Amplifeel problem with Wilson BLX Six.One 95 16x18 Racquets 2012

[TimothyO]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

Again, what does my desire to modify racquets to fit my preference have anything to do with injuries?

You claimed the op's injuries were not caused by the frame but by poor technique. In many other threads you've repeatedly denigrated those seeking advice about tennis HARDWARE in a forum dedicated to tennis HARDWARE telling them to improve their technique and not to worry about their hardware.

IMO There's a hardware-related playing experience continuum from extremely negative (to the point of causing injury) to extremely positive (to the point the player is truly free to focus on technique instead of fighting hardware ill-suited for his or her physique and abilities).

Clearly you sought a better playing experience by modifying your hardware. In other words, you felt the need to mod your hardware to push your playing experience towards the positive end of that spectrum.

In my own case any issue I had with hand pain correlated directy with my use of a frame incorporating Ampli-Feel. Use another frame, no pain. Use my frame with Ampli-Feel, pain. Others have reported similar experiences and yet you were so quick to dismiss THEIR negative experiences with hardware while ignoring your OWN negative experience with hardware.

You see, your experience with a stock Tour 90 was negative enough that you spent the time and money to make it more positive by modding it.

Or maybe you should follow your own advice, stop blaming the stock frame for your negative experience, stop wasting your time doing mods, and just use the stock frame and improve tour technique.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

... says the person with a modded Pure Storm GT... yeah alright. Now I know you're just looking for a fight. I'm done with this.

[TimothyO]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

... says the person with a modded Pure Storm GT... yeah alright. Now I know you're just looking for a fight. I'm done with this.

Yes, I mod frames precisely because I do believe it's best to fit the tool to the person as best as possible. No quandry there. I practice what I preach.

You're the one repeatedly denigrating folks for seeking advice on frames and strings telling them to worry about technique and not hardware. I believe technique is paramount but also influenced by hardware for good or bad.

Not looking for a fight. Just suggesting that you refrain from being snarky and dissing other TT members for discussing hardware on a hardware forum.

Allow others the pleasure of doing precisely what you do: figure out how hardware choices can improve their playing experience without being berated by snarky comments about their technique when they make it clear that's not the issue in a given case. Technique CAN be the issue and often is. But why insult the OP by insisting he's wrong and it's his technique to blame? Do you have some secret network of agents who know the OP is wrong?

Or is the privilege of exploring tennis hardware choices and their effect on playing experience reserved for you alone?

[NLBwell]

Originally Posted by shaneno

i play with the 90 and 95 i had not frame or anything my technique was fine and i got this really bad hand pain.

Do you feel any vibration that you didn't feel with your other rackets? Any rattling? Does it feel like the grip is not solid?

[DonDiego]

I play with both six one 95 (amplifeel and BLX). At first I thought the amplifeel felt less solid and was transmitting a bit too much «feel» to my arm (was it bad vibrations? Not sure, since the goal of Amplifeel is to REDUCE bad vibrations).

I fixed the problem by increasing my grip size, from a 4 1/2 to a 4 5/8. I did this with an heat shrink sleeve. So not only does my grip feel huge and my hand doesn't move, but the rubber tube seem to have muted at least half of the vibrations I used to feel. So I'm left with the nice smooth feeling of Amplifeel (but not too much), and it feels even more solid than my BLX now.

I have to get used to the bigger grip for my serves. But for volleying, returning big serves and everything else, it's great. I'm never going back to small or medium grip.

Also keep in mind that this racquet is unforgiving. You do need good technique. Miss the sweetspot on heavy balls, and your arm will let you know.

[tennisnut09]

Men, this is scary...I am thinking about switching to this six one 95 16X18 racket. How long does it take you to discover the pain? a few hours, a couple games or a few weeks? what problems start to show up first, like the hand feels tire/weak/sore after hitting? I want to know because i have this racket for demo....this week.
Thx for your reply!

[DonDiego]

Originally Posted by tennisnut09

Men, this is scary...I am thinking about switching to this six one 95 16X18 racket. How long does it take you to discover the pain? a few hours, a couple games or a few weeks? what problems start to show up first, like the hand feels tire/weak/sore after hitting? I want to know because i have this racket for demo....this week.
Thx for your reply!

Hey, I wouldn't worry about it too much. It's a great racquet. And I had a tennis elbow BEFORE using it. And as a matter of fact, my arm is slowly recovering while I'm playing with it. I'd be better off with a more flexible racquet, but with the right strings and the right tension, I'm fine.

I just thought the amplifeel system provided too much feel for me. But like I said, it's not necessarely a bad thing. In fact, it makes volleying very comfortable. I was used to the BLX version so I didn't like it a t first, but increasing my grip size made it perfect. Enjoy your demo, I'm sure you'll love it.

[corners]

The true purpose of Amplifeel is to smoke out latent mental illnesses, hypochondria and OCD, as are now on display in this thread.

