Okay, It's Been Awhile...

It has definitely been awhile.

In the last couple of years, I finally got a diagnosis for all the physical problems I had been having on the court, on the ice, after I was done with games and matches, after walking up stairs...

I spent years chasing doctors because of individual symptoms I had. I saw a cardiologist who could tell something was wrong, but was confused because my heart seemed health. I saw a endocrinologist who said everything was fine although he saw spikes in levels of this or that, but nothing that should be causing issues. I saw an orthopedic doctor when my knees were swollen so much I could barely walk. I saw many doctors because of general fatigue that I couldn't explain.

Then a couple of friends advised me to see a rheumatologist, because "they see crazy stuff all the time."

Unfortunately for me, I couldn't predict when I would have "episodes". Usually at some point during my sport, I would notice an irregular heartbeat. The most frustrating thing was trying to explain to people that, at times, my heartbeat was definitely not reflective of what I was doing at the moment. Sometimes while sitting on a changeover, my heart would thud so hard it would take my breath away. Sometimes, in the first few minutes of warmup, my heart would race like I had just run from an unleashed dog. Sometimes, thirty minutes or so after a hockey game or a soccer game, I would have total body debilitating cramps. Sometimes I would pass out from the cramps. In the days after, I would feel like I had been in a car accident. The cramps left me sore and fatigued.

On a smaller, less noticeable to everyone else, but me, I struggled with stamina. In the first five minutes of a game or practice, I seriously doubted my ability to continue. I was always sore from weight training. ALWAYS. The soreness never went away. There were days when I would sleep the day away, waking maybe to eat and then napping for hours on the couch until it was time to go back to bed.

But there were days I felt fine. There was a hockey tournament where I played five games in two days and had no episode. But there was a tennis match where I started to cramp thirty minutes into it. There was a day where I was officiating, a lowkey day with no problem matches. A beautifully cool fall day. When I got home an hour later, I started cramping and passed out.

So I was leery about the appointment. When I went to see the cardiologist, I was put on a heart monitor and because my body is like a car that only acts up when you are driving it and never at the repair shop, nothing was picked up by the monitor.

But the day of the appointment, after a week of not doing anything physical because of my swollen and sore knees, I had been having cramping episodes all morning.

The most severe cramping often occurs in my rib cage, which makes it hard to relax because every time I breath, it sets off a new round of cramps.

So by the time I went in from my appointment, I finally had proof of what I had been going through for YEARS. And in the moment it took me to introduce myself and my husband to the doctor and go through a list of about twenty seemingly random symptoms that I experience in some variation or combination, the doctor looked at me and said, that sounds like McArdle's disease.

He arranged for me to go to the University of Michigan's Neurology Center. On my way out, he gave me a piece of advise, "If you're ever having a particularly bad episode, drink a little tonic water with quinine in it. It will help ease the cramps."

My appointment with the neurologist was amazing, not only were they able to confirm the diagnosis with muscle biopsies and a liver biopsy, but my doctor was so encouraging. He actually treats high level athletes who have McArdle's including a couple of NFL players. He assured me that he only had one athlete who had to give up because of the musculoskeletal disease and it was a player from the Canadian Football league. So, he figured, if they could make it to that level and play with the disease, he could make sure I continued playing everything I wanted to play and working out at the level I wanted to.

Soon I will post about what McArdle's means to me as an athlete, but for now, know that I am well and my last episode was in October of 2015!

Stay tuned,
KS

Sport Quotes...

The Coaching Experiment

When the opportunity to coach high school tennis was presented to me, I have to admit, I was a little hesitant. I knew what I wanted to do for tennis in the city and I had reservations about being tied to a school, trying to work in a system where I personally knew people who had thrown up their hands and walked away and trying to establish a program where I knew I would not have the level of support that was needed to run a successful program. But I accepted.

Days after I accepted my husband asked me, how are you going to deal with coaching in the city? You know how you are.

My plan was to relax and remind myself of my goal; to expose kids to quality tennis instruction and experiences that they may not have otherwise.

