My New Racquet Dilema

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by MikeHitsHard93

Ps 95 is in your range. Huge spin window, low sw, flexy

isn't that 12 oz?

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by YesTennis

You may want to give the Prestige S another try. Very close in the specs you're looking for. I've got one strung with gut main/poly cross. Great, arm friendly, combo for this frame.

So I tried to press Prestige S at lunch today. I rather liked it a lot. The one I had was strong with a multi and it felt pretty soft and had decent hour. One Hanback cans were nice with it as was groundstrokes. I took it for the weekend To demo some more. The weight and balance are perfect for what I am looking for. My main concern is that damn grip shape, but I guess I will adjust to it it wasn't so bad.

Have you had any more success with other string set ups besides got and Pauly? Have you tried a multi with a poly cross? You Definitely need to keep the tension low on this racket to get some pop out of it. Will see how it goes this weekend but I think the prestige s moved into the list of possibilities. The Donnay Pro 197 is the other front runner. I really wish there was a Wilson racket that fit the specs I am looking for but there doesn't seem to be one? Someone suggested the pro staff 95 which is okay but very thin beam And probably too low powered for me. The other Wilson possibility is the BLX six 1 95 team with some lead way to make it heavier. We'll see how that one goes too.

[MikeHitsHard93]

Originally Posted by JackB1

isn't that 12 oz?

Nope Wilson's specs say it's 11.5 oz strung.

[YesTennis]

Originally Posted by JackB1

So I tried to press Prestige S at lunch today. I rather liked it a lot. The one I had was strong with a multi and it felt pretty soft and had decent hour. One Hanback cans were nice with it as was groundstrokes. I took it for the weekend To demo some more. The weight and balance are perfect for what I am looking for. My main concern is that damn grip shape, but I guess I will adjust to it it wasn't so bad.

Have you had any more success with other string set ups besides got and Pauly? Have you tried a multi with a poly cross? You Definitely need to keep the tension low on this racket to get some pop out of it. Will see how it goes this weekend but I think the prestige s moved into the list of possibilities. The Donnay Pro 197 is the other front runner. I really wish there was a Wilson racket that fit the specs I am looking for but there doesn't seem to be one? Someone suggested the pro staff 95 which is okay but very thin beam And probably too low powered for me. The other Wilson possibility is the BLX six 1 95 team with some lead way to make it heavier. We'll see how that one goes too.

The only other string I've used in this racquet was full bed Sonic Pro. It was okay, but I also needed a little extra pop, and something easy on the arm. The guy/poly plays great for me in this racquet. I'm also a 4.0, and being almost 50 can use a little free power thats arm friendly. I've only played the racquet stock. I also like the Wilson grips better, but have gotten used to the Head grip

The other racquet to consider might be the new Head G Speed Pro 16x19. I'll have to check the specs again.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by MikeHitsHard93

Nope Wilson's specs say it's 11.5 oz strung.

OK I see. Only problem is it's got an 18" beam and it's low powered. All the playtesters mention low power in the review.

I got 2 good candidates to try out this weekend....The 2012 Wilson BLX 6.1 95 Team and the Prestige S. The Wilson is weighted up to 11.75 oz and 5 pts HL and the Prestige S is 335 grams and 6 pts HL. Both have a 63 stiffness rating. Should be an interesting comparison.

[YesTennis]

Another thought. What about the new Yonex V Core Xi 98?

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by YesTennis

The only other string I've used in this racquet was full bed Sonic Pro. It was okay, but I also needed a little extra pop, and something easy on the arm. The guy/poly plays great for me in this racquet. I'm also a 4.0, and being almost 50 can use a little free power thats arm friendly. I've only played the racquet stock. I also like the Wilson grips better, but have gotten used to the Head grip

The other racquet to consider might be the new Head G Speed Pro 16x19. I'll have to check the specs again.

What kind of gut you using?

I agree the S stock is perfect specs for me. I was surprised at how much I liked it today. Smooth feel and swings easily. Gotta see how it serves.

[NetNinja68]

Originally Posted by JackB1

OK, just when I thought I was fine with the Wilson Juice 100, soon to be getting the Steam 99s a new development takes place…..
I switched to a one hand backhand. It just kind of happened. I was playing a friendly singles match and started fooling around with it and noticed how much more “natural” it felt to me. Plus, I was getting good pace on it too…something I rarely get with the 2 hander. So I stuck with it for 3 matches now and it’s better than I thought and getting better. BUT……I started noticing a little elbow soreness after playing each time. Nothing like TE, but I don’t want to take any chances and want to stick with the one hander now for good.
So…. I think I need to stay away from the light, evenly balanced tweeners that need poly.

Here are my new desired specs that hopefully won’t aggravate my elbow on the one hander and also enhance it...

-11.5-11.8 oz static weight
- 4-6 pts headlite
-95-98 “ headsize
-flexible…stiffness 65 or less
-not “too much frame” for my 4.0 level

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated as usual…..

