New Donnay X-Series - My Thoughts

[gd!]

Tony, you're wrong and I explain you why; though X-Gold may offer closest specs compared to my current racquet I would like to take this additional information into consideration to go for any lighter Donnay racquet package and customize it with the kit.
So, any Donnay as of X-Silver and below static weight could be a reasonable choice to me. As these are lighter, only looking at weight and balance won't help though. Hence, additional information of head and grip weight would help to investigate in if one of these could be a candidate.
I may pay contribution to Donnay so far, but require this before paying money to them....thanks for reading.

[cayzi]

Originally Posted by gd!

Tony, you're wrong and I explain you why; though X-Gold may offer closest specs compared to my current racquet I would like to take this additional information into consideration to go for any lighter Donnay racquet package and customize it with the kit.
So, any Donnay as of X-Silver and below static weight could be a reasonable choice to me. As these are lighter, only looking at weight and balance won't help though. Hence, additional information of head and grip weight would help to investigate in if one of these could be a candidate.
I may pay contribution to Donnay so far, but require this before paying money to them....thanks for reading.

Then you should think of buying x silver light or silver.

What do you think regarding xdual pro?

Regards

[Shangri La]

Interested in more feedback on this racquet...

Description
For the high level and advanced player seeking unparalleled stability in a 21mm beam, the X-Dual 21mm model offers full sweetspot, power, control and shock absorption. 21mm Dual core provides unseen performance and longevity unattainable with conventional hollow single tube rackets. Full customization program is also available at RPNY Tennis.

Specifications
Head size: 97sqi
Unstrung Weight: 310g
Unstrung Balance: 315mm
Strung Weight: 11.5oz
Strung Balance: 5 Points HL
Strung Swing Wt: 318
String Pattern: 18x20
Stiffness (RDC): 64
Grip: Cushion
Rec. String Tension: 55lbs (+/- 5)
Beam Width: 21/21/21mm**
Length: 27



Supposedly James Blake's racquet of choice:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showt...=385554&page=2

[Fuji]

Hey all!

I've been lurking this thread since it came out, but I could never justify ordering a Donnay, although it seems they have so many new technologies, I really can't ignore it any longer.

Which Donnay is for me? I know there are some Donnay Experts here so I figured this would be the best place to look.

I'm an advancing 4.5 all court player, looking to be playing in university next year. I have a boat load of arm problems, but they do seem to be clearing up, which is great. I usually end points in under 10 shots. My whole goal is to try and take the net at some point to clean up whatever mess my groundstrokes make. Serving and volleying are what my game are built on, but my forehand and backhand are no joke either. I can hit with a fair bit of topspin on both sides, although my backhand I tend to hit flatter for a normal rally shot.

I'm looking for something with a softer feel, and from the sounds of it the platinum is out of the question for me, other then that; I need help!

Thanks in advance experts, I look forward to hearing from you!

-Fuji

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by Fuji

Hey all!

I've been lurking this thread since it came out, but I could never justify ordering a Donnay, although it seems they have so many new technologies, I really can't ignore it any longer.

Which Donnay is for me? I know there are some Donnay Experts here so I figured this would be the best place to look.

I'm an advancing 4.5 all court player, looking to be playing in university next year. I have a boat load of arm problems, but they do seem to be clearing up, which is great. I usually end points in under 10 shots. My whole goal is to try and take the net at some point to clean up whatever mess my groundstrokes make. Serving and volleying are what my game are built on, but my forehand and backhand are no joke either. I can hit with a fair bit of topspin on both sides, although my backhand I tend to hit flatter for a normal rally shot.

I'm looking for something with a softer feel, and from the sounds of it the platinum is out of the question for me, other then that; I need help!

Thanks in advance experts, I look forward to hearing from you!

-Fuji

I'm a similar player (strong 4.5 S&V player who plays probably 50/50 singles/doubles) and previously used a K90 before I developed a wrist problem. I wanted a more flexible feeling racquet with a larger sweetspot that felt similar to the K90 without hurting my wrist. I switched to the Donnay X-Dark Red 94 and found it to be EXACTLY what I was looking for. Trust me, this frame is great for S&V, serves are similar to the K90, with slightly less power but more control and more spin. Volleys don't quite have the K90 solidness, but they're close and they're effortless.

