@Nadal - GOAT - That's a great question. All I can speak to is my experience, which involves Tier One Black Knight 1.28 and Durafluxx 1.28, both strung in the low-mid 50's in the PA23. I found both to produce a medium-high launch -- usually 4-8 feet of net clearance on an average southwestern forehand from the baseline. With a full bed of multi, I'd still expect maybe 1-2 feet lower clearance on average, but still clearing the net with a decent safety margin on most ground strokes, for all but the flattest of strokes. Hope that helps!
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Aero 2023
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
tennislover2
New User
I used to play with PA 2016 and after I switched to PA 2023, and I have had some elbow issues the following day of play with PA 2023. I didnt have elbow problems on PA 2016 with the same poly (ALU Power). With Yonex Poly tour Pro ( blue) I felt much better in PA 2023, but not completely free of elbow issues, but manageable. I have tried a hybrid (velocity MLT yellow on the mains , and cyclone tour (anthracite) on the cross) and I think it was slightly better on the arms, but I found the racquet was little unforgiving. I have a post on my experience with PA 2023 and somebody may be Trip? or some other poster seemed to indicate that dead poly strings work best with PA 2023. If your full bed multi or hybrid dont work well, I would then look at dead but soft polys? But please do share what you find
@tennislover2 - Sorry to hear of your arm issues with the PA23. Indeed, I found that a more muted (ie. shock-absorbent), soft and low-powered poly seems to work best, at least when you play it closer to stock, as I did. I thought Tier One Black Knight 1.28 worked great in the frame. Mind you, BK is softer than Hyper-G Soft, so we're talking pretty soft, yet it's still pretty well controlled and decently durable. The challenge with the PA in particular is finding a string that is not only soft and low-powered enough, but also durable enough, as it's still a string eater, even despite the more dense string pattern.
Volkl Cyclone Tour 16 is another pretty solid option; IMHO not quite as good as BK overall, but perhaps more spin if that's your thing. I would only play VCT in 16 gauge, both in general and in the PA23, for the durability and tension maintenance, which are both miles beyond VCT 17 and 18. Another good softer option would be Genesis Hexonic 2.0 -- almost as soft as BK, similar durability, slightly more power and snapback. Again, I'd err towards 16 gauge, to calm down the trampoline effect and boost durability.
Hope that helps!
Volkl Cyclone Tour 16 is another pretty solid option; IMHO not quite as good as BK overall, but perhaps more spin if that's your thing. I would only play VCT in 16 gauge, both in general and in the PA23, for the durability and tension maintenance, which are both miles beyond VCT 17 and 18. Another good softer option would be Genesis Hexonic 2.0 -- almost as soft as BK, similar durability, slightly more power and snapback. Again, I'd err towards 16 gauge, to calm down the trampoline effect and boost durability.
Hope that helps!
StringStrungStrang
Professional
The rain stopped for the moment and had a chance to bring out my Babolat PA 23 again.
With all the buzz around the new PA 98 and Rafa Origin I am all excited to see what those can do too, so I put my trusty PS 98 16 x 19 away for a few days and reacquainted myself with the PA 23. IT is an impressive racquet and even more so when you've been playing with slightly more control oriented racquets. The things that a PA can do - spin, power and stability - jump off the page compared to most racquets. Watching shots dip and bend is an addictive kind of thrill this racquet makes so accessible. Play one and it doesn't take long to understand why these racquets have such a huge following!
With all the buzz around the new PA 98 and Rafa Origin I am all excited to see what those can do too, so I put my trusty PS 98 16 x 19 away for a few days and reacquainted myself with the PA 23. IT is an impressive racquet and even more so when you've been playing with slightly more control oriented racquets. The things that a PA can do - spin, power and stability - jump off the page compared to most racquets. Watching shots dip and bend is an addictive kind of thrill this racquet makes so accessible. Play one and it doesn't take long to understand why these racquets have such a huge following!
Too right. To be fair, most of us will need a brief adjustment period when switching to the PA23…. But it is all worth it in the end.
