Talk About Tennis 2.0

It is about economics.
I used to buy two boxes of pressureless balls (Tretorns) that would last me two weeks. Tretorns are basically the most durable of all balls, and those two boxes would last me my 4 hours in those two weeks (two training sessions of one hour each).
But of course, you are doing two hours a day, and you are most likely belting the ball more than I. So, if you can afford the routine that your coach carries on, it sounds logical. For my age, there was no need to change balls that frequently.
To me, the other really crucial aspect are grips. I change one grip per racquet once a week. It means two grip changes per month per racquet.
Strings: when they break. I hit a fairly flat ball so my strings can last several months.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 3:22 pm It is about economics.
I used to buy two boxes of pressureless balls (Tretorns) that would last me two weeks. Tretorns are basically the most durable of all balls, and those two boxes would last me my 4 hours in those two weeks (two training sessions of one hour each).
But of course, you are doing two hours a day, and you are most likely belting the ball more than I. So, if you can afford the routine that your coach carries on, it sounds logical. For my age, there was no need to change balls that frequently.
To me, the other really crucial aspect are grips. I change one grip per racquet once a week. It means two grip changes per month per racquet.
Strings: when they break. I hit a fairly flat ball so my strings can last several months.

I would imagine you are stronger than me and you at least hit the ball with the same intensity as me. Now I may use more spin on the ball and make it do more things, but I don't know. I always carry grips in my bag just in case any of my racquets need to be changed. As for stringing, I string my racquets at a certain tension and even if the strings do not break after awhile I do have my racquets restrung to get them back to the tension that I play with and also if the strings start to wear in certain areas. My coach also strings racquets so that is a major plus for me.

I string mine at 57 Lbs so, after a few hits, they will come down to about 55, which is where I like my NCode to be.
I am not a power player; I am a timing player so, after a few weeks off the court, it takes me a considerable time to get that timing again and be able to put speed on the ball. That is the reason I can keep my strings for longer.
About strength: my last injury was a bad case of golfer's elbow (epitrocleitis or medial epicondylitis) after trying to serve an entire match using a kick. So much for strength (I think I have recovered by now).

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 8:26 pm I string mine at 57 Lbs so, after a few hits, they will come down to about 55, which is where I like my NCode to be.
I am not a power player; I am a timing player so, after a few weeks off the court, it takes me a considerable time to get that timing again and be able to put speed on the ball. That is the reason I can keep my strings for longer.
About strength: my last injury was a bad case of golfer's elbow (epitrocleitis or medial epicondylitis) after trying to serve an entire match using a kick. So much for strength (I think I have recovered by now).

I actually have my racquets strung lower than yours at 45 lbs because it is suppose to add power to the game and also for younger players they are suppose to string at a lower tension to limit arm problems. Also like you say the tension goes down some after hitting.

I am so sorry you had that elbow injury, but I am glad it has gotten better now and I bet you will not be serving the kick serve an entire match ever again.

Cuckoo4Coco wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 8:33 pm ...

I actually have my racquets strung lower than yours at 45 lbs because it is suppose to add power to the game and also for younger players they are suppose to string at a lower tension to limit arm problems. Also like you say the tension goes down some after hitting.

I am so sorry you had that elbow injury, but I am glad it has gotten better now and I bet you will not be serving the kick serve an entire match ever again.

Lower tensions, more power, higher tensions, more accuracy.
That is what they told me ages ago. As I was a serve and volleyer, I needed to be able to control my volleys up front. I usually tried to stay back for two, three strokes. If I was not at the net by then, I was doing something wrong.
I once strung my Pro Staff Original at 75 Lbs, and lined it on each side with lead tape. I basically copied Sampras' racquet. Went out, hit with the racquet for about 5 minutes. The depth and pace were amazing... for about 4:30 minutes. Then my arm started to get tired. It was such a heavy ball I simply could not swing the racquet anymore.
Lead tape off, wasted $20 on a string job. Never again.
(I was around 29, so my elbow took it. Today, I would break some ligaments for sure).

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 10:02 pm

Cuckoo4Coco wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 8:33 pm ...

I actually have my racquets strung lower than yours at 45 lbs because it is suppose to add power to the game and also for younger players they are suppose to string at a lower tension to limit arm problems. Also like you say the tension goes down some after hitting.

I am so sorry you had that elbow injury, but I am glad it has gotten better now and I bet you will not be serving the kick serve an entire match ever again.

Lower tensions, more power, higher tensions, more accuracy.
That is what they told me ages ago. As I was a serve and volleyer, I needed to be able to control my volleys up front. I usually tried to stay back for two, three strokes. If I was not at the net by then, I was doing something wrong.
I once strung my Pro Staff Original at 75 Lbs, and lined it on each side with lead tape. I basically copied Sampras' racquet. Went out, hit with the racquet for about 5 minutes. The depth and pace were amazing... for about 4:30 minutes. Then my arm started to get tired. It was such a heavy ball I simply could not swing the racquet anymore.
Lead tape off, wasted $20 on a string job. Never again.
(I was around 29, so my elbow took it. Today, I would break some ligaments for sure).

That is why my coach tells me to keep the stringing at a low tension unless I want some arm problems, especially at the young age I am. I think they tell kids my age the exact same thing. I still have the control and with the way my strength is, I could use the extra power on my ground strokes anyway.

I often wonder what percentage of young players coming up destroy their arms or elbow before they even get much of a chance to reach the primes of their careers. If my career is going to be college I want to play my max tennis at that age. I don't want to spend most of my time in the training room.

