Diary of a Racketaholic

[ryushen21]

I just had my first real session with the i.Prestige mid. Absolutely amazing frame. Just so very good. I have created a new thread to chronicle my playtest.

[ryushen21]

I've done more hitting with the i.Prestige and had a few hits with the Ace as well. Very interesting so far. I'm taking the first hits with the Donnay today.

[Power Player]

Donnay has a different feel to it so be patient.

The dualie feels much more prestigey. I am going to hopefully be free this weekend and try and let Bad Call weigh in. He has a lot of experience with the Prestige as well.

[Ross K]

Dear diary,

Sometimes a picture can just say it all...



Arghh! Terrible day today. Worst I've played for a while. Tour Bite in my APD/C definitely dead. Too much power and dodgy control. I actually begun with my APD Original, but mod in the butt (fishing weight) came loose and wouldn't stop rattling and making a weird noise despite atttempts to sort out. Felt out of shape and not ready for the hot weather (yes, contrary to what some may believe, the sun does occasionally shine in the England! ). Was left for dead or passed so often by droppers/spinny touch stuff by my opponent at the b-line today it's untrue. And to finish up on this day of infamy, for the hundredth time, I didn't feel comfortable with how the APD/C felt modded on the hoop, and ended up stripping all of it.

A flipping NIGHTMARE out there today.

Okay then guys, time to bash my head against the wall... and should I survive that, there's only one other possible avenue to explore... time for some real racketaholic s****!


R

[Power Player]

Noo..you have to have some bad days with the racquet for it to be your friend. It's not the racquets fault that you were hurting out there, plus you had dead strings..trust me..restring the stick..hydrate yourself and get rested. If you continue to suck with the racquet, I will be surprised.

What happened was you were almost guaranteed not preparing in time, overthinking the racquet, and were fatigued. Add dead poly to that and it's a bad thing. If you think like you need to switch racquets every time you have a bad day, you will never get better and never learn your racquet.

I hit with the tourbite in the Platinum..tour bite seems to work better in the black..but to be fair. I had literally just pulled it off the stringer before trying it out. I will spend more time with it tomorrow, but I really enjoyed the racquet. Swings so light for it's specs. The Black helps with my consistency and the platinum is even a little better at it. It swings a little easier than the black, but switching to the black when my grip got wet was no problem.

This thing is still reminding me of a prestige. It is easy to aim your shots, but you can rip them with more spin than the prestige. Basically I can moonball someone's backhand if I need to get back in a point, and then I can flatten out a cross courter. In typical donnay fashion, I feel like I can do anything to the ball.

I would say that the platinum would be great with a multi at 57ish as a poly in the 40s..it seems very flexible.

[Fed Kennedy]

Ross dead poly will make any racquet feel like crap. If you dont string yourself and dont break string I would play thin gauge signum strings for a more uh...stable experience.

Hyperion 17 in your N95...eh?

[Ross K]

Severiano Ballesteros - RIP...




R

[Meaghan]

Rossy it sounds like a bad day at the office and I know it hurts as it seems like a major set back and you have to set it all in motion again.

You seem to have a lot of love for those extended frames with hefty SW yet struggle to maintain your level cos of the weight. When you try this with modded standard rackets that are lighter you feel they are not stable enough and tinny etc etc. I also understand that hoop mods can be problematic and its a very delicate business to get right otherwise its straight up cumbrsome street.
Ive managed with the extended bc30 to have the kinda feel, ease and power I had with the pc+ swirly whilst keeping the weight down to the 330g (ok Im back with my beloved bc20 but thats a serving issue more than anything). The result is a manouverable, easy to use racket that doesnt feel long (due to the elongated 100" headshape) that is as stable as a heavy racket and has the build quality you desire.

Its finding a racket tha has such stability and build quality that doesnt twist etc wrapped up in a lighter, easy to use frame.

If you would like I can send you my extended bc30 to playtest, see what its like, you dont need to go to the hassle of trying to extend it yourself....take the grip off and remove it and try it stock, call me, I can put it in the mail for you Monday??

[Ross K]

PP,

Cheers. Yeah, for sure, those factors are all spot on. Fear not, I'm not going to go on a major racketaholic odyssey because of one 'bad day at the office' (that's your job anyway - ha, ha! )


Meags,

Sent you an email.


Fed,

Well, I loved Hyperion - in my YTPP. However, Tour Bite, in my APD and PC+ absolutely blew my mind as if Jimi Hendrix himself has plugged his guitar straight into my brain and played the solo from "Purple Haze. ... " Now, I could be very wrong, but I'm not so sure I'd like it in my APD. I'm certainly not ruling it out though....

BTW, QSN. I can guess the answer, but your fave strings in the PST are?...

BTW2, re the N95... hmm, I've kind of ruled out any serious look at it as, for my present tastes, I suspect I'd find it too h/light and a bit clubby and rough/abrasive feeling... that said, with these new soft polys, I know you could argue it would play/feel a lot nicer...besides that, if I was to seriously get back into 6.1 95 territory the open pattern BLX would be where my curiosity would reside...

"BIG SIGH" Man, so many frames, so little time.


