OK Guys, need help choosing new frame..

[coach tom]

Hi everyone! As you all know, I am coaching a college
team this spring. One good part of the process is that
manufacturers are showering me and my team with offers to
use their stuff. I currently need to update my weapons
(remember, I still use the Wilson World Class aluminum
from 1977)and now have way too many choices.

Head has made a nice offer. The cost is good, but I have
to get four racquets. I can choose from the entire line,
and that would mean for me the new i.prestige mid.
Babolat has also made an interesting offer. That for me
means the Pure Drive. Even Fox has made some good offers,
and now I'm confused. I need your help.

My racquet choices:

Head i.prestige mid
Babolat Pure Drive
Dunlop 200G
Slazenger Pro Braided
Pro Kennex Kinetic 5G or Black Ace tour
Yonex (ti 1700 or the classic RD-7)
Fox Target WB-210 (Brad Gilbert's racquet when he was on
tour), Fox tournament or Fox Dynamite (all designed by
the world famous racquet tech Warren Bosworth)

Head by far has the best package, as it comes with tons
of extras, but it costs considerably more than the
others. Babolat has a similar package and allows me to
buy either two or three frames with the appropriate cost
adjustment. Yonex, Dunlop/Slazenger and Wilson don't
offer any extras, but give me outrageous prices for
frames and string. Fox is closing out the Bosworth frames
and is offering me one of the most unbelievable prices I
have ever seen.

I am pushing forty, play a couple of tournaments a year
along with my high school and college coaching, consider
myself all court but lean toward serve and volley. Like
Clement, I am vertically challenged (as well as folically
challenged like my old friend Bob Hewitt). I tend to use
classic eastern and australian/continental forehands and
backhands and my serve is somewhere between Nastase and
Rosewall.

I need to decide soon. Could you guys give me your
opinion and advice?

Thanks, tom

[tennis4you]

"Dunlop/Slazenger and Wilson don't offer any extras, but give me outrageous prices for frames and string."

Does that mean a good deal or a bad one?

Wilson is always my preference. I think they have the best racquets of the ones you mentioned. The Wilson Hammer series seem to be real popular!!! They conform great to all aspects of game and strategy.

[Marc]

Hey Tom,

Call me crazy, but I like Wilson racquets. I have one that's a few years old, the Wilson SPS Court Slam XLB Oversized. It works fine for weekend tennis outings.

[Marc]

Made a decision yet, Tom?

[coach tom]

Well Guys, I finally made a decision. Since I'm only having a tinge of buyers remorse, I guess I made the right choice.

I passed up on the two great deals. While the head deal was sweet, I didn't need all of the extras and the $450 price tag was more than I really wanted to spend right now.

I passed up on the Babolat deal after hitting with one of the rackets and talking to Mr. Bosworth himself. The rackets from Babolat needed some extensive mods to meet my specs, and that would have cost me another $100, so the $250 becomes $350, not as good a deal.

I was going to purchase the Yonex Ultimium RQ-1700 or RD-7 (Hingis and Krajcek's rackets) but then a rep from Fox sent me incredible prices on the Bosworth designed frames. I was even priviledged to talk to Mr. Bosworth himself, and he convinced me that his Dynamite frames were better than the Yonex, required basically little or no fine tuning, and that even he, as the designer, couldn't get the price they gave me. I bought three, plus one of his Tournament racquets to use as a raffle/giveaway for my OCC team this weekend. Fox is throwing in some extra grommet strips, a few stencils, and I'm hoping a few t-shirts. The customer service and sales people at Fox/ProSports were phenomenal. That was probably the deal maker. I should be good for a decade or two now, with my record. And my team will be happy, as I will retire my 1977 vintage, 68 square inch head Wilson World Class rackets and move into the 1980's with the Bosworth frames (just kidding, although the head size is still only 85 square inches. Hell, it works for Sampras, and I'm at least as good as him, if not better.)

So there you have it. I went with the frame designed and manufactured by the recognized world number one racquet tech Warren Bosworth. Who would have thunk it?

Tom

"It's not the size of the racquet, it's what you do with it..."