Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Oh that's good news I like ball pocketing but not trampolining. That is kinda like asking for ice that isnt cold though.
Angell TC95 16x19 flexy shakedown
- Thread starter Backhanded Compliment
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Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 16: New Strings
So I finally had time to cut out the Luxilon Adrenaline strings and put super smash orange 1.25 at 45lbs now.
I only hit against a wall for 15 minutes then some serves before light drizzle ended things. I have a match tomorrow so mostly I wanted to break in the strings and get a sense of them.
Feel, clearly is crisper and thus much more predictable and better in my book. Gone is the thhhhhRock sound now it is more thhhhhhRack... still good and I noticed that spin both top and slice was better. Accuracy on serves seemed far more pinpoint... coming from the more distinct strings. Power seemed slightly less, which is what i was after.
More after my match tomorrow.
The plan is to try using these Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange 1.25 strings for a few weeks. Im familiar with these very accurate and controlled relatively spinny strings and plan to use them as a baseline. Ill have an order for RS Lyon stings and maybe Max Power next.
Oh yeah and orange strings look great on a grey TC95 63ra 16x19 frame with black grommets.
So I finally had time to cut out the Luxilon Adrenaline strings and put super smash orange 1.25 at 45lbs now.
I only hit against a wall for 15 minutes then some serves before light drizzle ended things. I have a match tomorrow so mostly I wanted to break in the strings and get a sense of them.
Feel, clearly is crisper and thus much more predictable and better in my book. Gone is the thhhhhRock sound now it is more thhhhhhRack... still good and I noticed that spin both top and slice was better. Accuracy on serves seemed far more pinpoint... coming from the more distinct strings. Power seemed slightly less, which is what i was after.
More after my match tomorrow.
The plan is to try using these Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange 1.25 strings for a few weeks. Im familiar with these very accurate and controlled relatively spinny strings and plan to use them as a baseline. Ill have an order for RS Lyon stings and maybe Max Power next.
Oh yeah and orange strings look great on a grey TC95 63ra 16x19 frame with black grommets.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 17: Super Smashing ...Orangely
Well it was gorgeous today and had a hitting session with a frequent hitting partner and often doubles partner. Time to see how the newly strung Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange strings (1.25) perform. We just hit and worked on things for an hour and a half plus played 4 games, each of us holding serve.
Power: First, Super smash definitely gave me crisper feedback and tamped down the power of the tc95. Still plenty on tap but at first the smaller ddiameter of string must have been lighter than adrenaline so I was swinging ealy... I added a micro amount of 1g total to 3 and 9. Problem solved.. I immediately found my range and oddly it created even more spin.
Spin: after adding the lead it was noticeably different as balls consistently exploded off the court. Deep shots that hit the baseline were often diving quickly and even though I was singing at say 80% force the heavy ball was jarring creating unforced errors for my hitting partner... at first hewas using an old pro Kennex copper ace he got for 4 bucks but quckly swiched to his hyper prostaff... no change. Heavy spinny balls took a toll. Nice
Accuracy: this was improved as the very stiff and no power strings were far more predictable than adrenaline. I aimed for lines and hit them.
Forehands: these really shined with these strings. Sampras style dtl hammers, wicked topspin crosscourts ... flattened out net skimmers all were great.
Backhands: definitely an improvement from adrenaline as there was a more predictable response. Slices improved markedly but although serviceable the backhands didnt have the kind of dwell time I prefer... this has always been an issue with this string for me. It works but something about the crushing impact on well struck extreme eastern backhands demands a little more sink in.. and maybe a little less spin potential. RSLyon is still my #1 must try but I wanted to go to a baseline to try out on my new main stick. Is max power stiffer and or spinner than Super Smash Orange? Still this was fine... Id play a tourney with this if I had to.
Volley/Touchs: Maybe not the best... but fine... the ability to redirect the ball felt less than adrenaline... not a plus.
Serves: We played 4 games, I won both of my service games at love. 1st serves were hard and heavy with pinpoint placement. Not quite as much heat and power as adrenaline but I felt more sure of where things were going at all times. Seconds were improved with better spin (which was hardly anemic with adrenaline). In fact no second serves came back and no double faults. This hitting partner is someone who abolutely knows how I serve and he really just couldnt dent it.
Returns: Good.. I got things back in play consistently and crushed some with interest. The lack of dwell time is a minus here (still good because the TC95 has nice feel and flex) but not as good as Yonex poly Tour Pro, silverstring or cyclone 18g (My favorite return strings). That extra response helps me make great returns into soul crushing. Dont get me wrong SSO is fine and I still returned extremely well... I had 2 breakpoints in the second game and my hitting partner kit some wonderful clutch serves... he knows he has to because I love returning. If you just blck things back SSO is perfect but if you love the slow motion dance of taking an excellent serve and putting it DTL or crosscourt for a winner there are better strings (Cyclone 18g takes top honors but YPTP and Silverstring are nearly as good... high dwell time for copolys)
Bascally.. Im loving the TC95 with more crisp feedback as the frame is dampened and plush. I hit numerous very heavy balls swinging at things at 85% power that were just too heavy for my partner to send back over the net. Serving is excellent with this setup and the greater control is what I was looking for. SSO is pretty inexpensive too, a great value poly and works well in the somewhat string sensitive TC95.
Well it was gorgeous today and had a hitting session with a frequent hitting partner and often doubles partner. Time to see how the newly strung Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange strings (1.25) perform. We just hit and worked on things for an hour and a half plus played 4 games, each of us holding serve.
Power: First, Super smash definitely gave me crisper feedback and tamped down the power of the tc95. Still plenty on tap but at first the smaller ddiameter of string must have been lighter than adrenaline so I was swinging ealy... I added a micro amount of 1g total to 3 and 9. Problem solved.. I immediately found my range and oddly it created even more spin.
