Völkl C10 Pro Club!
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TupeloDanger
Professional
In a world that made sense, this club would see a huge surge in membership on the heels of Murray winning (assuming he does) Wimby, since the C10P with its MP size and 80/20 layup is easily the closest thing available to his 16/19 PT57.
TupeloDanger
Professional
The major dissimilarity is that the C10 plays softer (flexier?), and of course has a more open string pattern. But as a long-time user of both sticks, I'd say a brand new C10 plays an awful lot like a well-worn PT280. And since Andy prefers the more open string pattern anyway, there's a case to be made...
(There's a case to be made for the MP Redondo, too, but since the Redondo mid is already about as easy to find as a living dodo bird, I don't have a lot of optimism about the future of the MP, either.)
(There's a case to be made for the MP Redondo, too, but since the Redondo mid is already about as easy to find as a living dodo bird, I don't have a lot of optimism about the future of the MP, either.)
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
I used the PT280 for a bit when they went on the cheap. I never could get used to/like the 18X20 string bed. I believe I posted around here that I had problems squaring the string bed to the ball. I do agree that spec-wise they were similar, but while the C10 feels like a virtual extension of my arm, the PT280 never did feel right.
TupeloDanger
Professional
I assume Murray would agree with you!
For those who would like to experiment with what a PT280 might have been like had it been a 16 main beast, I'd encourage you to give the C10 a try. It's a legendary stick for a reason.
in my case, my game quantum-leaped after I switched to 18x20 (prestige) 10 years ago.
and can not break up with 18x20 since then.
for c10 pro, string pattern was not a issue somehow. maybe it's dense 16x19.
one of two best frames i've hit in terms of balance between ground strokes and volleys: strangely 2 volkl's: c10 pro and boris becker melbourne.
much more powerful than prestige mp.
I used gut mains and TiMO crosses for a number of years. I liked the feel of the TiMO in the crosses better than the mains with this gut hybrid. Even when the TiMO last some of the feel the bed still felt good and played really nice for longer than if the TiMO was in the mains. I had two C10's I used and I tried this main/cross combo with TiMO mains and gut crosses and the other as gut mains and TiMO crosses.
I am not sure if the current TiMO strings have changed composition since I stopped using that combination a few years back. Seems like these string companies are constantly tinkering with strings. Even the strings everyone likes they are constantly messing with a good product to make it worse for the consumer, i.e. Babolat gut. Or just outright stopping production to introduce the latest, greatest string composition that will change the way you play and make you a super star on the court. Four months later no one buys that latest, greatest string because it is nothing special. I wish I had kept an older set to compare that one to a new production version.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
I too tried gut mains and TiMO crosses. I thought it was nice, but I just didn't have the control as I did with TiMO mains. I also tried gut in the crosses and thought that a waste of gut, but now I'm thinking.....
I agree. Always the profit margin with these guys! I noticed TiMO is no longer produced in reels, I did find one but the writing is on the wall. ALU is close to TiMO albeit a bit more arm friendly so there's always that option.
I agree, once you start seeing that you can almost see they are getting rid of stock to make room for something else that is "better".
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Very true. They aren't getting rid of their ca$h cow.Yeah, the one thing you know is that ALU will always be there.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
alrighty then based on your post above, yesterday I strung one up with Wilson Sensation 16 mains and TiMO 18 crosses at 54/51 and one with Gosen OGSM 16 mains and TiMO 18 crosses at the same tension. I'll play this weekend and report back my thoughts. thanks for the inspiration
I look froward to your review and thoughts using these strings.alrighty then based on your post above, yesterday I strung one up with Wilson Sensation 16 mains and TiMO 18 crosses at 54/51 and one with Gosen OGSM 16 mains and TiMO 18 crosses at the same tension. I'll play this weekend and report back my thoughts. thanks for the inspiration
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Played today with both. Well, played a set and a half with the synthetic mains, poly crosses. It played firm, firm enough that it almost felt like TiMO at 48.
The Wilson Sensation frame was very comfortable, not as much control, more spin I think. Tomorrow, I'll play with the Sensation frame and make more comments. The Sensation frame with TiMO also had more power. I did like it.Thanks for the update. Again, give us an update when you switch it back to the TiMO mains. I have two racquets I need to restring so I will wait to hear what your updated string report is.
