Fed playing with new Racquet!!

Tenez wrote:

Julia Santamaria wrote:

Tenez wrote:I think I responded already but you don't want to see it.

It's one all on clay this year....and ridiculously close to be 2/o Djoko on clay.

Now you want me to argue that Nadal is better on clay thanks to a stupid missed smash? Actually he did not even missed the smash...he just happened to touch the net in the process.

So based on that you conclude that Nadal is better on clay? What do yuo really want me argue about here?

No, I'm basing the fact Nadal is better than Djokovic on clay on the fact:
a) Nadal has won 8 RG's compared to 0 from Djokovic.
b) Their overall H2H is 13-3 to Nadal on clay.
c) In the past two years it is 4-1 to Nadal.

How about that for concluding Nadal is better on clay than Djokovic?

Edit: And this was not even the issue we were discussing earlier. You were trying to tow the line that Djokovic's best surface against Nadal is clay, while I argued it was hard courts. It's the most nonsensical and ludicrous thing I've heard- even for you.

The record is one thing....being better is another matter. Having a year difference makes a whole difference record wise. It helps build a record. But again this year I did not see Nadal play better than Djoko....not when they were facing each other. I know one has 8 FO the other none. I can count but it doesn;t give the whole picture.

Gay and Powell run fast...very fast...are they really better than others? Not sure...you see.

Oh for the bloody love of God!   Are you trying to create some kind of sci fi/comedy here for a fiction book or movie? That is what it sounds like. How about getting into reality?

Julia Santamaria wrote:I'm not entirely sure a year difference can count for 8 FO's Tenez, unless they manage to fit in 8 FOs in a year.

And Djokovic can last as long if not longer than Nadal (as you have said before yourself), he has incredible stamina (AO 2012?) as well as a more energy efficient game compared to Nadal.
I have also showed how out of the 13 times Nadal has won, he's only had to come back from a set down once. In both FO 2012 and FO 2013 Nadal has broken first each time and won the first set each time.

That is because it can't. You are talking to a wall. What tennis analyst on this planet or any other would say Djokovic is better than Nadal on clay? I mean it is mindboggling. If you want to say Djokovic is better than Nadal on hc, great but on clay or even grass overall? Not a chance. Although clearly Djokovic has been better on grass than Nadal has been for the past two years but he still needs to win another Wimbledon and reach more Wimbledon finals to do better than Nadal overall on that surface.

If true, this is indeed a very good news.  It would both provide a very good explanation as to why Fed would enter these two tournaments, as well indicate that he is probably far from contemplating retirement.

Great news!! I knew it. I knew that Fed's motivation to play Hamburg and Gastaad was that he surely wants to try something new. Good that he has realized that sticking to the same old weapons which won him slam 5-7 years ago won't be good enough against the new changed tennis. He too needs to change something.


Perhaps my point about Fed needing to innovate something in his 'great game' is correct. He too feels that his old game may not be good enough against the current players.

raiders_of_the_lost_ark wrote:Great news!! I knew it. I knew that Fed's motivation to play Hamburg and Gastaad was that he surely wants to try something new.

 

If the new racquet thing is true, then it was a very good call of you indeed.  To me, Fed's choice to play these two tournaments looked rather odd.  But if he is using them to get used to a different racquet, than it makes perfect sense - it looks like you may have called it perfectly.

According to reports: Federer confirms he's playing with a 98" Head in Hamburg!!! Prob a modified BLX Blade from the looks of the frames...     Frankly- I thought it a 93.........98 is  big jump and will be a transition...  I'm not sure if he can be firing on all cylinders before the US Open, but this is exciting news for the next couple of years...   Federer may have just taken a couple of years off of his tennis age with this.

I am pretty sure he will adapt rapidly, like he adapted to the 90inch and the luxilion strings in 2002. I actually think the change of racquet and strings must have contributed to a huge jump in confidence....possibly similar to McEnroe finally adopting the medium graphite frame after droping his wood racquet in 83...it brought  84, one of the most dominant year by a player in tennis history.

He had to change it sometime, so it's no real surprise. Especially not after his worst GS result in 2394942 years. I guess he planned this for after the USO or maybe even after London but the Wimbledon fiasco has sped things up.
It's kinda funny,  if it works well, we all will be wondering why this move took him so long.
I am definitly looking forward to see him play with it. Let's see how it gives him easy power.