Not to mention that today's racquets are lighter and stiffer than the racquets of the '80s and '90s. Apparently, fibreglass (a flexible material that gives great feel) isn't 'cool' anymore...
(I have one racquet that is 100% fibreglass (from 1981), and it's the best feeling racquet I've ever hit with in my life. But it's also about 68 sq. in. Similar to the Arthur Ashe Competition racquets. I even had a couple of pro players hit with it, and they really liked it. I would pay a lot of money for a 93 sq. in. frame made exactly like that one.)

I, too, string my racquets low - anywhere between 44 lbs and 55 lbs, and have been doing that ever since I can remember. And I've never had any significant arm or elbow problems.
Playing with full polyester now. I hit extremely flat, and, honestly, my strings last YEARS (I have a stringing machine, but I string other people's racquets much more than my own). I rotate through 5 racquets mostly (and bring out the oldies from time to time). I hate my racquets when they're freshly strung - it takes a good 2 weeks at least before they start feeling right to me. And even after a few years, they still feel great (and I beat people who are proud of their freshly strung racquet which is restrung every week or two ).
It's similar in pickleball - people ridicule my $40 Wilson paddle from Costco - but it's the best feeling paddle I've ever tried (and I've tried over a dozen) - and the people who make fun of my paddle are using paddles that cost between $150 and $250 - and I beat them with my $40 Costco paddle (their ridiculing my paddles is done good naturedly).
"It's not the tools - it's the carpenter."

As for balls... As I mentioned in post #2 of this thread, I've been thinking a lot lately about the pollution that tennis balls create. So I use them as long as I can - as long as they provide a decent tennis experience.
I'd love to be able to find a ball I can use for 10 hours or more, though.
Pressureless balls (mainly Tretorn) used to be more easily available in stores here - but now, they're not in any stores, and when ordering them, you have to order a huge amount.
I just want to test different brands of pressureless balls - but boxes of 3 is virtually impossible to find.

Cuckoo, you've said that you are very concerned about environmental issues. That's great. I wrote this a few months ago about recycling balls...

https://www.talkabouttennis2.com/viewto ... 800#p40789

... And then there's this (I'm genuinely sorry for what you're about to feel upon watching this - but we should not hide from the truth)...

Deuce wrote: ↑Thu Jul 14, 2022 4:51 am As for balls... As I mentioned in post #2 of this thread, I've been thinking a lot lately about the pollution that tennis balls create. So I use them as long as I can - as long as they provide a decent tennis experience.
I'd love to be able to find a ball I can use for 10 hours or more, though.
Pressureless balls (mainly Tretorn) used to be more easily available in stores here - but now, they're not in any stores, and when ordering them, you have to order a huge amount.
I just want to test different brands of pressureless balls - but boxes of 3 is virtually impossible to find.

Cuckoo, you've said that you are very concerned about environmental issues. That's great. I wrote this a few months ago about recycling balls...

https://www.talkabouttennis2.com/viewto ... 800#p40789

... And then there's this (I'm genuinely sorry for what you're about to feel upon watching this - but we should not hide from the truth)...

Thank You for this. I am always looking for more information about and concerning the environment. That is really what I want to do with my career if tennis does not go farther than college for me.

One thing I am going to do today is talk with my coach about getting the Wilson Triniti tennis balls and talk to my mom and grandpa that these are the tennis balls I want to use and for them to find and purchase for my practices.

Tennis warehouse has them by the bulk:
https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Wilson ... INPRO.html

Funny. Wilson has re-issued the Pro Staff Original 6.0 85sqin. $219.00 ea. I remember when it came out it sold around $149.99. If I were younger I would buy two, but I know that I could not play with it anymore. To me, the greatest racquet ever made. But times have changed.

We open 2 new cans every 3 days...but we are only club players... we play 2 hours a day max.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 14, 2022 3:11 pm Tennis warehouse has them by the bulk:
https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Wilson ... INPRO.html

Funny. Wilson has re-issued the Pro Staff Original 6.0 85sqin. $219.00 ea. I remember when it came out it sold around $149.99. If I were younger I would buy two, but I know that I could not play with it anymore. To me, the greatest racquet ever made. But times have changed.

Head did the same with the Pro Tour 630/280 a couple of years ago (I think it's still available). There was debate over whether the reissue played the same as the original. Most people said No.

These are 2 frames I'm familiar with - I still have 2 Pro Tours that I play with, and I played the Pro Staff 6.0 for a few years. Both very, very nice frames with really good feel. I could never serve well with the Pro Staff, though, for some reason.

ponchi101 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 14, 2022 3:11 pm Tennis warehouse has them by the bulk:
https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Wilson ... INPRO.html

Funny. Wilson has re-issued the Pro Staff Original 6.0 85sqin. $219.00 ea. I remember when it came out it sold around $149.99. If I were younger I would buy two, but I know that I could not play with it anymore. To me, the greatest racquet ever made. But times have changed.

I spoke to my coach and also my grandpa and they both agreed with me. They also both know how important I value the environment. I will also mention this to mom and I know she will be all for it.

Thanx for the link. If I can do anything for the environment and still play and enjoy the game I love then I will do it. I am also going to spread this around the club I practice at and play at. Not sure that it will go very far as many won't really listen to a kid, but if my coach also puts the word in their ears than it might spread around.

The Triniti's will catch on very soon, and the rest of the manufacturers will follow. It is a win-win for everybody.