Nadal Adds Weight to his Racquet...

Here is Nadal's interview in Doha from yesterday:


On his shoulder injury: "...I had to stop for my shoulder. I really couldn't play with my forehand and serve. So I stopped for two weeks. So I was doing working in the gym...The shoulder is better, I think. The shoulder needs more power, because when you have an injury there, the rest, the muscles around lose the power. But the problem, the injury, is much better. I am able to play today with no pain, so that's important."

On adding weight to his racquet: "...I trying to play with a little bit heavier racquet and on the top of the racquet to get a little bit more power...I try to play with a little bit heavier than what this racquet is today, but we take the position that we have to change the racquet or we try to have to change the racquet. Not the racquet, only the weight, no?"

Not a bad idea though this may explain why he's had this shoulder injury earilier. A heavier racquet means harder serve, heavier shots BUT loss of precision, quicker exhaustion, more risk of injury.

Considering his style of play I am not sure this is the right decision but clearly this means he intends to play shorter rallies, therefore play more agressively.

Will it work?

I saw this article too Tenez, and I wondered whether it will make him more dangerous.

It would certainly seem to be disadvantageous in a toe to toe battle with Novak, but perhaps he is confident that he can shorten the points this way?

time please wrote:I saw this article too Tenez, and I wondered whether it will make him more dangerous.

It would certainly seem to be disadvantageous in a toe to toe battle with Novak, but perhaps he is confident that he can shorten the points this way?

Exactly TP. But also I think a heavier racquet will kill some of the spin that makes him so unnaoying to play against. WHoch means this may work against him too. Of course it depends very much on how much weight he has added. I certainly don't think he has added much but after a 10 shot rally it can certainly tire him quicker.

It was interesting to learn also that to accomodate the heavier racquet, he had to put on more muscles again.

Then endless race to physical tennis.

Because the easiest way to increase pace was to time the ball better and take it earlier in a rally but to do that consistently one needs lots of talent. Taking the ball earlier would be much less damaging physically too.

This just makes the coming season even more exciting as all the top players seem to be trying new things. It's not exactly physical tennis if he's trying to end rallies quicker. BTW how does the heavier racquet reduce the spin?

break_in_the_fifth wrote:BTW how does the heavier racquet reduce the spin?

Less wrist speed.

Watching a bit of his game v Kholi, Nadal is still moonballing as well as ever.

Tenez wrote:

break_in_the_fifth wrote:BTW how does the heavier racquet reduce the spin?

Less wrist speed.

That's what I would have thought as well. I read someone's comment that Rafa's length of shot was much better again at Doha - would it help the shot's penetration of the court?

He is down in confidence and prepare to do some changes to get it back, its either gonna work wonders or take him further down, but the good part is he is trying to do some changes to get his confidence back, he is a dangerous player when he gets his confidence back.

He certainly has not taken the defeats against Nole easy, yes interesting season ahead.

Do we know what weight it is?

I know he uses 295G normally.

Depending on the additional weight and whether his string tension needs adjustment and also whether the head size will change.

Very questionable

IC - I think his confidence is good. It's his game, strategy that had taken a hit. I personally don;t think it's about confidence but clearly what he wants is to be able to get more free points on the serve and add weight to his shots.

It's a good idea but I think it might work against him.

A 3rd set v Kholi is exactly what we wanted to get a clue on the effect of a heavier racquet in a longish match.

Kholi shoudl have won this set 2nd set easily. The wind is certainly very string and affecting Kholi more. I am convinced that on a still day, Kholi woudl have won that match. He might still do.

Tenez wrote: ... A heavier racquet means harder serve, heavier shots BUT loss of precision, quicker exhaustion, more risk of injury. ... Considering his style of play I am not sure this is the right decision ... Will it work?

Maybe he is planning to hit Djokovic over the head with it



Federers new racquet weighs 357.2 g (at least this is the weight of the commercial version).

Nore Staat wrote:

Tenez wrote: ... A heavier racquet means harder serve, heavier shots BUT loss of precision, quicker exhaustion, more risk of injury. ... Considering his style of play I am not sure this is the right decision ... Will it work?

Maybe he is planning to hit Djokovic over the head with it

Frankly, that's his only chance!

