What Are Your Thoughts on Prokennex?

[galain]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

Have you ever tried the Volkl T10 MP GenII? Based on what you've said previously I thought it might be right up your alley. Not an 18x20 like the Rebel and does have a 98sq head but is very comfortable and has a great flex to it. Not too dissimilar to the C10 but easier to swing.

I'm off to tennis now (at UQ) so I'll give the courts a wave for you.

I've never even seen one! The first generation was a fantastic stick though - very hard to find these days.

God - UQ was my second home for such a long time. I even had my first practice in Sherwood Rd! Now I'm feeling old...

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Originally Posted by Boredsurfer

Currently in rotation I have a Redondo 98 and a Laver 98 (predecessor to the Redondo). I love how these sticks play so much I'm looking to add a Q5, Q tour or a Black Ace to the mix....

Surfer, what can you tell me about the difference in how the Redondo 98 and the Type C Laver 98 feel at contact? I've always been curious about the two, and I just bought a Type C that I won't get to hit with until July. (I work overseas.)

[anirut]

To describe the Type C takes just a simple word: "THUD".

[Boredsurfer]

Originally Posted by Don't Let It Bounce

Surfer, what can you tell me about the difference in how the Redondo 98 and the Type C Laver 98 feel at contact? I've always been curious about the two, and I just bought a Type C that I won't get to hit with until July. (I work overseas.)

To be honest, I expected for them to play much more differently, but to be honest the Laver just feels like a slighty crisper and slightly heavier Redondo. I thought I was going to like it more than the Redondo, but now I'm not so sure. It is hard to improve on the feel of 100% graphite.....

The Laver has a slight edge in power, with a crisper feel (probably because of the 20% kevlar in the lay-up), but I feel it lacks a little spin potential compared to the Redondo.....but there's really not much in it because (surprisingly for an 18 x 20 pattern) both these sticks generate a lot of spin.

In stock form the Laver is heavier (minor) but my Redondo is leaded up a lot so I get tons of plow with both. They are both soft and muted (with RA's around 55-58 is my guess) with the slight edge in comfort to the Redondo - but again, there's nothing in it really.

I have to admit, when I am swinging out, and my feet are moving I have never had a more satisfying racket feel than with the Redondo. Period. Wonderfully plush, accurate, stable with that "POK"! sound on every stroke. The Laver is close though, it's just with my Redondo specced up perfectly with lead, it's just so smooth.

But in conclusion, Laver with Lead = Redondo with a little more power. Both good rackets, and nothing in it to be honest.

I want to try the Black Ace next to see what all the hype is about

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Thanks for the replies. I love me some Thud. (Ping! We hates it forever, precious.)

I was hoping to playtest the Redondo, BA98, and QTour this past July while home in the U.S., but my turn to borrow them from TW didn't come before my vacation was over. I did on another occasion playtest the BA98 (not the new one that TW says is just new paint and that posters say isn't, and not the Euro version), and I was most impressed.

I took it out with the X-Force Pro, Ki5 PSE, and Vantage BC20. At stock weight, the Pacific had a feel that I liked better than any of the other lighter frames. But once I'd leaded everything up roughly equal to the Ki5 PSE, which is what I'd do with any frame for personal use, the Black Ace was the obvious standout. It had a very specific feel, what I think most people mean when they say "crisp", that was comfortable and pleasant. I don't normally care to feel much from a racket – I even prefer the extreme mutedness of a Prince Vortex to the way most rackets shed vibration – but the leaded BA98 was one of the few exceptions where I really liked the vibratory feedback.

There are so few rackets that make that sort of impression, even in an overcrowded market, that it would be a shame if they have really changed it.

[anirut]

Just an observation ...

This thread has sort of become a "PKphile" talk.

[Ramon]

Originally Posted by Don't Let It Bounce

Thanks for the replies. I love me some Thud. (Ping! We hates it forever, precious.)

I was hoping to playtest the Redondo, BA98, and QTour this past July while home in the U.S., but my turn to borrow them from TW didn't come before my vacation was over. I did on another occasion playtest the BA98 (not the new one that TW says is just new paint and that posters say isn't, and not the Euro version), and I was most impressed.

I took it out with the X-Force Pro, Ki5 PSE, and Vantage BC20. At stock weight, the Pacific had a feel that I liked better than any of the other lighter frames. But once I'd leaded everything up roughly equal to the Ki5 PSE, which is what I'd do with any frame for personal use, the Black Ace was the obvious standout. It had a very specific feel, what I think most people mean when they say "crisp", that was comfortable and pleasant. I don't normally care to feel much from a racket – I even prefer the extreme mutedness of a Prince Vortex to the way most rackets shed vibration – but the leaded BA98 was one of the few exceptions where I really liked the vibratory feedback.

There are so few rackets that make that sort of impression, even in an overcrowded market, that it would be a shame if they have really changed it.

I liked the X Force Pro a lot. It had a very nice feel. I thought the Ki 5 PSE was too much racquet for me. It actually measured heavier than spec, and it felt that way, too. Even for most higher level players, I think the regular Ki 5 has enough heft.

