Why do I play better with oversize than midsize plus?

Question

oversize probably offers more power. other than that, I don't understand why. If someone can just list the pros and cons of both types of tennis rackets (if there are any significant ones), that'd be great.

also, decreasing the tension of your string adds to more power. According to most tennis people, it tends to decrease control, and I don't see how that works. Lower tension means more power. but I don't see how lower tension leads to less control. Would some distinguished tennis master like to explain that to me as well?

thanks in advance

Answer 1

I'm not a tennis master, but I love to play and learn and have come across some possible answers to you questions.

If you aren't a high-level player it may be better to use an over-sized racquet. Professionals will use the mid-size or mid-plus racquets because they get so much racquet head speed that it makes up for the loss in power.

Mid-size: Has the most control because the racquet is stiff and string patterns tend to be more dense than OS. You will also have more maneuverability of the racquet itself because it is smaller. It is good for players who can generate plenty of their own power and need the added control that it offers.

Over-sized: Larger racquet head size offers more power, spin, and a larger sweet-spot. The problem is it adds A LOT of power that you may not want. You will have to swing this racquet at a slower pace than smaller racquets. Another benefit of and OS frame is it is said to be easier on your arm so you don't get as much joint pain if you play frequently.

Mid-Plus: Right in between MS and OS frame sizes. It is essentially the Mario and Luigi of tennis racquets, average at everything.

Conclusion: So what you need to take into account is your racquet swing speed and length. If it's short and fast, mid-size is the way to go, mid-plus for medium swing, and OS for long slow swings. It's my personal opinion that by continuing to us OS you are slowing your development as a player and I highly recommend you switch to MP or MS if you plan on playing seriously. Very few serious players use OS.

Question 2: Don't take my opinion as fact, but I do string tennis racquets and know a bit about string tension. I think it has to do with how a high string tension would make the string-bed similar to a stiff wood board. If you hit a tennis racquet on a flat wood board it will always bound the same. In other words it's very predictable, only the ball is compressing much. A looser string tension would simply make the reaction the ball has with the strings less predictable because the strings are moving along with the ball compressing.