Nothing else mattered.

More than a handful of times this school year, my husband asked, how is that plan working out for you?

I got through it.

There were some successes.

I think the biggest is that I feel the coaches in the city are a little more unified now. I think we realize that if we work together, we can help the league succeed. And that is important to all of us.

The all-city preseason tune-up was the start of something great for the city. It exposed 25 kids to Wayne State's indoor facility, the coaching staff and the varsity team.

And there were some failures.

For me, the hardest failure to swallow was my inability to get my team to "buy into" the program, to see the potential I saw, to believe what others believed, to understand the hard work would lead somewhere.

I don't like failing, especially at something I expect to succeed at.

It's been more than twenty-four hours since I could officially close the book on chapter one of high school coaching and I can't shake the malaise.

But malaise I know how to deal with! It's back to the gym for me. A.M. workouts, P.M. workouts, match play, tennis lessons, tennis tournaments...

Stay tuned,
KS

Guess What's Back?

The best shoes ever! Adidas Barricade V's are back!

The shoes are available in two color choices for men and two for the women. Most of the time, I don't bother ordering women's shoes because the color offerings tend to be a little cheesy, but I love the black and pink.

When I heard these shoes were returning to the shelves, the first thing I did was go to my local tennis retail shop, Tennis and Golf Company, in Royal Oak, Michigan and ask about them. Well, I wasn't the only one. The shoe salesman said there had been nonstop inquiries about when the shelves would be stocked and people were pre-ordering multiple pairs.

I have to admit, I too, ordered three pair and as I wear through these, I am considering buying more. As you all know, nothing frustrates me more than how quickly sports equipment/apparel manufactures will move on to something new.

The Barricade V's are a heavy shoe. Since then, Adidas has gone lighter, narrower, and less supportive, in an attempt to improve what already was a great shoe for those of us who needed to have something feel a little more solid on their feet. They are very supportive in all the lateral movements that this singles player encounters in the average match. Even though they don't feel very cushiony out of the box, they have not aggravated my plantar fasciitis like my pair of Adidas Barricade 8s. Still, the insoles are easily replaceable. I am only a month into these shoes, but I hope they have the durability that I remember from the last time they were on the shelves.

I am so grateful that Adidas has brought back the Barricade Vs!

Stay tuned,
KS

One Week Before Our First Match...

Customized Adidas Barricades 8

"TAR NATION"

Blue and Gold

 

The jury is still out on how I feel about these shoes, especially since Adidas re-released my all-time favorite Barricades, the Barricade Vs, which has always been a very good fit for my feet. The Barricade 8s are not as sturdy like I need my tennis shoes to be and I've found that I cannot tie these shoes as snugly as I would like around the ankles. The eyelets are set a little weird, so if I pull them tight, it feels as though I am cutting off my circulation and if I don't pull them tight, they don't feel as secure as I would like them. Somehow they seem more narrow than I normal, yet, I keep jamming my toe and cracking toe nails. The sides of the shoe, under the ankle bones, are in a weird place that sometimes rubs my ankles the wrong way. Overall, the shoe is just bothersome in a way that makes it hard to focus on anything other than, "what the hell is my shoe doing now?"

Maybe it's just me...

It irks my soul when equipment companies change a good thing for the sake of change.

My last custom Barricades were the orange and yellow Barricade 7s. The color choices for the 8s are your usual tennis shoe colors. No purple. No orange. Forget designing an all-yellow shoe. And the options for the women's version are next to nothing.

Stay tuned,
KS

Michigan High School Girls Tennis Season 2014

Four days until the first day of the season! At least the courts are ready...

Foot Faults

During a match play session, I served an aced a girl on my first serve and she immediately called a foot fault. I served again and aced her and she said it didn't count because I foot faulted on that serve as well. Rather than argue with her, I proceeded to the deuce court, backed twelve inches behind the baseline but she continued to call foot faults on me and take away points. I told her I wasn't committing foot faults, but it proceeded to be an issue the entire round I had to play her. Is she allowed to call foot faults on me and deduct points?

