...that's why i mentioned it was a generalisation (that serve-and-volleyers) prefer something more manoeuvrable i.e. head-light... the top pros wouldn't have any problem swinging a sledgehammer around at the net so they are a moot point... and i -seriously- doubt the hammer was developed for sampras... no way wilson would even present that idea to him... totally wrong for him man... if i could crack those flimsy things, sampras would've blown them to smithereens...


heh i used them... an artist's stick of choice if ever there was one... well, those racquets were GOLD during my time, okay? dunlops racquets (those days) had good touch, were comfortable though you had to swing 'em real good to get decent power... i used a max200g for a while (steffi is still my all-time fave girl )...as to where you can find them, i have no idea... pawn shop probably?

...with all due respect ~Battousai~ mate, since from reading these posts i know you are a very established player so you are armed with the relevant knowledge and experience... however, i was not too shabby from my day also (selvam should me know me, from the pacific days ) and from -my- yonder knowledge, i was taught (and subsequently teach) that head-heavy was for baseliners, since i) they had ample time to generate the swing and ii) the extra mass helps generate more power for the shot... as for server-volleyers, they need not generate power, just direction... but do need mobility at the net, thus the need for head-light racquets... both logically and dang-it, also from experience i know that to be true... in fact, my previous publications of tennis magazine still state that as a fact, so there... heh...


I stated serve-volleyers as a general group, not sampras (you should really note the wrong generalisation i put in there)... sampras did have those lead tapes, all along the sides of his racquet, but like i said, at his level he could swing a sledgehammer at the net and still get the ball on the uh... hammer... i am not comparing pros with the rest of the weekend warriors mate...

...seriously, I am from that time, by that i mean the range was released during my time, and in no time did any publication from wilson or any magazines say the hammer was intended for sampras... sampras always played with the pro staff, courier too (there was a red, white and blue one for him, which if one from was my time, one would remember)... oh and there was an article in tennis magazine also that sampras did play with a retail version of the pro staff (as several of the pros did... not all, but several), the only change being that he had a customised grip size... hence the need for his custom balancing with lead tape... i'll give you a quote from tennis magazine which supports this...

...some players like (i'll use one example from my time) agassi, who had trouble switching from prince racquets to donnay, so they took a whole bunch of prince precision racquets, sprayed them flat black and he competed with them... but everyone knew they were his old racquets, all the way to the stabilizer bar at the middle of the uh... whatchamacallit... racquet neck... loads more examples where that came from... i think manufacturers really can't be bothered to make a totally different racquet, even for their big-name big-bucks stars... so you see, the flimsy hammer racquets would've been lighter, or heavier, or different balance, but internally the construction would've been the same thus my blown-to-smithereens point...

again, i refer to my existing knowledge and experience... maybe you live in a different generation where the rules of physics have changed, but there we go...

...okay look guys, i really do not need a flame war here... maybe my understanding of the game has somehow warped, or new standards exists regarding racquets, or whatever... i just wanted to share what i knew, so if you really need to counter my statements, please research first and link me any supporting statements, okay? really, i would like to update my knowledge... seriously i have not played since the millenium so i -may- not have the current facts...

anyways, peace y'all!

okay just got back from getting some fresh air outside... sorry... wait, no my humblest apologies to all if i sounded a bit rude and condescending... didn't mean it that way... i'm actually a really sweet guy *yeech* and peace-like (errr... except when i'm on the road... then i do get a bit b1tchy )... anyways, again my apologies to all... especially to my mates ~Battousai~ and artemis348... i doff my hat to thee...

...diverting a bit, was wondering if this would be a good/suitable place to ask y'all who your favourite people are in the world of tennis... doesn't matter for what e.g. fave male/female player, best-looking, most copied etc... i would start first but eheh... shy pulak ...besides maybe there is another thread that does this??? help anyone?

could be a factor of things mate... from experience and also reading, (too) stiff racquets, (too) tight strings, incorrect swing may all contribute to tennis elbow... but it's more shock from contact than anything else... although even people who have never played tennis can get tennis elbow, ironically

...i am fortunate that i have never got that, even when i was playing/competing actively *knocks wood*

heh... just for nostalgia... reminds me of this college-mate of mine (national player) who came to practise wearing only warrior shoes... bugger will then proceed to whack the lot of us off court... heh... i remember one tournament this (another college) eksyen guy fell down backwards when got hit by his body serve... woohoo... good times...

...he used this wonderful mizuno racquet... light, well-cushioned, spins like crazy... still no idea where he got em... oh and i forgot his name...

This post has been edited by grinner: Feb 23 2009, 10:54 AM

hey there mckevin... well, when you start depends on what you want to accomplish... i mean, if you are thinking of maybe challenging nadal or djokovic in the near future, it's a bit too late la mate ...heh just yanking you a bit, don't angry aaaa??? ... you can start late, no problem... just need a bit more dedication (lotsa practise time, stroke with friends etc) if you want to enjoy playing it later... and as pooh88 stated, it would be better if you got a coach to teach you... not essential, mind you, but may help you get faster results...

