Diary of a Racketaholic

tim-ay said:

being hurt sucks. How is the physical therapy coming? Still making progress?

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Power Player said:

So Tim, i have the device. Just not the calibration tool. Lol.
Think that will be here tomorrow.

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Power Player said:

So Tim, i have the device. Just not the calibration tool. Lol.
Think that will be here tomorrow.

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topspn said:

PT really helps and probably improved 80%. So I can do most things and can workout. However when I get on the court like last Saturday, I can’t go like used to be able to. I also get some swelling after and have to ice and take more rest. I am told a meniscus tear never really heals even surgery is 50/50 no guarantees. So apparently it really takes time for feeling a level of normalcy and I’ll have to work on strengthening leg muscles around knee, hip and butt. So after Saturday I decided I need more time away from court till knee really feels normal and that doesn’t seem to be happening

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Power Player said:

So Tim, i have the device. Just not the calibration tool. Lol.
Think that will be here tomorrow.

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snoflewis said:

Any chance you can share initial thoughts on quality? Not too familiar with 3d printed products, but curious on the early adopters' thoughts

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esm said:

Does it mean you are customer #67?

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RF_PRO_STAFF said:

Love the puppy overload in here.

So it turned out the place I was ordering the demos from, actually didn't have the Gravity Pro available. They asked if I wanted to demo another one together with the Prestige Pro, so I opted for the Phantom 97P. They arrived today, 97P strung with ALU and PP with RPM Blast. The pitch made me think both at quite higher tensions than I like. Was planning on restringing them both anyway.

I only had time to restring one before I went out for a hit tonight. My hitting partner told me beforehand he was quite interested in trying the PP so I left that one for him tonight. I did the 97P at 47 lbs with Hawk Touch 1.20. Wonderful racquet to string, very easy. Looks like I might be the first or second person demoing this specific stick, it looks new. Didn't have time to check the specs for both yet.

On court it feels very unique, haven't had such an experience before. Really, really plush. Ball sinks into the stringbed and then keeps sinking. Eventually it does come out fortunately.
On groundstrokes it just feels too flexy for me. Also very low powered and I had to work very hard to get some depth. Spin was nice but less than I expected with this quite open string pattern. Slices on the other hand felt beautiful to hit, despite the more open pattern. Serves were okay but nothing special, I think I would have to be very focused to serve with it effectively, also due to the weight/swingweight combination. Which I feel like is similar to my VCP HD.

But the feel and touch with this frame are just out of this world. I hit three drop shots that bounced back over the net after landing perfectly behind the net first. I just had to imagine where I wanted the drop shots to land and that's exactly where they ended up.
Unfortunately, all in all too hard of a frame to use for me in match situations. It doesn't have a wow factor besides in the touch/feel department. I actually also love the paint job and the overall appearance of the 97P.

Group training tomorrow night, probably will just use the trusty VC95. Restring the Prestige Pro on Saturday and hit with it the day after. Very curious.

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AA7 said:

I am customer #68 right behind Power player. Got the device.. calibration tool and BBs are not here yet
I told the wife.. "listen... this unassuming box here contains a revolutionary device that the world been waiting for ages".. same response as always...roll the eyes, ignore and move on

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AA7 said:

I am customer #68 right behind Power player. Got the device.. calibration tool and BBs are not here yet
I told the wife.. "listen... this unassuming box here contains a revolutionary device that the world been waiting for ages".. same response as always...roll the eyes, ignore and move on

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AA7 said:

I am customer #68 right behind Power player. Got the device.. calibration tool and BBs are not here yet
I told the wife.. "listen... this unassuming box here contains a revolutionary device that the world been waiting for ages".. same response as always...roll the eyes, ignore and move on

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el sergento said:

Just got back from hitting with my new (second) Espresso. Laced it up with HG in the mains and Wilson Sensation (green) in the crosses @ 53/55.

Why the Wilson Sensation syngut, well, because 1. I've grown to hate weaving full poly, and 2. it was green, so it matches the green HG

Anyway, the Espresso delivered in spades tonight. In fact, It was probably my best session with it today. For one, the backhand finally clicked all the way. Before tonight, it was at 80%, meaning that I had to think about it instead of trusting it and just playing loose and with confidence. Today though, it was on autopilot. I could do anything I wanted with it. This is super important to me as the one-hander is my best shot.

