feel the vibration in my upper arm. And with time this will cause inflammation in my tendons, especially in the upper arm. This also happens when I string with co-polys and low tension or even using a soft multifilament like a Head Velocity / Head Reflex. Certain vibrations cause irritation in my tendons. And one more important thing: you always talk about "how much energy you have to exert". But this is also not the problem I have with lighter racquets. The actual problem is that a lighter racquet encourages me to "swing unclean". Because it is so easy to hit the ball with these racquets and the racquet moves so fast through the air. Heavier racquets "force me to have optimal technique", relax my body as much as possible and swing with a relaxed arm.
Unless your playing with 100 sq in, the pure strike 3rd gen is only 66 RA which is in the middle of the mid stiffness range.
@@steinanderson9849 In my experience the RA is only one of multiple factors attributing to a stiff feeling racquet. The Head PT 2.0 for example has RA 65 but feels much softer, more like RA 60. The latest Pure Strike 18x20 and 16x19 by comparison (which I also tested) feel much stiffer and uncomfortable in comparison. So RA is a good rule of thumb, but two racquets with the same RA can feel worlds apart regarding stiffness and comfort.
One question if possible. I am writing to you from Armenia. I am 33 years old (58кг 166-168cm height). I have wanted to learn to play tennis for a long time. I found a coach for myself, and today was my 9th lesson. I was able to play with him 10 times already :DD
. I really like the videos on your channel, and I've learned a lot from watching them too. So here's my question... Could you recommend 1-2 specific tennis racquets that are suitable for a beginner player like me but also that have really good quality? I can order them from the United States or Europe, so that's not a problem. Also, I believe a larger head size would be beneficial to easily hit the ball ( BUT IF THE TREND IS SHIFTING TO 98 HEAD SIZE, MAYBE BETTER ME TO START FROM THERE?) . Also what you think is it better for me to pick light weight version of a racquet or a standard one like 280gram or near 300?
Was thinking about these ones....
1 - Yonex VCORE "L"
2 - Yonex EZONE "L"
3 - Pure Drive "team"
4 - Pure Aero "team"
Thank you in advance, would highly appreciate if you respond in a little elaborated way ) thanks again
So many people out there has so much ego and weight up their racket to prove that they are good and can handle heavy racket. But what they do in the court is their swing speed is slow and the way they hit the ball over the net is more like tapping the ball over the net instead of swinging instead. Don't even produce any racket head speed.
It is interesting that you have shown a Volkl V-Cell 1 as an example of stiff and light. Volkl specialise in making racquets for a range of players, with several of their racquets ideally suited for older players. The reason is that they put technology into their frames which is specifically designed for producing an arm friendly high performance racquet. Models like the Volkl V-Cell 1, 2, 3, & 4 are all excellent racquets. The European 70+ singles champion and the USA 60+ womens singles champion are both examples of very good players using these Volkl models and having great success.
Agree , since 2015 i play with volkl dnx 10 mp and the volkl feel it’s unmatched Stiff or flexible rackets…
Great tips and thank you. Apart from the weight ... is there a great difference between Babolat Pure Drive Team and Babolate Pure Drive Lite (unstrung - 255g) ?
After reading through The Physics and Technology of Tennis, I believe Nick is completely right about stiff racquets being more arm friendly. The book says that soft racquets vibrate MORE than stiff ones, due to the extra bending / warping back and forth on impact as well as longer duration of vibrations. It also mentions that soft racquets require you to hit harder due to energy being lost to bending. It concludes that the most arm friendly setup is a stiff racquet strung at a low tension. This is quite the opposite of the prevailing wisdom though!
Great review I am 60 and use a pure drive 👍
I bought a tennis racquet few months back and it's amazing. It has improved my shots, service and back hand strokes. I want to find out the gut tension of this racquet as it is pre strung. The tension on racquet specs is a range but I want to know the exact tension. Is there a way to find it out?
