[RFlush]

Hey all,

I haven't played much tennis since maybe 10 years and I want to get back into it. I used to play a lot and even joined competitions etc but since then, I've played just a couple times hitting around.

I am looking to purchase a new tennis raquet but I don't know what is in and what is good right now. Can anyone give me some suggestions as in brand and model and where to buy for around $100. Thanks!

[aznrsx1979]

The last 2 raquets I've purchased have both been from Sports Chek. They've served me well, I don't play all that often and I'm just starting to play again. There's a bunch of starter raquets that are under $100. You should go in try them out...do you know your grip size?

[hal0g0dv2]

Hey all,

I haven't played much tennis since maybe 10 years and I want to get back into it. I used to play a lot and even joined competitions etc but since then, I've played just a couple times hitting around.

I am looking to purchase a new tennis raquet but I don't know what is in and what is good right now. Can anyone give me some suggestions as in brand and model and where to buy for around $100. Thanks!

they just had the federa raqet on sale couple weeks ago, it was voted best raqet of 08

[Rated B]

You need something in the 95+ square inch range with a weight of 300-320 grams maximum.

Federer racquet would be too heavy for the OP's level of play.

Go to Tads Sporting Goods. Demo some racquets and go form there.

[RFlush]

http://www.sportchek.ca/sportchek/do/menu?menuId=236&sortBy=price&order=desc&setSize=12

Are these a good selection? If so, which one is better?

[R8]

Babolat
Senior NS Drive

I've used one, really easy to get used to and it would be good for someone who's had previous experiences (in this case, it seems like you were pretty good).

[hal0g0dv2]

ya babolat are pretty good quality, besides from mine broke bastards
http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/3663/003frs.jpg

[Mashimaro]

If you played that much before, check ebay and find yourself the oldschool Wilson ProStaff 6.1. There are non-stretched versions for great prices if you look around.

One of the best raquets ever made IMO. :)

[mpower]

Tad's on 70th and Granville are excellent for racquet choice.

Sportcheck on Broadway is good as well. There's a guy that works there, he's a coach and knows his tennis. He'll recommend you one or send you to a good place if they dont have what youre' looking for.

Watch out for pro-staffs and generally small head, heavy racquets - they are very specific, and if you don't have the game - they will wreck your day.

[B-DiZzLe]

any specific models that are good for beginners (1.0-3.0) level?

[skiiipi]

Tad's on 70th and Granville are excellent for racquet choice.

Sportcheck on Broadway is good as well. There's a guy that works there, he's a coach and knows his tennis. He'll recommend you one or send you to a good place if they dont have what youre' looking for.

Watch out for pro-staffs and generally small head, heavy racquets - they are very specific, and if you don't have the game - they will wreck your day.

ur refering to max? i'm assuming?
tall russian guy?

[Jet]

Try checking out www.tenniswarehouse.com ... bought some stuff from them, good service and the prices are not too bad for the stuff on sale ...

EDIT: Only thing though is that I had to ship my stuff to Point Roberts

[achiam]

Hey all,

I haven't played much tennis since maybe 10 years and I want to get back into it. I used to play a lot and even joined competitions etc but since then, I've played just a couple times hitting around.

I am looking to purchase a new tennis raquet but I don't know what is in and what is good right now. Can anyone give me some suggestions as in brand and model and where to buy for around $100. Thanks!

Pretty much the foremost fountain of knowledge in all racquet sports is Tad's Sporting Goods at Marine/70th.
I've been going there to ask for advice when changing both tennis and badminton racquets since I was about 14.
The owner, Tad, was a former Canadian mixed tennis champion, and his son who is now taking over, is some squash champion.
They don't talk much but tell you what is wrong with your swing and what racquet you need simply by watching you swing.
The best deals to be found are used tennis racquets there - many of which are close to brand new and 30-40% off retail. As well, you can also rent several different racquets to see how they work out for you.

[achiam]

ur refering to max? i'm assuming?
tall russian guy?

Tad is the old Japanese man who has been there forever.
His son's name is Jeff.

