What benefit will Roger Federer get by moving to a bigger head size Tennis racket?
(i) More power :
The bigger head size will ensure more pace on the ball especially on his ground strokes.
(ii) Larger Hitting zone
The racket with a larger head frame has more string bed surface area and therefore a larger hitting zone or as we call it in, the sweet spot. Thus, it will surely help Federer to control his unforced errors.
(iii) Benefit of Light Weight Racket
As we discussed above, the weight of Wilson BLX Pro Staff 90 (that Roger Federer has been using for the last 18 odd months) is close to 357 grams. Now, if we presume that the racket which Roger Federer was seen practicing with is Wilson Blade 98 or a prototype model that is close to Wilson Blade 98, the weight of the racket will be close to 325 grams.
So, this slightly lighter weight racket will surely be easier to swing and will give him extra swing.
Now, that I have discussed the pros, for sure, there are some cons of using a bigger head size Tennis racket
(i) Impact on Net play
A bigger Tennis head size for sure has an adverse impact on the reflex volleys. As we have seen over the years, the players who have been the best volley makers have used the smaller head size Tennis racket. So, there is a slight chance, we might see Roger Federer coming to the net slightly lesser than normal after this new racket.
(ii) Might just have an impact on his Single Handed backhand
As, we have have been seeing Roger Federer has been using a 90 sq in head size Tennis racket for more than a decade now & an increase in the head size of the Tennis racket might just have an adverse impact on his single handed backhand.
The main reason for that is because all his life, he has practiced and played with a 90 sq inch Tennis racket & shifting to a 98 sq inch will make it slightly tougher for him to swing & have the same control on his backhand. Probably, after practicing for some time with this racket, he will have the same control on the backhand wing as well, but, initially, I reckon, it will be a wee bit tough.
Though, having discussed these pros & cons, I firmly believe that this is a welcome change and the pros of using a Tennis racket of between 95-98 head size make it a welcome step & I for sure, am looking forward to Hamburg & Gstaad with great interest than I was earlier
.