looks sleek and speedy...

Check out how head makes their racquets. Seems like they put a lot of thought into these things.

Are tennis racquets different from badminton racquets? I always loved badminton, but was never good at tennis.

Boo. I just bought a brand new Head racquet (Liquidmetal 4) on Monday too!!! Grrrr @ the timing, Woot!

It might be helpful to know what size your hand is. . . here is a nice guide to help determine what size grip you need/want:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/Gripsize.html

CowboyDann wrote:Seems like they put a lot of thought into these things.

Every major manufacturer or every major sports equipment puts a lot of thought, effort and tech into their products.

This product on the other hand, probably only got residual R&D considering it is just a piece of metal so recreational players can pop tennis balls or mosquitoes and bees around with... fine for beginners/intermediates to fool around at this price.

lichme wrote:Are tennis racquets different from badminton racquets? I always loved badminton, but was never good at tennis.

Thats like asking if a 2 iron is different from a putt-putt putter.

frostykev wrote:It might be helpful to know what size your hand is. . . here is a nice guide to help determine what size grip you need/want:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/Gripsize.html

That is correct, just hold a racquet and make sure u can fit the width of your index finger between the tips of the fingers and the meat of your palm. They should never touch.

And one of the most important things is weight... always use the heaviest racquet you can swing very comfortably.

Also keep in mind this is an EXTENDED handle racquet... which is the worst for a cheap racquet... beginners dont need extra power, they need control. Extended length racquets are needed by top juniors and some pros who have naturally weaker builds, so they need the extra power however they can get it. This is basically a club to wack some tennis balls around with.

this probably isn't going to matter on a racket like this, but if i were to buy a new racket without first demoing it i would need a a few more specs. they've done pretty well, but they're lacking:

-actual head size (95 sq in., 100 sq in. 105 sq in., etc.)
-stiffness
-grip size in terms of inches (common range is 4 1/4 - 4 5/8)
-balance listed by the common points system (5 points head light, 2 points head heavy, etc.)

again i'm sure most beginners won't understand jangled technical jargon (much less know what they prefer), but i wouldn't consider buying a new racket without first knowing these

It's 20 bucks. It's a beginner's racquet. If your thinking of taking up tennis (and I highly recommend you do) this is a good deal. Later on you can spend the time and money to get a legit stick.

lichme wrote:Are tennis racquets different from badminton racquets? I always loved badminton, but was never good at tennis.

Trust me, if ur asking this question, you were never good at badminton either. sorry for the jerk response, but really, its true.

The Head PCT Speed Tennis Racquet (For Men and Women) is inexpensive, and it has a 16 mains x 19 crosses string pattern. It weighs an average amount, and it is 27.50 inches long and has a 102 square inch head. It has a minimum tension of 52 pounds and a maximum tension of 62 pounds.

http://tennis-racquet.pikimal.com/head-pct-speed-tennis-racquet-for-men-and-women

This is probably slightly better than the $20 you can find at the stores. Good for beginners who need a racquet to get started and wouldn't even know what to look for in it or what the specs mean.

daftvillain wrote:this probably isn't going to matter on a racket like this, but if i were to buy a new racket without first demoing it i would need a a few more specs. they've done pretty well, but they're lacking:

-actual head size (95 sq in., 100 sq in. 105 sq in., etc.)
-stiffness
-grip size in terms of inches (common range is 4 1/4 - 4 5/8)
-balance listed by the common points system (5 points head light, 2 points head heavy, etc.)

again i'm sure most beginners won't understand jangled technical jargon (much less know what they prefer), but i wouldn't consider buying a new racket without first knowing these

.

You are given grip size options when ordering

daftvillain wrote:this probably isn't going to matter on a racket like this, but if i were to buy a new racket without first demoing it i would need a a few more specs. they've done pretty well, but they're lacking:

-actual head size (95 sq in., 100 sq in. 105 sq in., etc.)
-stiffness
-grip size in terms of inches (common range is 4 1/4 - 4 5/8)
-balance listed by the common points system (5 points head light, 2 points head heavy, etc.)

again i'm sure most beginners won't understand jangled technical jargon (much less know what they prefer), but i wouldn't consider buying a new racket without first knowing these

Maybe we need a Tennis 101/sports jargon thread around here written by some of our more knowledgeable folks!

(Mostly because I'm really not sure what all that means either.)

decent beginner racquet. i picked one up to have an extra for folks.

would this be a good racquet for young children 7-10 years old range if I selected the smallest grip? thanks for info.

rsnyc wrote:would this be a good racquet for young children 7-10 years old range if I selected the smallest grip? thanks for info.

at 27.5" it's a really long racquet. It's like the longest racquets they make before going custom. Should get kids a shorter one.

frostykev wrote:It might be helpful to know what size your hand is. . . here is a nice guide to help determine what size grip you need/want:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/LC/Gripsize.html

Thanks. Assuming I'm doing this correctly my hand is too big for these even before the larger size sold out.

Do they make 5" grips in affordable rackets? As a recreational beginner I don't want to invest in an expensive racket.

Sportzcoop wrote:Thanks. Assuming I'm doing this correctly my hand is too big for these even before the larger size sold out.

Do they make 5" grips in affordable rackets? As a recreational beginner I don't want to invest in an expensive racket.

according to my measurements the biggest would be a smidge too big for me. I was going to try anyways but the threat of tennis elbow really makes my body ache... and then i saw only the middle size was available anyways.

real quick, previous woot, same $19.99 I believe:

http://sport.woot.com/forums/viewpost.aspx?postid=5041308&pageindex=1&replycount=10

and my previous post:

whatsamattaU wrote:Hello? Anybody out there?



Well, I'm up working, but if nobody else is going to comment, I'll take a minute:

Product website doesn't yield much:
http://www.head.com/tennis/products/racquets/recreational-prestrung/pct-speed/5066/?region=us

Walmart: $39.99
http://www.walmart.com/ip/HEAD-PCT-Speed-Tennis-Raquet/20636337#

Sierra Trading post 34.99, 3 out of 4 reviews good (4th doesn't count--delivery issues)
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/head-pct-speed-tennis-racquet-for-men-and-women~p~3699j/reviews/#reviewsTab

One bad review at party pooper's Sporting Goods (you can guess what word got changed--click reply to see if you're not sure) $59.99
http://www.party pooperssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4263009

later

bye

Sportzcoop wrote:Thanks. Assuming I'm doing this correctly my hand is too big for these even before the larger size sold out.

Do they make 5" grips in affordable rackets? As a recreational beginner I don't want to invest in an expensive racket.

Not usually, but you can increase the grip size yourself if you need. A heat-shrink sleeve ($2 or $3) can increase the grip by 1/8". A regular overgrip (pack of 3 for $5 or so) will increase grip by 1/16". Tennis-Warehouse or any other tennis shop should sell them.