Is it like a golfer changing his putter?

That does work in the short to medium term sometimes, but it's frequently not a good long-term sign.

@TZ , In my view his confidence and ego has gone for a jolt by losing 6 times in a row to Nole. The heavier racket not gonna do much wonders against Nole, certainly its not gonna do any good against Federer, the more the quicker he gonna play him the more the shanker will make him pay, lets see how it works when they two meet in DUbai.

I certainly agree his ego took a bashing but I do not see how he could lose confidence considering his game was teh same as the previous years but even better. Djoko has been his sole problem though I think more will trouble him soon.

barrystar wrote:Is it like a golfer changing his putter?

That does work in the short to medium term sometimes, but it's frequently not a good long-term sign.

Quite similar.

Basically a weight isn't so noticable to a tennis player. Whether further changes would be required to his grip, string tension or racquet is pure speculation on my behalf. I know he plays with a 295g racket with a 1/4 grip and 98in racquet head. It will mean he is likely to hit balls long, than short. If he was to change stringing tension or racquet head size it would take a lot longer for him to adjust to the modifications.

A heavier racquet, if it deters imparting top spin (due to energy required), may actually help Nadal flatten his shots a bit more.

Regarding the Kohli match, he was gifted a break in the first game of the third set, but made heavy weather of it.

Q. When did it first cross your mind that you possibly would change the racquet or change something and put more power? Was it a long process?

RAFAEL NADAL: We thought after US Open, but finally was a little bit too short, you know, because I had to play in Tokyo and Shanghai. So the period wasn’t enough.I try to play with a little bit heavier than what this racquet is today, but we take the position that we have to change the racquet or we try to have to change the racquet. Not the racquet, only the weight, no? So after Davis Cup final I had all the racquets prepared at home to change, but in theory, I will have three, four weeks of right practice. Finally I only had one week. But that’s the right moment to change. If not, when? You don’t have time, no? So probably a little bit tough now at the beginning maybe, yes. I cannot say that’s when you have to change. You cannot think that everything will be perfect from the beginning, but you make change thinking it will be better in the future. So probably, I don’t know– I don’t know how to say in English. Investment? Or to try to improve something, few things in my game that we believe we needed, like the winner, like a little bit the serves. So we thought this change, that’s can help, that’s nothing is magic, but that’s can help a little bit to improve that. But probably that hurts my game a little bit at the beginning. So is a risk for this beginning of the season? Obviously, yes.

Q. Have you ever thought about maybe not playing the Australian Open and instead preparing for the rest of the season with your new racquet?

RAFAEL NADAL: No. No, because my preparation have to be competing when you will see the things can work well or not is when you are playing matches. Practicing, sometimes you play more relaxed. You know, everything is easy. When you see if that can work very well is when you are in competition.
http://www.nadalnews.com/2012/01/02/


Rumour is that he's added weight to the top of his Babolat (whereas Fed adds leads around the side grommets) to up the swingweight to around 360. He already plays with what is likely the lightest racquet on tour - yes great for generating massive racquet speed and 4800rpm but not great for penetration and the time has come to add more weight to his game given the power of hitting on tour has increased. His swingweight is also rumoured to have dropped a bit in recent years, plus his technique (short stretch cycle on FH) has probably developed further resulting in even more whip than when he started - both factors meaning shorter balls on court, as we've seen all 2011. I suspect he's taking off February to aclimatise to the heavier racquet as much as anything else - that said adding 20-30g lead isnt that big an issue when the racquet is so light, and as he added the lead to the tip rather than the side, or butt, he's done this to get more pop on serve. We'll see if his shoulder can take it...and as he has said it might takes a few weeks to get his muscles used to the new weight.

Also this article throws in a few curious thoughts... http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/01/03/rafa-stop-the-insanity/

I guess this is a specific attempt to do something about Djokovic. It might help a little bit. Djokovic isn't missing much so I do think being slightly more agressive generally and a lot more agressive at certain points might be worth a shot. I hope it works to be honest, the rivalry is getting to be too predictable and one sided.

It's a desperate attempt. From what I saw today Djoko can sleep peacefully. Nadal had a better BH flatter and pacier DTL but will he be able to produce them under pressure v Djoko? I doubt very much.