Spin: after adding the lead it was noticeably different as balls consistently exploded off the court. Deep shots that hit the baseline were often diving quickly and even though I was singing at say 80% force the heavy ball was jarring creating unforced errors for my hitting partner... at first hewas using an old pro Kennex copper ace he got for 4 bucks but quckly swiched to his hyper prostaff... no change. Heavy spinny balls took a toll. Nice
Accuracy: this was improved as the very stiff and no power strings were far more predictable than adrenaline. I aimed for lines and hit them.
Forehands: these really shined with these strings. Sampras style dtl hammers, wicked topspin crosscourts ... flattened out net skimmers all were great.
Backhands: definitely an improvement from adrenaline as there was a more predictable response. Slices improved markedly but although serviceable the backhands didnt have the kind of dwell time I prefer... this has always been an issue with this string for me. It works but something about the crushing impact on well struck extreme eastern backhands demands a little more sink in.. and maybe a little less spin potential. RSLyon is still my #1 must try but I wanted to go to a baseline to try out on my new main stick. Is max power stiffer and or spinner than Super Smash Orange? Still this was fine... Id play a tourney with this if I had to.
Volley/Touchs: Maybe not the best... but fine... the ability to redirect the ball felt less than adrenaline... not a plus.
Serves: We played 4 games, I won both of my service games at love. 1st serves were hard and heavy with pinpoint placement. Not quite as much heat and power as adrenaline but I felt more sure of where things were going at all times. Seconds were improved with better spin (which was hardly anemic with adrenaline). In fact no second serves came back and no double faults. This hitting partner is someone who abolutely knows how I serve and he really just couldnt dent it.
Returns: Good.. I got things back in play consistently and crushed some with interest. The lack of dwell time is a minus here (still good because the TC95 has nice feel and flex) but not as good as Yonex poly Tour Pro, silverstring or cyclone 18g (My favorite return strings). That extra response helps me make great returns into soul crushing. Dont get me wrong SSO is fine and I still returned extremely well... I had 2 breakpoints in the second game and my hitting partner kit some wonderful clutch serves... he knows he has to because I love returning. If you just blck things back SSO is perfect but if you love the slow motion dance of taking an excellent serve and putting it DTL or crosscourt for a winner there are better strings (Cyclone 18g takes top honors but YPTP and Silverstring are nearly as good... high dwell time for copolys)
Bascally.. Im loving the TC95 with more crisp feedback as the frame is dampened and plush. I hit numerous very heavy balls swinging at things at 85% power that were just too heavy for my partner to send back over the net. Serving is excellent with this setup and the greater control is what I was looking for. SSO is pretty inexpensive too, a great value poly and works well in the somewhat string sensitive TC95.
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Played the TC 95 RA 63 16x19 today. In one word: SUPERB!! More to follow. [emoji462][emoji106][emoji108]. BHBH
topspn
Legend
ok, so begs the obvious comparison to the RA70
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
curious what you think of the disguise... it takes a while to get a sense of that with a frame but i sense im catching my regular hitting partners off guard with the 63ra tc95
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Look for clay court footage featuring the two TC95's in action tomorrow !
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 18: Mixing doubles
Played 2 sets of mixed level doubles on Sunday with the Super Smash Orange 1.25 in the TC95. I strung it at 45 so Its probably at 39 now after 5+ hours of play. 2 hours of doubles plus a half hour of full out singles hitting. 2 of us (the Italian-american and the Viking are advanced players and the other two, the Rastafarian from Chicago and the Spaniard are savvy 3.5's who just need the typical serve upgrades to be 4.0's) The variety in levels made it very interesting and its something I like doing.
Serves: Still great but I was having an erratic day with swirling wind and the sleep depriving previous week that I didnt catch up on yet. So as long as my toss was good I was winning service games easily holding at Love often. The games I didnt hold was because we were ahead and I simply wasnt holding up my end of the equation concentration wise. I can say even after hitting 3 double faults it was easy to snap out of it, wake up and hold serve from behind with this setup. Both flat and american twists with a few can openers all worked. The violent jump to the side with american twits is great and especially lovely on a windy day. The tc95 doesnt just serve big... there is variety and that is rare with a fast serving frame. Rasta commented how fast my serve was (both 1st and second) with very little time to react... he's a talented returner with incredibly good hands that made life difficult for my team.
Returns: Decent but not my best outing... I just dont get the satifying dwell time I crave with super smash orange here (still hit big returns but not as many outright winners that Im used to, Volkl Cyclone 18 is my all timefavorite return string). The Rasta's second serve though technically horrible... a paddycake was actually a huge pain. Generating all the pace on a swirly windy day meant I had to be halfway to the service line for returns and though I crushed a lot of winners that alone was tedious and Id end up in a weird position. I havent played anyone with that kind of serve in a while... his first was a big flat one and I did fine against both I suppose. I just prefer a bit of that syn-gut pocketing. Apparently RSlyon has that... I do know yonex poly tour pro has it as well ...as does Weisscannon scorpion but since I need less power it will be RSlyon I try first.
Volleys: We hit a lot of these... fun 2 sets. SSO is good here with nice control but the lower dwell time doesnt make it a favorite. Lots of great volley points so for a poly this is not bad.
Groundstrokes: Some really interesting exchanges but there was far more net play. Only when hitting singles style did I remember why I so like this string. Great control, easy depth and nice topspin and slice... SSO delivers for singles baseline bashing for sure. The most memorable groundstroke was a crosscourt in the deuce court meant for my forehand. I ran around it and upon seeing the net guy leaning towards the center in the wrong direction I crushed a super spinny BH winner DTL (my placement was going away from the center line so kinda like a mini crosscourt that is effectively dtl). Caught the net guy by surprise and he didnt have the time to touch it. Landed on the back line after a steep dive just 6 inches from the side line. Lovely winner... so yeah SSO delivers control and spin to be sure.