The PA23 makes everything “more effortless”….
Agree with @StringStrungStrang it's as if Babolat took some of the emphasis on spin away from the PA23 to make it more versatile and less one-dimensional.
I too was on the playtest and expected to be spraying balls and stringing at 60lbs to stop it....but that wasn't even remotely the case. I had it strung with poly at 48lbs and felt I could've gone lower. 48lbs was good though, overall
I too was on the playtest and expected to be spraying balls and stringing at 60lbs to stop it....but that wasn't even remotely the case. I had it strung with poly at 48lbs and felt I could've gone lower. 48lbs was good though, overall
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
I have now tried PA 23 with full bed of Head Velocity stringed at 55 pounds.
I have played about 3 hours and must say I am very impressed. I love the highly noticable comfort on the arm as I am switching from confidential. There is a bit of extra pop on the shots and I didn't find there to be much loss of spin or control. Though the lower launch angle of Multi is something I need to get a bit used to. Quiet a few of my hits where much closer to the net than I would have liked.
I think I am going to stick with Velocity for a few months and see how it goes. I believe this string complements PA 23 very well and could be my long term setup.
I am not a string breaker and may take a long time to break Velocity. Do I need to cut it out after say 25-30 hours or can I continue with it till it breaks?
I have played about 3 hours and must say I am very impressed. I love the highly noticable comfort on the arm as I am switching from confidential. There is a bit of extra pop on the shots and I didn't find there to be much loss of spin or control. Though the lower launch angle of Multi is something I need to get a bit used to. Quiet a few of my hits where much closer to the net than I would have liked.
I think I am going to stick with Velocity for a few months and see how it goes. I believe this string complements PA 23 very well and could be my long term setup.
I am not a string breaker and may take a long time to break Velocity. Do I need to cut it out after say 25-30 hours or can I continue with it till it breaks?
TennisLogic
Semi-Pro
With everybody pretty impressed with the Pure aero 2023, some of us can’t wait for the 2019 prices to go down.
The PA 23 is far less powerful and less spin friendly than the PA 19. I also think it is much more comfortable, but have been using a Hybrid of Confidential in the mains and Triax in the crosses. I broke strings so quickly in the PA 19 that I couldn’t use a hybrid set up but I don’t have a problem with the PA 23.
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
Any thoughts on how it compares with the 2023 Vcore 100? From the spec I have read it seems very similar, almost a like to like racquet. Ofcourse Yonex has its unique shape which makes things interesting.
I happened to try the VCore 100 the other day, but it wasn't my racquet, so I didn't get to choose my own strings or tension, so my comparison won't be apples to apples vs. my PA 23. That being the case, there was nothing that would make me want to switch. The VCore I tried had a higher launch angle, and felt less stable than the PA. A few months ago I tried the EZone 100, and really didn't like it at all because it also felt unstable and cheap (I know it's not cheap). I really wanted to like the Yonex racquets but they just didn't work for me. Also, I used my Brifidi SW machine, and I have to say I have been really impressed or lucky with the 3 PAs that I bought in that they are within 1g, exact balance (5 pts HL), and within 1 point of SW for all 3. Yonex usually gets a lot of credit for their quality, but my experience has been that the paint chips (I never hit my racquet on the court), and the Swing weights have been highly variable between racquets, which only works for me if the SW is below spec and I can add a little lead tape to even them out.
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
Thanks for sharing your experience with Yonex.
I had also read elsewhere about the Vcore having a higher launch angle than PA and that had bothered me.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Super interesting as I just took off the lead (a little under 2 grams) from mine that I had at 12. So no mods now. I am using 1.15 Solinco string so I thought I may want to compensate for the lower weight of the string. The modded SW was 325 and I am now at 320.
I actually play really well with it at 325, but I'm definitley getting bounces very close to the baseline which can be tough to sustain all match. I'd like to have the bounce a little safer in the lines, so I am curious if this fixes that.
