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A Tale of Two Titaniums

By Mike Whittington (punch in code mw0204), TennisONE Contributing Editor

With all the success golf club manufactures have had the last two years with titanium, it was only a matter of time before racquet companies followed suit. Although every major racquet company is in the process of touting it new titanium frames, Head and Prince have come to the market with the most acceptance right now.

Head TiS7 (See photo of racquet and more details)

While most companies marketed the benefits of the superlongs, Head's research on titanium frames was brewing. The introduction of the 28 inch TiS7 by head has brought the light weight titanium issue to the forefront of the racquet industry. When you pick up a TiS7 the first thing you'll notice is how light the frame is.

Weighing in at just over 8 ounces, it is the lightest racquet on the market today. But is being light right? Because these new titanium racquets are so light, weight is moved to the head of the frame to give it some stability. The extra weight in the TiS7 may cause serve and volleyers to feel like the frame is a little hard to maneuver at the net while baseliners will get a little extra punch in the stroke due to the added mass. However since the frame is still so light you won't find as much stability as you would on a head heavy frame.

The longer main strings in the tear drop shaped TiS7 make for a larger sweetspot and more power. Unfortunately, the original TiS7's main strings exceeded those allowed by the International Tennis Federation. This means you couldn't use the frame in a major money event but it would be fine for the club championships. Head is now marketing an updated TiS7 that conforms to ITF rules.

The TiS7 is what I would call controllably powerful. It has a relatively soft feel with very little vibration thanks to a new vibration dampening system called shockstop. Twisting is a major concern in light racquets and the TiS7 feels very stable with very little torque even off slightly off center hits. Overall the TiS7 is a racquet best suited for lower level players. Advanced players with fast, long swings will find it difficult to control the 29mm frame's power while lower levels with slow swings will enjoy the "soft power" the frame provides. Head also makes the TiS6 and the TiS5 which might also be worth trying.

Prince Thunderstrike 1200/900 (See photo of racquet (1200 900) and more details)

Prince's titanium answer is the Thunderstrike 1200 and 900 longbody. These racquets are very similar in cosmetics but the 1200 is 29 inches while the 900 is a conventional 27 inches. To sum things up on the 1200, it is a beast. There just isn't room for a 29 inch frame for players other than beginners with slow, incomplete swings that need help making contact with the ball. The 1200 is a pure power racquet and experienced players will find it impossible to control well.

The Thunderstrike 900 is a different story. It has much less power but much more control and the frame is very stable. As with most titanium frames, the 900 feels relatively stiff. The racquet feels more powerful than most standard sized racquets. The 900 seem to fit players that want a conventional head shape and length in a light weight frame.

So what's the story with titanium? Titanium seems to make a racquet stronger and reduce twisting. Actually graphite is stiffer and lighter so an 8-9 oz racquet could be produced with graphite. Overall I think titanium is mainly hype and a good way to market new frames. We now even see titanium strings and probably will soon see titanium shoes and balls. With $500 titanium golf clubs and $300 titanium frames, there should definitely be an increase in a players game to justify the purchase. If a lighter frame will improve your game then its worth a try, otherwise just hang on, ceramic racquets are just around the corner.

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