The forehand was solid as ever with the Espresso, and I continue to be amazed by what this thin beam, 64 RA, and relatively tightly patterned 16/19 stick can do with the ball, and this is coming from a long time APD user. Even if I lost 5-10% topspin compared to the full poly setup, I could still hit the same angles and unload down the line. I just missed a couple that would have landed in with the poly crosses. Even on the run, the thin beam is so whippy, and the upper hoop so stable that I could get most any ball back, even on the full stretch and down low.

With the syngut crosses, the feel, which is already terrific with full HG, only got better, and I hit some vicious droppers, slices, and volleys today.

I think that's it. PK wars are over for me. I'll be holding on to my Doppios but honestly, if any of you peeps are interested, PM me. I have 2 in L3 including a brand new one with the wrapper still on.

Next up, getting my hands on a SW1 !

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topspn said:

ha that's a lot of green with the PJ. I thought RA was 60 though

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n8dawg6 said:

also interesting is that one ultra tour has more lead than the other but the weight is similar. theyve got different grips and strings too. need to strip em down and see if the bare bones frames are as far apart as i think they are

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Vicious49 said:

I'm going to do a mea culpa and admit I was wrong. The honeymoon period is real. Now that it's wearing off . . . I still favor the UT and maybe even the v7 Blade over the VC95. I realized the UT thing the previous 2 times I played. As much as the VC95 has more potential due to the ball kicking up higher, etc. the UT works better with my natural strokes and I just play better with it. Besides the 1HBH which is amazing with the VC95, I have to mentally think about changing my swing on each FH shot. When I forget to do so the ball flies on me. Last night I decided to rotate in other 18/20 racquets to see if I'm natural with them and sure enough . . . it was like riding a bike. I was killing it with the v7 Blade and even playing ok withe IG PMP. That one requires me to generate a lot more power so I can't switch as easily between it and others.

The VC95 still has a place in the bag as I'll continue to work on my swing path as I do think the VC95 gives me a greater ceiling but why make tennis tougher on myself every time out for now? So my current frame rankings are:

1. UT
2. v7 Blade
3. VC95

I didn't get a chance to mix the UP16 in last night but that would most likely be fighting the VC95 for 3rd place.

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el sergento said:

Regarding the Ki Q+ Tour Pros (315). I just checked, and the new ones (green) are 60RA and higher SW (328).

The 2019’s are rated at 63 and 321 SW.

So to be clear, the Espresso = 2019 (black with yellow stripes)

Need nickname for green 2021’s to avoid confusion : “The Limoncello”?

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el sergento said:

Regarding the Ki Q+ Tour Pros (315). I just checked, and the new ones (green) are 60RA and higher SW (328).

The 2019’s are rated at 63 and 321 SW.

So to be clear, the Espresso = 2019 (black with yellow stripes)

Need nickname for green 2021’s to avoid confusion : “The Limoncello”?

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n8dawg6 said:

mean green machine
chernobyl puke pole
st paddy’s bane
verde dos xxx (pronounced “dos triple x”)
bermuda grass staff
split pea soup sword
gerber’s baby food bar

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tim-ay said:

Probably the only temptation I have against my current PK’s is this one… well the 2021 version. That spec is just fantastic. But it would be a one off, just to have in the bag frame so I’ve held off the ‘holic temptations. I do think this is a frame I would love.

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n8dawg6 said:

mean green machine
chernobyl puke pole
st paddy’s bane
verde dos xxx (pronounced “dos triple x”)
bermuda grass staff
split pea soup sword
gerber’s baby food bar

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StanAO14 said:

Yeah it doesn’t surprise me. The thing with 18/20’s is that you know exactly where the ball is going. At least that is my experience, except for maybe the k7 lime that is really soft (but i have to admit I didn’t try it with a crisp poly, which was obviously a mistake). The vcore 95 (2019) was like the k7 lime for me in that regard, hopefully the 2021 response is better. But it seems that this isn’t really an issue for you, more the speed of the VC 95 (really speedy) versus your stroke mechanics.

