The Wilson Steam 99s review everyone has been writing.

[Broly4]

It's stiff, as stiff as its competitors, I like the feel and the solidness for its weight. Due to the open pattern, and the fact that looses tension sooooo fast, it can be considered confortable for a 69.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by Buford T Justice

Dang....just did a quick check of the big auction site and saw 10 packs for 11 bucks!

It used to come in like a 780' reel or something like that, more than a normal 660' reel and was like 40 bucks.

J

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by Broly4

it can be considered confortable for a 69.

That's what she said.

J

[JGads]

Steam a surprisingly deadly serving stick. Loads of free points and perplexing accuracy. That was the biggest surprise from my demo session - that, and the fact that it also volleyed very well, another thing I didn't expect.

[Buford T Justice]

Originally Posted by J011yroger

Try my BBO/ALU job about 10# lower than you string the Gut/4G, and tell him to take a rip at the ball.

Let me know what he thinks, and how long it lasts.

J

I have also been tempted to try something like this in the Steam.....but in the back of my mind I think "Why?"

Lets say it plays GREAT! I can hit like touring pro! (Now that string would surely need to come with a genie in a bottle.......)

Im still not going to want to spend the fortune its going to cost to keep this frame's piehole stuffed full of tasty strings.

So......the path I am taking now is sticking my head in the sand.

I dont want to even know how much better something like Alu would be in this frame....so that I dont know what I am missing Thus...the Polylon approach.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by Buford T Justice

I have also been tempted to try something like this in the Steam.....but in the back of my mind I think "Why?"

Lets say it plays GREAT! I can hit like touring pro! (Now that string would surely need to come with a genie in a bottle.......)

Im still not going to want to spend the fortune its going to cost to keep this frame's piehole stuffed full of tasty strings.

So......the path I am taking now is sticking my head in the sand.

I dont want to even know how much better something like Alu would be in this frame....so that I dont know what I am missing Thus...the Polylon approach.

Yea, same applies to scotch.

J

[Buford T Justice]

Originally Posted by J011yroger

Would love to take some video and radar of my serves compared to my normal frames.

How do you guys get good radar readings on serves?

I ask as the only time Ive ever radar'ed was using this small "Pocket Radar" device my brother has that can only pick up the ball on the receiving end (i.e. the service box), so it doesnt give the speed off the strings.

Of course, I say this in my feeble defense as this device was only reading ~100 (103 max), when it would even get a reading, for my serves at the other end. I just dont know what 100-103 equals off the strings. (Afterwards, I learned that with this device and tennis serves, they suggest a stepladder right behind the server to be able to get reading that is comparable to the better radar guns. Sounds like too much trouble!)

In any case.....gone are the visions of 120 mph serves! LOL

[Broly4]

Originally Posted by J011yroger

That's what she said.

J

and the main reason I bought that stupid couch...

[tistrapukcipeht]

I though this was an awful racquet, so bad I could not play with it for 5 mins trying, thus I put it away, I don't know what string/tension they had it , for sure it was no gut to make it soft, but this thing was like concrete to me, really stiff, i was surprised, and it vibrated a lot as well.

[Dgdavid]

i think it is a good stick and takes most people longer than usual to get an impression on it. i have taken a slightly different route with the non-S 99 being my preference but I will probably add a 99S to the bag anyway.

[Torres]

I'm surprised that in all the reviews that no one's mentioned wanting to rebalance this stick with a bit more weight in the handle. Or that the point of stick, to have a lot of head weighting?

[Lakers4Life]

I totally agree with J011y. I think it's a great frame, something I've been looking for in while. That said, but it's not for everyone.

IF you are a chronic string breaker, this racket is not for you, but if you're not, this racket will possibly turn you into one. The reason I say that is, I've known a couple of people who have Natural Gut in thier rackets for over two years, and they play at least 2 to 3 times a week.

