With Zverev’s increasing numbers of insecurities, something needed to change. It’s no secret that he can’t trust his serve and many coaches say it’s his technique, but with a racket set up like Zverev’s, the technique is actually what the racket lets him.
He is now using the Head Gravity paint job, but I believe the racket is still the same, with the exception of the vibration dampener missing. I think it’s a step in the right direction, as his racket needs a change like I was stressing in some of my previous articles. This change is a good place to start, with 4-5 grams less on the bottom of the hoop and a change of the feel of the racket. I’ve played with his YouTek Speed MP racket weighted close to his specs and I think the racket is muted enough and that you are sacrificing a lot of feel with a dampener. Although it’s not impossible he switched to the Gravity, as there are some clues he might. I think it is improbable, but I’ll report more on that in the future.
So far the change seems to be working as he progresses to round 3, but every change needs time to adapt, so let’s see what the US Open 2019 has in store for him.
Good catch about the missing dampener. I really don’t understand what’s the problem with Zverev, I think his forehand technique is very good and has one o f the best backhands in the game but his serve technique looks a lot like what the girls over in the WTA do with the hip side bend instead of the classic core twist.
Yes, the serve technique comes from the racket specs. Girls use similar set ups, but much lighter. It easy for groundstrokes, but can’t really serve anything special.
What’s the main problem with his specs? To head heavy?
Weight distribution. I could say too much weight in the head and handle. Actually too polarized.