...but tennis is a fantastic sport... besides the health, cardiovascular etc benefits, chicks just dig tennis players muahahhaa... *ahem*

...errr really aaa? my time dulu dulu dulu tepi pagar the courts mesti beratur the chickas watch us train... more glamour than the footie/rugby guys hmmm or was it just my rugged good look??? hahahaha no la just kidding with ya... dunno la...

...mbmb is majlis bandaraya melaka bersejarah mate... dulu it wasn't that name, after mbmb took over they change the name... they had to take over because the contractor pokai la... noone come and play... ...dekat mitc tu la... sebelah masjid... i'll see if i can find a map...

...tacky grips/overgrips, nahhh... not for me... it's nothing bad, just i guess i am used to the normal stuff, so when use the tacky ones, rasa macam something wrong somewhere

...heyyyy, steffi also ka? heh heh... like i said, she's my #1 favourite -athlete- ever! rge way she dominated with her forehand... can watch her play all day... have i told you guys how i saw this -guy- play exactly, and i mean exactly (footwork, forehand, slice backhand, serve motion etc), and yes even the clothes (anyone remember the adidas with the rose motif?)... would have been very funny except he was really good...

...fabrice santoro, yeah... they (media, players) call him 'the Magician' due to his unorthodox style and yes, awesome repertoire... double handed strokes on both wings... he can kill the ball with his slices... heh he's a hoot to watch...

...but for my fave male player, the top person (or thereabouts) would be someone i can, or did model my game on, which would be somewhere along andre agassi, or preferably yevgeny kafelnikov... granted my forehand isn't flat (or powderful) like his, and i hit a one-handed backhand, but i try to copy his court movement and control... which would be a good advice i would give to someone new to the game... try to pick a/a few players you admire for their game, then try to copy their signature strokes... 'try' being the operational word here since the pros have advanced timing and quirks a good coach would not want their charges to copy...but generally, doing that will help improve your game...

(to be continued... bloody monday morning meetings )

This post has been edited by grinner: Mar 2 2009, 11:41 AM

... hey there Ah Chuan... welcome to the uh... winderful world of tennis... it's quite simple when you look at people playing, and wonder 'i can do that'... the truth is it requires a lot of training and time till you can even attempt to have a casual style of play... not trying to scare you, but just to prepare you... it's not like badminton or ping-pong where you can just pick up a racquest/bat and start consistently returning shuttles/balls... so be prepared to spend some time learning the sport... don't get discouraged because i know a lot of beginners get frustrated when they can't master the basics quickly...

...well maybe pooh88 can guide you better on this, but basically, beginners will want to use a lighter racquet with a bigger head >100sq. inches... a man can probably handle a heavier racquet, which will help in power generation later on, but other than that, a beginner, be it male/female can use any beginner racquest i described... preferably a guy will not buy a glossy pink racquest though

... for beginners, probably get a cheaper racquet, since you don't want your RM400++ racquet to be chipped/scratched or even broken when learning how to play... but if you don't mind about the money, get the best (usually the more expensive) first time...

...brands, like price are not that important for beginners... i wouldn't say one brand is better for beginners than another... a reputable brand will have a suitable racquet for whatever level in its range, so pick one you like (or you favourite player uses) and select from its beginner range...

other than that, welcome again to the sport and happy learning!

zdepth mate, cut the suspense already and show us what's inside!!!

well, obviously not a pro ...but once upon a time, can play la... anyway, how frequent should the balls be changed depend on several factors; amongst them, how you look after the balls, how hard and how often you use the balls... as you should probably know, tennis balls are kept in pressurised cans, and once they are opened and used, air inside the balls leak out (since pressure inside the balls are slightly greater than normal atmosphere), especially when you play with them and they get whacked and hit a lot... also, wear of the felt will also decrease the lifetime of the balls.

...so to say that you not getting better/getting worse in tennis -could- be due to the condition of the balls you use... once you find the balls don't have the normal bounce they first had, or the felt on them is getting too thin, replace the balls so you will learn with a more consistent-playing ball... however, do remember that the best way to get better in tennis is if you either get a proper coach, -or- the cheaper way is to practise -a lot- with people better than you, and also learn the basic techniques (grip, swing, footwork etc) first... just whacking away with similar-level people will not help your skills...

finals also no linesman ke? ...but since linesman also regularly use the people around (e.g. friends/staff etc) also no use sometimes ...but what to do? the nature of sports, always have some bad types out there, who do not understand sportsmanship... though not saying anyone at that particular tourney was doing that, just reminiscing...

...fischer? sweet... my idol, yevgeny used that some time ago... i tried looking it up way back then, but those days not like now, to get outside racquets in, especially his racquet would've have cost me over a thousand RM each, and i would've needed at least three, so thanks, but no thanks ...besides, the japs would've bombed the ship carrying it in

...or are you kids too rich nowadays ? ...$^%#@$!!!

