Diary of a Racketaholic

Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Played 3 sets last night with the Prestige Mid. I started hitting bigger and more consistent into the last set with it. Probably why I love the thing so much. The prestige is the most honest stick I have ever had. My strokes just did not break down in longer rallies.

It gets a ton of topspin as well. I won at least 3-4 points where the opponent was going to call it out and it dropped in on them.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I have started leaning towards the retail prestige as the strings die in the TGK. I also need to get the TGK a little heavier. I think for me, I will try 3 and 9. I just want to get the balance a little closer to the retail. I think 6-7 points or so may be my favorite balance. Anything too much more HL and it kind of feels like when I am swinging into the ball I can sometimes get too wristy on the follow through. Are there any real huge differences to you folks between 6pts HL and say 9-10?

I also notice that it is a little tougher to slice with the TGK as opposed to the retail.

Regardless, both of these things just cut through the air so fast. It is really fun to hit with them.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
Morning all,

2 quick random queries:

The BLX 95... tell me about it folks... Fed, others... pros/cons...

TEC V02 320... How much lead and where to make it beefier, a bit more bludgeon-stick like (like a Pure Control)? More stable and a tad more heft?... PED?... PP?...

Ta


R
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Ross K said:
Morning all,

2 quick random queries:

The BLX 95... tell me about it folks... Fed, others... pros/cons...

TEC V02 320... How much lead and where to make it beefier, a bit more bludgeon-stick like (like a Pure Control)? More stable and a tad more heft?... PED?... PP?...

Ta


R
Click to expand...

no idea about the tec320...the blx 95 is arguably the best stick out there.

Pros: incredible power with great control
very mobile for its weight
ripping penetrating spin
serve amazing
rock solid stable

Cons: I'm not sure there are cons to this racquet, it's really just are you game enough to play with a serious athlete's stick? The weight and stiffness are not a joke. The BLX series are nicely dampened, some call it smooth, some call it lack of feel...I think it's solid. This is a classic mold from the 80s, it's a Pro Staff, the grommets still fit. Delpo, Fish, Kohli, countless others...If it ain't broke...you can even choose your string pattern. You have an N95, yes? It's basically the same, little more dead damp feel.

My only quasi-beef with it is the 22mm beam, I'm not a beam-**** but the thicker beam does take away a little ball feel, it's a little easier to overhit the ball. Sometimes I think I can stay in rallies longer with something like a K90 over a 95 because I can feel the ball so well, carve around the edges with such confidence, whereas the 95 is just a basher... Many people have been screaming for the return of a boxed beam 95 from Wilson for this reason. Maybe after Rodge shanks a few thousand more balls or Dolgopolov goes top 5.

6.1 95s have more cojones in stock form than Prestiges and Storms, no question. Much more power, less feel. Also: Wilson QC is atrocious, you gotta pony up for a matched set. I just got a used YTPP, I am going to try and FrankenMod it to match 6.1 specs and see if I can give it some balls. I will get back to you.
 
PED

PED

Legend
Fed Kennedy said:
Pros: incredible power with great control
very mobile for its weight
ripping penetrating spin
serve amazing
rock solid stable

Cons: I'm not sure there are cons to this racquet, it's really just are you game enough to play with a serious athlete's stick? The weight and stiffness are not a joke.
Click to expand...

He said it all. Ross, it's alot of stick to haul around. Having said that, it's just a newer similar type of stick to your pc+. I thought seriously about keeping my son's but my modded apdgt hit a bigger ball with less effort :)

Fed, I had my YTPP's at 345g and 32.3cm balance: about 5g less than the BLX but it swung easier.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
Fed Kennedy said:
no idea about the tec320...the blx 95 is arguably the best stick out there.

Pros: incredible power with great control
very mobile for its weight
ripping penetrating spin
serve amazing
rock solid stable

Cons: I'm not sure there are cons to this racquet, it's really just are you game enough to play with a serious athlete's stick? The weight and stiffness are not a joke. The BLX series are nicely dampened, some call it smooth, some call it lack of feel...I think it's solid. This is a classic mold from the 80s, it's a Pro Staff, the grommets still fit. Delpo, Fish, Kohli, countless others...If it ain't broke...you can even choose your string pattern. You have an N95, yes? It's basically the same, little more dead damp feel.