I suspect this frame doesn't need mods but it's worth little bit of tinkering. At this point I am deciding between 320 and 325 and will let how I play in matches dictate my decision there.
Also I really love 1.15 poly in this frame but have one more coming that I will try some thicker guages in just to see what I prefer. Initial thoughts are that 1.15 is seriously good if you like to hit with spin. So far I slightly prefer Confidential 1.15 over Tour Bite, but I will try 1.15 Hyper G Soft next. They both play really well, especially after the initial tension drop to around 40#s or so.
My 3rd frame in my bag is the 2013 APD, which I had to add to lead to just to get it to 320 SW. It has a very low SW which can be nice, but just comes though a little too fast for me when it's that low.
krautfox
Rookie
Decided to buy a PA23 for a long term test after reading a lot of you guys. I did try for 2h when it came out, and loved it, but decided against it since I've always been a Blade / Prestige user. I'm currently with the Blade V7 16x19 and had the Prince Tour 100P (2019) before that and apparently it plays similar to the Prince. Curious if anyone here went from a Blade do this PA and switched to it...?
I should be able to it with my PA23 with my regular string (Solinco Outlast 1.25 @ 21kg) this week and then tournament play this weekend (the real test), so fingers crossed !
I should be able to it with my PA23 with my regular string (Solinco Outlast 1.25 @ 21kg) this week and then tournament play this weekend (the real test), so fingers crossed !
I was playing between UT V2 and Blade V5 18m for awhile. In the end I switched to PA23. The effortless power and its stability was well worth the switch. The ability to use about 70% of the UT/Blade effort was a game changer.
I have all of my racquets modded to same spec, weight/balance/SW wise. The PA23 was/is still a winner.
Oh, some time between the UT and Blade, I also used 360+ Prestige Mid for awhile. At the end of the day, you need to exert more energy to play these “players” racquets, for me anyway. Lol
I could have switched from my player's frames to this. I was on the playtest and reviewed it. I probably would win more matches as it was very easy to play from all areas.I'm basically doing the same, chose a PA23 with the unstrung specs closest to my blades to have an apples to apples comparison. Will let you all know if it's a winner or not
I just can't get past the connected feel of player's frames, sure tennis is a bit harder but somehow more satisfying.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I used to go between the Blade and APD back in the day. I love both. Honestly for me it makes more sense for my game to use the PA since I hit with a lot of spin. The Blade works well with spin too, but not on the level of the PA. Also it requires less energy to use the PA which is very helpful for longer matches.
I also think the feel of the PA is very good for spin hitting. For example, a more classic frame has a smaller sweetspot and doesn't feel as great for me unless I am flattening out my shot more. Which for me can lead to less spin and more errors over time.
So if you are more of an aggressive, spin hitting baseliner I think you will be very happy. If you play a bit of a flatter game, then the Blade may end up being your thing.
krautfox
Rookie
Yeah, the Blade is definitely my kind of stick, since I have an all-court game, and I do play my best tennis with it. But I am really curious for the PA23 since it's a lot easier to play with and basically feels like a cheat code.
So I bought it to play my next tournaments with. Because there's one thing the Blade does really well in match play; it allows you to reajust and finely tune your shots depending on the opponent you face. Was wondering if any of you feel the same with the PA23 ?
I'm not too much of a believer of "if you have this kind of game, then use this kind of stick", atleast not at our geeky level
! For someone that doesn't know much about tennis gear, then yes, it definitely has merit. But I'm a big Mannarino fan, and he uses APD13 with his flat game and on the other side of the spectrum, you have Cerundolo using a Prestige (or is it a PT57A ?) or a lot of latin american clay court specialists with 18x20 Blades and H22's... I guess it just depends on how you feel with a frame, whatever your style, I guess ?At the end of the day, gotta be honest, I just want a PA23 to slice that ad-lefty serve like Mannarino (I'm a French lefty too !)