-Phantom Foot Faulter

Dear Phantom,

According to USTA Comment 18.6, "The receiver or the receiver's partner may call foot faults only when all reasonable efforts such as warming the server and attempting to get an official to the court have failed and the foot faulting is so flagrant as to be clearly perceptible from the receiver's side." Of course, this is in USTA-sanctioned matches and events. Still, your opponent should not have taken points away from you without cautioning you about your alleged foot faults.

WSU Community Event

Just had to share again!

http://wsuathletics.com/news/2014/1/22/MTEN_0122142654.aspx

Nike Air Max Cage: A Shoe Review

At times I feel very fortunate that I am so tough on my sports equipment. It affords me the opportunity to try out different shoes and equipment. At other times, like in my hockey game last night when I got body slammed to the ice by a moose and I land on my elbow that is not covered because the elastic in my elbow pad fails to keep them secured any where close to that joint, being tough on equipment definitely stinks.

 After last year's dislocated ankle, my shoe rotation actually got way out of order and I found myself wearing holes in the outsoles of two pairs of Adidas Barricades roughly around the same time and scrambling to find a pair to replace them as I packaged them to go to the Adidas Barricade Outsole Guarantee's return center. I usually buy my tennis shoes online. Part of that is the convenience of shopping at all times of the night in my pajama's and part of it is I love to use Adidas' Customization website to put together never-before-seen color combinations. Ordering customized Barricades is a three-week process that include the highs of anticipation as I stare at the screen of my newly created shoe to the lows of ambivalence two weeks later when I've all but forgotten about the shoes to the frustration of coming home in the evening to see that "MISSED YOU" tag from the delivery company and knowing that I will have to wait another day or two to receive my shoes.

 Time was of the essence as I was about to embark upon my summer season having to go to the store and buy whatever stock shoe was available. I settled on a couple of pair of women's Nike Air Max Cage shoes, a pale blue pair accented with navy and a black and white pair with a splash of hot pink that reminded me of Good and Plenty candy. I used to wear Nikes a long time ago, but as most of you can commiserate, I hate when they change the design of a perfectly good shoe from one year to the next. All of a sudden a few years ago, Nikes became a comfortable fit to being incredibly very hard on my feet. Nike's tennis shoes' recent designs seem to narrow in places my foot doesn't naturally narrow. So, I switched to Adidas Barricades and have been wearing them ever since. I liked that they were a heavier shoe and felt steadier than a lot of other tennis shoes. They also came in cool colors and I could also customize them to any color I liked.

There was an All-American red, white, navy and metallic silver pair...

There was a navy, yellow with purple stripes and purple laces...

There was the Float Like a Bumblebee yellow and black pair...

My favorite was an orange pair with neon yellow strings and stripes that reminded me of summer...

And there were others. That Ode to Blue; navy, royal and North Carolina blue. The pink, black, silver and rose ones.

 But all good things must come to an end and my relationship with all of those pairs ended with huge holes in the outsoles. I'd done some quick research online and found many reviewers who claimed these particular generation of Air Max Cages did not cause the foot problems like plantar fasciitis that I am prone to due to my slightly flat feet. I always replace shoes' original insoles with insoles by Sof Sole anyway, so I was mostly worried about the fit. In the store, the shoes felt great. The toe box was a little wider than I remembered and the shoe didn't cut off my circulation near the instep. I bought the two pair and went on my way.

 At first, the insoles didn't feel like they fit right in the shoe, so I spent one morning practicing in the shoes while using the original insoles. The blisters that appeared immediately on my feet felt worse than walking barefoot across hot coals. The rest of that day, all I did was ice the bottoms of my feet. I found a pair of insoles that fit better and have been wearing the shoes all summer but I still developed a sore fascia on my right foot that requires me to tape before playing. Nike also has a 6-month Outsole Guarantee. I've heard from tennis friends that Nike can be much more discriminate in accepting and replacing shoes that are submitted for their warranty. Three months before I hit the six month mark, the outsoles of both pair of shoes, which I rotate frequently, were almost completely bald with excess wear on the heels.

