galapagos
Hall of Fame
THE BEST
Ultimate racquet of choice - tournament players and/or coaches
- Thread starter galapagos
- Start date
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- Tags
- best racquet holy grail
ClaudTT
Semi-Pro
The head size is 620 cm^2 according to the many evaluated datae... that translates to 66.1in^2. Similar geometry to the TF40 frames.FINALLY!
I know Medvedev setupRacquet specs:
Specifications
Head size 95 sq. in. / 613 sq. cm.
Length 27 in.
Strung weight 354 gr.
Strung balance 314 mm
Stiffness 66
Grip size L3 (4 3/8)
String pattern: 18 mains / 19 crosses
swing weight: 347 strung
galapagos
Hall of Fame
I tried tc100 and still liked tc95 more... I guess tc101 wouldn't change much as it's a bigger brother of tc97 which i also liked but again..not more than tc95 xD
Mkiske
Semi-Pro
Yeah, Tc101 is a bigger brother of Tc97.
But, I'll wait for your Phantom 100P review, if possible.
Tks, man!
galapagos
Hall of Fame
is it the closest thing to what David Ferrer was using long time ago ?
Mkiske
Semi-Pro
I don't think so.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
After @Gee recommendation I got even more interested in Diadems. I wanted to try this brand long time ago but finally they created the european department in Germany. Its easier to get them now for me.
elevate tour and regular (lighter version) will be reviewed soon !!!! Was not sure which one i might like more. One is closer to my current specs and the other is softer.
hype pictures soon !
elevate tour and regular (lighter version) will be reviewed soon !!!! Was not sure which one i might like more. One is closer to my current specs and the other is softer.
hype pictures soon !
Gee
Hall of Fame
As i wrote earlier I demoed both Elevates customized to my specs.After @Gee recommendation I got even more interested in Diadems. I wanted to try this brand long time ago but finally they created the european department in Germany. Its easier to get them now for me.
elevate tour and regular (lighter version) will be reviewed soon !!!! Was not sure which one i might like more. One is closer to my current specs and the other is softer.
hype pictures soon !
The regular Elevate FS feels more like the TC95 63RA and it is also easier to customize to your desired specs. I really recommend to add some weight as it is a little too anemic in stock condition to my opinion.
The Tour version is a lot more crisper/stiffer with a shorter dwell time that I didn't like as much as the standard version.
So I would try the standard version customized to your specs first.
Looking for to your review on the Elevates!
Power Player
Bionic Poster
You just add some lead and it's specs are basically what pros use - 328-330 strung static and swing weight with a 5pts hl balance. Not really sure how this frame can't be a final destination for competitive players. That make no sense to me.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
with some lead every racquet can be a final destination...i want to stay as close to stock as possible and without the mods Speed Pro, Gravity Pro (maybe even tour), Prestige are definitely more advanced and I see them as an easier choice for those competitive high lvl players. Radical is nice but I'm still staying behind my opinion. But it's just an opinion...
Maybe Radical Pro is better as the specs are closer to what you wrote.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
I got the specs I wrote with 2 grams in the handle of one plus an OG. Your demo may have been underweight.
smithie
Semi-Pro
galapagos
Hall of Fame
This week was on me@galapagos speaking of the Gravity Tour...
had holiday. End of season. Now entering my pre-season so will have more time to test new things
smithie
Semi-Pro
I'm not impatient...honestlyThis week was on me
Hope you had a good holiday nevertheless!
galapagos
Hall of Fame
You are not the only one waitingI'm not impatient...honestly
gravity tour fanclub is rising underground but its strong and ready to take over YesKswiss Ultrashot 3 , Nike GP Turbo or new Adidas Barricade?
ClaudTT
Semi-Pro
Just got Kswiss U3 pair and feel good, hope they will last. Great heel cushion and control, fast overall.Kswiss Ultrashot 3 , Nike GP Turbo or new Adidas Barricade?
I do dislike the prices of shoes, are a steal and a major burden to our sport.
