Roger’s BLX90

[DownTheLineWith90]

Originally Posted by Homeboy Hotel

Federer been doing a Wilson 2014 shoot in Indian Wells this week. These pictures from Wilson's facebook with Federer in his Wimbledon 2013 outfit.

A pretty strategic photo, I must say. At first it may not seem like it, but you barely see the racquet he's holding (for 2014) or any real details in the design of his Wimbledon outfit - apart from it being, uh..white as expected. New PJ for 2014?



http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

I don't think there will be a new PJ in 2014.
I thought Wilson changes the PJ every three years?

Also, those vapors are just the current Indian Wells, Orange-White colorway.
No biggie there.

The new bag looks more simplistic... Interesting.

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by DownTheLineWith90

I don't think there will be a new PJ in 2014.
I thought Wilson changes the PJ every three years?

The previous BLX 90 (red and black) paintjob only lasted 2 years (Jan. 2010 to Jan. 2012) before Wilson switched to the current white PS BLX 90 paintjob.

[trilix]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint

The previous BLX 90 (red and black) paintjob only lasted 2 years (Jan. 2010 to Jan. 2012) before Wilson switched to the current white PS BLX 90 paintjob.

Maybe it depends on his success with the frame

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by trilix

Maybe it depends on his success with the frame

Actually, it depends on how much money Wilson decides it wants to make as they know fan boys will buy the latest paintjob no matter what just to look like their idol Federer.

[frinton]

Originally Posted by DownTheLineWith90

I don't think there will be a new PJ in 2014.
I thought Wilson changes the PJ every three years?

Also, those vapors are just the current Indian Wells, Orange-White colorway.
No biggie there.

The new bag looks more simplistic... Interesting.

Maybe they were just taking general pictures and then they fotoshop the shirt design in as needed. ...basically this would be a PJ of shirts and shorts then ...wouldn't surprise me.

[DownTheLineWith90]

Thanks for the correction, BP. Always spot on.
Yeah, I guess the "no biggie" i said previously was a no brainer itself_
This indeed looks like a photoshoot that wilson will end up photoshopping.

[Sander001]

I like the black+red paint scheme much more than the current one.

[augustobt]

The bag is different, so the racket in 2014 will have a new paintjob.

[DownTheLineWith90]

Maybe all red?

[darklore009]

black/red/ white? i like the ncode and k factor pj

[drakulie]

Originally Posted by kkm

I know that I am responding to a very old thread, but James Blake's customizer is Peter Gabriel, which is not a secret, in fact a long time ago Blake's web site mentioned Peter Gabriel as his customizer, also a few years ago the Wall Street Journal wrote an article about customizers including P1, RPNY, Bosworth, and Gabriel, and listed Blake as a Gabriel client.

That doesn't mean Brotman hasn't done customizing for him. I've witnessed it first hand. Also, Gabriel is hardly the only person in the world who places lead on frames in that fashion.

[jimbo333]

This is my friend's 2009 Federer K90 (racket number 56) mentioned on page 8 of this thread (photos etc below). Finally got around to measuring the specs:-

Weight: 367g (including everything and has 3g lead under the bumper at 12 o'clock)
Balance: 32.2cm
Swingweight: 350



And are these yours knots RJYU? LOL

Originally Posted by RJYU

Yup. Those are my knots. Or, as Nate calls them, "Those beehive looking pieces of sh*t."

The specs are very similar to those of a Federer K90 as measured by Art Art at Roland Garros which are below. He checked that racket, which had no lead under the bumper by the way.
RDC: 68
Weight: 367gr
Balance point: 31.8cm from the but cap
Wilson Gut 1.25mm/AluPower 1.25mm
Wilson overgrip.

If you can imagine some lead was moved from somewhere under the grip in Art Art's, to under the bumper in my friend's racket, that would explain the difference in the balance. I also think there must be a way to do this without changing the swingweight, but it depends where the lead was under the grip in Art Art's racket, and we will never know that unfortunately.