I probably won't be buying another pair of Nike's anytime soon, but the Air Max Cages continue to draw my eye. There were no colors for the fall to compliment their fall clothes collections and I expect their will be more colors some time after the new year. For those who have the feet to fit these shoes, they certainly look good. And if you look good, you must play good, right?

Stay tuned,
KS

Wayne State University's All-City Tennis Tune-Up

Wayne State University Men's team opened their facility to run a three hour clinic for the tennis players in and around the city of Detroit. The three hour practice helped get many girls ready for their upcoming season.

Link to Mean Streets to Hardcourts

This is one of the best articles I've read in awhile and what inspires me to continue working with the kids in Detroit. I am looking forward to our first annual All-City Tennis Practice in January. Look for pictures!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/sports/tennis/mean-streets-to-hardcourts-for-chicago-youth-tennis-program.html?smid=pl-share

Stay tuned,
KS

Split Set Intermission

Dear, Official,

Over the summer, I had a doubles match for my 2.5 team. Our opponents won the first set. We won the second and before we could start the tiebreaker, one of our opponents said she had to go pick  up her son from school and she would be back. She didn't want to start the tiebreaker and leave in the middle, so her solution was that we all reconvene at the courts an hour later. My partner and I protested, but felt bullied into letting her have her way. She came back an hour later, we started the tiebreaker and lost. But my question is, was she allowed to do this?

-Delayed in Dallas

Dear, Delayed,

ABSOLUTELY NOT! I don't even know where to begin with this but I think the most appropriate rule is Rule 29, regarding continuous play, which states: "As a principle, play should be continuous, from the time the match starts until the match finishes." Furthermore, in adult league matches, the break between the second and third sets, when a match tiebreaker is being played in lieu of a third set, is two minutes. Lastly, matches are not permitted to be delayed for more than fifteen minutes, unless an official suspends play, in which case you would have been entitled to another warm up. Your opponent's "break" far exceeded the fifteen minute stoppage guidelines.

Rover's Job

In a local junior match, the parent of my child's opponent was upset with the rover who did not overrule two calls that the parent believed to be "in" even though my child called them out. After the match, she proceeded to tell the official that it was her job to correct the call. I know I am biased but the calls looked close to me.

-Trying To Stay Out Of It

Dear Trying To Stay Out Of It,

It is a rover's job to overrule erroneous "out" calls, but only if he clearly sees it in. Many times parents are sitting in positions to see the ball better than a rover who may not be standing in the best position to overrule a close call. The Friend at Court Comment VII. D-4 states "A rover should never overrule an extremely close call. Players are playing under The Code and are expected to give their opponents the benefit of the doubt."

Hitting Your Partner With A Serve

My high school team made it to the state tournament. I was serving a first serve when I accidentally hit my partner in the back on my serve. As I went to serve my second serve, the other team's coach stopped me and said that we lost the point. He said once you hit someone with a serve, the point ended. None of the other coaches agreed so I went ahead and attempted my second serve. But was the other coach right?

-Errant Server

Dear Errant Server,

Although high school athletics often have rules that differ from USTA rules, I was not able to find anything anywhere that supported what the other coach said. You were entitled to a second serve. Your first serve was simply a "fault".

Walking Foot Faults

During a recent USTA combo-league match, my sister and I played a match where one of our opponents would toss the ball and then walk three or four steps along the baseline before she served the ball. We informed her that what she was doing was foot faulting, but she said her coach said she was fine as long as she didn't cross the center hash mark. Who was right?

-Speechless in SE Michigan

Dear Speechless,

Get your voice back! You and your sister are right. According to the ITF Rules of Tennis, Rule 18a. states that "... the server shall not: Change position by walking or running..."

Slight movements of the feet are permissible, such as dragging one's toe to bring the feet together.

Can I Be Your Steve Campbell?

I started playing tennis in college. My first three collegiate matches were in one weekend at the conference championships one week after I first picked up a racquet.

I loved tennis!