Comfort: Though these strings are certainly not soft... in fact quite stiff this was still very playable. Not the easiest on the arm to be sure but the TC95 frame dampens it quite effectively being foam filled and a soft 58RA frame. Comfortable setup due ti ggr frsme and lower tension.
concluding thoughts... this SSO setup is ok but I can see this string is better in singles and I simply miss the dwell time of other strings like cyclone, YPTP and hopefully RSlyon. Ill play a few more times with this then it is Soder-string time.
Played 2 sets of mixed level doubles on Sunday with the Super Smash Orange 1.25 in the TC95. I strung it at 45 so Its probably at 39 now after 5+ hours of play. 2 hours of doubles plus a half hour of full out singles hitting. 2 of us (the Italian-american and the Viking are advanced players and the other two, the Rastafarian from Chicago and the Spaniard are savvy 3.5's who just need the typical serve upgrades to be 4.0's) The variety in levels made it very interesting and its something I like doing.
Serves: Still great but I was having an erratic day with swirling wind and the sleep depriving previous week that I didnt catch up on yet. So as long as my toss was good I was winning service games easily holding at Love often. The games I didnt hold was because we were ahead and I simply wasnt holding up my end of the equation concentration wise. I can say even after hitting 3 double faults it was easy to snap out of it, wake up and hold serve from behind with this setup. Both flat and american twists with a few can openers all worked. The violent jump to the side with american twits is great and especially lovely on a windy day. The tc95 doesnt just serve big... there is variety and that is rare with a fast serving frame. Rasta commented how fast my serve was (both 1st and second) with very little time to react... he's a talented returner with incredibly good hands that made life difficult for my team.
Returns: Decent but not my best outing... I just dont get the satifying dwell time I crave with super smash orange here (still hit big returns but not as many outright winners that Im used to, Volkl Cyclone 18 is my all timefavorite return string). The Rasta's second serve though technically horrible... a paddycake was actually a huge pain. Generating all the pace on a swirly windy day meant I had to be halfway to the service line for returns and though I crushed a lot of winners that alone was tedious and Id end up in a weird position. I havent played anyone with that kind of serve in a while... his first was a big flat one and I did fine against both I suppose. I just prefer a bit of that syn-gut pocketing. Apparently RSlyon has that... I do know yonex poly tour pro has it as well ...as does Weisscannon scorpion but since I need less power it will be RSlyon I try first.
Volleys: We hit a lot of these... fun 2 sets. SSO is good here with nice control but the lower dwell time doesnt make it a favorite. Lots of great volley points so for a poly this is not bad.
Groundstrokes: Some really interesting exchanges but there was far more net play. Only when hitting singles style did I remember why I so like this string. Great control, easy depth and nice topspin and slice... SSO delivers for singles baseline bashing for sure. The most memorable groundstroke was a crosscourt in the deuce court meant for my forehand. I ran around it and upon seeing the net guy leaning towards the center in the wrong direction I crushed a super spinny BH winner DTL (my placement was going away from the center line so kinda like a mini crosscourt that is effectively dtl). Caught the net guy by surprise and he didnt have the time to touch it. Landed on the back line after a steep dive just 6 inches from the side line. Lovely winner... so yeah SSO delivers control and spin to be sure.
Comfort: Though these strings are certainly not soft... in fact quite stiff this was still very playable. Not the easiest on the arm to be sure but the TC95 frame dampens it quite effectively being foam filled and a soft 58RA frame. Comfortable setup due ti ggr frsme and lower tension.
concluding thoughts... this SSO setup is ok but I can see this string is better in singles and I simply miss the dwell time of other strings like cyclone, YPTP and hopefully RSlyon. Ill play a few more times with this then it is Soder-string time.
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Backhanded Compliment
Legend
It could be the shaped on shaped geometry, I did notice a round cross helped.
Ive used cyclone a lot both as full poly and with a round smooth cross extensively in numerous frames... in fact SSO as a cross for cyclone is great. RSLyon is supposedly softer but it is also reported to be low powered... I like that combo. If all else fails I could use silverstring as a cross with RSLyon to give a bit better feedback. I did that with yonex poly tour Pro (black) 1.25 , except it was scorpion. It took that very muted string and made it far more responsive yet kept the spin and control. Maybe there is a better Kirschbaum stringa s a cross for RSlyon that has a better spin than silverstring but my understanding is that it is mainly the mains which produce the spin and silverstring is an incredible string. Great feel for a poly and long lasting... good spin but that's not its main feature... with the TC95 Im not really trying to get more spin. a little less might even be better.
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Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 19: chance encounter
Spec update: the TC95 63ra 16x19 is now 360g
Well I went to my practice courts for some serve work and man does this thing still deliver... the SSO had gone past the 5 hour mark so I put some silicon spray lube on it... good as new, maybe even better.
Basically the same as everything I've noted before... then someone Id played doubles ainst once stopped by. I lent him my extra pickup frame a prince speedport tour: http://www.tennis.com/gear/prince/racquets/o3-speedport-tour-port-2622/ its weighted to 12.15oz and a true 97head so a bit more manageable than most of my frames for another person to just pick up, likethe TC95 it also has a "D" eam cross section in the throat but doesnt feel as substantial. Its fun to hit with and I used it a bit when he was trying out my Angell. He usuallly uses a dunlop bio 300tour
Overall, as time wore on during our hit I could count on being able to get unforced errors from my hitting partner on long rallies just by keeping things deep with good spin. He's shorter but likes to hang right at the baseline... Im kinda known for hitting balls that bounce right at the baseline... in college it was a drill we did, depth depth and more depth... hitting corner, center, corner. Compared to the prince (strung with some syngut) the TC95 required one to hit with a lot more intention and comittment. The prince makes defending sooooo easy, one could get lazy with this whereas the Tcv95 RA63 takes far more concentration to apply its powercorrectly. I prefer that and I could find immense spin and placement with the TC95. The best were wunning backhands and forehands from across the court as my partner found some good angles with therather spinny prince.