As a side note; Rory McIlroy signed a 250 million dollar contact to play with Nike clubs. He hardly has played golf by his normal standard since playing with these clubs, in fact: not at all.. Hopefully Roj' transistion will be more succesfull. Time is not on his side like it is for Rory.

gallery play wrote:He had to change it sometime, so it's no real surprise. Especially not after his worst GS result in 2394942 years. I guess he planned this for after the USO or maybe even after London but the Wimbledon fiasco has sped things up.
It's kinda funny,  if it works well, we all will be wondering why this move took him so long.
I am definitly looking forward to see him play with it. Let's see how it gives him easy power.

As a side note; Rory McIlroy signed a 250 million dollar contact to play with Nike clubs. He hardly has played golf by his normal standard since playing with these clubs, in fact: not at all.. Hopefully Roj' transistion will be more succesfull. Time is not on his side like it is for Rory.

 There was a certain beauty to watch Fed compete and excel using frankly outdated technology compared to the other top guys........... but at some point- it only makes sense to change...

Like you said- it's kind of a rock and hard place type thing-- if he starts surging now there will always be the wonder of what more he could have won........ IF it flops, then there's nothing to blame except the inevitable decline or any athlete...

I think its a smart move,might as well use whatever technology is out there to his advantage 
A lot of people have been saying this for years so it will be interesting to see what happens now

And here's The Beast:

https://twitter.com/FedererNews/status/357170818935046145/photo/1

& the practice session

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG3aP1nwB0Q

He still looks stiff though, bigger racquet or not! But he will find the game easier. He will lose in precision but will gain in confort and power.

A very good move.

I hope so, it's hard to tell anytlng from that clip.

Will be interesting to see how he copes with Brand's power tomorrow, esp on the BH, although for some reason, I expect the biggest change on his FH.
I just hope he does not lose any "beauty".

I must admit, I don't remember ever looking forward to a 250 tournament match like this!

This a 500 tournament.  I think you forgot in your excitement.  But I get your point

noleisthebest wrote:I hope so, it's hard to tell anytlng from that clip.

Will be interesting to see how he copes with Brand's power tomorrow, esp on the BH, although for some reason, I expect the biggest change on his FH.
I just hope he does not lose any "beauty".

Beauty schmeauty. He wants to win matches and gain confidence. If the racquet helps him achieve this goal, that is all that matters. His style will always be pleasing to the eye.

summerblues wrote:This a 500 tournament.  I think you forgot in your excitement.  But I get your point

Thanks SB!
I corrected it in the Tournament thread, too.
I was a bit surprised it got downgraded to 250, but "asked no questions"....that explains why the field is a lot stronger in Hamburg than Bogota, as well.
That's a relief!

Interesting article that throws a bit more light on Federer's new racquet.

http://www.tennis.com/gear/2013/07/plus-size-model/48403/#.Uebfz3DRfzI

Yes good article and the guy is spot on:

"It’s lighter, livelier, and wider than Federer’s old frame with a more generous sweetspot. From the pictures of Federer in practice it appears he’s using the Blade with a 16-by-19 string pattern, the same as his Pro Staff. With the larger head, however, there will be more space between the strings, which can result in greater elasticity (better pop) and spin production.
What does this mean for Federer’s game? The shanks and mishits that sometimes plague a misfiring Federer—who needs to be so pinpoint with the Pro Staff—could be less apparent. Free points on the serve and mid-court forehands should also be easier to come by. Federer will have a customized version of the Blade 98"

And he goes on to add that the downside will be the loss of precision which I said earlier.

This is what made Pete's second serve so deadly. High tension, small frame for max delivery precision.

Very strangely the Fed press transcript after his match was not available for long and now it seems badly translated and truncated.

I believe the word record stands for racquet:


Q: What are your thoughts on the new record?



ROGER FEDERER: I’m pleased how it’s playing. I kind of knew it from the



practice. So, it wasn't like just jumping into the water. But I'm very



happy that under match conditions I was feeling comfortable with it. So,



I'm satisfied.



Q: Can you explain, is it a different racket?



ROGER FEDERER: Yes, it’s definitely a different kind of racket. It's a



prototype that Wilson has worked on for many years. I’ve been testing



rackets for clearly in a way my whole career. I’ve had changes to my old



racket in the last sort of ten, eleven years ever since I changed here



actually in 2002 from the 85 to the 90. We’ve always been in close contact



and I know they’ve been always working on things. And after I lost at



Wimbledon I thought this is a good time to go and test some rackets, to



take a bit of time off and then add some tournaments and see was there



enough time to change or not. And I'm happy I did the change. And now



we'll see how it goes. So far so good.



Q: So, what exactly are the changes?



ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I can’t tell you everything. But it’s a different



type of racket, that's for sure.



Q: What’s the purpose? To gain more control, power?