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by Torres

I'm surprised that in all the reviews that no one's mentioned wanting to rebalance this stick with a bit more weight in the handle. Or that the point of stick, to have a lot of head weighting?

Huh, the 99s is 5HL and the 105s is 8HL. Adding weight to the handle would only increase those numbers.

[Lakers4Life]

Originally Posted by racertempo

Huh, the 99s is 5HL and the 105s is 8HL. Adding weight to the handle would only increase those numbers.

The 105s is lighter than the 99s, by 15g, even with a wider beam. I guess if you wanted to ad weight to the handle, using the Wilson Hybrid grip or a leather grip.

[Pickle9]

hit with it tonight. its a little weird at first, its stiff but soft (if that's possible, maybe its the strings). once i got use to it it seemed to put a nice arch on the ball. i would like to try it with a full bed of alu rough or the appropriate string.

[Ross K]

Agree with virtually everything said by OP (inc. slightly lacking in the directional control dept.), and also agree with David above that it takes a bit longer than a lot of frames to get fully to grips with it.

I'm surprised that in all the reviews that no one's mentioned wanting to rebalance this stick with a bit more weight in the handle. Or that the point of stick, to have a lot of head weighting?

Torres, could you say more about what you mean here. For me, the balance seems a bit off. Could well be QC issue on my rac. Anyhow, a few too many UE on serve and ROS makes me sometimes think mine could do with being a bit more h/light.

[atatu]

Ok, well I guess I'll just say nice stick, but not for me, and I'm not really even a string breaker. I'm going to stick with my P1's or switch to the Blade 98.

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by JGads

Steam a surprisingly deadly serving stick. Loads of free points and perplexing accuracy. That was the biggest surprise from my demo session - that, and the fact that it also volleyed very well, another thing I didn't expect.

I'd like to echo this. I love the way it serves and volleys are just plain solid.


Nice write up, Jolly.

[corners]

Originally Posted by J011yroger

Tried it? I've never even heard of it.

J

Gosen Polymaster is a copoly with a rectangular cross-section. So 1.1 mm thick and 1.55 mm wide in the thicker version, Polymaster I. Poly strings break because interstring friction heats up the intersections, melting a notch into the main string, which is doing all the sliding around, that eventually gets so deep the string snaps.

A cross string with rectangular cross section should diffuse the friction-generated heat over a larger area of the main string. Instead of all the friction being focused on a "point" where the two circular strings interface, the main should lie along the entire 1.55mm width of the flat, ribbon-like Polymaster cross. In theory, this should result in much less localized heat, less melting, less notching, and ultimately longer string life.

The rub, in this case, is that Polymaster, being a very soft poly, has poor tension maintenance. All the best polys for tension maintenance are the stiff ones. But stringing a bit higher to compensate for the anticipated loss should work. And if using a kevlar main the softer cross might be welcome.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by corners

Gosen Polymaster is a copoly with a rectangular cross-section. So 1.1 mm thick and 1.55 mm wide in the thicker version, Polymaster I. Poly strings break because interstring friction heats up the intersections, melting a notch into the main string, which is doing all the sliding around, that eventually gets so deep the string snaps.

A cross string with rectangular cross section should diffuse the friction-generated heat over a larger area of the main string. Instead of all the friction being focused on a "point" where the two circular strings interface, the main should lie along the entire 1.55mm width of the flat, ribbon-like Polymaster cross. In theory, this should result in much less localized heat, less melting, less notching, and ultimately longer string life.

The rub, in this case, is that Polymaster, being a very soft poly, has poor tension maintenance. All the best polys for tension maintenance are the stiff ones. But stringing a bit higher to compensate for the anticipated loss should work. And if using a kevlar main the softer cross might be welcome.

Interesting concept. The reason poly enhances performance is the sliding out of place, and snapping back. Increasing surface area between strings would increase the static, and kinetic friction between the mains and crosses therby impeding the main's ability to be displaced and return rapidly.

J