And I knew it was a fluke that I ever made the team, but I wanted to play the following year.

I went to school to the University of Detroit Mercy and that summer, I spent every morning playing in junior clinics at Metropolitan Racquet Club, a clay court club in the city, and every afternoon and evening playing at Palmer Park. I would bike about a mile and half west to the clay courts in the morning and I would bike a mile and a half east to the city park to play in the afternoons.

When people arrived early, I would offer to warm up with them. When I saw people practicing their serves, I would ask to return. When I saw someone tiring of their doubles games, I would offer to jump in and give them a breather. If there was no one to hit against, well, there was always the wall. And in those days, the wall won OFTEN!

But my best memory is one day at the junior clinic I got to hit against a guy who was really, really good. Back in those days, I had a lot of power and zero control and I nailed him square in the gut when he approached the net. (I didn't always believe in passing shots. When I was younger, I was either going over you or going through you!) I apologized immediately and as he got to his feet, he said, "No, that was great. Don't apologize!"  was the first time that I saw the possibility of what I could do as a tennis player. Three days later, I found out I had been hitting with Steve Campbell, a former touring tennis pro from the Detroit area.

I look back to my tennis beginnings and it gives me a good feeling. And I've played a lot of tennis since that freshmen year. I've played three more years of college, years of leagues and tournaments. I've officiate countless junior matches and college matches. I've taught a few clinics and given a few private lessons. And although I always have a good time on the court, nothing quite felt the same as those long hours in the park.

Until I started coaching at Denby High school.

Originally I wanted to just run some clinics at the school during the summer. Denby goes to school year round and some of the girls kept telling me they wanted to learn how to play. So, I went to one of the assistant principals and asked if I could run a clinic once the spring sports ended. And she asked if I could coach the boys' team in the fall.

I did not expect to have any boys for my program. Knowing, I was going to have newbies, I knew I would have to find some athletes and convert them to tennis players. I played basketball going into college and I knew how my athleticism helped a lot during those first few years when I didn't have a clue. But since football is also in the fall, I really didn't expect to have many boys; maybe some freshman, maybe a kid who'd never played a sport before but wanted to give one a try.

I ended up with eleven boys on the team. We practiced every day after school. We practiced on Saturdays. They begged me to come up on Sundays. Two hour practices stretched into three hour practices. Cloudy days were spent playing at a quick pace to beat the rain. Breaks were taken only when it was too wet to play, but even then we hit volleys in the school's hallways while waiting for the rain to go away.

And it was bigger than the team. Teachers joined us on the court. My proudest day was when I heard one of my captains explaining to the ROTC teacher where to stand and what to do so that an impromptu game of doubles could occur. Security guards stopped me in the hall to ask about the team since they'd seen my players carrying their mascot-stenciled racquets around the school.

The football coach asked about my program daily. Every day I had more and more kids on the court, kids who played other sports and couldn't join the team officially, but wanted to be a part of whatever was going on at the courts.

Selfishly, coaching there has done more for me than almost any other tennis experience. And it was contagious.

I knew going in, this was not going to be the "easy" job and that I would need help. I cannot begin to thank the long list of people and organizations that donated everything we needed. We got so many racquets from my friend, Amy. We got balls and racquets from Franklin Racquet Club, my friend, Bertie, and several tournament directors in the area. We got help from my soccer buddy, Beth, which helped travel and food to scrimmages. We got an awesome ball cart from my friend, Robyn. My hockey buddy, Carolyn, donated a ball hopper and enough new balls to get me through not only the boys' season, but probably the girls as well. The GP South JV tennis team spent an afternoon humbly showing my players how good they could become. My mom and her office were our official "parents". They provided food and snacks for away matches when needed. One of the Wayne State tennis moms who collected tennis bags and racquets for our program. So many volunteers who donated their time, knowing that a team full of newbies needed more than a single coach trying to run around and show everyone, everything. All the teachers at the school who played tennis before who came out to the courts to provide my players with different looks.

 

I couldn't have had the season we had without all of them.