Besides I feel a pacier serve and groudstrokes will help not only Djoko but everybody else. I sense Nadal's team are short of ideas.

Tenez wrote: I sense Nadal's team are short of ideas.

Yes you must know more than Uncle Toni.

To be honest its a change Nadal should have made some time back. That Babolat racquet is not really a pro-level racquet to be honest, he only played with it because Moya did. Its too light (<300g) , and the head is too big (98sqin). I'm surprised he hasnt made this change some time back but then we know how fastidious Nadal is about everything.

One thing to also consider is that Nadal changed from his old Hurricance Pro to the new RPM blast strings recently. They have more control, spin and less power than the old strings. Since the change I believe he's hitting shorter. But he probably doesnt want to go back to the old strings, so where does the loss of power get compensated from? Add abit more weight. The problem is he really needs a new racquet, rather than tinker with a dud frame and add lead weight he should just change to something around 320-330g and 95sqin to get a more power, a better sweetspot and retain the spin (those RPM strings give him plenty of spin, no worries about that) but he's too long in the tooth to make that radical change now.

lydian wrote:To be honest its a change Nadal should have made some time back. That Babolat racquet is not really a pro-level racquet to be honest, he only played with it because Moya did. Its too light (<300g) , and the head is too big (98sqin). I'm surprised he hasnt made this change some time back but then we know how fastidious Nadal is about everything.

I am surprised you see it that way. In particular the part I highlighted. There nothing left to chance in the team of the player who cares how his water bottles are positioned under his chair. A heavier racquet will not work in his favour.

lydian wrote:To be honest its a change Nadal should have made some time back. That Babolat racquet is not really a pro-level racquet to be honest, he only played with it because Moya did. Its too light (<300g) , and the head is too big (98sqin). ...

So it seems Nadal was using a 295 g racquet with a face head of 98 sqin, compared to Federer's 355 g racquet with a 90 sqin face head. That does seem very light compared to Federer. One can imagine Nadal had to really push the racquet through the ball - which was where he was getting a lot of his top spin from.
.

Yes but Tenez, all that "control/OCD" stuff from Nadal himself came later. Sure enough the choice of light racuqets was pre-determined early on but the specific racquet he chose was used by Moya at the time (Rafa's early idol). He's certainly not the product of your average tennis academy, almost everything he does is different from the norm - guided by Toni of course.

Anyway, you might find this an interesting read: http://tennisandgear.posterous.com/nadals-skinny-handle

Nore Straat - yep, its great for spin but its starting to hurt Nadal now as the game moves on slightly from say 3-4 years ago. Plus he's using less powerful strings too. As the article in the link above says...Toni knows his protege needs more firepower - they're on the case! We'll see if it works or gives Nadal tennis elbow!

Tenez wrote:Nadal had a better BH flatter and pacier DTL but will he be able to produce them under pressure v Djoko? I doubt very much.

Nadal has shown a desire to change and try to improve. I know of players who came from S&V and are now successful baseliners.

Tenez wrote:Besides I feel a pacier serve and groudstrokes will help not only Djoko but everybody else.

Do you know if this heavier racquet was also used at WTF or not?

Tenez wrote:I sense Nadal's team are short of ideas.

The addition of weight to the racquet is an idea that Nadal's team is now trying. Do you consider it being short of ideas?

lydian wrote:... Anyway, you might find this an interesting read: http://tennisandgear.posterous.com/nadals-skinny-handle ...

It's all beginning to make sense - Uncle Toni was a table tennis champion - a champion of ping-pong. Nadal uses a "girlie" tennis racket to get the whippie motion to generate the spin. John McEnroe describes the modern game (e.g. Nadal vs Djokovic) as like ping pong. With Nadal carrying a "ladies" tennis racket - maybe he is not as strong as some make him out to be. So has Uncle Toni revolutionised the game with this ingenious style of play? It is said that Moya began the trend but was he first influenced by the theories of Uncle Toni?

laverfan wrote:Nadal has shown a desire to change and try to improve. I know of players who came from S&V and are now successful baseliners.

Yes but it requires a key ingredient: Sheer Talent.Only Federer has managed to stay at the top amongst those SVers.

Do you know if this heavier racquet was also used at WTF or not?

