ProKennex KI5 upgrade

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
Has anyone used the KI5 as their primary racket before and have upgraded to another racket that feels but plays better than it?

What racket did you switch to? How did it improve your game.
 

FuriousYellow

Professional
I played the Ki5 before switching to the n6.1 95.

To me, the 6.1 95 was appealing because it shared similar attributes with the Ki5: 22mm straight beam, low/med flex, SW 325-330 range.

The Ki5 is terrific frame, but with the 6.1 95 my shots have more weight due to the extra mass in the head. I also feel I can take bigger swings and still keep the ball in.

I kept my Ki5 though and have been thinking about pulling it out.
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
Went from the PK 5 series to the Yonex RDS 001 series. Definitely an upgrade.

I demoed the RDS 001 and it was a whole different feeling racket.
Nothing close to feeling like a KI5.
I didn't like it at all.

I am looking to find the same feel and control if possible.
 

rasajadad

Hall of Fame
I went from the PSE version to the Redondo mid. I loved the Ki5, but the Redondo was an improvement for me.
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
I went from the PSE version to the Redondo mid. I loved the Ki5, but the Redondo was an improvement for me.

I briefly hit with a Redondo Mid and it felt "tinny" and hollow to me and also not as soft and comfortable as the KI5 for some reason.
I like my KI5 but find it more difficult to play defense and slice with it.
Great plow thru factor but not much touch factor.
Looking for something with the same comfort but more well rounded.
 

netman

Hall of Fame
I demoed the RDS 001 and it was a whole different feeling racket.
Nothing close to feeling like a KI5.
I didn't like it at all.

I am looking to find the same feel and control if possible.

But in the thread before this you state the Ki5 lacks touch. Touch and control go hand in hand. You need to decide which way to lean, touch and control, or plow-through and power. If you can supply your own power, plow-though is not critical. Then you can look at low powered frames with touch and control.

The Kinetic Tech definitely mutes feel. There is nothing else like it in the market so if you like the way it feels, your only choice is another PK Kinetic frame. Otherwise, you need to accept that you are in for a change and it will just take some time to switch off of the Ki5. I found that by working with string tension and string combos, I was able to get essentially the same comfort as the Kinetic tech using other frames.

-k-
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
By control, I mean I can point and swing out of my shoes and I can place the ball at will.
Touch to me is more soft hands hitting.

I think there are rackets out there that have the same comfort and feel.
I think the feel of the POG OS has the same comfort as the KI5 but is too heavy of a stick for me to play with nowadays.
 

Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
I use the older model 5g. I've changed it as so: First, I took the butt cap off and removed the cylinder weight in the handle. Then, I stuff cotton about an inch down into the handle. I stuffed it really tight to use as a plug. Then, I poured about an inch of rubber cement into the handle. I guess I poured a little at a time over about 5 days to give let it dry better. Then, I added several grams of lead tape to the frame from 9 to 11 o'clock. It's been awhile, so I don't remember exactly how much, but there are 2 layers of the Babolat tape (which is heavier than the Gamma or other's I've tried). I string with a natural gut in the mains and a multi in the crosses at 58#. You get a heavier ball, a lot more stability. Volleys are better too with the extra stability.
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
I am not into customizing my racket with rubber cement.
No going back if I don't like it.

Any other upgrades? Other racket models prefered. Anyone?

Also, is anyone interested in a brand new Ki5? (Unstrung and still packaged)
If so, email tennisinoc at hotmail dot com for negotiations.
 
G

Gugafan_Redux

Guest
I loved the Ki5 for a while and my swing imroved a lot because of the things I was able to do with that frame. But even better for me has been the Wilson nCode Surge. I got two and seriously cannot see using anything for a long time. (And I've been through a lot of frames.)
 

Tennissee

Rookie
Old thread, I know. But I haven't been active for a while. A couple of questions:

1. Speaking about "upgrade," what are the characteristics of the Ki5 that left you wanting more? This is important info to consider.
2. Since it's been 10 months, have you found your upgrade stick yet? Time for an update.

Thanks.
 

nkbond

Rookie
played with 7g, 5g forever (still have 5gs in my bag). KI5 was one of the dozens of racquets I tried over the last 3-4 years. I like the 5g better in every respect.

Only racquet I have ever played extensively with (meaning league matches, meaningful matches, etc. not just knocking around) is the Dunlop Aerogel 100.

I know they are different racquet types, but the static weight, sw, balance, etc. are similar. It's comfortable, and I ended up liking the 90si. I'm hitting the ag100 now and have been for a few months.

