Fed Kennedy
Legend
Went with the 16L tourbite in my next 320. Expecting greatness.
Diary of a Racketaholic
- Thread starter Ross K
- Start date
UWBTennis
Rookie
Okay guys, so "The Donald" got hammered (Q. So does that officially signal the close of the Exo Tour love fest?!)...
Hey, but never mind gents, at least there's another "Donald" you can all root for...
R
Yeah I think he collapsed to the defensive game of Murray. He was scared that Murray would be able to get his shot back because Murray is a fast dude so he over hit and made a lot of errors. But like PP I loved the way he used his heavy ground stroke to get him to the net, he's like Fish in that way. In fact I'm emulating my game after Young now except I'm aiming for a better serve so I can s/v more. I usually only use heavy topspin on my rally shot but I might now use it as a way to drag people off the court so I can find my way to the net, I have Young to thank for that now.
And now that the EXO3 tour craze has been started, it'll be hard to stop. This racket is actually genuinely good and can fit most people game style. Too bad that it's not the racket for me (more all court kind of guy and the racket needed more power and stability at the net) because I loved how soft it felt and I was never worry that I would get injured from playing with it. Maybe I should have try leading it up (not sure if you could do that with a demo), that could give me the extra blocking and putting away power I need at the net and give a more solid feel.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
Has to be, right? I just can't conceive these guys serving 120-135 with this stick.
Funny that it's this stick's turn at the top of the 'holic pop charts this week. But it's deserving. You can rally so effectively with it all day long. One thing I recall: it was a beast on service returns, just such easy depth that got you into the point immediately.
Fed/others, appreciate the NY v. SF input. Today, the sun finally out again, it was quite a goaty day in the city.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Ok folks..more time spent with the EXO.
The first thing is that this racquet is not meant for full multi. It had Prince Premier LT and it was restrung a while ago..so this means the tension had dropped to 47#s according to racquettune! Yes, the stick was a trampoline, but I went to a western grip and just used a lot of spin. I had to deal with this when I got the Donnay Black demo, so I am familiar with these crappy multi demos..it is what it is.
Anyway, Rally forehands were excellent..groundstrokes in general were great really. I have no complaints..the racquet does lack put away power, but I had some things working against me..the low tension makes it tough to hit angled shots and winners were just going to be tough to come by with the bad string setup. I still hit some nice ones, but mainly worked on just moving the ball around, and hitting through with a lot of spin. That is really satisfying..I can not imagine this with a full bed of poly in the low 50s..it is probably ridiculous because I was putting massive spin on the ball that honestly shocked me with some the action on it.
This is a very stable racquet in stock form, but it lacks some put away power. There is no doubt, but it just boils down to simple math.it is a light stick and the SW is fairly light. If your only complaint is put away power, IMO this is not a big deal. I am going to start with 2 grams of lead at 12, and will most likely end up with 4. That will get the SW a little past APDgt SW range and will make the racquet a big hitter.
Backhands came to me rather fast which surprised me. This racquet is very easy to hit 2handers and slices with. It will bail you out. Extremely maneuverable and whippy. It lengthens your strike zone since you can take the ball lower and still rip it with tons of spin. It is extremely fun to just rip forehands with this racquet. It does not feel the same, but it is the same level of satisfaction as hitting a big forehand with a prestige.
Volleys at the net are average..nothing amazing but the racquet is very very easy to maneuver. Drop shots are sick..they will die very very quickly with all the backspin you can put on the ball.
The racquet really shined on serve returns. It is incredible..best returning racquet I have used. I did not play a match but just practiced my serve returns against a guy who sends some at that are probably 105-110..so nothing crazy, but a nice test for the racquet at stock weight. It was exceptionally stable, and i could put the ball back deep..I also just crushed some flat out winners DTL off his serve as well and the feel when you drill the sweetspot on a serve return is goaty.
To test this out, I whipped out the 7G..the 7G is a comfort stick with more boom to it, but even it is not as stable on service returns. I think some of that is due to the flex, but i would also credit the maneuverability as well.
So to sum it up, I really like the racquet for its plush comfort and feel..love the Donnay esque ability to move the ball all over the court consistently..am super in love with service returns, and think it needs 2-4 grams of lead at 12 to get the SW boosted up to have that Boom of the APD and 7G. That being said, it is not a low powered racquet, it will give you nice pop. but I think for it to hang with the Babs, it needs little lead..but you can see that in the numbers.
Anyway for me, the feel is so, so, so good on my wrist that I find it very hard to put the racquet down. It feels good to just hold it in your hands. The real test will come in matchplay, and I intend to purchase one, add some lead and put some real strings on the thing.
Ross..I believe this racquet is easier to use and better than the Prestige Pro in terms of power and ease of use. It is not as "easy" as the APD in terms of effortless power, but the ability to move the ball around with a lot of spin and control is there in spades. As usual there are no holy grail racquets, but I believe that this is a worthy substitute for the APD if you want flex, comfort and feel back in your game.
PS : I honestly am not sure if the DY mold is stiffer..it may be..but the PT630 is lower powered than the EXO 100..I had no trouble hitting hard with it at stock, and I am sure Don has lead on his. If a pro can hit big with a PT57A, then he will hit bigger with an EXO tour..it has more power in it.
The first thing is that this racquet is not meant for full multi. It had Prince Premier LT and it was restrung a while ago..so this means the tension had dropped to 47#s according to racquettune! Yes, the stick was a trampoline, but I went to a western grip and just used a lot of spin. I had to deal with this when I got the Donnay Black demo, so I am familiar with these crappy multi demos..it is what it is.