I also learned how great the TC95 was on drop shots. We were mostly baseline grinding and after the 6 or 7th hit in a rally then started to really let loose going for angles and corners... his big but somewhat shallow angle shots allowed me to hit drop shots on the 12th+ stroke as he was quite ensconced at the baseline. He's fast and a scrambler with great courtspeed but the combo of SSO and the TC95 made sneaky drop shots very enjoyable. In a 15-20 shot rally where weve been going all out a dropshot is ok... similarly he'd throw up deep lobs to give himself time to get back into things. Normally I dont just hang out on the baseline so exclusively.
I rarely hit them in match play so this was good practice. Overall I could count on the SSO TC95 combo on long baseline rallies and some volleys to deliver precision. I've learned more patience and the TC95 really lets me reset a point with a deep defensive shot to a corner... even if im stretched out on the run. Not a bad string in these frames (it does tame the power without its sibling Max Power's ultra stiffness) but my return game likes a bit of syn-gut like pocketing. RSLyon is up next. Would love to hear other's experiences with it.
Spec update: the TC95 63ra 16x19 is now 360g
Well I went to my practice courts for some serve work and man does this thing still deliver... the SSO had gone past the 5 hour mark so I put some silicon spray lube on it... good as new, maybe even better.
Basically the same as everything I've noted before... then someone Id played doubles ainst once stopped by. I lent him my extra pickup frame a prince speedport tour: http://www.tennis.com/gear/prince/racquets/o3-speedport-tour-port-2622/ its weighted to 12.15oz and a true 97head so a bit more manageable than most of my frames for another person to just pick up, likethe TC95 it also has a "D" eam cross section in the throat but doesnt feel as substantial. Its fun to hit with and I used it a bit when he was trying out my Angell. He usuallly uses a dunlop bio 300tour
Overall, as time wore on during our hit I could count on being able to get unforced errors from my hitting partner on long rallies just by keeping things deep with good spin. He's shorter but likes to hang right at the baseline... Im kinda known for hitting balls that bounce right at the baseline... in college it was a drill we did, depth depth and more depth... hitting corner, center, corner. Compared to the prince (strung with some syngut) the TC95 required one to hit with a lot more intention and comittment. The prince makes defending sooooo easy, one could get lazy with this whereas the Tcv95 RA63 takes far more concentration to apply its powercorrectly. I prefer that and I could find immense spin and placement with the TC95. The best were wunning backhands and forehands from across the court as my partner found some good angles with therather spinny prince.
I also learned how great the TC95 was on drop shots. We were mostly baseline grinding and after the 6 or 7th hit in a rally then started to really let loose going for angles and corners... his big but somewhat shallow angle shots allowed me to hit drop shots on the 12th+ stroke as he was quite ensconced at the baseline. He's fast and a scrambler with great courtspeed but the combo of SSO and the TC95 made sneaky drop shots very enjoyable. In a 15-20 shot rally where weve been going all out a dropshot is ok... similarly he'd throw up deep lobs to give himself time to get back into things. Normally I dont just hang out on the baseline so exclusively.
I rarely hit them in match play so this was good practice. Overall I could count on the SSO TC95 combo on long baseline rallies and some volleys to deliver precision. I've learned more patience and the TC95 really lets me reset a point with a deep defensive shot to a corner... even if im stretched out on the run. Not a bad string in these frames (it does tame the power without its sibling Max Power's ultra stiffness) but my return game likes a bit of syn-gut like pocketing. RSLyon is up next. Would love to hear other's experiences with it.
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Anton
Legend
More spin is never a downside, it gives you a more desirable ball trajectory and margin once the pace picks up.
Have you tried the natural-gut with poly cross yet? There is a reason so many top pros use it. For me it is working out great in many rackets (not all), touch, placement and comfort is really a lot better than poly string-beds, spin and longevity is solid too.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Well sometimes too much spin can let things sit up... hasnt been a problem with the TC95 but with the XPF95 it was sometimes... but maybe it was the maneuverability of thta stick getting things back that had no right coming back anyways. It really is a MP that plays like a mid.
Yeah I used gut poly for a few years when I played the IG Prestige MP. Pacific toughgut with silverstring crosses. Nice plush ride, but it always felt like a compromise (great feel at the net though). I guess Ive never loved gut poly and many of the top pros with a backhand similar to mine, Guga and Wawrinka use full poly for a reason. I guess I dust dont like the trampoline of gut... certainly not full gut. I like it dead and kinda boardy. For all the other strokes gutpoly is fine but on my backhand it delivers such RHS and impact... I really just want as much predictable control as possible there. I can hit very spinny or very flat and everywhere in between. Currently Im just trying to tame the power of the TC95... SSO is working fine atm but I want a little more dwell time.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
A wildcard string that you may like is Genesis Black Magic. It has such good pocketing for a poly.
J
joohan
Guest
I have a full bed of Weiss Cannon Silverstring in my TC95 and it plays/feels pretty awesome.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
black magic really is a special string. I have it in my Max 200 g at the moment and it does really pocket almost too much with trampoline effect for me. though it's a little indistinct a little too muted although I could probably cross it was something like Silver String but I'm really looking for something that still has decent Spin and is relatively crisp but still has a little bit of pocketing.
Not a lot of strings sound like they fits that bill so I think it's pretty much is rslyon or Yonex poly tour pro... i could cross either with silverstring to improve feel and response if they are too dampened.
silver string is such a classic all around string it just performs so well in so many different categories... especially for an all courter.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
oh and here is a pic of my tc95: http://imgur.com/9f5Oauj
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Nice!! I will miss that gunmetal Grey PJ!!!