Nick Thanks for the video. the one exception that I’ve seen is the Wilson Clash because somehow Wilson figured out how to make a powerful but flexible racket with their new technology.
Many people get tennis elbow from clash. In your case the racquet you played with prior to clash was super low powered so the clash helped you. Plus you adjusted the string setup. Also, you are a 4.5 beast that can handle flex racquets. 🙌🙌
I started my tennis journey with aluminum racquets using a Hawaiian grip and 60lb tension. I've yet to have any problems with tennis elbow or shoulder problems. Maybe a slightly sore wrist after multiple days of hard hitting at most.
I've always been playing with flexible rackets, now switched to the Pure Aero VS with a stiff string at a low tension (38 pounds) and I never have arm pain. I like the feel of flexible rackets but the low tension in that stiffer frame helps a lot. Plus, 16x20 string pattern in the GOAT of string patterns!
Hi Nick. You always have very interesting takes in tennis equipment that I always enjoy listening to, even if I don't share some. They make me think though.
I think your recommendation is right on point for beginners (say 2.5 and under?) who are mostly "paddling" balls over the net and don't attempt to swing big. In that case a light, stiff racket would made their lives quite easier. But pain (particularly elbow) can come from two sources, as I have understood: strain, which weight makes worse, and vibrations, which stiffness makes worse. So, if you're attempting to swing big, but without the proper technique yet (say 3.0-4.5?), two things will happen: you will put often more effort than needed (so strain, light racket), and you'll get a lot of misshits at high swing speeds (so vibrations, soft racket). I also think that when you're learning how to swing properly and not just playing for fun, you can benefit a lot from a low powered racket that encourages you to swing big at the ball without having it fly to the fence every time. And as you're getting better, you should increase your weight slightly to "force" you to swing more effortlessly.
So I'd say:
beginner, light and stiff
Intermediate, light and soft
Advanced, heavy and soft
Pro, however you like it 😂.
Babolat RPM Blast at 18kgs here - no noticeable negatives like loss of control, instead a bit more pop and spin....and comfort indeed. Had it at 24kgs before and wouldn't do again...sometimes i feel my elbow especially after a lot of serving/smashing, with plenty of off center hits, but has maybe to do with too tight of a grip as well...Racket is Tecnifibre TF40, so not stiff really.
Is co-polyester and mono filament polyester the same? Could you recommend an elbow friendly string for a 56 men 4.0 level with A Babolat Pure Drive Lite racket?
The team version of rackets have always been my favourite. Their unstrung weight of 285 to 290 grams is perfect for my level.
Good video, I train with 400 gr old racket with unusual balance, that makes my muscles very strong. On court I use modern racket "Pacific" 340 gr (strung) and it's like blade in my hands, whips the wind, producing great spin. I play, switching hand, only forhand! I have no elbow/wrist issues.
In case of Anna as I see, she has right shoulder dislocation and it's awful. I had the same injury! The shoulder must be operated and then small careful training with tiny weight. Better she learns to play with left hand! And serves only with left, it takes a lot of effort and time but it will pay off!
Hi Nick, I really love your channel. I think I would giving your recommendation a try for my wife's racket.. I guess quite comparable according to skill and physical power. So my question is what tension did you recommend for the setup of Ana new racket?
Depends on the string ua-cam.com/video/3CyNgcHE_uo/v-deo.html
I guess it depends on what's causing your arm problems: racquet stiffness/vibration or arm over-exertion. For me, it was stiffness/vibration. I developed pretty severe tendinitis (tennis elbow AND golfer's elbow) while using stiff racquets.
So I switched to the ultra-flexible Wilson Triad Three and then Triad Five, and my arm is healed. I don't know what kind of voodoo Wilson uses, but both of those racquets have plenty of power, in addition to a super-plush feel.
Very good point RE muscle memory!
Hello. Following that reasoning, would the Wilson Ultra V4 at 48 pounds or less be a good choice for someone who has had tennis elbow?
