Diary of a Racketaholic

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Have to edit that Bob clairified that he uses the 98 Black Ace. Bob is a giant among men and he makes it look a 93. He also would be a worthy contributor to this thread since he has played with a lot of good racquets.

The Ace, oh the Ace. That's the one I've been raving about of late and will likely be switching to once my knee heals up. Just before I hurt it I was set to possibly switch to the RDTI 80 lite and tossed the Ace mid into the next demo round and discovered an absolute GEM of a racquet. The mid is what I tried, though. Feel is sensational - 100 percent graphite solidly thumps each ball but the feedback to the arm is soft, but the racquet itself is not particularly flexy - a combo I like. Anyway, I fell in love with it, figured I owed the 98 version a try by comparison and then that demo box arrived the
day after I hurt my knee, so I'll check the Ace mid and 98 out when the leg allows. But yeah, it was an absolute delight. An easier swinging Prestige Mid. PP, so you liked the 98 then? Thoughts?
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Jgads, I actually was interested in the 93. I have not hit with one, just heard great things. I love 95 and smaller headsizes, so I wanted to check it out for fun. Any stick that is 100% graphite is always worth having. I used to have the Donnay Pro One Agassi OS for the same reason, but it was very low powered.

I really like Bad Calls Microgel Prestige Pro, and a lot of people compare the Black Ace to that. So I may grab one in a few weeks for some fun and if I barely ever use it, I can sell it to one of you fine folks I am sure.

An interesting thing about PK that Bob was saying is they use the babolat woofer grommets. He also said that the pure drive was originally a PKennex mold. Pretty wild. I don't know much about the company but I always hear about the black ace.

It is tough to not grab a good racquet. I have seen some KPS88s at my local shop for a deep discount and I am always tempted just to have one for the heck of it.
 

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Woofers in the black ace. That is amazing and weird. I did not know that.
In other news I am nixing the new extreme mp from GEOAT contention. I think the YT extreme pro will hold the crown.
 

Ross K

Legend
My fellow no good, low-down, racketaholics!:)

Seeing as how we all seem to be in the grip of a particularly strong phase of racketaholic self-abuse here (and PP, what's all this talk of the KPS and Black Ace mid?! :wink:), I may as well confess to hitting with the TF V02 320 yesterday. In my defense, my PP's are away being strung... it's true - "honest, officer!"...

Re the TF though, just to say, finally, after ages, the string (which is everybody's fave TT poly of the moment: BHBR) has at last lost the stiff feeling, and is now what I'd call relatively crisp; which at least helped me focus more on the frame itself.

My up-dated impressions are very positive towards the racket in that re ease of swinging, topspin accessibility (and it's pretty much in the league of the YT Rad Pro, ie very big!), good power, and general suitability to my style/game, the TF can be described thus so. Moreover, I'd compare it to playing like the APD (the frame I was playing the most before my PP's), but with some important differences, such as smaller head, better feel and touch, and not every kid on court seems to be wielding one - ha, ha!... though of course the APD doesn't have little witchy faces or whatever painted all over them! :lol: ... BTW, yesterday I had my usual 2 grams of lead @ 12, plus I put a Head Hydrasorb on the handle (for some reason I didn't like the TF grip it came with and was after a more cushioned grip.)

However, with the exception of spin (and I do enjoy this aspect, I won't deny), the TF doesn't quite come up to the level of the Prestige Pro. The PP just has a solidness and stability the TF doesn't equal; the weighting and balance is supreme; the responsiveness is wonderful; the quality build is top notch; etc, etc (I've said it all before, haven't I? :))

Is the TF 'one for the bag' though?... ahhh... is the practice of having a different frame in one's bag even viable to a reforming racketaholic?!... yeeees, to be considered.

Peace be unto you all my fellow 'holics!



R.


BTW, new string-jobs are: YTPP - Tornado @ 50 lbs, and TGK - Typhoon @ 50 lbs... really looking forward to hitting with these!...
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
PP: Careful with trying the Ace 'just for fun.' It's a dangerously sweet hit, my friend. Things can get serious pretty fast.

Fed: has the honorary demoing begun? And you're in the Bay Area, right? Came across a tennis shop in the East Bay that had a signed McEnroe Dunlop Maxply for 75. Pretty sweet for someone's wall.

Ross: be careful with that 'just one for the bag' business. That's kind of how my -holism began. Before I knew it I needed a whole new bag.

Driving from SF to LA tomorrow. If I'm lucky I'll have a chance to stop by the TW headquarters, where I'd probably lose my mind.
 