No it wasn't. according to Nadal.

The addition of weight to the racquet is an idea that Nadal's team is now trying. Do you consider it being short of ideas?

Frankly, as smart as Toni is, Nadal would have gone nowhere without his team of trainers and doctors who have allowed him to play a tennis which was not physically and physiologically possible before Nadal's era. And once again, Nadal's 2012 success will depend on what this very team can do to overtake Djoko's better skills and team. Taking the ball earlier is about talent and Nadal's team cannot do much for him there.

I agree with you Tenez that there isn't much Nadal can do anymore:

Federer’s superb results from 2004 onwards were mainly based on the fact that he is just so much more talented that anyone else in this “era”. That’s why his wins looked so easy and almost effortless.

Nadal has overtaken Federer – judged based on recent Slams wins, ranking and H2H – by perfecting a robotic style of tennis and putting in an incredible amount of work, effort and sheer willpower. On a great day, Federer can still beat him but usually Rafa’s relentless style is just too much.
The slowing down of conditions (all Slams being won from the baseline nowadays) has obviously helped a lot.

Djokovic has been following Nadal’s “recipe” for success and – at least last year – can do it even better than Rafa! And there’s nothing much Nadal can do about it because he has already maximised his potential. It’s like trying to squeeze more juice from an already dry lemon.

Looks like Nadal agrees with my observation, particularly regarding his BH.

Q. Are you starting to get a bit of rhythm with the new racquet? Are you starting to get the feel of it?

RAFAEL NADAL: I think I did a few things very well today. I hit very good with my backhand. I really believe that the racquet can help me with the backhand.
With the forehand I felt I hit the ball most of the times where I want to hit the ball. Few days ago and yesterday in the practice, you know, when I tried to hit the ball, sometimes I hit it a little bit left, sometimes too early. That's why I didn't have totally the control of that, you know, the speed of the racquet, no?

Some very thought provoking comments.

A heavier racquet is not going to give Nadal much flatter and more penetrating shots inside the court. He would have to change his whole game. He tried coming inside against Federer and Tsonga in the WTF and got burnt. He looked at times dumbfounded.

In 2010 he added power to his serve and it worked. In 2011 he withdrew that power and had a poor year by his standards.

Yes Nadal has a great team around him and as does Murray, Federer and Djokovic. I am not sure however Nadal trying to finish points off quicker is the solution. Playing the same disciplined length that served him well from 2008-2010 would work again. He varied his length against Djokovic, the short stuff was put away by Djokovic again and again and the longer length was kept in play and Nadal struggled to finish those points off. Lost the advantage in points he was in control of against Djokovic.

I don't think Nadal has fully accepted that his game has now got old because Djokovic is playing a much improved version of it.

Well said Prostaff. Having said that a heavier racquet and an even stronger upper body will certainly help Nadal.

What can be done while pushing the physical barrier is amazing nowadays. How to push the phyiscal barrier is the bloody $1M question.

I dont think he'd need an even stronger upper body...we're only talking 20-30grams here but his shoulder muscles will need to adapt to the different swingweight. Remember Sampras had a racquet verging on 400(!)grams but he wasnt as well built as Nadal. I dont see why a change of racquet is now being morphed yet again into another physical pop at Nadal.

Tenez wrote: And once again, Nadal's 2012 success will depend on what this very team can do to overtake Djoko's better skills and team.

Tennis, in some sense, is no longer about individual achievement. Teams play an important role, as LK points out. The Top 4 have formidable teams, Lendl being the latest addition to Murray's. Tour d' France and Formula 1 Racing come to mind.

prostaff85 wrote:Federer’s superb results from 2004 onwards were mainly based on the fact that he is just so much more talented that anyone else in this “era”. That’s why his wins looked so easy and almost effortless.

Talent has so many subjective contortions that no two individual observers agree on what exactly it is, but there is a general consensus, which is reflected in the media.

Remember the adage. "10% inspiration 90% perspiration". Even if there is a difference in talent, Nadal has shown the ability to overcome the difference by that extra 'perspiration' (aka Robotic tennis). Salieri or Mozart?

Djokovic's following of that recipe is proof that such an approach works.