Anyway, Rally forehands were excellent..groundstrokes in general were great really. I have no complaints..the racquet does lack put away power, but I had some things working against me..the low tension makes it tough to hit angled shots and winners were just going to be tough to come by with the bad string setup. I still hit some nice ones, but mainly worked on just moving the ball around, and hitting through with a lot of spin. That is really satisfying..I can not imagine this with a full bed of poly in the low 50s..it is probably ridiculous because I was putting massive spin on the ball that honestly shocked me with some the action on it.
This is a very stable racquet in stock form, but it lacks some put away power. There is no doubt, but it just boils down to simple math.it is a light stick and the SW is fairly light. If your only complaint is put away power, IMO this is not a big deal. I am going to start with 2 grams of lead at 12, and will most likely end up with 4. That will get the SW a little past APDgt SW range and will make the racquet a big hitter.
Backhands came to me rather fast which surprised me. This racquet is very easy to hit 2handers and slices with. It will bail you out. Extremely maneuverable and whippy. It lengthens your strike zone since you can take the ball lower and still rip it with tons of spin. It is extremely fun to just rip forehands with this racquet. It does not feel the same, but it is the same level of satisfaction as hitting a big forehand with a prestige.
Volleys at the net are average..nothing amazing but the racquet is very very easy to maneuver. Drop shots are sick..they will die very very quickly with all the backspin you can put on the ball.
The racquet really shined on serve returns. It is incredible..best returning racquet I have used. I did not play a match but just practiced my serve returns against a guy who sends some at that are probably 105-110..so nothing crazy, but a nice test for the racquet at stock weight. It was exceptionally stable, and i could put the ball back deep..I also just crushed some flat out winners DTL off his serve as well and the feel when you drill the sweetspot on a serve return is goaty.
To test this out, I whipped out the 7G..the 7G is a comfort stick with more boom to it, but even it is not as stable on service returns. I think some of that is due to the flex, but i would also credit the maneuverability as well.
So to sum it up, I really like the racquet for its plush comfort and feel..love the Donnay esque ability to move the ball all over the court consistently..am super in love with service returns, and think it needs 2-4 grams of lead at 12 to get the SW boosted up to have that Boom of the APD and 7G. That being said, it is not a low powered racquet, it will give you nice pop. but I think for it to hang with the Babs, it needs little lead..but you can see that in the numbers.
Anyway for me, the feel is so, so, so good on my wrist that I find it very hard to put the racquet down. It feels good to just hold it in your hands. The real test will come in matchplay, and I intend to purchase one, add some lead and put some real strings on the thing.
Ross..I believe this racquet is easier to use and better than the Prestige Pro in terms of power and ease of use. It is not as "easy" as the APD in terms of effortless power, but the ability to move the ball around with a lot of spin and control is there in spades. As usual there are no holy grail racquets, but I believe that this is a worthy substitute for the APD if you want flex, comfort and feel back in your game.
PS : I honestly am not sure if the DY mold is stiffer..it may be..but the PT630 is lower powered than the EXO 100..I had no trouble hitting hard with it at stock, and I am sure Don has lead on his. If a pro can hit big with a PT57A, then he will hit bigger with an EXO tour..it has more power in it.
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UWBTennis
Rookie
Yeah mine had Prince Premier Lightning XX and that was just a nightmare to get angles with. I also do agree on the put away power as I couldn't hit flat winners like I do with other rackets like the PSTGT or the Youtek Extreme Pro. I would disagree on two points, I didn't think that the racket was really stable at the net, but that can be fixed with lead tape. The second is that I believed the Youtek Extreme Pro was better at serve returns but that might just be me. You got me curious now about adding lead tape because that would fix the putaway power and stability problems I had.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yes I have learned a few things about racquet power..the main one is that if you want a stick that cracks the ball, you need a SW in the 330s or the racquet is going to need to be heavy. Just 2 grams at 12 will take this stick to 329/330, and the racquet will still be light at 11.7. The stiffness will be a factor, but that is tougher to gauge. The donnays hit rather big and were low in flex, but the platinum hit a nice big ball.
I believe if I am correct, this racquet would swing at 335 SW with just 4 grams of lead at 12, and this could result in a ferociously heavy ball due to the spin. The balance would barely be affected since the og is 5 grams on it's own. In other words, a very easy mod.
I believe if I am correct, this racquet would swing at 335 SW with just 4 grams of lead at 12, and this could result in a ferociously heavy ball due to the spin. The balance would barely be affected since the og is 5 grams on it's own. In other words, a very easy mod.
PP,
Thanks matie, nice review and report back. I also take note of your post directly above too. Talking of which, I've rejigged the lead on my 03 Tour from 10 and 2 and put it (2 grams) directly @ 12. Let's see how it now stands up to my APDs. Last time, the Bab was the clear winner for me. Shall report back later. Playing in a couple of hours.
R
Thanks matie, nice review and report back. I also take note of your post directly above too. Talking of which, I've rejigged the lead on my 03 Tour from 10 and 2 and put it (2 grams) directly @ 12. Let's see how it now stands up to my APDs. Last time, the Bab was the clear winner for me. Shall report back later. Playing in a couple of hours.
R
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
Wow, so I was watching the Open today because I got to go by some miracle... Courtside, too. I got lucky.
GREAT matches on. This really doesn't have anything to do with racquets, but I thought it was interesting stuff and you guys might too.
First up was Rafa-Muller. Muller hits spots 6 inches in diameter like it's no big deal all day. At least, until he spazzes out and lets Rafa get into his head. He didn't hit especially hard, but he hit flat, he penetrated the court, and he ran Rafa. That was basically his strategy, because if Rafa was able to get into a rally with him he lost about 95% of the time. He only won when he was able to keep Rafa on the move, and dictate with his incredibly placed serve.