Imagine if you have to change rackets every 3 months because they were worn out....
galapagos
Hall of Fame
Yea, heel cushion, comfort and stability are my primary things I look in shoes. My favourite shoes I had so far were Nike Nadal's shoes from many years ago I don't remember the name, Barricades , Nike Zoom Zero (but the foam is getting hard quite fast). I heard amazing things about GP Turbo and the reviews are quite good with Barricades. At some point I will probably have all those shoes tested.Just got Kswiss U3 pair and feel good, hope they will last. Great heel cushion and control, fast overall.
I do dislike the prices of shoes, are a steal and a major burden to our sport.
Imagine if you have to change rackets every 3 months because they were worn out....
Biggest disappointment from top shoes - Asics Solution Speed 3 and Nike Vapor from the year that Federer lost to Del Potro in US OPEN (black one). Funny enough those 2 shoes are kinda in similar "styles".
brn10
Rookie
Using the babolat pure strike 16 x 19 with 8 total inches of lead tape (1/4 width) at 10 and 2
Stringing at 54 pounds with a poly Main and synthetic cross.
Solid frame , never get pushed around , great offensively and defensively , and volleys as well (surprising for a babolat perhaps)
Never played better. I'm a ntrp 4.5 and part time teaching pro .
Not the most arm friendly racket but better than the pure drive and aero drive
Second place choice for me was the vcore 95 2021, definitely an excellent frame. It was harder for me to turn defense into offense with this frame even with some lead , so that's why I went with the pure strike
galapagos
Hall of Fame
I Agree with you regarding vcore 95 issue. Have you tried Babolat pure aero vs ? Sounds good. Like an improved vcore 95. Not many users around here. I would choose it over a pure strike by just looking at the specs.
Boubi
Professional
PAVS is great, better than vc95 imo (the real gem in this category is the prestige mid)
It's fast and precise but a bit head light for my taste
I would suggest to brn10 the RS305 as usual
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
Polyester strung in the upper 60s?
Total B.S.Speaking of which, the 360+ Prestige Pro should be in this thread. Overlooked frame. Really interesting specs.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
Maybe..i would like it to be slightly thinner. Maybe also 98” but not as important as the beam thickness. I know some players that tested pro and all eventually switched to MP… thats why i was kinda not so hyped about it. What do you think ?
I like that it's got the power and solidity of a slightly thicker beam while still being whippy and controlled with the smaller headsize.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
I promised hype pictures... this weekend I am dropping Diadem Elevate Tour reviewAfter @Gee recommendation I got even more interested in Diadems. I wanted to try this brand long time ago but finally they created the european department in Germany. Its easier to get them now for me.
elevate tour and regular (lighter version) will be reviewed soon !!!! Was not sure which one i might like more. One is closer to my current specs and the other is softer.
hype pictures soon !
wrong racquet below but who cares... taken from Diadem's international fanpage. Waiting for the european edition from Diadem Europe spoiler: I like it a lot
spoiler 2: my next two reviewed racquets will be Diadem Elevate (regular) and Head Gravity Tour (I even borrowed this one from my student to get more hours behind it). Even better because Diadem Elevate has the same specs of Gravity Tour. FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT !
brn10
Rookie
I have a pure aero vs professionally extended to 27.5 , the previous generation one. I understand the newest one the one that it appears alcaraz is using is slightly wider in hoop and other small changes
I'd like to try the grey /yellow one to compare to the strike I'm currently using definitely
stephenclown
Professional
Polyester strung in the upper 60s?
Is it really that hard to believe? It's well recorded on these forums that he strung up that high. Dustin Brown used up to 38kgs with 10% prestretch using 4G or rough before switching to HEAD.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
There is a forum member that strings in the 80s I think.
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
I believe that a couple of players strung like that. I just think its total BS.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
Diadem Elevate Tour REVIEW 315g / 315mm balance, 67ra, 21.5 mm Flat Beam
I've been playing with it as a main racquet for a while now and few things came to my mind.
It's probably THE CLOSEST racquet on the market to the legendary Head Liquidmetal Radical (that I believe Djokovic was using for a while during his young days)
I used to play with this stick and they are very similar especially in feel. Angell TC97 18x20 is also a nice reference point.
So in feel it's solid but slightly on a stiffer side. I felt it especially on volleys. Of course it's not "Babolat stiff" don't get me wrong but compared to current "players" racquets like Prestige 360+ MP 18x20, Gravity Pro, Speed Pro, Angell TC95 63ra or Tecnifibre RS305, Blade v7 you can say that it's slightly stiffer. Maybe close to Wilson Blade V5 from 2015. But there were no vibrations !