I find myself missing much fewer shots with the X-DR than I used to with the K90. And although I miss some of the putaway power that I used to enjoy with the K90, the control, spin, and consistency more than makes up for it. I also modified mine slightly by replacing the stock grip with the TW leather (1.3mm thickness), added 2 grams each at 3 and 9 o'clock, and added 3 grams just underneath the bridge. Total weight is 362 grams.

I've tried a number of string setups with the Dark Red without much luck. It seems to be fairly sensitive to string selection and tension. However, I did like the TW demo racquet setup (Cyberflash mains and PSGD crosses at mid tension) and I absolutely LOVE Tour Bite strung at 30 lb. You may want to try a slightly higher tension, but I'm loving the Tour Bite overall.

[Fuji]

Originally Posted by TonyB

I'm a similar player (strong 4.5 S&V player who plays probably 50/50 singles/doubles) and previously used a K90 before I developed a wrist problem. I wanted a more flexible feeling racquet with a larger sweetspot that felt similar to the K90 without hurting my wrist. I switched to the Donnay X-Dark Red 94 and found it to be EXACTLY what I was looking for. Trust me, this frame is great for S&V, serves are similar to the K90, with slightly less power but more control and more spin. Volleys don't quite have the K90 solidness, but they're close and they're effortless.

I find myself missing much fewer shots with the X-DR than I used to with the K90. And although I miss some of the putaway power that I used to enjoy with the K90, the control, spin, and consistency more than makes up for it. I also modified mine slightly by replacing the stock grip with the TW leather (1.3mm thickness), added 2 grams each at 3 and 9 o'clock, and added 3 grams just underneath the bridge. Total weight is 362 grams.

I've tried a number of string setups with the Dark Red without much luck. It seems to be fairly sensitive to string selection and tension. However, I did like the TW demo racquet setup (Cyberflash mains and PSGD crosses at mid tension) and I absolutely LOVE Tour Bite strung at 30 lb. You may want to try a slightly higher tension, but I'm loving the Tour Bite overall.

That's so funny you mention that! That was one of the Donnays I was looking at as well! It seems to be a pretty good match for what I need! I've seen raving reviews for Tour Bite at lower tensions!

How comfortable is it on the wrist and arm? I've been browsing slightly healthier options then my KPS88, but the game I play with it is quite good, which is making it difficult!

-Fuji

[TonyB]

Originally Posted by Fuji

That's so funny you mention that! That was one of the Donnays I was looking at as well! It seems to be a pretty good match for what I need! I've seen raving reviews for Tour Bite at lower tensions!

How comfortable is it on the wrist and arm? I've been browsing slightly healthier options then my KPS88, but the game I play with it is quite good, which is making it difficult!

-Fuji

Well, some of them may be MY reviews for the Tour Bite. But I really think it suits this frame well. I tried a bunch of different strings, hybrids, etc. and the Tour Bite stands out clearly as being much better than the others.

As I said, my wrist pain is gone. I have no elbow pain with this frame with any string combination. I recently added the 3 grams at the bridge, but I had no issues without the weight, either.

I wanted a more flexible frame than the K90, with a larger sweet spot, and I found it. I hardly have any mis-hits anymore and even on off-center shots the frame still feels comfortable. My doubles play has become MUCH more consistent, even though I can't punish the ball like I can with the K90. The Dark Red just feels SOLID and swings very easily. I'm happy with it for now, but it will take some getting used to because it does swing different than the K90. It is similar enough where I shouldn't have to work too hard to get my timing back.

[Enthu]

Could you please give me your thoughts on the Donnay X Dual Silver Lite 99. Is it smooth? Does it have tortional stability on off-center shots? Can it handle heavy shots. Does it have power on the run or does one have to produce all the power?
I am a 50 year old lady who enjoys hitting hard like in my younger tourmanent playing days. Am playing after a very long layoff and have run into wrist/elbow issues.
Specs seem appealing as I am looking for a wrist/elbow/arm friendly stick. 61 stiffness, 298 grams swingweight, 2points headlite & 301 grams weight. Wish it were more headlite though. Would be easy on my wrist.
Look forward to your opinion.

