mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Is the hybrid better than a full bed of MP?
Diary of a Racketaholic
- Thread starter Ross K
- Start date
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Tough call. Ill need to play both side by side. Initial thoughts are that it could be.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
I typically prefer hybrids over full beds because I can combine strings with different characteristics and enjoy the strengths of both strings in a single stringbed.
I’ve managed to turn you on to the VCP. Maybe I can finally turn you on to poly hybrids.
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mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
@Power Player just as I thought...need to string the max power lower. Tonight it felt much better. Only problem is when it starts go dead, it’s pretty obvious cuz control is an issue. Also starts feeling kinda harsh when it goes dead. Before it goes dead, it’s pretty good. Thinking PL2/Max power would be a fantastic hybrid.
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Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah I am going to try it in the crosses with RS next time. In a full bed it actually plays longer, so I may end up returning to that.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
I actually feel rs lyon lasts longer.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I think it may, but nothing really lasts as long as RS in my experience. It’s one of the best polys out there for longevity. But in a full bed, I got close to 10 hours out of the Max power.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Yup. I’ve found the same to be true with rs. Absolutely the best cross ime.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
So next - RS mains and MP crosses at 50/48 or so? I have to anticipate the drop in tension. That got me a little bit today. the Max power/RS hybrid seems to drop tension in a much more controlled manner, but it’s still down to 39#s, and I think I want it to settle in at 45#s in the 310.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Think that tension would be a little high for me but I use my own proprietary stringing method so that sounds about right.
Man. I wish you were closer to me. I could show you my stringing method. A number of guys I string for have told me that my string jobs remain playable for longer due to less tension loss and more stable and consistent feeling string bed than other stringers and local shops they’ve tried.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Well, I have a pretty sweet laserfibre/stringway machine. It’s that constant pull drop weight that is amazing for polys. So while I probably am not as detailed as you are, I think the main questions I would have would be if you are getting the same tension that you string at when the frame comes off the stringer. The first string job is always a little dodgy for me in a new racquet, so I expect a tension drop, but after that I expect it to be better. I clean my clamps, start my my mains with a Babolat starting clamp and then pull my last mains an extra 7% or so. I know there are a lot of ways people do it, where they adjust the weight for each main, but I’m never going to get that detailed. My number once focus is accuracy. If I string at 50/48, I ideally want it at 49#s, and then the tension over time will get to 42#s at its lowest. That’s my ideal setup in the 310.
The crazy thing about the 310 is it plays like a heavy frame, and swings like a heavy frame to me even in stock form. Not sure how they pulled that off, but it’s pretty great. So as a result I am able to constantly hit the ball deep at a very high rate. My biggest issue is I hit dangerously close to the baseline constantly. Always have, and I use heavy top. So that is why I am thinking going up a little higher may give me more margin there.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
My only issue with the 310 is not really with the frame as much as with me right now. My shoulder is feeling better, but the low to high swing I do with the Yonex bugs it a little. I am not even sure if this is a frame thing, it may just be something I need to sort out.
But regardless this is why I am glad I kept my Pure Aero +’s. They have a high trajectory and are light so I can see if they let me give my shoulder some relief. When my shoulder hurts, sometimes the only solution is a light frame. Good news is it is getting better. I am wondering if there is something up with my technique. The coaches who I work with say my strokes look very good and i just need to keep finishing high. Unfortunately that finish sometimes irritates my shoulder still. I’m going to throw a PA+ in the bag as a backup just in case.
But regardless this is why I am glad I kept my Pure Aero +’s. They have a high trajectory and are light so I can see if they let me give my shoulder some relief. When my shoulder hurts, sometimes the only solution is a light frame. Good news is it is getting better. I am wondering if there is something up with my technique. The coaches who I work with say my strokes look very good and i just need to keep finishing high. Unfortunately that finish sometimes irritates my shoulder still. I’m going to throw a PA+ in the bag as a backup just in case.
Murray_fan1
Professional
Hey Folks, I haven’t posted in a little while but still keep an eye on the forums to see what’s up. I am glad to see a few of us holics are goating with the 310. Superb frame imo and one of the best Yonex releases in quite some time. I on the other hand, have been investigating the six gun CX 200 Tour 18x20. Superb feel and really seems to gel well with my style of play. You have to be able to bring your own power but the control, feel, touch and spin (yes I said spin) are intoxicating. Anyone give this stick a go yet?
