SF Tennis Freak

Archive for 2013

This video is an accompaniment to the racquet review video I shot that featured the new HEAD Graphene Speed Pro.

After a hit at the Buena Vista Park tennis courts in San Francisco, I asked my buddy/hitting partner if I could make a video with him answering some questions about his new racquet: the Head Youtek Graphene Speed MP. This was his first hit with his new sticks, so his impressions of the racquet (as compared to his old Volkl’s) was very fresh. I hope you find our racquet Q & A helpful.

(Video was shot on-the-fly using my Asus TF300. My apologies for the low volume level of his audio.)

SF Tennis Freak Note: I’ve tried hitting with the Speed MP and, Graphene or no Graphene, this new version didn’t work well with my game. It’s not very forgiving, but if you hit the ball well (and cleanly), it comes off great! And that’s why it didn’t work well with my game. 🙂

RACQUET DETAILS

Balance: 3 Points Head Light
Beam Width: 22.5 millimeters – 22.5 millimeters – 21.5 millimeters
Grip Type: Hydrosorb Pro
Head Size: 100 Square Inches (645.16 Square Centimeters)
Length: 27 inches (68.58 Centimeters)
Power Level: Low
Colors: White/ Black
Stiffness: 66
String Pattern: 16 Mains / 19 Crosses
String Tension: 50-60 pounds
Stroke Style: Full
Swing Weight: 320
Swing Speed: Fast
Weight (Strung): 11 Ounces (311.84 Grams)

Date: 5/11/2013

Location: San Francisco State University

Conditions: Outdoors, overcast, cool, humid

Doubles or Singles Played: Doubles

Match Result: 6-1 6-2 Loss

Season Record: 2-3

Match Notes: Lost a tough one today in doubles 1 and 2. The fact that we were out there a long time for that score doesn’t make me feel any better about the loss.  I didn’t play badly, but I certainly didn’t play well enough to combat the seasoned doubles play of my opponents.

My partner for today’s match was Tom, a teammate I haven’t partnered with this season. He was solid, and we got along well (he’s a very nice guy), but a new partnership is almost always at a disadvantage against teams that have played together previously: like our opponents. (I hope we get a chance to play again before the season is over.)

Also, I hadn’t played since last week’s match, and I could definitely have benefitted from a midweek hit.  That wasn’t possible after getting a mild case of food poisoning. I pretty much just had to chill most of the week.  But since tennis is a game of familiarity and feel, I wasn’t as on top of my game today as I could have been, and it showed.  Especially on my serve.

My groundstrokes were decent: forehand more so than backhand. The main issue today was my serve. There were no “Sharapova” moments like last week, but it was still a mediocre service day. I couldn’t get it out wide when I needed, and didn’t put nearly enough first serves into play. I held 2 of 4 times at the service line, and that’s not nearly good enough at the 4.0 level to get the job done.

Earlier this season, one of my teammates and I talked about the need to play at least 2-3 times a week in order to be ready to compete at this level.  I did that heading into last week’s match and came out with a win. I wasn’t able to this week and came away with a loss.

Midweek practice might not necessarily have produced a win, but it sure would have made my overall game a lot tidier today.

This week’s question comes from Peg S. of San Francisco.  Though it’s directed towards the ladies, I think everyone can benefit from Marla’s reply.

Question: You’ve coached a lot of women. What are the top three upper body strength exercises you would recommend?

Answer: Upper body strength, with a focus on the shoulders) is extremely important in achieving good racquet control and preventing injury. Here are my top three suggestions:

1.  Push-ups

2. Seated Rows (machine or band)

3.  Internal/External Rotation with a band.

And I can’t stress enough the benefits of simple push-ups. That is, regular push-ups, not “girl” push-ups! 🙂

SFTennisFreak Note: Both women and men can benefit from exercises that can help protect the muscles of the shoulder, like the rotator cuff. Take it from someone who’s had shoulder surgery! Instructional videos to help with the above exercises tips are readily available online, like this one for internal/external rotation with a Theraband.

Thanks Marla!
Got a tennis question, but no one to ask?
Send it via email or tweet for “Ask Marla”, a (hopefully) weekly (or biweekly) question-and-answer with Marla Reid of San Francisco’s City Racquet Shop.

About Marla Reid

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players at Occidental College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, University of Kansas, and Florida Tech, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla has an M.A. in Exercise Physiology, and is a seasoned racquet stringer.

About City Racquet Shop

City Racquet Shop offers, superior products/services, outstanding customer service, and a community-oriented destination for tennis players to shop, hang out and talk about tennis.