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
It does really snap with black grommets and an orange string job..
I also like the new one especially if I can have opaque orange grommets that will pop with the black (I like orange but I probably wont keep these strings). I think Ill switch to green grommets on this one (which Ive named "Uther" after King Arthur's dad... sorry can do everything Viking... similar to a Japanese person not wanting everything to be ninja this, samurai that).
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 20: Swat Team
Ok quick one... hit around and worked on things for a couple of hours. Everything reiterated... love SSO for groundies and decent on serves but Im not able to pull off my biggest finesse out wide can opener serves in both courts. I can still go wide but the extreme wide serves arent happening with this string. I must need a softer string or something with more dwell time. Cant wait to try out RSLyon. If I have to I can cross it with silverstring... Same with yonex poly tour pro. Another option Ive always liked (I still have some of that). Then there is Angell's new Halo string. I know nothing about it but I plan to get some grommets so that's a possibility.
Still sorting out if I want to order a custom 18x20 instead of this 16x19 but I dont think that SSO is a good string to evaluate with. It is ok for volleys and ok with returns in an 16x19 Ra63(strung =58ra) TC95 but I know i need strings I like better before I make that call.
after getting done and walked back home... A swat team had blocked off the street... some guy in a nearby hotel was armed (probably a gun)... so I walked to some other courts... an old guy was hitting some drop balls so I asked if hewanted to hit. Crafty old junk baller. The TC95 did well against his no pace complete surprise shankfest game (a good real world test and I enjoyed running everything down... including lobs) it was very nimble... not as good as the Pacific X feel pro 95 but being able to generated some pace easilly + spin was a good thing.
Went home and police had opened the street again (I know no details). Had a chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk.
Big question is do I want an 18x20 next or another 16x19?
Ok quick one... hit around and worked on things for a couple of hours. Everything reiterated... love SSO for groundies and decent on serves but Im not able to pull off my biggest finesse out wide can opener serves in both courts. I can still go wide but the extreme wide serves arent happening with this string. I must need a softer string or something with more dwell time. Cant wait to try out RSLyon. If I have to I can cross it with silverstring... Same with yonex poly tour pro. Another option Ive always liked (I still have some of that). Then there is Angell's new Halo string. I know nothing about it but I plan to get some grommets so that's a possibility.
Still sorting out if I want to order a custom 18x20 instead of this 16x19 but I dont think that SSO is a good string to evaluate with. It is ok for volleys and ok with returns in an 16x19 Ra63(strung =58ra) TC95 but I know i need strings I like better before I make that call.
after getting done and walked back home... A swat team had blocked off the street... some guy in a nearby hotel was armed (probably a gun)... so I walked to some other courts... an old guy was hitting some drop balls so I asked if hewanted to hit. Crafty old junk baller. The TC95 did well against his no pace complete surprise shankfest game (a good real world test and I enjoyed running everything down... including lobs) it was very nimble... not as good as the Pacific X feel pro 95 but being able to generated some pace easilly + spin was a good thing.
Went home and police had opened the street again (I know no details). Had a chocolate chip cookie and a cold glass of milk.
Big question is do I want an 18x20 next or another 16x19?
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
yeah... Im just curious about the directional control... a little less pop too. Ive played 18x20's for most of my life so the Xfeel pro and 16x19 tc95 are outliers but I make use of that spin. Especially on second serves and ground stroke rallies the ability to really kick in some serious spin forces my opponents to cough up some forced "unforced" errors. Not sure I want to part with that.
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Not that you are old at 45 but as we age some loss of RHS is inevitable. When younger I could move between 16x19 or 18x20 with no discernible loss of spin. Nowadays not so much.....[emoji15]
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
I vary my spin a ton and probably still value string bed predictability above maximum spin production ultimately. When I went from the Head IG Prestige MP (18x20) to the Pacific X Feel Pro 95 (16x19) partly it was to learn how to use 16x19 more effectively (tactically)... and it worked. Pretty sure I get all the topspin I need from an 18x20 still but its true This year Ive felt the dampness in my bones far more than any other year in my life... it may have prompted my move to Angell.
My last match with the x feel pro 95 was one of my best outings ever 6-1 6-1 victory against a tough opponent... but I realized I had to be on like that to get the most out of that stick and I was relying too much on my second serve (which is a stressful way to play). The TC95 lets me easily hold serve or dig out of a hole if I fall behind on a service game. It is wierd because I definitely move better than I did 8 years ago when I came back to the sport (tore my acl in college, had it reconstructed but didnt play again for 16-17 years, redeveloped my game)... but my my joints dont recover as well so the Angell decision was preemptive. I frequently play people 5 -18 younger than myself in singles or retired doctors or old surfer types who are fitter than I am but are 5-10 years older than I am. The doctors always play doubles.
My Angell is .2 to .3 oz lighter than my most recent frames with a similar balance point so that helps.
Going to order some RSLyon soon.
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Why not grab another TC 95 in the 18 x 20 pattern and give us all a nice review! The worst case scenario is you prefer the 16 x 19 and simply sell the additional frame. [emoji462][emoji106][emoji462][emoji41]
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
That's true... and I doubt Id part with it even if I didnt prefer it... for example in doubles I can see where the additional precision and directional control would make it a go to stick.
Right now the plan is to dial in this stick with the right strings then place an order for a second Angell.
Connors Fan
Rookie
Interesting thread. I resurrected my Head Rad MG MP these last couple of months, and found after playing several of the newer open patterns, that I guess I prefer the lower power more control of that racquet.
Anyone have any comparison of the two, or an idea if they would play similar. I'm referring to the TC95, though am considering the 97 also.
Currently I add a bit of lead around 10 and 2 on the Microgel.
