BB Melbourne Club

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by grover

this racket. Question for TM.

The Melbourne has the least amount of DC in it compared to other BB models. Therefore it is mostly an old school, traditional graphite frame.

[uabucks]

Just hit with the BB legend.
With 2 overwraps to make it a bit more headlight,
I was surprised to find it much more nimble than the
BB 11 I hit with last year. I did not find it heavy, and I liked the flex. Wish it were more headlight--feels like you
are swinging the throat of the stick if that makes sense--
more heft there than the volkl T10's.
Was a bit more heavy, not as flexy and not as headlight
as the dnx 10 mp that I play with.
If the Melbourne is stiffer, I'm not sure I would like it.

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by uabucks

Just hit with the BB legend.
With 2 overwraps to make it a bit more headlight,
I was surprised to find it much more nimble than the
BB 11 I hit with last year. I did not find it heavy, and I liked the flex. Wish it were more headlight--feels like you
are swinging the throat of the stick if that makes sense--
more heft there than the volkl T10's.
Was a bit more heavy, not as flexy and not as headlight
as the dnx 10 mp that I play with.
If the Melbourne is stiffer, I'm not sure I would like it.

The Melbourne is more refined. It's like driving a later model car which corners a little faster and reacts to change of direction with more stability than the model it replaced. It is better balanced, handles off-center hits better, and generates more spin. It can almost be played well totally stock, and the Legend, cannot.

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by SBD

BB London, BB Melbourne, what's next BB Paris and BB New York lol

NYC, possibly, but not Paris. BB never won in Paris.

[TennisMaverick]

Played again with the Melbourne for its last test drive, this time, modified with 1 gram at 3/9, plus 1 gram at 6:00, followed by 1 gram at 6:00 only. Both distributions were sans the BB dampener, replaced by an Agassi trimmed rubber band.

As with the London, the DC makes quite a difference in the lack of need for modification. In addition, the capped grommet brings a lot to the table with regard to plow thru. Although the 6.0 play tester and myself both use far heavier frames, we both settled on the lighter distribution. Not only could we drive thru the ball, we were very solid on volleys, and, the stick produces as much spin as the London, provided you contact the ball in the center. If you are 5.0 and above, and you are choosing between the London and the Melbourne, the Melbourne it is.

[Pneumated1]

Originally Posted by TennisMaverick

Played again with the Melbourne for its last test drive, this time, modified with 1 gram at 3/9, plus 1 gram at 6:00, followed by 1 gram at 6:00 only. Both distributions were sans the BB dampener, replaced by an Agassi trimmed rubber band.

As with the London, the DC makes quite a difference in the lack of need for modification. In addition, the capped grommet brings a lot to the table with regard to plow thru. Although the 6.0 play tester and myself both use far heavier frames, we both settled on the lighter distribution. Not only could we drive thru the ball, we were very solid on volleys, and, the stick produces as much spin as the London, provided you contact the ball in the center. If you are 5.0 and above, and you are choosing between the London and the Melbourne, the Melbourne it is.

So if I'm an improving 4.0-4.5 level player and wanted something a little heavier than the London--and get sick of modding it, is it a stick that I should consider working my way into? I really have no intention of doing so, but I'm just curious.

[zumzool]

Originally Posted by Pneumated1

So if I'm an improving 4.0-4.5 level player and wanted something a little heavier than the London--and get sick of modding it, is it a stick that I should consider working my way into? I really have no intention of doing so, but I'm just curious.

That's been my problem that's been keeping me from totally buying into the london....

i have a PB10 which is more demanding and I haven't gotten the string set up right yet... and I've also considered the melbourne probably wait till the price drops)... currently playing around with the Yonex Vcores which have a totally different feel.

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by zumzool

That's been my problem that's been keeping me from totally buying into the london....

i have a PB10 which is more demanding and I haven't gotten the string set up right yet... and I've also considered the melbourne probably wait till the price drops)... currently playing around with the Yonex Vcores which have a totally different feel.

Melbourne just came-out. It is basically flawless. Don't look for an update for two years. That is when the price will drop.

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by Pneumated1

So if I'm an improving 4.0-4.5 level player and wanted something a little heavier than the London--and get sick of modding it, is it a stick that I should consider working my way into? I really have no intention of doing so, but I'm just curious.

If you are a 4.5-5.0, it will take a tremendous amount of work to gain another 1/2 pt. As you go up the pyramid, it takes a lot more to improve. You will not need the Melbourne until your game is good enough for better players to be willing to hit with you, and that, not the stick, will be your greatest obstacle. Until then, handling that level's ball quality, is not something to worry about.

As you climb-up the ladder, attitudes become more acute, and a-holism becomes rampant. Your record and you technique, will be the measuring stick for which players eval you, and the latter, is more important to gain others' respect. Gaining others' respect is really difficult unless your game blows them away from the sideline, and that, ain't easy. Stick with the London.

