Aerogel 100...60 lbs...wow...mini review

markwillplay

Hall of Fame
So I decided to get one of these for the fun of it. Posted some thoughts but now I have had a chance to string it with gut and play several matches. First thing I will say is that I cant believe folks like it strung at 60 plus lbs. Amazing how people can play with different tensions and like it. I have mine strung at 56 lbs with vS gut 16 gauge and it plays very crisp with tons of control. Even feels a bit stiff. When I restring, I will drop down at least to 54and possibly 52.

The battle going on at my house is between this stick and my microgel prestige pro's which I have been playing with for longer than any stick since I started back several years ago. I have tried a bunch and even several twice but keep coming back to the pro. Just does everything well and is really soft even with a stiffness rating of 66 and 65 (I have two) tested on a bab machine. I will compare these two sticks and maybe some others I have tried.

First off, I have lead and leather on the handle of the dunlop and same on the heads. They are all about 9-10 pts headlight by my crude measurements (everything is relative). The dunlop is 12.3 and the heads are 12.5. They are all strung at 56 lbs. The dunlop has full gut, one head has technofibre multi and the other has a gut / syn gut hybrid.

groundstrokes
off the bat the dunlop feels stiffer. no doubt about it. However, when you hit the sweet spot, it feels like it does cup the ball well and has good power. I think less tension will increase power. No suprises with this stick and balls do not sail. I feel that I can swing as hard as I want and keep the ball in (semi western forhand). The heads seem softer and I do like that at times, but with the same stoke, I get a sailor every now and then. The heads seem to hold the ball longer and hit a more loopy shot which is good for rally balls, but I can hit good loopy spin with the dunlop too. I can flatten both out at will. I really can't tell which stick has more power. I have always thought my heads lacked power but with the lower tensions I have been using lately, I have felt the ball had more heat. Still, I have never had a problem keeping balls in on the forhand side. Head has bigger sweetspot but the dunlop does have a sort of "solid" feel (more on that later). I give the control advantage to the dunlop. I think this is just the head size. This will show up later on volleys as well. I believe that I would like the dunlop a little better with a shade of lead on the hoop and slightly less tension on string bed. I like my heads the way they are. They are more plush, dunlop is more crisp.

1hbh is a different story. I trust my topspin 1hbh more with the dunlop. I have heard it said that no 4.0 really has a good consistant 1hbh and I believe that to a certain extent. However, as I strong 4.0 myself, I think I could step it up with this stick. It is simply easier to hit 1hbh's with it and keep them in with a good amount of power and consistancy. I have to think about it more with my heads and I just trust my swing more with the dunlops...enough said.

volleys
this one is simple for me (a serve and volleyer). Heads are a bit more forgiving but not as much directional control. I like to volley with them but miss a fair amount of volleys that I thought were going to be on the money. With the dunlop, if you hit the sweet spot (and that is not as hard as I thought it would be) it goes where you are aiming. Half volleys are the same. I do think that the dunlop will benefit from more weight in the head but even without, it volleys better for me when I am on. the head volleys about as good when I am not quite my best. Very close hear but I give the confidencd factor to the dunlop. Dunlop will not twist at all either...my heads will on occassion but i think that has a lot to do with grip size (see bottom)

Serve
again, more directional accuracy with the dunlop but not by much. I think I can serve as hard with either and perhaps have more spin on serve with the heads. I double fault a bit less with the dunlop but have more kick with the heads. I hit more serves long with the heads and more serves shallow with the dunlop. Flatter serves are about equal I think. In a tight match, I would probably take the dunlop but it is so very close.

Overall, I think the dunlop has more control and is more precise but not by a huge bit at all. No doublt I like both of these models and may not notice that much of a drop off in play with either. A word for the dunlop is "dialed in". It helps me with my control a bit and makes me feel more confident on my backhand (although slices have a bit of work to do). Also is very solid and stable on volleys. Both these sticks are stable and would be even more so with a bit of lead. I have used a bunch with the heads but wanted to compare them without. I think the dunlop is a bit more stable the way I have them set up and I think that might be due to headsize but not sure.