I strung it at 24kg with Diadem Solstice Power 1.25. Maybe I could go like 1kg lower. It's my first experience with this string so I will also try it with my usual choice to confirm the feel.
In terms of performance I absolutely love it. No issues with stability, the launch angle is neutral. I would say it's a perfect racquet sitting somewhere between Prestige and Blade line. It swings faster than a Blade (easier on my wrist) but has slightly more plow than Prestige...It's an easy transition and I think the goal was to offer something similar but at the same time something slightly different.
Everyone around me complimented the paintjob. It's clean and classy. Maybe it could be made with a glossy finish to offer something above the industry standard ? Quality control was as expected very good - within 2 grams.
It's foam filled. Everyone probably know by now that I am a big fan of this solution. Solidness and comfort at the same time. It's a win-win situation.
HOWEVER I must say that from all foam-filled sticks this one felt the most "normal".
So I would say the foam was injected to add solidness, kill the vibrations without making the racquet too soft. From Diadem Europe website I can read that they wanted to make a "stable and powerful frame with superior feel. The Elevate 98 Tour has a very maneuverable weight and balance giving player’s every advantage from all areas of the court. " So maybe they wanted to keep the power potential a bit higher than their regular Elevate (305g)
I admit that for the specs the frame was very maneuverable. IN FACT it feels very similar to the regular Elevate in terms of how easy it is to swing them. Faster and easier than Gravity Pro for example.
I could easily take it to a tournament and compete at highest level. Once again the transition from my current racquets of choice is very easy so the performance, control, feel and spin potential is very similar between them (I am more a flat-hitter guy). Maybe second serves would have to be dialled in slightly.
98" headsize really gives you more forgiveness and the control is on the same level of 95" racquets.
16x20 pattern - cool idea. The launch angle was lower than Yonex Vcore 95 16x20 and it was less "springy". In fact without counting strings I would say it's very similar to 18x20 racquets. Maybe slightly more spin potential.
Gripsize and the shape were good. Very similar to Angell K7 line (felt slightly bigger than Wilson).- L3. The overgrip was Diadem Pro Touch which is very similar to Yonex Super Grap (similar feel and thickness). Durable, comfortable and tacky but obviously not as tacky as Tourna Mega Tac. It's solid and actually very cheap. Worth a try.
Who is it for ?
all Wilson Blade 18x20, Prestige 18x20, Vcore 16x20 and Tecnifibre TF40 18x20 users should try this racquet especially:
if you think Prestige 360+ 18x20 doesn't offer you enough plow through
if Blade is hurting your wrist
if Vcore 95 is not forgiving enough, lacks stability and control
if TF40 315g somehow feels slightly too demanding and the response is slightly too "jumpy"
What could be improved ?
I think it's a small mistake in design to create heavier but also stiffer racquet. I think it should be the other way around. Lighter racquets tend to be slightly unstable and "anemic" so designers make them stiffer to keep the performance high but in a very easy to handle package.
Here they added some weight (so you definitely have stability and plow through potential) yet they decided to make it stiffer...why?. Again, it's not a stiff racquet but stiffer than most of the popular control oriented options in this weight category. If you love Head Radical Liquidmetal and Angell TC97 then you are all good.
I give it a 7.0 rating. Performance is top-notch but I have to take a symbolic 0.1 for this stiffness rating and who knows ? Maybe at around 60-64 ra rating the performance would be even better? I hope to see it one day !
Now will be playing with Diadem Elevate 305g which is...softer uhuhuh. See you soon good people !
Will be mixing it with Elevate Tour to offer a good comparison and Head Gravity Tour as they have very similar specs.
rest of the racquets (click)
say hello on IG ! @dandan.tennis
I've been playing with it as a main racquet for a while now and few things came to my mind.
It's probably THE CLOSEST racquet on the market to the legendary Head Liquidmetal Radical (that I believe Djokovic was using for a while during his young days)
I used to play with this stick and they are very similar especially in feel. Angell TC97 18x20 is also a nice reference point.
