I would buy 3 1 play with another one as a back up in a competition, all on different strings (Bg-66 Ultimax, Bg-66 Maxima and Bg-80) but same grip. and 1 as a back up in case one breaks
Panda thinks this question depends on the seriousness of the player. If you're a: 1) Leisure/Occasional Recreational Player: 1 main racket 2) Casual Recreational Player: 2 of the same rackets. 1 main racket, 1 back-up 2) Serious Recreational Player: 3-4 of the same rackets. 2 main rackets at the same tension, 1 at a lower tension, 1 back-up 3) Serious Player: 4-6 of the same rackets: 2 mains, 1 lighter/lower tension, 1 lighter/higher tension, 1-2 back-ups 4) Competitive Tournament Player: 6+: 4 mains, 2 lighter same tension, 2 lighter lower tension, 2+ back-ups 5) National Player or higher: 8+. If Panda was playing a serious tourney: 12+ rackets 4 x Precisions, ~86.0, BP~292 strung at 31lbs. with ZM70 2 x Precisions, ~85.0, BP~290 strung at 29lbs. with ZM70 2 x Precisions, ~85.0, BP~285 strung at 31lbs. with ZM70 2 x Precisions, ~87.5, BP~295 strung at 29lbs. with ZM70 2 x Precisions, ~86.0, BP~290 strung at 28lbs. with ZM62 2 x Precisions, ~86.0, BP~290 strung at 25lbs. with ZM62 If Panda was playing leisurely: 1 x any racket strung at any tension. So, it just depends.
my favorite or the racket that i play the best in is a yonex carbonex 8600ti, i currently have four of them. i initially bought them so i can string different strings for comparison, and after i figured out the string i play the best with at the best tension, i realized that this carbonex racket is the racket i perform the best with, so now i have four strung with the same string same tension, if i decides to continue playing tournaments, i'll be getting 4 more. tho they are discontinued, there are stores that still sells the leftover stock and i don't think too many people are interested in this particular racket.
used to have to cab9 (2 pieces) all the time when i played more frequently. bought 7 of them in the period of about 5 yrs. still keep 1. now play once in between, have two ns9900 2u. only using one, the other unstrung.
I play a tournament every month to month and a half (on avg) and typically I'll take 4 racquets, 2 z-slashes and 2 arc10's... Another factor to consider, for me anyways, is if you're playing someone who is extremely offensive vs extremely defensive. If I know I'll be playing more defense and looking to turn into offense, I'll play with the arc 10s...so having one style of racquet doesn't do it for me. However what Panda said up there makes the most sense. I know a lot of people on here like to stick to one racquet, but i find it's good to get something new, play with, test it out. But that's just my opinion
I have 5 different rackets old and new with different tensions, grips and flexibility which helps different styles of play
Not sure if I would say FIVE different racquets are a good thing. Are you saying 5 different models, or 1 model, with 5 different adjustments? Which five racquets do you have??
there are all different models 2 of them are old and my uncle gave it to me 1 was given by a family friend 2 i bought the Arcsaber Z Slash, nanospeed 800, isometric 65 light, ti spring 02 and Woven 55
Back in the day, when I was serious, the number was 3. Or at least 3. Today, when I'm only after serious fun, the number is 1 of each. But then i get 1 of many models since I've got many favourites. Last month i got back into somewhat serious play (competing again after almost 10 years) I instantly ordered 2 extra arc 10. So the number is once again 3.
Obviously it's great if you can afford 5 or 6 of the same racket. Not all rackets are made the exact same (even if they're the same model), so within those you might find a few favorites. On the other hand, it's harder to keep track of your string tensions (even if you string at the same tension, they'll drop depending on when they were strung). For tournament play, I like to have at least three of the same racket. When you're in a tight match and your strings go, it's nice to not have to worry about adapting to a racket you haven't used in ages. If I was paying $200 per racket though, I wouldn't get any more than 2. I just don't think it's worth my money to get more.
I think when you get to those sorts of numbers, you have to have a system for restrings and things. I think I'd number each racket, let's say 1-6 because it's probably the most obvious way to do it, and then keep track of each racket's stringing history in a notebook. If you've got that many identical rackets, you're probably a pretty serious player so keeping a notebook probably wouldn't be too much of a worry to you. On the other hand, only travelling pros would really ever need that number of frames. Average players that break strings regularly generally have good access to a stringing service and probably won't practice as much as the pros and hence, won't need as many rackets. Personally, I think my sweetspot is about 3 rackets - this seems to be quite common amongst the BCers here. I don't really need more than that but equally, I'd probably feel uncomfortable at big tournaments with any fewer than 3.