[mpower]

Tad is the old Japanese man who has been there forever.
His son's name is Jeff.


haha, no he was talking about the sportchek guy

ur refering to max? i'm assuming?
tall russian guy?

yep

[achiam]

If you played that much before, check ebay and find yourself the oldschool Wilson ProStaff 6.1. There are non-stretched versions for great prices if you look around.

One of the best raquets ever made IMO. :)

YES!!!!
I had the black one with gold fade.
Some motherfuckers broke into my car and took it years ago.

[JulyZerg]

Any racquet recommendations for someone that's a beginner at tennis?

Price Range: Under $150 if possible :)

Thanks :)

[skiiipi]

There is a deal at sportchek that is currently going on
not sure if nebody has any left
but the Wilson K Fury or Wilson N Pro Open both good full graphite racquets, strung and includes 2 sleeve of Wilson US Open Tennis Balls for 59.99
the richmond location is already sold out
but you can call around
the racquets are regular price $99.99 each
but a few years ago they were well over 150 unstrung

[SizzleChest]

obviously you won't find high quality racquets at canadian tire, but they have assorted head and wilson models on for 25% off right now.

[JulyZerg]

There is a deal at sportchek that is currently going on
not sure if nebody has any left
but the Wilson K Fury or Wilson N Pro Open both good full graphite racquets, strung and includes 2 sleeve of Wilson US Open Tennis Balls for 59.99
the richmond location is already sold out
but you can call around
the racquets are regular price $99.99 each
but a few years ago they were well over 150 unstrung

Which would you choose? If both were in stock; the K-Fury or the N Pro Open?

[maxx]

There is a deal at sportchek that is currently going on
not sure if nebody has any left
but the Wilson K Fury or Wilson N Pro Open both good full graphite racquets, strung and includes 2 sleeve of Wilson US Open Tennis Balls for 59.99
the richmond location is already sold out
but you can call around
the racquets are regular price $99.99 each
but a few years ago they were well over 150 unstrung

+1.
both are excellent for aspiring intermediates.

the ncode is heavier than the Fury, 34 grams heavier to be exact. which is a huge difference. heavier racquets will suit a better player.

the deal is excellent because the original price for the K FURY is $130, Sportchek has them for 99 and now 49 (if you count the balls, cause nothing comes free :) )

The N-code is a 4 year old racquet, but still a pro racquet, sold originally for $200 without string or labour; and now 4 years later for half the price and strung. very good deal for intermediate player.

also, both racquets are not full graphite.

the N-Pro Open is 20% nCoded Hyper Carbon and 80% nCoded graphite (wilson's own carbon and graphite composition)

and the K-Fury is 100% [K]arophite Black (Carbon Black, Graphite and SiO2)


:)


edit: broadway has a few of each left.

[skiiipi]

+1.
both are excellent for aspiring intermediates.

the ncode is heavier than the Fury, 34 grams heavier to be exact. which is a huge difference. heavier racquets will suit a better player.

the deal is excellent because the original price for the K FURY is $130, Sportchek has them for 99 and now 49 (if you count the balls, cause nothing comes free :) )

The N-code is a 4 year old racquet, but still a pro racquet, sold originally for $200 without string or labour; and now 4 years later for half the price and strung. very good deal for intermediate player.

also, both racquets are not full graphite.

the N-Pro Open is 20% nCoded Hyper Carbon and 80% nCoded graphite (wilson's own carbon and graphite composition)

and the K-Fury is 100% [K]arophite Black (Carbon Black, Graphite and SiO2)


:)


edit: broadway has a few of each left.

thanks for the awesome pk there ;)

[skiiipi]

another insider info
in 2 weeks
starting july 22nd
sportchek will have a Head Flexpoint Racquet for 59.99 (reg 79.99) and a Dunlop Racquet for 59.99 reg 99.99

so if you didnt get a chance to get the fury or npro open, wait for those 2 deals

[skiiipi]

edit: broadway has a few of each left.

you by any chance work there?

[maxx]

^ o nice.

the flexpoint is shit comparo to the current ones on sale, but the dunlop is very decent.