[Enthu]

Could you please give me your thoughts on the Donnay X Dual Silver Lite 99. Is it smooth? Does it have tortional stability on off-center shots? Can it handle heavy shots. Does it have power on the run or does one have to produce all the power?
I am a 50 year old lady who enjoys hitting hard like in my younger tourmanent playing days. Am playing after a very long layoff and have run into wrist/elbow issues.
Specs seem appealing as I am looking for a wrist/elbow/arm friendly stick. 61 stiffness, 298 grams swingweight, 2points headlite & 301 grams weight. Wish it were more headlite though. Would be easy on my wrist.
Look forward to your opinion.

[gd!]

After reading a lot during last couple of weeks about X and X-Dual line I decided myself to try out X-Yellow, X-White, X-Silver lite but add 10g butt cap + 3g head slide; this should bring specs close to X-Silver but at remarkable lower stiffness! To do so I have a customization kit on order from TW.

Will see if the lower stiffness will allow for increased dwell time I desperately require for my one handed backhand. Secondly the lower stiffness may provide less power level compared to X-Silver which would be nice, too.

Appreciate to receive further information and ideas on how the above racquets would perform with 10g but cap and 3g head slide. I assume the feel of hitting / ball striking the stringbed will not change by using head slide only?!

Thanks gd!

[suppawat]

Originally Posted by gd!

After reading a lot during last couple of weeks about X and X-Dual line I decided myself to try out X-Yellow, X-White, X-Silver , but add 10g butt cap + 3g head slide; this should bring specs close to X-Silver but at remarkable lower stiffness! To do so I have a customization kit on order from TW.

Will see if the lower stiffness will allow for increased dwell time I desperately require for my one handed backhand. Secondly the lower stiffness may provide less power level compared to X-Silver which would be nice, too.

Appreciate to receive further information and ideas on how the above racquets would perform with 10g but cap and 3g head slide. I assume the feel of hitting / ball striking the stringbed will not change by using head slide only?!

Thanks gd!

Hi GD,

I have tried the yellow with 2x3g weight slides at 3/9 and found it too heavy and sluggish. The stock form Yellow already has a right weight and balance for me. I haven't tried White and Silver Lite long enough, but long enough to know that I like Yellow 99 and Gold 99 better

For Gold 99, it doesn't make much difference from Silver 99 when both of them are in stock form. So I keep customizing the Gold 99 until I found adding 3g weight slide at the top and +10g butt cap is perfect for me. Main reason I installed 3g weight slide at the top because I found the frame vibrated on mishit near the top of hoop. It also add dynamic flex on fast swing.

[cayzi]

Originally Posted by suppawat

Hi GD,

I have tried the yellow with 2x3g weight slides at 3/9 and found it too heavy and sluggish. The stock form Yellow already has a right weight and balance for me. I haven't tried White and Silver Lite long enough, but long enough to know that I like Yellow 99 and Gold 99 better

For Gold 99, it doesn't make much difference from Silver 99 when both of them are in stock form. So I keep customizing the Gold 99 until I found adding 3g weight slide at the top and +10g butt cap is perfect for me. Main reason I installed 3g weight slide at the top because I found the frame vibrated on mishit near the top of hoop. It also add dynamic flex on fast swing.

Suppawat: how would you compare character of x-red vs. Gold vs silver.

Thanks

[JMcQ]

Originally Posted by cayzi

Suppawat: how would you compare character of x-red vs. Gold vs silver.

Thanks

I'd be interested as well. I just started a thread wondering what the similarities/differences were between the X-Red and the Gold.

[suppawat]

Originally Posted by cayzi

Suppawat: how would you compare character of x-red vs. Gold vs silver.

