hi sloejp

this is one of those topics that people will nearly always have their own opinions on.

i think both hanburglar and drop-shot have raised good points, but i must admit that to me, it is the closed throat rackets that are the stiffest (ie where the racket head is a complete elipse)

the bottom portion of the head that goes across the two diversions of the handle stiffens the racket considerably.

as rackets get lighter, the stiffness probably does increase so that the things don't break too easily.

i don't know if prokennex still make their kinetic models, but that system certainly takes the jarring sensation out of the ball strike. very good for those with sore elbows especially. i can remember their old closed throat models extremely stiff, but the open throated kimetoc models were very good to use.

i currently use the midsized karakal sx 140 and find it somewhat forgiving. i like the midsized teardrop style rackets and this one also had a thin head profile which you don't see as much these days as previously.

i was previously using a couple of closed throated rackets and had a very sore elbow as a result of squash and some work that i was doing. it had been getting better, but since changing to the karakal, it has almost returned to normal. who knows whether it made a difference or not?

of course tthe strings do make a difference, although most rackets off the shelf have very loose strings.

then again, you might be like me, just getting too old.

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If you are trying to correlate racquet stiffness with injuries, I think you're barking up the wrong tree. If anything materials are being used much better these days, allowing for light racquets that are still stiff. IMO what this has changed is the nature and pace of the game, maybe making players work harder and hit the ball more often.

I would bet you're injure your arm much faster with an old-school floppy 200g frame than you would with a newer 140g frame.

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 in all earnest I do NOT understand this topic. There are brands known for stiffer bats and brands producing flexible frames. Prince/ Karakal/ Tecnifibre are known for stiff rackets (generating a lot of power), whilst Head, Dunlop, Harrow are pretty flexible frames. I'd recommend more research before starting such a question, which implies some dangerous accusations towards producers :)
PS> Do not forget you can change the stiffness of the frame with the custom stringing (strings and tension).

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