My biggest concern were some of the things I knew I would have to deal with that were out of my control like the fact that I don't operate very well without organization. Although, I like to think of myself as someone capable of using both sides of her brain with equal ease, I AM SO LEFT-BRAINED when it comes to what I expect from those around me. And I stressed about how much disorganization I would be able to handle. I think I dealt with (or ignored) more than I ever thought I could. But everyday, I would think about what I was doing and how excited and enthusiastic it made everyone around me, the things that caused aneurysms in the left side of my brain, didn't seem all that life threatening. (Although seriously, it would help my brain if others made organization a priority.)

At the end of the season, I couldn't help but remember that day on the clay with Steve Campbell. For so long, I wanted to be that person for a player coming up. I wanted young girls to look at me in my lacey tennis dresses with my black crew socks and see that they could be tough and intense on the court. I wanted city kids to realize that my path to tennis was something they could replicate. I wanted them to look at me and see the possibilities that existed within themselves. I wanted to be their Steve Campbell.

Expect more news about my program in the future.

Stay tuned,
KS.

Just Don't Do It

I've avoided wearing Nike shoes on the court for almost ten years now. As drawn as I am to their awesome color selection for their stock shoes and the fact, that I do believe if I rock the swag, I can be like (Mike, Serena, Roy, Adrian or Alexander), their shoes have never fit by feet as comfortably and as sturdily as a pair of Barricades.

But six months ago, I succumb to my Nike fantasies and bought a pair of pretty black, white, and pink, (Mmm... Good & Plenty) Air Max Cage. I LOVED...

the way they looked...

But that's another Blog post. I took a chance on Nike because of their Durability Guarantee. As quickly as I wear through shoes, I figured, I would look good for four months and the instep aches and Plantar Fasciitis wouldn't be the death of me as long as I was able to replace them.

So, the 30th of November, exactly six months after I purchased the shoes, I called the Nike office. It was a Saturday and they were closed.

So, I called, Monday, the 2nd.

And it was too late.

There were sorry, but unable to help me.

Admittedly, this is my fault. I am used to the generosity of the Barricade Guarantee who allows for a grace period. Just in case you want to hit one more time in the shoes.

In order to take advantage of Nike's Warranty, you have to call 1-800-344-6453 (way before the sixth month), receive a claim number, return the shoes, the warranty card and the original receipt to:

NIKE RLC

Attn: Air Max Cage

3552 Avenue of Commerce

Memphis, TN 38125

I have friends, who play tennis, who put holes in their shoes when they are grinding it out on the baseline or hitting the big serve. And I have tennis friends who have tried to utilize the warranty. Twelve, exactly. Twelve different people attempting to utilize the warranty on their shoes and so far, no one has seen this mystical "Product Voucher". Imagine those quotes are air quotes because something that rarely seen doesn't deserve actually quotes...

Nike works hard to duck out of their warranty. If you read the warranty card, instead of reading like the instructions of how to return their product like the Adidas Barricade Guarantee. No, it reads more like a caveat, a disclaimer that if you violate any one of the ten bullets, you will be denied. Never mind the money you spent on a pair of shoes that wouldn't last wheelchair players the full six months. Never mind that you may be fully brainwashed by the power of Nike and will spend money to buy new shoes anyway. Never mind the fact that you may be a long time customer.

What I love most about the Adidas Barricade is that it gives me a break. I easily buy four pair of tennis shoes a year. And I wear through them and the replacements. The replacements have never caused me to not buy a pair of shoes. If anything, it made me feel more confident to keep supporting the company.

Nike, on the other hand, we are over. You are like Sheldon Cooper and his three strike rule, blindsiding your significant other when they thought things were going fine, by alerting them that they are, in fact, on thin ice. You are like the cool kid who went out with the unsuspecting plain girl on a dare. You are the judge, holding the gavel after he find out his wife is screwing the bailiff. My feelings are hurt and the only way I can express myself is in this poem...

Your shoes hurt my feet,

But I was in love,

I never noticed you suck,

Until you acted all above.