My only quasi-beef with it is the 22mm beam, I'm not a beam-**** but the thicker beam does take away a little ball feel, it's a little easier to overhit the ball. Sometimes I think I can stay in rallies longer with something like a K90 over a 95 because I can feel the ball so well, carve around the edges with such confidence, whereas the 95 is just a basher... Many people have been screaming for the return of a boxed beam 95 from Wilson for this reason. Maybe after Rodge shanks a few thousand more balls or Dolgopolov goes top 5.

6.1 95s have more cojones in stock form than Prestiges and Storms, no question. Much more power, less feel. Also: Wilson QC is atrocious, you gotta pony up for a matched set. I just got a used YTPP, I am going to try and FrankenMod it to match 6.1 specs and see if I can give it some balls. I will get back to you.
Click to expand...

Fed,

Very interesting reading indeed. Seems there are virtually zero cons, in your book!:cool:

BTW, one thing I've liked about the PC+ is that box beam... BTW2, for a while a few years back I was really happy with the bullying power and spin of the open pattern N95 (stiffness/wrong strings/balance started to negatively impact on me though eventually.)

Once you've modded it up and played with it, def do post up your thoughts on the "YTPP with balls.":twisted: I'm still undecided as I love it in so many respects but I'm not sure I'm so ideally suited to extract the maximum out of it, and especially as my later hitting with the PC+ seems to have demonstrated that I perhaps fare better and feel more at home with slightly burlier racks, as I indeed used to enjoy (Reb 95, Rd7, PT630, PSC/N95, etc - these all used to be 'my cup of tea', if a tad too much in most of their cases ...)


Power Player,

Presently I think I'm exploring the notion of slightly more spin-friendly, and definitely booming, heavy ball hitting frames (hence the Q re the BLX 95)... but, yes, I'm also wondering (hence the other above Q) if the Tec V02 320 can be modded up to play a bit beefier? If so, potentially that could be an interesting fusion of very spinny with some heft... (basically, I think I'm trying to turn it into a PC Swirly! :) )

Secondly, PP, tell me about the Tec V02 325 :wink: ... how does it differ to the 320 IYO? How did you rate it (I think I recall you checking it out?)...

Muchas gracias fellow racketaholics of the world!


R
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I agree , I hit with the K95 and it was amazing. It is a lot of stick and really probably more suited for a taller, bigger player.

I have a long swing which I finally developed over time. So for me, I don't really need much power in racquets anymore, but it took a while to get there.

I say this Ross because you may see your technique improving once you settle on a racquet. That is what has made me switch before..id look for feel, but my technique was not quite ready for a players stick..used tweeners..they had no feel..my technique got better, went with players tweeners, and finally realized my swing seems to work best with players racquets similar to what I used as a kid. Funny thing is I took a 2 year circle to come back to what I wanted when I joined this site..thin beamed, classic graphite sticks that weighed around 12 ozs and had good control.

My first racquetr purchase was the Tfight 320 right before they switched to the v02 max. I bought the v02 max because it was new, and the downard spiral began.

So Ross, if you want more beef, then the 325 is your racquet. It has it, or you can add lead to the 320 at 3 and 9.The 325 hits a lower trajectory ball, and that works for my game better. I think you sound more like a guy who prefers an open pattern, so you could lead the 320..but the facts are that you should be able to wallop the ball with the 320 in stock form. the difference is that the PC is a lot heavier, and you are probably feeling that weight just crush the ball and like it.

I would pick from this limited selection if you are going to stay on the baseline and play a western grip style of game:

1. your original aeropro drive..this racquet is awesome..why screw with it. If you want more feel..well, you just have to accept that no racquet gives you everything because tweeners have no feel, but the "feel"ing you get from winning matches and hitting better strokes should outweigh that.

2 - TFight 320 or 325. Better control and massive power and spin, but really your choice on that or the APD.

3 - Pure Drive roddick + (or option B. standard). This is a gorgeous creature, maybe the king of all tweeners. It has the weight you want, and anihilates the ball. I actually think from your posts that this would be the best stick for your game because it has some feel, has that beef you like from your PC, and serves hot bombs. It is not as heavy or tough to use as the Pure Control.