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Longtime no see indeed. Haven’t tried the sixgun. The vcp97 310 is just so good that I have no desire to experiment with anything else at the moment.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
What up man? I thought about it, but the Yonex ticked the boxes for me so far. It sounds like the Dunlop is a very similar frame, which is great.
For whatever reason, generating the trajectory and spin I need with the 310’s tighter pattern has been irritating my shoulder injury so I am stringing up my trusty PA+s for this week to see if that helps. The 310 has that awesome lower trajectory so I have to swing a little more low to high than my should likes right now. I will see how it goes with the PA+. On paper, the PA+ suits my game better than anything, but I really love the feel and all around playability of the 310. Some of it will boil down to what my identity becomes over the summer. I have been an all court player for a while but have been getting coached up on dictating with my forehand from the baseline.
Anyway, fun problems to have..lol.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
@Power Player tried cyclone 17 orange mains with Prince Tour XR 17 crosses at 48/46. Pocketing and feel is just fantastic.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Wild..two strings I am not that into personally. I used to love cyclone though, so maybe I’ll revisit. I still have a reel, so I may throw it in as a cross when I run out of RS.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Prince tour xr isn’t great in a full bed because it’s a pretty hard string. The hardness is what makes it such a great cross though. Cyclone is pretty soft and can be somewhat mushy so paired with the hard tour xr, the response is much firmer.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Nice. im good to go for now with my reels. The max power plays great.
graycrait
Legend
After dozens of Prince rackets from the 80's and a few Monos from later, I ran into Michael Chang 95s and OS's Longbody's, both Titanium and Graphites. Then I got a Graphite II 97". For me it is irrelevant to even look at other brand rackets there are so many good Prince rackets from the 80's & 90's.
PSC85
Semi-Pro
Graphite II is still a very capable frame even for current game
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Unfortunately they don’t play like the VCP97 310 for me.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Excuse my ignorance but what is a jvcp97 310? I may need to find one
[/QUOTE]Yonex vcore pro 97 (310)
Some serious sorcery went into this racquet! It’s crazy good! Btw, I probably have over 100 sticks in my collection and many are Prince sticks from the 80s and 90s, too.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Just restrung my vcp97 last night with PL2/Max Power 1.25 @ 47/45. Will see how well this setup works.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Ok sweet!
Good news for me. My shoulder hurts a little no matter if I use the lighter PA or the 310, so I went back to the 310 after a bit - its not the swing path or trajectory of the 310 that’s bugging my shoulder. It is definitely feeling a little better so I am good to go there. I was able to serve today.
I love the PA+ for the backhand, but the 310 is such an awesome feeling racquet and surprisingly the power was not much different at all. The PA+ is at 48#s and the 310 is at 40#s so there is a tension difference but when it comes to dialing up big shots, the difference is not huge. I still like having the PA and its cool that I can basically just interchange the frames with not much issue. Of course I like the feel of the 310 much better.
On the hybrid note, I still really like the Max power in the mains and RS in the crosses. I’m going to stay with this for a few setups before I try the other way.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
@Power Player do you use a string dampener? Reason why I ask is because the PL2/Max power setup played well to start and then started shooting balls a little long. I normally don’t use a dampener but decided to try one. Good move. This string bed plays much better with one. Great control and feel.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Played a match over the weekend and it was seriously frustrating to be so out of shape that I couldn't play tennis as I want. Constantly late due to slow footwork and timing in general was an issue. Couldn't get my body into my shots and quickly tired out and cramped up.
My studies really aren't good for my game... Still swinging the Clash in matches, I could not handle the weight of the Pure Storms with my current level of fitness I fear.
My studies really aren't good for my game... Still swinging the Clash in matches, I could not handle the weight of the Pure Storms with my current level of fitness I fear.
jackcrawford
Professional
Any thought of going back to the Prince for a while? That would be as kind as can be to the shoulder!
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yes actually. I always use a dampener. I use the Sampras ones since they don’t mute everything too much. Not sure it affects depth or anything though, but the change in feel may have helped you out.
Played a match over the weekend and it was seriously frustrating to be so out of shape that I couldn't play tennis as I want. Constantly late due to slow footwork and timing in general was an issue. Couldn't get my body into my shots and quickly tired out and cramped up.
My studies really aren't good for my game... Still swinging the Clash in matches, I could not handle the weight of the Pure Storms with my current level of fitness I fear.
Yeah I know that feeling. It takes a couple weeks of steady play and then your body gets back into to.
