SF Tennis Freak

Archive for the ‘Equipment’ Category

In case any of you are wondering why this “phone recovery” video is posted on my tennis site, my S3 is my constant tennis companion (tournament coverage, videos, etc). Many of the pictures and videos on this site, along with the post entries themselves, were created using this phone.

So then imagine my chagrin when my Galaxy S3 fell from my pocket and slipped straight through the grates of a storm drain the other day, and was submerged in the murky water for about 6-10 minutes before I could retrieve it. Facing the loss of my beloved phone, I tried the solution of placing it in container of uncooked rice between 48-72 hours. Here’s what happened when I pulled it out of the rice this morning…

(Spoiler Alert: It worked!)

The HEAD Graphene Radical Pro

As a happy HEAD racquet owner, I tend to be a fan of their racquets. But as I’ve also stated before in previous HEAD racquet reviews (ahem, Graphene Instinct), not all HEAD racquets are created equal! Such is the case with the Graphene Radical Pro.

To be fair, it wasn’t my intention to do a formal review of the Radical Pro. I simply went for a hit with a friend who’d received his new sticks. After some racquet chitchat, one thing led to another and I soon had one in my hot little hands for a quick comparison with my own Speed MP 315.

After hearing a lot of good things about the Radical Pro, I was expecting a positive hitting experience. To the contrary, it failed to live up to the hype. I’d expected better feel/control on my shots. Instead, I was completely unable to keep the ball on the court without significant changes to my stroke pattern.

HEAD Graphene Radical Pro and Speed MP 315

Ground Strokes

My forehand suffered the most with the Radical Pro. Shots that usually land deep in the corners with my Speed MP were literally hitting the back fence. And any attempts to slow my stroke in order to keep the ball in play sent shots into the net. Accuracy went “out the window” as well. My favorite shot, the “inside-out” forehand, sprayed uncontrollably wide. And my cross court forehand was hit-or-miss at best.

Backhands weren’t disastrous, but were certainly nothing special. While I managed to keep most of them from hitting the back fence, I struggled with accuracy as I did with my forehand.

Serve

The one part of my game that didn’t suffer with the Radical Pro was the serve. I had decent control over serve placement, and was also able to slice it out wide with ease. The downside was a tremendous loss of power. As a player who relies on my strong serve as the foundation for the rest of my game, this would be unacceptable in any demo’ed racquet.

I switched between the Radical Pro and my Speed MP 315 every so often for real-time shot comparisons, and found that my Speed MP consistently gave me control that was sorely missing from the Radical Pro.

Conclusion

All in all, the Radical Pro was a bust for me. But since it wasn’t a racquet I intended to buy, that didn’t matter. The important thing was that it suited my friend’s game; and it did that very well. It gave him more depth and spin on his shots than he could normally generate on his own. (For comparison purposes, he hit with my racquet and struggled to achieve the same depth on his strokes, and could barely muster any spin.)

So if you need more pop and added spin on your shots, this is a good racquet to try because of the slightly lighter weight/stiffer frame, and 16×19 string pattern. If you already generate your own pace and spin, this racquet won’t help either, and will probably result in a loss of control. In short, I’d look elsewhere for a racquet upgrade.

HEAD Graphene Radical Pro Specs
Head Size: 98 sq. in
Length: 27in
Strung Weight: 11.5oz
Balance: 6 pts Head Light
Swing Weight: 326
Stiffness: 68
Power Level: Low
Swing Speed: Fast
String Pattern: 16 Mains / 19 Crosses
String Tension: 48-57 pounds

HEAD YouTek Speed MP 315 Specs
Head Size: 100 sq. in MP
Length: 27 inches
Strung Weight: 11.7
Balance:  6 pts Head Light
Swing Weight: 315
Flex: 65
Power Level: Low
Swing Speed: Fast
String Pattern: 18 Mains / 20 Crosses
Tension: 52-62 Pounds

I recently posted 3 separate installments featuring tips to help you and your game in the off-season as part of my Ask Marla series . Here are all  three article links in one place for easy bookmark-ing:

Tips for the Off-Season Part 1:  Take Stock/Take Time Off

Tips for the Off-Season Part 2: Off-Season Training

Tips for the Off-Season Part 3: Equipment Changes

Good luck, and hope they help your upcoming season!

This is the third of a three-part series (Take Stock/Take Time Off, Training Tips for Upcoming Season, and Equipment Changes) that will focus on things you can do to help your game during the off-season.

Question: Is this a good time to make equipment changes?

