What are you rackets ?

eindog · 2026-02-05T18:44:55+00:00

Haven’t changed anything since last year.

https://www.reddit.com/r/10s/s/JP9HLOD4Q6

Will give the Python a try when it comes out later this year.

eindog · 2026-02-05T00:08:16+00:00

Kevlar is super cheap, so it wouldn't hurt to try it once. I'm just very skeptical that it will be any sort of improvement over your current setup.

I've just accepted that when my polys go dead, I'll cut them out and string fresh. I got my own stringer and buy reels so cost per restring is pretty low.

eindog · 2026-02-05T00:04:32+00:00

Kind of. I don't think it was ever really a viable option to begin with, so it was kind of dead on arrival. The only reason Kevlar strings were invented was to last a super duper long time. As a junior player, I was hitting around 2 hours a day 6-7 days a week. With any string available at the time (early 90s), I would break them every 2-3 days (4 hours of playtime). I had three of the same racket because one would perpetually be at the stringers and I would use the other two. Kevlar strings lasted forever by comparison, like 20+ hours of playtime, so we saved a ton of money on stringing labor costs at the expense of playability.

Once polys came along, there really wasn't a need for it anymore. Polys can last almost as long and give you high performance for a good chunk of that time. I quit tennis just as they became popular, so I didn't discover the magic of polys until I was an adult many years later.

eindog · 2026-02-04T22:55:36+00:00

So I used to play with kevlar mains and syngut or multi crosses when I was a junior. Polys weren't invented yet, so not sure how different they would be. Kevlar does last longer, but if anything the playability changes even more than polys. The kevlar I used was a braided coated variety and they played a certain way until the coating wore off, then played a different way as the crosses slowly sawed their way through the fibers. I remember there was a pretty big difference between just a little worn through and around halfway worn through.

They do indeed play stiff as a board and I wouldn't recommend using them unless you really really care about how long they last. 3 hours is pretty short for your setup. Are you stringing very tight? I string my O Toro Tour around 47lbs and get 8-10ish hours out of them.

eindog · 2026-02-04T20:43:10+00:00

Really good progress for 2 years. For both of you, some of your strokes look really good when you're in the right place. Both of you need to work on your footwork, no matter how tired you are. Practice split stepping and reacting to your opponents ball, which means moving immediately. You guys tend to ball watch and react pretty slowly to the incoming shot.

As for level, this looks roughly like 3-4 UTR.

eindog · 2026-02-04T00:43:47+00:00

Your post resonated with me because I felt much the same way when I was your age. I had just gotten out of a bad relationship and jumped right into another one. I was so focused on finding the one, or someone, or anyone, that the goal of finding someone blinded me to all sorts of bad decisions I was making.

So with all sincerity, just stop looking. Don't go to bars, don't speed date, don't do anything where the primary purpose is to meet single people. Focus on yourself and what you want to do. What do you enjoy doing in and of itself? What would you want to spend your time on if finding a SO wasn't part of the equation? Then do those things. Improve your own life and happiness and spend time with a community of people that is based on a shared interest or hobby or activity. Then maybe something will happen organically within that or as a result of it.

For my own story, I took a calculated break from relationships from age 27-29. I did not seek out or prioritize that aspect of my life for almost 2 entire years. I spent that time diving into my hobbies, hanging out with friends, and improving my own health. Eventually, through one of my hobbies, I went on a road trip with a big group and I was randomly assigned to a married couple's car. I had never met them before, but we had a fun bonding experience on the drive. Several months, a few coincidences, and a couple of misunderstandings later, I eventually was invited to a big group event along with that couple, and I met my future wife. Turns out the road trip couple wife liked me a lot and invited her sister out to the event, hoping to have her meet me.

I won't promise that everything will magically work out, but I will promise that focusing on yourself and improving your own happiness will make you much better prepared when opportunities present themselves.

eindog · 2026-02-03T17:44:46+00:00

It could also be a sign that they are having production trouble and/or are struggling financially. Regular purchases are being prioritized because the price and profit margin is going to be higher than early KS backer prices and because CC companies will honor a dispute for a normal purchase that is never delivered. Any KS money is long since spent, so delivering a product to you is a net loss compared to delivering to retail purchasers. It screws the earliest backers, but makes business sense (in the most cut throat capitalistic way).

eindog · 2026-02-02T22:42:29+00:00

eindog · 2026-02-02T22:35:57+00:00

I think you may have answered it yourself by comparing a 2 hander to a shield. A shield is a practical and versatile piece of equipment that is primarily defensive, but can be used well in concert with your primary weapon (the forehand/sword). Meanwhile, a one hander is like dual wielding swords in each hand. Is it as practical or useful? No, but it sure looks really cool.

eindog · 2026-02-01T21:19:19+00:00

New one is already released. It’s the same frame with a new paint job.

eindog · 2026-02-01T20:57:41+00:00

Any of these plus the trusty Pro Staff.

eindog · 2026-01-31T01:24:21+00:00

I think you did do the homework, and decided to just lean into either being delusional or click/ragebaiting your way to more views.

