FULL REVIEW: Donnay Pro One 97 (pics)

njsigman

njsigman

Rookie
drakulie said:
would love to, unfortunately, security is very tight, and one has to have crediential badge to get back there. I couldn't even get my wife in last year, and a few players had relatives/friends kicked out. :(

However, all is not lost. Here is a Thread I started last year about the whole experience with pictures and videos:

"Professional Stringing Room; A Behind the Scenes Look of the Delray Beach ATP 250"
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=372144

Enjoy!




aimr75, thanks. Glad you enjoyed the review.
The stiffness is really a hard thing to gauge because of the overall feel compared to many of the other frames I've tried. I would say it is a tad more flexible than the prestiges (minus the mid), and around the same as say the pro staffs. Little more stiff than the radicals.

As for the pinging you mention, I notice that on every frame because I don't use a dampener. However, it is more magnified on this frame compared to others. But again, depending on the string one uses, it coudl diminish or increase. With a multi, it is less, but with a poly more. One could also always use a dampener or power pads in the throat to mute it a bit. I've always enjoyed frames that have raw feels to them and are less filtered, so it is no coincidence that I really didn't mind the Pro One.

But in the end, like I said in the review, it would be a much sweeter frame it it felt a bit thicker/rich. I guess I can't have it all. :evil:

As always, try it out.
Click to expand...

No problem Drak. Thanks for getting back to me. Do you think you can update your thread with this year's action? Thanks!
 
Sardines

Sardines

Hall of Fame
Wadeekrap Suppawat,
I'm a K90 user, evaluating the P1 for the last 1.5 mths.
suppawat said:
On the hitting, the PS90BLX is a tad easier to swing on both forehands and one handed backhand. Actually, it swings very "natural" as if it's part of my arm. It's as fast as Pro Staff 85, but it lacks good mass in the hoop. With that reason, I have to hit the ball faster and harder every shot to keep the groundstroke rally going. Hitting low ball or on-the-rise shot is so effective because the racquet head is so fast, but it's getting harder when hitting higher bounced balls. On the other hands, the Pro One doesn't swing that natural but it has the Donnay's signatured "lighter and faster" feeling than other MP frames. I don't have to crush the ball every shot like I do with PS90BLX. It also hit higher bounced ball more effectively.
Click to expand...

Compared to my K90, the P1 is a lighter racquet so I get a bit more racquet head speed. I feel the groundstrokes are faster and have more spin. However, the people I play with say my K90 strokes are "heavier", ostensibly due to the added weight for plowthru.

Now let's talk about something in common. I have a one-handed backhand. Both racquets are excellent for this kind of shots due to their faster feeling. I can hit a very aggressive one-handed backhand cross court or down the line very clean with less error. Pro Staff is always my favorite stick for one-handed backhand, and now Pro One is joining the club.
Click to expand...

I found this to be true too, except the feel and control is markedly different. My slice bh on the K90 is slower and has less spin, but I can control the depth better. With the P1, if I catch the sweetspot too well, it just flies out off the strings with good power and spin. The 2 shots I've found this characteristic to be useful is the running bh block wrist flick and the slice block return.

Feel: The Pro One has mute, "clean" and stable feel while the PS90BLX has a little more raw ball feel (like Head) in this version.
Click to expand...

Definitely the P1 lacks the feel of the K90, causing me to be unsure of where my ball is going to land with my swing, whereas with the K90, I measure the shot and it (usually) goes to where I want it to go.

Volley: PS90BLX is faster to maneuver while Pro One is more stable on punching deep volley.
Click to expand...
The lack of feel and abundance of power also makes angled and low volleys a harder to execute.

I think the P1 is a great racquet for those using the Wilson 90 series racquets who want more power and spin. It lacks the raw feel and control to just simply pick up and use, but it's easier to learn how to use spin and bad feel to control the shots than to generate power and spin, which the P1 has.

I don't think I've found the tension sweetspot or balance for my preferences but as I get older, the added power is very welcome!

Another thing I have to get used to is the squarer shaped grip vs the more oval shape of the Wilson.
 
10ACE

10ACE

Professional
suppawat said:
I just finished hitting with some newer racquets. Give me some more time and I'd do a review for the following comparisons.

