Review the craziest racquets you own

[Gorecki]

Originally Posted by VOLLEY KING

Thank you!!!

I'll try when I get home .

yeah. that would be nice!

[VOLLEY KING]

Originally Posted by Gorecki

yeah. that would be nice!

Glad to help out . Xoxoxo

[Hitman99]

[quote=Hitman99;6387505]I hit with the 108 for a while last night, but didn't play with it. I am going to order a couple more sets of the PowerMaxx strings, have the racket restrung.

I've decided to send the 133 back, as much as I enjoy playing with it. Main reason is that it is killing my shoulder. All that power, spin, and leverage from the longer length carries a steep price. The racket FEELS comfortable, but it is definitely making my shoulder worse. I had trouble sleeping last night, and am thinking I probably need to take some time off to heal up.QUOTE]

I emailed Vortex, got a nice email back from Tom, the owner. He suggested cutting the overall length of the racket back to 27 3/4", said he plays with the racket at that length, helps reduce the effective swing weight. He graciously offered to do it for me if I ship the racket back. I have done this before on one of my other rackets, but still might take him up on it, just to make sure I don't screw it up somehow.

So, I am going to keep the racket, will play with the ES 108 or my Head Metallix until my shoulder feels better.

[tennismonkey]

hitman - what is the length of the es 133 normally? i didn't realize when i tried it that it was a superlong. that definitely makes sense why i found it slightly sluggish and cumbersome up at net.

[Hitman99]

Originally Posted by tennismonkey

hitman - what is the length of the es 133 normally? i didn't realize when i tried it that it was a superlong. that definitely makes sense why i found it slightly sluggish and cumbersome up at net.

It's 28-1/2". The extra length provides great reach, but hinders the maneuverability IMHO.

My previous racket, the Wilson Hyper Carbon Hammer 2.0, was also extended length, so I cut about 3/4" off of it. It plays pretty well now, but the frame is so stiff that it also hurts my arm/shoulder.

[VOLLEY KING]

Tom uses it in USTA seniors. It's not the right choice for me but works for him :

[tennismonkey]

gotcha. that makes sense. i find 27.5 inch sticks about my limit for extended length. i hit upper hoop in regular length sticks. wonder if extended length helps hit more dead center.

couldn't you just choke up on the es 133 and see if that alleviates the problem before taking a saw to it?

[Hitman99]

Originally Posted by tennismonkey

gotcha. that makes sense. i find 27.5 inch sticks about my limit for extended length. i hit upper hoop in regular length sticks. wonder if extended length helps hit more dead center.

couldn't you just choke up on the es 133 and see if that alleviates the problem before taking a saw to it?

I just don't have that level of self control on the court. No matter what length racket I use, I always end up gripping the racket all the way at the end, with the butt end in the middle of my palm. I always have a nasty callus in the middl of my palm, gets irritated and sore, PITA.

One of the 4.5 guys I play with uses a Wilson Outer Limits (135 head, 28-1/2" length). He always chokes down on the racket quite a bit. I just can't do it for more than a few minutes, then I forget and lapse back to my old ways.

Guess I'm just a recidivist. I've been called worse before....

[Hitman99]

OK, I finally got to hit with the Vortex ES 108 yesterday, hit for over an hour outdoors in a mild breeze. The racket is strung with MSV Hex @ 50 lbs, string is about 2 years old. The feel of the racket is unlike any other I have ever hit with, VERY plush and soft, feels like you're hitting with a foam rubber frame, with leather strings.

This racket is not nearly so powerful as the 133, requires a full swing to drive the ball deep. If I didn't take a full swing, the ball would invariably go into the net, or land quite short. After a while, I found that this really helped my strokes, and I got more and more consistent the longer I played. There was little or no trampolining at all. Even so, i found it fairly easy to drive baseline half-volleys deep into the court. A few times I got caught hitting a FH with the wrong grip, was able to zing back a FH slice with good pace and depth. Overall, I felt very comfortable with the racket. The few serves I hit felt very natural, went in the court with little effort.

Now I am ready to have the racket restrung, am wondering what strings to use. I have a package of Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 17g, and a couple sets of PowerMaxx Light Touch 16L natty gut. I am thinking of trying a hybrid setup at low tension. The previous owner of the racket recommended that I stick with the MSV Hex at 50 lbs, and I've also been reading about the WeissCannon Dual Reality hybrid setup, supposed to be very easy on the arm/shoulder.

