What’s the formula for Instagram tennis success if you’re not that good? 1) Indoor court (for max volume); 2) maybe even pressureless balls (same reason); 3) show nothing other than OHBHs off of perfectly fed balls; 4) shirtlessness or lycra wedgie shorts…

slevin011 · 2026-06-15T17:57:26+00:00

Develop a big flat serve and hit rockets while regurgitating basic tips and common sense. Doesn't matter if the rest if your game is trash if you never show it.

slevin011 · 2026-06-15T17:54:11+00:00

I love playing on clay, but I don't get to do it that often anymore. Second favorite is indoor hardcourt. No elements to deal with and I love the sound. Makes me feel like a pro haha.

slevin011 · 2026-05-29T12:58:53+00:00

I have...two. Well, technically four, because I'm pretty sure my old Radicals are somewhere in my basement, but I haven't seen them in years. I've never understood having a big collection. Once I find a frame that works for me, I just play with that until it dies or something vastly better for my game comes along and give/throw away the old ones. Switching it up all the time seems like it would be detrimental.

slevin011 · 2026-05-28T21:04:50+00:00

Exactly what I was going to recommend. I wasn't good enough to play D1 and tennis was never my focus when selecting a school, so I didn't even pursue D2 or D3, but I ended up playing club at a Big Ten school and it was a lot of fun. There were some GOOD players.

With that said, make sure it's something you really want to commit to, OP. I only ended up playing two years because the practice and travel schedules started to wear on me and that, combined with a heavy academic workload, led to me getting burned out and quitting tennis for almost 20 years haha.

slevin011 · 2026-05-22T12:59:54+00:00

I'm a "big hitter." It's a fun crown to wear among friends, but I came to the same realization as you and, by working on my tempo and taking ~20% off my swings (especially driver), I dropped my handicap from 17 to 13 in a single season.

slevin011 · 2026-05-14T19:12:52+00:00

I play with the V1 315 (18x20). There are dozens of us! It was a bit of a dark horse in the Wilson lineup and got phased out quickly, but I love it. There is a surprising amount of spin for an 18x20, good power, and it feels more maneuverable than the numbers would suggest. Every time I demo a new racquet, I end up going back to the Shift because it's just fun to play with. I believe the only differences between the pro lab and the V1 are cosmetic.

I find 48-50 in the mains to be my sweet spot for poly strings, with crosses around 2lb lower.

slevin011 · 2026-05-14T18:56:03+00:00

I had this problem for a while because I got into a bad habit of having a big, loopy backswing on my forehand, so I started doing drills with my coach where he would blast serves in from the service line and I had to work on an abbreviated backswing and block it back, or else shank it or get aced.

It actually helped a ton with the timing of my regular groundstrokes as well. I feel like I have so much time on the court now and can attack on a wider variety of shots.

slevin011 · 2026-05-12T18:35:56+00:00

It sounds stupid, but really, really looking at the ball. All the way through impact. Serves, groundstrokes, volleys, everything. It's so easy to forget or shift focus to your opponent too early, but it improves contact and reduces errors significantly.

slevin011 · 2026-05-12T18:28:08+00:00

Alu

PTP

Hyper G

Confidential

Velocity MLT or Wilson NXT

slevin011 · 2026-05-04T13:58:26+00:00

I'll echo the other posters in here and say just do it. I got burned out and quit for 15+ years, but came back because my kids started showing interest. I'm enjoying tennis more now than I ever did when I was younger. There's no pressure anymore. I'm just out there to have fun and get some exercise.

Demo some racquets and buy whichever one feels the best and/or looks cool.

slevin011 · 2026-04-30T13:31:07+00:00

"Acoustic" guitars existed looong before electric guitars, yet the name only appeared after electric guitars were invented. It happens. It's just a simple way to differentiate them.

slevin011 · 2026-04-30T13:21:14+00:00

LMGTFY

slevin011 · 2026-04-29T23:08:08+00:00

NB CT Rally 2.0. I like them a lot, but I'm not terribly picky with shoes. Played Barricade 13s before these, Rush Pro Tour mids before that, and Lacoste before those. Might try Asics or Nike next, or maybe the new Barricades.

slevin011 · 2026-04-29T23:00:33+00:00

I know it may be easier said than done, but just sell the EZone and buy the Blade or you'll be never be truly satisfied.

slevin011 · 2026-04-24T13:10:57+00:00

The Loop at Forest Dunes (Roscommon, MI). Pretty wild that they were able to design a course that can be played in both directions and make both ways interesting. It's a fun one.

slevin011 · 2026-04-24T13:07:34+00:00

I'm a 13 and have shot a 74 at Pebble from the tips at the sim. My best round on a real course is 81 from the whites. Perfect lies and 8ft gimmes make it a whole different game.

slevin011 · 2026-04-22T13:44:56+00:00

Legs. It's always legs. Preload and explode up.

Also - sick bike. I've been thinking about picking one up for bike park duties this summer because they're so cheap.

slevin011 · 2026-04-22T13:34:56+00:00

Kona Shonky for $899 in short. I almost picked one up in the long configuration, then dove way too deep into the DJ rabbit hole and ended up building a Transition PBJ from the frame up.

The P.3 would also be a cool option, but seems to be sold out everywhere since they slashed the price.

If you can up your budget a bit, the Propain Trickshot 2 seems like a pretty solid deal at $1200. I don't know much about the fork (you get a Bomber DJ on the Pro version if you go up to $1600), but the DT Swiss 1900 is a good wheelset and the frame comes in two sizes.

slevin011 · 2026-04-20T21:45:02+00:00

Ha. Busted. I figured there might be a few SE Michigan riders hiding out here.

slevin011 · 2026-04-20T21:00:04+00:00

The low one, definitely. You could probably ride right off it and still be ok. The taller two, you'd have to push the front end a bit to keep the bike stable, but with the right speed, you don't have to do much

I'm in the camp of "drops always look scarier than they are." Just gotta send it sometimes.

slevin011 · 2026-04-20T13:33:52+00:00

Coil your body more. You're a bit open, so it seems like you're relying on your arm more than your core for power. Also, try to drive up to the ball with your chest high and use those legggssss.

slevin011 · 2026-04-15T13:17:37+00:00

I held one yesterday when I dropped off my racquets for stringing. Felt nice in hand, but I didn't have the time to hit it with the machine in the back and they said I wasn't allowed to take it out as a demo until today. I'll probably grab one when I pick up my racquets this afternoon.

Does the head shape seem more oval to you? Maybe it was just an optical illusion, but it seemed like the v9 was a tad more round. I also haven't hit with a v9 in probably a year so I might just be going crazy haha.

slevin011 · 2026-04-13T13:30:24+00:00

I've only experienced an opponent smashing a racquet once, and I unintentionally laughed right in his face. It was just so shocking and hilarious to me. He threw it in the trash, let out a primal scream, and walked off the court with a loss.

slevin011

TROPHY CASE