1) Head IG Prestige MP VS. Donnay X-Dual Pro
2) Head IG Radical Pro VS. Donnay Pro One VS. Babolat Pure Storm GT
3) Prince EXO3 Tour 18x20 VS. Donnay JHT027 (310g, 66RA, 18x20, 99sq.in)
4) Donnay Pro One VS. Wilson Pro Staff 90 BLX. Spec wise, it may not be a good comparison, but I've found something in common between these 2 frames.

Prince_EXO3_Tour_Head_IG_Test.JPG

Wilson_Pro_Staff_90_BLX_01.JPG
Click to expand...

Is the Donnay JHT027 in blue? How does it compare to the X 99 Blue, seem to have the same finish? Thanks Sup!
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Sardines said:
Wadeekrap Suppawat,
I'm a K90 user, evaluating the P1 for the last 1.5 mths.


Compared to my K90, the P1 is a lighter racquet so I get a bit more racquet head speed. I feel the groundstrokes are faster and have more spin. However, the people I play with say my K90 strokes are "heavier", ostensibly due to the added weight for plowthru.



I found this to be true too, except the feel and control is markedly different. My slice bh on the K90 is slower and has less spin, but I can control the depth better. With the P1, if I catch the sweetspot too well, it just flies out off the strings with good power and spin. The 2 shots I've found this characteristic to be useful is the running bh block wrist flick and the slice block return.



Definitely the P1 lacks the feel of the K90, causing me to be unsure of where my ball is going to land with my swing, whereas with the K90, I measure the shot and it (usually) goes to where I want it to go.


The lack of feel and abundance of power also makes angled and low volleys a harder to execute.

I think the P1 is a great racquet for those using the Wilson 90 series racquets who want more power and spin. It lacks the raw feel and control to just simply pick up and use, but it's easier to learn how to use spin and bad feel to control the shots than to generate power and spin, which the P1 has.

I don't think I've found the tension sweetspot or balance for my preferences but as I get older, the added power is very welcome!

Another thing I have to get used to is the squarer shaped grip vs the more oval shape of the Wilson.
Click to expand...

Bulk up the P1 with the 10g weight an all the strips in. You won't believe what a difference it makes on this particular frame. It's like playing with a different racquet. The increase in power was actually to much for me.

The 18x20 version also plays quite differently . In fact I feel that the 18x20 version of the P1 feels closer to the K90 than the 16x19 version does.
 
suppawat

suppawat

Semi-Pro
10ACE said:
Is the Donnay JHT027 in blue? How does it compare to the X 99 Blue, seem to have the same finish? Thanks Sup!
Click to expand...

The JHT027 is in black. It's 311g unstrung, 18x20, 66RA and 313mm balance. I put leather grip so it's now 320g. The blue racquet on the left is X-Blue 99 that I used for testing string.

The X-Blue is solid and heavy like a tank. Three keywords to describe are raw feel, plow thru and spin potential. You don't have to swing hard to hit heavy ball. It was my main stick before switching to Pro One. The JHT is more versatile, fast feeling, powerful and comfortable. Faster ball speed rally is easy with JHT. I can hit almost every shot even though I wasn't in a position to hit the ball properly. A lot of teaching pros and junior players love it. It's not very common to see Babolat/Yonex players playing JHT comfortably. They said the player racquet should feel like this. For the rest of comparison, see below.

Power: JHT is slightly more powerful, and much more comfortable. I have more confident to whip the ball harder. Short swing and wristy players will love this frame.
Spin: Blue has more spin potential, it works so well with Solinco Barb Wire.
Control: JHT is easier to control.
Feel: Blue has more raw feel while the JHT has soft cushion feel like other X-Dual racquets.

Donnay_Pro_Stock_JHT027_03.JPG
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Thought you guys might find this cool ....Blake's customized Donnay specs:


TENNIS.com: What are the specs of the Donnay you use?

James Blake: It's 357 grams unstrung; that's the weight I've been using for some time. When I started out on tour, I added weight very slowly, because if you do it too quickly it can be dangerous to your shoulder and elbow. When I was about 22, I would add about two grams at a time and play with that for a week or two and then add two more grams, and gradually it became a process of adding weight. Eventually, I got to the point where I felt, 'If I add anymore I'm not going to be able to get the racquet through the hitting zone quick enough.' I use Luxilon Big Banger (strings), which I've used for most of my career because I love the way it feels.

TENNIS.com: You had a big win against Juan Martin del Potro in Stockholm last month. What did that do for you confidence and how can you build on that going into 2012?