Anyone have any comparison of the two, or an idea if they would play similar. I'm referring to the TC95, though am considering the 97 also.
Currently I add a bit of lead around 10 and 2 on the Microgel.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Thanks
Yeah I actually want to snag a microgel for my lil brother... great stick, I reccomend them all the time. The TC95 RA 63 (58 strung) in 18x20 might work but it is more dampened than the Microgel, yough might like that. I think the TC97 might be a closer match as it is a similar box beam but it is a 16x19.... maybe an 18x20 in that will come out?
Connors Fan
Rookie
Hmmm, by dampened to you mean feel alone, or power level? If power, you think the 97 is closer? I have found the Microgel to be pretty low powered.
Connors Fan
Rookie
Additionally, does anyone buy the 97 tour? I know its cool to have a custom made racquet, but sometimes its difficult to know what is best for you anyway. Seems the Tour 97 has about the right specs fro playing as is, or adding led here or there, as your game and desires change?
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
dampened vibrations in feel... power is actually quite healthy... more than the microgel. I dont know where to find the tour series stateside... it would be cool if TW carried them because the tour models are the most popular weight combos from the custom frames.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 21: Angell and a classic Head Trysis 300
I keep feeling like I dont want to report on every session, only when something interesting happens. Today that was also hitting with a pair of Head Trysis 300's... basically a head prestige with a somewhat longer head (a somewhat yonex-shaped mid). They hit so sweet... no vibration dampener required.
First off it was mostly a hitting session... Ive been dialing in my backhand slices, which I dont use as much as most players because of my topspin and falt backhand drives. Still not in love with Super smash orange strings as they just dont have enough dwell time but they are great from the backcourt and for serving. They also look cool in the angell: http://imgur.com/9f5Oauj
Im still able to dig out of holes on service games quite easily with the TC95... Came back from love-40 and love 30 on two games... no problem. We only played 6 games but I was up 4-2 and I dropped the 1st 2 games. Basically the collateral damage of heavier rally balls with the TC 95 just gets me more free points. Flat forehands are impressive as are heavy topspin shots. Ive started to groove my slice backhands nicely and we worked on that. The stick really opens up on faster paced exchanges... feel is not that dissmilar from the Head Trysis 300... though that had syngut strings and no vibration dampener... my TC96 has full poly SSO at 45lbs and a super thin #33 rubber band.
High volleys are really nice though Im still having trouble with volleys that dip below the net. I think it is the dwell time issue I mentioned before, more doubles should help. I should have RSlyon next week and perhaps that will help.
The Trysis 300 by comparison had so much precision and godlike on slice backhands and flat first serves. No where near the same spin potential but good for flat hitting. Gorgeous feel. I hit a lot of shots into the net as the greater power of the TC95 made transition difficult. Easy on the backhand side but on forehands I put lots of balls into the net. Still if you love old Austrian Heads the TC95 wont feel that dissimilar. A very dampened and plush ride for those that care about that old "European style feel" you really cant find that outside of Angell Pacific and a few other frames... Dunlop, volkl and head used to deliver it but they are chasing babolat's thing for odd reasons (depsite the #1 and #2 mens players using those types of head classic Austrian era frames).
The trysis being a classic 18x20 had me thinking about getting my next TC95 in an 18x20. I like that precision and the ability to change directions with an 18x20 pattern. The Tc95 in 18x20 is still very spinny. This hitting session has given me a lot to think about. Perhaps I'll string up my old IGPMP for a little more research into what I want from my upcoming Angell order. another 16x19 or an 18x20?
I keep feeling like I dont want to report on every session, only when something interesting happens. Today that was also hitting with a pair of Head Trysis 300's... basically a head prestige with a somewhat longer head (a somewhat yonex-shaped mid). They hit so sweet... no vibration dampener required.
First off it was mostly a hitting session... Ive been dialing in my backhand slices, which I dont use as much as most players because of my topspin and falt backhand drives. Still not in love with Super smash orange strings as they just dont have enough dwell time but they are great from the backcourt and for serving. They also look cool in the angell: http://imgur.com/9f5Oauj
Im still able to dig out of holes on service games quite easily with the TC95... Came back from love-40 and love 30 on two games... no problem. We only played 6 games but I was up 4-2 and I dropped the 1st 2 games. Basically the collateral damage of heavier rally balls with the TC 95 just gets me more free points. Flat forehands are impressive as are heavy topspin shots. Ive started to groove my slice backhands nicely and we worked on that. The stick really opens up on faster paced exchanges... feel is not that dissmilar from the Head Trysis 300... though that had syngut strings and no vibration dampener... my TC96 has full poly SSO at 45lbs and a super thin #33 rubber band.
High volleys are really nice though Im still having trouble with volleys that dip below the net. I think it is the dwell time issue I mentioned before, more doubles should help. I should have RSlyon next week and perhaps that will help.
The Trysis 300 by comparison had so much precision and godlike on slice backhands and flat first serves. No where near the same spin potential but good for flat hitting. Gorgeous feel. I hit a lot of shots into the net as the greater power of the TC95 made transition difficult. Easy on the backhand side but on forehands I put lots of balls into the net. Still if you love old Austrian Heads the TC95 wont feel that dissimilar. A very dampened and plush ride for those that care about that old "European style feel" you really cant find that outside of Angell Pacific and a few other frames... Dunlop, volkl and head used to deliver it but they are chasing babolat's thing for odd reasons (depsite the #1 and #2 mens players using those types of head classic Austrian era frames).
The trysis being a classic 18x20 had me thinking about getting my next TC95 in an 18x20. I like that precision and the ability to change directions with an 18x20 pattern. The Tc95 in 18x20 is still very spinny. This hitting session has given me a lot to think about. Perhaps I'll string up my old IGPMP for a little more research into what I want from my upcoming Angell order. another 16x19 or an 18x20?