[Boredsurfer]

I'm looking for an original Black Ace myself - even leaded up to 12.6 oz Redondo lacks a little "pop" late in the 3rd set for me. I'm feeling like a leaded Black Ace would be the ticket - even over a Qtour and Q5.

I feel like a graphite 98 18x20 plays like a Pro Stock Head or something - plush, heavy, plow, dwell etc.etc.

I hates my some ping too!!!!

[kenyee]

Originally Posted by Boredsurfer

I hates my some ping too!!!!

FWIW, I thought the BA98 (the old one, not the new 2012) ping'd more than my Redondo MP...some might call it "crisper" as a result, but I hated it. I was hoping it'd help out on serves more.
I know what you mean about the Redondo feeling sluggish as you play a few hours..it does get heavy...

[Gee]

Originally Posted by kenyee

FWIW, I thought the BA98 (the old one, not the new 2012) ping'd more than my Redondo MP...some might call it "crisper" as a result, but I hated it. I was hoping it'd help out on serves more.
I know what you mean about the Redondo feeling sluggish as you play a few hours..it does get heavy...

I played with both the Redondo and BA. I think it has nothing to do with the frame itself but the strings. I noticed a ping sound when I had my Redondo strung with Topspin Cyber Flash. A vibration dampener solved this issue however.

[gh65721]

PK has allowed me to keep playing. I had to wear a wrist widget to play at all due to possible TFCC tear and the PK Ki5 has allowed it to heal up

[levy1]

Originally Posted by gh65721

PK has allowed me to keep playing. I had to wear a wrist widget to play at all due to possible TFCC tear and the PK Ki5 has allowed it to heal up

I also had a sore arm, played with the classic 5 for 5 months and now I am healed and back to a stiff stick with no problems.

[djNEiGht]

Anyone have thoughts on a Redondo MP vs an I.Prestige MP? I hit with an I.Prestige this past weekend for a couple of games and enjoyed it. I've been attracted to the Redondo MP though...

[dzg]

Why is it that all ProKennex racquets are for advanced players (NTRP 4+) only??

I even took a long hard look at their website and in their own descriptions they say the same.

So does one have to play for a few years, get the ranking up there, develop TE and then move to them? (dumb strategy)

[anirut]

Originally Posted by dzg

Why is it that all ProKennex racquets are for advanced players (NTRP 4+) only??

I even took a long hard look at their website and in their own descriptions they say the same.

So does one have to play for a few years, get the ranking up there, develop TE and then move to them? (dumb strategy)

I have no idea. IMO, most of their sticks seem to be sorta low powered by today's standards and thus may require better techniques to get the ball across the net and stay in the lines.

But for MY standard, the Ki 5 seems to be a rocket launcher. Unless, of course, I put a lot of spin, which is not my style. I thus opted for the Heritage series instead.

[mikeler]

Originally Posted by dzg

Why is it that all ProKennex racquets are for advanced players (NTRP 4+) only??

I even took a long hard look at their website and in their own descriptions they say the same.

So does one have to play for a few years, get the ranking up there, develop TE and then move to them? (dumb strategy)

The sinister side of me thinks that by claiming they should only be used by 4.0 players or better, you are eliminating the people below that who almost certainly have technical problems with their game that could contribute to injuries more so than the racket.

[danix]

I don't agree. A strong 3.0 can handle a Ki5. There's also the Q15, Q30, Ki30, etc.

Though I love me some Volkl/Becker, the brand has not gone where I wanted it to go, but the bigger issue is that the PK are the ONLY frames I can play with, sans arm pain, right now.

[Chotobaka]

Originally Posted by mikeler

The sinister side of me thinks that by claiming they should only be used by 4.0 players or better, you are eliminating the people below that who almost certainly have technical problems with their game that could contribute to injuries more so than the racket.

Not so sinister. I think the player ratings recommendations are nothing short of ridiculous. Look at enough racquets at TW and you will soon realize that these ratings/recommendations are nonsense and would have anyone less than 4.0 hitting with a stiff, oversized sub 10 oz racquet.. I have lent my Redondo MP (and other substantial racquets) to beginners/intermediates who have no preconceptions of what type of racquet is suitable to them and very often they prefer the feel and performance of the heavier sticks. Rarely have I heard "it is too heavy".

[smirker]

Originally Posted by Chotobaka

Not so sinister. I think the player ratings recommendations are nothing short of ridiculous. Look at enough racquets at TW and you will soon realize that these ratings/recommendations are nonsense and would have anyone less than 4.0 hitting with a stiff, oversized sub 10 oz racquet.. I have lent my Redondo MP (and other substantial racquets) to beginners/intermediates who have no preconceptions of what type of racquet is suitable to them and very often they prefer the feel and performance of the heavier sticks. Rarely have I heard "it is too heavy".

Exactly. I grew up playing heavy, flexible sticks and graduated onto stiffer lighter ones. Now back to heavier/flexier after a re-occurrence of TE. Have a Ki5 incoming which I hope is going to give me Pure Drive like performance without the associated arm related issues. Played a Copper ace 20 years ago and this is the first time I have gone for a modern PK frame, having been seduced by Wilson and recently Babolat.

[danix]

It's kind of ironic that I am back to PK actually. My first "real" racquet was a Copper Ace, and I used the Ceramic Destiny throughout most of college.