James Blake: That really did help me because del Potro is one of the best players in the world, so that was a great feeling. The only difference is that I've been healthy. My knees felt good though toward the end of the fall the pounding started to take a toll again. I felt really good about it and the direction I'm going. I pulled out of Paris to give my knees some rest, but I feel really good about the fact I know I can play that well again. The difference between the top guys and guys ranked a little lower is consistency. I think if I can stay healthy that's gonna be the difference, because I still have the ability to play well—it's just not all the time: I don't have that confidence to do it day in and day out. If I stay healthy and I'm able to train the way I was training toward
the end of this summer, then I think the confidence will come back.
 
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ProPlayer

ProPlayer

Rookie
well if you like this racket, you'd better stock up. from what I just heard, if Donnay doesn't come anywhere close to breaking even this year, this will be the final chapter for this chicken with out a head.
 
treblings

treblings

Hall of Fame
ProPlayer said:
well if you like this racket, you'd better stock up. from what I just heard, if Donnay doesn't come anywhere close to breaking even this year, this will be the final chapter for this chicken with out a head.
Click to expand...

where did you hear this if i may ask? any link available?
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
ProPlayer said:
well if you like this racket, you'd better stock up. from what I just heard, if Donnay doesn't come anywhere close to breaking even this year, this will be the final chapter for this chicken with out a head.
Click to expand...

I'm not surprised. They have made some silly moves .

Sticks are great ......management....not so great.
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
ProPlayer said:
well if you like this racket, you'd better stock up. from what I just heard, if Donnay doesn't come anywhere close to breaking even this year, this will be the final chapter for this chicken with out a head.
Click to expand...

How do you know this?

It's not cool to spread rumors that could cause people to not buy the racquets.

You have a ton of anti-donnay posts that seem very immature and angry, so it's tough to believe you.
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
16x19 vs 18x20 Pro one review!! Finally

Intro:

I finally had the chance to fully demo both sticks. I had played with the 18x20 before but felt it was underpowered. so I lowered the tension to 45 pounds and played with the
16x19 at 55 pounds. These racquets play very differently.

In general I would describe the 18x20 as a K90 with more power or maybe a supercharged Kblade would be more appropriate. The 16x19 is a serious increase in power from the 18x20. I would describe the 16x19 as a Babolat with the control of a Kbalde.

Control:

18x20: 9/10
16x19: 7/10

The 18x20 was near perfect on control. I could pinpoint shots as well as a K90. K90 users and Kblade users will love this stick.

The 16x19 sacrifices a bit of control for some serious freaking power.

Power:

18x20: 7/10
16x19: 10/10

The 16x20 has just the right amount of power for my game. In fact its so perfect that I cant add any weight to it or its just to powerful. I could hit deep penetrating shots effortlessly even when I was late.

I would describe the 16x19 as a babolat with far far better control. With the weights in the 16x19 actually felt more powerful than a babolat and quite frankly I could not control the ball.

The 18x20 was to underpowered for my game. Basically I am not good enough for it. Thats why I had played with a Babolat and not a Kblade.

slice:

18x20 : 8/10
16x19: 8/10

As all Donnays these things slice great. but the two patterns do slice differently. The 16x19 slice with more power and driving for while the 18x20 has more bite and spin on it. They are tied but they slice differently

Topspin:

18x20: 8/10
16x19 :8/10

again the topspin on these are different....and quite frankly Im not a great topspinner and admittedly I cant give a good review in this department. But I would say if you have a violent accomplished topspin then I would give the edge to the 18x20 version. On the other hand for a less accomplished topspin like I have i would go for the 16x19 pattern.

Serves

18x20: 7/10
16x19 : 10/10

I agree with I think Kal-eL who also gave it a 10/10. Power, control all there...and Im a big server. Its even a better serving racquet than a babolat. You get just as much power and lose no control. absolutely amazing.

The 18x20 had perfect control on the serves but I could not generate nearly as much power as with the 16x19 version.

Volleys:

18x20: 9/10
16x19: 7/10

The 18x20 was near perfect. The control was all there and the volleys were penetrating.

The 16x19 was a bit to powerful at the net, but my serves were so big I didnt have to volley nearly as well

Touch and droppers

18x20 9/10
16x19 6/10

The only reason I didnt give the 18x20 a 10/10 is because I tried the silver lite and that racquet gets a 10/10 in this department. The 18x20 was almost as good.