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Gads, I have a vintage nike poster of mac standing under the bridge in nyc in a leather jacket that I pray to before bed. If only I was left handed. If I put anything else tennis related on the wall my gf's eyes would roll out of her head. The rest of the place has to look like a french country cottage.
The shootout has begun except for the volkl 8.
I played a few hours with the new extreme mp. 3 set win but an annoying one. If I bought this rac I would end up modding it up until I had YT pro specs, I'm sure of it. Plus I prefer the cheesy yt homage to agassis donnay pj over the new black ed hardy thing.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Ross, yeah..I blame Bad Call. He has let me use his Mgel Prestige (94 size head)when we hit, and I have always admired the stick even though it's not perfect for me. It is extremely comfortable and easy to hit with. When I was a junior I had a few sticks, but my favorite was the Prince Pro 90. It was thin and a small head. Something about it was just magical.

Anyway. Not even sure if I could use a mid anymore on a regular basis, but they are such sweet sticks. I never thought too much about actually trying a Black Ace until Bob pulled out 2 of them out and used them. I have been taking tennis less and less serious, and it has actually gotten real fun. So yeah, if I see a kps88 for $65 new...I'm buying it..why not, I can always sell it if I never use it.

I think the PRestige Pro is an awesome choice. They are just great sticks. The feel of it will trump the Tfight, but to me, the tfight is the ultimate tweener if you have been playing a while and want a little beef in your shots.
 
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OldButGame

Hall of Fame
The Black Ace has had my eye for awhile now,...not just the specs,....but its one of those sticks that has a HUGE following,...and those that use it seem to rave about it,...:)
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
That and the volkl PB10. Buddy of mine uses the PB9..it was too light, but had a great to feel to it. Nothing that really grabbed me. But when you read a million reviews raving about the pb10, you have to wonder what the heck is going on. The Black Ace is just raw and more of an underground type stick. I like that whole aspect a lot. It is also a more closed pattern, which is what I prefer. The 16x20 of the PST is perfection..wish it was more common. You can hit really heavy spin but the ball stays low and drives through the court.
 

retlod

Professional
Volkl PB 8 295 anyone? On paper, it looks like a promising tweener frame. For $119 I might just buy one...
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
PP: The PB10 Mid is of course a favorite of so many on these boards and I'll be roasted for saying this, but the Black Ace is to me a nicer hit; I felt the Volkl flex in the throat a little too much for my liking (never had a tremendous feel for where the ball was going to go); the Ace felt more solid in that it had a uniform flex, but really not much. The hit is firm and the feel is crisper than the PB10 Mid, which I only got to my 'feel' preference (crispy) by using a full bed of poly. But I couldn't get it to work. The 12-plus poundage combined with the flex probably just wasn't for me. The Black Ace is like a more raw, slightly crisper, easier-to-use PB10 Mid. ...

OldButGame: I'm a huge fan of the PSL and the Ace is a control-first kind of stick as well, so you might dig it. (didn't I trade you a PSL once? funny because I regretted it after, immediately missing the PSL's "Don't worry, just let it rip" control on so many days).

Happy to report that in the midst of all of this Ace adoration, I finally came across a used one that I snatched up so extended usage/string tinkering will commence.

Fed, I Must Have this poster. Google'd it immediately to see if it still existed anywhere, couldn't find it. Would love for you to snap a photo of it one day. Sounds very prayer-worthy, indeed.

Edit: Ah - just found a pic of the poster. Very cool. But is it real? Looks like it was photoshopped. Still pretty great, tho.
 
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Power Player

Bionic Poster
Jgads good stuff, I never had a huge desire to hit with the PB10, but the Ace sounds like fun.

Did you use full poly in it, and what kind of tension were you at?

I kind of wish I didnt mention it so much so I can try and get a used one! They are tough to find.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
^^^^

Scary thing: my love of this frame has come only from a demo, though the demo was strung up with NXT, which is a string I've really liked and played with a lot, so it felt like home. Guessing the tension was low since the strings were a bit worn by then, but it felt great with NXT and the strings barely moved around, which is great because that's one of the main reasons I often go with poly (can't stand string movement with multis)..

And yeah, used ones are impossible to find, it seems - even on the Bay, so when I came upon one I jumped and it's en route to me now.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Jgads, you have been real accurate in your descriptions..how do you compare the Ace to the PSTGT? I have really zero complaints with the pstgt, except that my swing is getting better and better, and sometimes I am hitting too hard with it even strung at a high tension (typhoon at 59#s).

I am still a much better player due to working on my game and also the Pure Storm is so versatile. It makes me think I can handle a smaller headsize at least to try out for some fun.
 

PED

Legend
J

I am still a much better player due to working on my game and also the Pure Storm is so versatile. It makes me think I can handle a smaller headsize at least to try out for some fun.

Since you like the pst so much, the natural move would be to go to the Limited. Similar weight (343g or so) but more HL, less power but more precision and a 95" hoop.

