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Head 6 Pack of Tennis Balls
by Drifter_2000
Sports Direct (a shop I seem to visit an awful lot!) had these Head Tennis balls on sale for the bargain price of 39p each. Although they were unpackaged, I thought I'd give them a try as I'd just bought some new tennis rackets and I wanted to make use of the courts in my local park. I'll admit it: I'm one of those people who has an ... annual love of tennis that begins after the French Open and lasts until Wimbledon has finished. Despite this, I know enough to recognise that Head is a well-established tennis brand that also manufacture some pretty handy rackets and holdalls.
Of course the lack of packaging meant that the balls weren't pressurised and protected from moisture as Head intended. They also featured a little red dot on each one- I'm unsure what this means but it might signify that they're imperfect in some way.
However, this certainly wasn't reflected in the balls' 'playability'. They're just the right weight to sit up nicely without pinging off the racket and flying into the next town. As they're a tiny bit smaller than standard size I'm not sure I'd recommend them for children but for a fairly laid-back knockaround they worked just fine.
While conditions weren't exactly helpful, the balls didn't perform well in the durability stakes. We played for nearly 2 hours on a court still damp from the night's rain and the balls soon lost their fluorescent yellow colour and became more of a mustard-y hue. Also, some of the felt started to collect in places meaning they lost their spherical shape slightly. Not that we noticed but it might be more apparent during our next game. Towards the end of the game a passer-by threw an old dog-chewed tennis ball into our court, mistaking it for one of our own. In truth, you couldn't tell the difference in terms of looks...
While the Head tennis balls I bought weren't very durable I'd still recommend them as a bargain option. When properly packaged and stored, I'm sure the balls would last much longer and it's likely the ones we used had minor imperfections.
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Yonex Nanospeed 100
by bhayanid
The primary racket I use is a Yonex Nanopseed 300, but before that I had this Nanospeed 100, and it now my reserve racket. As you can tell I am a quite a fan of Yonex and more specifically the Nanospeed range. Just a quick introduction on the range.
Other ranges include Voltric which is quite a powerful racket and suitable ... more for the faster quick paced power players. Then there is the Arcsaber rackets which is all about the swing speed. Using your own natural power to generate amazing shots. Then there is Armortec which has a heavy head for power shots on the offence and defence. This racket you need a lot of control for though.
Now finally the racket I am reviewing is nanospeed and known for having a very light head. This is for players who have a naturally quick swing, and can generate their own power as light head rackets are known for not being powerful rackets, hence you need to provide this yourself.
The 100 is one of the earliest in the Nanospeed range, and personally I think there is quite a difference between this and my 300, however for casual players this is very good. The reason I chose it was cause of my counter punch style. The guy I play on a regular basis with, is a very attacking player, and I am constantly on the backfoot, this means I need to be able to move the racket at a very quick speed, and the light head allows me to do this. I feel more in control this way.
Although generally these light headed rackets increase control and sacrifice power, Yonex have recently come up with new technology. Well I'm not sure if they came up with it or they just copied it but this is a built in T-Joint. What this means is that unlike other rackets, the part where the head connects with the shaft uses slightly different technology. A special joint and apparently this is patented by Yonex I am reading online, so maybe it was a first for the Nanospeed rackets. This allows you to generate more power on light headed rackets. This helps me as I don't have the most powerful shots when on the backfoot.
Another big point about this racket, is that it has a large sweet spot, and due to it being light headed, it gives you further room for error. I absolutely love this racket for it being so forgiving when I am defending and returning those smashes.
]In terms of colour it is grey and black orientated with a splashing of yellow and blue, but its pretty irrelevant. I don't care about the colour as long as it isn't some bright colour that I would be embarrassed to play with. The grip is pretty standard for a racket of this price range, and I can never play with the grips they come with as I develop blisters and am sure many other regular players would agree that it is best to buy a separate grip for a few pounds and put this on. This provides extra comfort and is a must if you are playing on a weekly basis.
In terms of price and availability, this isn't available at any retail shops, well maybe only specialist racket stores. Sports Direct have the slightly lower range with the Nanospeed Alpha and Beta rackets which are priced at £18 and £22 respectively, so these are the next best options. This Nanospeed 100, you can find for around £25 online.
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