Thanks

Even though Gold 99 is a replacement for Red 99, but I found good reasons to keep Red 99 The Red 99 is a versatile racquet and definitely has more feel than Gold 99. Swingweight is pretty low (like KBlade Tour), I can play it in stock form or with 3 weight slides installed. Those who are feel-oriented players who have full swing with slow-medium downswing and fast follow thru will enjoy the smooth and solid feel of Red99. The string that works best is Tour Bite + Synthetic or full job of Solinco Barb Wire. Actually, several top juniors here use the Red 99. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR6jXIM1-lY

Gold 99 on the other hands, has a huge sweet spot and definitely more power. On ball impact, it has a softer and more mute feel with nearly zero shock to my arm. In stock form, I found racquet swings a bit too light and hitting near the top hoop generate vibration. +3g weight slide at 12 o'clock solve the vibration problem. I think the Gold 99 is good for hard-hitters who don't want to worry about hitting off-center. One to note, I found all dual core racquets swing lighter than X-Series racquets in the same weight. When you buy dual core racquets, consider buying customization kits too.

[prjacobs]

Originally Posted by suppawat

Even though Gold 99 is a replacement for Red 99, but I found good reasons to keep Red 99 The Red 99 is a versatile racquet and definitely has more feel than Gold 99. Swingweight is pretty low (like KBlade Tour), I can play it in stock form or with 3 weight slides installed. Those who are feel-oriented players who have full swing with slow-medium downswing and fast follow thru will enjoy the smooth and solid feel of Red99. The string that works best is Tour Bite + Synthetic or full job of Solinco Barb Wire. Actually, several top juniors here use the Red 99. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR6jXIM1-lY

Gold 99 on the other hands, has a huge sweet spot and definitely more power. On ball impact, it has a softer and more mute feel with nearly zero shock to my arm. In stock form, I found racquet swings a bit too light and hitting near the top hoop generate vibration. +3g weight slide at 12 o'clock solve the vibration problem. I think the Gold 99 is good for hard-hitters who don't want to worry about hitting off-center. One to note, I found all dual core racquets swing lighter than X-Series racquets in the same weight. When you buy dual core racquets, consider buying customization kits too.

How you you find serving with the Gold 99?
Thanks...

[cayzi]

Originally Posted by suppawat

Even though Gold 99 is a replacement for Red 99, but I found good reasons to keep Red 99 The Red 99 is a versatile racquet and definitely has more feel than Gold 99. Swingweight is pretty low (like KBlade Tour), I can play it in stock form or with 3 weight slides installed. Those who are feel-oriented players who have full swing with slow-medium downswing and fast follow thru will enjoy the smooth and solid feel of Red99. The string that works best is Tour Bite + Synthetic or full job of Solinco Barb Wire. Actually, several top juniors here use the Red 99. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR6jXIM1-lY

Gold 99 on the other hands, has a huge sweet spot and definitely more power. On ball impact, it has a softer and more mute feel with nearly zero shock to my arm. In stock form, I found racquet swings a bit too light and hitting near the top hoop generate vibration. +3g weight slide at 12 o'clock solve the vibration problem. I think the Gold 99 is good for hard-hitters who don't want to worry about hitting off-center. One to note, I found all dual core racquets swing lighter than X-Series racquets in the same weight. When you buy dual core racquets, consider buying customization kits too.

If gold is new red how then orange compare to silver?

[cayzi]

Originally Posted by JMcQ

I'd be interested as well. I just started a thread wondering what the similarities/differences were between the X-Red and the Gold.

More info here:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showp...postcount=1444

[Mig1NC]

I much prefer the silver to orange. The silver had a much bigger sweet zone and more comfortable feel than the orange, with more power.

Serves were much better with the silver than the orange.

[cayzi]

Originally Posted by Mig1NC

I much prefer the silver to orange. The silver had a much bigger sweet zone and more comfortable feel than the orange, with more power.

Serves were much better with the silver than the orange.

Ok then in question are just GOLD or RED. I really like SILVER but still I would like to try other Donnay. On the other hand money is an issue.

[gd!]

Hi

Donnay live chat is not willing or able to answer my Q, hence I may try here.
Anybody who knows which other grommets fit to X-Yellow? Just for optical reason but I would prefer something like Silver lite grommets.

Thanks for helping.

edit

Originally Posted by cayzi

I really like SILVER but still I would like to try other Donnay. On the other hand money is an issue.

You're infected rather than injected