How does flex and firm defines here? Pure drive is around 70 which is absolutely firm. But what about the flex end? I’m using a racket with 64 ra. Is this too flex? I’m learning tennis with a racket in this setup and I do try to switch to pure drive and I just don’t get used to it. It’s too vibrating on my hand and end up selling it. Mussel memory is hard to change indeed. Lowering the tension did help. I initially use 50 then lower to 48. I can get the ball much deeper without too much effort. I might try lower it down further to see what happens.
100% correct… I use primarily 2015 and 2016 Pure Aero racquets - Hyper G 54 pounds- but I have a few new Pure Aeros as well --> that I hate. Babolat keeps dropping the RA which stresses my arm - ridiculous.
Is Babolat just going to discontinue this racket in the future and tell everyone to buy the Wilson Clash? 🤷♂️🥴😂
i moved to ezone 100sl (270g) with babolat hybrid string 55/52 tension, I have elbow and arm pain, not sure if I picked up the wrong racker, tension or string?
What tension you recommend and which string
I think my elbow pain come from the the shocks that stiff rackets usually delivers more than flexible ones, not the forces I have to exert on the racket when hitting a ball. I really hate the shocks and hope a soft strung shock absorbing material racket can reduce them.
On good days when my technique was on point, I never have any pain whatsoever on my wrist. On bad days when I'm slacking a little thus my technique and from was compromised, I have some pain on my wrist the day after. And I'm using the exact same racquet and string on both scenarios.
how do you know if it was just the tension that eased the tennis elbow and not the stiffness of the racquet.
I have yonex ezone. Racquet stiffness is 66. Recommended tension is 40-55 lbs. What is the ideal range for poly in this racquet? Is 48lbs good enuf to avoid arm pain. I got the racquet pre-strung and after few games racquet tune registers 43.5 lbs as tension. Which means factory tension could be 45. I am not sure what type of strings are used by yonex?
I can play with a flexible or stiff racquet with poly, tight or loose tension. I don't have tennis elbow but my wrist and shoulder does get some pain from time to time, especially my shoulder. I'm 47 years old and play around 8 to 12 hours a week as well as weight train 3 to 4 times a week. Wilson clash, 2019/2021 97 vcore, 2019 pure aero, and wilson blade v7 are the modern sticks I own. I can still play with the cts thunderstick too. It's really the Indian, not the bow. I can adjust to almost any racquet with one rally session, but I do prefer the vcores strung at 53lbs with poly. I demoed the boom pro which I liked. The only stick that I never enjoyed is the Diadem Tour.
For an advanced rec player using a soft/medium poly, what is a lower tension? Under 50?
i am currently playing with a wilson blade v7. Used to play national level till i was 15y, and now im 24 trying to pick tennis back up. First year struggled with golf/tenniselbow issues and eventually had to stop. Currently planning to go back to my old trusty pure aero and maybe try a teams (270g) lighter version. Hope to get my old feel back which i was missing with the blade. The blade has excellent feel but it feels too sluggish/heavy for me atm.
Hey for what it's worth I'm probably no where near as good as you but I felt the same when I had a v7 blade. For me it was very sluggish and demanding, but my non ideal technique probably didn't help. Also I mainly played doubles but it seemed better in singles.
Hi Nick.
I want to string a couple more racquets that I own with Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange as
you have recommended at low tension. In my area, the 17 gauge is sold out, and not available for a few months,
but the 16 g is available. Do you believe the 16g would be close enough, or should I try to get 17g from elsewhere.
Link in bio
Heavy racket with lower stiff ( clash 295gr with 56ra) or technifibre 280gr with higher stiff (68ra), which racket better for arm(elbow), thanks?