The 16x19 was lacking in this department. I had a hard time with all that power hitting and controling and effective drop shot.

return of serve:

18x20: 7/10
16x19 : 9/10

The 16x19 is maneuverable as all hell and the returns are powerful and very deep. It may be the best return of serve racquet Ive ever played with.

The 18x20 version was underpowered in this department and I could not get my returns deep enough.

Conclusion:

I have chosen the 16x19 for my game. I think if you are a more accomplished player and you like the ps85 , k90 or Kblade you will LOVE the 18x20 version. Its like a Kblade or K90 on steroids. You get the feel and touch and control but with more power.

On the other hand if you are used to a more powerful racquet like a Babolat then I think you will love the 16x19 version. It has all the power and the huge serve of a babolat but with a LOT more control.
 
Kal-El 34

Kal-El 34

Hall of Fame
VOLLEY KING said:
16x19 vs 18x20 Pro one review!! Finally

Intro:

I finally had the chance to fully demo both sticks. I had played with the 18x20 before but felt it was underpowered. so I lowered the tension to 45 pounds and played with the
16x19 at 55 pounds. These racquets play very differently.

In general I would describe the 18x20 as a K90 with more power or maybe a supercharged Kblade would be more appropriate. The 16x19 is a serious increase in power from the 18x20. I would describe the 16x19 as a Babolat with the control of a Kbalde.

Control:

18x20: 9/10
16x19: 7/10

The 18x20 was near perfect on control. I could pinpoint shots as well as a K90. K90 users and Kblade users will love this stick.

The 16x19 sacrifices a bit of control for some serious freaking power.

Power:

18x20: 7/10
16x19: 10/10

The 16x20 has just the right amount of power for my game. In fact its so perfect that I cant add any weight to it or its just to powerful. I could hit deep penetrating shots effortlessly even when I was late.

I would describe the 16x19 as a babolat with far far better control. With the weights in the 16x19 actually felt more powerful than a babolat and quite frankly I could not control the ball.

The 18x20 was to underpowered for my game. Basically I am not good enough for it. Thats why I had played with a Babolat and not a Kblade.

slice:

18x20 : 8/10
16x19: 8/10

As all Donnays these things slice great. but the two patterns do slice differently. The 16x19 slice with more power and driving for while the 18x20 has more bite and spin on it. They are tied but they slice differently

Topspin:

18x20: 8/10
16x19 :8/10

again the topspin on these are different....and quite frankly Im not a great topspinner and admittedly I cant give a good review in this department. But I would say if you have a violent accomplished topspin then I would give the edge to the 18x20 version. On the other hand for a less accomplished topspin like I have i would go for the 16x19 pattern.

Serves

18x20: 7/10
16x19 : 10/10

I agree with I think Kal-eL who also gave it a 10/10. Power, control all there...and Im a big server. Its even a better serving racquet than a babolat. You get just as much power and lose no control. absolutely amazing.

The 18x20 had perfect control on the serves but I could not generate nearly as much power as with the 16x19 version.

Volleys:

18x20: 9/10
16x19: 7/10

The 18x20 was near perfect. The control was all there and the volleys were penetrating.

The 16x19 was a bit to powerful at the net, but my serves were so big I didnt have to volley nearly as well

Touch and droppers

18x20 9/10
16x19 6/10

The only reason I didnt give the 18x20 a 10/10 is because I tried the silver lite and that racquet gets a 10/10 in this department. The 18x20 was almost as good.

The 16x19 was lacking in this department. I had a hard time with all that power hitting and controling and effective drop shot.

return of serve:

18x20: 7/10
16x19 : 9/10

The 16x19 is maneuverable as all hell and the returns are powerful and very deep. It may be the best return of serve racquet Ive ever played with.

The 18x20 version was underpowered in this department and I could not get my returns deep enough.

Conclusion:

I have chosen the 16x19 for my game. I think if you are a more accomplished player and you like the ps85 , k90 or Kblade you will LOVE the 18x20 version. Its like a Kblade or K90 on steroids. You get the feel and touch and control but with more power.

