The Cult of PT57

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
Painted and Fairway leather grip fitted...

rvjyfq.jpg


And then overgrip fitted...

n2g3zk.jpg


Haven't fitted the CAP grommets yet as I want the paint to fully harden first, but when they're fitted it's unstrung weight (no overgrip) will be 358 grams.

Look forward to fitting grommets and strings in a few days :cool:
 

PT630Wannabe

Professional
Painted and Fairway leather grip fitted...

rvjyfq.jpg


And then overgrip fitted...

n2g3zk.jpg


Haven't fitted the CAP grommets yet as I want the paint to fully harden first, but when they're fitted it's unstrung weight (no overgrip) will be 358 grams.

Look forward to fitting grommets and strings in a few days :cool:


So you painted a Twin Tube racquet? I will be curious to hear how the paint adheres to the polyamide outer shell.
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
So you painted a Twin Tube racquet? I will be curious to hear how the paint adheres to the polyamide outer shell.

Well I sanded it beforehand and primed it with plastic primer. I have painted a few rackets before the exact same way and this one seems no different so far. We'll see when I string it, if the paint hasn't adhered well the stringing mounts will soon pull it off!
 

cdik

Rookie
Painted and Fairway leather grip fitted...

rvjyfq.jpg


And then overgrip fitted...

n2g3zk.jpg


Haven't fitted the CAP grommets yet as I want the paint to fully harden first, but when they're fitted it's unstrung weight (no overgrip) will be 358 grams.

Look forward to fitting grommets and strings in a few days :cool:


You can make a FAQ: how to make a horse from a zebra)))
Or
How to kill the Zebra)))
Depends on results of experiment
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
I like the finish on the paint. What type of paint is it? It looks like it has some texture to it

I used generic satin black spray paint and a matt spray lacquer. I think the matt lacquer on top of a satin paint has given a nice bit of depth to the finish. It's not as flat as matt black, but not as shiny as satin black. Somewhere in the middle :D

Also I sprayed the lacquer in very light coats, which instead of laying down a thick smooth layer it seems to have gone down slightly textured. That might have made the difference? If you zoom in on the picture of the racket head you can see the finish on the throat quite well.
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
So here's a head scratcher....

Got a Candycane from e b a y with the aim of making it the same as my blacked out Zebra. Once I stripped the racket down I weighed it and it was as shown...

30lp7kj.jpg


If I removed the pallet (around 20g) and butcap (around 10g) it would leave the bare hairpin weighing 237g. Is it me or is this super light, as in Prostock weight? If I built the racket up with standard grommets and grip etc it would be 306g unstrung. Isn't it meant to be around 330g unstrung?!

My Zebra stripped down with no pallet and butcap weighed 30g more than this Candycane.

Anyone have any ideas?!
 
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movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
So here's a head scratcher....

Got a Candycane from e b a y with the aim of making it the same as my blacked out Zebra. Once I stripped the racket down I weighed it and it was as shown...

30lp7kj.jpg


If I removed the pallet (around 20g) and butcap (around 10g) it would leave the bare hairpin weighing 237g. Is it me or is this super light, as in Prostock weight? If I built the racket up with standard grommets and grip etc it would be 306g unstrung. Isn't it meant to be around 330g unstrung?!

My Zebra stripped down with no pallet and butcap weighed 30g more than this Candycane.

Anyone have any ideas?!

That seems really light. Check the sticker under the pallets and you might find that it is. Normal tolerances are +/- ten grams I think so way under spec.
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
That seems really light. Check the sticker under the pallets and you might find that it is. Normal tolerances are +/- ten grams I think so way under spec.

Just pulled the pallet off but it didn't reveal anything...

dw9gzt.jpg


kbynf6.jpg


So if it is a Prostock, how on earth did it end up on e b a y for £50?! Also, why would it have left Head without being modded with lead and silicone etc?
 

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
Just pulled the pallet off but it didn't reveal anything...

dw9gzt.jpg


kbynf6.jpg


So if it is a Prostock, how on earth did it end up on e b a y for £50?! Also, why would it have left Head without being modded with lead and silicone etc?

Hmmm. This model may have predated the typical sticker on retail and pro stock models.

Pro stocks can sell for any price - it depends on whatever a willing buyer and seller agree upon. I've given away retail racquets and I might give away some models that I don't plan on using though I'm a bit more inclined to sell them for a token amount.

It doesn't matter whether or not it's a pro stock though. You have a great base for customization.
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
Hmmm. This model may have predated the typical sticker on retail and pro stock models.

Pro stocks can sell for any price - it depends on whatever a willing buyer and seller agree upon. I've given away retail racquets and I might give away some models that I don't plan on using though I'm a bit more inclined to sell them for a token amount.