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah, the Blade is definitely my kind of stick, since I have an all-court game, and I do play my best tennis with it. But I am really curious for the PA23 since it's a lot easier to play with and basically feels like a cheat code.
So I bought it to play my next tournaments with. Because there's one thing the Blade does really well in match play; it allows you to reajust and finely tune your shots depending on the opponent you face. Was wondering if any of you feel the same with the PA23 ?
I'm not too much of a believer of "if you have this kind of game, then use this kind of stick", atleast not at our geeky level
At the end of the day, gotta be honest, I just want a PA23 to slice that ad-lefty serve like Mannarino (I'm a French lefty too !)
Well yeah it’s just that the PA is going to generate a lot more spin and feel better on the sweet spot with a bit more vertical swing. Thats what I mean.
As for changing up shots for the opponent, I think you can hit about anything with the PA. I throw in slice and drop shots but typically stick to my game plan regardless of opponent because it’s very tough to try to play a different style in the middle of a match for me.
If you are into attacking the opponent and seeing what side is breaking down faster than the PA23 is really really good for this.
I love mannarino too. He has such a unique forehand though. Strings super low and has a very compact swing which is why I believe he uses the older apds. In his case the free power works for a flatter style but he is quite a unique player. You could definitely replicate that with the PA23, it is more accommodating to different styles of hitting than last versions. There is a reason he stayed with the 2013 and I believe that’s because of the control it has for flatter hitting compared to the 16 and 19.
I'll chime in on this for the benefit of the latest thread posters thinking seriously about it, or who've just bought it. I was also on the playtest, with a review submitted earlier in the thread.
I'm coming from the perspective of a 4.0 who gravitates towards spec'd up player/pleener frames. IMHO, other than the 2023 Dunlop FX 500 and Head Auxetic Extreme MP, the PA23 is just about the most inviting, universally playable 100" tweener on the market right now. I still have it in the closet, rotating in/out of the bag, and if I were to commit to it, I'm sure it would lead me to lower-energy-expenditure tennis with equal or better results (eventually, anyways). As it stands, I have to spec up my Prestige MP-L to ~340g, ~8-9pts HL and go north of 335 swing weight just to produce the weight of shot that I can get with the PA23 at ~325-330g, 32+cm and 327sw. It's just an entire level of conserved energy lower than most any player stick.
For the time being, I, like @Chairman3 and some others from the PA23 playtest, have moved back towards more conventional player/pleener sticks, which tend to be a bit better for net/touch play, flatter-hitting and/or the OHBH, all of which I have as part of my game, but if I were to go back into tweener land, the PA23 would absolutely jump back on the radar. The level of counterpunching stability, power and ease-of-input-energy that is affords the operator just cannot be ignored, and if you sense you'd be ripe for any/all of that, then it absolutely warrants a look.
A note on strings -- the more swipe you hit with, the thinner the gauge and lower the tension you can get away with on the PA23, but even with the more dense pattern versus the '16 and '19, it's still a bit of a string eater, so I say it still tends to be best with mid-upper 1.20's poly and 1.30-ish and thicker synthetics, all on the gummier/more-muted side for some additional shock absorption and comfort. For my flatter game, T1 Black Knight 1.28 in the low 50's has been by far the best, to tame the string bed (as I pancake the ball more so than most), but I realize we're all different in that regard, so what works best for me certainly won't work best for others.
Hope that helps!
I'm coming from the perspective of a 4.0 who gravitates towards spec'd up player/pleener frames. IMHO, other than the 2023 Dunlop FX 500 and Head Auxetic Extreme MP, the PA23 is just about the most inviting, universally playable 100" tweener on the market right now. I still have it in the closet, rotating in/out of the bag, and if I were to commit to it, I'm sure it would lead me to lower-energy-expenditure tennis with equal or better results (eventually, anyways). As it stands, I have to spec up my Prestige MP-L to ~340g, ~8-9pts HL and go north of 335 swing weight just to produce the weight of shot that I can get with the PA23 at ~325-330g, 32+cm and 327sw. It's just an entire level of conserved energy lower than most any player stick.