On the other hand if you are used to a more powerful racquet like a Babolat then I think you will love the 16x19 version. It has all the power and the huge serve of a babolat but with a LOT more control.
Click to expand...

very nice feedback on the frame... appreciate the time to review
 
S

skeeter

Professional
VOLLEY KING said:
16x19 vs 18x20 Pro one review!! Finally

Intro:

I finally had the chance to fully demo both sticks. I had played with the 18x20 before but felt it was underpowered. so I lowered the tension to 45 pounds and played with the
16x19 at 55 pounds. These racquets play very differently.
Click to expand...

Thanks; good review. What strings did you use? If these racquets are somewhat string sensitive, might be able to coax a bit more power from the 18x20 with lower tension (as you did) and maybe some gut or gut hybrid.
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Kal-El 34 said:
very nice feedback on the frame... appreciate the time to review
Click to expand...

skeeter said:
Thanks; good review. What strings did you use? If these racquets are somewhat string sensitive, might be able to coax a bit more power from the 18x20 with lower tension (as you did) and maybe some gut or gut hybrid.
Click to expand...

Full Poly.

I use a discontinued string that is not popular and it's discontinued....but I LOVE them. I only have a few reels left. :-(

It's called Gamma Zo True 18.

I'm through testing. I've made my decision.....at least until the extended version ones out next month.

Luckily the new version will be I think 102 square inches. I'm not interested in it.
I usually only like a 98 square inch or the absolute most is 100.

I'm really happy with the 16x19.....and that's not easy for me to say.

I never could really find the right fit with any of the other Donnays.....but this particular model is something special.

I really think Donnay has a huge winner here.

It took Donnay a while but I think they finally have figured it out.

I've honestly never played with a stick that I loved quite this much .

I can't say that I loved any other Donnay stick. I was intrigued by all of them.....but nothing really knocked my socks off except this pro one .
 
Shangri La

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
TW lists the sw as 327,TWU 332, Donnay 318. What in the world is the actual sw? Or that's just Donnay's quality control?
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Shangri La said:
TW lists the sw as 327,TWU 332, Donnay 318. What in the world is the actual sw? Or that's just Donnay's quality control?
Click to expand...

TW uses different methods from manufacturers from all companies.

for example if you check out what Wilson says something weighs you will see that TW has a different weight.

I think that TW measure the stock of racquets they get and it may be different than the stock Donnay has? Im not really sure why they differ but again TW differs from all companies
 
Shangri La

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
VOLLEY KING said:
TW uses different methods from manufacturers from all companies.

for example if you check out what Wilson says something weighs you will see that TW has a different weight.

I think that TW measure the stock of racquets they get and it may be different than the stock Donnay has? Im not really sure why they differ but again TW differs from all companies
Click to expand...

No, not in this case. Both TW and Donnay's numbers are strung, while other manufacturer's numbers are unstrung.
 
Shangri La

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
VOLLEY KING said:
There are tons of threads on this.....the stiffness and weights of TW differs from all manufactures. its a fact.
Click to expand...

I dont know what you still dont understand. The reason TW specs differ from most manufacturers' is because TW specs are strung, while manufacturers' are usually unstrung. But the Donnay's 318 sw I quoted is strung - its a fact. A few points off I can understand, but 318 vs 327/332??
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Shangri La said:
I dont know what you still dont understand. The reason TW specs differ from most manufacturers' is because TW specs are strung, while manufacturers' are usually unstrung. But the Donnay's 318 sw I quoted is strung - its a fact. A few points off I can understand, but 318 vs 327/332??
Click to expand...

I don't know what you don't understand

That is not the reason.

TW's numbers differ from manufactures numbers not only for that reason. Even the beam widths differ my friend.

TW does it's own measurements .
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Here you go I just picked one at random and sure enough the specs differ. Be my guest try any manufacturer:

from wilson blx six one 95

Length 27"
Pattern 16x18
Cross Section 21.6 mm Flat Beam
Grip Sizes 4 1/8, 4 1/4, 4 3/8, 4 1/2, 4 5/8
Balance 9 pts. HL
Head Size 95"
Unstrung Weight 332g
Strung Weight 348g

TW specs 

Head Size:
95 sq. in. / 612.9 sq. cm.
Length: 27in / 68.58cm
Strung Weight: 11.5oz / 326.02g
Balance: 7 pts HL
Swingweight: 306
Stiffness: 62
Head Size:
95 sq. in. / 612.9 sq. cm.
Length: 27in / 68.58cm
Strung Weight: 11.5oz / 326.02g
Balance: 7 pts HL
Swingweight: 306
Stiffness: 62
Beam Width: 18mm / 18mm / 18mm
 
