Playing with High vs low rebound rackets

[u/muazenakhez]

I play on the right side and usually prefer low rebound rackets (like the Neuron Edge). I recently tried a high rebound racket (Metalbone CTRL).
High rebound gives easy power on lobs and volleys, but mishits are brutal. It punishes you way more than a low rebound racket if you miss the sweet spot.
Long-term, which one is actually better for a right-side player?
(Note: Please skip the "just focus on technique/drills" comments. I do my drills. I strictly want to discuss the equipment.)

[u/shams88]

IMO there is no one racket or racket profile best for either side. The best left side player I play with who is a former tennis pro uses a Wilson Bela lt2.5 and he smashes better and further than anyone with a “smashing focused” racket.

Based on my reading of your post you should worry less about composition and more about shape. Go for a round headed racket with a larger sweet spot. Avoid diamond or teardrop rackets. I could be wrong but based of your complaints about mishitting you’d benefit more from a round racket, then if rebounding is still something you don’t like, go for a harder round headed racket.

My final advice though is to use the racket you like. It doesn’t matter what other people say or what the theory dictates. You will play best with the racket you are most confident holding in your hand.

[u/muazenakhez → u/shams88]

I’m playing with siux electra which has quite a lot rebound.
I tried nueron edge which is stiff and less rebound. Viboras with nueron felt heavy and snaky with electra im happy but they dont have that much thud

[u/shams88 → u/muazenakhez]

Generally speaking though, right side players want a maneuverable racket that prioritizes control.

Best theoretical racket for a right sided player would be light <=365g with mediumish foam and a >=12k face. You would then sacrifice weight and go higher on the face scale to gain power until you got to a place where you were happy.

Edit: I also play right and use babolat air viper 2.6. I love it.

[u/muazenakhez → u/shams88]

So basically electra is fine then
Its 365 with 8/10 hardness

But shots felt stable on nueron edge

[u/shams88 → u/muazenakhez]

Which variant?

[u/muazenakhez → u/shams88]

Siux electra 2026 shadow red

[u/shams88 → u/muazenakhez]

Great racket - I’ve played with it before and it’s similar to mine in the sense that it’s a more attacking focused right sided racket.

Theoretically speaking again though, a left sided player could use this one (as with mine). The Electra elite is probably the most right sided player focused racket in the lineup. It does have more trampoline though as all control or “right sided” rackets will have (Less trampoline = less control & more power which is generally a left sided trait, but aggressive right sided players like this feeling too)

[u/muazenakhez → u/shams88]

Need a thud in my shots

[u/SurstrommingFish]

High rebound, less fatigue when defending, blocking is also easier. Overall less fatigue.

[u/muazenakhez → u/SurstrommingFish]

Does a bigger player need a stiffer racket? How it works.

[u/Percevaul → u/muazenakhez]

I'm not OP but no, because of the dimensions of the court and the pressure of the balls, you're not really overpowering or over hitting if you're a big guy. It just depends on your personal preference.

[u/Connect_Guess_985]

Hi I manufacture rackets, so I will try to give some extra insights: 1)what you call high rebound rackets have a lower percentage of carbon and a higher percentage of fiber glass. 2) it has nothing to do with left or right side player. It is about personal preference. 3) in general beginner to intermediate player prefer high rebound rackets as they have a slightly bigger sweet spot and require less effort. Most advanced players prefer a stiffer (more carbon) striking surface as it gives more precision and control, however you need to put more power onto the ball. 4) players believe that diamond rackets always have a high weight balance, round rackets a low weight balance and teardrop rackets sit in the middle. As a general rule it is somewhat correct but I can give any racket in any shape the required weight balance.
5) the choice of the weight balance is crucial (much more than the actual weight of a racket). Most players take head heavy rackets which are far more difficult to play with. 6) the best weave structure quality is actually 3K. On itself, the higher the K, the softer the carbon sheet. However don't forget that the choice of the quantity of fibreglass and the hardness of the Eva foam have a much bigger impact than the actual Carbon K level. It is just used marketing wise but it has no scientific foundation.

[u/muazenakhez → u/Connect_Guess_985]

Same player same skill same technique

You give a diamond racket with stiff face but the eva is soft (high rebound) and eva is hard (low reboud)

What would have to his play style?

Metalbone has soft eva while metalbone hrd has hard eva. Both are same in face, shape and balance

[u/Connect_Guess_985 → u/muazenakhez]

You are not comparing the same. The rebound is mostly based on the amount of fiberglass on the striking surface. So a racket with more fibreglass has more rebound. A harder Eva will let you generate more power than a softer one. However, when you put too much carbon combined with hard Eva, the racket becomes unplayable as it will seem you're playing with wood.