For the time being, I, like @Chairman3 and some others from the PA23 playtest, have moved back towards more conventional player/pleener sticks, which tend to be a bit better for net/touch play, flatter-hitting and/or the OHBH, all of which I have as part of my game, but if I were to go back into tweener land, the PA23 would absolutely jump back on the radar. The level of counterpunching stability, power and ease-of-input-energy that is affords the operator just cannot be ignored, and if you sense you'd be ripe for any/all of that, then it absolutely warrants a look.
A note on strings -- the more swipe you hit with, the thinner the gauge and lower the tension you can get away with on the PA23, but even with the more dense pattern versus the '16 and '19, it's still a bit of a string eater, so I say it still tends to be best with mid-upper 1.20's poly and 1.30-ish and thicker synthetics, all on the gummier/more-muted side for some additional shock absorption and comfort. For my flatter game, T1 Black Knight 1.28 in the low 50's has been by far the best, to tame the string bed (as I pancake the ball more so than most), but I realize we're all different in that regard, so what works best for me certainly won't work best for others.
Hope that helps!
heavyD
Semi-Pro
I have been hitting with the PA23 and 2023 VC100 of late and find them both easy to switch back and forth but I find there's more free power, higher launch angle, and spin with the VC100 and a bit better control with the PA23. It's kind of weird to me that the VC100 feels a little more PA than the actual PA23.
krautfox
Rookie
Yeah I heard the slice and volleys are quite nice with the PA23. I typically have to change game plan if I can't execute my initial game plan properly (stress, bad day, or just no mojo). So I tinker for a couple of games, and feeling comfortable trying anything with a frame is important during those games.
Good to know !
That's basically the main reason I decided to try the PA23 in the first place, when I saw it had similar string spacing as his APD13. I'm getting really serious about doubles play to work on my volleys, placement and strategy, and the older APD's are known to be good for that. Really can't wait to get at it
krautfox
Rookie
Was thinking of trying it out with my usual set up Solinco Outlast 1.25 @ 21kg, then probably RS Lyon, Max Power or Max Power Rough. But yeah, it's going to be tough taking me away of my Blades, but we'll see !
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
How does it compare to the 2019 version?
I got a Pure Aero Rafa 2021, which is presumably identical to the Pure Aero 2019 and I like its power, spin and stability + higher SW:
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
I got a Pure Aero Rafa 2021, which is presumably identical to the Pure Aero 2019 and I like its power, spin and stability + higher SW:
Diary of a Racketaholic
Total armbreaker or sweet crisp perfection? Hmm, well it’s strung with gut/element so it’s pretty comfortable. Also, I weighed it today to see how much leather added - it’s 353g. I forgot when I put a Wilson feather thin on it for my wife to try with a smaller grip that I had put putty in the...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
StringStrungStrang
Professional
To all considering the PA 23 - there is a lot to like about this racquet and many will fall in love with it. I did. Playing with it is a joy as many of us on the playtest like @Trip and @Chairman3 (among others) can attest to. There are things it does so easily compared to my Pure Strike 16x19, the spin, power, stability (especially on volleys and slices) that had me on the brink of switching. Watching balls dip in consistently or jump up is soooo much fun. For me though the feel, precision, comfort and maneuverability of my PS made me stay. Both are great and have their advantages and neither one will hold you back, but I had to choose and I chose my P.Strike (for the time being).
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
JJ TRACAYYY!! (best player I've seen irl 13.9 utr uses a pure strike)
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
What? Yea him but I said he's the highest level player I've seen, not that I am him :S
Right. I was presuming @StringStrungStrang was him.
I can suggest to mod the PA23 to your current match ready Blade and see how it fairs?Yeah, the Blade is definitely my kind of stick, since I have an all-court game, and I do play my best tennis with it. But I am really curious for the PA23 since it's a lot easier to play with and basically feels like a cheat code.