As far as being solid, I have come to the conclusion that the grip makes a huge difference. I had my grips replaced on my heads with **** wilson shaped grips in 3/8......mistake......not getting the grips replace but in the size. I have figured out that I like a 4 1/2 grip and I think that has helped me with the dunlop. If I am to keep the heads, I will replace the grips again (yup...again) with 4 1/2 and not look back. Not sure if I am going to stick with them or go ahead and sell them and get another or two dunlops and call it a season. It is a hard choice really. They are both good sticks and fairly different.

OK, that was fun.
 

markwillplay

Hall of Fame
true, do0n't know why I said mini...think that is what I thought it would be.

I don't have much lead in the handle. Just a few strips. I think it weighed in at 12.1 with just the leather and it is at 12.3 now.

I will probably try 3 inch strips at 3 and 9 in the hoop.
 

bad_call

Legend
nice review. taken mental notes of the comparison between the MG Prestige Pro and AG 100. if opportunity presents itself, will give the AG 100 a try. however still happy with current sticks...just need to get out more and hit. :)
 

mental midget

Hall of Fame
I have leather on my 100's, and just a bit of lead at 3 and 9 (like 1.5 inch strips on either side of string bed.) that's all it took. this racket is ridiculous.
 

JacKKyKung

Semi-Pro
Hi, Mark

If i were you, i'll kept both. I'll play them in different day which i want to switch my style.

I did the same way like yours. I lead it up both the handle and 3,9 o'clock, 12 g at handle and 4 g at frame. And i replaced with leather also. I didn't calculate the SW & balance. I just played and impressed its swing which i can handle it.

I felt like you that AG100 is pretty powerful than others Mid', espacially 1HBH. Even though i strung it at 60 lbs with Dunlop max comfort 17 (cheap multi'). Felt little stiff but great whip the ball in the court. Great control and very compromise for Mid' new user.
 

luv2volley

Rookie
So I decided to get one of these for the fun of it. Posted some thoughts but now I have had a chance to string it with gut and play several matches. First thing I will say is that I cant believe folks like it strung at 60 plus lbs. Amazing how people can play with different tensions and like it. I have mine strung at 56 lbs with vS gut 16 gauge and it plays very crisp with tons of control. Even feels a bit stiff. When I restring, I will drop down at least to 54and possibly 52.

The battle going on at my house is between this stick and my microgel prestige pro's which I have been playing with for longer than any stick since I started back several years ago. I have tried a bunch and even several twice but keep coming back to the pro. Just does everything well and is really soft even with a stiffness rating of 66 and 65 (I have two) tested on a bab machine. I will compare these two sticks and maybe some others I have tried.

First off, I have lead and leather on the handle of the dunlop and same on the heads. They are all about 9-10 pts headlight by my crude measurements (everything is relative). The dunlop is 12.3 and the heads are 12.5. They are all strung at 56 lbs. The dunlop has full gut, one head has technofibre multi and the other has a gut / syn gut hybrid.

groundstrokes
off the bat the dunlop feels stiffer. no doubt about it. However, when you hit the sweet spot, it feels like it does cup the ball well and has good power. I think less tension will increase power. No suprises with this stick and balls do not sail. I feel that I can swing as hard as I want and keep the ball in (semi western forhand). The heads seem softer and I do like that at times, but with the same stoke, I get a sailor every now and then. The heads seem to hold the ball longer and hit a more loopy shot which is good for rally balls, but I can hit good loopy spin with the dunlop too. I can flatten both out at will. I really can't tell which stick has more power. I have always thought my heads lacked power but with the lower tensions I have been using lately, I have felt the ball had more heat. Still, I have never had a problem keeping balls in on the forhand side. Head has bigger sweetspot but the dunlop does have a sort of "solid" feel (more on that later). I give the control advantage to the dunlop. I think this is just the head size. This will show up later on volleys as well. I believe that I would like the dunlop a little better with a shade of lead on the hoop and slightly less tension on string bed. I like my heads the way they are. They are more plush, dunlop is more crisp.

