Hi guys, i was taking off my head protector to change it since it was scuffed from a few hits and literally a whole piece of the racket came off with it. Will this cause cracks down the line should i change the racket beacuse of this or no?

I'm a right sided intermediate player and i've been playing with the vertex hybrid for the past 3 months and really enjoy its ball output and sweet spot. However, im finding it a bit heavy and hard

Any suggestions for a similar racket with a softer core? I've read about the metalbone CTRL but i noticed it had a significant trampoline effect.

, so what are your thoughts

Anyone tried or used one of the ball machines?

Thinking of investing in a Pongbot or similar, idea is to take it to a court and just practice.

None of the local clubs have got one so looking for experience and recommendations please. I am based in UK.

Need something which is easy to transport.

Thanks in advance.

Genuine question: How do I know if a racket really suits me? How does it feel right for me (and my play style) ? Looking for any advice.

I wanted to get the Kuikma Hybrid Carbon as my first "good" racket. Test it out from Decathlon because of the easy return conditions.

It would be the first racket change after my beginner racket (been playing since May / June 2026).

Hello, I wanted to know if anyone had bought something at Smashinn and how much they charged them in tariffs. The website charges me 29 dollars but it is an estimate, I wanted to know if that estimate is accurate or not. Thank you

Hola, quería saber si alguien había comprado algo en Smashinn y cuánto le cobraron de aranceles. La web me cobra 29 dólares pero es un estimado, quería saber si ese estimado es certero o no. Gracias

Hello im a beginner using the metalbone ctrl and i was playing with the weights on the side for a while but i felt it was heavy and it felt power playing overheads today i put 2 screws only on top and the overheads was so much better but i feel like the control is harder
Should i return back to the old combination by using all weights on the side or try to get used to the new screws on top and play with it?

Hi everybody

I have a Metalbone CTRL but I think it's on the heavy side. With the protector and two overgrips and strap (no weights) it weighs in at 375g. Id guess without the extras it would be 360-365.

This is over the range for the CTRL which is 345-360. Is it worth purchasing another that's lighter (querying weight before hand)? Or is this weight to be expected?

Comparing against the Arrow Hit Light (admittedly a very light racket) I notice a steep drop in manoeuvrability in the Metalbone. I prefer the Metalbone in most other areas though and think a lighter version of it would be perfect.

Thanks

Babolat premura 3

Hi all,

I've been playing with my Starvie Drax+ for around 15–20 hours now, and I absolutely love the feel, hardness, rebound, and control of the racket.

But: I absolutely hate the handle!

I can handle (pun intended) with it being a bit longer than standard, but why did they decide to use a different shape? I'm used to handles with four sides and four rounded corners, but for some reason, Starvie decided to add extra sides and corners to make it more rounded.

I'm really struggling with my continental grip with this design. It feels uncomfortable and insecure, and I've actually lost quite a few points because the racket slips in my hand when I hit the ball hard.

I've tried 4on, beeswax,.... and since feeling comfortable with the racket is important I decided to give up on the Drax

So, does anyone know of a racket that offers a similar feel to the Drax+ but has a more "normal" handle? (preferable not Nox)

Attached stock pic how it looks like.

For reference: I play on the right side, intermediate-level player, and more focused on defense and control.

TL;DR: StarVie Drax+ = great racket, terrible handle. Any recommendations for a similar racket with a normal handle?