Rafa... My word. The man has passion. And forget the passion, he has SPIN. The shots he hit hug the court like crazy. His weapon isn't the spin itself, it's the trajectory that the balls come off the ground at, as far as I can see. He varies it with the level of spin, the height over the net, the speed, the angle... It really messed with Muller. He started messing up a bunch, especially when Nadal established a pattern and then broke it with an off-height ball, and messed up his point of contact. Also, Rafa has the loosest arm of any of the players I've ever seen.
Serena and Whatever her face was had a decent match too. Serena basically dictated the play in every aspect. If she hit her winners, she won. If she missed her winners, she lost. Sometimes she screamed. Sometimes she cheered. Sometimes she hit balls into the court. Sometimes into the crowd. She was an erratic, unpredictable, man-lady. I didn't really know what to think of this match.
The real gem of the day, however... Was the Djoker-Tipsy showdown. I don't know how this one looked on TV, but Tipsy played some absolutely amazing tennis in the first two sets. Out of his mind on every level.
Tipsy has really fast strokes, and he kind of twitches the racquet through. He started off the first few games about how I thought he would, and Djoker played poorly. Then, Djoker got back to his normal level, and got up 5-2. This is when Tipsy goes beserk. He starts out the game blasting forehands. Somewhere in there he starts blasting backhands. And these aren't your average blasts, these things were well placed, heavy bombs, and they were much faster than anything Nole had to offer in reply. And he hit them off of both wings with equal consistency, and he didn't seem to believe that missing was an option. He ran poor Djoker around like a dog, and somewhere in all of this his serve caught on too, and that didn't help no.1e.
It was the best tennis I've ever seen, actually. I kept thinking, "There is no way he can keep this up, there is NO WAY." And yet he did. The crowd was having a blast. The funny thing was that Djokovic wasn't playing badly at all, so both parties were just going at it. When Tipsy wasn't going for his ridiculous bomb-groundstrokes (He would get into a rally, and sometimes forget to got for stuff. Sometime he would hit normally for an entire rally. Sometimes he would pull out the ridiculous shots in the middle. Sometimes he was ridiculous throughout) Djokovic was methodically running him until either he won the point, of Tipsy went off.
After Tipsy cooled down, Djoker took him apart. Tipsy realized he wasn't going to win, and retired with three games left to go. I'd like to think this had something to do with the fact that he was playing his fellow countryman, who had also injured himself, and he didn't want to strain either of them in what he knew wouldn't change the outcome.
The thing I found most interesting was the contrast between their swing styles. Djokovic was like a machine. He got to everything, and had a very long, smooth, repeatable swing on every shot. Janko had a very fast swing that used a lot of arm, and positioning seemed to have no effect on him, as he could hit his shots from basically wherever, no matter how out of position. His swing was short. The interesting thing about this for me was that both strokes produced a silimar ball. In the later sets, Djokovic was getting more topspin on his forehand, but at the beginning they both had a similar pace/spin ratio, even with completely different swing types.
If Tipsy was playing ANYbody else today, he would have won.
It was a great time, and I'm sure after some sleep I'll be able to think of some reason why the swing style thing seemed as interesting as it did... The only thing I can think now is the number of amazing matches I've seen in a day. The Fed-Tsonga match was interesting too, but I didn't really get much from Tsonga just because he didn't have a good day. Fed looked beautiful. I've never seen him live before, and it was awesome. I can't describe how aesthetically pleasing his game is.
GREAT matches on. This really doesn't have anything to do with racquets, but I thought it was interesting stuff and you guys might too.
First up was Rafa-Muller. Muller hits spots 6 inches in diameter like it's no big deal all day. At least, until he spazzes out and lets Rafa get into his head. He didn't hit especially hard, but he hit flat, he penetrated the court, and he ran Rafa. That was basically his strategy, because if Rafa was able to get into a rally with him he lost about 95% of the time. He only won when he was able to keep Rafa on the move, and dictate with his incredibly placed serve.
Rafa... My word. The man has passion. And forget the passion, he has SPIN. The shots he hit hug the court like crazy. His weapon isn't the spin itself, it's the trajectory that the balls come off the ground at, as far as I can see. He varies it with the level of spin, the height over the net, the speed, the angle... It really messed with Muller. He started messing up a bunch, especially when Nadal established a pattern and then broke it with an off-height ball, and messed up his point of contact. Also, Rafa has the loosest arm of any of the players I've ever seen.
Serena and Whatever her face was had a decent match too. Serena basically dictated the play in every aspect. If she hit her winners, she won. If she missed her winners, she lost. Sometimes she screamed. Sometimes she cheered. Sometimes she hit balls into the court. Sometimes into the crowd. She was an erratic, unpredictable, man-lady. I didn't really know what to think of this match.
The real gem of the day, however... Was the Djoker-Tipsy showdown. I don't know how this one looked on TV, but Tipsy played some absolutely amazing tennis in the first two sets. Out of his mind on every level.
Tipsy has really fast strokes, and he kind of twitches the racquet through. He started off the first few games about how I thought he would, and Djoker played poorly. Then, Djoker got back to his normal level, and got up 5-2. This is when Tipsy goes beserk. He starts out the game blasting forehands. Somewhere in there he starts blasting backhands. And these aren't your average blasts, these things were well placed, heavy bombs, and they were much faster than anything Nole had to offer in reply. And he hit them off of both wings with equal consistency, and he didn't seem to believe that missing was an option. He ran poor Djoker around like a dog, and somewhere in all of this his serve caught on too, and that didn't help no.1e.