Also the above is the only time I've seen one of Federer's racket tested for RDC, interesting to see it is 68. It is really a pity Art Art wasn't able to get the swingweight checked for that racket, but at least both of these have been checked for lead under the bumper. Fabfed has been brilliant showing all his rackets, but understandably doesn't want to check under the bumper for lead. I looked under the bumper on my friends racket, and it was not easy to do without damaging the bumper!

[corners]

Jimbo, THANK YOU for the swingweight!!!!!

[jimbo333]

Originally Posted by corners

Jimbo, THANK YOU for the swingweight!!!!!

Cheers, just to let you know I did use the manual method though, but with many repetitions so I think 350 is quite accurate, I would suggest to +/-5.

By the way, can you see a way for it to be possible that even with the different balances, that both rackets above could have the same swingweight?

[corners]

Originally Posted by jimbo333

Cheers, just to let you know I did use the manual method though, but with many repetitions so I think 350 is quite accurate, I would suggest to +/-5.

Have you used the manual method before? Have you ever checked the numbers you get against an RDC machine? Any chance you could put it on an RDC for swingweight and flex?

Sorry to suggest more work for you, but this is for the historical record after all.

By the way, can you see a way for it to be possible that even with the different balances, that both rackets above could have the same swingweight?

Yeah, I think, given that P1 puts custom handles on Fed's frames and probably adds moss inside the handle as well, that swingweight and static weight could remain constant and the balance could be changed from 31.8 cm to 32.2 cm. It would simply requiring removing about 10 grams from the buttcap area to the top of the grip.

I have the impression that pros might be inclined to add mass to the head for clay, rather than remove it, so I wouldn't think the shorter balance that ArtArt measured represents a movement of mass from the tip to the tail. But I could be wrong! Given that FabFed's fedsticks all weighed around 364 grams, the most obvious explanation for ArtArt's 367g, 31.8cm measurements is that Fed just added three grams to the butt to make it more headlight. But then your stick, having the same mass but longer balance, makes it all a bit mysterious. (Are you certain that your balance measurement is correct?)

Nevertheless, yours is the first publicly reported swingweight for the GOAT. In the annals of tennis legend equipment, knowing Mr. Federer's swingweight ranks right up there with knowing that Don Budge used 16 ounce racquets. Some people still say he had the best one-handed backhand, and backhand return of serve, of all time. Equipment sure isn't everything, but it is important.

[jimbo333]

Originally Posted by corners

Have you used the manual method before? Have you ever checked the numbers you get against an RDC machine? Any chance you could put it on an RDC for swingweight and flex?

Sorry to suggest more work for you, but this is for the historical record after all.

Yeah, I think, given that P1 puts custom handles on Fed's frames, that swingweight and static weight could remain constant and the balance could be changed from 31.8 cm to 32.2 cm. It would simply requiring removing about 10 grams from the buttcap area to the top of the grip.

I have the impression that pros might be inclined to add mass to the head for clay, rather than remove it, so I wouldn't think the shorter balance that ArtArt measured represents a movement of mass from the tip to the tail. But I could be wrong!

Are you certain that your balance measurement is correct?

Given that FabFed's fedsticks all weighed around 364 grams, the most obvious explanation for ArtArt's 367g, 31.8cm measurements is that Fed just added three grams to the butt to make it more headlight. But then your stick, having the same mass but longer balance, makes it all a bit mysterious.

Nevertheless, yours is the first publicly reported swingweight for the GOAT. In the annals of tennis legend equipment, knowing Mr. Federer's swingweight ranks right up there with knowing that Don Budge used 16 ounce racquets. Some people still say he had the best one-handed backhand, and backhand return of serve, of all time. Equipment sure isn't everything, but it is important.

Yes, I've done lots of manual swingweight measurements before, and they are accurate compared to an RDC machine, always to within like I said +-5. You might not consider that accurate, but actually quite good for manual measurements I think. It's taken 3 years to get this done, so I can't see it going on an RDC machine any time soon frankly, but if it does, will report back here.