4. Pure Control standard - Potentially what you want since it should swing easier and be lighter than the + version.
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
PED: Am I correct in assuming thats about 10-12g of added weight on your ytpp? Where does that weight go?
Looking at TWs frankenmod computer it seems I have a couple options. I was thinking to optimize wilson-ization/berdych-ization of the stick 3 and 9, but it seems 12 might be a less is more scenario. I play a one hander and a sw fh.
 
JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Fed Kennedy said:
no idea about the tec320...the blx 95 is arguably the best stick out there.

Pros: incredible power with great control
very mobile for its weight
ripping penetrating spin
serve amazing
rock solid stable

Cons: I'm not sure there are cons to this racquet, it's really just are you game enough to play with a serious athlete's stick? The weight and stiffness are not a joke. The BLX series are nicely dampened, some call it smooth, some call it lack of feel...I think it's solid. This is a classic mold from the 80s, it's a Pro Staff, the grommets still fit. Delpo, Fish, Kohli, countless others...If it ain't broke...you can even choose your string pattern. You have an N95, yes? It's basically the same, little more dead damp feel.

My only quasi-beef with it is the 22mm beam, I'm not a beam-**** but the thicker beam does take away a little ball feel, it's a little easier to overhit the ball. Sometimes I think I can stay in rallies longer with something like a K90 over a 95 because I can feel the ball so well, carve around the edges with such confidence, whereas the 95 is just a basher... Many people have been screaming for the return of a boxed beam 95 from Wilson for this reason. Maybe after Rodge shanks a few thousand more balls or Dolgopolov goes top 5.

6.1 95s have more cojones in stock form than Prestiges and Storms, no question. Much more power, less feel. Also: Wilson QC is atrocious, you gotta pony up for a matched set. I just got a used YTPP, I am going to try and FrankenMod it to match 6.1 specs and see if I can give it some balls. I will get back to you.
Click to expand...

This is a bang-on description of the BLX 95. I mean, to a T. (Well done, Fed) Racquet is stellar and I quite enjoyed the feel of it, it was my first 'oh, this is something very special' kind of racquet when I began the demo process. But the more I played with it, the more balls I sent to the back fence. Just a few too many where I'd completely miss the ball. Everything else, most of the time, was excellent. The weight is also a touch difficult to wield on serve once you extend into the second hour of playing.
 
PED

PED

Legend
For my time with the BLX 95, the signature shot for me was a forehand taken up the line where the ball would land slightly past the service line and you could just LEAN into the shot and hit a nasty flattish winner.

Great for dictating play but the weight in the middle of the southern summer was a bit much for me.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
PED and Power Player,

Thanks. Nice insights, gents. Loads for me to consider... as always :wink: .

Btw, had a brief hit with PSTGT today, and Tec V02 320 the day before... I found the PSTGT very 'poppy' and noticeably sluggish. This frame definitely seems to swing slower than something like a PP or a Tec 320. The Tec 320 definitely swings faster for me, and hits a higher, more arching, spinny ball, albeit a 'floaty' kind of a ball, as opposed to the PC+ which hits a booming, felt-ripping missile! :cool: Confusingly, I'd love to lay my mits on a PC Swirly standard size - but it is of course pretty similar to the PSTGT, the frame I find a bit sluggish :confused:...

In the meantime...

. I will do a mod experiment on the Tec V02 320 and see if I can satisfactorily beef it up.

. I will also look at the TF and the PP with my fave string - Tour Bite.

. I'll continue to look out for a PC standard Swirly.

. I might try and check out a BLX 95.

. I'll carry on with the PC+ up to and until my shoulder is detatched from my arm.:twisted:

Goodnight!


R
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
BLX95 is tougher to swing than the PSTGT. Like I said, you ar probably lusting for sticks that you will like for 2 weeks and then figure out are too much work.

The Prestige Pro really made sense..it has feel, spin and will teach you how to hit right..if you wanted a more demanding stick, the PP is a logical choice.

You are right about the tfight ball..what you are experiencing is the ball off an extreme open string pattern.

If you like the ball off the PC, you may want to try a prestige midplus. Real easy to customize with lead however you want.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
PED said:
He said it all. Ross, it's alot of stick to haul around. Having said that, it's just a newer similar type of stick to your pc+. I thought seriously about keeping my son's but my modded apdgt hit a bigger ball with less effort :)

Fed, I had my YTPP's at 345g and 32.3cm balance: about 5g less than the BLX but it swung easier.
Click to expand...