1hbh is a different story. I trust my topspin 1hbh more with the dunlop. I have heard it said that no 4.0 really has a good consistant 1hbh and I believe that to a certain extent. However, as I strong 4.0 myself, I think I could step it up with this stick. It is simply easier to hit 1hbh's with it and keep them in with a good amount of power and consistancy. I have to think about it more with my heads and I just trust my swing more with the dunlops...enough said.

volleys
this one is simple for me (a serve and volleyer). Heads are a bit more forgiving but not as much directional control. I like to volley with them but miss a fair amount of volleys that I thought were going to be on the money. With the dunlop, if you hit the sweet spot (and that is not as hard as I thought it would be) it goes where you are aiming. Half volleys are the same. I do think that the dunlop will benefit from more weight in the head but even without, it volleys better for me when I am on. the head volleys about as good when I am not quite my best. Very close hear but I give the confidencd factor to the dunlop. Dunlop will not twist at all either...my heads will on occassion but i think that has a lot to do with grip size (see bottom)

Serve
again, more directional accuracy with the dunlop but not by much. I think I can serve as hard with either and perhaps have more spin on serve with the heads. I double fault a bit less with the dunlop but have more kick with the heads. I hit more serves long with the heads and more serves shallow with the dunlop. Flatter serves are about equal I think. In a tight match, I would probably take the dunlop but it is so very close.

Overall, I think the dunlop has more control and is more precise but not by a huge bit at all. No doublt I like both of these models and may not notice that much of a drop off in play with either. A word for the dunlop is "dialed in". It helps me with my control a bit and makes me feel more confident on my backhand (although slices have a bit of work to do). Also is very solid and stable on volleys. Both these sticks are stable and would be even more so with a bit of lead. I have used a bunch with the heads but wanted to compare them without. I think the dunlop is a bit more stable the way I have them set up and I think that might be due to headsize but not sure.

As far as being solid, I have come to the conclusion that the grip makes a huge difference. I had my grips replaced on my heads with **** wilson shaped grips in 3/8......mistake......not getting the grips replace but in the size. I have figured out that I like a 4 1/2 grip and I think that has helped me with the dunlop. If I am to keep the heads, I will replace the grips again (yup...again) with 4 1/2 and not look back. Not sure if I am going to stick with them or go ahead and sell them and get another or two dunlops and call it a season. It is a hard choice really. They are both good sticks and fairly different.

OK, that was fun.

Great review Mark, I found that drop volleys are nice but punch volleys are not as crisp as the K90 and MG Prestige Mid. I might add some lead and try it out. Ground strokes are awesome. One can put the ball away even behind service line.
 

Keifers

Legend
The AG100 is a great stick! It's destined to become a classic.
Yep, the designers really "got out of bed the right side" when they came up with the 100. (My accolade for products that are really well designed.)

It's a remarkable racquet.
 

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
Very nice review. Any updates on which one is your main stick now, Mark? I've been using the MGPP for several months and am interested in trying the AG100 as well....
 

markwillplay

Hall of Fame
well, I liked both of them and ultimately would have stayed with the mgpp I think. The dunlop was nice leaded up and had a bit better control I think..the microgel softer. I have now sold all of my sticks and have in my possession (well one and two more on the way) dunlop 400i's. I bought one on a whim and hit with it once. Thought nothing of it and even was ready to sell it. Went out and played with the K90 and thought...may I like this stick for serve and volley...let me play with the 400i again.....Bam. I am playing the best tennis I have ever played and I am using the 400i. It weighs 12.8oz and I just love it. I got two more coming (they are hard to find) and that should last me as one is in mint condition. So go figure, after 2 years of buying and trading and buying and trading, I am playing with a stick that has not been made in 10 or more years I guess with a head size of about 85. Never played with another stick that I liked better....never. Totally different from the modern sticks I have played with and I may come back one day but this year I anticipate playing with this one. It is a nice conversation peace (ha ha). That technology is just awesome to me (I loved my 200G as well before it warped).
 
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