I know I get frustrated like that a few times in my playing time. I get so frustrated at myself- feeling like I am letting down my partner. I've only thrown a racquet once in my tennis life ( time is different in tennis time, like dog years vs regular years). I threw it into my racquet bag, bounced it off the net post first though, I thought I cracked it. I never looked at it until I got into my car. I was happy it wasn't cracked.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
@mctennis - sorry, I didn't see this. I have gone back to my signature set up, TiMO mains and Gosen crosses @50 pounds. That really makes the racket become an extension of my arm. The ball goes where intended. The only change I may make is to decrease the tension by 3 pounds, maybe today even. My arm fares well with this set up, and I may keep bumping down tension just to see. I am confounded by my newest acquisition, the ERT 300 as it tells me to restring when the string is feeling good.
My arm fares well with this set up, and I may keep bumping down tension just to see. I am confounded by my newest acquisition, the ERT 300 as it tells me to restring when the string is feeling good.
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fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Lately been trying a hybrid of Isospeed Baseline 1.20mm mains at 53 lbs. and Forten 16 ga. nylon crosses at 56 lbs. Very well behaved, especially compared with my other C10 of that matched pair that I have strung with a full bed of the 16 ga. nylon (at perhaps 57 or 58 lbs.) I haven't felt any objections in my arm/elbow from the hybrid, but I want to have a few more sessions with this layout at different tensions to see what's what.
Thank you for the latest update. I'd like to hear how well you like this combination and at the tension you settle on.@mctennis - sorry, I didn't see this. I have gone back to my signature set up, TiMO mains and Gosen crosses @50 pounds. That really makes the racket become an extension of my arm. The ball goes where intended. The only change I may make is to decrease the tension by 3 pounds, maybe today even.
Can anyone compare the C10 pro power wise to other frames on the market. I looked at the TWU scores and its percent of energy/speed returned it high at 41.7%. Only a few frames are clearly higher. Pure aeros are around 42% and the blade 98 16x19 was 43.2% which tells me numbers aren't everything.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
racquetjunkie
Rookie
@DANMAN, do you have specific frames in mind? I think if you do a search, you'd find others saying that the C10 Pro, as a MP frame, probably has a bit more pop compared to other MPs. I have played 6.1s, Radical Pros, Prestiges, Fishcer M Pros...etc, and Yes I will have to concur. It does have useful power, despite being very soft. Mine are 367-9 grams strung, and I used poly in the mains, syn gut in the crosses (52-55lbs). They do have nice power, and are very stable. Mine are pretty headlight (despite lead at 3 and 9) and have leather grips. I really cannot imagine playing with anything else at the moment, given the combo of flexibility, mass, power, 16 mains...etc. In case you are wondering, I am a 4.0 on a good day, and like Pro Red Code, Timo, Cyclone Tour, and Silversting in my mains.
I appreciate the comparison. I'm a 5.0 and have just started playing again with my Babolat Pure Storm Tour + frames that came out back in 2006 or so. I was playing with weighted up Blade 98S frames at 12.15 ounces and roughly 7 pts HL but when not playing a lot have issues with the launch angle from the S frame. It also doesn't hit the heaviest ball despite the weight. I like frames right around the 12 oz mark and the C10 looks pretty promising being that it is flexy and powerful. It is on my demo short list.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
The C10's in my bag are a rather new pair that have leaded handles for more HL balance - about 11 pts HL - and weigh in at 12.8 oz. Although these are softer than some other frames, they're the most powerful hitters I use. This doesn't mean that they have more rebound energy or "pop" than anything else in my collection, but they give me a combo of control and power that works for my shots. They're a great fit. I suppose there must be at least some inherent pop with these just because they volley with authority and I can hit my fastest serves with them, too.
I picked up a PS 97 this summer just for some experiments with something from the Wilson family, but it hasn't gone so well. While the RF 97 is weighted more in the neighborhood of what I've always used, I wanted to get the lighter alternative and do a little tuning to see what I might find. Plus, the RF 97 reminded me a lot of my old 6.1 Classics, but with a mildly larger hoop.
The stock version of the PS 97 was too light for my wants and needs, so I leaded the hoop just a little to get a more stable feel and also leaded the handle to produce my more familiar balance (10-11 pts. HL). That gave me a better fit, but further fine tuning and a couple of different string setups haven't given me anything to get excited about. The racquet is okay, but when I need to hit hard, the C10 really shines for me.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
The two I'm keeping in my bag now are the most recent - black with yellow on the hoop. I also have one of the recent generations, which is primarily black with yellow lettering. Don't remember the year, but I think it came right before the all yellow paint job. Any-who, that one feels quite similar if not identical to these two most recent C10's. These newer frames are comfortably soft for me, even with a poly hybrid installed at moderate tension.