Re-looking at this post I find these 2 observations worth dwelling on... hmmmm... yes, indeed... very interesting H.:wink:


R
 
JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
PED said:
For my time with the BLX 95, the signature shot for me was a forehand taken up the line where the ball would land slightly past the service line and you could just LEAN into the shot and hit a nasty flattish winner.

Great for dictating play but the weight in the middle of the southern summer was a bit much for me.
Click to expand...

Very true, I remember that 'lean-in' thumper quite well. Definitely enjoyed the fact that you could flatten out the ball with the frame despite the 16x18 pattern. Annoying part about that 16x18 pattern was a LOT of string movement that constantly had to be straightened/fiddled with between points.
 
pyrokid

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
Hmm. So, recalling my previous experiences with stuff...
I'm terrible at using things like the Extreme pro. I just realized this now, but literally every 'super-tweener' just felt like a log to me. I can't get any RHS for my life, where as with something like a prestige MP I'm perfectly able to adapt.
Does anyone else experience this? I have no idea what it is, either, because I can add like 10 grams to the tip of my rads and it does exactly what you'd think, hits heavier and takes longer to come around. But when I try and use the EP, a racquet with similar specs, it's a mess. I also thought I was normal in this sentiment until I read your guys' posts regarding it. hmm.

Am I trippin' here?
 
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Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I hated the extreme pro. It felt like a souless hateful creature. Way too big and insane power.

I finally hit with the Head classic mid. What sweet experience it was. I am defintley matching my tgk to it. It is light..12.1 with og and dampener, but hits so heavy. So comfortable too. In a way I know why they don't make sticks like this anymore, but the flex gives the racquet so much depth..I could do about anything with it as long as I was not being lazy.

I am also starting to think that the pk black ace may be the same racquet...because with no og and damp, the classic mid weighs 11.8 and the swing weight is stated to be 333, but I would guess 325, and the black ace is also listed at 331.

My question is if the black ace with a leather grip would balance at around 7 points hl and basically spec out the same as the classic mid.

Jgads you bought 2 of these sticks..we need details my friend.

By the way the feel of the prestige classic..if you wanted a good comparison,would be to those reissue donnays TW was selling. Just super flexy..difference is that you can also bring serious power, and it was a lot tougher to do with the donnays.
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Extreme pro is a real love it or hate type deal. It's big, it's stiff, it's ugly. It plays best with 16g poly, which is not the greatest string for a lot of people.

Would be a tough transition from a flexy control stick.
However, it is very forgiving in match play and a super racquet when facing hard serves. It also volleys extremely well pun intended.

I think it works well for older dudes who can handle the weight but have shortened their stroke/ lessened their footwork. See a lot of older killer dubs players extreminating. It also has the most power on a flat ball short of the 88: you can really gas it up. Big ohbh with this stick too.

I don't like the feel nearly as much as pstgt and I hit better fhs with other sticks but if I played for money or was a weird competitive freak I would play the e-pro hands down. The reason is: returns. The rac returns so friggin' well, you can frustrate people.
Since I'm 30 plus and playing for fun, the idea of turning myself into a lateral sprinting David Ferrer is kind of gross, so I'm leaning pstgt. But the extreme has been good to me in competitive settings, it lets me hang in there with a better class of player which is kind of fun and interesting.
 
JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Power Player said:
I hated the extreme pro. It felt like a souless hateful creature. Way too big and insane power.

I finally hit with the Head classic mid. What sweet experience it was. I am defintley matching my tgk to it. It is light..12.1 with og and dampener, but hits so heavy. So comfortable too. In a way I know why they don't make sticks like this anymore, but the flex gives the racquet so much depth..I could do about anything with it as long as I was not being lazy.

I am also starting to think that the pk black ace may be the same racquet...because with no og and damp, the classic mid weighs 11.8 and the swing weight is stated to be 333, but I would guess 325, and the black ace is also listed at 331.

My question is if the black ace with a leather grip would balance at around 7 points hl and basically spec out the same as the classic mid.

Jgads you bought 2 of these sticks..we need details my friend.

By the way the feel of the prestige classic..if you wanted a good comparison,would be to those reissue donnays TW was selling. Just super flexy..difference is that you can also bring serious power, and it was a lot tougher to do with the donnays.
Click to expand...