We (the collective we, irrespective of the specific fandoms and allegiances) are privileged to watch such Tennis. It may not be all to our taste, but I am happy that the sport is still alive and is evolving.

lydian wrote:I dont think he'd need an even stronger upper body...we're only talking 20-30grams here but his shoulder muscles will need to adapt to the different swing weight.

You do need to consider the repetitive nature of shots, which can add up. If Nadal can adjust to the change, it would be wonderful.

The 'physicality' discussion is not adding any value to this specific thread.

laverfan - Mozart every time

time please wrote:laverfan - Mozart every time

I should have picked something different. Perhaps Mozart or Beethoven, Monet or Degas, Picasso or Dali. Van Gogh or Vermeer.

But understood where you are coming from.

Let me ask you, if Mozart had not been born at all, do you think someone else would have composed similar music?

I don't know laver - I think he did truly have a gift from the gods and an ability, like the very greatest artists in any sphere, to articulate all that it means to be human - joy, sadness, longing, love etc in a way we instantly recognise when he hear/see/read but would not necessarily have been able to express ourselves. The fact that he is so popular also shows that his music is able to reach and touch that cord in people which I think is a very rare gift particularly through a genre of music that a lot of people don't feel will be for them until they hear Mozart.

laverfan wrote:

time please wrote:laverfan - Mozart every time

I should have picked something different. Perhaps Mozart or Beethoven, Monet or Degas, Picasso or Dali. Van Gogh or Vermeer.

I know you're a bit older than some of us LF, but I've never even heard of those tennis players.

JuliusHMarx wrote:

laverfan wrote:

time please wrote:laverfan - Mozart every time

I should have picked something different. Perhaps Mozart or Beethoven, Monet or Degas, Picasso or Dali. Van Gogh or Vermeer.

I know you're a bit older than some of us LF, but I've never even heard of those tennis players.

just how young are you Julius?

Old enough for Dali to write a script for my brothers and me :-
http://www.miskatonic.org/dali-marx.html

It's a bit absurd to make a parallel between Mozart and Bethoven and Federer and Nadal.

Federer v Nadal and Michael Angelo v Miro would make a bit more sense.

But then again I fail to see how this is more relevant than "physicality" on this thread.

And it never got made - isn't life extraordinary? I particularly like the idea of the Spanish businessman named Jimmy

It's a bit of a high-wire act for Nadal. Make too many changes and he might start losing before getting to the finals he was losing last season, and, furthermore, there is no guarantee that Djokovic will be there to meet him so frequently this season. He needs to steer a careful path that allows some changes without radical alterations just to combat his bogeyman, who, as I say, might not always stand in his way.

I think it's worth trying, a change might reinvigorate him in the sense that it will make him think about his shot length and focus the mind as it were. He was criticised for doing nothing, now he is 'desperate' for making changes. Damned if he does...

Hi Positively - Happy New Year to you

I think the first rounds of AO will tell us loads about where Djokovic is physically and where Rafa is too.

I must admit I was struggling to see how a heavier bat would help with shoulder issues, but I understand (I think) a little bit more after reading this thread about what Team Nadal might be hoping to achieve.

Hopefully 2012 will provide plenty of interesting times!

laverfan wrote:... I should have picked something different. Perhaps Mozart or Beethoven, Monet or Degas, Picasso or Dali. Van Gogh or Vermeer. ...

I would say Nadal was more Picasso than the others

"Heavier bat"...lol TP

Give me Rachmaninov piano concerto #2 anytime.

Nore Staat wrote:

laverfan wrote:... I should have picked something different. Perhaps Mozart or Beethoven, Monet or Degas, Picasso or Dali. Van Gogh or Vermeer. ...

I would say Nadal was more Picasso than the others

Thanks for that and .

JuliusHMarx wrote:

laverfan wrote:

time please wrote:laverfan - Mozart every time

I should have picked something different. Perhaps Mozart or Beethoven, Monet or Degas, Picasso or Dali. Van Gogh or Vermeer.

I know you're a bit older than some of us LF, but I've never even heard of those tennis players.

To be so full of mirth is a marvellous capability. I wish I could see you in person. I will probably die laughing.

If artists were tennis players then Dali would surely have to be Santoro?
And Monet would have to be Djokovic, as Nole is a great impressionist