Actually yeah. I love the Phantoms, so I still go back to them if I am struggling. But this seems like more of a weight issue than a frame stiffness one. It’s not like the Yonex hurts my shoulder on contact, it is more of my swing that irritates it than anything, but it has been going away. The Prince actually makes it a little tougher on me since it is 20 grams heavier.
n8dawg6
Legend
funny this is exactly the way i felt last night and ive been playing steadily all spring longPlayed a match over the weekend and it was seriously frustrating to be so out of shape that I couldn't play tennis as I want. Constantly late due to slow footwork and timing in general was an issue. Couldn't get my body into my shots and quickly tired out and cramped up.
My studies really aren't good for my game... Still swinging the Clash in matches, I could not handle the weight of the Pure Storms with my current level of fitness I fear.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah, but I cannot play regularly currently... I usually play once a month at most recently, so my game is falling apart.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
It’s all good you will get free time again down the road and resume hardcore play.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
It’s so hard to do full multi once your strokes are used to poly. I have been full poly for over 3 years and trying Origin was not bad, but it really threw me for a loop tonight. It just plays so launchy and different then what I am used to. It’s about to break anyway, so time for this little comfort ride to end. I am going to try full RS in the 310 next.
n8dawg6
Legend
like riding a bike, you got this!
haqq777
Legend
Sorry about the shoulder pain. That is the worst. I tore my supraspinatus tendon (rotator cuff) in junior year because I was reckless and didn't care enough to rehab properly at that time. I was on a partial scholarship ride so didn't want that gone. Ended up being sidelined for almost 6-7 months. Always tell everyone to let it heal before it gets worse and causes long term problems.
If you haven't tried already, give FXP a shot. It is a multi but has a mix of fiber gel strands and poly fibres in the core with a polyamid outer wrap. Closest thing you can find to a poly in my humble opinion. Very comfortable and isn't a launcher like usual multis. It has played great for me in every frame I have tried it in so far whenever I needed to soften things up.
There is the FXP Tour multi too which I haven't tried. Different construction than regular FXP. It is supposed to be the opposite. Poly core and multi outer wrap, if I am not mistaken. That might be worth looking into as well.
I'm a full poly guy too so have limited experience with multis. But the FXP 17 was a very pleasant experience for me.
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mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
When my 2nd vcp97 showed up, it came with a fresh velocity string job. Launchy is the word I used, too.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Fxp Tour is awful ime.
haqq777
Legend
Oh, I see. I've never tried it. What did you not like about it?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah, I need to monitor this and see if it gets worse. So far it has gotten a lot better over the last week so that is why I am still playing. If I notice any changes, I am definitely stopping play. So far so good though.I don't have any pain on ball contact. It is more related to stuff like accidentally arming a serve or overhead, so I am just really focused on a loose arm and body turn there.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I think my hybrid experiment is over. I don’t personally see the benefits even though it wasn’t bad by any means. I strung up a full bed of RS Lyon in the YY and it was so blissful. Came off the stringer at 50#s and the tension settled in at 46#s after an hour of hitting. The spin was fantastic and the feel of it in the Yonex is really amazing.
I’m going to to a full bed of Max power 2 in my other one and compare the 2. I like them both and can play with either so at this pointI am just interested in what difference I notice - mainly longevity and control. These 2 polys are really great and I think the best way to fully get the benefits of them is in a full bed.
I’m going to to a full bed of Max power 2 in my other one and compare the 2. I like them both and can play with either so at this pointI am just interested in what difference I notice - mainly longevity and control. These 2 polys are really great and I think the best way to fully get the benefits of them is in a full bed.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Max power rough plays more like a round poly than a shaped one imo. If you’re going to hybrid i recommend going with cyclone/lyon or diadem solstice pro/lyon or tour bite/lyon.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I’m probably not going to hybrid anymore..lol. I dont really see the benefits for me of going down that rabbit hole. I’m the type to buy a reel and then use it until it’s gone. Consistency in my string is a must, thats why I try stuff for a bit and then I’m done. Max Power has been great because it plays so similar to RS, thats why I grabbed a reel of it.
Max power does play like a round poly and thats why I like it so much. I don’t like shaped polys so hybriding them in would not really work for me.