I haven't played enough with the Aces since getting them to give a wholly accurate, fresh new spin to add to the sweetness I initially encountered while demoing. But one of the Aces I got (and the only one I've hit with so far) actually already had a calfskin grip and overgrip on it, so I hit with that for a session and a half to see if I liked it with that extra something in the handle and something just seemed off - I wasn't hitting as well as I was before. So I stripped the calfskin, replaced with Babolat Tru Feel (or Skin Feel, is it?) grip and the stick immediately felt better to me. I think I may be the exception here, because many other Ace users have replaced with leather to make it more headlight and prefer it, but with me the heavier swingweight and head-heaviness kind of agrees with me in that I always seem to know exactly where the head of the racquet is. Sometimes very headlight sticks, I kind of lose my timing and come through the ball too early, too late, too high or low, that kind of thing. ... Same thing happens to me when I use something like a Head Radical MP - the more even balance agrees with me, but again, I think I'm the exception here.

Currently I have NXT in the Ace but want to experiment with Tour Bite in the frame. I just got this string put into the IG Speed MP I got in a trade and the string is, um, AWESOME. I think I might put it in everything now.

But yeah, regarding the Ace Mid: look, it's stellar. Right now I can't tell if I like it more than my Prestige or not. I THINK I do, but I haven't played enough with it yet to really say for sure. It swings (even) easier, doesn't hit quite the THUMPING ball that the Prestige does (but close), but in very limited play, my first-serve percentage is up (and you can still get very good pace with the Ace), the touch around the net is even more spot on and I like the feel of the Ace slightly more than the Youtek Prestige (never hit with a Classic, so can't compare there). It's a FULLER feel, a buttery thump on every hit, and I have yet to encounter a frame where the sound is more satisfying - matched with the sweet, full feel on every hit is the sound of the the full graphite, which is a pure shotgun POW.

Again, it's interesting that you bring up the Classic and the Ace, because as I've said before, my first few hits with the Ace, my first thought was: 'This must be what a Prestige Classic feels like.'
 
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JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
And PP,

If you ever wanted to lend out your Classic for a week or two, I'd be happy to send a Black Ace your way to check out as part of a temporary swap. You know, because I'm such a good guy and all...

(who dreams of checking out a Classic one day without having to spend a fortune on the bay)
 
R

Ross K

Legend
All this talk on mids, just to add I really liked these 2 when I was experimenting with this head-size frames: the DNX 10 mid and the AG100.

The former is very underated IMO... smooth, slick, lovely balance and weighting, nice pop... one for those who like the PT630, C10Pro, Prestige Pro kind of frames, and who maybe find the Prestige mid a tad demanding.

The AG100 was simply a frame I found to be unaccountably superb re serve... definitely entirely due to liking it so much on serve, I checked it out a few times and stayed with it a bit longer than advisable despite it generally being a poor fit for my game.


R
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Ross, If you have an n95, you have the GROAT 6.1 95. The blx is very similar but with a more rubbery feel. If you want to try something different go for the K95, it is noticeably stiffer and more powerful. Also more of a club. Wilson qc being what it is, you may get something totally awesome or a total log.

On another note: how shall I spend the lead on this war-torn ytpp I'm staring at?
 
JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Ross K said:
All this talk on mids, just to add I really liked these 2 when I was experimenting with this head-size frames: the DNX 10 mid and the AG100.

The former is very underated IMO... smooth, slick, lovely balance and weighting, nice pop... one for those who like the PT630, C10Pro, Prestige Pro kind of frames, and who maybe find the Prestige mid a tad demanding.

The AG100 was simply a frame I found to be unaccountably superb re serve... definitely entirely due to liking it so much on serve, I checked it out a few times and stayed with it a bit longer than advisable despite it generally being a poor fit for my game.


R
Click to expand...

Played with the AG100 before. Ace is VERY much like it on serve - you look at the small head, think it'll be difficult and underpowered, then suddenly you realize it's something of a wand and you're able to put the ball anywhere in the box. The Prestige Mid serves BOMBS when you hit the sweet spot, the Ace Mid and the AG100, by comparison, shoot BULLETS; I'll get more aces in a match with the Prestige, but my overall percentage will be a little higher with the Ace and the AG100 because they're a bit easier to wield and make those slight adjustments mid-toss when you have to, so it's a tradeoff.
 
jazar

jazar

Professional
Ross K said:
Differences between the N95 and BLX 95? How do they compare?
Click to expand...