It doesn't matter whether or not it's a pro stock though. You have a great base for customization.

To be honest it's a bit of a pain, I like the feel of my 385g Zebra and wanted to match it, but that would be a waste of such a light base!

My Dad liked my Zebra but thought it was a bit too heavy, so I guess I can build this one up for him :)

Thanks for your input.
 

movdqa

Talk Tennis Guru
To be honest it's a bit of a pain, I like the feel of my 385g Zebra and wanted to match it, but that would be a waste of such a light base!

My Dad liked my Zebra but thought it was a bit too heavy, so I guess I can build this one up for him :)

Thanks for your input.

You can always buy another one - just be sure to ask for the specs.

You could match it using TW's calculator but it would be a waste of a good base.
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
Inject some silicone into the handle and do your usual bits (adding CAPS etc)... then see how it plays... you might be pleasantly surprised or just create a great racquet for you dad

When adding silicone how much do I need to add to give it the solid silicone feel? For example would filling a few inches at the end of the handle do the job, or would the whole handle need to be filled? I would only want to add around 15g, which I assume would mean only part of the handle would be filled.
 
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Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
When adding silicone how much do I need to add to give it the solid silicone feel? For example would filling a few inches at the end of the handle do the job, or would the whole handle need to be filled? I would only want to add around 15g, which I assume would mean only part of the handle would be filled.

I would assume so... I have not yet attempted this type of modification. Someone that has could chime in...

With your previous mods I thought you might have done it before. I tend to use tungsten tape. The TW one is very thin and would be easy to apply to the handle (if you don't want to bother with silicone)
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
I would assume so... I have not yet attempted this type of modification. Someone that has could chime in...

With your previous mods I thought you might have done it before. I tend to use tungsten tape. The TW one is very thin and would be easy to apply to the handle (if you don't want to bother with silicone)

Never actually tried silicone, although I'm sure I could figure it out! It would be good to use silicone, if only for the reason that that's how they do it in the pro room.

I suppose I could inject silicone until it reaches the desired weight, then stand the racket on its handle end so it all flows down and dries at the butcap end.

Would experiment on an old racket first though!
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Never actually tried silicone, although I'm sure I could figure it out! It would be good to use silicone, if only for the reason that that's how they do it in the pro room.

I suppose I could inject silicone until it reaches the desired weight, then stand the racket on its handle end so it all flows down and dries at the butcap end.

Would experiment on an old racket first though!

From what I've read you must first stuff cotton wool in the handle to make sure it doesn't flow into the whole racquet... then apply the silicone in the area of the handle where you want the weight to be placed... then wait for it to dry and then close the trap door... seems there are easier and quicker methods... but I agree, would be nice to see how it feels

I might get someone to do it for me once... but like you said first have to find a very light frame in order for the weight not to become excessive
 

richardc-s

Semi-Pro
From what I've read you must first stuff cotton wool in the handle to make sure it doesn't flow into the whole racquet... then apply the silicone in the area of the handle where you want the weight to be placed... then wait for it to dry and then close the trap door... seems there are easier and quicker methods... but I agree, would be nice to see how it feels

I might get someone to do it for me once... but like you said first have to find a very light frame in order for the weight not to become excessive

Cotton wool makes sense. I'll look into it some more and update once I have spec'd it up :D
 

Tiaxx

Rookie
Question for all you PT5A gurus.
I'm going to try and get my hands on one of these (as soon as i see one for sale).
Once i do get it, is there a preferred string / string combo to go with this baby?
Atm, i use Hyper-G on my current racquet. Wondering if it's suited for this racquet? Or is it "blasphemy" to use Hyper-G on a PT5A?
Thank you very much in advance.
 

Tiaxx

Rookie
PTs aren't string-sensetive. You may use what you like. Gut/poly is suburb for PT.

Sadly i had a bad experience with Gut / Poly before.
On my current racquet i tested Gut / Poly for about 2 months. And i couldn't get a stringjob to last me more than an 1:30h. Granted my current headsize is 100, and the string pattern is 18/16. So those 2 combined chew the gut /poly combo like crazy.
I assume this wouldn't happen with the PT5A, but still hesitant to go back to Gut (although Gut /poly is by far my favorite combo) cause it's so freaking expensive and i tend to break strings often...
 

cdik

Rookie
Sorry, you've got a bed experience with gut/poly. So it's completely reasonable with 100" and 18/16.
I use gut/poly for hours on my PTs during indoor season (from September to may))) and have no issues. With 95" and 18/20 it lasts for ever.
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
Got a chance to hit some groundstrokes with my PT630.
356 grams /12.5 oz weight: strung with one overgrip. (I replaced orginal grip with a black Fairway leather grip).
Volkl Cyclone 17g at 44/42 lbs.