It was the best tennis I've ever seen, actually. I kept thinking, "There is no way he can keep this up, there is NO WAY." And yet he did. The crowd was having a blast. The funny thing was that Djokovic wasn't playing badly at all, so both parties were just going at it. When Tipsy wasn't going for his ridiculous bomb-groundstrokes (He would get into a rally, and sometimes forget to got for stuff. Sometime he would hit normally for an entire rally. Sometimes he would pull out the ridiculous shots in the middle. Sometimes he was ridiculous throughout) Djokovic was methodically running him until either he won the point, of Tipsy went off.
After Tipsy cooled down, Djoker took him apart. Tipsy realized he wasn't going to win, and retired with three games left to go. I'd like to think this had something to do with the fact that he was playing his fellow countryman, who had also injured himself, and he didn't want to strain either of them in what he knew wouldn't change the outcome.
The thing I found most interesting was the contrast between their swing styles. Djokovic was like a machine. He got to everything, and had a very long, smooth, repeatable swing on every shot. Janko had a very fast swing that used a lot of arm, and positioning seemed to have no effect on him, as he could hit his shots from basically wherever, no matter how out of position. His swing was short. The interesting thing about this for me was that both strokes produced a silimar ball. In the later sets, Djokovic was getting more topspin on his forehand, but at the beginning they both had a similar pace/spin ratio, even with completely different swing types.
If Tipsy was playing ANYbody else today, he would have won.
It was a great time, and I'm sure after some sleep I'll be able to think of some reason why the swing style thing seemed as interesting as it did... The only thing I can think now is the number of amazing matches I've seen in a day. The Fed-Tsonga match was interesting too, but I didn't really get much from Tsonga just because he didn't have a good day. Fed looked beautiful. I've never seen him live before, and it was awesome. I can't describe how aesthetically pleasing his game is.
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UWBTennis
Rookie
I found this interesting because Novak actually reminded me a little bit of Ivan Lendl in playstyle this year in how he was now super fit and could hang with you all days while hitting deep hard balls. Ivan did run around his backhand more but Djokovic plays with such a great backhand anyway. It's funny how both Ivan Lendl and Novak Djokovic was described with machine like game style.
Fed Kennedy
Legend
Great post! Man, I know what you mean, Tipsy was slugging it out there. Pleasure to watch.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Pyro awesome post man..interesting stuff!
Power Player
Bionic Poster
How did it go with the Ozone and some lead..I am thinking the EXO really will need 4 grams at 12, but I have bought into adding 2 grams at a time.
Hey PP, Well, I'm afraid I'm still favouring the APD. Maybe I just need to put more lead @ 12 on the Prince, but, and this is the second time now, after not too long I find I'm missing that blasting spinny oomph and I'm reaching the Babs. That said, the 03 Tour does have a lot of aspects to it I like a lot (head-size, head-shape, speed of swinging, weight, etc, whilst others I can't quite decide upon - like feel.) Also, I played woefully (and with both frames TBH.) A summer of very little tennis and too much, er, "other stuff" means I'm going to be doing a lot getting back to basics for the next month and more.
R
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Well, I have not hit with the Ozone, but I have read that the EXO is a major improvement. For me, it is the only Prince stick I have considered goating with in over 15 years.
TBH, I think you will find the EXO to also not have the oomph, but it will not be super far off. It also provides more spin. The APD is simply an awesome stick, but with full poly and that stiffness it can catch up to you so be careful.
The bab is also the only racquet that has that putaway power that I can also win a lot of matches with. Many times I get so hooked on crushing winners that I go for way too much and overhit..it is just my tennis personality and I did it a lot with the pstgt. Having a lot of spin seems to help me out. And a lot of it is mental..last night when I had an open court, I relaxed and hit a winner just fine. So we shall see how it performs with some lead and real strings.
I thought the funnest racquet of all time to use was the Head Prestige Mid..but I think this may have overtook it..and it is far easier to use as well.
Could Prince be returning to glory here? When I was a kid it was Prince or Wilson and then Head. Literally every junior used a freaking Prince stick though..it was the Bab of the 90s.
They will not overtake Bab unless the new sticks are truly so stiff that people's arms fall off, but they have a shot at taking back some ground against Wilson and Head if they continue to aggressively market to Juniors and make racquets like the EXO tour and the Rebel.
Anyway, for my personal health the APD is regrettably out of the game. It is still 7G and the EXO will be next to it in the bag.
TBH, I think you will find the EXO to also not have the oomph, but it will not be super far off. It also provides more spin. The APD is simply an awesome stick, but with full poly and that stiffness it can catch up to you so be careful.
The bab is also the only racquet that has that putaway power that I can also win a lot of matches with. Many times I get so hooked on crushing winners that I go for way too much and overhit..it is just my tennis personality and I did it a lot with the pstgt. Having a lot of spin seems to help me out. And a lot of it is mental..last night when I had an open court, I relaxed and hit a winner just fine. So we shall see how it performs with some lead and real strings.
I thought the funnest racquet of all time to use was the Head Prestige Mid..but I think this may have overtook it..and it is far easier to use as well.
Could Prince be returning to glory here? When I was a kid it was Prince or Wilson and then Head. Literally every junior used a freaking Prince stick though..it was the Bab of the 90s.
They will not overtake Bab unless the new sticks are truly so stiff that people's arms fall off, but they have a shot at taking back some ground against Wilson and Head if they continue to aggressively market to Juniors and make racquets like the EXO tour and the Rebel.