The main difference is that the N95 is nice and the BLX95 is terrible. The BLX95 is too muted and has no feel. A big step in the wrong direction from Wilson.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
jazar said:
The main difference is that the N95 is nice and the BLX95 is terrible. The BLX95 is too muted and has no feel. A big step in the wrong direction from Wilson.
Click to expand...

Ha, ha!... what is it?.. LMAOROFL?!???... (You know, laugh my a** off and roll over on the floor laughing?... I'm crap at this text abbreviation business!)... anyhow, most amusing, Jamie.:)


R
 
PED

PED

Legend
pyrokid said:
Does anyone else experience this? I have no idea what it is, either, because I can add like 10 grams to the tip of my rads and it does exactly what you'd think, hits heavier and takes longer to come around. But when I try and use the EP, a racquet with similar specs, it's a mess. I also thought I was normal in this sentiment until I read your guys' posts regarding it. hmm.

Am I trippin' here?
Click to expand...

No, you're right :)

The beam on the Prestige is super thin which helps it come around quickly plus the Prestige with the exception of the mid have super light swing weights which again make them swing easily.

Using your 10g example above, that's a ton of weight: it would take a stick with a 330 SW and make it a 360 ;)

The great thing about really light sticks is that they're great platforms for mods. My leaded Bab PD's swung much sweeter than the PDR's as I had the weight at the very tip and tail as opposed to the stock PDR where it was more in the middle.

The Rad could easily be brought up to the mid 330's on static weight and provide a great platform. One thing about the Rad: it's the sweetest feeling Head IMO, even better than the Prestige.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
PED said:
No, you're right :)

The beam on the Prestige is super thin which helps it come around quickly plus the Prestige with the exception of the mid have super light swing weights which again make them swing easily.

Using your 10g example above, that's a ton of weight: it would take a stick with a 330 SW and make it a 360 ;)

The great thing about really light sticks is that they're great platforms for mods. My leaded Bab PD's swung much sweeter than the PDR's as I had the weight at the very tip and tail as opposed to the stock PDR where it was more in the middle.

The Rad could easily be brought up to the mid 330's on static weight and provide a great platform. One thing about the Rad: it's the sweetest feeling Head IMO, even better than the Prestige.
Click to expand...

Oo, controversial:) ... I'm sure the Prestige mid brigade will have something to say about that!

A further qsn might be: which are ppls fave Rads?... I loved the 2hbh with the YT Rad, but my personal fave was the old Twin Tube... and the XL Rad Tour TT version too was pure evil... a 369 SW... makes my PC+ look like one of the Wilson Dora The Explorer kiddie frames!


R
 
PED

PED

Legend
R:, trouble maker...lol you know exactly what I'm talking about. The YT Rad Pro was delicious feeling :) I wish my apd had that feel to go with it.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
The Prestige is like a fine wine..an acquired taste. It takes a little time and then all of a sudden you are hitting insanely heavy balls and getting rewarded with that perfect sweet spot feel. The benefit for me is I never had control like this in the Radical. But the Radical is really a great stick, I think Head can make Prestiges and Radicals for 20 more years and they will always sell.

Gads, I may actually take you up on that one day, but currently I am using the Classic as my main stick just to get used to it, and letting the TGK rest since I am going to have it matched anyway to the classic anyway. The TGK will stay as my main racquet once I get it specced right.

My interest in the black ace stems mainly if I hurt my wrist any more and simply have to use flexy sticks. I will probably be able to get away with using the TGK, definitley the classic (insane comfort), but the retail may be trickier. Regardless, I feel I could do a huge service to many TWtards if I dicover that the BA is indeed very very close to the legendary PC600.

Interesting fact..the classic mid came strung with NXT at 48#s..it moved a lot, and looks like I will snap it real soon, but instead of launching balls over the fence, I found groundstrokes to go exactly where I wanted them to...nice and deep, and dropping right in as usual. 2handed backhands were exceptionally consistent as was slice.
 
ryushen21

ryushen21

Legend
PED may have a point there. I would say that the Rad is more easily accessible than the Prestige. Just about anyone can pick up a Rad and feel pretty much at home with it and hit some nice shots. The Prestige is like a woman. She's gonna make you work a little before she gives up the goods.
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Ross, everyone:
Check out this attempt to 6.1-tize a ytpp:

3g at 3oclock 3g at 9oclock
6g in the butt. New wilson leather. 1 pro white Og. 16L poly, prince exo3tour dampener (possible GOAT dampener btw).