[maxx]

you by any chance work there?

lol.. no haha. i shop there a lot and TennisBC is only a block away

[achiam]

No. No. No.
Never go to mass market consumer stores for advice. Go to tiny places that specialize and know their shit inside out.
For this, and all racquet needs, you must consult Tad or Tad's son at Tad's Sporting Goods at Granville/70th. Tad is a former Canadian mixed doubles tennis champion, and his son is now taking over the business, which has been there for eons.

Go there, and they'll ask you to swing for them, and right away they'll tell you what type of racquet you need.
As well, you can borrow from a rack of demos and get a feel for which one works for you.
Finally, there are also lots of used racquets there - many of which are top notch at great prices.

[JulyZerg]

I just bought the Wilson nPRO for $59.99 @ SportsChek today and I haven't tried it out yet but it's heavier then the K-Fury(as stated above)

The nPRO looks better IMO with the neon green/white vs blue/light-blue. However I'm a beginner at Tennis :( should I have gotten the K-Fury instead? Thing is if the nPRO is a better racquet overall, then I'm thinking I can adapt to it or be able to adapt to it later on.

What do you guys think? I can always return the nPRO and pick up the K-Fury. Also what added to my purchase decision was, their was only 3 nPRO's left and 5-6 K-Fury's on the shelf :)

EDIT: Hmm at Tennis-Warehouse, they have the K-Fury @ $119 USD and nPRO @ $96.50 USD, which seems like K-Fury is a way better deal for the price($59.99 @ SportsChek)

[maxx]

^^ if ur a total noobstix :D then go with fury if you can hit reasonable spin and consistent groundies then stay with pro-open

[skiiipi]

I just bought the Wilson nPRO for $59.99 @ SportsChek today and I haven't tried it out yet but it's heavier then the K-Fury(as stated above)

The nPRO looks better IMO with the neon green/white vs blue/light-blue. However I'm a beginner at Tennis :( should I have gotten the K-Fury instead? Thing is if the nPRO is a better racquet overall, then I'm thinking I can adapt to it or be able to adapt to it later on.

What do you guys think? I can always return the nPRO and pick up the K-Fury. Also what added to my purchase decision was, their was only 3 nPRO's left and 5-6 K-Fury's on the shelf :)

EDIT: Hmm at Tennis-Warehouse, they have the K-Fury @ $119 USD and nPRO @ $96.50 USD, which seems like K-Fury is a way better deal for the price($59.99 @ SportsChek)

what store did you end up finding them at?

[JulyZerg]

what store did you end up finding them at?

At the Coquitlam SportsChek

Which one do you recommend? :)

[Ricky Tan]

Tennis is the shit. That is all.

[skiiipi]

At the Coquitlam SportsChek

Which one do you recommend? :)

i was just curious as to who had them left
the RC location was sold out last friday and they had 26 to begin with

[JulyZerg]

i was just curious as to who had them left
the RC location was sold out last friday and they had 26 to begin with

I see, would you recommend the K-Fury or the nPRO overall and for me?

[skiiipi]

as maxx said in the thread above
if you are intermediate or above
then the npro open
if not, then fury

fury is a newer racquet, but the npro is definitely better if you play more

[JulyZerg]

I see...I'll see what I can do tomorrow at SportsChek. I went to the Metro location today and they were ALL sold out and I asked the guy if they were gonna get any more in and he said maybe this week or next week, but the deal ends next week. However, SportsChek's website has it listed at $89.99 now... :S weird..

[skiiipi]

Check some of the smaller volume stores, they are usually less busy and will probably have more left

try calling broadway
604 874 6530

[sonick]

I'd recommend going to Tad's Sporting Goods for a wider selection of brands, models and options (e.g. grip size, etc.)

Also Rackets and Runners on Oak.

[Hakkaboy]

btw, i have an old hammer 4.1 which i absolutely love the factory strings and tension of, but it recently broke and i haven't had time to get it re-strung.

does anyone know what tension they come straight from factory?

[skiiipi]

I'd recommend going to Tad's Sporting Goods for a wider selection of brands, models and options (e.g. grip size, etc.)