So I bought it to play my next tournaments with. Because there's one thing the Blade does really well in match play; it allows you to reajust and finely tune your shots depending on the opponent you face. Was wondering if any of you feel the same with the PA23 ?
I'm not too much of a believer of "if you have this kind of game, then use this kind of stick", atleast not at our geeky level
At the end of the day, gotta be honest, I just want a PA23 to slice that ad-lefty serve like Mannarino (I'm a French lefty too !)
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
Hi,
I have been playing with the PA 23 for the last 6 months and it's been great. I love the easy power and spin.
Though recently I have increased my play time from around 5-6 hours per week to 10-12 hours per week. This has resulted in me experiencing arm pain sometimes. The pain is not severe and subsides when I rest a few days.
I am thinking about getting a Wilson clash as an alternative racquet considering its arm friendly specs. I can then alternate between PA and clash based on how my arm feels.
Is this a good idea and will it help? Will it affect my game considering the difference in specs between the 2 racquets?
I have been playing with the PA 23 for the last 6 months and it's been great. I love the easy power and spin.
Though recently I have increased my play time from around 5-6 hours per week to 10-12 hours per week. This has resulted in me experiencing arm pain sometimes. The pain is not severe and subsides when I rest a few days.
I am thinking about getting a Wilson clash as an alternative racquet considering its arm friendly specs. I can then alternate between PA and clash based on how my arm feels.
Is this a good idea and will it help? Will it affect my game considering the difference in specs between the 2 racquets?
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Fintft
G.O.A.T.
Why not a Blade Pro v8?
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
Thought of the clash as it is widely hailed as the most arm friendly racquet.
Do you think blade pro v8 will help? Is it much easier on the arm than the PA?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I guess I would ask what strings you are using first off and how often you restring? 10-12 hours a week is about max I would play with a full poly bed for example, so that may be the issue, not the racquet.
Also, what is "play time" ? If it is drilling and hitting, thats a great time to try other frames. But if it's matchplay, I personally find it better to use the same frame as long as possible since you will get better hitting tough shots under pressure and better if you use the same thing. Some people are different though.
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
Thanks for your response.
I use a full bed of multifilament. Restring every 3 weeks so about 30-35 hours of play. Though does restringing often matter much for multifilament? From what I understand multi don't go dead right.
Play time is mostly matchplay at my local club. I am concerned about different racquets affecting my performance. Though I was thinking that since clash and PA are not much different specs wise, maybe it won't be too much of a hassle to switch between them.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Multi is good to go I would imagine. May be worth trying a softer frame in your case. Or you may want to check your technique and make sure you are not arming the ball. Your body may be able to tolerate it at 6 hours a week but at 10 it’s too much stress on you.
The babolat frames are very rewarding and can make tennis seem easier but they also punish any technqiue that stresses the arm too much. That is the downside.
Fintft
G.O.A.T.
It seems easier and also has tons of power. Might be more difficult to start swinging though, as the average SW seems 335.
I prefer Shift 300( with some added weight) at around 325 SW, but it is not arm friendly.
tim-ay
Legend
Anyone measure TW with a Briffidi on the 23 PA? I had a tapping at my chamber door, as I pondered weak and weary, about whether to keep this or get another PA+. The tapping was T warehouse box with the 27. TW is 13.82 vs. 13.35 with the plus. SW is 293 unstrung which is fine as I will lead up if I keep it. Wondering if anyone has almost 14 TW and how it plays????
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I believe it measures close to 14 on the standard. I don't have the tool though. With twistweight I almost just go by feel - how steady and clean are my volleys and returns is basically the acid test for me there. PA is one of the best returning frames I have used for sure. I love returning serve with it. It can twist in my hand now and then but many times that is just my error misreading the toss and not making clean enough contact.
Volleys with the PA are very easy and sturdy. Using the FX500 gave me the best twistweight benchmark possible. That thing is rock solid against the biggest serves I have faced and does not twist in the hand at all. But the Aero is easier to control and the trade-off for a little less twistweight is well worth it for me,.