I owned one for a while. Great stick, it forces you to work on your footwork.....or else :)

Also the best feeling stick BY FAR i've ever used: like butter.
 

ryushen21

Legend
Since you like the pst so much, the natural move would be to go to the Limited. Similar weight (343g or so) but more HL, less power but more precision and a 95" hoop.

I owned one for a while. Great stick, it forces you to work on your footwork.....or else :)

Also the best feeling stick BY FAR i've ever used: like butter.

I think that the PSL is probably my favorite Bab stick to play with. It has that classic feel that I like. If my mids are being restrung, I usually borrow my friend's PSL until I can get my own frames back.
 

PED

Legend
^^What would make the PSL perfect would be to have the swing weight and balance of the YT Mid. The PSL swings a little too lightly but it's that bit more forgiving than the Mid. The Mid packs a big punch :)

When my son used the MG Mid, I always enjoyed hitting with it.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yeah there is that fine line of power level and weight. It is tough to nail perfectly due to playing a lot..not playing much..it fluctuates throughout the year.

I have to say that now that the PST sometimes gives me too much power is a pretty nice issue to have. I'd rather have a little too much then too little. Learned that from my dunlops..they were exhausting me pretty fast, and I did not really know why for about a year.
 

ryushen21

Legend
^^What would make the PSL perfect would be to have the swing weight and balance of the YT Mid. The PSL swings a little too lightly but it's that bit more forgiving than the Mid. The Mid packs a big punch :)

When my son used the MG Mid, I always enjoyed hitting with it.

That's what always makes the mid trump every other frame. It just has that sweet, sweet way of swinging. No other frame can match it. Even the other Prestiges. When I had narrowed it down to the mid and the MP, I thought I was going to go with the MP. But it just didn't swing the way that the Mid does and that was just too sweet to pass up.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I think Jgads just got another Black Ace right from under me..&$^#&@* I'm going to have buy a brand new one just to try one out. Damn, thats serious racquetaholism. I can't compete with it.
 

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Psl looks very old school to me. As in way underpowered. I was surprised to see american young guns sock and harrison choose this one. I am curious how they customize or how any of you guys do.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yeah it's real underpowered..may be a little too low powered for me. For now, I will track down the elusive Black Ace and see how that goes. I need that sweet spot where I can swing hard and still control..pstgt is the best at it so far, but like I said, I have been stringing it tighter and tighter.

Havent found a more satisfying hit though for all courting.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
That's what always makes the mid trump every other frame. It just has that sweet, sweet way of swinging. No other frame can match it. Even the other Prestiges. When I had narrowed it down to the mid and the MP, I thought I was going to go with the MP. But it just didn't swing the way that the Mid does and that was just too sweet to pass up.

The mid does seem super sexy..real small head, pretty much as close as you will get to the PC600. It is basically a dirty little Safin fantasy. How tough is it for you to use? Honestly, it is suposed to be for "advanced" players, but I was using a Prince Pro 90 at the ripe age of 12.
 

OldButGame

Hall of Fame
Psl looks very old school to me. As in way underpowered. I was surprised to see american young guns sock and harrison choose this one. I am curious how they customize or how any of you guys do.
I dont really customize mine,..just OG and headguard tape,....and then i swing like theres no tomorrow !!!!!!!!:shock:
 

OldButGame

Hall of Fame
Yeah there is that fine line of power level and weight. It is tough to nail perfectly due to playing a lot..not playing much..it fluctuates throughout the year.

I have to say that now that the PST sometimes gives me too much power is a pretty nice issue to have. I'd rather have a little too much then too little. Learned that from my dunlops..they were exhausting me pretty fast, and I did not really know why for about a year.
Really interesting point that I've found too,...I have it all planned this year,...startin spring out 'light',....and as conditioning improves thru the season (as it did last year),....I'll transition to my heavier, more stable sticks,...(thats 'The Plan',..anyway....:-|)
 

Ross K

Legend
PED and PP,

What's with you both stringing tighter all of a sudden? :confused:I thought we were all kind of heading towards late 40s kind of tension, and now i see PP is at 59s and PED has leapt all the way up to around 60??? Must say, I'm getting nicely accustomed to the oomph and ease of hitting at 50 lbs and below on my PPs.:)


R.
 

PED

Legend
PED and PP,

What's with you both stringing tighter all of a sudden? :confused:I thought we were all kind of heading towards late 40s kind of tension, and now i see PP is at 59s and PED has leapt all the way up to around 60??? Must say, I'm getting nicely accustomed to the oomph and ease of hitting at 50 lbs and below on my PPs.:)


R.