Faithfulfather

Faithfulfather

Rookie
Chill out guys. I'm sure there is differences from machine to machine. I hit with the racquet again today and absolutley love it. In fact, I love it so much, I just order 2 more straight from John at Donnay. He and I talked for a little bit and he is definitely a nice guy. Which John I spoke with is anyone's guess. I think Donnay is just a victim of their own success when it comes to the Pro One. When I get the other 2 in, I will spec them out and let you know the differences between the 3. The first racquet was ordered from our friends here at Tennis Warehouse. Volley King, I owe you an apology. I now understand your enthusiasm for this racquet. Now, I need to stop reading reviews in the racquet section of this forum. You guys are breaking me and my wife is ticked off!
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Faithfulfather said:
P.S.

I now will have 3 Pro Kennex 7G's for sale and a Head Youtek IG Prestige MP for sale.
Click to expand...

Sheesh....that was not easy . Finally !

Welcome to the club bro. :).

I find that "John" and "John" thing really funny as well.

Again ....I was not in love with their other sticks .....but this Pro one is just something special . They are really on to something.

Enjoy :)
 
Faithfulfather

Faithfulfather

Rookie
In case anyone was concerned about tennis elbow. I have a very sensitive elbow and this racquet does not hurt it. Keep in mind, I also now wear a Band It elbow brace, which is incredible. 5 out of 5 stars on the brace.
 
Shangri La

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
VOLLEY KING said:
Here you go I just picked one at random and sure enough the specs differ. Be my guest try any manufacturer:

from wilson blx six one 95

Length 27"
Pattern 16x18
Cross Section 21.6 mm Flat Beam
Grip Sizes 4 1/8, 4 1/4, 4 3/8, 4 1/2, 4 5/8
Balance 9 pts. HL
Head Size 95"
Unstrung Weight 332g
Strung Weight 348g

TW specs 

Head Size:
95 sq. in. / 612.9 sq. cm.
Length: 27in / 68.58cm
Strung Weight: 11.5oz / 326.02g
Balance: 7 pts HL
Swingweight: 306
Stiffness: 62
Head Size:
95 sq. in. / 612.9 sq. cm.
Length: 27in / 68.58cm
Strung Weight: 11.5oz / 326.02g
Balance: 7 pts HL
Swingweight: 306
Stiffness: 62
Beam Width: 18mm / 18mm / 18mm
Click to expand...

Racquet number 1 is the Blx 6.1 95. Racquet number 2 is the blx prostaff 95. Are you telling me their specs are different? You win. I give up.
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
Shangri La said:
Racquet number 1 is the Blx 6.1 95. Racquet number 2 is the blx prostaff 95. Are you telling me their specs are different? You win. I give up.
Click to expand...

I'm on my iPhone dude.

Just check out any manufacturer and compare it with TW....it's almost always different strung and unstrung.....from beam width to the stiffness.

I asked TW why this is and they say they do their own measurements .....it happens all the time...Go ahead make my day give it a try.
 
JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Faithfulfather said:
Chill out guys. I'm sure there is differences from machine to machine. I hit with the racquet again today and absolutley love it. In fact, I love it so much, I just order 2 more straight from John at Donnay. He and I talked for a little bit and he is definitely a nice guy. Which John I spoke with is anyone's guess. I think Donnay is just a victim of their own success when it comes to the Pro One. When I get the other 2 in, I will spec them out and let you know the differences between the 3. The first racquet was ordered from our friends here at Tennis Warehouse. Volley King, I owe you an apology. I now understand your enthusiasm for this racquet. Now, I need to stop reading reviews in the racquet section of this forum. You guys are breaking me and my wife is ticked off!
Click to expand...

FF: you're the first person to really get my attention here because we share stick preferences with the 7G and the Ig Prestige MP (loved this demo so much I have one on the way): can you compare the Pro One to these other two sticks?
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
FF

I really don't care for Donnay strings . Try something else ... The racquet gets even better!

Also the customization kit makes a huge difference on this racquet . More so than any other Donnay stick.

In fact I can't add any weight to it because it's just to much power for me to handle. Maybe outdoors on clay I will add it in?
 
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JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
TW specs are usually always the most accurate bc they take 5 or 10 sticks from every batch of frames they get and run tests on all of them and then list the average measurements of them all. Great that they do this to give a true idea of the average stick you can expect to get.
 