So in feel it's solid but slightly on a stiffer side. I felt it especially on volleys. Of course it's not "Babolat stiff" don't get me wrong but compared to current "players" racquets like Prestige 360+ MP 18x20, Gravity Pro, Speed Pro, Angell TC95 63ra or Tecnifibre RS305, Blade v7 you can say that it's slightly stiffer. Maybe close to Wilson Blade V5 from 2015. But there were no vibrations !
I strung it at 24kg with Diadem Solstice Power 1.25. Maybe I could go like 1kg lower. It's my first experience with this string so I will also try it with my usual choice to confirm the feel.
In terms of performance I absolutely love it. No issues with stability, the launch angle is neutral. I would say it's a perfect racquet sitting somewhere between Prestige and Blade line. It swings faster than a Blade (easier on my wrist) but has slightly more plow than Prestige...It's an easy transition and I think the goal was to offer something similar but at the same time something slightly different.
Everyone around me complimented the paintjob. It's clean and classy. Maybe it could be made with a glossy finish to offer something above the industry standard ? Quality control was as expected very good - within 2 grams.
It's foam filled. Everyone probably know by now that I am a big fan of this solution. Solidness and comfort at the same time. It's a win-win situation.
HOWEVER I must say that from all foam-filled sticks this one felt the most "normal".
So I would say the foam was injected to add solidness, kill the vibrations without making the racquet too soft. From Diadem Europe website I can read that they wanted to make a "stable and powerful frame with superior feel. The Elevate 98 Tour has a very maneuverable weight and balance giving player’s every advantage from all areas of the court. " So maybe they wanted to keep the power potential a bit higher than their regular Elevate (305g)
I admit that for the specs the frame was very maneuverable. IN FACT it feels very similar to the regular Elevate in terms of how easy it is to swing them. Faster and easier than Gravity Pro for example.
I could easily take it to a tournament and compete at highest level. Once again the transition from my current racquets of choice is very easy so the performance, control, feel and spin potential is very similar between them (I am more a flat-hitter guy). Maybe second serves would have to be dialled in slightly.
98" headsize really gives you more forgiveness and the control is on the same level of 95" racquets.
16x20 pattern - cool idea. The launch angle was lower than Yonex Vcore 95 16x20 and it was less "springy". In fact without counting strings I would say it's very similar to 18x20 racquets. Maybe slightly more spin potential.
Gripsize and the shape were good. Very similar to Angell K7 line (felt slightly bigger than Wilson).- L3. The overgrip was Diadem Pro Touch which is very similar to Yonex Super Grap (similar feel and thickness). Durable, comfortable and tacky but obviously not as tacky as Tourna Mega Tac. It's solid and actually very cheap. Worth a try.
Who is it for ?
all Wilson Blade 18x20, Prestige 18x20, Vcore 16x20 and Tecnifibre TF40 18x20 users should try this racquet especially:
if you think Prestige 360+ 18x20 doesn't offer you enough plow through
if Blade is hurting your wrist
if Vcore 95 is not forgiving enough, lacks stability and control
if TF40 315g somehow feels slightly too demanding and the response is slightly too "jumpy"
What could be improved ?
I think it's a small mistake in design to create heavier but also stiffer racquet. I think it should be the other way around. Lighter racquets tend to be slightly unstable and "anemic" so designers make them stiffer to keep the performance high but in a very easy to handle package.
Here they added some weight (so you definitely have stability and plow through potential) yet they decided to make it stiffer...why?. Again, it's not a stiff racquet but stiffer than most of the popular control oriented options in this weight category. If you love Head Radical Liquidmetal and Angell TC97 then you are all good.
I give it a 7.0 rating. Performance is top-notch but I have to take a symbolic 0.1 for this stiffness rating
and who knows ? Maybe at around 60-64 ra rating the performance would be even better? I hope to see it one day !Now will be playing with Diadem Elevate 305g which is...softer uhuhuh. See you soon good people !
Will be mixing it with Elevate Tour to offer a good comparison and Head Gravity Tour as they have very similar specs.
rest of the racquets (click)
say hello on IG !
@dandan.tennis
Last edited:
Interesting to see that you enjoyed it so much.Diadem Elevate Tour REVIEW 315g / 315mm balance, 67ra, 21.5 mm Flat Beam
I've been playing with it as a main racquet for a while now and few things came to my mind.