Only sissies string under 60 lbs:twisted: LOL

6 weeks ago when it was cold, I was at 50/48, then 52/50, went to 55/53 as it warmed up into the low 50's and now i've got one stick at 58/56 and the other at 60/58.

I moved around on my grip to an SW fh instead of western so I'm driving it flatter and need the higher tension for my depth control. The TB is really nice at that tension.

Having said that, I can't imagine 60lbs in full poly back in Dec when I was playing and it was 27 degrees. No brain, no pain :)
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
PP: Did I in fact steal another one? A kind fellow responded to my (I believe) way-back Wanted Ad for a Black Ace this morning, and I jumped on THAT one, too, so I do in fact have TWO used ones now coming my way. My apologies for that, if you were interested in that same frame. I'm a scoundrel. If the Aces don't work out, then you'll be the first to get an e-mail before I put them up for sale. ... Can you not demo from TW to see if it clicks enough for you to buy one?

As for comparing it to the Pure Storm Tour, I may be a bad person to do so because my time with the Tour was extremely limited because I didn't get along with it both times I tried it -- first time was the GT version you have LONG ago, within a demo batch, and all I really remember from it was feeling that the frame seemed to have some hot spots and I kept blasting the ball over the baseline. So I stopped after only about 10 minutes and went onto the next demo frame. Then recently I happened upon a demo of the newest paintjob that my local shop had just gotten, and I found the frame to be incredibly sluggish -- I'm telling you, this thing was a brick, and I genuinely feel that the one I had was way over-spec or something because it felt like the swingweight was in the high 330s. So I stopped after only 15 minutes. ... So to me it's hard to really give you a proper comparison, but from my limited time the Ace is whippier but still comes through the ball in a heavy way (if that makes sense; I kind of liken it to a KBlade Tour that has more PLOW and is fuller in feel). For whatever reason, I just never could corral either version of the Pure Storm for the reasons stated above. I do, however, adore the Pure Storm Limited which the Ace is a lot more like: one of those honest, control-first frames where you get out of it exactly what you put in; there are no surprises and very little fear of hitting long, which entices you to go after the ball with a bigger swing. The Ace seems to have a touch more easy power than the Ltd., though, which makes serving a little easier.

Fed: Does Sock really play with the Pure Storm Ltd., too? I thought he rocked the Pure Storm Tour (or at least the paintjob). From both pics and seeing Harrison up close at the US Open last year (I was two rows back of his changeover seat on that tiny back court where he upset Lubicic last year), seems to me that he's genuinely wielding the Ltd.; which makes sense to me when I see his beautiful charging and volleying skills (the Ltd. is a volleyer's dream).
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
PED and PP,

What's with you both stringing tighter all of a sudden? :confused:I thought we were all kind of heading towards late 40s kind of tension, and now i see PP is at 59s and PED has leapt all the way up to around 60??? Must say, I'm getting nicely accustomed to the oomph and ease of hitting at 50 lbs and below on my PPs.:)


R.

Technique changes. Better movement, better shoulder rotation, switch to SW grip, slight change in stance, and I can now hit harder. I would be at 52-55 with the prestige pros.

Gads, I was just busting your balls. Its not like you knew, so no worries.

I actually tried the tw demo program before and never got the racket sent to me, which was not good for tw or me. I think it got lost in the mail. Anyway, I budgeted for a stick next week so its no biggie. I grabbed a prestige mid in rys honor and I wanted to pretend to be a shorter safin tonight. Should give me a good idea on how i can do with a smaller head before ordering an ace.
 
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Fed Kennedy

Legend
I am pretty sure sock and harrison both use ltd, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Two american jocks using this frame is kind of like Ricky Bobby ordering a white wine spritzer...maybe I'm missing something...the Stanford guys seem to all switch to prestiges... I want to try the ltd now, even though I swore off 18x20 player frames. God I need help.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Technique changes. Better movement, better shoulder rotation, switch to SW grip, slight change in stance, and I can now hit harder. I would be at 52-55 with the prestige pros.

Gads, I was just busting your balls. Its not like you knew, so no worries.

I actually tried the tw demo program before and never got the racket sent to me, which was not good for tw or me. I think it got lost in the mail. Anyway, I budgeted for a stick next week so its no biggie. I grabbed a prestige mid in rys honor and I wanted to pretend to be a shorter safin tonight. Should give me a good idea on how i can do with a smaller head before ordering an ace.

Nice, enjoy. The YT Prestige Mid is the frame I'm coming off of (but refuse to sell just yet, for it is a delight) and the Ace is extremely similar, just easier to whip around for a longer period of time. But everything Ry gushes about is absolutely true: there is something that's just awesome about the Prestige Mid balance and distribution. It's a heavier frame that definitely swings lighter than comparable 12-plus oz sticks.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
I am pretty sure sock and harrison both use ltd, someone correct me if I'm wrong. Two american jocks using this frame is kind of like Ricky Bobby ordering a white wine spritzer...maybe I'm missing something...the Stanford guys seem to all switch to prestiges... I want to try the ltd now, even though I swore off 18x20 player frames. God I need help.

