Wilson Hits Homerun with Wilson Steam 99S (mini review)

[Veninga]

Originally Posted by Dgdavid

lol, you know me too well but this time, I am holding on to them!
Definitely not to vibrating, I am recently pretty sensitive about comfort and solidity and this fits the bill (with a multi). Doesn't hurt that they are pretty cheap too. Just picked two new ones up for £200 including shipping.

WOW

Good 2 hear David. Hope this honeymoon will last a month or 6 so you can focus on playing this summer (instead of buying and trying to sell them to me)

You took the ProKennex train for your arm, but you can handle the Wilson, thats a solid sign about the relative arm-friendly-ness of the Steam. So I will give it a try 2. Thanks for the info.

[Ross K]

Feeling happier. It was most definitely a good day for me today in the steam room...

[Buford T Justice]

Originally Posted by Ross K

Feeling happier. It was most definitely a good day for me today in the steam room...

Excellent! Glad you didnt even have to use your AK

Thats classic 90's Ice Cube!

[drakulie]

sorry, I have neglected the thread for the last few weeks. busy stringing at a tourney, and now have the miami sony coming up.

anyway, playtested the following two strings over the last week:

volkl gut 16 gauge/4G 16 gauge at 48lbs. played really nice. Was very suprprised at how much I liked the volkl gut. much better control-oriented gut, and provided great comfort, and good power/spin combo.

also, am currently trying out hexonic 16 gauge strung at 55. will provide some feedback in the next few days.

hows everyone elses set ups going?

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by Veninga

WOW

Good 2 hear David. Hope this honeymoon will last a month or 6 so you can focus on playing this summer (instead of buying and trying to sell them to me)

You took the ProKennex train for your arm, but you can handle the Wilson, thats a solid sign about the relative arm-friendly-ness of the Steam. So I will give it a try 2. Thanks for the info.

I have recently been feeling a little elbow twinging and throbbing pain now and then from using the steam. It doesn't ever feel stiff to me when I play with it and I'm a little concerned though about this residual pain I've been feeling the last couple days. Has anyone else had a similar experience? It's confusing because the rack it feels soft on impact and there's no pain at all while playing.
I guess it's hard to get away from a 69 rated stiffness racket without some aftereffects? Though the wide-open pattern does help out somewhat.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by Dgdavid

lol, you know me too well but this time, I am holding on to them!
Definitely not to vibrating, I am recently pretty sensitive about comfort and solidity and this fits the bill (with a multi). Doesn't hurt that they are pretty cheap too. Just picked two new ones up for £200 including shipping.

David, you have your 99 strung with full multi? And it isn't too powerful?
Are you still liking it better than the 99s? I am tempted to try the 99 myself with a softer set up, since I don't like using full poly in the yes but it's a requirement in that version of the 99. I think the regular 99 could also be a great Swenor to compete with the likes of the APD, Pure drive and similar sticks.

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by drakulie

sorry, I have neglected the thread for the last few weeks. busy stringing at a tourney, and now have the miami sony coming up.

anyway, playtested the following two strings over the last week:

volkl gut 16 gauge/4G 16 gauge at 48lbs. played really nice. Was very suprprised at how much I liked the volkl gut. much better control-oriented gut, and provided great comfort, and good power/spin combo.

also, am currently trying out hexonic 16 gauge strung at 55. will provide some feedback in the next few days.

hows everyone elses set ups going?

Currently Wilson Spin Cycle @54/52, 9 sets on it and loving it. It pockets the ball really well, has good zip and feels great. I will probably up the tension if I use it again to 56/56.

please put up a thread about Miami!

[Rafaboy]

Originally Posted by JackB1

I have recently been feeling a little elbow twinging and throbbing pain now and then from using the steam. It doesn't ever feel stiff to me when I play with it and I'm a little concerned though about this residual pain I've been feeling the last couple days. Has anyone else had a similar experience? It's confusing because the rack it feels soft on impact and there's no pain at all while playing.
I guess it's hard to get away from a 69 rated stiffness racket without some aftereffects? Though the wide-open pattern does help out somewhat.

I have a feeling that the frame somehow transmits an amount of harmful vibration or something, on off hits? i dontknow what it is. my wrist has been hurting since i started playing hard with the 99s. but i am trying to rehab it, while paying strict attention to proper technique, still using the 99s. seems to be geting better.

You have a tendancy to hit twice as hard with this racket, since it seems you can do no wrong with it.

[Gemini]

Originally Posted by JackB1

I have recently been feeling a little elbow twinging and throbbing pain now and then from using the steam. It doesn't ever feel stiff to me when I play with it and I'm a little concerned though about this residual pain I've been feeling the last couple days. Has anyone else had a similar experience? It's confusing because the rack it feels soft on impact and there's no pain at all while playing.
I guess it's hard to get away from a 69 rated stiffness racket without some aftereffects? Though the wide-open pattern does help out somewhat.

I actually got the opportunity to finally hit the 99S for three consecutive days this weekend and yes...I actually noticed the same thing. I was on court for each day for about 2.5 hours. By the third day, my elbow did have some tenderness. The racquet is deceptive in my opinion. When you make good contact, the ball pockets and projects without any real "feedback". For me, the racquet seemed flex pretty hard as compared to a Pure Drive where I don't/didn't notice any flex in the frame. I've decided that the frame isn't for me in its current form but I'd welcome a version that has a stiffness in the low to mid 60s.