[bertrevert]

Originally Posted by corners

The true purpose of Amplifeel is to smoke out latent mental illnesses, hypochondria and OCD, as are now on display in this thread.

True to its name it amplifies what the player feels - whatever they feel!

[NLBwell]

Kind of like "Ever So Much More So" (if anyone out there remembers their childhood Rupert books)

Actually, if the amplifeel pad (or whatever it actually is) comes slightly lose, it would vibrate against the racket when the ball is hit, possibly transmitting vibrations to the hand. Of course a heat-shrink sleeve would hold the amplifeel in place, which should fix the problem.
Just a theory, but a decent possibility.

[RoddickistheMan]

This is my racquet of choice. I get no pain to wrist. I did get some pain at first but it was from getting used to smaller sweetspot etc but now its gone. It could be your technique and the overall specs of the racquets (maybe too light who knows) not the amplifeel. I think a sample size of 2 people with pain isnt enough to justify "amplishock" Its a great racquet guys!

[TimothyO]

Originally Posted by corners

The true purpose of Amplifeel is to smoke out latent mental illnesses, hypochondria and OCD, as are now on display in this thread.

Yes, that's right genius, I had zero hand pain prior to the PS 95, had hand pain every morning after using the PS 95, and the pain went away after I stopped using the PS 95. And the tech's stated intention is to INCREASE the feel of the ball's impact through the frame and to the player's hand which can ONLY occur by transmitting more vibration.

In other words, I experienced precisely what Wilson intended, more vibration, but perhaps to a degree far greater than intended which would not be the first time in the history of humans using tools a tool designer made a mistake.

In fact, google tool/vibration/injuries and you'll quickly learn there's an entire field of science behind attempts to REDUCE vibrations which are KNOWN to cause injury while Wilson has deliberately INCREASED vibrations in this particular tool.

Are you always this dense or only when posting on internet forums?

[TimothyO]

Originally Posted by RoddickistheMan

This is my racquet of choice. I get no pain to wrist. I did get some pain at first but it was from getting used to smaller sweetspot etc but now its gone. It could be your technique and the overall specs of the racquets (maybe too light who knows) not the amplifeel. I think a sample size of 2 people with pain isnt enough to justify "amplishock" Its a great racquet guys!

It didn't bother me at first and never during actual play. It was always after a hitting session and usually at night or the following morning.

Injuries or damage Due to tool vibration don't always show up instantly. For example, long term use of power tools at certain frequencies is now known to cause long term damage with the severity varying by person. Some experience the damage sooner than others.

This is why tool companies try to REDUCE tool vibrations instead of increasing them. It's all well understood physics and medicine, nothing fancy here. Just science. Increase shock/vibrations and you get more damage/injuries. And since people are different the rate and severity of damage varies by person.

And whether or not it's a great racquet has NOTHING to do with its intended function of transmitting MORE shock/vibration to the hand. It's very precise and has great spin potential. The only downside is that it's designed by Wilson to deliberately transmit more of the impact vibrations to the hand which might cause damage in some cases.

Saying that calling it "ampli shock" is unjustified ignore the fact that Wilson designed the frame to amplify the transmission of vibration/shock/impact on purpose.

[jankustra]

if you want to play really strong, powerfull you need to switch to volkl PB10mid...soft easy to play...

[Jamelsh]

I use the BLX 95 16x18 Amplifeel and am very happy with it. I have no discomfort at all from the raquet either during or after play.

It's stock apart from my recent upgrade to gut.

[AYone]

I share the reactions/observations as the thread-starter. For some reason, the ampli-feel technology in my Wilson ProStaffs was unbearable. It was a little more bearable in my 100 than my 95, and after adding shock-shield replacement grips and softer strings. But who wants to go through all that jazz? Had to move on to other sticks. I'm wondering if its just a ProStaff thing. I played really well with those sticks, so it was very frustrating, to say the least.

[TimothyO]

Now Wilson is introducing HOLLOW, STIFFER, LIGHTER handles with their new Ampli-Feel 360. Seems like they're doubling down on their old Hammer approach to inflicting tennis elbow.

"The new basalt/graphite construction still filters out jarring vibrations and improves the racquet’s feel. But because it’s hollow, it also increases the handle’s stiffness. Amplifeel 360 strengthens the lower third of the racquet by about 15 percent, which increases the racquet’s power. (Any time we can make a racquet stiffer, it increases the amount of energy that goes back into the ball, because less energy is going into making the racquet bend.) Additionally, the new handle allows us to take grams of foam out of the handle. This gives us the option of taking some weight out of the racquet, or using those grams elsewhere to make the racquet stronger and more powerful. So with Amplifeel 360, you get a little more power, a lighter racquet, and better feel."

John Lyons
Wilson Tennis
http://m.tennis.com/gear/2012/09/gea.../#.UOCTzkko6M8