@2ndServe this man I quoted above is using it.
StringStrungStrang
Professional
You have to find the source of your discomfort, racquet, strings, technique or overuse. Likely not the strings since you use multi. Most people's technique is flawed to some degree (note to self) and that is compounded by your playing more. Self care like icing and strengthening should be considered. Rest more as well. But much as I hate to say it, Babolat's are known to be problematic for some. Moving to a more arm friendly racquet has to be considered. I don't like to change between racquets personally since there always seems to be an adjustment period and that also puts different demands on my arm and body. I try to keep a similar set up when I can, unless playtesting or auditioning a new racquet.
Nadal - GOAT
Hall of Fame
Thanks for your inputs. I am sure my technique is flawed in several ways and that is part of the reason.
Let me elaborate a bit. I play both singles and doubles matches and I have the arm issue mainly when I play lot of doubles. I tend to approach the net a lot in doubles and probably hit a lot more strokes with the wrong technique/grip considering the fast nature of doubles.
I am trying to improve my technique and even though I do well in practice I tend to play the wrong way often when under pressure/ streched for time during matches.
Do you think a softer frame like Clash can help? Maybe I can use the PA for singles and Clash for doubles? Will changing my racquet only for doubles make the adjustment easier?
I enjoy playing too much and don't want to cut down on playing time
. Please weigh in your thoughts.
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StringStrungStrang
Professional
I do think that softer frames can help, Clash or Shift may work for you. I also use a Blade 104, which is very underrated frame especially for doubles. There are many others that I am sure people can recommend as well. Having a doubles racquet and a singles racquet might be a good work around. You can always try it and see how it works out for you. When I have some type of arm discomfort I like to wear a sleeve or compression strap to minimize the aggravation of my elbow . This usually works if the injury is minor. Good luckThanks for your inputs. I am sure my technique is flawed in several ways and that is part of the reason.
Let me elaborate a bit. I play both singles and doubles matches and I have the arm issue mainly when I play lot of doubles. I tend to approach the net a lot in doubles and probably hit a lot more strokes with the wrong technique/grip considering the fast nature of doubles.
I am trying to improve my technique and even though I do well in practice I tend to play the wrong way often when under pressure/ streched for time during matches.
Do you think a softer frame like Clash can help? Maybe I can use the PA for singles and Clash for doubles? Will changing my racquet only for doubles make the adjustment easier?
I enjoy playing too much and don't want to cut down on playing time
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
Thats extremely unlikely... unless you're trying to tell me you know he is :O :ORight. I was presuming @StringStrungStrang was him.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Tried my PA stock last night. Really played rather similar than with lead at 12 (320 SW versus 325). Not a huge SW drop or anything but the frame felt a touch faster and a little less solid, which is about what I would expect. Performance was quite similar, my ball may have been a little less heavy (just my guess, no real data there) but more importantly the depth was almost exactly the same. So this leads me to think I probably play this frame best at 325 SW. Usually when I lower SW it is because I am hitting long but that does not seem to be the case with a little lead bump. So I would suggest if you want to make the frame feel a little more solid at the tip 1-2 grams is all you really need on this racquet. I use an OG so I don't really tailweight.
tim-ay
Legend
Mine strung with DF123 is 324 with nothing on it. With the beefier TW on mine, it actually feels like a little more beef than my plus version. I’ve only done a hit with it and like it stock, but tomorrow will be a morning match before work. I’ll mix it in with the plus. It was 304 static unstrung and I think the xtra 4 grams is on the head or throat. Def playable this way but need more time.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah just measured mine unstrung. It is 300 grams, 320 balance and 294 SW. So the thin gauge solinco poly is 25-26 SW points which gets it to 320 stock. With Durafluxx I'd be just like yours at 324.
My 2nd will get here today and that may be my Durafluxx frame. The gauge I use will probably determine if I add any lead to the frame. Even if I do add lead, it won't be over 2 grams. This frame just doesn't need much at all on it.
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