Really has a nice plush, solid feel when hitting groundstrokes. Didn't get a chance to hit any serves or volleys, but on groundstrokes it fell like it got decent spin and plow through. Seemed to have almost no vibration or shock transmitted to my arm -- and this is with a full poly setup.
 

954gator

New User
Ok, so somethings been bugging me for a while regarding the pt57A's origin. Every time I see people discussing the pt57A they say it was made to resemble the PT280/630, and in general Most agree the pt57A plays and feels just like it.

My question/issue is where does the bumblebee fit in? Was it not the first retail pt57A mold? Did/do they make pt57A layups more similar to the radical 260 for some players? Or maybe is there a more specific code for different pt57A's? Like pt57A1, pt57A2 etc?

I feel like the bumblebee always gets left out even though it seems as if it was the true original.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Ok, so somethings been bugging me for a while regarding the pt57A's origin. Every time I see people discussing the pt57A they say it was made to resemble the PT280/630, and in general Most agree the pt57A plays and feels just like it.

My question/issue is where does the bumblebee fit in? Was it not the first retail pt57A mold? Did/do they make pt57A layups more similar to the radical 260 for some players? Or maybe is there a more specific code for different pt57A's? Like pt57A1, pt57A2 etc?

I feel like the bumblebee always gets left out even though it seems as if it was the true original.

I think the answer would lie in the SW of the racquet... RA is 58 for both, and both have Twaron, but the SW for the Bumblebee is 339 and for the PT630 it's 327. The weight is almost the same (346g for Bumblebee and 340g for PT630).

So, it's the Pro Stock racquet SW that I feel would determine which retail racquet is a closer match for that particular PT57A.
 

954gator

New User
I think the answer would lie in the SW of the racquet... RA is 58 for both, and both have Twaron, but the SW for the Bumblebee is 339 and for the PT630 it's 327. The weight is almost the same (346g for Bumblebee and 340g for PT630).

So, it's the Pro Stock racquet SW that I feel would determine which retail racquet is a closer match for that particular PT57A.

Still, a PT57A is going to be much lighter than both to have maximum modification potential. You take a pt57A pro stock and modify it to the same weight/balance of the pt280 and you have basically matching racquets from what I've read, but could you do the same for the RT260?

There has to be some sort of composition difference right? Maybe more twaron in the PT280? Or, would a PT280 with the same weight/balance as a RT260 be also basically matched sticks?
 

954gator

New User
Pro Tour 280 and Radical Tour 260 have different feel
Exactly, this is what I've always read, but is it simply because of the balance? Can't be just that right?
I remember reading one of your posts saying all your PT57A's play almost exactly like your PT280/630. My question is, did you have to get your PT57A's with a specific RA to achieve this, or are basically most PT57A (pro stocks obviously) made with similar composition as the PT280. I know they come in different layups and RAs etc.
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Exactly, this is what I've always read, but is it simply because of the balance? Can't be just that right?
I remember reading one of your posts saying all your PT57A's play almost exactly like your PT280/630. My question is, did you have to get your PT57A's with a specific RA to achieve this, or are basically most PT57A (pro stocks obviously) made with similar composition as the PT280. I know they come in different layups and RAs etc.
I have found that specifically the PT57A2 is the layup as the Pro Tour 280/630 and my racquets are all matched to my desired specs
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Still, a PT57A is going to be much lighter than both to have maximum modification potential. You take a pt57A pro stock and modify it to the same weight/balance of the pt280 and you have basically matching racquets from what I've read, but could you do the same for the RT260?

There has to be some sort of composition difference right? Maybe more twaron in the PT280? Or, would a PT280 with the same weight/balance as a RT260 be also basically matched sticks?

I'm not sure of the makeup of the racquets, and whether the feel comes from the racquets flexing differently, or more or less Twaron etc. I do know they feel different, but I find both to be great. What I do know is that they both have the same RA (at least according to TW - the RT630 and the PT630 that is).

@vsbabolat is the expert on these things and I will let him explain (as he already has). From your experience and information @vsbabolat, do you know whether the two models were designed to flex in different places? What is the difference between the RT630 and PT630, other than SW and "feel" (which is a subjective thing)? I agree they feel different.
 

cdik

Rookie
Ok, so somethings been bugging me for a while regarding the pt57A's origin. Every time I see people discussing the pt57A they say it was made to resemble the PT280/630, and in general Most agree the pt57A plays and feels just like it.

My question/issue is where does the bumblebee fit in? Was it not the first retail pt57A mold? Did/do they make pt57A layups more similar to the radical 260 for some players? Or maybe is there a more specific code for different pt57A's? Like pt57A1, pt57A2 etc?

I feel like the bumblebee always gets left out even though it seems as if it was the true original.


If they are matched - the are the same, as for me.
 
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