The only thing I agree with is the strings part- use thinner gauge at lower tensions...however everything else is missing the complete picture and is misleading. You can't say that your point of view is based on raw data and logic, when in reality it's just based on your own experience just like others claiming that the babolat pure drive is the racquet most responsible for arm injuries like tennis elbow. Your theory that stiffer racquets are better for your arm health because it takes less effort to generate power and is more user friendly may have some ground but in what way? Injuries from overexertion during swings vs harsh vibrations from the racquet are 2 different injuries. When I was a junior i used the Babolat areopro drive gt and was plagued with shoulder, elbow and wrist injuries until I switched to a blade 98 a significantly softer frame while still using very stiff polys like tour bite at 60lbs. Also, your example of your student you switched from a wilson ultra to a babolat pure drive team completely disproves your argument for stiffer frames.
Wilson ultra 100 - 73 ra
Babolat pure drive team - 69 ra
Nick, when you're shopping for a racquet (especially online) aren't there numerical ratings for the various characteristics of the racquet, i.e.,
Stiffness - flexible?
Racquet weight?
Racquet balance?
string tightness?
Thicker frames vs thinner frames?
Can you talk about these, their ratings and any other important racquet stat i may have missed?
Oh, also, the lead tape thing. Isn't that also used to widen or lessen the racquets sweet spot?
If you don't know your racket range (a spec range that suits you), you'll have to figure that out through experience or just wing it/take a guess and see what happens.
It's difficult to say what will and won't work for someone till they try it. However, once you have some data so to speak to work with, like 'i play very well with 23mm+ beams with RA above 66 and head sizes 98-100 etc', you can narrow down your list further and further the more info you get on your preferences.
I'd wait though re thinking heavily on this till you're at the very least a 4.5 player. You need solid fundamentals to properly benefit from such things. Poor fundamentals and timing cannot be hidden behind any racket. Instead, a racket or overall setup can influence your shots in different ways, and it's about finding out what you want boosted and what are you willing to sacrifice to do that. It is always a compromise.
As a general rule though, a thinner beam, a lower RA (stiffness), a lower swing weight, a smaller head size, a denser string pattern, less space between strings, and so on all might point towards a more connected/controlled/predictable experience. And less mass/swing weight can lead to less energy transferred through to ball unless sufficient swing speed is generated. This last bit can be more swing style based, as ATP tour shows great power can be achieved with heavy or light specs.
A large head size, a more open pattern, more space between strings, a higher RA, a thicker beam, more mass, a higher swing weight, and so on lead to more energy being transferred to ball and easier access to spin and height.
For pros it's not always so much one or the other usually. It's a mix of both in many cases, depending on style and preferences.
To be honest, for most players from beginner up to middle/high intermediate, they can pick a random tweener (pure drive, pure aero, head extreme mp, Wilson ultra, Dunlop SX 300, Dunlop FX 500, Yonex Ezone 100, Yonex Vcore 100 and so on) and string it with a poly somewhere in the 40s (lbs) and they're pretty much sorted. If they're making errors it will be down to poor fundamentals and timing.
From very high intermediate to advanced and beyond, the gates open wide. Almost anything becomes a viable option. As in the fundamentals are there and a personal style has been built, so what will suit will depend on the individual. It can still be a tweener. It might be a modern control racket etc .An oversized racket. Then there's customisation. Strings and tension.
To keep things simple, most modern offerings now among top brands fall into just a few groups. So in a way, we have just a handful of rackets. And then a bunch of variations on those few formulas.
So we have power/spin, spin/control, balanced, modern control, and traditional control. I've named these. This isn't official labelling. But point is most rackets under one of the labels will play similarly to another racket in same label.
Power spin rackets: pure drive, pure aero, vcore 100, ezone 100, head extreme MP etc.
Control spin: pure aero Vs, ezone 98, vcore 98, Extreme tour, Tecnifibre IGA, pure strike 98, vcore 95 etc.
Balanced: head speed mp, gravity, Prince Textreme Tour 100 etc.
Modern control: Tecnifibre tf40, blade 98, Yonex Vcore pro 97, head prestige etc.
More traditional control racket seem to be dying out nowadays, among more notable brand offerings. Six One 95 etc still around I think.
