Professional players and their racquets

[twobeer]

I know tennis is a different sport, but I deduced that similar principles would apply, since it's also a racket sport.

Not really the nature of the strokes are completely different in the games.. This is easlly seen by inviting a good tennisplayer with little exposure to badminton and let him try his tennis strokes on a badminton court :-D

[ssj100]

Not really the nature of the strokes are completely different in the games.. This is easlly seen by inviting a good tennisplayer with little exposure to badminton and let him try his tennis strokes on a badminton court :-D

I'm not talking about skills between a tennis and badminton player. I'm talking about the fact that both sports involve holding a racket in one's hands and hitting an object over a net. Surely the Musculoskeletal elements involved are similar.

[ssj100]

I am not sure exactly what you are saying :-) But if your view is that rackets don't matter because a player switches back to the model he used before and felt comfortable with when the strings break on a racket he is trying out, i do not really see the point.. Just as I would not conclude LCW does not care about his gear if he decides to switch back to VT80 from the VT-ZF or whatever he is using in Korea.

I wasn't really saying anything - I was asking.

[twobeer]

Ok if it was a sincere question, then my answer is that yes, racket model choice do make a difference for players, and most pros care about how the rackets they play feel.

[twobeer]

I'm not talking about skills between a tennis and badminton player. I'm talking about the fact that both sports involve holding a racket in one's hands and hitting an object over a net. Surely the Musculoskeletal elements involved are similar.

I would say the muscles and movements involved are very different between Tennis, badminton and even Ping Pong even though they all involve hitting a "ball" with a racket.. the way the ball is hit and the movement to perform a hit is VERY different involving musclefibers very differently.

[ssj100]

I would say the muscles and movements involved are very different between Tennis, badminton and even Ping Pong even though they all involve hitting a "ball" with a racket.. the way the ball is hit and the movement to perform a hit is VERY different involving musclefibers very differently.

But look at the context of what I was writing. I was talking about heavier rackets being potentially more "injury-inducing" than lighter rackets. I would have thought that would generally apply to all racket sports. Of course there are huge differences between the sports - you don't see Roger Federer beating Lin Dan at badminton, nor would you see Lin Dan beating Roger Federer at tennis.

But my point was that I really have no idea about any of this, hence my questions - as I said, Rafael Nadal apparently has a shoulder injury and yet he is adding weight to his racket head.

[ssj100]

Ok if it was a sincere question, then my answer is that yes, racket model choice do make a difference for players, and most pros care about how the rackets they play feel.

The question is actually why JJS keeps changing rackets during games. I don't see many top professional players do this so often?

[ssj100]

Ok if it was a sincere question, then my answer is that yes, racket model choice do make a difference for players, and most pros care about how the rackets they play feel.

Maybe JJS should try VT80, then he won't have to change rackets so often hehe!

[twobeer]

Maybe JJS should try VT80, then he won't have to change rackets so often hehe!

No then he would just loose in the earlier rounds like BoMo, Gade and the other VT80 users he he..

[ssj100]

No then he would just loose in the earlier rounds like BoMo, Gade and the other VT80 users he he..

Hehe, Joachim Fischer Nielsen would debate that. Also, Boe stopped using VT80 months ago - he really should have stuck with it!

[twobeer]

Hehe, Joachim Fischer Nielsen would debate that. Also, Boe stopped using VT80 months ago - he really should have stuck with it!

Are you sure he didn't use VT80 in Korea? the Danish newspaper has pictures with him using VT80 on the reports of the loss..

See for example http://sporten.tv2.dk/article.php/id...n.html?forside

[WingsAir]

could someone upload a picture of lcw using the new racket? thanks

[kienloon]

China's WD Tian Qing using what racket?
She has the top speed for women in Korean Open currently

[j4ckie]

But look at the context of what I was writing. I was talking about heavier rackets being potentially more "injury-inducing" than lighter rackets. I would have thought that would generally apply to all racket sports. Of course there are huge differences between the sports - you don't see Roger Federer beating Lin Dan at badminton, nor would you see Lin Dan beating Roger Federer at tennis.

But my point was that I really have no idea about any of this, hence my questions - as I said, Rafael Nadal apparently has a shoulder injury and yet he is adding weight to his racket head.

In tennis, the shock of hitting the ball is completely different from anything in badminton. The ball has a pretty high momentum because it does not slow down as much as the shuttle, the spin can add to the speed and the mass is way higher.
By adding weight to the racket head, your racket will be more stable when you hit the ball, reducing vibration and/or impact shock which transfers to your arm and shoulder. So, with racket weights these days being relatively low compared to a few years ago, adding weight might actually reduce the stress on the body. The actual swing will probably take more effort, but that is not where the damage comes from - that is the shock and vibration.
Afaik, Nadal uses head light, rather light rackets, which will probably transfer more of the impact than a head heavier racket. Same with badminton rackets - playing with a NS9900 you'll feel the resistance of the shuttle more than with a N90, although it's not really comparable to tennis.

[ssj100]

In tennis, the shock of hitting the ball is completely different from anything in badminton. The ball has a pretty high momentum because it does not slow down as much as the shuttle, the spin can add to the speed and the mass is way higher.
By adding weight to the racket head, your racket will be more stable when you hit the ball, reducing vibration and/or impact shock which transfers to your arm and shoulder. So, with racket weights these days being relatively low compared to a few years ago, adding weight might actually reduce the stress on the body. The actual swing will probably take more effort, but that is not where the damage comes from - that is the shock and vibration.
Afaik, Nadal uses head light, rather light rackets, which will probably transfer more of the impact than a head heavier racket. Same with badminton rackets - playing with a NS9900 you'll feel the resistance of the shuttle more than with a N90, although it's not really comparable to tennis.

Thanks for the explanation. You sound very "matter of fact" about this. Any scientific papers you can reference to back up your statements?

Apparently Nadal added weight so he can produce a more powerful serve. That doesn't sound like something one should be doing when one has an injury? However, your logic and explanations make a lot of sense.

[demolidor]

Are you sure he didn't use VT80 in Korea? the Danish newspaper has pictures with him using VT80 on the reports of the loss..

See for example http://sporten.tv2.dk/article.php/id-47245707:boe-og-mogensen-kom-ned-på-jorden.html?forside

Obviously that was not taken at the Korean Open, probably still from the Denmark Open given that it came from the Scanpix archive ...

But for sure he didn't stop using it months ago ....

[demolidor]

He hasn't played in the league yet this season so I guess the last "sighting" was Bitburger before the next day walkover .
Fair to assume AT900P was still his choice in Korea ....