Also Rackets and Runners on Oak.

but tads is not going to be able to offer the price that sportchek can

i'll admit that tads is a great source of knowledge, but when the big boxes have their blowouts/loss leaders, the independents stand no chance in competing

its like about 3-4 month ago, Sportchek had the Babolat Aero Storm on sale Strung for $99.99, when Tad's cost on those racquets were $130 unstrung. (As told to me by the Babolat Rep)...a bunch of Pros/Coaches came by to buy those racquets because the pricing Sportchek had them for was better than the Pro Deals/ Dealer cost for the independent guys.....you cant compete with big store buying power.

But like everybody said, Tads is going to offer a more specialized shopping environment, and more knowledge. But the question is, do you really need all the knowledge? I always see people ask for the "expert" when going to a store, but in the end chooses the product based on color/design

the truth is, 60-70% of the ppl on this fourm dont need the "expert" knowledge from a independent like Cyclone, Scoffs or Tads (for tennis in this case). They just need to find somebody that knows what they are talking about, and is able to explain the basics (Which i agree that big box stores like Sportchek needs to work on)

[sonick]

I guess it was the time I went (early october ish), they had clearance on their rackets it was crazy prices; they had the Dunlop M-Fil 300 for $70 and I got my Head Flexpoint Prestige for $80.

I guess if SC happened to have the exact one you were looking for, in your grip size, on clearance then it would be a great deal. But for harder to find racquets or more unique grip sizes, Tads has some good deals towards end of the season.

[skiiipi]

o there was an ad on the vancouver sun today for Sportchek, all racquets on sale up to 50%....not a lot for 50%, but a lot of good deals on some of the higher end unstrung racquet, including this years model like the Youtek, K FX etc, some racquets are 50-60$ off, which is really good for current year models

for maximum selection check out the sportchek racquet "A" stores, Pacific Center, Richmond Center, Metrotown, Park Royal. Broadway is not considered an A store, but has a large selection as well

in addition the Pacific Center has the new Wilson Baiardo Stringer, and I believe they are the only ones in town with one, for now. The Metrotown location was also said to recieve one, but i'm not sure if they did.
http://www.baiardo.info/cms/index.php/eng

[maxx]

^^^ that's a gangster stringer. i saw it at tad's. Gary strings a racquet in 18 mins :eek::eek:

[skiiipi]

so tad's got one too eh?
haha it is definitely nice

[skiiipi]

starting wednesday there will be a bunch of good deals at sportchek stores
all 2008 racquets min 50% off
selection will vary by location

Richmond will have the following
Wilson K Surge $99.99 (only 2)
Wilson K Sting $74.99 (only 4)
Wilson K Six One Team $99.99 (only one)
Wilson K Six Two $84.99 (only 2)
and a few other ones as well

[maxx]

WOW..

the k six one and twos are CHEAP

Tad's cant beat that, no way

but sportchek is a conglomerate, while Tad's is a tiny shop.

good deals!

[skiiipi]

but like i mentioned
every store will be different
depending on how much old stock they have
if any stores out there still have the K Six One Tours, they are going for around $99.99 as well

[JulyZerg]

Which one would be the best out of the ones you listed? The K Six One Tours? K Six One or K Six Twos? etc

[skiiipi]

depends on level of player you are
i have no idea what else is left out there
its bascially anything from last year that is left is 50% off
you just have to hit up a bunch of sportchek and see what they have left for 50% off
and a deal this good, i dont expect them to be around by the time the weekend hits

[Wilso09]

Any deals on the Babolat racquets?

[skiiipi]

not at the richmond store
try calling around see what frames they have at 50% on wednesday

[canuckfan72]

I would recommend for the OP to go to Tad's in Vancouver. they are very helpful and will help you find the racket you are looking for. this may not be a good idea for the OP but perhaps going to tad's and looking at the used rackets???. about a month ago i was able to pick up a dunlop 200 aerogel for $70 with some nice strings in them. also i was there a few days ago and they just but the Pure Drive GT demo's out for sale.

[bvluu]

I have a head Radical Pro racquet used by Andy Murray, good balance, good power, light weight. Let me know if you are interesed. You can email me at bvl@sfu.ca

[HonestTea]

I bought the Wilson nPro from SportsChek in the summer and it's wicked :)