Max power does play like a round poly and thats why I like it so much. I don’t like shaped polys so hybriding them in would not really work for me.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
That’s cool. I get it. I don’t like full beds of shaped poly either. I prefer a full bed of round poly or a hybrid of shaped/round. The topspin I get from the round poly is pretty heavy but the hybrid is angrier and just nastier.
I haven’t been experimenting much with anything since the Ultra Tour until the vcp97. Once I find a setup I really like, I’m pretty much good.
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Power Player
Bionic Poster
Been loving the college tennis coverage on TC. I really enjoy watching it for whatever reason. Probably because the tactics are more realistic to execute at the rec level. Anyway, I notice less tweeners on the men’s side and a lot more control frames. Saw a YY vcore, pro, Wilson UT, YY vcore 95. On the girls side, lots of pure drives, Pure Aeros and I saw a Wilson clash. Current match looks like a Yonex 98 from the prior PJ with some lead.
If I had to guess, I think a lot of players are going to lower tension poly, so the control frames make a lot more sense. The pure drive and PA are tougher to use in the 40s.
If I had to guess, I think a lot of players are going to lower tension poly, so the control frames make a lot more sense. The pure drive and PA are tougher to use in the 40s.
Murray_fan1
Professional
I have the same issue. I have been a poly player for so long that I find that it is really difficult to transition back. I tried poly mains and syn gut crosses but struggled with it as it really just made the poly have less bite with basically the same feel. Comfort did not seem to improve all that much either.
What is the consensus on gut/poly hybrids? The only reason I am even considering this is that I have some tenderness in my non dominant arm on my thbh from what I think is too much kettlebell training. I have scaled back of course and started use a flex bar but wanted some options to keep me on the court as much as possible.
On another note, I am still enjoying the CX 200 Tour but have ordered a demo of the CX Tour 200 16x19 to compare. I always wondered what a more open pattern Ultra Tour would play like but sadly I am hearing they may be moving away from the Ultra Tour in favour of the 95 Nishikori stick. This CX 200 Tour might be the closest I will get.
What intrigues me about Srixon, Yonex and Prince is the fact that they take the feedback from their customers seriously, something Head and Wilson could really learn from IMO.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
@Murray_fan1
I’ve tried gut/poly and while it is more comfortable than full poly, it was too much power for me so I was hitting more tentatively. My hitting partners all said my ball had less spin and penetration as well. Increasing the tension of the gut for more control sacrificed the comfort so it wasn’t that different than full poly. At the end, I just decided to stick with full poly.
I’ve tried gut/poly and while it is more comfortable than full poly, it was too much power for me so I was hitting more tentatively. My hitting partners all said my ball had less spin and penetration as well. Increasing the tension of the gut for more control sacrificed the comfort so it wasn’t that different than full poly. At the end, I just decided to stick with full poly.
tennisbike
Professional
Well, I know I should not. But I did. I spent almost a hundred bucks for these three rackets.
I want to call myself a connoisseur of tennis rackets but realistically I know I am just an addict. So on a day when I was essentially kicked out of a tennis court, I did a bad thing, I drove two blocks to check out the Play It Again Sport store. From the last few visits, I expected the selection to be thinning and prices growing higher. Perhaps I would not be be tempted. I was wrong.
Although the tennis rackets can only be found on the very top row of hangers against the corner wall, I spotted the Wilson Pro Staff 85 first. It is different from mine in that this one has bumper guard where mine does not, and mine has the leather grip and this grip is covered under freshly installed black athletic tape. The red primer coast peeking under the grommet holes lead me to suspect that it is the much coveted St. Vincent one.
Next, I was surprised to find a Blade 104 in a decent shape. Wilson Blade 104 is Serena Williams's weapon of choice. Both the 98 and the 104 are very popular rackets and are pricey. On the auction site, they are both pricey and often in poor condition. People who play Blades hit hard and scrape the heck out of it. Plus the paint job is not known to be tough. So $44.99.. not low but .. reasonable!
The last one is a Prince Tour DB in good condition. I do not know the racket before but the design reminded me of the NXG series with the grommet less design plus the manipulated cross section. Overall I just like the unique design of the racket. For $22.99...
At the end, I walked out with all three.
Now I wonder when will I properly spend time with these three. I just started taking out the Prince Precision Response 710 that I purchased from the same store probably a year ago or more. And to properly bond or get to know a racket I would play and try it out with a couple of different strings, different tension. I would add some lead tape or "coils" and tweak the balance a little. It takes months to "romance" with a stick. .. Now it will be probably a year before getting to these three. I am so sick!
