Today, I broke my strings on my second Head Extreme 170. My other Extreme is getting restrung. Anyway, I needed to finish my match and the club had a ProKennex Quad(i think), and so I used that. I thought it seemed like a good racquet and so it made me wonder... is their any difference between the high end racquets? Do the pros decide on racquets because of preference or because they get more money from a particuar sponser?

I am thinking about trying different racquets for about a week at a time to see if I really find one that really makes a difference in my game.

Has anybody ever tried all of the racquets before settling on a racquet that really fit their game?

15yearslater

Today, I broke my strings on my second Head Extreme 170. My other Extreme is getting restrung. Anyway, I needed to finish my match and the club had a ProKennex Quad(i think), and so I used that. I thought it seemed like a good racquet and so it made me wonder... is their any difference between the high end racquets? Do the pros decide on racquets because of preference or because they get more money from a particuar sponser?

I am thinking about trying different racquets for about a week at a time to see if I really find one that really makes a difference in my game.

Has anybody ever tried all of the racquets before settling on a racquet that really fit their game?

No two bodies are the same. Kinda like shoes. One guy likes this brand, other guy likes this brand. Both brands are good brands and are great at what they do. The difference is the 'fit'. The major racquets are like shoes. They all do the same thing, but 'fit', feel, look, different etc. I think most would agree you could blindfold them and have them hit with a racquet and they could tell you when you switched racquets on them. They all just hit and feel differently even when racquets are the same weight and such.
Thats where you come in. I think your idea of going out and trying all the racquets to see what you like and such is great! Go out, try on all the shoes, and then pick the one that fits you best. You might even like more than one pair and have a tough time deciding which one is 'the one'. :)

The pro's go with who ever meets their needs the best. Money may or may not be the deciding factor. Most pro's have been with at least 3 companies throughout their career if that tells you anything. I think most pro's could pick up any modern stick, regardless of make and be swinging it to the best of that racquets ability within a week (given it's been tweaked to match their style). It's what they do for a living. Their swing mechanics, footwork, athleticism is top notch. They do however have their frames and such tweaked to match their style. They could very well have an XXX brand that doesn't feel quite like any racquet the company makes. Their racquets are all identical. I'm not talking just the same model. I'm saying that every frame is balanced, weighted, possibly lightened, gripped etc to be identical in every way in the manner that works best for them. They have likely at least 40 racquets that are like this. Same with string tensions, type etc. All by the same guy, on the same machine, with the same specs.

Good luck finding your stick though.

I agree. I am going to try some of the top brands and see if one of them "fits" me better then all of the rest. I have used Head racquets since I started playing racquetball again. I like them and I seem to play well with them, but I just wonder if maybe there is a better racquet out there for me.

to answer your question- yes there is a performance difference.

I dont know what level you play at- but as you learn more advanced shots different frames can give you an advantage.

I played with PK infinity's for a good 2-3 years until they stopped making em. I didnt like the HC2 models, so I changed to head. I stuck with an MX 180 and noticed a got a lot more snap, head speed, and ball action. I started hitting shots for example the shouder level back hand splat or line from deep ( very tough shot) with some confidence.

I too use now an Extreme 170, and can totally feel the stiffness. Again there are some shots some frames hit better than others, everyones diff.

Bottom line- go for the frame you feel comfortable with, serving with, and especially shooting from deep with. It will go a long way once your mind knows your capable of hitting certain shots.

150shot

to answer your question- yes there is a performance difference.

I dont know what level you play at- but as you learn more advanced shots different frames can give you an advantage.

I played with PK infinity's for a good 2-3 years until they stopped making em. I didnt like the HC2 models, so I changed to head. I stuck with an MX 180 and noticed a got a lot more snap, head speed, and ball action. I started hitting shots for example the shouder level back hand splat or line from deep ( very tough shot) with some confidence.

I too use now an Extreme 170, and can totally feel the stiffness. Again there are some shots some frames hit better than others, everyones diff.

Bottom line- go for the frame you feel comfortable with, serving with, and especially shooting from deep with. It will go a long way once your mind knows your capable of hitting certain shots.

I think I would be A- or B+. Have you ever tried the other high end racquets? I use the Extreme 170 and I really like it, but I am curious about other racquets. I know a PK, and Eforce sponsored player and I'm going to ask them to let me use their racquets for a few games. I may/probably stick to my Head racquets, but I may find one of the other racquets performs a little better for me.

The online stores all have demo programs you can take advantage of for those racquets not available locally.
Click on "Store" at the top of this page and let Manny take care of your needs.

MUSKOKA800

The online stores all have demo programs you can take advantage of for those racquets not available locally.
Click on "Store" at the top of this page and let Manny take care of your needs.

Yes, thank you. I have purchased many of my racquetball needs from Manny.