Anyway, for my personal health the APD is regrettably out of the game. It is still 7G and the EXO will be next to it in the bag.
PED
Legend
Great summary, I've seen the tier 2 men play (Verdasco, La Monf etc) but never the topshelf boys: Rafa, Fed, Nole and Andy.
Couple of questions: is the trajectory between Nole's and Rafa's FH that noticeable live: are Rafa's balls landing as short as they appear on TV. Great point about how he varied the stroke on Muller.
Is Fed's shot as penetrating live as on the tube? On tv, he just ATTACKS the ball and it really cuts through the court. I ask because when I watched Blake live last month, he wasn't as dramatic as I would have thought.
Last point, I saw Serena play live three years ago, I was struck by how much more "girly girl" she appeared in person as opposed to TV. She was powerful but much slimmer than I would have thought.
Thanks for taking the time for the summary
JGads
G.O.A.T.
Great summary, I've seen the tier 2 men play (Verdasco, La Monf etc) but never the topshelf boys: Rafa, Fed, Nole and Andy.
Couple of questions: is the trajectory between Nole's and Rafa's FH that noticeable live: are Rafa's balls landing as short as they appear on TV. Great point about how he varied the stroke on Muller.
Is Fed's shot as penetrating live as on the tube? On tv, he just ATTACKS the ball and it really cuts through the court. I ask because when I watched Blake live last month, he wasn't as dramatic as I would have thought.
Last point, I saw Serena play live three years ago, I was struck by how much more "girly girl" she appeared in person as opposed to TV. She was powerful but much slimmer than I would have thought.
Thanks for taking the time for the summary
Great stuff from Pyro. I was able to attend Federer-Monaco the previous round, and was just flabbergasted by Fed in person. Granted, he was vintage Fed, all of his shots cracking like in his prime, but the "it's just so asthetically pleasing" to watch him in person line got me, because I had the same thought. Granted, you know this from just watching on TV, but in person it's just mind boggling how beautiful his game is, and in particular, his movement. I kept my eyes on just him and his feet throughout points, and the baby steps and the way he just glides back to center right after ripping a shot, and then easily gets into position for what's coming, well, Mancrush. It was a privilege to see it live.
As for Serena looking "more girly" in person, not so sure about that. Saw her play Ivanovic and she still looked more manly than any guy in the stadium, except for the security guards and maybe Tsonga.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yes DD did the right thing and deleted it. Ruins his attempts at self promotion, but also sadly ruined one of the funniest threads in TT history as well.
Devilito
Hall of Fame
boo, and it was getting so good before i went to bed last night. The drama was pretty much isolated to that one thread, the mods should have just let it go for the sake of entertainment. Oh well, it's over
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Well the problem is the guy cursed a lot..bumped his thread all the time and was using TT to promote his own interests. So it makes sense..anyway you missed a lot of people mocking him, him pimping some absolutely horrible "improved" footage of him trying to play tennis, and me calling him a trust fund baby with no concept of what makes an interesting storyline before the plug was pulled.
Good times.
Shoe note..any of you guys play the Kswiss Big shots? I am off to buy some today..My barricades are destroyed and the Big shots are insanely comfy and light.
Good times.
Shoe note..any of you guys play the Kswiss Big shots? I am off to buy some today..My barricades are destroyed and the Big shots are insanely comfy and light.
Hey Power Player, since I seem to have similar likes/dislikes in racquets as you, would you be willing to compare the APDGT and the technifibre 320 vo2? I still have to replace my diablo's as well as find a stick that can help a little with the inevitable loss of speed and athleticism as I age.
Even though I have been relatively monogamous with the diablo, I have tried MANY racquets the last 5 years or so, I haven't been able to find one that works. The 7g was close, but I was never able to get my kick serve going with it.
Also, I am also getting the K-Swiss big shot shoes, only shoe that I've tried recently that fits my wide feet comfortably.
Even though I have been relatively monogamous with the diablo, I have tried MANY racquets the last 5 years or so, I haven't been able to find one that works. The 7g was close, but I was never able to get my kick serve going with it.
Also, I am also getting the K-Swiss big shot shoes, only shoe that I've tried recently that fits my wide feet comfortably.
PED
Legend
I saw her back in 08 and I'd say she was 20lbs lighter than current form. I love it when B Gilbert talks about how "fit" she is.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Sparky, yes I have wide feet as well which explains the shoe selection. the big shots felt amazing as soon as I put them on.
Tfight Vs APDGt - Very similar sticks..the Tfight is a smaller headsize, and generates more spin. The feel is similar to the APD in that they are both stiff racquets that can hurt if you are playing a big hitter and mishit.
The APDgt is more friendly to a hybrid, whereas the Tfight will eat strings and is really meant for full poly.
I would give the APDgt the edge in the power department, and the Tfight the edge in serves. You should be able to generate massive kickers with the Tfight.
A wildcard if you are looking for amazing kickers may be the EXO100 16x18 which is also a baseliner's spin stick, but I am going to experiment a little with lead and post my results. It currently is the most spin of all 3 sticks, but does not have the put away power they do in stock form. It is my belief that a little bit of lead at 12 will change that, and if so, it is a much more arm friendly racquet if you are worried about that type of stuff.
Tfight Vs APDGt - Very similar sticks..the Tfight is a smaller headsize, and generates more spin. The feel is similar to the APD in that they are both stiff racquets that can hurt if you are playing a big hitter and mishit.
The APDgt is more friendly to a hybrid, whereas the Tfight will eat strings and is really meant for full poly.
I would give the APDgt the edge in the power department, and the Tfight the edge in serves. You should be able to generate massive kickers with the Tfight.
