federer's racquet

[tonygao]

hi Guys,

I guess it must have been discussed for many years, that how Federer's actual racquet is different from the retail K90. but is there any consensus about it?

I just want to know the answer to one simple question, material wise, are they the same? made out of exactly the same ingredients? or Federer's racquet has higher percentage of graphite?

[RF20Lennon]

one my friends got his racket and she showed it to me and I compared mine to his and weighs the same looks the same. I mean hes using the same racket basically since 2004 with different paintjobs but i think his racket has more graphite yes and feels smoother to swing with dunno why

[tonygao]

is it still an ever-lasting myth or it's that this quesiton is too simple too naive, so that no one cares to answer it?

[フェデラー]

Originally Posted by tonygao

is it still an ever-lasting myth or it's that this quesiton is too simple too naive, so that no one cares to answer it?

It's probably a myth unless one day Fabfed decides to cut one of his rackets open. Only then would we actually know about the composition on the inside. Otherwise, there is no reason not to believe that he has a stock stick with custom molded handle, and leaded up to his specifications.

[DownTheLineWith90]

Originally Posted by フェデラー

It's probably a myth unless one day Fabfed decides to cut one of his rackets open. Only then would we actually know about the composition on the inside. Otherwise, there is no reason not to believe that he has a stock stick with custom molded handle, and leaded up to his specifications.

This.
Although I have much respect to FabFed and his ever-so-desirable 90s, there's nothing else I'd want to see more than him cutting open one of those actual Fed Sticks.

[Funbun]

Originally Posted by DownTheLineWith90

This.
Although I have much respect to FabFed and his ever-so-desirable 90s, there's nothing else I'd want to see more than him cutting open one of those actual Fed Sticks.

Agreed. However, I don't think he even needs to cut it up. All he needs to do is weigh it on a scale, find the balance, then find the swingweight. That's it. Unfortunately, the sticks are too precious to him. I hope he proves me wrong.

[sports4eva115]

Originally Posted by Funbun

Agreed. However, I don't think he even needs to cut it up. All he needs to do is weigh it on a scale, find the balance, then find the swingweight. That's it. Unfortunately, the sticks are too precious to him. I hope he proves me wrong.

I thought he did do this with one of fed's rackets? He definitely weighted it on a scale and found its balance with some measuring thing

[Funbun]

Originally Posted by sports4eva115

I thought he did do this with one of fed's rackets? He definitely weighted it on a scale and found its balance with some measuring thing

He hasn't done swingweight.

Swingweight is the most important spec!

Seven days ago he said he'd post up the SWs eventually. This is the time to do it, in the name of science!

[cork_screw]

I had roger's actual mold frame. It is not the same as the k90. It is different. But asking people the material layup on here is like asking kids how do they think the universe works. You're going to get a lot of made up answers by people who think they know things that they don't know. I had his frame and I can't tell you what materials were in it, just that it played softer a little more flexible, but rigid and it had great power and spin. The racquet has a bulge at the end of the throat unlike the k90. That is the main physical characteristic that I noticed.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by cork_screw

I had roger's actual mold frame. It is not the same as the k90. It is different.

The mould itself is identical to the K90 - at least as judged by many people here after looking over side-by side comparisons of his and the retail frames. In Fabfed's threads no-one (that I recall) was able to point to anything as being different with regards to the mould. The only question-mark that arose, from memory, was the BLX mould having every so slightly difference grommet grooves. Some attributed this to slight variations in moulds and/or ageing of them.

Originally Posted by cork_screw

But asking people the material layup on here is like asking kids how do they think the universe works. You're going to get a lot of made up answers by people who think they know things that they don't know.

This ^

Originally Posted by cork_screw

...it played softer a little more flexible, but rigid and it had great power and spin.

You sure about this assessment? Are you saying it played with more spin than the retail frame or simply that it had great spin? Spin is almost entirely related to strings and technique, not variations in two visually identical but internally different frames.