Man, I do always love your references, Fed. Gold, Jerry. Gold. ... The Ltd. seems like it'd be a radical change for you, though. If you like the easier power from the Extreme series as well as your recent EX03 Tour trial, you might get frustrated with the Ltd. It's extremely low powered. The cool thing you can do with the Ltd., though, that's much more difficult to do with open-patterned, more powerful sticks, is drop the tension below the recommended tension range, which can really help in the power department and also give the ball some really funny 'action' that gives opponents some extra funk to deal with off the ground.

BTW, the wonderland that is TW was closed by the time I passed through SLO on my roadie yesterday, but, like a sad little racquetholic, I did peek through the window. Surprised to see that the retail space is actually quite small compared to what you'd imagine from the world's largest tennis business (that's right, isn't it?); but it is in fact placed in front of a very large warehouse, indeed, where a tennis wonderland surely lies within.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Nice, enjoy. The YT Prestige Mid is the frame I'm coming off of (but refuse to sell just yet, for it is a delight) and the Ace is extremely similar, just easier to whip around for a longer period of time. But everything Ry gushes about is absolutely true: there is something that's just awesome about the Prestige Mid balance and distribution. It's a heavier frame that definitely swings lighter than comparable 12-plus oz sticks.

Just swinging it around before I head out I would agree. It feels rather light compared to my pstgt..that's kind of bizarre. If the Ace is the same type of stick, that is good stuff. Is the power level and feel the same?
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Feel is similar, but the Ace is a touch more 'buttery' to me. Power level and plow is a bit more pronounced with the Prestige, but I seem to be able to whip the Ace around a bit easier on a more consistent basis, so that whipability kind of offsets the Prestige's plow for me right now... That being said, the Ace has plenty of plow and both frames do something that I love in a frame: a few times each match, I think I've hit a ball a touch long and the ball instead just drops in, clipping the line. That's my measure of a frame that's powered to my liking. ...

I think they're very interchangeable frames, truth be told, and the reason I refuse to sell my Prestige Mid just yet is because I know that I may end up going back to it if the Ace honeymoon wears off. When I'm totally 'on,' the Prestige Mid is a beast that I want in my hand. Best part about the frame is service returns. Something about the plow and the balance allows me to rip service heaters back with a vengeance. The Ace doesn't have quite that punch on the return, but then for the rest of the rally I'm a little more comfortable and aggressive with the Ace.

Again, though: honeymoon. I'm very aware of its powers.
 

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Man, I do always love your references, Fed. Gold, Jerry. Gold. ... The Ltd. seems like it'd be a radical change for you, though. If you like the easier power from the Extreme series as well as your recent EX03 Tour trial, you might get frustrated with the Ltd. It's extremely low powered. The cool thing you can do with the Ltd., though, that's much more difficult to do with open-patterned, more powerful sticks, is drop the tension below the recommended tension range, which can really help in the power department and also give the ball some really funny 'action' that gives opponents some extra funk to deal with off the ground.

BTW, the wonderland that is TW was closed by the time I passed through SLO on my roadie yesterday, but, like a sad little racquetholic, I did peek through the window. Surprised to see that the retail space is actually quite small compared to what you'd imagine from the world's largest tennis business (that's right, isn't it?); but it is in fact placed in front of a very large warehouse, indeed, where a tennis wonderland surely lies within.

Thanks dude. You are absolutely right, the PSL is the exact opposite of what I use, I think it will eat me alive. It is the type of frame that will make me want to kill myself. I think I drank too much coffee and then put on my sparkling new Berdych GHOAT and confused myself with an awesome tennis player.
I think I need to buy some string just to calm myself down.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
So I hit the courts..I'm sore and worn out from weight lifting too hard the day before, but I am ready to swing the Prestige Mid. First few shots I am getting used to it..real easy..nice swing..nice feel..no problem hitting the sweet spot, and it feels great.

I am about 15 strokes in doing a little warmup with 2 hitting buddies. The guy by himself on the opposite end taps out..he needs help, so I switch with him and prepare to take them on with the Prestige. First ball comes over, I let it drop right into my stroke zone and just crush it, unfortunately the wonderful crack I heard was also the 2 mains snapping..I have to say I was really bummed out. Hitting with that racquet felt great in the short time I had it. Only thing was that it had a weird squeek sound on contact, but it may have been the strings. Regardless, I was impressed. I liked it more than the Prestige Pro..maybe this was because of the small head size or something, but it had more power to me. I also barely got to use it, so I can't really say too much just yet. Could be my imagination, but the sweet spot felt even better...just really good.