I'm going back to Adidas,

Your cruelness has rendered me mute,

But I'm still going to buy your clothes,

Cuz, OMG, your tennis skirts are totally cute.

(Don't judge me!)
KS

Prize Money Tournament Series Southeastern Michigan

Technifibre Razor Code: A String Review

Last February, after a very targeted shopping session at www.tennis-warehouse.com, I was looking for something small to tip my total in the direction of being eligible for free shipping. I browsed wristbands and armbands, socks, towels, and bandanas, before finally settling on a package of string. I am a frequent string breaker and figured, stocking up on string is always a good idea.

I'd been using Technifibre's Black Code in 18 gauge, a pentagonal-shaped polyester string. I started using 18g to string my racquets after a wrist fracture left me super susceptible to wrist soreness and tendinitis. 18g is a thinner string than the traditional 16g or even the 17g. Also, even among 18g string, Technifibre's Black Code was one of the softest polys that I tested. Poly strings have an increased durability over synthetic gut strings. Black Code, to me, was a softer poly string that was a slight step up in the durability department. Although I was restringing frequently, I was not stringing as frequently as if I was using a synthetic gut string. I hit with a lot spin and can easily break synthetic gut strings within a week of playing with them.

While I was scrolling through the selection of Technifibre's polyester strings, I found a new string, Razor Code. I have to admit what initially attracted me to the string was it's light blue color. I frequently choose my tennis shoes, racquets, bags, hockey sticks, etc., based on their color first. Many a time, I've prayed to the sport gods that the hot pink hockey stick that my eyes longed for actually felt good enough to use. So, I added the blue string to my online cart and checked out.

I strung one of my Wilson Juice Racquets with the new string at maximum tension and went out to hit with a college-bound junior player. I did use a string dampener although I normally don't because as I was stringing I felt that this string was a lot stiffer than the Black Code. It took me less than fifteen minutes to decide I loved this string.

The thing I loved the most was that every flat ball I hit had a crisp, solid feel coming off of my racquet. I loved the extra "pop" I felt on my groundstrokes. The added power definitely defied the deadened feeling I normally got from traditional poly strings. Although I would have to attribute the control I felt more to my heavy pro-model racquet, I did feel more control on flat groundstrokes than I ever did on flat strokes with Black Code. I could really take a fast swing at the ball, connect, and keep the ball deep in the court without worry of it sailing long on me. The seamless balance achieved between power and control with Razor Code is remarkable.

In terms of spin, for some reason I have yet to figure out, it took a minute to hit my serve and any groundstrokes with kick or topspin. It seemed to me, that I needed to work harder to produce the same spin I could produce effortlessly with Black Code. It didn't take me long to adjust, but it was a weird first few hours with Razor Code. Once I did "find my spin", I found that the thinner gauge really helped bite the ball and topspin was very good, not as much as I experienced with Black Code, but definitely more than other gauges of string or other brands of poly. Disappointingly, for slice, I seem to, still (after hitting with Razor Code for five months now), have to strike the ball perfectly to really knife through the ball and get it to stay low.

On a scale of one to ten, ten being the most satisfied, I would have to give this string a three for durability. Although I hit with the string for many hours without it breaking, Razor Code lost tension quickly. In three weeks of hitting exclusively with the one racquet that contained this string, there was a marked difference between day one and day twenty-one, leading me to question my initial excitement with the string.

I had refrained from stringing the rest of my racquets with Razor Code because I was waiting to see if I developed any wrist soreness or other arm soreness that could be associated with the string change. A few college players I talked to who absolutely loved the string (16g or 17g versions), all developed pain in their tendons above their elbow almost immediately after using the string. But after a month of no-pain, I decided to take the plunge and put Razor Code in all of my racquets. It was then, I renewed the love I initially had for this string.

When the string job is new, this string is awesome. The quickly lost tension coupled with the price of this string ($200 for a reel, $16 for a set) makes me give this string just an average rating for value. Although it is not expensive as some similar strings, the lost tension means more frequent stringing.

Overall, I am definitely happy with this string.