Originally Posted by cork_screw

The racquet has a bulge at the end of the throat unlike the k90. That is the main physical characteristic that I noticed.

Fabfed's frames do not show this.

[LeeD]

Amazing thing!
Give each and every one of us Fed's racket, put us out on center court, and we ALL will play a little worse than we do now with whatever we use.
Heck, give DJ Fed's racket, and DJ would choose his own every time.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Amazing thing!
Give each and every one of us Fed's racket, put us out on center court, and we ALL will play a little worse than we do now with whatever we use.

Not me.. PS85 user here, and heavier that his too. It'd probably be a step up for me once I got used to the spinnier set-up.

But yes, your point would be true for the vast majority of players who talk about his frame/specs.

[LeeD]

Then why don't you change to the 90, lighten your racket a bit?
Because your racket works for you, his for him.

[Bobby Jr]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Then why don't you change to the 90, lighten your racket a bit?
Because your racket works for you, his for him.

For sure... but still close than most going only on his wright/balance and preference for looser strings (but disregarding the mythical frame composition side of things).

The times I've been able to demo a BLX90/PSBLX90 they've had terrible string jobs and feel poorly balanced - but the potential was still evident compared to other frames I've tried. His set-up would be much closer to mine than the off the shelf frames I've tried in terms of weight and balance. The string set-up would be the biggest difference imo. I also used natural gut for a long while anyway, and at looser tensions than most for the era I did it in (the mid 90s).

I'm not saying I'd prefer his frame over mine but, as I said, I'm probably in a tiny minority of players who already play with a frame with a somewhat similar lineage and mindset.

[ART ART]

Originally Posted by cork_screw

I had roger's actual mold frame. ...

Can you tell us the specs of his racket (strung+overgrip) ?

Thank's

[drakulie]

Originally Posted by cork_screw

I had roger's actual mold frame. It is not the same as the k90. It is different. But asking people the material layup on here is like asking kids how do they think the universe works. You're going to get a lot of made up answers by people who think they know things that they don't know. I had his frame and I can't tell you what materials were in it, just that it played softer a little more flexible, but rigid and it had great power and spin. The racquet has a bulge at the end of the throat unlike the k90. That is the main physical characteristic that I noticed.

Interesting.

I held Federer's racquets over the course of the last week during the Cincy masters where I was on the P1 stringing team. To me, they are exactly the same as the retail.

As for swingweight, balance, grip, etc, Yes, they will be different because he has them customized by P1. That said, they felt nearly the same swingweight and balance as the retail, so the amount of lead can't be much.

[SwankPeRFection]

Here's what I know.

Fed w/K Factor = Success
Fed w/BLX = Sucked for 2 years. The shots just weren't as crisp as with the K Factor.
Fed w/PS = Back to hitting like he did with the K Factor.... well, very close to it anyway.

This would give reasonable thought that there was some difference there between the frame families.

Everyone who's played with all three versions of the retail know the K is lethal and crisp, the BLX was soft and muted, and the PS is back to almost what the K was but with a bit of faster SW.

The bottom line is that until P1, FedFab, or anyone else with an actual Fed stick does the deed, none of us will know anything for sure, but there's only three possible arguments for Fed's suck for the 2 years he played the BLX.

1) Got fat, tired, and old. (Family man.)
2) Can't play with any racquet that's not predominantly white in color.
3) The three generations are really different an he does play with customized retails and the BLX just sucked, like everyone else who's played with them can attest to.


Pick your poison...

[BreakPoint]

Originally Posted by cork_screw

The racquet has a bulge at the end of the throat unlike the k90. That is the main physical characteristic that I noticed.

I don't notice a "bulge at the end of the throat" on Federer's racquet. Can you point to where it is?

[monkey-ranch]

^^^^ next time, make sure you post a bigger picture. Can't see anything there.

[tennisplayer1993]

why don't you go ask him personally?