Anyway, went back to the Pure storm tour with typhoon. I was weak tonight and not hitting as hard as normal. So I ended up hitting really well..the racquet is extremely powerful and hitting out at 90% meant that the ball stayed in a lot more. I had a great experience as usual with the pstgt, but I think I also want to have a more advanced stick like the Black Ace to challenge myself with...keeps things fun. The more I consistently prep, turn my shoulders and move my feet the less power I feel I need in a racquet. I'd like to transition to more placement shots that set up a forehand winner instead of bashing so much. I am hoping that I can get the Prestige strung back up fast (shop wont let you string the demos or I'd be doing that now) and spend a little more time with it.

If it is really just like the Black Ace then this could be a tough decision on which to get, since I can't really demo an Ace.I do like a little power, I just want the least sluggish and easiest to maneuver..obviously high control. Seems like the Ace may be the slightly better choice, but it is also appealing to go out there and get my Safin on.

Is the PRestige mid really a 90 or is it smaller? I know Head measures their sticks a little differently.
 
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JGads

G.O.A.T.
So I hit the courts..I'm sore and worn out from weight lifting too hard the day before, but I am ready to swing the Prestige Mid. First few shots I am getting used to it..real easy..nice swing..nice feel..no problem hitting the sweet spot, and it feels great.

I am about 15 strokes in doing a little warmup with 2 hitting buddies. The guy by himself on the opposite end taps out..he needs help, so I switch with him and prepare to take them on with the Prestige. First ball comes over, I let it drop right into my stroke zone and just crush it, unfortunately the wonderful crack I heard was also the 2 mains snapping..I have to say I was really bummed out. Hitting with that racquet felt great in the short time I had it. Only thing was that it had a weird squeek sound on contact, but it may have been the strings. Regardless, I was impressed. I liked it more than the Prestige Pro..maybe this was because of the small head size or something, but it had more power to me. I also barely got to use it, so I can't really say too much just yet. Could be my imagination, but the sweet spot felt even better...just really good.

Anyway, went back to the Pure storm tour with typhoon. I was weak tonight and not hitting as hard as normal. So I ended up hitting really well..the racquet is extremely powerful and hitting out at 90% meant that the ball stayed in a lot more. I had a great experience as usual with the pstgt, but I think I also want to have a more advanced stick like the Black Ace to challenge myself with...keeps things fun. The more I consistently prep, turn my shoulders and move my feet the less power I feel I need in a racquet. I'd like to transition to more placement shots that set up a forehand winner instead of bashing so much. I am hoping that I can get the Prestige strung back up fast (shop wont let you string the demos or I'd be doing that now) and spend a little more time with it.

If it is really just like the Black Ace then this could be a tough decision on which to get, since I can't really demo an Ace.I do like a little power, I just want the least sluggish and easiest to maneuver..obviously high control. Seems like the Ace may be the slightly better choice, but it is also appealing to go out there and get my Safin on.

Is the PRestige mid really a 90 or is it smaller? I know Head measures their sticks a little differently.

Man, that is a bummer on the string, PP. I'd just get it restrung by the shop and try it out again for a week. If you feel that it's a sweet frame but end up sometimes wanting something just a touch easier to handle, then the Ace is probably better. If you end up getting used to the Mid and start hitting lasers (that's what the sweet spot does when you get it, for sure; one of the sweetest sweet spots there is) even into a third set, then get the Prestige for the bag.

Not sure if the string 'squeak' had to do with the strings that were set to blow, but my Prestige definitely pings without a dampener. Put the dampener in, and it's buttery but crisp. (for reference I use - and love - Volkl Cyclone 17 in the frame). ... Oh, and the Prestige Mid is 89.6 or something officially in terms of square inches. I believe the Ace Mid is the same (they both are claimed to be 93s but I believe they come from the exact same mold)...


Meanwhile, to update my own racquetholism: heartened by the lack of pain in my knee over the last few days and tempted by the fruit of a TW demo box that has, because of the knee, gone untouched since it arrived with the Ace, Ace 98 and Gamma 340X, I went out to an empty court and hit some tentative serves and off-the-ground forehands with the demo sticks. Kept it very, very light and didn't really give the knee a full bend on the serve (don't want to aggravate the healing process), but was encouraged by getting through the very light workout with no pain.