Lead tape is used to customise a racket to your own preferences. Blue tac or silicone may be used inside handle as well.
Simple put, when you add weight beyond where you hold racket, you don't just increase static weight. You change balance and increase swing weight. The further up the racket the weight is added the higher the multiplier re how much you up swing weight with same amount of weight added. So 1g of lead at 12 might say add 3 points to swing weight or something like that. Add 1 gram to throat and you wouldn't increase swing weight by much. You can counter balance with weight inside handle. Silicone or blue tac in handle also give a racket a 'pro stock feel'. Less useful vibrations are muted out the more you fill handle but important feedback is retained. Comfort is increased.
So I use custom pure drive teams. Silicone is in handle and lead tape has been applied under grip at top of handle and at 12 o clock of frame hoop. The end result is a very comfortable and whippy custom spec. A specific spec was targeted for my pure drive teams so they have been matched to one set spec. My personal spec. A spec I came to as I was happy with how it increased launch angle and control of the racket, with the stiff and stable pure drive offering a great base enabling me to use a light setup to enhance whip/swing speed/spin.
On a very simple level, adding lead tape at 3 and 9 in hoop will increase stability making off center hits around there less problematic as well. Adding weight at 12 will move sweetspot up a bit. Twistweight another factor here as well. So adding a bunch of lead at 12 layed over each other would eventually give racket a twisting feeling, whereas you'd get less twisting with weight at 3 and 9. But the overall spec, final spec, is obviously the important bit.
Coach, what you mentioned the weight, does it include the string strung on the racket?
I purchased a Babolat Pure Drive Team a month ago, strung with Kirschbaum Flash gauge 17/1.25, at 24kg tension, and it’s causing me upper arm pain every time I play (especially against players with powerful shots). I’m giving up on this racquet honestly. I switched to a head boom mp recently (similar strings & tension specs) and somehow the pain is gone. Any ideas as to why? I’m intermediate level player, male 34 y.o.
Hey nick--what about prokennex and angell rackets which have been well documented to be very arm friendly? I play with a prokennex and it cured my wrist arm pain
Likewise Prokennex has made a world of difference to my elbow pain, total godsend that allows me to play 4 times a week. Just purchased an Angell K7 Red to see how I get on with that also! Ps I never use poly strings or string above 50lbs.
Hey there! Quick question, do the majority of pros use stiff or flexible rackets?! What about Alcaraz?!
I am playing with the autograph 340gr i dont have tennis elbow. When i use a lighter racket i have pain really strange.
I agree with your comments but I would put the focus more on swingweight rather than static weight. Rackets like a wilson blade 98 (not that much the newest model), even though the static weight may seem light (304gr), they are quite tough to handle and feel more heavy than what the static weight could suggest because of its higher swingweight.
I totally support your opinion - this is also my experience.
I didn't 100% follow your string and racket setup but I did suffer from arm pain for a while. I bought a Yonex e-zone, use Yonex strings and set it up lower tension (per your recommend) for easy power. Definitely helped alleviate arm pain. I pulled the idea of going for power from your string recommend videos. Thank you.
How much lower? Ezone is 40-55 recommended? Is 48lb good enuf? Or even lower?
@@abansalify I used to string up at about 58lbs with my Blade and I've dropped down to 52lbs with the eZone. I'd be curious to see how 48lbs feels.
I had no idea that racquet weight or string flexibility could cause tennis injuries. I am going to see how my racquet compares to your recommendations. Thank you!
It doesn't hurt by magic. Tennis elbow is an overuse injury specifically involving your forearm muscles. So, Nick's point is that less powerful rackets (heavy, flexible, strung tight) can lead you to try to muscle the ball in an effort to compensate. If you're not abusing on your swing, you can play a wooden racket strung at 60 pounds if you want and it probably won't hurt.
It’s also very important to train the muscles around your elbow, both strength training as well as flexibility/mobility.