Answer: With regards to equipment, this is definitely time to think about making changes. Start doing some research, find out what’s new and what’s coming out (that may help your game), and talk to someone who knows about the equipment you’re interested in i.e. racquets, strings, etc.

If you’re going to demo a racquet I’d highly recommend waiting until the first of the year. That’s when the new products will be out and in the stores. It’s the best time to demo and hit with all the latest and greatest! So hold off on any new racquet purchases until then.

Question: How about changing strings. Is this the best time to make a change or is it okay to experiment throughout the season?

Answer: If you’re going to get a new racquet, I would hold off strings because it all depends on your game and the racquet. Talk to a local pro about your game and what you’re looking to achieve. Do you need more control? Do you want to develop more spin? Get advice on strings that might be able to help you achieve the goals of your game.

With respect to racquets, there are many factors that can affect your strings such as open/closed string patterns and racquet stiffness. Are you looking for durability, or are you looking for playability. Keep in mind that changing your string tension can also make a big difference in your game without changing strings. Just remember that you have to be willing to experiment to find what works best for you.

(SFTF Note: I wholeheartedly agree on talking to a trusted local pro before making any major equipment changes. Because I’d previously taken lessons with Marla, she knew my game, knew my goals, and successfully guided me to my current racquet (HEAD Speed MP 315).

Marla also convinced me to string my racquets with a hybrid combo that gives me great playability yet also helps my string jobs last for more than three weeks. Lastly, her familiarity with my shoulder issues led to a push for reduced string tension from 60 pounds to 52. Besides feeling better on my shoulder, the reduced tension helps my string jobs last even longer.

These are the type of customized suggestions you could never get from random online reviews. I love my racquet, love my strings, and feel like my game continues to evolve and improve. All thanks to the help I received from my local pro.

You want my advice? Take the time to get help from a trusted pro/coach in your area. Any type of equipment changes you want to make, and their associated mental/financial costs, will be well worth the effort when you successfully come out on the other side!)

Got a tennis question? 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

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla owns and operates City Racquet Shop in San Francisco CA.

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

This is my version of taking stock/taking time off…

This is the first of a three-part series that will focus on things you can do to help your game during the off-season. It was inspired after I asked Marla about suggestions for off-season training. Her response surprised me, and led to this three-part series (Take Stock/Take Time Off, Off-Season Training, and Equipment Changes).

Question: Do you have any suggestions for my readers about what to do in the off-season?

Answer: Before you do anything, take time to evaluate your past season!

Think good and hard about how your season went (good and bad), and then pick two or three things that you want to work on. Maybe take some tune-up lessons with a tennis pro, view instructional videos on YouTube, or simply work on drills with friends. The important thing to remember is that this is NOT the time to compete.

If you need to take time away from the game to help your body recover from the season, this is the perfect time to do it. Sometimes in tennis, we hit peaks where our game levels off and we become stagnant.

Those are the times that it’s good to get away to rethink your game, let your body recover, and then re-start once you’re mentally and physically refreshed.

Got a tennis question? 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

Marla Reid is a respected tennis pro/coach in the San Francisco Bay Area. She’s coached nationally-ranked teams and players, and has over 15 years of experience at the NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Marla owns and operates City Racquet Shop in San Francisco CA.

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

Since the purchase of my HEAD Speed MP 315 (18×20) racquet a few years back, I’m an avowed HEAD fan. However, after recent hits with some other sticks in the HEAD family, my fan-dom has become a bit more qualified.

Don’t get me wrong. I love what the extremely versatile Speed line has done for my game. But that doesn’t necessarily translate to equally positive experiences with the Extreme, Instinct, Prestige, or Radical lines.

Two cases in point are my experiences with the two racquets in this review: the Extreme Pro 2.0 and the Instinct Mid Plus. They’re both solid racquets, and are currently being used by some very good players on the WTA/ATP pro tours. Does this translate to a successful racquet of choice for the average club player? My answer is a qualified “Maybe”.

Check out my thoughts on each and see if either might be the right racquet for your game.

Racquet Review: The Extreme Pro 2.0

Racquet Review: The Instinct Mid Plus

(As with most of my equipment testing, demo racquet was graciously provided by City Racquet Shop. Please check them out if you’re in the San Francisco Bay area.)

(Per usual, here are the caveats on my racquet reviews. I’m a 4.0 player with a fast swing that generates more than enough power and topspin from my western grip. I hit a slice backhand for tactical purposes, but generally use a two-handed drive. Please view this racquet review accordingly.)