It's probably THE CLOSEST racquet on the market to the legendary Head Liquidmetal Radical (that I believe Djokovic was using for a while during his young days)
I used to play with this stick and they are very similar especially in feel. Angell TC97 18x20 is also a nice reference point.
So in feel it's solid but slightly on a stiffer side. I felt it especially on volleys. Of course it's not "Babolat stiff" don't get me wrong but compared to current "players" racquets like Prestige 360+ MP 18x20, Gravity Pro, Speed Pro, Angell TC95 63ra or Tecnifibre RS305, Blade v7 you can say that it's slightly stiffer. Maybe close to Wilson Blade V5 from 2015. But there were no vibrations !
I strung it at 24kg with Diadem Solstice Power 1.25. Maybe I could go like 1kg lower. It's my first experience with this string so I will also try it with my usual choice to confirm the feel.
In terms of performance I absolutely love it. No issues with stability, the launch angle is neutral. I would say it's a perfect racquet sitting somewhere between Prestige and Blade line. It swings faster than a Blade (easier on my wrist) but has slightly more plow than Prestige...It's an easy transition and I think the goal was to offer something similar but at the same time something slightly different.
Everyone around me complimented the paintjob. It's clean and classy. Maybe it could be made with a glossy finish to offer something above the industry standard ? Quality control was as expected very good - within 2 grams.
It's foam filled. Everyone probably know by now that I am a big fan of this solution. Solidness and comfort at the same time. It's a win-win situation.
HOWEVER I must say that from all foam-filled sticks this one felt the most "normal".
So I would say the foam was injected to add solidness, kill the vibrations without making the racquet too soft. From Diadem Europe website I can read that they wanted to make a "stable and powerful frame with superior feel. The Elevate 98 Tour has a very maneuverable weight and balance giving player’s every advantage from all areas of the court. " So maybe they wanted to keep the power potential a bit higher than their regular Elevate (305g)
I admit that for the specs the frame was very maneuverable. IN FACT it feels very similar to the regular Elevate in terms of how easy it is to swing them. Faster and easier than Gravity Pro for example.
I could easily take it to a tournament and compete at highest level. Once again the transition from my current racquets of choice is very easy so the performance, control, feel and spin potential is very similar between them (I am more a flat-hitter guy). Maybe second serves would have to be dialled in slightly.
98" headsize really gives you more forgiveness and the control is on the same level of 95" racquets.
16x20 pattern - cool idea. The launch angle was lower than Yonex Vcore 95 16x20 and it was less "springy". In fact without counting strings I would say it's very similar to 18x20 racquets. Maybe slightly more spin potential.
Gripsize and the shape was good. Very similar to Angell K7 line (felt slightly bigger than Wilson).- L3
Who is it for ?
all Wilson Blade 18x20, Prestige 18x20, Vcore 16x20 and Tecnifibre TF40 18x20 users should try this racquet especially:
if you think Prestige 360+ 18x20 doesn't offer you enough plow through
if Blade is hurting your wrist
if Vcore 95 is not forgiving enough, lacks stability and control
if TF40 315g somehow feels slightly too demanding and the response is slightly too "jumpy"
What could be improved ?
I think it's a small mistake in design to create heavier but also stiffer racquet. I think it should be the other way around. Lighter racquets tend to be slightly unstable and "anemic" so designers make them stiffer to keep the performance high but in a very easy to handle package.
Here they added some weight (so you definitely have stability and plow through potential) yet they decided to make it stiffer...why?. Again, it's not a stiff racquet but stiffer than most of the popular control oriented options in this weight category. If you love Head Radical Liquidmetal and Angell TC97 then you are all good.
I give it a 7.4 rating. Performance is top-notch but I have to take a symbolic 0.1 for this stiffness rating
Now will be playing with Diadem Elevate 305g which is...softer uhuhuh. See you soon good people !
Will be mixing it with Elevate Tour to offer a good comparison and Head Gravity Tour as they have very similar specs.
rest of the racquets (click)
Since coming back to tennis earlier this year, I've demo'd or bought the Pro Staff 97, Vcore Pro HD, Prestige MP, Pure Strike Tour, Volkl C10 Pro, ProKennex Q Tour 325, Angell ASL2, CX200 Tour 16x19, 360+ Prestige Pro, Prince Phantom 97P and Head PT 2.0.
