makindu
2011-04-24, 14:41
Background: Since 2002, I had been playing tennis exclusively with a pair Head TiS4 racquets. They are OK, I suppose, but I have a short to medium tennis swing, 5 ft 6 in, 156 lbs, short and stocky build. My game is built around shot placement not power. I am unable to hit fast paced passing shots using those racquets. I hit a slower paced shot, and play the angles of the court to get points. The TiS4's have always seemed a bit light to me, for my style of play. There is little tennis racquet head momentum/follow-thru from the racquet, because of the light weight. I recently bought a used Wilson Hammer 5.2 racquet on EBAY. Talk about love at first useage. That racquet felt just like an extension of my arm. It put a confidence in my swing that the TiS4's never approached. I liked the heavier mass and the overall (to me) perfect balance throughout the swing stroke. Problem was that the strings broke on the second day that I used the racquet. Tried finding new grommets and bumper guards for the Wilson Hammer 5.2, but no Tennis Equipment companies (including Wilson, themselves) have any more. I even tried posting an ad here, but to no avail. So, here is my question that I would like advice or recommendations on: What current in-production racquet (whereby I can get extra grommet/bumper guard sets in advance of racquet becoming obsolete) would play most similarly to the classic Wilson Hammer 5.2 racquet? (Here are the specs: Head size 95 sq.in., weight strung 11 oz., balance 10 pts head heavy, string pattern 16M x 18C.)
I am aware that I could have the racquet restrung, using nylon tubing where neccessary in bad/missing grommets, but this racquet had the srings break exactly at such a repair location, and the frame cut through the strings because of the missing grommet, even though nylon tubing was present. Hence, since I can't get/find suitable replacement gromments for such an old racquet, I'd just as soon as get a whole new racquet that played very similarly in overall feel, balance, and swing-through as the Wilson Hammer 5.2 racquet. Many thanks for reading this long-winded post. makindu
I am aware that I could have the racquet restrung, using nylon tubing where neccessary in bad/missing grommets, but this racquet had the srings break exactly at such a repair location, and the frame cut through the strings because of the missing grommet, even though nylon tubing was present. Hence, since I can't get/find suitable replacement gromments for such an old racquet, I'd just as soon as get a whole new racquet that played very similarly in overall feel, balance, and swing-through as the Wilson Hammer 5.2 racquet. Many thanks for reading this long-winded post. makindu