c10 pro vs. PB10 mid - help me decide

[PhrygianDominant]

Hey guys. I got a couple C10 pros at the black friday sale, and I just picked up some PB10 mids used. I am looking for advice on stringing and any things to look out for when playing these, before I eventually decide which one I like better and which to keep.

The c10s have been played a bit, and I noticed they are very dampened and that the tip is a bit dead. They were matched by TW as per my spec and I think they are heavy enough already so I don't want to add any lead to the tip to try and change this. If I settle on this racquet I will just have to get used to it. Right now they have SPPP at 53 lbs, I would want a sharper brassier poly for my next stringjob, but I am not sure which. Is it possible for a poly to be brassier feeling and still cradle the ball well? i.e. soft and brassy? Advice welcome.

I haven't gotten to play the PB10 mids yet, but I will ASAP.

[Muppet]

TW has reviews with video for both of those racquets.

[TennisMD]

Originally Posted by Muppet

TW has reviews with video for both of those racquets.

True and Granville 5.5 player stated better bring your A game if playing the PB mid. In my on experience ( and not a5.5)) I would concur so the C10 98 head size more forgiving and unless you have impeccable foot work and can maintain it over 3 sets 2 hrs I would go with C10

[fuzz nation]

I've been using the C10 for several years now - switched into this racquet when I needed a softer alternative to my old ProStaff 6.1 Classics. The C10's were much better for me as I adjusted my game from serve & volley toward more of an all-court style. I've never had elbow issues, but the more flexible Volkls gave me a lot more control around the baseline while still delivering very acceptable performance around the net.

Yes, they're a little "tip-dead", but I think that as long as anyone is aware of this peculiarity, it's not a very big deal. I actually think that the hoop flex built into the C10 effectively magnifies the arm friendliness of this frame. I prefer mine strung around 62-64 lbs. with either 16 or 17 gauge syn. gut and they run ultra cozy for me with that layout.

I agree with our pals here who have also used the C10 in terms of its string sensitivity - it can easily take more than one or two trials to get the strings dialed in with this racquet. I'm not a poly user, but I recently picked up a couple of 2nd hand C10's (one black, one "fishscale") which came with different string jobs. Both seem to be a bit more snug than I prefer, but the one that came with a poly hybrid (the older fishscale model) actually has some of the Volkl feel that I love in these frames. I expected this poly hybrid to feel rock hard, but I suppose that the right tension can make for a more comfortable ride even with a not-too-resilient string in the mix.

Blah-blah-blah... Just encouraging you to sample a number of layouts with those racquets. It should eventually pay off. I also have some lead under the grips of my C10's for extra HL balance - the two that I picked up more recently are also going to get that tuning. I bring this up because I took a five minute hit with a PB10 mid when a pal tried a demo. Its string bed was extremely dead (old poly?), the sweetspot was pretty much non-existent, and its balance wasn't nearly as head-light as I've come to prefer with my tuned C10's (9-10 pts. HL). Although it was a Volkl, that PB10 mid was entirely unfamiliar for me (and I have a couple of different mids that I enjoy on occasion).

Since you're going to have both racquets in your bag, I'd say don't sweat any decisions for a while. For me, the C10 has been a bit of a "slow reveal" as they say in the storytelling business. I'm not one to encourage everybody here to use lead tape to solve every issue with their gear, but this racquet has been surprisingly easy to dial in with a bit of that stuff, either on the hoop or under the grip.

[GoaLaSSo]

pb10 is fantastic when you are playing well. It really accentuates your strengths, but it does the same for your weaknesses. It is not the most forgiving racquet when you are having a bad day.

I have used a couple strings with it, but I prefer volkl cyclone and luxilon bbo of the ones I have tried.

[Cesar1992]

Originally Posted by PhrygianDominant

Hey guys. I got a couple C10 pros at the black friday sale, and I just picked up some PB10 mids used. I am looking for advice on stringing and any things to look out for when playing these, before I eventually decide which one I like better and which to keep.

The c10s have been played a bit, and I noticed they are very dampened and that the tip is a bit dead. They were matched by TW as per my spec and I think they are heavy enough already so I don't want to add any lead to the tip to try and change this. If I settle on this racquet I will just have to get used to it. Right now they have SPPP at 53 lbs, I would want a sharper brassier poly for my next stringjob, but I am not sure which. Is it possible for a poly to be brassier feeling and still cradle the ball well? i.e. soft and brassy? Advice welcome.

I haven't gotten to play the PB10 mids yet, but I will ASAP.

The C10 Pro is a standard graphite frame so its crispness is very varied, depending upon how many hours on the frame and what year it was produced. As a soft frame, it needs to be strung a little tighter unless you have a real slow swing speed. If you want to minimize the tip flex, add a little lead at 12:00, as little as 1/2-1 inch of 1/2 wide tape, and drop the cross string tension. The PB 10 Mid, as flexible as its RA rating of 59 is, it is still stiff in comparison to the C10, especially if you add any lead tape between 2:00-10:00. Few players like this frame strung tight. Multi's strung as low as 50lbs and co-poly as low as 40lbs on the mains, is pretty much mainstream. Cross string tension drop by a pro stringer on a constant pull machine is usually 1-2kg as per Volkl. The upper hoop also flutters, and the racquet moves through the air very quickly, so many add lead at 2/10 to compensate. The PB 10 Mid thread is many pages long and has some great reference info in it.

[matchmaker]

Both great frames, but not for me as they are both "tip dead". Actually the only question is do you like mids or MPs? The PB10 mid plays just like the Volkl C10 pro mid. That's it.

[Korso]

Pb10 mid with 17g poly in the 40s, with the crosses ,3 pounds less than the mains intention is exhilarating.