In the three buckets of serves, the Ace Mid felt familiarly good again, though the 1/2 grip (all they had at the time) was a bother on kickers. Flat serves I was back to directing well, and with some pop. ... The Ace 98 felt a touch more flexy than its Mid counterpart and I wasn't getting quite the solidness of the first serve but was doing AMAZING things with the kicker, which came as a real surprise to me. That ball was a-jumpin'. ... The Gamma 340X, meanwhile, felt really nice and crisp hitting forehands off the ground but I was struggling with its added weight serving. Could be that the Aces are so close in spec and moving from them to the Gamma was just a little unfair and I'd be better off giving it more time by itself to get used to it, but I was hitting too many netters.

Anyway, good to crack some tennis balls again, even if nobody was on the other side. And one last thing about the Ace 93: man oh man does it make a sweet sound upon contact. When you hit the sweet spot you get that shotgun sound that adds to my love for it. I really do love this 100-percent-graphite thing. Just feels so much more solid on the hit than most of the current frames of today.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Yeah..it is a tough decision, but I will ask for some 17 gauge FXP to be put in it at 57#s and spend more time with it.

It is easier to whip around then my pstgt, but I still hit whatever shots I want with the pure storm. So at this point, it is just having fun with both.

Have to add that the Typhoon string is pretty awesome. I wonder how it would be in the Ace/Prestige.it is only available in 16l, so maybe not an ideal match, but the dip I get with that string is epic.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
^^^
Will keep Typhoon in mind. Never tried it. But I usually always go with 17g string in closed patterns.

Sounds like you've found a good match for you with that Pure Storm Tour. Will be interested to see how you get on with the Prestige experiment.
 

ryushen21

Legend
The mid does seem super sexy..real small head, pretty much as close as you will get to the PC600. It is basically a dirty little Safin fantasy. How tough is it for you to use? Honestly, it is suposed to be for "advanced" players, but I was using a Prince Pro 90 at the ripe age of 12.

The mid, just on the merits of the PJ, is seriously sexy. The PC600 freaks say that nothing will ever be close to the PC600 while others say that the YT is the closest we may get to the legend.

As far as how tough/difficult/demanding the frame is, I'm personally kind of immune to it now. I'm getting a better groove with my strokes after adjusting my grip and the frame really just swings itself. It does require great concentration and good technique but as long as you aren't a 2.5, I don't see why most wouldn't be able to have some success with it.
 

Ross K

Legend
Racketaholics!

RE: all this sudden love of mids - a subject I've thus far avoided commenting on... I just thought, what with the alarm bells ringing rather loudly... the lurch towards mids is what I believe the doctors term a serious 'contra-indicator' of a profound shift into extreme racketaholic 'behaviours' :roll: ... well, maybe I'm duty-bound to point you in the direction of what the great master had to say on the matter...


The Collected Insights of Confuscious, Chapter 43... Of mids and men...


"The young samurai who doth carry the mid into battle needs to be most mindful and cautious,
For like the snake who lays just beneath the sand,
When the noble warrior, with queasy stomach, is most desirous of relief,
At the moment he squats down and avails himself upon the sand,
This is the very moment the snake shall break from the under sand and bite you on the backside"...


confucius.jpg



BTW&FWIW, I've been there. Done it. Bought the frames (inc. AG100, PB10 mid, DNX10 mid, MG Pres mid, BB11 mid.) Died and gone to heaven over the precision, sweet swinging and feel, etc. And finally woke up one day and realized my 2hbh was weak as hell; my b-line game would have to go far more all-court to best utilize these frames; and generally these mids were just far too demanding for me.

Carefully does it, guys!:)




R.
 

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Are you guys all drinking tiger blood? Is everyone switiching to prestige mids? I feel like such a nancy now with my 100 incher.
 

Ross K

Legend
All right!...

If you insist on checking out mids good ppl, a word to the wise... actually 2 words to the wise... Prestige mid... definitely my fave mid-size rack I ever tried anyhow. Why bother with any others?!:)


R.
 

getsby

Semi-Pro
would not want to open a new topic for one question. wrote in TW-support, but for some reason there is no answer. Nevertheless, the question is very relevant to me. I want to order Prince O3 White, with the strings. as I understand, this racquet has two variations throat grommet. how I could choose to have on the already stretched delivered racket were installed hard grommet. tell me, who have already ordered this frame on TW?
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Are you guys all drinking tiger blood? Is everyone switiching to prestige mids? I feel like such a nancy now with my 100 incher.

I doubt I will switch, but the smaller heads are more comfortable to whip around. Honestly, some days my wrist is not in the mood for serving a tennis ball, but the mid seems to help out with that a lot.

I am playing very well with the pstgt, so this is whole idea of mine is silliness. But I do feel like the Prestige Mid may be the best of the new ones from the brief moments we had together.

I'd love to have a scalpel that sets up winners more and maybe changes my game a hair as well.
 

ryushen21

Legend
All right!...