A wildcard if you are looking for amazing kickers may be the EXO100 16x18 which is also a baseliner's spin stick, but I am going to experiment a little with lead and post my results. It currently is the most spin of all 3 sticks, but does not have the put away power they do in stock form. It is my belief that a little bit of lead at 12 will change that, and if so, it is a much more arm friendly racquet if you are worried about that type of stuff.
retlod
Professional
Sorry, all, haven't been in here in a while despite my really enjoying the banter. I have been experimenting with the PSTGT recently, but think I'm settling on the APDGT+ as my stick of choice. I like that it swings a little heavier than the Pure Drive and that nothing else out there can generate such violent topspin. The serves are not as sharp as with a PD, but the spin is easier to come by and the kickers are addictive.
PP, I just sold my EXO3 Tour off because I didn't like it as much as my other flexy frames, the Ozones. The flex of the EXO was just too extreme for me and I couldn't generate any more spin than I can with the Ozone. Just like with any racquet, when the confidence is there, I play well, and I just never got into that kind of ralationship with the EXO. I also found that both lack that smashing put-away power that's so easy to come by with the Babolats. The Ozone is almost as comfortable as the EXO but feels more crisp (if a plush Prince frame can feel crisp).
I would also be curious to hear how you like those Big Shots. I wear a size 15, which seriously limits my shoe choices. I've been wearing the Vapor 8's this summer but have found that they're lacking that special something. I've worn Barricades before but they squish the tops of my toes something fierce. Ballistecs feel much the same way and also crowd the tips of my toes. I've never tried the 2Kxx series.
Before settling on the APDGT+, there are a couple more sticks I wouldn't mind taking for an extended spin. Among them are the Aero Storm GT, the BLX Pro Open, and the Volkl X8 315. Do any of you 'holics have experience with any of those frames?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Retload, I agree that the EXO lacks the smashing put away power, but did you try any lead?
Lead at 12 will always add a lot of power and brings flexy sticks to life. I believe that is why the PT57A is so popular among pros..it can be leaded up and hit big while providing a very cushioned feel for someone who suffers from a repetitive use injury. I know a former WTA pro told me she has had tendinitis in her shoulder, wrist and elbow, and was pretty stoked that I was trying out the EXO..she said a lot of pros use flexy sticks for this reason..they can't risk losing out on cash due to injury.
I think the APDgt+ is an excellent choice, and was going to be mine to be honest. I simply prefer flexy sticks, and am really loving the extreme flex of the Prince. I can play a lot of tennis and between cycling, and weightlifting, I have to protect my joints, and the flex helps a ton.
Lead at 12 will always add a lot of power and brings flexy sticks to life. I believe that is why the PT57A is so popular among pros..it can be leaded up and hit big while providing a very cushioned feel for someone who suffers from a repetitive use injury. I know a former WTA pro told me she has had tendinitis in her shoulder, wrist and elbow, and was pretty stoked that I was trying out the EXO..she said a lot of pros use flexy sticks for this reason..they can't risk losing out on cash due to injury.
I think the APDgt+ is an excellent choice, and was going to be mine to be honest. I simply prefer flexy sticks, and am really loving the extreme flex of the Prince. I can play a lot of tennis and between cycling, and weightlifting, I have to protect my joints, and the flex helps a ton.
You are going for the 16 x18 or the 18 x 20?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
16x18..I wanted a softer alternative to the mighty APD.
Fed Kennedy
Legend
I was really close to getting a bab, I liked the apdgt+ and the astgt very much, but I went with the tec 320. The apdgt+ was giving me super shots when rallying around but when playing points I was more comfortable going for my shots with the little bit smaller head of the tec.
retlod
Professional
I never did and it's too late now, but I'll give it a try with an Ozone. When you add weight at 12, do you polarize the frame and counterbalance it with more under the grip or in the handle?
Fed, I thought of your comment about your "forearm being in a microwave" when I recently took the IG Extreme Pro out for a spin. I played one set with it and started flaring some biceps tendonitis that had been gone for over a year, even with the APDGT+ being my main stick. It was a blast to hit with, just sickeningly stiff. Too bad.
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Been playing with the mid for quite some time now, around 9 years.
PP, it's a funny thing, I want a lot of spin, but I don't want to give up court penetration, I would say that my strokes mostly dictate this, but I have tried a lot of sticks and only a couple of them have worked for me, a lot of sticks I have tried feel sluggish, like there's too much weight in the throat area, PDR and the PSTGT come to mind there, others feel whippy, but lack the weight of shot I look for, Prestige Pro, Rebel, etc. The two that I can change between are my leaded up diablo mids and the swirly Pure Control. Both have swingweight's in the 330 range and static weight in the 360 gram range.
But that all being said, I would like to lose a little static weight if I could get away without losing performance, problem is, as you well know, that I have to buy the racquets to try, can't really tell anything from a week demo, have to play matches and be in pressure situations to really see if a racquet works for you. Thanks for your input, I looked at the EXO tour, I have tried the older versions of that stick O3 tour and the davydenko racquet, both were pretty good, may give the new tour a look.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
If you do look at the EXO tour, you will want to add lead to it...the good news is that it is a very maneuverable stick and you will still be able to crush balls. At your level of play, you could easily add 4-6 grams and be fine..the SW would be roughly 335 (4 grams) or 341 (6 grams).
Retload, my mindset now if a racquet lacks power, is to add lead before I give up on it. Sometimes that does not work, as in the case of the Dunlop 300 Tour, but majority of the time it solves the issue. The APDGT with lead has been PED's weapon of choice for a while now, and when I added lead to the 7G, it became an absolute cannon, but my wrist got mad at me for that after the 2nd week.
