Sorry for the dumb qsn, but has there only ever been just one Pro Open? - the BLX Pro Open?... and this is the one you're playing?
There was also a KPro and NPro Open and a new one is coming out as well (same as BLX, different PJ), which makes the current BLX a very nice buy at $129 new.
Don't think lopez plays with the pro open, its a tear drop head shape where lopez is round and I'm sure its 95, I always thought it was a classic??
I think he actually may use the Pro Open. But who knows..I will say that even at 330 grams, at the net, this stick is solid. It could easily be used at a high level with this weight due to the incredible stability of it.
Lots of people were at the courts last night, so I just hit with different people and got some serves in. I think I prefer the stick
without the 3 grams in the buttcap and just 3 grams at 12. I like that more head heavy feel as it just crushed the ball. It also is so light this way (11.4) that it is still easy to whip the racquet. Anyway, I may go back and forth on that mod a little, but I will hit next time with just 3 grams at the tip. For my other stick, I am going to put 4 grams at 3 and 9 and see which setup I prefer. The point is that it does not seem to need counterbalancing for me.
I also am strongly considering getting a babolat skin feel grip for them as long as the weight and balance do not get too thrown off. I may lose another 4-5 grams there though.
Latest impressions :
Slice machine. This racquet is so good on the slice..just a thing of beauty and consistency.
Heavy balls : Coming from the 6.1, I was prepared to miss the heavy ball, but with the lead at the tip, that is a non issue. This racquet crushes the ball, and with a light weight, it makes it very easy to play an aggressive spin game. I found myself able to go a little more western to drive groundstrokes with heavy top, or more semiwestern to flatten out when I needed it.
Spin play : If you are more comfortable hitting with heavy spin on your rally balls, this stick delivers. I worked on just hitting targets on the court and I was able to keep the ball a little more shallow and safely in the lines, while adding heavy kick so it could not be attacked. One guy I hit with said he simply could not deal with the topspin to his 1 hander, but he and I dont hit very often, so he is not used to it.
Backhand : the backhand hits a lot like the 6.1. It is just an easy transition from the 6.1, the only adjustment is timing from the stick being lighter, so you have to give it a few days if you are used to a heavier racquet.
Serve : lighter is better for serve IMO. I serve abbreviated, but what I did with the 6.1 was instead of being in the trophy pose, I would have the racquet already past that and behind my head so I just dropped it when I tossed. With the Pro Open I can start from the trophy pose and as a result get more racquet head speed from that entire motion, plus the light weight. Anyway, I feel very confident serving with the 6.1, but that confidence is going up with the Open because the motion now "feels" better to me, and that helps a lot. This racquet serves very very big as well.
Feel : the feel is really what stands out still. It came with RIP Control (not bad, but moves a lot), which is not the best feel ever, but it doesnt matter. The stick is very plush with the lead on it, and the feeling on impact when you crush a ball is very very satisfying.
Anyway, I have really been working on the technique change and that makes the difference. the whole lock n roll thing is the secret to getting the most out of this racquet. So if you go to his website and like to hit in that style, the pro open is an amazing racquet to utilize. His modern technique added so much power to my strokes, and I barely use any effort. The challenge is training myself to hit that way everytime. I was basically hitting a modern spin forehand with classic footwork where I was always looking to step in. That caused me to lean backwards too much on some shots. Now I am throwing my hips into the shot more and it is so much easier.