As for the balance, I've done it off a table, so that is to within +-3mm. Again it needs a proper balance board measurement really, to be exact.

Thanks for all your info/calculations. Art Art also measured a Wimbledon racket at 362g I believe, so I think Federer's racket weight does change for different tournaments. I still think the likelihood is that the swingweight is about the same though.

[ART ART]

@jimbo333: The curious part here, is to know the specs of your old Federer black prostaff.

When I took the specs of Federer racket, I was told by an "old guy" (Tony) that Federer plays with the old black ProStaff 85 but with a bigger headsize: 90.
So I wonder what's the numbers in those black rackets you have.

Agains't Portugal in the Davis Cup, I saw in the court Federer playing with the 90" version, and then change to the new 93" version, the one that Dimitrov is playing.
Some inside guy at that time, told me that Fed was testing in competition, the new larger headsize of his ProStaff...
Later, we have found that it was truth, and Dimitrov is now using it.

Cheers

[corners]

Originally Posted by jimbo333

Yes, I've done lots of manual swingweight measurements before, and they are accurate compared to an RDC machine, always to within like I said +-5. You might not consider that accurate, but actually quite good for manual measurements I think. It's taken 3 years to get this done, so I can't see it going on an RDC machine any time soon frankly, but if it does, will report back here.

Sorry Jimbo. I didn't mean to give the impression that I doubted your measurements. I assumed you knew what you were doing, but just wanted to make sure.

As for the balance, I've done it off a table, so that is to within +-3mm. Again it needs a proper balance board measurement really, to be exact.

I think you can get pretty darn close off a table. Better than +-3mm.

Thanks for all your info/calculations. Art Art also measured a Wimbledon racket at 362g I believe, so I think Federer's racket weight does change for different tournaments. I still think the likelihood is that the swingweight is about the same though.

I would be inclined to agree that swingweight would be the last thing that Fed would change if he's tweaking specs during the season. But we could be totally wrong about that too.

Thanks again for filling in the swingweight gap. It's been a long time coming!

[jimbo333]

Originally Posted by corners

Sorry Jimbo. I didn't mean to give the impression that I doubted your measurements. I assumed you knew what you were doing, but just wanted to make sure.

I think you can get pretty darn close off a table. Better than +-3mm.

I would be inclined to agree that swingweight would be the last thing that Fed would change if he's tweaking specs during the season. But we could be totally wrong about that too.

Thanks again for filling in the swingweight gap. It's been a long time coming!

Honestly I don't mind you checking things with me. Thinking about it balance point off the table could be +-2mm, but i really don't think more accurate than that.

I've said this before, but Ron, Nate etc must be having a good laugh at us trying to work all of this out. I really hope once Roger retires, they will tell us the exact details!

[jimbo333]

Originally Posted by ART ART

@jimbo333: The curious part here, is to know the specs of your old Federer black prostaff.

When I took the specs of Federer racket, I was told by an "old guy" (Tony) that Federer plays with the old black ProStaff 85 but with a bigger headsize: 90.
So I wonder what's the numbers in those black rackets you have.

Agains't Portugal in the Davis Cup, I saw in the court Federer playing with the 90" version, and then change to the new 93" version, the one that Dimitrov is playing.
Some inside guy at that time, told me that Fed was testing in competition, the new larger headsize of his ProStaff...
Later, we have found that it was truth, and Dimitrov is now using it.

Cheers

Yes, it is interesting that Federer seemed to stick to his 90. I'm guessing at the end of the day the 93 just felt too different (in a bad way).

Now the problem with my Federer PSTour90 from May 2003 is that it isn't a typical Federer 90 racket, he only used this version for a month. Also it isn't fully set-up. Although if i put the lead back in the throat, restring with correct string/power pads, and add overgrip; then it will at least be as he used it. I will measure the specs then, I can't see any point in doing it before then.