[Pneumated1]

Originally Posted by TennisMaverick

If you are a 4.5-5.0, it will take a tremendous amount of work to gain another 1/2 pt. As you go up the pyramid, it takes a lot more to improve. You will not need the Melbourne until your game is good enough for better players to be willing to hit with you, and that, not the stick, will be your greatest obstacle. Until then, handling that level's ball quality, is not something to worry about.

As you climb-up the ladder, attitudes become more acute, and a-holism becomes rampant. Your record and you technique, will be the measuring stick for which players eval you, and the latter, is more important to gain others' respect. Gaining others' respect is really difficult unless your game blows them away from the sideline, and that, ain't easy. Stick with the London.

A lot of wisdom there. The computer rates me 4.0, but 4.5 players often ask me to hit, as my shots, pace, and ball quality are closer to theirs. I'm stuck where I am currently because of the "between the ears" disease. Coaching/lessons would definitely help and that's something that I plan to integrate regularly, very soon.

As far as 5.0 players around here, I would guess that most of the teaching pros at the local clubs are at about that level, but I don't see myself getting offers to hit with them anytime soon, so I see your point.

And as I said, I have no intention of parting with the London anyway.

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by Pneumated1

A lot of wisdom there. The computer rates me 4.0, but 4.5 players often ask me to hit, as my shots, pace, and ball quality are closer to theirs. I'm stuck where I am currently because of the "between the ears" disease. Coaching/lessons would definitely help and that's something that I plan to integrate regularly, very soon.

As far as 5.0 players around here, I would guess that most of the teaching pros at the local clubs are at about that level, but I don't see myself getting offers to hit with them anytime soon, so I see your point.

And as I said, I have no intention of parting with the London anyway.

Unfortunately, there is little for your level out there on the net, except for maybe tennisplayer.net, which costs $99/year, and hi-techtennis. com, which costs $50/yr or $15/mo--give this a shot, they're really good on modern stroke production. The kid who does fuzzy yellow balls doesn't play much better than you, so his site is a waste. You may find something useful at tennisone.com. A better way would be to get 4-5 other guys together and pay a real coach to run strategy related drills like what players do at performance centers like Hopman's. 4-6 guys splitting a coaches one hour fee has to be doable.

If you want exposure, enter a few sectional events. Enter the weaker ones to get a few wins under your belt. When you play a competitive match, get your opponent's contact number and workout. That's how it"s done. Age group tourneys are easier and less intense physically, but there can be more BS on-court.

[sphinx780]

Hey TM-

If I recall correctly, you weren't a huge fan of the BB11 MP and now that you've hit the Melbourne a few times I'd be interested in a basic comparison between the two when you have time.

Basically, I was a Wilson through my college years, then tried the DNX 10MP and fell in love with the control and feel after getting back into the game. Once I found my stride, I wanted a little more pop without losing that feel and with the BB11's balance point (I definitely like a less headlight balance) combined with a little more power, it really fits my game. But, I'm going to have to upgrade eventually and the Melbourne has me curious much more so than the legend ever did. I finally ran through a few hits with the legend and love the solid feel on contact but it is a bit clunky in the swing where the BB11 feels smooth whipping through the contact zone.

It could just be cabin fever that has me intrigued but I'd appreciate your insights.

[JT_2eighty]

Originally Posted by TennisMaverick

The Melbourne is more refined. It's like driving a later model car which corners a little faster and reacts to change of direction with more stability than the model it replaced. It is better balanced, handles off-center hits better, and generates more spin. It can almost be played well totally stock, and the Legend, cannot.

Do the Melbourne or any of the new Organix line compare to the BB11SE in terms of stability, plow, and overall feel?

The BB11SE was/is a marvelous frame, everything about from serves to half-volleys to backhand slices are incredible. Your descriptions of Melbourne and OX10 sound great, how do they compare to BB11SE?

Thanks

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by JT_2eighty

Do the Melbourne or any of the new Organix line compare to the BB11SE in terms of stability, plow, and overall feel?

The BB11SE was/is a marvelous frame, everything about from serves to half-volleys to backhand slices are incredible. Your descriptions of Melbourne and OX10 sound great, how do they compare to BB11SE?

Thanks

When you add as much lead tape as the BB11 SE had, you just cannot compare plow thru. Hominator posted my PB 10 Mids on the Organix thread, which weigh in at 395 grams. Its plow thru/stability is better than the BB11 SE, not only because of the weight, but its smaller head size. Weight, has a huge bearing on SW.

With that being said, I have also mentioned many times, that nano carbon--yes, the same material that is used in our fighters--the BEST in the world--for all you GIMMICKTARDS who believe that nano carbon is a gimmick and no better than standard graphite--does a lot more with a lot less, and can replace a lot of lead tape, providing for the same resistance to the ball and potential for greater racquet head acceleration.