If you insist on checking out mids good ppl, a word to the wise... actually 2 words to the wise... Prestige mid... definitely my fave mid-size rack I ever tried anyhow. Why bother with any others?!:)


R.

I agree. I've swung quite a few mids myself and the Prestige Mid is really hard to beat. It's just the complete package. I really liked the PB10 too but I wanted a denser pattern.

Bengal Blood, to be exact. You can get it in bulk at Costco.

How much does that run per case? I need to get some immediately.

Yeah..it is a tough decision, but I will ask for some 17 gauge FXP to be put in it at 57#s and spend more time with it.

It is easier to whip around then my pstgt, but I still hit whatever shots I want with the pure storm. So at this point, it is just having fun with both.

Have to add that the Typhoon string is pretty awesome. I wonder how it would be in the Ace/Prestige.it is only available in 16l, so maybe not an ideal match, but the dip I get with that string is epic.

I know you have mentioned this to me several times, but I think that my next time around stringing that I will be dropping the tension on my frames. I'm gonna start at about 57 and see how I like that. As my grip has changed to allow for more topspin, I've been needinga little free power and dropping my tension has been the only way I can think of to get that.

You've gotten a taste of the sweet swing that only the Prestige Mid has. Be careful! It's highly addictive!!

Oh, and SP Tornado 17 is also a great string in the Mid if you haven't already had it strung.

So I hit the courts..I'm sore and worn out from weight lifting too hard the day before, but I am ready to swing the Prestige Mid. First few shots I am getting used to it..real easy..nice swing..nice feel..no problem hitting the sweet spot, and it feels great.

I am about 15 strokes in doing a little warmup with 2 hitting buddies. The guy by himself on the opposite end taps out..he needs help, so I switch with him and prepare to take them on with the Prestige. First ball comes over, I let it drop right into my stroke zone and just crush it, unfortunately the wonderful crack I heard was also the 2 mains snapping..I have to say I was really bummed out. Hitting with that racquet felt great in the short time I had it. Only thing was that it had a weird squeek sound on contact, but it may have been the strings. Regardless, I was impressed. I liked it more than the Prestige Pro..maybe this was because of the small head size or something, but it had more power to me. I also barely got to use it, so I can't really say too much just yet. Could be my imagination, but the sweet spot felt even better...just really good.

Anyway, went back to the Pure storm tour with typhoon. I was weak tonight and not hitting as hard as normal. So I ended up hitting really well..the racquet is extremely powerful and hitting out at 90% meant that the ball stayed in a lot more. I had a great experience as usual with the pstgt, but I think I also want to have a more advanced stick like the Black Ace to challenge myself with...keeps things fun. The more I consistently prep, turn my shoulders and move my feet the less power I feel I need in a racquet. I'd like to transition to more placement shots that set up a forehand winner instead of bashing so much. I am hoping that I can get the Prestige strung back up fast (shop wont let you string the demos or I'd be doing that now) and spend a little more time with it.

If it is really just like the Black Ace then this could be a tough decision on which to get, since I can't really demo an Ace.I do like a little power, I just want the least sluggish and easiest to maneuver..obviously high control. Seems like the Ace may be the slightly better choice, but it is also appealing to go out there and get my Safin on.

Is the PRestige mid really a 90 or is it smaller? I know Head measures their sticks a little differently.


That is definitely a bummer with the mains snapping like that. Sounds like you didn't really get to open up with the frame. I'm sure you are eagerly awaiting that session.

Are you sure that the squeak that you were hearing wasn't just the CAPs whistling? It's a pretty commong thing but if you haven't played with a Prestige before it usually catches you off guard a little.

Everyone talks about the sweetspot on the Mid being so tiny and how it's an unforgiving frame etc etc but I think it's better to look at it as if you have good technique, with the frame being as small as it is, it's pretty darn difficult to hit outside the sweetspot. I'm not perfect and get lazy sometimes but I still hit the sweetspot 9/10. And I'm just a lowly 3.5. :)


About the head size, for some reason, but just on the Prestige line, Head measures the head size from the outside of the frame. So if you look at the actual stringbed measurements, the Mid is 89.5 and the MP and PP are 94.5. Not that it makes a huge difference IMHO.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Good points, I am pretty obsessed with hitting clean shots. It is part of the fun of the sport for me. I probably would have retried the prestige pro, but I prefer more closed patterns as well. It just keeps the ball low and you can still hit with tons of spin. The spin I get with the pstgt is huge and everyone said it was not a real spinny frame.

There is a feeling of control you can get with a mid that I am looking for. Not in terms of directional, because that is easy with the psgt, but power level. When I want to take a huge swing at the ball in matches, many times I am a little tentative because I am afraid of it sailing on me. That issue has plagued me with about every modern stick out there.
 
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