...hey redcaffeine, batch of '74 also eh? we're the same age la mate ..'pension' people heh heh... glad to know someone knows the pain of yesteryears... want babolat can, want fischer, can, easily find gantung2... cheap some more... ...even the steffi 200G(?) (if i recall correctly, but i'm sure the model is wrong) cost almost 1K, which in my opinion is arguably one of the best racquets -ever-... well, if it had a bigger head, then -the- best racquet ever ...as it is, last weekend got my racquets out of the store, somehow i found only one piece of prince precision (longbody) 690 (sweeeeet...) and donnay pro-one (double sweeeeeet...)... i realised i gave my -only- 200G (non-steffi edition) to my brother when i came back ...buruk siku aaa if i take it back?

feeq, aisehman you kids have it so easy nowadays mate... ask redcaffeine la the struggle of our forefathers to bring in 'imported' racquets those days ... but okay la, at least my sons can enjoy the latest technology without emptying their father's wallet

This post has been edited by grinner: Mar 11 2009, 10:53 AM

...heh you know what redcaffeine, i just might... i know he doesn't have time to play anymore, so i'll ask him about it... though i hope it still exists... i have never broken a racquet in anger, while he has broken three!!!, of which two was mine!!! (a pro-kennex and a dunlop) ...heh the hothead...

...which shop did you work in back then redcaffeine? i worked in pacific beside atria mall after my spm, but the racquets there weren't very nice, and -i- had no input at all

hey praetorian, you and i have played with almost much the same frames ...bad memories of the rossignols though... too much torque and zero power, or maybe it was just me... i was probably only 12 at that time, just started playing... same with the pumas... hard like a board and tiny power, not to mention heavy!!! ...you have an estusa too? you must have some collection there mate... snap a pic and let us see

Hahaha yeah i was a stringer/sales/cashier/despatch guy way, way back then... but with my sieve-like memory, i guess they do sell skates... do you mean inline skates? yeah they were the rage back then, so the boss brought them in, but unfortunately didn't sell as well as hoped... now i -hope- that memory was correct... man i am getting oldsenile...
...heh i remember those tea-dances... the place was called piccadilly(?) and also remember the black marias that regularly came to take the patrons away, for whatever reasons... also remember my ex-schoolmate conducting his 'business' there as an *ahem* pimp... seriously! he would come by with a group of always hot girls and offer me one, with discount of course... whether any transaction took place is unfortunately irrelevant to this thread haha! ahhh... those were the days... safe to say wages went directly to picad after hours and also kfc lunches in atria also... boy i was dumb back then... ahhh dumb but happy :D:D

jeffrey chia, if i remember correctly... and his brother... tai the ever-present assistant... heh... i remember (damn... here i go again) one time this coach comes in with this really brash student of his (sponsored by pacific... i've seen him train a few times) who kept on complaining about something ... the coach knows me from playing days, so i have no idea, maybe he wants to take the fella down a few pegs or what, so he tells the guy that if he can beat me (the poor guy stringing his racquets) in a game, then he (the coach) will agree the student's request... i need to tell you know that the student's face seriously went sooo like 'huh? this schumck?'... anyways, long story short, that evening we met, had a game and (needless to say ) the student didn't get to have his request fulfilled... heh... good times... anyway, lot of good that did me... anyway, here's my question for the day... Malaysian tennis really let down by? a) lack of administration b) our physical build not up to scratch? c) parents urge for academic excellence d) (another reason)
...just something to discuss about... oh and next post, i will post the pics of the *sob* remaining racquets i have, so please, others here do the same? just for laughs/information

*ahem* 'abang' grinner will gladly coach you if you find it convenient to come down to melaka... got free extra racquet for you also ...heh heh... no la, just kidding... the wife will wallop me a nice one

... but i'll post a pic of the racquet(s) i have later and if you still haven't found one by then, feel free to give me a price... since you're in kl Felice821, i doubt you'll have much problems finding a group of friends to help you learn a few basic things... remember though to stick to it, find a few people with good basic skills and pretty soon you'll have consistent strokes of your own...

... anyways, on a side note, will be at the mbmb tennis courts to give my son his first tennis lesson... been putting it off for too long... and went to play futsal yesterday since got drafted for this big nationwide organisation sports meet (no tennis unfortunately)... and 'pancit' already during the 5-minute warmups... dang! i knew i was out of shape, didn't realise so severe... two minutes into the game and i couldn't move my feet, after which the cramping started ...being 35 sure as hell isn't the same as being 25, huh? goddamn aging process

...heh, anyway, again if anyone in melaka wants some free junior coaching, just PM me and i'll get back to ya!

which state is this feeq??? ...anyway, if one is overweight, of course he/she can play... and pretty soon (if you play often and hard enough), with all the cardio workout, you will be in better shape and get to play better tennis... just take it easy in the beginning... learn the basic strokes first, and much later then can go run like a dog to retrieve the shots sent all over the court by your opponent (like the rest of us )

...(sensei... macam jual obat pulak )... heh anyways, yeah if you slice it with backspin hard enough, it will bounce in the opposite direction... a cool trick to show off is to slice a dropshot with a wicked backspin, and see it bounce back again over the net into your side of the court again ... priceless... anyway, similarly, slice with sidespin also changes the direction of the bounce... a good skill to own i.e. slice with side/back spin...