The Melbourne really is great and very solid when hitting standard half-volleys, and the response at net is very firm and solid. The X10 is the same, but I would describe it not as "solid", but as "crisp and precise". They both allow for great spin potential and react very well with faster racquet head speeds. The Melbourne cups the ball better, but the X10 bites the ball better, with a string bed feel that I have never felt before. As far as ball response, the ball moves off the X10 as quick as it did with the BB11 SE, but with far more control--which is why I was never enamored with the BB11s--and does not feel as disconnected with the cushioning. You feel everything that the stick does, but with ZERO vibration. The Melbourne gives you a lot of feel, like the London, with a lot of plow thru. Anyone who has used a stick with fully capped grommets will recognize this feel. It is also the closest stick in both lines to a traditional graphite frame, whereas the X10, is the farthest from a traditional frame.

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by sphinx780

Hey TM-

If I recall correctly, you weren't a huge fan of the BB11 MP and now that you've hit the Melbourne a few times I'd be interested in a basic comparison between the two when you have time.

Basically, I was a Wilson through my college years, then tried the DNX 10MP and fell in love with the control and feel after getting back into the game. Once I found my stride, I wanted a little more pop without losing that feel and with the BB11's balance point (I definitely like a less headlight balance) combined with a little more power, it really fits my game. But, I'm going to have to upgrade eventually and the Melbourne has me curious much more so than the legend ever did. I finally ran through a few hits with the legend and love the solid feel on contact but it is a bit clunky in the swing where the BB11 feels smooth whipping through the contact zone.

It could just be cabin fever that has me intrigued but I'd appreciate your insights.

The best way to answer your question is to first state that you are correct, the Legend is clunky, and I have mentioned that in other threads. I had them modified for a 6.0 player, bumping it up to 365 grams to better balance it. To let you understand how much of an improvement that the Legend is, the same player, after switching to the London from the Legend, is switching back to the upgraded Melbourne, and using ONLY 1 gram of lead on the bridge, with an Agassi rubber band dampener--the Melbourne does play better with the 3.3 gram BB vibration dampener. That is a substantial difference from a player who used a 375 gram DNX 10 MP, to a 365 gram Legend, down to a 350 gram London, and now, to a basically stock Melbourne. That speaks to the stiffness-strength to weight ratio of DC and structural design of the frame. Personally, as I stated in the X10 325 vs PB 10 Mid thread, I could play with the larger X10, and I would also state that I could play with the larger Melbourne.

[grover]

Originally Posted by sphinx780

Hey TM-

If I recall correctly, you weren't a huge fan of the BB11 MP and now that you've hit the Melbourne a few times I'd be interested in a basic comparison between the two when you have time.

Basically, I was a Wilson through my college years, then tried the DNX 10MP and fell in love with the control and feel after getting back into the game. Once I found my stride, I wanted a little more pop without losing that feel and with the BB11's balance point (I definitely like a less headlight balance) combined with a little more power, it really fits my game. But, I'm going to have to upgrade eventually and the Melbourne has me curious much more so than the legend ever did. I finally ran through a few hits with the legend and love the solid feel on contact but it is a bit clunky in the swing where the BB11 feels smooth whipping through the contact zone.

It could just be cabin fever that has me intrigued but I'd appreciate your insights.

I too play with the BB 11 Mp after trying many players frames including the Legend, London, and PB 10 MP. I think its by far the best of the bunch and I string it at 58 pounds with full gut. I'm a former 5.0 college player who now plays to a 4.5 and I was wondering if you have always strung your BB 11 at a lower tension?

[sphinx780]

Hey Grover,

To avoid hijacking the Melbourne thread, shoot me an email and I'll give you my thoughts on the BB11 tension. I tried many setups before finding my comfort level in the low tension range and in the same boat you are, x college player at the 4.5 level currently.

sphinx780 hotmail.

[jonahnaturals]

Hi TennisMaverick:

I see that the swingweight and some of the early feedback indicate that the Melbourne is easier to get around than the Becker 11 MP. This was my one issue with the Becker 11; I loved it for its plow through, control, and spin capability, but just found that for those Sampras runners into the corners and into hour two or three of heavy hitting, I could be a smidge late with my swing when pressed.

So could you please let us know: Is the Melbourne significantly easier to get around than the Becker 11?

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences with these sticks - so helpful.

Ben

[TennisMaverick]

Originally Posted by jonahnaturals

Hi TennisMaverick:

I see that the swingweight and some of the early feedback indicate that the Melbourne is easier to get around than the Becker 11 MP. This was my one issue with the Becker 11; I loved it for its plow through, control, and spin capability, but just found that for those Sampras runners into the corners and into hour two or three of heavy hitting, I could be a smidge late with my swing when pressed.

So could you please let us know: Is the Melbourne significantly easier to get around than the Becker 11?

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences with these sticks - so helpful.

Ben

The Melbourne is a little smoother thru the air than the BB 11 MP; it spins in your hand with more balance; and it cups the ball far better. It has more control, but less pop with much more spin potential.

The Melbourne also plays well stock with just a vibration dampener--it has more plow through and doesn't buzz after contact. You can also try 1 gram of lead tape on the bridge@6:00 with an Agassi dampener, which I feel balances the frame better(1.5 grams vs 3.3 grams with the stock orange BB dampener).

[McLovin]

Any idea when TW will have a demo of this racket available? I'd like to try this & the Organix 10 325 side-by-side.