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n8dawg6 said:

mean green machine
chernobyl puke pole
st paddy’s bane
verde dos xxx (pronounced “dos triple x”)
bermuda grass staff
split pea soup sword
gerber’s baby food bar

Click to expand...

StanAO14 said:

Yeah it doesn’t surprise me. The thing with 18/20’s is that you know exactly where the ball is going. At least that is my experience, except for maybe the k7 lime that is really soft (but i have to admit I didn’t try it with a crisp poly, which was obviously a mistake). The vcore 95 (2019) was like the k7 lime for me in that regard, hopefully the 2021 response is better. But it seems that this isn’t really an issue for you, more the speed of the VC 95 (really speedy) versus your stroke mechanics.

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Vicious49 said:

I'm going to do a mea culpa and admit I was wrong. The honeymoon period is real. Now that it's wearing off . . . I still favor the UT and maybe even the v7 Blade over the VC95. I realized the UT thing the previous 2 times I played. As much as the VC95 has more potential due to the ball kicking up higher, etc. the UT works better with my natural strokes and I just play better with it. Besides the 1HBH which is amazing with the VC95, I have to mentally think about changing my swing on each FH shot. When I forget to do so the ball flies on me. Last night I decided to rotate in other 18/20 racquets to see if I'm natural with them and sure enough . . . it was like riding a bike. I was killing it with the v7 Blade and even playing ok withe IG PMP. That one requires me to generate a lot more power so I can't switch as easily between it and others.

The VC95 still has a place in the bag as I'll continue to work on my swing path as I do think the VC95 gives me a greater ceiling but why make tennis tougher on myself every time out for now? So my current frame rankings are:

1. UT
2. v7 Blade
3. VC95

I didn't get a chance to mix the UP16 in last night but that would most likely be fighting the VC95 for 3rd place.

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topspn said:

Nice tries but too wordy. We need to keep it down to just one i.e. espresso, doppio, etc. How about Midori?

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ryushen21 said:

Knowing where your shot is going is a function of knowing your mechanics are correct and the feedback that you get from the racquet. I will say that 18x20 frames let you direct with more precision. I can hit smaller targets when using the UT or the 6.1 but the truth for me is that I know where the ball is going with my 16x19 and 16x20 frames. I might not have that dead-on-the-spot precision but I know where everything is going and can manipulate the ball more with my open-pattern frames.

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Power Player said:

You probably need to learn to hit with more spin. You basically said you didn't want to make tennis tougher when you bought 3 VC95s..lol. So you already had that sentiment with the other racquets.

There is no way the UT is an easier frame to use than the VC95, so I suspect you must hit very flat without much spin. I'd focus on fixing that and not worry about frames for bit, especially if you keep coming back to the same ones.

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Power Player said:

You probably need to learn to hit with more spin. You basically said you didn't want to make tennis tougher when you bought 3 VC95s..lol. So you already had that sentiment with the other racquets.

There is no way the UT is an easier frame to use than the VC95, so I suspect you must hit very flat without much spin. I'd focus on fixing that and not worry about frames for bit, especially if you keep coming back to the same ones.

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Vicious49 said:

I know where the ball is going with the VC95 and pretty much any racquet I play with. But it forces me to change my swing a bit to control it. And I can definitely manipulate the ball better with the VC95 by arc'ing the ball more than with the 18/20's. All of this works great when I have time to think. When facing harder hitters, you revert back to reflex and instincts which means I go back to muscle memory and my natural swing path.



This is very true. I've always said I'm a flatter hitter with an Eastern FH grip. What's odd is that my 1HBH is pure top spin. Which makes it hard for me to find a frame that works great off both sides. Tighter frames work better for my FH while open frames work better for my BH so I'm always compromising a bit somewhere.

In all reality at some point you are who you are. If I was in my teens or twenties, I'd try harder to change my swing. At my current age with the way I play I'm a 4.0. Age and declining athleticism at this point will limit my upside. I think I'd be happy if I can work my way up to 4.5. I'd rather focus on improving my serve and net game in an effort to reach that goal than try to revamp my FH. Playing this flatter more control style is much more tiring IMO but luckily one of my strengths has always been my stamina.

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el sergento said:

Regarding the Ki Q+ Tour Pros (315). I just checked, and the new ones (green) are 60RA and higher SW (328).