Some initial ideas I had were:

Donnay Pro One 97
Yonex VCore 95d
BLX 6.1 Team (adding weight to the handle to make more HL than the stock 2 pts)

Head Youtek IG Radical Pro

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by YesTennis

Another thought. What about the new Yonex V Core Xi 98?

too stiff............

[PrincessAdam]

You should give the Dunlop 3.0 Tour a look. Seems in your desired specs, but it does have a lot of power for a control oriented racquet. Its 18x20 pattern controls that though. I have a 1hbh and I think it is working very well for mine. It has almost no shock whatsoever too

[Chotobaka]

Not for nothing, but a 4.0 player should not be getting his/her knickers in a knot over racquets, let alone a half ounce difference in racquet weight. What's wrong with this picture?

[MikeHitsHard93]

Originally Posted by Chotobaka

Not for nothing, but a 4.0 player should not be getting his/her knickers in a knot over racquets, let alone a half ounce difference in racquet weight. What's wrong with this picture?

Totally agree with this. But, I think jack just loves trying new stuff out. I don't blame him! However I don't believe it's going to help him. I think he should stick with the juice.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by PrincessAdam

You should give the Dunlop 3.0 Tour a look. Seems in your desired specs, but it does have a lot of power for a control oriented racquet. Its 18x20 pattern controls that though. I have a 1hbh and I think it is working very well for mine. It has almost no shock whatsoever too

yes the specs are perfect except for the 18x20 tight pattern. Also I didn't care for the new feel of the new Dunlop. Hard to explain, but they have a weird and different feel to me that I dislike.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by Chotobaka

Not for nothing, but a 4.0 player should not be getting his/her knickers in a knot over racquets, let alone a half ounce difference in racquet weight. What's wrong with this picture?

a 1/2 oz. Is a pretty big difference in racquets, but that's not the point really.
its more of a stiffness and headsize issue.

[Disneos]

I'd say the pro one 97 donnay is known for their arm friendly racquets, I'm also considering switching to either the 16x19 or 18x20 pattern, though the PB10 mid is also on my possible switch list and might work well for you but that grip shape is .... ehh

[Matchball]

You should definitely try the Yonex Vcore 95 or the slightly lighter version.
It's a love or hate feel for most ones; I liked it when I tried it for a little.

Also, I do second the Pro One (I would also suggest the X dual Gold, but it has a thin frame).

You might want to try the Wilson Pro Tour BLX. If you do your research, you will find a version with a 16x20 pattern, lighter and more maneuverable than the one TW lists. It has an unbeatable price, a Wilson grip and it is not too thin ! I am a little skeptical about the low SW.

However, it should be fun to hit with it and it does fit your criteria.

[YesTennis]

Originally Posted by JackB1

What kind of gut you using?

I agree the S stock is perfect specs for me. I was surprised at how much I liked it today. Smooth feel and swings easily. Gotta see how it serves.

Wilson gut mains with Lxn Alu Rough crosses. I'm open to trying other options, so if you go gut/poly let us know what you try and your thoughts

[matchmaker]

No reason to change racquets for a backhand. What's next, buying a racquet for forehands and serve? Playing with a serve stick and a return stick? Changing racquets when you feel like going to the net?

I have hit millions of onehanded backhand and never had TE because of that. I have had lot of golfer elbow issues but the backhand was always where it would hurt least, actually it would not hurt at all, even if I couldn't hit a serve without pain.

Also I can hit a onehanded backhand with any racquet, whether it is a mid, a MP, light or heavy.

If you really wanna change racquets, look for something that slices well, does not have too high a swingweight (310 to 330), and is headlight (12 to 6pts hl).

The C10 pro is a good candidate.

[monomer]

I started playing in the 1970's with a 1-hander. I switched to a 2-hander last year. It is finally as reliable as the 1-hander and still improving. My advice is to use the racquet that works best for your FH and serve and is serviceable for your BH.

The best thing you can do to help your arm if you move to a 1HBH is to play a 12 oz. + racquet. If you don't want to move up to this I don't see a need for you to change racquets. For my 1-hander I prefer a very flexible 18x20 in the low to mid 12 oz. I really like the PT630 and also the Babolat Pure Storm LTD. I got much better results playing with an AeroPro (with some lead) since it improved my FH so much. Not the feel I like best for the 1HBH but I play a spin based game and the results are like night and day.

[Power Player]

Another thing about this that makes it a bad decision IMO. You are switching racquets for your weakest stroke? That is the worst way to go about things.

You want to do what monomer just said - focus on your serve and forehand. You like the juice and the tweeners because most likely you hit forehands well and feel comfortable serving with it. That juice is going to help you regroove your serve - its light and will get you tons of head speed.

Id just stay with the juice. Just commit to that stick for as long as possible and you will develop your game a lot faster. I hate switching racquets personally, and even though I have done it a lot, I have slowed down considerably. It is fun for a month or two since things are new, but I also lose that "automatic" feeling and have to get back to that point. If you think of it as lost time, it will help you stay with one racquet longer and you will develop that one hander.