My older C10's include one of the fish scale generation as well as a couple of the subsequent yellow-and-black models. It could be that these are just older, but they seem to border on feeling pillow soft. These can sometimes seem a little more difficult to direct the ball with, especially around the net. Super cozy soft, but they can potentially feel a little disconnected unless I have a snug and crispy feeling string setup in there. The newer ones don't seem "rigid", but I get a sensation of a little more firmness against the ball when I play them.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
I just demoed some Volkls. I hit with the V-Sense 9, V-Sense 8 315 and today the Super G10 295. The 8 & 9 were good. The G10 however was like a tonic. If you're a little older and love the C10, you may want to give the G10 295 a try. I found it played like the C10 (save for the noise which takes a bit of getting used to). It has more power, more maneuverability, as much control, and is a spin monster. The demo I tried was strung at 55 with Cyclone 17. The Cyclone played really lively in the frame. I enjoyed it so much, I bought two.
Shaolin
G.O.A.T.
Was watching an interview with Roddick and Federer from a few years ago and they flashed this photo of Fed. I assume when he was a junior. Did he every play with a C10 Pro? Sure looks like a fish scale version to me.
His coach Peter Carter used it and is holding it in that pic.
macattack
Professional
Ahhhh. Racquets crossed. That makes total sense. I knew that Peter Carter, but I didn't know he used the C10. Thanks!
Shaolin
G.O.A.T.
No worries m8!
Thanks for the update and the great racquet review. I, for one, would not think this racquet would give such performance. Glad to see you liked it that much to buy two.I just demoed some Volkls. I hit with the V-Sense 9, V-Sense 8 315 and today the Super G10 295. The 8 & 9 were good. The G10 however was like a tonic. If you're a little older and love the C10, you may want to give the G10 295 a try. I found it played like the C10 (save for the noise which takes a bit of getting used to). It has more power, more maneuverability, as much control, and is a spin monster. The demo I tried was strung at 55 with Cyclone 17. The Cyclone played really lively in the frame. I enjoyed it so much, I bought two.
racquetjunkie
Rookie
Just got my third C10 Pro from tenniswarehouse. latest paintjob in 5/8. will add leather and lead to match my 2 2008s. played almost 3 hours singles this weekend. Still the stick I go to
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
Cheers, ^^ rj ^^ !!
Happy to report that the skinny poly hybrid has been a plus for my C10's. I set both of my newest ones up with 1.20mm Isospeed Baseline mains and 16 ga. syn. gut crosses. One has 54 lb. mains/57 lb. crosses, while the other one has the same layout at 56 lbs. for both - proceeding cautiously with this one. No noticeable issues (happy arm!!), but also no need to go any more snug. Just a better behaving package and I definitely thump my biggest serves with these frames, even with the poly hybrid.
Aside from maybe swapping some Tour Bite into this hybrid, I have no ambitions to try any other changes. A pal of mine is hot to try some TB hybrids, so we're going to grab a set or two and I'll string him up... Okay, maybe I'll also sneak a set of Cyclone, but the Baseline is so bananas cheap and easy to stock that I can't see getting excited about the premiums.
Happy to report that the skinny poly hybrid has been a plus for my C10's. I set both of my newest ones up with 1.20mm Isospeed Baseline mains and 16 ga. syn. gut crosses. One has 54 lb. mains/57 lb. crosses, while the other one has the same layout at 56 lbs. for both - proceeding cautiously with this one. No noticeable issues (happy arm!!), but also no need to go any more snug. Just a better behaving package and I definitely thump my biggest serves with these frames, even with the poly hybrid.
Aside from maybe swapping some Tour Bite into this hybrid, I have no ambitions to try any other changes. A pal of mine is hot to try some TB hybrids, so we're going to grab a set or two and I'll string him up... Okay, maybe I'll also sneak a set of Cyclone, but the Baseline is so bananas cheap and easy to stock that I can't see getting excited about the premiums.
Let us know how these string set ups last before you cut them out. Poly's , for me, do not last very long. The optimum time for them lasts me about 6-8 hours. After that they are pretty useless for me to play with.
Thanks.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
I'll have to restring one of them and use it non-stop to get an idea of how they hold up over time. Unfortunately I'm keeping a pair of C10's in the bag along with a pair of O10's that I string with 16 ga. syn. gut. Those behave fine with that string at 58 or 60 lbs., but the C10's are my big hitters and the skinny poly hybrid has given me a more consistent response without feeling rock hard.
I cut one set out and replaced it after maybe your 6-8 hour stretch, but I don't think it was necessarily used up. Since that was my first trial, I used rather low tension - maybe poly mains at 50 or 52 and crosses at 55 or 56. After it worked in, it seemed a bit close to the soft margin for me.