[Ross K]

drakulie, others,

Can you please say more re there being different versions (or not, as the case may be) as in what testers (like yourself, drak), players, etc, may have been given to look at as opposed to the retail ones out now.

Someone has told me the quality seems a bit down on the retail ones in comparison.

Just wanting to check this.

THX

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

Currently Wilson Spin Cycle @54/52, 9 sets on it and loving it. It pockets the ball really well, has good zip and feels great. I will probably up the tension if I use it again to 56/56.

please put up a thread about Miami!

I am very very happy to read this, Spin Cycle is my favorite string but I don't have it in my S frames currently, that will be my next stringing.

[Dgdavid]

Originally Posted by JackB1

David, you have your 99 strung with full multi? And it isn't too powerful?
Are you still liking it better than the 99s? I am tempted to try the 99 myself with a softer set up, since I don't like using full poly in the yes but it's a requirement in that version of the 99. I think the regular 99 could also be a great Swenor to compete with the likes of the APD, Pure drive and similar sticks.

Yes, still liking it and the power is definitely controllable, better for me than the 99S with a poly to me. I have one of my three set up with a poly at 53lbs to see how that goes just in case. I do have the multi strings moving and not snapping back still but not enough to consider creaming them.

Will report back on poly in the non-s after my evening game. I am more curious than anything as I like the racket a lot with the multi. Just making sure I am not missing anything.

Jack, I also have a Warrior in the bag again. Fun racket!

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by racertempo

I am very very happy to read this, Spin Cycle is my favorite string but I don't have it in my S frames currently, that will be my next stringing.

I was amazed. I found it by looking at Wilson's website. Inside the frame, they recommend 4G and 4GS, but on the website, Wilson says Spin Cycle. It has the good qualities of a poly, the comfort of a multi, and the price of a syngut. What's not to love? I do think the string, according to the "science" of spin, is not the best because it is textured/shaped. But I find it to be a very good fit for the 99S.

[JackB1]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

I was amazed. I found it by looking at Wilson's website. Inside the frame, they recommend 4G and 4GS, but on the website, Wilson says Spin Cycle. It has the good qualities of a poly, the comfort of a multi, and the price of a syngut. What's not to love? I do think the string, according to the "science" of spin, is not the best because it is textured/shaped. But I find it to be a very good fit for the 99S.

What tension did u use ??

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

I was amazed. I found it by looking at Wilson's website. Inside the frame, they recommend 4G and 4GS, but on the website, Wilson says Spin Cycle. It has the good qualities of a poly, the comfort of a multi, and the price of a syngut. What's not to love? I do think the string, according to the "science" of spin, is not the best because it is textured/shaped. But I find it to be a very good fit for the 99S.

I noticed the same thing on the Wilson website, probably because they don't recommend any Lux string in writing on their website and under the Wilson name they don't have a huge line of different poly strings. Cannot wait to try it in there.

[Rabbit]

Originally Posted by JackB1

What tension did u use ??

for my initial outing, 54/52. I think when I restring, I'm going up to 56/56

[Mongolmike]

Originally Posted by Rabbit

Currently Wilson Spin Cycle @54/52, 9 sets on it and loving it. It pockets the ball really well, has good zip and feels great. I will probably up the tension if I use it again to 56/56.

please put up a thread about Miami!

I've found that these racquets really burn thru the shaped strings... and Spin Cycle being triangular shaped... have you noticed this string notching faster/breaking sooner than a regular rounded poly? I realize you are a higher rated player and likely hit much harder than me.... how often are you restringing the Spin Cycle?

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by Mongolmike

I've found that these racquets really burn thru the shaped strings... and Spin Cycle being triangular shaped... have you noticed this string notching faster/breaking sooner than a regular rounded poly? I realize you are a higher rated player and likely hit much harder than me.... how often are you restringing the Spin Cycle?

Spin Cycle claims that it is triangular, but it is twisted to much that you never really notice any triangularity there (I think I just made up a word there). I would wager a bet that it works well because it is so twisted that it does not notch as much as other.

[Mongolmike]

Originally Posted by racertempo

Spin Cycle claims that it is triangular, but it is twisted to much that you never really notice any triangularity there (I think I just made up a word there). I would wager a bet that it works well because it is so twisted that it does not notch as much as other.

Ok... I will have to put this on my list of "string to try". So far for me, Kirschbaum Pro Line II has worked the best... and that has no triangularity whatsoever. It has roundocity... and it is red. So more roundredocious.

I've got to back off on my sugar intake. Even tho it is hyperlicious.

[Anton]

Originally Posted by Mongolmike

Ok... I will have to put this on my list of "string to try". So far for me, Kirschbaum Pro Line II has worked the best... and that has no triangularity whatsoever. It has roundocity... and it is red. So more roundredocious.

I've got to back off on my sugar intake. Even tho it is hyperlicious.

If you like Pro Line II you've got to try the SPP Hyperion. It is similarly soft poly, but it has much better feel and touch (Proline II is really slick and mute)