ROGER FEDERER: I’ve been very close on numerous occasions to change



rackets in a bigger way. But then very often time was the issue, maybe



also just the records of Grand Slams, I was always keeping on playing



quarters and semis all the time. So, I guess then it was also a bit more



difficult to change it because of the time. I was talking about this time



around that all of a sudden I just had the extra ten days, two weeks I was



looking for. And I really was very serious about it. Wilson flew to



Switzerland and we went through the whole process and I was very happy how



things went over there.

========================



I think Fed is lying a bit saying it;s a new racquet whihc Wilson has been working for years on. He is not able to talk much about it but clearly it is going to be for the endorsement of a new contract.

Thanks, T.
The main thing is he's made the change and he is happy with it.
We can only hope he gets used to is asap and it gives him the result he wants.
We can't ask for more.
I am so impressed with his courage and passion for the game to be willing to adapt to all these horrid changes he has experienced through his career.

And it's good he plunged into it, swim or sink!
It would be horrible for someone of his talent and legacy to end up living the rest of his life with regret of not giving it a try and another shot .

Yes though I would not take his words at face value. There is too much on teh line and clearly he cannot talk his mind at this stage as he may still revert back to old racquet I guess.

I actually thought he woudl have changed and adapted to it earlier. I am sure he tried back then but felt it too risky. I guess now with his achievements nearly or fully complete he can give it a try more relax.

Tenez wrote:Yes though I would not take his words at face value. There is too much on teh line and clearly he cannot talk his mind at this stage as he may still revert back to old racquet I guess.

I actually thought he woudl have changed and adapted to it earlier. I am sure he tried back then but felt it too risky. I guess now with his achievements nearly or fully complete he can give it a try more relax.

Yes, it's a great luxury he is able to indulge himself with at this stage of his career. I wonder what he actually wants to achieve now.
I gather he is loving playing the game, but there's got to be something else motivating him. He is too competitive to be just an observer.
Another slam?
Or maybe just try and see what happens, I suppose another thing to give him the buzz and relive the excitement of his early career.

It is a well deserved luxury I woudl say as he is the one who really suffered from technology and medical progresses.....despite his amazing record. I suspect that without those new strings, lighter racquets and amazing new fitness levels achgieved by Nadal, Djoko and Murray he probably would have won 3 grand slams and 28 slams.

Tenez wrote:It is a well deserved luxury I woudl say as he is the one who really suffered from technology and medical progresses.....despite his amazing record. I suspect that without those new strings, lighter racquets and amazing new fitness levels achgieved by Nadal, Djoko and Murray he probably would have won 3 grand slams and 28 slams.

Weird as it may sound, I would not have minded in the least  

I am sure the timing will be fine for now. The problem will be in the important points. That;s usually when it deserts the players, especially if not very confident.

However I think that this racquet should give him less important point to play as overall it should help his game.

I still think for FH and BH yonex are simply excellent.

how big is 632 in sqin?

According to google convertor

98sqin = 6.322 10(exp-6) hectares!

in other word, how many cows can graze in 6.322 10(exp-6) hectares

No wonder he struggles with timing.

Tenez wrote:how big is 632 in sqin?

I don't think even Nadal could last more than a point with THAT!

Tenez wrote:I still think for FH and BH yonex are simply excellent.

What is the difference between a 98" Wilson & a 98" Yonex?

PRESS CONFERENCE WITH ROGER FEDERER



Federer – Hajek 6:4, 6:2


Q: How are you getting used to the new racket?



ROGER FEDERER: I’m happy. Today, I definitely got more information out of



this kind of a match like I predicted. We were always going to have longer



rallies today than in yesterday’s match because of the type of player I



was playing against. So many more balls hit, more rhythm. So, I’m happy to



be still in the tournament giving myself another opportunity in the next



match. Also it's a type of ball I don't know very well. To be honest there



is a few bad bounces on the court. So, overall I’m just still looking for



the timing and the rhythm here. But the longer I stay in the tournament



the more confident I am that I’m going to play better and better as the



tournament goes on.



Q: Are there things that are easier to do or more difficult with the new



racket?



ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I guess it’s to a degree some more getting used to,



just to see how it reacts on every single shot. Clearly it reacts better



to some shots. That's for sure. But it's important not to think of it the



whole time, not to talk about it all the time but more just sort of go



with it, fight for every point, have the right mindset, be optimistic



about playing here now and wanting to achieve a good result and that’s



what I'm doing. So, that's really the mindset I've got to have right now.



Q: The colleagues from London would like a statement regarding Andy



Murray’s Wimbledon victory. Did you see the final and what do you say



about his victory?