The fun experiment will likely be restringing both C10's at the same time. The skinny poly hybrid in one and the other roped up with full syn. gut at maybe 60 lbs. ought to make for a nice little Pepsi Challenge. Just need to track the service life with some accuracy.
Player1976
New User
Can someone tell me what year each of these C10 pros were released?
Is the upper one 1. gen fishscale / fishnet model and the two other 2. gen fishscale /fishnet Model?
Is the upper one 1. gen fishscale / fishnet model and the two other 2. gen fishscale /fishnet Model?
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racquetjunkie
Rookie
@ fuzz nation
so I am getting two of my three restrung right now. my preferred tension is 52# in the 17g poly mains, ,and 56# in the 16g syn gut crosses. That has been my setup for years now. Great comfort and good power, and not hitting too many long as long as I do my part. Same set up in the 2008 and the new 2016 (matte black and yellow), and will see how different they feel (343-344 g unstrung). hopefully no difference............. will report back
so I am getting two of my three restrung right now. my preferred tension is 52# in the 17g poly mains, ,and 56# in the 16g syn gut crosses. That has been my setup for years now. Great comfort and good power, and not hitting too many long as long as I do my part. Same set up in the 2008 and the new 2016 (matte black and yellow), and will see how different they feel (343-344 g unstrung). hopefully no difference............. will report back
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
sargeinaz
Hall of Fame
All the experiments are over....back to work with the C10s, TiMO and Gosen @ 52.
That experiment was short. Any reason or just back to old faithful?
By the way, any C10 users plan on trying the new V-Sense 10 325? I've been reading volkl is making it feel more old school with the updated beam shape. Could be a slightly more modern c10. I loved the super G 10 325, thought it was a better racket objectively than the c10, but man they feel nothing alike. This new c-sense may be the bridge between the 2.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, the Super G 10 295 is a fine frame. It's just a bit light. The Pure Drive felt like crap and hurt my shoulder after one match and it was strung with gut.
The G10 325 looks every bit a C10....even the same paint. Diff?
Automatix
Legend
Ahhhh. The Universe back on its track.All the experiments are over....back to work with the C10s, TiMO and Gosen @ 52.
sargeinaz
Hall of Fame
It's not a C10 when you play with it. I demoed it and thought it was a great stick. It was very, very stable. I mean it didn't flutter at all. And it had good pop like the c10 does. It just feels more muted and more firm than the c10. I wouldn't call it stiff, but firm. I also feel the c10 is easier to get spin out of. The c10 feel so far to me hasn't been replicated by any other racket. However, in my opinion the SG10 325 is a "better" racket, but you don't fall in love with it like the c10. The SG325 is more a tool. Sterile. Gets the job done efficiently and does everything you ask with awesome stability, but lacks the "personality" of the c10.
Makes me wonder about the new v-sense. Kind of hoping it's a mix of the two, but I doubt it. That's big shoes to fill.
It is great to see you all still rocking your C10 PRO bats. I'm not a C10 user but can appreciate the attachment to a great playing racquet. After recent short-lived dalliances with other lighter and heavy modern offerings, I am back to using and enjoying my T10 VE MP racquets in stock mode and mods to cope with me getting older. They still get the job done in all my wins and losses.
Thanks for the final string choice. So TiMO 18 and the Gosen OG Sheep Micro, both at 52? I will give that combo a try.All the experiments are over....back to work with the C10s, TiMO and Gosen @ 52.
Yes, that rock hard feel is something I HATE. I can't play very well with that constant "jarring" type feeling with every shot. I like a string with more feedback.If I hit a bad shot with other strings I can tell if I mishit it and how I mishit it. With board like strings it is like hitting it with a piece of plywood.
Keep us updated I am always willing to try some other string combos that others find that work in the C10's.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
that made me smile, thanks!Yep, and unlike a full bed of TiMO 17 at the same tension, this really doesn't feel bad! You still get really good control, and direction. Spin is good as well.
fuzz nation
G.O.A.T.
One of my C10's has a relatively fresh hybrid - Isospeed Baseline 1.20 mains, 16 ga. syn. gut crosses, both strung at 56 lbs. My other C10 (these two are twins) has the older hybrid that's coming out and I'll replace that with 16 ga. syn. gut at probably 60 lbs. My very favorite feel usually comes with 17 ga. syn. gut, at least in these racquets, but the thicker gauge is usually just a little better behaved. This hashing out will take a little while, but I'll update soon.