So many options!!! Guess I will start with a hybrid setup, X-One crosses @ 50, PowerMaxx mains @ 45.

[VOLLEY KING]

Vortex actually makes a great multi in 15 gauge that I liked very much.

[Hitman99]

Originally Posted by VOLLEY KING

Vortex actually makes a great multi in 15 gauge that I liked very much.

I think I'll try a hybrid setup with the strings that I already have in my possession, see how I like them. Chances are that they won't last as long because of the thinner gauge. If so, I can try the Vortex hybrid string next.

BTW, I hit again yesterday, in a stronger breeze. After a very short time, I switched from the ES 108 to the 133. Wow, the 133 is the BOMB in the wind! It is so powerful that hitting into the wind it is EZ to drive the ball deep, just have to hit it high, with some top. Every shot I hit into the wind landed at least halfway between the service line and the baseline, and many were right on the baseline. I could whack BH slices as hard as possible, and they would flare out and settle right on the baseline, and then just DIE. Hitting with the wind was equally effective, 'cause I could easily slice the ball off both sides, keep the ball low.

[VOLLEY KING]

The 133 is a fun racquet for sure .

Puts a smile on my face.

I think you may have called it right from the beginning and the 116 may be just right for you.

But if you love that powerangle then I think that's actually the best.

Fun to play around anyway.

[Hitman99]

There is a 116 for sale on the auction site, but the price is too high. It is listed with a "Best Offer" option, so if it doesn't sell, I might make a last-minute offer. I could end up with three different Vortex rackets!

The PowerAngle is a dead issue, at least for the time being. The frame is cracked, could be a design flaw.

[VOLLEY KING]

Originally Posted by Hitman99

There is a 116 for sale on the auction site, but the price is too high. It is listed with a "Best Offer" option, so if it doesn't sell, I might make a last-minute offer. I could end up with three different Vortex rackets!

The PowerAngle is a dead issue, at least for the time being. The frame is cracked, could be a design flaw.

Can't you buy another one?

[Hitman99]

Originally Posted by VOLLEY KING

Can't you buy another one?

Yes, I could buy another one. But one can only have so many rackets, and do any of them justice. I am encouraged enough by my experience with the Vortex rackets to want to complete my exploration of their capabilities.

The one drawback I see with the PowerAngle Grand racket is that it is several points head heavy, and I like the neutral balance of the Vortex. Also, there is some sort of vibration in the racket, not sure if it can be tamed with the right stringing setup. Several playtest feedbacks have mentioned this vibration. The demo racket I tried from TW was strung with Wilson NXT, and I didn't care for the feel. The one I bought at auction was strung with a poly @ 60 lbs. It played OK, but I was worried about the impact on my shoulder. So far, the Vortex rackets have not seemed to irritate my shoulder.

[VOLLEY KING]

Gotcha.

Good luck !

[tennismonkey]

hitman -- assuming the powerangle or vortex sticks aren't too heavy - either static weight or swingweight - it's not too hard to get either balanced the way you like it. for the powerangle you can add a bit of lead or weight to the handle and even that balance out or even make it HL. just a thought when you come across a stick that does 95% of what you want but missing a certain something.

[tennismonkey]

btw look at the specs of the prince O3 white that john isner is playing with. naturally his is leaded up pretty beastly but its:

100 sq. in. / 645 sq. cm.
Length: 27 inches / 69 cm
Strung Weight: 11.3oz / 320g
Balance: 4pts Head Light
Swingweight: 322
Stiffness: 65
Beam Width: 23-25-22 Tapered Beam
Composition: GraphitExtreme / Copper / Titanium / Tungsten
Power Level: Low-Medium
Swing Speed: Moderate-Fast
Grip Type: Cushion Fit
String Pattern:
16 Mains / 19 Crosses

[VOLLEY KING]

Funny you should say that. I was looking at it as well.

I really love that kid.

He just seems so nice.

Great to see an American finally back in the mix . He has won me over and I really hope he can win something . He is really exciting to watch .

But I digress .

[tennismonkey]

VK -- i like the kid too. liked his comment regarding fed's lucky backhand lob in the 1st set tiebreak - he took it in stride and said he benefitted from a lot of luck this past week too. no complaints. it's a big if -- but if he can improve his groundies even more than he already has, he can crack the top 5 i think. i think he plays how i wish roddick would have in his prime - big serve, big forehand, and never let your opponents get any rhythm.

o3 white is a solid stick. nice weight stock and surprisingly comfy. only 65 stiffness and those huge holes makes for a soft ride.