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
I LOVE the feel of the Head Prestiges with the "suspension" grips but did not play well with them. Good memories nonetheless..... [emoji462][emoji462][emoji462]
I can tell you that the 97 tour (for that matter all of the pre-configured Angell's) are the exact same racquet (hairpin) as the customs, just with a molded B shaped handle and tungsten weight is used for weighting instead of lead weights. The source for them in the USA is found by googling advanced racquets . com (remove spaces).
Let me know if you have any other questions about the 97's, I've hit with about every available Angell, usually is a heavy spec. I am currently playing with the 97 at 335 grams unstrung, I am using Solinco Hyper-G at 54 and really liking the combination.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Awesome info.
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Backhanded Compliment
Legend
ummm...
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Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Day 22: RS Lyon
So I finally cut out the Super Smash Orange and had the TC95 RA63 (58 strung) 16x19 strung with Robin Soderling's RSlyon string at 45lbs in the search of more dwell time, pocketing and a dead synthetic gut feel. It delivers this but has less power than SSO and less spin (polarizing the stick more by removing throat weight will likely fix that). This is a serious control string.
Feel: Anyone playing with an Angell, Fischer or old Austrian Head frame knows what Im talking about and though SSO was serviceable it lacked that inspiring feel my TC95 had even with Luxilon adrenaline. This comes down to a sensation of dwell time and boy did this deliver... perhaps the best full poly dwell time experience Ive come across. Think of it as like silverstring but more muted but not as muted as Yonex Poly tour pro. I could play without a rubber band vibration dampener with this setup. On groundstrokes playing Australian doubles that extra bit of dwell time let me place the ball for winners when I was 1 v 2 players.
Spin: Tradeoff is the spin is not as good as SSO and not nearly as explosive but control on flat shots or hard swung ones was more consistent and confidence inspiring. RS Lyon also lead to far better slices and flat winners had more precision. I could swing out and vary the spin accordingly... Robin Soderling did develop this string after all. Spin production is better than adrenaline.
Forehands: Flat or spin forehands were great... when I came back to the sport I switched from an eastern FH to a Semiwestern and tried to copy Soderling's (we are built similarly, also a bit like Gug's FH). This string really lets you swing out with impunity and go for passing shots but you have to swing a little harder to get the same oomf (this string might not be for those who struggle creating power, this is very control oriented string). Even slice forehands were great.
Backhands: I loved the crosscourt and dtl drives.. the control and slight pocketing of the string encouraged me to swing freely... that's what I wanted... depth control was a tad easier with SSO as it had more topspin but the greater confidence with RSLyon on hitting out was so rewarding... Ill have to try this in a normal match but that sensation of just destroying the ball with laser precision was strong in this setup.
Returns: Here was the major plus and Im a huge returner... I relish it and lost track of the return winners I hit but it was well over 10. This is a great return string allowing me to crush server's hopes. Whether it was a delicate angle or djokovic style corner kissing laser this string gives strong returners that extra millisecond of time to turn a good return into a great one. This is what I wanted and am used to. Yes.
Serves: Flat serves, kicks and twits all had a little less power but you can swing harder and it stays in so this will take adjustment. Second serves took getting used to but after being broken on my first service attempt I erased a 15-40 deficit in Australian doubles on my next try. Perhaps the strings were still settling or I needed to calibrate (Served a lot of double faults that 1st game but the second there were none). My American twist second serves had good depth and motion but were not as explosive as with SSO... I suspect polarizing the setup more (by removing some throat lead at the "V" will counter this one issue. Otherwise great directional control and really could swing hard. One problem I had with SSOP was too much spin sending balls into the net... not so here. Basically, I adjusted my toss and a little more work can be done to groove this.
Volleys: Another major plus... all volles, including low ones off my shoelaces were great... this is a like a more comfortable silverstring... I require dwell time for touch shots and this had it.
Comfort: RSlyon is just great... my arm loves this. You can feel the ball sink in and pocket... dwelling there. That takes away shock.
Overall: this could work, though I miss the explosive explosive spin a tad and RSlyon does tame the TC95's beastly power... I kinda want a bit more of it back but perhaps a slightly more polarized setup would achieve that. Otherwise Im next considering a hybrid of Hyper G mains and RS Lyon crosses. That said, I like having just 1 string and polarizing the weight might be the final piece of the puzzle. A little serve practice is next.
Impressive 1st product from Robin Soderling, TW you did a great thing carrying this string.
So I finally cut out the Super Smash Orange and had the TC95 RA63 (58 strung) 16x19 strung with Robin Soderling's RSlyon string at 45lbs in the search of more dwell time, pocketing and a dead synthetic gut feel. It delivers this but has less power than SSO and less spin (polarizing the stick more by removing throat weight will likely fix that). This is a serious control string.
Feel: Anyone playing with an Angell, Fischer or old Austrian Head frame knows what Im talking about and though SSO was serviceable it lacked that inspiring feel my TC95 had even with Luxilon adrenaline. This comes down to a sensation of dwell time and boy did this deliver... perhaps the best full poly dwell time experience Ive come across. Think of it as like silverstring but more muted but not as muted as Yonex Poly tour pro. I could play without a rubber band vibration dampener with this setup. On groundstrokes playing Australian doubles that extra bit of dwell time let me place the ball for winners when I was 1 v 2 players.
Spin: Tradeoff is the spin is not as good as SSO and not nearly as explosive but control on flat shots or hard swung ones was more consistent and confidence inspiring. RS Lyon also lead to far better slices and flat winners had more precision. I could swing out and vary the spin accordingly... Robin Soderling did develop this string after all. Spin production is better than adrenaline.