Just one person's experience, but replacing a 5g, I've found, is dang hard. It's just a nice all-around frame.
 

shell

Professional
played with 7g, 5g forever (still have 5gs in my bag). KI5 was one of the dozens of racquets I tried over the last 3-4 years. I like the 5g better in every respect.

Only racquet I have ever played extensively with (meaning league matches, meaningful matches, etc. not just knocking around) is the Dunlop Aerogel 100.

I know they are different racquet types, but the static weight, sw, balance, etc. are similar. It's comfortable, and I ended up liking the 90si. I'm hitting the ag100 now and have been for a few months.

Just one person's experience, but replacing a 5g, I've found, is dang hard. It's just a nice all-around frame.

My thoughts and experience is exactly the same! I currently use the AG 100, but came from the PK 5g. I kept all of them because I still love the the 5G feel. The AG100 is similar to the 5g in weight and balance, but the AG100 just adds a new level of feel, mostly serves (I think a 5g weakness) and volleys.
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
Old thread, I know. But I haven't been active for a while. A couple of questions:

1. Speaking about "upgrade," what are the characteristics of the Ki5 that left you wanting more? This is important info to consider.
2. Since it's been 10 months, have you found your upgrade stick yet? Time for an update.

Thanks.

For me, the characteristics that I feel the Ki5 lacks is defensive ability.
It is a great offensive racket that I can swing at will and the ball land in between the lines.
But, when I am on my heels and can't get a full swing in, blocking back the ball falls short for easy setups for my opponents.
Slice is not as easy to generate as with other rackets. Not much bite.

I haven't found an upgrade stick as of yet.
But I did upgrade my strings to a Gut mains / Synth gut cross hybrid.
This has increased my power on serves and on blocked balls.
The extra comfort is really nice too.

It is going to be hard to replace the comfortable feel of the racket.
For those who have played with the Ionic system knows what I mean.

I have hit with the Aerogel and it has a "hollow/tinny" feel that I just don't like.

I thought the Fischer Pro #1 SL was going to be my replacement, but after playing with it for a few months, it still wasn't as comfortable and consistent as my Ki5.

I am hoping they distribute the newer version of the Ki5 here in the US.
I would be willing to try those out.
 

samster

Hall of Fame
For me, the characteristics that I feel the Ki5 lacks is defensive ability.
It is a great offensive racket that I can swing at will and the ball land in between the lines.
But, when I am on my heels and can't get a full swing in, blocking back the ball falls short for easy setups for my opponents.
Slice is not as easy to generate as with other rackets. Not much bite.

I agree with your assessment totally. I can hit some incredible defensive shots with my K90 that I simply just cannot with the Ki5. Control is not quite as good with the Ki5 vs. K90 but the Ki5 has good control characteristics for its weight class.

But I just love serving and taking a big cut on the forehand with the Ki5. At the end of the day, my arm is just that much happier with the Ki5!
 

Tennis Dunce

Semi-Pro
But in the thread before this you state the Ki5 lacks touch. Touch and control go hand in hand. You need to decide which way to lean, touch and control, or plow-through and power. If you can supply your own power, plow-though is not critical. Then you can look at low powered frames with touch and control.

The Kinetic Tech definitely mutes feel. There is nothing else like it in the market so if you like the way it feels, your only choice is another PK Kinetic frame. Otherwise, you need to accept that you are in for a change and it will just take some time to switch off of the Ki5. I found that by working with string tension and string combos, I was able to get essentially the same comfort as the Kinetic tech using other frames.

-k-

netman...hold the phone, you don't hit with the 5g anymore!?:shock:

Any of those frames you wanna...ya know...unleash?
 
I thought the 5G had a better feel to it than the KI-5. But the Ki-5 had a little more punch to it and was more forgiving on off center volleys. Also the swingweight felt much lighter on the Ki than on the 5G. (Different websites list different swingweights for these two rackets. One may be listed as the heavier swingweight on one site, and the lighter of the two on a different site).
 

netman

Hall of Fame
netman...hold the phone, you don't hit with the 5g anymore!?:shock:

Any of those frames you wanna...ya know...unleash?