On top of that, I bought an Elevate Tour on a whim. It's probably my least favourite of those racquets along with the Pro Staff 97. Don't know why exactly, I was excited to try it.. . It felt clunky and the ball felt like it was always launching on me. Didn't have the feeling of control.
galapagos
Hall of Fame
if you are coming from blade 93 tour 18x20 then maybe it's a too big departure
maybe string setup... I was coming from angell tc95 16x19 which is probably the most tricky "players" racquet I ever had in my hands.Well ultimately all this is incredibly subjective. Who knows exactly why a particular racquet doesn't click haha. It just depends on the player.if you are coming from blade 93 tour 18x20 then maybe it's a too big departure
galapagos
Hall of Fame
yap, for sure. But for example when I switch from TC95 16x19 to other "tighter patterns" I feel amazing control and then when I go back to TC95 16x19 I am spraying long xd it takes some time to adjust. Racquet history and string setup play big role in how we experience new things.
tomkowy
Rookie
That got me hyped! What do you mean by "closest"? 16x20 Liquidmetal Radical MP would be a dream!
I have actually bought a 16x19 version of both the TC95 and TC97 (both 315g, 310mm balance, 27.25 inches), so will be interesting to give my feedback. I'll start by stringing high I guess.
Gee
Hall of Fame
I predict that you'll eventuelly like the standard EFS even more than the tour version.hype picture
galapagos
Hall of Fame
Slightly weird specs. But Who knows. I had so many angells… its crazy. One thing i learned is they are very „spec oriented” frames. I found my specs with angell but had some with higher SW, lower SW , lower mass, higher mass, lower balance and everything within the same model !!! Difference between them were night and day…
smithie
Semi-Pro
I've been on this hype train in what feels like forever - choo choo!hype picture
galapagos
Hall of Fame
smithie
Semi-Pro
Amazing!
ClaudTT
Semi-Pro
Great review, Thanks !!!Diadem Elevate Tour REVIEW 315g / 315mm balance, 67ra, 21.5 mm Flat Beam
I've been playing with it as a main racquet for a while now and few things came to my mind.
It's probably THE CLOSEST racquet on the market to the legendary Head Liquidmetal Radical (that I believe Djokovic was using for a while during his young days)
I used to play with this stick and they are very similar especially in feel. Angell TC97 18x20 is also a nice reference point.
So in feel it's solid but slightly on a stiffer side. I felt it especially on volleys. Of course it's not "Babolat stiff" don't get me wrong but compared to current "players" racquets like Prestige 360+ MP 18x20, Gravity Pro, Speed Pro, Angell TC95 63ra or Tecnifibre RS305, Blade v7 you can say that it's slightly stiffer. Maybe close to Wilson Blade V5 from 2015. But there were no vibrations !
I strung it at 24kg with Diadem Solstice Power 1.25. Maybe I could go like 1kg lower. It's my first experience with this string so I will also try it with my usual choice to confirm the feel.
In terms of performance I absolutely love it. No issues with stability, the launch angle is neutral. I would say it's a perfect racquet sitting somewhere between Prestige and Blade line. It swings faster than a Blade (easier on my wrist) but has slightly more plow than Prestige...It's an easy transition and I think the goal was to offer something similar but at the same time something slightly different.
Everyone around me complimented the paintjob. It's clean and classy. Maybe it could be made with a glossy finish to offer something above the industry standard ? Quality control was as expected very good - within 2 grams.
It's foam filled. Everyone probably know by now that I am a big fan of this solution. Solidness and comfort at the same time. It's a win-win situation.
HOWEVER I must say that from all foam-filled sticks this one felt the most "normal".
So I would say the foam was injected to add solidness, kill the vibrations without making the racquet too soft. From Diadem Europe website I can read that they wanted to make a "stable and powerful frame with superior feel. The Elevate 98 Tour has a very maneuverable weight and balance giving player’s every advantage from all areas of the court. " So maybe they wanted to keep the power potential a bit higher than their regular Elevate (305g)
I admit that for the specs the frame was very maneuverable. IN FACT it feels very similar to the regular Elevate in terms of how easy it is to swing them. Faster and easier than Gravity Pro for example.