City Racquet Shop online: www.cityracquetshop.com
City Racquet Shop on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/city-racquet-shop-san-francisco
City Racquet Shop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityracquetshop

(Fourth match in the documentation of my 2013 USTA Adult League season)

With Eddie after the match

Date: 5/5/2013
Location: San Francisco State University
Conditions: 60-65, overcast and windy
Doubles or Singles Played: Doubles
Personal Match Result: 6-3 6-2 Win
Team Match Result: 2-3 Loss
Personal Season Record: 2-2

Match Notes: After the slice and dice nightmare of last weekend at SFTC, I made a return to winning ways in today’s doubles match with my partner Eddie. Conditions were mostly fine in spite of a few sprinkles. Temperature was pretty mild, and the early winds died down as the match progressed.

I played doubles with my buddy Eddie, a tricky lefty who hits with almost as much spin as Rafa (j/k, but only slightly). He’s solid on both sides with lefty spin and an ability to work crafty angles.  He’s also aggressive at the net (which makes my life easier when serving). With his strong lefty game and my pace, we’re a formidable team if we execute well.

Our opponents were decent players.  One had great hands at the net and came in whenever possible.  The other was okay from the baseline with a strong serve, but prone to to mishits if pressured.  It was a little hard to gauge how we would match up at first, but I felt pretty good about our chances.

After falling behind 1-3, we pretty much steamrolled through the match. Between my pace and Eddie’s spin, they had a difficult time with our groundstrokes. And though the one guy had great hands on his volleys, there’s not much he could do if we hit at his feet or passed him.

Mentally I stayed calm/relaxed throughout, and all aspects of my game felt good.  FH crosscourt returns were blazing, down the line were untouchable, BH slice was on, and the serve was working well. My only blip, and it was a big one, was a horrific service game to start the second set. I “pulled a Maria”, double-faulting 4 times to give them a one game headstart.

What can I say? Since shoulder surgery, it occasionally happens. Eddie didn’t walk off the court in disgust, though, so I knew we’d be okay.
I understand, Maria, really I do!

The video in Part 1 covered my immediate impressions after hitting with the Speed Pro. Part 2 will cover a quick discussion of the racquet specs, and how that might have impacted my reactions to hitting with this racquet instead of my Speed MP 315.

My on-court impressions of the Speed Pro don’t quite match up with the specs in comparison to the MP 315. The Pro is .1 oz heavier (strung), but feels lighter in the hand when playing. It cuts through the air easier, and delivers more zip on the shot even though the power level is rated as low. This was true on both my forehand and my backhand. The MP 315 is a great racquet for control, but the Pro gives you control and pop.

I’ll end with one caveat that might account for some of the differences I felt between the two racquets. The demo I used was strung at 55 with Livewire. My Speed MP 315 is strung with a hybrid of NXT 16 in the crosses, and Stamina 17 in the mains at 52. My good friend Marla (from City Racquet Shop) suggested that I put Livewire into my current racquet the next time it’s strung before coming to a conclusion on the Speed Pro after my demo.

(My apologies for inconsistencies with the spec format. It’s tough to find consistent specs on the various sites.)

HEAD YouTek Graphene Speed Pro
Head Size : 100 in.2
Length : 27 Inches
Weight : 11.2 Ounces (unstrung) / 11.7 Ounces (strung)
Balance: Head Light
Balance Point: 33.0cm. / 13in.
Power Level: Low
Swing Type: Fast & Long
Tension: 48-57 lbs.
String Pattern: 18M x 20C
Flex (RDC): 66
Swing Weight: 338

HEAD YouTek Speed MP 315 18×20
Head Size : 100 sq. in.
Length : 27 Inches
Weight : 11.1 Ounces (unstrung) / 11.6 Ounces (strung)
Balance: Head Light
Balance Point: 31cm. / 12.2in.
Power Level: Low
Swing Type: Fast & Long
Tension: 52-62 Lbs.
String Pattern: 18M x 20C
Beam Width: 20mm
Flex: 65

To Graphene or not to Graphene?

That’s the question I’m left with after demo’ing the new HEAD Graphene Speed Pro, the updated version of my current racquet the HEAD YouTek Speed MP 315. Actually, “souped up” is a more accurate description to describe the difference between the two. But rather than writing more, I’ll let you enjoy the video I shot immediately after using it.

(Click here for a discussion on the racquet specs in Part 2.)

(This is raw unedited footage video shot on the fly with my Galaxy S3.)