Comes in at 355g, ready to go. This rac feels amazing in the hand, I think I may have a winner here, will play later today.
 
PED

PED

Legend
ryushen21 said:
PED may have a point there. I would say that the Rad is more easily accessible than the Prestige. Just about anyone can pick up a Rad and feel pretty much at home with it and hit some nice shots. The Prestige is like a woman. She's gonna make you work a little before she gives up the goods.
Click to expand...

Quoted for truth on that one :) both on the prestige and the woman part: i make sure my wife stays away from this thread...lol
 
PED

PED

Legend
Fed Kennedy said:
Ross, everyone:
Check out this attempt to 6.1-tize a ytpp:

3g at 3oclock 3g at 9oclock
6g in the butt. New wilson leather. 1 pro white Og. 16L poly, prince exo3tour dampener (possible GOAT dampener btw).

Comes in at 355g, ready to go. This rac feels amazing in the hand, I think I may have a winner here, will play later today.
Click to expand...

Fed, I had my YT's with a similar setup: I had 6g in the butt and a total of 3g at the tip. the 3g gave it some more sting but it still swung really fast. FWIW, I found the ytpp to respond better (for me) with lead the tip. 3/9 make it sluggish.

I think you'll be pleased how at how well it plays.
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
PED, I hear you. I will try that as well. I was trying to go for a homemade PWS. This rac is cutting the air much faster than my pstgt despite being .3 oz heavier.
I like the way it was swinging stock, just felt a little bit gutless, a little too much spin (ball checking up a bit), slight lack of court penetration compared to pstgt, 6.1s.
The sw feels pretty low still (feels like 328-ish), could be a good or bad thing, we'll see.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Dude, that sound filthy nice. I am keeping my prestiges at 12.2 max total with OG and damp, but the retail version is stubborn and insists on weighing 12.5. Nothing I can do about it.
 
PED

PED

Legend
Good idea on the homebrew PWS, didn't think of that.

A few years back, I went from the pst to the mgpp. I leaded them up but it still took me weeks to get my timing right. Compared to the PP, the pst swings like a log.... :)
 
retlod

retlod

Professional
Power Player said:
The benefit for me is I never had control like this in the Radical. But the Radical is really a great stick, I think Head can make Prestiges and Radicals for 20 more years and they will always sell.
Click to expand...

PP, this just goes to show how different people play with the same racquet and get such different results. I used to have a YTPP and a YTRP. I sold them at the same time because their power levels were outside of my zone on either direction. The PP had me hitting short balls all over the place and the RP would not let me hit balls inside the baseline when I hit out. I blamed it on the high SW and balance of the Rad Pro. I actually find the Extremes to be *less* powerful than the Rad Pro. FWIW, my arm doesn't know how to hit flat balls.

On a separate note, I'm taking another couple of frames out for a hit this weekend (weather permitting)--the Tecnifibre TFlash 315 SpeedFlex and the Volkl Organix 8.
 
PED

PED

Legend
^^Agree on the RP. My grip was crazy western with it and I was low 60's with 16g poly. Nice stick but it limited the variety of my game: topspin and that was about it.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I was full western with the RP as well.

I am much more flat and semiwestern now. The Prestige is so nice for that. That being said I still hit with heavy top even though it is a flatter ball. It feels so good with the prestige that I basically have gotten addicted.

Prestige has made me lethal at attacking short balls. The RP was tough, I had to hit with so much top that it just did not feel right. Now if I get a short ball, I am putting it away. Huge confidence increase with that shot.
 
R

Ross K

Legend
Fed Kennedy said:
PED, I hear you. I will try that as well. I was trying to go for a homemade PWS. This rac is cutting the air much faster than my pstgt despite being .3 oz heavier.
I like the way it was swinging stock, just felt a little bit gutless, a little too much spin (ball checking up a bit), slight lack of court penetration compared to pstgt, 6.1s.
The sw feels pretty low still (feels like 328-ish), could be a good or bad thing, we'll see.
Click to expand...