R

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by Ross K

PP,

Cheers. Yeah, for sure, those factors are all spot on. Fear not, I'm not going to go on a major racketaholic odyssey because of one 'bad day at the office' (that's your job anyway - ha, ha! )

Know you are kidding, but I can honestly say I never do that. A bad day is a bad day..they suck though. Especially with dead poly..uggh. Another reason I like the Black Magic string is I can play through when it's dead and survive the match before going home and cutting it out. I have a feeling the tourbite is not so kind in that regard.

I walked away from a stick after a good day though..the K95. I knew it was awesome, but it swung slow for me and was stiff. It was tough because those racquets are so nice. If I was 6'2, 200ish, I think it would be for me, but I need a little more racquet head speed and need my swingweights a little lower when I play against really solid players.

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Know you are kidding, but I can honestly say I never do that. A bad day is a bad day..they suck though. Especially with dead poly..uggh. Another reason I like the Black Magic string is I can play through when it's dead and survive the match before going home and cutting it out. I have a feeling the tourbite is not so kind in that regard.

Yep, kidding totally. BTW, I think you're correct on that latter point.
R

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Yep, kidding totally. BTW, I think you're correct on that latter point.
R

I have to be honest, so far the Tourbite is just a real nice poly, but not Gibson into Marshall, Clapton era Bluesbreakers godtone.

I am going to hit with Badcall in an hour and I will see how it goes in day 2. The B5e and Black Magic sit in their packages screaming for attention. I am all about feel and playability with my polys..dont care about much more than that because in my mind it is a poly and i know im going to get the spin I want.

Who knows ..the ultimate setup for the Platinum could be a hybrid..I really like full poly beds though. Matching a string to your new racquets is always fun. You can get lucky sometimes and hit gold in a few string jobs, but since these donnays are so new and unique, I really have no feedback to go by yet.

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by Power Player

I have to be honest, so far the Tourbite is just a real nice poly, but not Gibson into Marshall, Clapton era Bluesbreakers godtone.

I am going to hit with Badcall in an hour and I will see how it goes in day 2. The B5e and Black Magic sit in their packages screaming for attention. I am all about feel and playability with my polys..dont care about much more than that because in my mind it is a poly and i know im going to get the spin I want.

Who knows ..the ultimate setup for the Platinum could be a hybrid..I really like full poly beds though. Matching a string to your new racquets is always fun. You can get lucky sometimes and hit gold in a few string jobs, but since these donnays are so new and unique, I really have no feedback to go by yet.

The combo that really did it for me was TB in the PC+ Swirl... the planets just aligned with these 2 (a particular stringbed feel so sensational Hendrix, K. Richards, Muddy Waters, Wes Montgomery, Djanjo Reindhart, etc, could have solo-ed on it! )I actually took my 2 APDs to the stringer this morning and am having 1 done with Sol/TB @ 50 lbs, and the other with B5E @ 47 lbs. I've also decided to look a bit more when the mood comes over me at the PC+ Swirl, and have gone with Revolution @ 50 ibs.

R

[Power Player]

wow b5e at 47#s..seriously interested in how this works for you because I am thinking it could be gold in that racquet. Possible Jimmy Page/Yardbirds level Telecaster tone.

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by Power Player

wow b5e at 47#s..seriously interested in how this works for you because I am thinking it could be gold in that racquet. Possible Jimmy Page/Yardbirds level Telecaster tone.

Yes, I've researched, read the B5E threads and posts, looked at my tastes and decided to jump in @ 47s ... anyhow, I'm taking a leaf out of Hendrix's book; the GGOAT of course tuned his Strat low.

R

[Rabbit]

I was asked to contribute....

I just ditched 2 Aerostorms and a Babolat 6-pack bag to a fellow boarder. The three were 6 months or so old.

Long live the Prince Exo 3 Team!

My name is rabbit and I'm a racketaholic...

[Power Player]

Ross the Tourbite is definitely too powerful for the Donnays, so it makes sense that it will not work in your Babs. I am going B5e next like yourself, and I think that will work out better.

[Devilito]

Hey Power Player… I have switched racquets. To the Head Youtek Prestige MP. Pretty much because I was looking for an 18x20 stick, a larger headsize, and the fact that my friend gave me 3 for free lol. Tried them out and loved them. He had them originally strung with an Alu BB hybrid at 60 lbs it was HORRID. I have some experience stringing tighter string beds with full poly and I strung the stick up with 17 gauge Black Code at 36 lbs. Oh my it felt like butter. So nice. I only bring this up because of the similar string bed our racquets share. MP and 18x20. If you’re looking for a full poly job in something that tight definitely try a 17 strung low low low. Anything full poly close to 50lbs in the 18x20 felt stiff, unforgiving and tennis elbow inducing.

[bad_call]

Devilito - u got some nice friends.

[Power Player]

Damn..3 for free eh? That's awesome. Those are real good sticks and you can mod them as well. Some polys are good at low tensions like you are saying, but others are better closer to 50. I just put some B5E at 49#s in the Platinum.it will probably drop to 45 or so and I'll see how it plays. The tourbite was just too powerful for me in the platinum.