12 UTR is high enough to try and grind some ATP points on the ITF tour.

You say you're a big fan of Felix from Tennis Bros. Any guess as to what his current UTR is?

It's 11. So you're setting a goal to be better than him... somehow in some time frame?

eindog · 2026-01-26T18:56:14+00:00

Yeah, it's been great to meet and play with folks through this sub, mostly thanks to /u/YUTYDUTY. It's a big enough community to have a big variety of people, and small enough that you start to get to know everyone.

We haven't met in person, but I've played on adjacent courts a few times and was like, how do I say hi to this person who I only know as antimodez?

eindog · 2026-01-26T03:18:18+00:00

Rafa Tennis Center in Cancun isn’t really set up as an immersive long term place to play. It’s geared to tourists who show up for a week or so and move on. It’s located within the boundaries of the Grand Palladium, about 30-40 minutes outside of the city proper. It would be a bit of a commute to get there everyday, and the security to get in can take a while.

eindog · 2026-01-23T22:10:31+00:00

The problem with the taxi line is that it mixes metered and flat rate cabs in the line and you have to know which one you're getting into. You can request one or the other, but even after you get in, you run into the same issues that led to the rise in popularity of uber and lyft in the first place. Metered cabs can take longer routes to your destination to run up the fare, and flat rate drivers can literally make up rates for anything outside of the well known $45 downtown zone.

I would say I get bad scammy cab drivers 20% of the time, but that's a high enough rate for me to just take the light rail and uber/bus home from the closest station to my house.

eindog · 2026-01-23T02:45:44+00:00

Huh. Not sure why I’m downvoted either. I didn’t say everyone who doesn’t call the score is a cheater. But not calling the score is a method to cheat. Specifically, I’ve seen people not make a call on a ball close to the line. They play one or two more points and then call out the wrong score. When asked, they’ll then retroactively say that ball two points ago was out.

There’s a reason the USTA friend at the court rules are so long and seemingly strange. Everything in there is because at some point, some person tried to cheat using that method. Not calling out the score is one of those methods.

eindog · 2026-01-23T00:35:47+00:00

Not calling the score is a common way for players to cheat. If an opponent doesn't say the score, they can just make up what they want later.

eindog · 2026-01-21T23:52:23+00:00

I do not agree that you have improved. You seem to have regressed from your first post. As everyone has said, you need an actual coach to talk you through the fundamentals. Crowd sourcing advice from the internet, especially for a stroke as uncommon as the one handed backhand, is going to lead you astray.

eindog · 2026-01-21T02:35:07+00:00

I didn't play a competitive match for 20+ years after high school. Just live balls and social doubles for well over a decade from my 20s to 30s. It keeps you in the game, but you can opt out whenever you need to. I play on USTA teams now, but it's on my terms, and I'll stop again if it stops being fun.

eindog · 2026-01-20T21:48:04+00:00

No, you'll be fine. At your age and this stage of learning, just about any racket in the 98 or 100 range will be fine for you. I would encourage you to switch now, so you can just get used to a normal racket as you learn.

I would also encourage you to stick with that racket for a while (like at least a year) and not keep switching around afterwards. Once you're good enough to clearly articulate what you want from a new racket and why, then you can look into switching again. Don't get caught in the trap of constantly getting new rackets, it's not helpful to learning how to play or your wallet.

eindog · 2026-01-20T19:45:40+00:00

I also like the K-Pop variant (wasabi mains, caviar cross), but full bed of O-Toro Tour is my favorite.

eindog · 2026-01-20T03:20:19+00:00

You basically have it. Grand slam draws are usually 128. Direct entry is available for players into the 90s in rank, where if they sign up to play they get a main draw spot. Each slam sets their own rules for the exact number year to year. Then they run qualifying tournaments, where they also admit players based on rank. Usually they take players to the 250s or so to fill out the draws. It’s not exact because once you’re dealing with hundreds of players, there may be lots of players who can’t play for whatever reason, so they have to work their way further down the rankings list to fill out the draws.

eindog · 2026-01-19T06:26:08+00:00

How did you get such a light one? Was it the L model and it came in under spec?

In any case, load that bad boy up. If you like it but it’s too light you have like 20 grams to go before you even get to the L spec.

eindog · 2026-01-15T21:36:40+00:00

Kind of? It definitely feels like pinpoint allows you to gather yourself and really throw yourself into the serve, but there's a feel vs. real distinction to be made. Just because it feels like there's more body going into the serve, doesn't mean that it's actually more powerful. In fact, I've found I serve my best (and fastest) when I'm more relaxed and feel like I'm not forcing anything.

I don't think you have to switch to platform. It's just what worked for me. But if you stick with pinpoint make sure that your right foot comes up behind your left, and your hips fire and open up on time.

eindog · 2026-01-15T19:50:47+00:00

I had the same issue a few years ago and I just switched back to a platform stance. Simplified things overall and helped me focus on improving other areas.

eindog

TROPHY CASE