Okay, so my armortec 500 broke recently, so I'm off to looking for a suitable replacement... 1. How often do you play, how serious are you? At peak season, I play 5 times a week, but for most of the year (10 months) I play twice a week. I consider myself to be serious, and I have been playing for over 5 years. 2. What style of player are you? (Aggressive smasher, net player ...) I play a mix of styles, using powerful and accurate smashes, and deceptive reverse-slice dropshots to win. I would say that I'm 60% power, and 40% finesse. I play doubles, but I'm looking into going into singles. I play both the front and back well. 3. Do you care much about durability or is it all about performance? Performance all the way! But I want a racquet that will last me for a while, I don't want to buy a new racquet every 2 years cause one broke. 4. How much money do you want to spend? Doesn't matter. On a side note, I prefer head heavy racquets, and I'm an "arm" player.
If you get the chance, try out the Nanospeed 9000 / Armortec 900 if you want to get a racket with a stiffer shaft than the AT500.
AT700 would be the practical & logical choice since your previous racket is the AT500. it would be easier for you to adjust to it coz the 700 & 500 are very similar in all characteristics. the only difference is the 700 is slightly stiffer & has a more solid feel. its an excellent all-around racket. ive been using my 700s for almost 4 years now. by the way, my comments/opinions are based on comparisons between AT700 3U/G5 & AT500 3U/G4 & G5.