Sorry. I keep the 5gs in my bag for those times my elbow or shoulder start to complain. A couple of weeks using them and everything is back to normal. :)

-k-
 

MCN

Rookie
Played with Ki5 for a while but moved back to old Volkl Tour 10 MP Gen I which hits a heavier shot and has a lovely flexy feel with lots of dwell time. The Ki5 is a good all round stick though and I felt comfortable using but the Volkl suits my game a bit better.
 

film1

Semi-Pro
What tension do you string your racquets?
I used to have a problem leaving me too many short balls and I lowered the tension about 7 lbs.


It did not take me very long to adjust and it felt good knowing I could get a few more feet out of a weaker shots which can keep you in points and save you some of those helpless moments on the court.
 

backcourt

Semi-Pro
For me, the characteristics that I feel the Ki5 lacks is defensive ability.
It is a great offensive racket that I can swing at will and the ball land in between the lines.
But, when I am on my heels and can't get a full swing in, blocking back the ball falls short for easy setups for my opponents.
Slice is not as easy to generate as with other rackets. Not much bite.

I haven't found an upgrade stick as of yet.
But I did upgrade my strings to a Gut mains / Synth gut cross hybrid.
This has increased my power on serves and on blocked balls.
The extra comfort is really nice too.

It is going to be hard to replace the comfortable feel of the racket.
For those who have played with the Ionic system knows what I mean.

I have hit with the Aerogel and it has a "hollow/tinny" feel that I just don't like.

I thought the Fischer Pro #1 SL was going to be my replacement, but after playing with it for a few months, it still wasn't as comfortable and consistent as my Ki5.

I am hoping they distribute the newer version of the Ki5 here in the US.
I would be willing to try those out.


I play with a 5g now and had a KI 5 a couple of years ago. I also thought the Ki5 lack good slicing ability, whereas for me the 5g is one of the best slicers I have played with. I suggest you try a 5g to see if it addresses the areas you are concerned about. You can usually pick one up pretty cheap (as I did) used here on the boards. But I do think the Ki5 had a littel more pop on serves.
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
I play with a 5g now and had a KI 5 a couple of years ago. I also thought the Ki5 lack good slicing ability, whereas for me the 5g is one of the best slicers I have played with. I suggest you try a 5g to see if it addresses the areas you are concerned about. You can usually pick one up pretty cheap (as I did) used here on the boards. But I do think the Ki5 had a littel more pop on serves.

Thanks for the feedback.
I did end up picking up a 5g to compare the 2 sticks.
The slicing is much better with it compared to the Ki5 i agree.
One big difference for me though is that I cannot produce as much topspin as with the Ki5.
Weird. I had the same string set up and tension too.
But, it excels if I hit flat shots. Great stick if I were a serve and volleyer.
I might use it for doubles for chip and charging cross court.
I do feel the dead spot on the top of the hoop.
The Ki5 just feels more stable and has more pop and spin for my baseline play. Serves are comparable.

I might have to stick with these a bit longer until my game outgrows these sticks. But for now, I still have a higher percentage of wins vs. losses with it. So, they remain in my bag.
 

backcourt

Semi-Pro
Thanks for the feedback.
I did end up picking up a 5g to compare the 2 sticks.
The slicing is much better with it compared to the Ki5 i agree.
One big difference for me though is that I cannot produce as much topspin as with the Ki5.
Weird. I had the same string set up and tension too.
But, it excels if I hit flat shots. Great stick if I were a serve and volleyer.
I might use it for doubles for chip and charging cross court.
I do feel the dead spot on the top of the hoop.
The Ki5 just feels more stable and has more pop and spin for my baseline play. Serves are comparable.

I might have to stick with these a bit longer until my game outgrows these sticks. But for now, I still have a higher percentage of wins vs. losses with it. So, they remain in my bag.


I agree, topspin is slightly lacking with a 5g due to its pattern; I addressed this wth 18g Volkl Powerfiber string, and now I get as much topspin as I did with my old Yonexes.
 

tennisinoc

Semi-Pro
I agree, topspin is slightly lacking with a 5g due to its pattern; I addressed this wth 18g Volkl Powerfiber string, and now I get as much topspin as I did with my old Yonexes.

What pattern are you referring to? String pattern?
Mine is the same 16 x 20.

Spacing seems to be the same on both of mine.
 

backcourt

Semi-Pro
What pattern are you referring to? String pattern?
Mine is the same 16 x 20.

Spacing seems to be the same on both of mine.

Ya the string pattern is 16 x 20. My prior racquet, a Volkl Cat 8 had a 16 x 18 string pattern and was extremely spinny. The thiner gauge string helps increase the amount of spin in the tighter 16 x 20 pattern of a 5g.
 
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