I could easily take it to a tournament and compete at highest level. Once again the transition from my current racquets of choice is very easy so the performance, control, feel and spin potential is very similar between them (I am more a flat-hitter guy). Maybe second serves would have to be dialled in slightly.
98" headsize really gives you more forgiveness and the control is on the same level of 95" racquets.
16x20 pattern - cool idea. The launch angle was lower than Yonex Vcore 95 16x20 and it was less "springy". In fact without counting strings I would say it's very similar to 18x20 racquets. Maybe slightly more spin potential.
Gripsize and the shape were good. Very similar to Angell K7 line (felt slightly bigger than Wilson).- L3. The overgrip was Diadem Pro Touch which is very similar to Yonex Super Grap (similar feel and thickness). Durable, comfortable and tacky but obviously not as tacky as Tourna Mega Tac. It's solid and actually very cheap. Worth a try.
Who is it for ?
all Wilson Blade 18x20, Prestige 18x20, Vcore 16x20 and Tecnifibre TF40 18x20 users should try this racquet especially:
if you think Prestige 360+ 18x20 doesn't offer you enough plow through
if Blade is hurting your wrist
if Vcore 95 is not forgiving enough, lacks stability and control
if TF40 315g somehow feels slightly too demanding and the response is slightly too "jumpy"
What could be improved ?
I think it's a small mistake in design to create heavier but also stiffer racquet. I think it should be the other way around. Lighter racquets tend to be slightly unstable and "anemic" so designers make them stiffer to keep the performance high but in a very easy to handle package.
Here they added some weight (so you definitely have stability and plow through potential) yet they decided to make it stiffer...why?. Again, it's not a stiff racquet but stiffer than most of the popular control oriented options in this weight category. If you love Head Radical Liquidmetal and Angell TC97 then you are all good.
I give it a 7.4 rating. Performance is top-notch but I have to take a symbolic 0.1 for this stiffness rating
Now will be playing with Diadem Elevate 305g which is...softer uhuhuh. See you soon good people !
Will be mixing it with Elevate Tour to offer a good comparison and Head Gravity Tour as they have very similar specs.
rest of the racquets (click)
A well designed Diadem, I must try it.
Just one question: How this frame compares to the TF40 Prototype you just tested ? (BTW perfectou wraping of overgrip)
Thanks Gala !!
galapagos
Hall of Fame
the other guy on this forum got TF40 prototype... WE, mortals ARE WAITING FOR 2022 but very excited !Great review, Thanks !!!
A well designed Diadem, I must try it.
Just one question: How this frame compares to the TF40 Prototype you just tested ? (BTW perfectou wraping of overgrip)
Thanks Gala !!
but compared to the actual TF40 Diadem is stiffer and TF40 pockets the ball longer with more "boost" similar to Babolat frames. While Diadem kinda eats the incoming force and you decide how much power to add. Feel is better with TF40. Performance they are capable of same things just in different ways. Similar player styles... TF40 still takes nr1 racquet for slices. Haven't played with anything better so far.
ClaudTT
Semi-Pro
Can't wait for the 'new' TF40 .... I have found coincidence in ALL your comments AND wishes with regards to these frames, RS's&TF40 so... am just waiting impatiently bitting my nails.the other guy on this forum got TF40 prototype... WE, mortals ARE WAITING FOR 2022 but very excited !
but compared to the actual TF40 Diadem is stiffer and TF40 pockets the ball longer with more "boost" similar to Babolat frames. While Diadem kinda eats the incoming force and you decide how much power to add. Feel is better with TF40. Performance they are capable of same things just in different ways. Similar player styles... TF40 still takes nr1 racquet for slices. Haven't played with anything better so far.
hope they will hit the market soon. I need to kick some asses out here...
galapagos
Hall of Fame
Also excited ! Let’s not forget Verdasco used to play with 16x19 Tecnifibre frame. I hope they can take something out of that design and mix it with their TF40 DNA.Can't wait for the 'new' TF40 .... I have found coincidence in ALL your comments AND wishes with regards to these frames, RS's&TF40 so... am just waiting impatiently bitting my nails.