The 2019’s are rated at 63 and 321 SW.

So to be clear, the Espresso = 2019 (black with yellow stripes)

Need nickname for green 2021’s to avoid confusion : “The Limoncello”?

Click to expand...

el sergento said:

"Green Tea Bag"

/ I'll let myself out..........

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Vicious49 said:

I know where the ball is going with the VC95 and pretty much any racquet I play with. But it forces me to change my swing a bit to control it. And I can definitely manipulate the ball better with the VC95 by arc'ing the ball more than with the 18/20's. All of this works great when I have time to think. When facing harder hitters, you revert back to reflex and instincts which means I go back to muscle memory and my natural swing path.



This is very true. I've always said I'm a flatter hitter with an Eastern FH grip. What's odd is that my 1HBH is pure top spin. Which makes it hard for me to find a frame that works great off both sides. Tighter frames work better for my FH while open frames work better for my BH so I'm always compromising a bit somewhere.

In all reality at some point you are who you are. If I was in my teens or twenties, I'd try harder to change my swing. At my current age with the way I play I'm a 4.0. Age and declining athleticism at this point will limit my upside. I think I'd be happy if I can work my way up to 4.5. I'd rather focus on improving my serve and net game in an effort to reach that goal than try to revamp my FH. Playing this flatter more control style is much more tiring IMO but luckily one of my strengths has always been my stamina.

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el sergento said:

Need nickname for green 2021’s to avoid confusion : “The Limoncello”?

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Pneumated1 said:

You have a coach, correct? I bet if you and he commit to a SW grip change and a one month focus on better spin production, you'd have a new world opened to you. I hit a SW forehand grip, and I can drive the ball, loop the ball, carve the ball, and the best part is when you get it, your flatter, driving shots still have lots of spin and waterfall bite. The options are there, and it's a safer shot to any point on the court. What do you have to lose?

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Pneumated1 said:

And I'll depart with this: the BA Pro. Man, I had low expectations for it, but it is THE one for me. I haven't played a lot of tennis lately, but after semicompetitive doubles last night, I can confirm that this thing is the proverbial extension. That term gets thrown around a lot, and I've said/thought it before, but this one is seriously hardwired to my brain. The brain says do this to an incoming ball, and the frame obeys. Intentions=results. I'm selling everything else. Everything! I'm cured. I will say, though, that it did take a firmer, shaped poly main (Cyclone Black) with GW crosses to get me there, but I'm there. This one will probably accommodate S7T, TB, etc. as soft as it is with low vibration, so I'll have fun testing strings instead of frames.

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Pneumated1 said:

And I'll depart with this: the BA Pro. Man, I had low expectations for it, but it is THE one for me. I haven't played a lot of tennis lately, but after semicompetitive doubles last night, I can confirm that this thing is the proverbial extension. That term gets thrown around a lot, and I've said/thought it before, but this one is seriously hardwired to my brain. The brain says do this to an incoming ball, and the frame obeys. Intentions=results. I'm selling everything else. Everything! I'm cured. I will say, though, that it did take a firmer, shaped poly main (Cyclone Black) with GW crosses to get me there, but I'm there. This one will probably accommodate S7T, TB, etc. as soft as it is with low vibration, so I'll have fun testing strings instead of frames.

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ryushen21 said:

This is almost exactly what I did. Committed to the SW group and worked with my coach. It opened up way more shot variety and attacking opportunities in my game regardless of what my opponents were giving me. A small change provided a huge improvement.

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Pneumated1 said:

And I'll depart with this: the BA Pro. Man, I had low expectations for it, but it is THE one for me. I haven't played a lot of tennis lately, but after semicompetitive doubles last night, I can confirm that this thing is the proverbial extension. That term gets thrown around a lot, and I've said/thought it before, but this one is seriously hardwired to my brain. The brain says do this to an incoming ball, and the frame obeys. Intentions=results. I'm selling everything else. Everything! I'm cured. I will say, though, that it did take a firmer, shaped poly main (Cyclone Black) with GW crosses to get me there, but I'm there. This one will probably accommodate S7T, TB, etc. as soft as it is with low vibration, so I'll have fun testing strings instead of frames.

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