ROGER FEDERER: I didn’t see the match but I thought it’s a great result



for him, clearly for anybody winning Wimbledon is a dream come true, in



particular for him where he comes from and how much Wimbledon, I'm sure,



has inspired him as a player. He's had to go through - let's be realistic



- on a very high level he had to go through some tough times as well where



he was being chased by the media of not winning enough even though he was



winning tons of tournaments. I think he took his time and got better as



every year went by. And he was finally able to win big tournaments now. In



a year he won three huge events. Credit to him, he deserves it and I’m



very happy for him.

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:I still think for FH and BH yonex are simply excellent.

What is the difference between a 98" Wilson & a 98" Yonex?

For me the key difference is that teh yonex is more stable on the BH and FH, bigger sweetspot even. But also more powerful and allowing for  heavier top spin as you can actually hit the ball cleanly with the top of the frame thanks to bigger sweetspot but also the square edges of the yonex. I hated the yonex in the past due to its squared shape but I must it's actually pretty smart.

Wilson are good for serves and volleys.....but they simply are less forgivable...even the 98inc.

Look at Stan...typical yonex shots powerful and safe...when his head is on.

Thanks, T.
That Yonex sounds like a dream racquet for today's tennis. It fascinates me how they can even affect and determine the size of sweet spots, sounds very scientific.
At his level, I suppose you just get used to a racquet so much, and when I think about it, I am not surprised it took him so long to change it. He was still able to play perfect and best ever tennis with it, just that the era of Athletic tennis ruined it, got in the way and forced out Fed's survival instinct.

Yes Fed's racquet was simply unforgivable. Slightly off center and he'd lose considerable pace...but right in and it's the most precise surgeon tool in the market. So his shots must feel all over the place for now ....but he shoudl find his range soon.

As mentioned many of his shots should improve...including the return.

He's done so well to have played with it for so long.
Did you see the match today?
He was very aggressive, I suppose he was confident he was beating Hajek so was relaxed.
I watched his face when he shanked a few balls, he was still nervous, so the confidence is building but still fragile.
Unlike Halle where he was also looking for the pre-Wimbledon much needed tournament win/ confidence, I genuinely thought he played better today than in Halle, he really went for the ball, like in the old days, and couldn't get enough of the net.
Got a good few more wins before he gets used to it, I just only hope he does not suffer any bad losses, as his confidence needs all the boost it can get right now.

Tenez wrote:According to google convertor
98sqin = 6.322 10(exp-6) hectares!

Eric Schmidt did not know how to steal Steve Jobs's calculator.

Tenez wrote:in other word, how many cows can graze in 6.322 10(exp-6) hectares
No wonder he struggles with timing.

We need to ask Juliet.  

noleisthebest wrote:

Tenez wrote:how big is 632 in sqin?

I don't think even Nadal could last more than a point with THAT!

Uncle Toni is still searching for the Google answer (with Tenez's assistance), while Nadal is  

Hate to be a bearer of bad news- but lots of reports from fans at Hamburg on his website that Fed tweaked the back again.. .damn,damn,damn...
 
Said he was getting treatment after the match.. during third set - stood up during changeover twice and the serve velocity dropped drastically...  I haven't seen the match, but an aweful lot of people are talking about it............
 
New racquet, desire,etc is just not going to fix what the real issue is......

truffin1 wrote:
New racquet, desire,etc is just not going to fix what the real issue is......

Yes...very sad but true. how he manages to get through is a mistery....but without a back...he might as well retire.

Very good article about the "big 4"s , not ferrer  , rackets!
http://www.perfect-tennis.co.uk/tennis-racquet-technology-how-the-big-4-differ/

luvsports! wrote:Very good article about the "big 4"s , not ferrer  , rackets!
http://www.perfect-tennis.co.uk/tennis-racquet-technology-how-the-big-4-differ/

LS, really nice and true article, written from own author`experience. Recommend everybody to read it.

Some nice quotations from the article:

"You either have to have a real Roger Federer fetish or really good skills"  to play with Fed racket.

"So the racquet choice of Rafael Nadal, the Babolat AeroPro Drive, naturally it’s my least favourite racquet of the 4 as, probably due to it being used by Dull but there’s something about the design that makes this almost toy like " this emoticon taken from the author

Yeah really professional article this one...

What's wrong now JS?

luvsports! wrote:What's wrong now JS?

LS, he does not like knowing racket stuff

It's not very professional is it.

Comfy up there on your high horse?
Who cares if it isn't "professional", its still pretty informative no?
Like their playing styles, fedal's rackets are so different. Interesting!

If it's professional I see it is as more trustworthy and reliable.