Fed,

If you haven't caught this already, the thread might be of interest to you...

http://72.29.176.21/showthread.php?t=349836&highlight=prestige+pro&page=4

Check post no. 62 too... given some of your comments (especially the one about the PP needing some "balls" - which I agree with LOL), you might find it note-worthy.

BTW, My TGK PP is now at the stringers and I'm looking forward to playing it with my now numero uno string - Solinco Tour Bite.:) I think that might tell me a lot actually about quite where I stand with this frame.


ry,

PED may have a point there. I would say that the Rad is more easily accessible than the Prestige. Just about anyone can pick up a Rad and feel pretty much at home with it and hit some nice shots. The Prestige is like a woman. She's gonna make you work a little before she gives up the goods.
Click to expand...

You're not wrong there, buddy; not wrong AT ALL!:lol:

R
 
pyrokid

pyrokid

Hall of Fame
PED said:
No, you're right :)

The beam on the Prestige is super thin which helps it come around quickly plus the Prestige with the exception of the mid have super light swing weights which again make them swing easily.

Using your 10g example above, that's a ton of weight: it would take a stick with a 330 SW and make it a 360 ;)

The great thing about really light sticks is that they're great platforms for mods. My leaded Bab PD's swung much sweeter than the PDR's as I had the weight at the very tip and tail as opposed to the stock PDR where it was more in the middle.

The Rad could easily be brought up to the mid 330's on static weight and provide a great platform. One thing about the Rad: it's the sweetest feeling Head IMO, even better than the Prestige.
Click to expand...

I know, but with a radical with a weighted buttcap and leather it makes it a nice BL stick, and I love the polarization.

I just can't hit the ball hard at all with the extreme, I don't get it. I can unload with the radical, prestige, pure drive, whatever. But the extreme pro... nope. and when I do accidentally, I can never flatten it out. Oh well, this is why I have my babies I guess.
 
Last edited:
R

Ross K

Legend
Q for all you racketahoilcs...

Do you BELIEVE in your racket?!...

My esteemed fellow TTer and Pure Control connoiseur McLovin made me think when he replied/told me recently about playing in a wood racket tournament, and using a Butch Bucholz frame, playing and beating some 4.5/5.0's in the final... "For me, it was just believing the ball would come in, and then I started hitting all my normal shots. I guess what I'm saying is, once you believe in the stick, you can do just about anything...within reason. "

This morning, guys, as I hit the courts for the first time properly in a week, I'm going with McLovin here... I'm with The Monkees on this one... I've seen the light!... 'I'm a believer!":)

R
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Boys, I think I might have created something special with this 6.1 frankenstein YTPP.

Only played 2 sets, but it was damn promising.

Only thing is, it did not remind me of a 6.1 95 in play. It was more like an Asian k90 or a classic 80s stick except that it had this extra power reserve that I could tap.

I'm pleased!
 
R

Ross K

Legend
Fed Kennedy said:
Boys, I think I might have created something special with this 6.1 frankenstein YTPP.

Only played 2 sets, but it was damn promising.

Only thing is, it did not remind me of a 6.1 95 in play. It was more like an Asian k90 or a classic 80s stick except that it had this extra power reserve that I could tap.

I'm pleased!
Click to expand...

More details please Fed!... more about how it played for you, and string and tension.:)

R
 
Fed Kennedy

Fed Kennedy

Legend
Well, I had a feeling it would be kind of groaty just swinging it around in my driveway this morning. It felt super smooth.
I only played 2 sets but it was apparent in warmups that it was agreeing with me. My bh got dialed in super fast which is rare.
Serving was very good, I estimate the sw is still kind of low-ish, I was able to manipulate the head of the racquet with ease and really snap and carve around the ball. Got a ton of cheap points today on firsts, something I didn't get from the stock setup.
This reminds me of a blazer I bought in a tiny store in Macau once. I put it on and knew it was GOAT. Bought that thing like 8 years ago and still wear it all the time.

The string was in there when I got it: genesis tri-blade at 57.
Next step is fresh caps, lead smuggled underneath and my fave string hyperion at 57.

Basically it's good. I feel like I'm not bringing a knife to a gunfight, but I'm not bringing a civil war cannon to a gunfight either.

I also just bought a pstgt, these sticks are neck and neck for this summers stick, let's see how it goes.
 
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