Forehands: Flat or spin forehands were great... when I came back to the sport I switched from an eastern FH to a Semiwestern and tried to copy Soderling's (we are built similarly, also a bit like Gug's FH). This string really lets you swing out with impunity and go for passing shots but you have to swing a little harder to get the same oomf (this string might not be for those who struggle creating power, this is very control oriented string). Even slice forehands were great.
Backhands: I loved the crosscourt and dtl drives.. the control and slight pocketing of the string encouraged me to swing freely... that's what I wanted... depth control was a tad easier with SSO as it had more topspin but the greater confidence with RSLyon on hitting out was so rewarding... Ill have to try this in a normal match but that sensation of just destroying the ball with laser precision was strong in this setup.
Returns: Here was the major plus and Im a huge returner... I relish it and lost track of the return winners I hit but it was well over 10. This is a great return string allowing me to crush server's hopes. Whether it was a delicate angle or djokovic style corner kissing laser this string gives strong returners that extra millisecond of time to turn a good return into a great one. This is what I wanted and am used to. Yes.
Serves: Flat serves, kicks and twits all had a little less power but you can swing harder and it stays in so this will take adjustment. Second serves took getting used to but after being broken on my first service attempt I erased a 15-40 deficit in Australian doubles on my next try. Perhaps the strings were still settling or I needed to calibrate (Served a lot of double faults that 1st game but the second there were none). My American twist second serves had good depth and motion but were not as explosive as with SSO... I suspect polarizing the setup more (by removing some throat lead at the "V" will counter this one issue. Otherwise great directional control and really could swing hard. One problem I had with SSOP was too much spin sending balls into the net... not so here. Basically, I adjusted my toss and a little more work can be done to groove this.
Volleys: Another major plus... all volles, including low ones off my shoelaces were great... this is a like a more comfortable silverstring... I require dwell time for touch shots and this had it.
Comfort: RSlyon is just great... my arm loves this. You can feel the ball sink in and pocket... dwelling there. That takes away shock.
Overall: this could work, though I miss the explosive explosive spin a tad and RSlyon does tame the TC95's beastly power... I kinda want a bit more of it back but perhaps a slightly more polarized setup would achieve that. Otherwise Im next considering a hybrid of Hyper G mains and RS Lyon crosses. That said, I like having just 1 string and polarizing the weight might be the final piece of the puzzle. A little serve practice is next.
Impressive 1st product from Robin Soderling, TW you did a great thing carrying this string.
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Taveren
Professional
@Backhanded Compliment if you have access to Signum Pro Firestorm you should give it a try. I very much enjoyed it in my TC95 63ra 18x20. It is a great all around string with exceptional feel and ball pocketing giving you that extra dwell time.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
oooh will check it out... looking for tips. how is the spin on spfs?
Taveren
Professional
Nothing insane, but it is there on demand, helps make a good predictable stringbed. Though it is a mid powered string so you may want to up your tension a bit for more control. I had it at 54/52.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
yeah I prefer control over everything else... I can create spin with my strokes but predictable response with control is the #1 thing so I can groove and trust what will happen... and a syn gut pocketing with dwell time is also great. Basically I love the feel of dead syn gut.
Grieeegoorr
Semi-Pro
Thanks very much for posting your experience with RSlyon Backhanded Compliment, I've enjoyed following your exploits very much. I have noted that so far you have had your TC95 strung 1 piece at 45lbs, would their be any benefit ( or is it even possible with 1 piece) to string the crosses a few lbs looser than the mains? Could this possibly give the RSlyon a few more RPM's that you felt were missing?
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
That is definitely an option though RPM's arent my main goal and was ok even anticipating losing a few... simply moving a minor amount of lead around is still the easiest option. I kinda like the idea of having Hyper G's green woven with RSlyon's grey but I need to put in my 10 hours with a full bed f RSLyon first.
Reflecting on yesterday's session I just love the sensation of the plush Angell frame and the sink in pocketing of RSlyon... and the way when I really swing out I feel connected and certain of the response. That is very important to me and I hit a lot of winners despite having less power and spin. I just felt better connected and accurate. It is a great string combo with a sub 60 RA frame.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I may give it a shot.Tough to really try anything when Cyclone works so well for me. The spin with Cyclone is straight up nasty.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
True cyclone is a fantastic spin string and I get about 12 hours out of it (after 5 hours on any string I start appying silicone spray). Cyclone was my all time favorite return string until Rslyon... thing is they are so different. Rslyon isnt as spinny and is more for flat ball bashing with greater comfort, pocketing and linear control.... spin is still good (a step up from Silverstring or adrenaline) but a notch or two down from Cyclone and SSO.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Ill probably keep rocking Cyclone based on that. I haven't changed strings in so long and it has really benefitted my game - which really seems to match the Cyclone.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
Yeah that seems like the right call and consistency is so important (not sexy but sooo important)... I really like cyclone except it gets non-linear on my backhand.. ie sometimes more power than others (an uneven response)... sometimes shaped strings do that. That said Ive found ridiculous angles with Cyclone 18 in a Prestige MP. RsLyon really is completely different... closest thing to it is Yonex Poly Tour Pro (black) but it gives better feedback and pocketing, perhaps better control and less power. Not certain which has more spin YPTP or RsLyon. The Angell already has so much spin I enjoy the way I can just lay into a ball for a winner with this Soder-string.
BounceHitBounceHit
Legend
Through all my racquet affairs it's always been Big Banger Ace 18 @ high tension.
Backhanded Compliment
Legend
yeah having some constants in gear is so important it gives you a baseline experience to build from... very empirical approach. Thats why i used SSO. so far very impressed with the rslyon exoerience, the flexy foam filled frame and pocketing control poly combo is rewarding. A singles match will reveal more.
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SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
If you ever feel like trying something else… Give Kirschbaum Black Shark a shot. I imagine it will pair very well with the TC 95.
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