I would agree with FedK, when you rally with a Bab, it is love, but in a match sometimes all the power can get to you unless you are applying a lot of heavy top.
Retload, my mindset now if a racquet lacks power, is to add lead before I give up on it. Sometimes that does not work, as in the case of the Dunlop 300 Tour, but majority of the time it solves the issue. The APDGT with lead has been PED's weapon of choice for a while now, and when I added lead to the 7G, it became an absolute cannon, but my wrist got mad at me for that after the 2nd week.
I would agree with FedK, when you rally with a Bab, it is love, but in a match sometimes all the power can get to you unless you are applying a lot of heavy top.
Fed Kennedy
Legend
I know dude. It's weird how badly they screwed up that racquet. I don't even have arm problems but that thing was just brutal and I didnt feel like risking it. They should bring it in with 65 flex.
Yeah I think that the extra power is great when your are rallying, drilling, doing crosscourts, etc, but when the pressure is on and you're tight, the extra power becomes a liability, I definitely drive the ball more than I loop it, I use a lot of spin, but more of a driving spin, lower trajectory type of ball.
Anyways, looking forward to your thoughts on the leaded up EXO tour.
Thanks Fed, do you feel like you can drive the ball with the tec, or is it just a top spin machine?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
BTW after reading these last few posts I forgot to mention the most interesting part of the EXO..
It drives the ball if you want to..very cool for such an open pattern. I could hit variable trajectories, but was surprised at how I could still drive the ball through the court when needed.
It drives the ball if you want to..very cool for such an open pattern. I could hit variable trajectories, but was surprised at how I could still drive the ball through the court when needed.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yes I will post my specs and how it works out when I get it sorted.
By the way it has been stated on tennis.com that Troicki is using the off the shelf EXO 100 18x20 and Prince simply extended his for him just a little bit.
This leads me more and more to believe that DY is goating the retail as well.
By the way it has been stated on tennis.com that Troicki is using the off the shelf EXO 100 18x20 and Prince simply extended his for him just a little bit.
This leads me more and more to believe that DY is goating the retail as well.
I tested some exo3 tour the other day.. weighted to 350 gr strung, the racket feel nice but i guess the swingweight its too low compared to what I'm used to.. I keep reaching to early to the ball.. specially when I try to hit an ofensive topspin shot. impacting the ball too low on the stringbed, and even framming some ball with that huge head size.
it doesnt happend with any other frame to me.. does this happend to any of you?
it doesnt happend with any other frame to me.. does this happend to any of you?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
No..but that is just timing and you will adjust to any racquet.
Where was the lead placed to lead it up? For the most SW with the least lead, you want it at 12.
Where was the lead placed to lead it up? For the most SW with the least lead, you want it at 12.
Following my first proper match today in a while (where I switched pretty sharpish from the 03 Tour to my APD Original), plus a good session when I got to to hit with the YTPP, jut a few additional thoughts to my post earlier...
APD - for my predominantly b-line spinner game (as poor as it truly was today) the blasting kabooming oomph and easy topspin of the APD is a great fit. I can serve with good power and spinny action with this racket. I also find it lethal on volleys and anything up in the air that needs to be put away. It's certainly not too heavy. It has that whippiness that I like (in fact all these frames I'd term as being 'whippy'.) And, well, you're always in with a chance of blasting out an unlikely winner from some dire court position, or there's the familiar option to launch a mega-spinny b-line hugging bomb. For more deft stuff (droppers, for example), it's a struggle. It isn't the most stable of frames. Moreover, I've never quite been happy with the control aspects, the feel, and I think the balance and weighting too. But although that may seem to be a lot of negatives, for the positive reasons mentioned, it's still in my no. 1 position.
03 Tour - I do LOVE it's particular spin, it's addictive stuff for those whose game centres around blitzing that b-line. The easy depth you get, similar to the APD, is a huge plus-point for me. I also like the characteristic feeling (on the fh especially) that, as opposed to pocketing the ball, you're kind of wrapping around the ball (hard to explain!) As said earlier, as well as the head-size, I do like the head-shape (don't know what you call it, 'teardrop'?). It swings pretty nice and quick. It's not hard to weight up. And the thin beam - and what that represents - is also interesting when you're more used to the thicker Bab beam. Where I'm not quite so sold on it is the power level (granted, that could come with more lead), but I can't deny that I'm getting older and creakier and though I rally great with it, my APD seems to actually finish off the rally better ... so, yes, the Bab always appears to be a gear-shift up VS the Prince in oomph that my aging, aching bones appreciate (and again I noticed this on serve right away this morning.) Then there's the feel too - the softer flex, at the moment, to be honest, it's perplexing me. I simply find it harder to gauge where the balls going/what I'm doing to the ball, etc. At least with the Bab, although limited, I know what's happening. Then there's the so-so stabilty, which like the APD, I can't say this racket has anything like that 6.1/Swirly Bab/PT630 rock-like heft that has so entranced me in the past. Finally, I also can't seem to volley that convincingly with it either, although like everything else please feel free to utter the words "operator error!"
YTPP - Completely unlike the others, the PP has superb stability. It has "quality build" written all over it (which of course ties in to its esteemed heritage). It has superb control (I'm a lot more precise with this frame.) And it swings with an amazing fluency and rhythm (I love the way it just hangs back there, primed and begging to be unleashed, before you whip it through), that is a true massive attraction. But of course, where it falls down for me is, as sparky said previously, is it lacks the weight of shot... yep, I find it too low powered/demanding unless I'm playing my absolute A game (and that hasn't been seen for a long time)... I mean, I was @ 50 lbs today with Hyperion and it still felt a bit lacking in pop... I could also cite the smaller head-size as an issue. The grip shape is less my cup of tea than the Bab or Prince, no doubts there. And the spin is a lot less prominent a feature with the Head than the APD or Prince. All that said though, I'm getting my newly remodded and recapped TGKPP back from the stringers later - so that should be interesting to compare, because I did previously find the TGK to have a bit more of everything about it in contrast.
Anyhow, enough of all this, but you know how it is when you're mind's just buzzing with racket stuff.
R
APD - for my predominantly b-line spinner game (as poor as it truly was today) the blasting kabooming oomph and easy topspin of the APD is a great fit. I can serve with good power and spinny action with this racket. I also find it lethal on volleys and anything up in the air that needs to be put away. It's certainly not too heavy. It has that whippiness that I like (in fact all these frames I'd term as being 'whippy'.) And, well, you're always in with a chance of blasting out an unlikely winner from some dire court position, or there's the familiar option to launch a mega-spinny b-line hugging bomb. For more deft stuff (droppers, for example), it's a struggle. It isn't the most stable of frames. Moreover, I've never quite been happy with the control aspects, the feel, and I think the balance and weighting too. But although that may seem to be a lot of negatives, for the positive reasons mentioned, it's still in my no. 1 position.
03 Tour - I do LOVE it's particular spin, it's addictive stuff for those whose game centres around blitzing that b-line. The easy depth you get, similar to the APD, is a huge plus-point for me. I also like the characteristic feeling (on the fh especially) that, as opposed to pocketing the ball, you're kind of wrapping around the ball (hard to explain!) As said earlier, as well as the head-size, I do like the head-shape (don't know what you call it, 'teardrop'?). It swings pretty nice and quick. It's not hard to weight up. And the thin beam - and what that represents - is also interesting when you're more used to the thicker Bab beam. Where I'm not quite so sold on it is the power level (granted, that could come with more lead), but I can't deny that I'm getting older and creakier and though I rally great with it, my APD seems to actually finish off the rally better ... so, yes, the Bab always appears to be a gear-shift up VS the Prince in oomph that my aging, aching bones appreciate (and again I noticed this on serve right away this morning.) Then there's the feel too - the softer flex, at the moment, to be honest, it's perplexing me. I simply find it harder to gauge where the balls going/what I'm doing to the ball, etc. At least with the Bab, although limited, I know what's happening. Then there's the so-so stabilty, which like the APD, I can't say this racket has anything like that 6.1/Swirly Bab/PT630 rock-like heft that has so entranced me in the past. Finally, I also can't seem to volley that convincingly with it either, although like everything else please feel free to utter the words "operator error!"
YTPP - Completely unlike the others, the PP has superb stability. It has "quality build" written all over it (which of course ties in to its esteemed heritage). It has superb control (I'm a lot more precise with this frame.) And it swings with an amazing fluency and rhythm (I love the way it just hangs back there, primed and begging to be unleashed, before you whip it through), that is a true massive attraction. But of course, where it falls down for me is, as sparky said previously, is it lacks the weight of shot... yep, I find it too low powered/demanding unless I'm playing my absolute A game (and that hasn't been seen for a long time)... I mean, I was @ 50 lbs today with Hyperion and it still felt a bit lacking in pop... I could also cite the smaller head-size as an issue. The grip shape is less my cup of tea than the Bab or Prince, no doubts there. And the spin is a lot less prominent a feature with the Head than the APD or Prince. All that said though, I'm getting my newly remodded and recapped TGKPP back from the stringers later - so that should be interesting to compare, because I did previously find the TGK to have a bit more of everything about it in contrast.
Anyhow, enough of all this, but you know how it is when you're mind's just buzzing with racket stuff.
R
Power Player
Bionic Poster
It probably does have lead under the bumpers and silicone in the handle...possibly. You may want to check.
Ross, real nice accurate reviews. One read of that and you know there is no perfect racquet
Once I put comfort as a priority, I will say that it has helped drastically narrow down my racquet choices. The prestiges for some reason are not real kind on my wrist either..I think this is due to the small sweetspot which can be missed at times in the heat of battle.
UWBTennis
Rookie
One thing I want to know is that if you add lead at the 12 position do you need to put it under the bumper? Can't you put it on top and get the same result? I don't want to remove the bumper and then have to put it back on just go put give it more weight and SW.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
No you can put it on the inside hoop of the frame. Under the bumper is simply cosmetic.
Fed Kennedy
Legend
Quite easy to drive the ball with the 95 head. Always have to hold back a little with the 100si sticks. I have mild grips and try to copy Roger on everything. Lol.
The racquet has the pop of a pure drive with the handling and overall shape of a 6.1 95. Not as much plow as 6.1 but then again nothing does. The flex is perfect for me, stiff enough to pop the ball but it doesnt launch the ball.
I am switching!
UWBTennis
Rookie
You can't put it on top? Wouldn't putting it on the inside hoop interfere with the strings? Also, I don't know which lead tape you use but I use Babolat (http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_Lead_Weight_Tape/descpageBAB-BLT.html). If you cut from one dot to another that would be 3 grams right?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
If you are talking EXO, then I would buy the unique 1/4 tape. The babolat is not going to work unless you have a thick beam.
You want 1/4 inch lead strips cut into 4 inch length. Each 4 inch strip = 1 gram.
You want 1/4 inch lead strips cut into 4 inch length. Each 4 inch strip = 1 gram.