Faithfulfather

Faithfulfather

Rookie
JGads said:
FF: you're the first person to really get my attention here because we share stick preferences with the 7G and the Ig Prestige MP (loved this demo so much I have one on the way): can you compare the Pro One to these other two sticks?
Click to expand...

All three sticks are wonderful and are great in their own way. The 7g is very arm friendly and comfortable but only did everything "good". I have had 3 rotator cuff surgeries so the extended length was a concern, although it was never tender. The Prestige has remarkable control but lacks in the spin potential of the three sticks mentioned due to the tighter pattern. It is arm friendly, but I have a 'VERY' sensitive elbow and had a little tenderness. That was also before the Band It elbow brace. The Pro One has the most power of the three. The power, to my surprise was very usable and controlled. The deal breaker between the three sticks was that all my friends told me that my shots were tougher with the Pro One. 7G is a good all-arounder, Prestige has the best control of the three (no doubt about it), and the Pro One (for me) produced the heaviest ball. If you want a second IG Prestige MP, IM me and I will make you good deal. I hope this helps you. My Pro One is strung with Tonic 16 mains @ 55lbs and Scorpion 16L Crosses @ 55lbs.
 
Last edited:
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
JGads said:
TW specs are usually always the most accurate bc they take 5 or 10 sticks from every batch of frames they get and run tests on all of them and then list the average measurements of them all. Great that they do this to give a true idea of the average stick you can expect to get.
Click to expand...

I agree completely .

Thanks for that . I forgot the reason. Thanks for clearing it up
 
ProPlayer

ProPlayer

Rookie
VOLLEY KING said:
Sheesh....that was not easy . Finally !

Welcome to the club bro. :).

I find that "John" and "John" thing really funny as well.

Again ....I was not in love with their other sticks .....but this Pro one is just something special . They are really on to something.

Enjoy :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, really on to something.... such as making the same frame Solinco has already been making...
 
JGads

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Faithfulfather said:
All three sticks are wonderful and are great in their own way. The 7g is very arm friendly and comfortable but only did everything "good". I have had 3 rotator cuff surgeries so the extended length was a concern, although it was never tender. The Prestige has remarkable control but lacks in the spin potential of the three sticks mentioned due to the tighter pattern. It is arm friendly, but I have a 'VERY' sensitive elbow and had a little tenderness. That was also before the Band It elbow brace. The Pro One has the most power of the three. The power, to my surprise was very usable and controlled. The deal breaker between the three sticks was that all my friends told me that my shots were tougher with the Pro One. 7G is a good all-arounder, Prestige has the best control of the three (no doubt about it), and the Pro One (for me) produced the heaviest ball. If you want a second IG Prestige MP, IM me and I will make you good deal. I hope this helps you. My Pro One is strung with Tonic 16 mains @ 55lbs and Scorpion 16L Crosses @ 55lbs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that. I'll email you re: the Prestige. But the P1 is now on my radar.
 
P

PigPen

Professional
FF,

I am also considering the Pro One. What was the feel like for drop shots? What was the spin potential? Did you think the gut/poly combination worked well.

I demoed the racket for a short while. I liked the balance but was not crazy about the Donnay hybrid strings.

By the way, I'm a 50 year old 4.5 player (used to be 4.0). I have a semi-western forehand and a one-handed backhand. I play an all-court game with a lot of doubles mixed in.

Thanks.
 
V

VOLLEY KING

Banned
ProPlayer said:
Yeah, really on to something.... such as making the same frame Solinco has already been making...
Click to expand...

Just checked out Solinco. They are not the same at all.

There are two solinco sticks and 8 and 10.

Both are 18x20 while the pro one is 16x19 or 18x20

The pro one is more powerful than either of them even without the customization . But it's also more maneuverable....

The solinco is a whopping 12.1 ounces with less power ....I think from memory the pro one is 11.4??

But the cool thing about the pro one is you just add the weights in and the power increases dramatically . So with Donnay you have more of a choice.

Different string patterns, more or less power and weight augmentation is a breeze.

Here look at the power maps on a naked pro one 16x19:

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/cgi...O1|97|Donnay|Pro:One|RCDONNAY|x&racquetD=none
 
H

Hominator

Hall of Fame
JGads said:
Thanks for that. I'll email you re: the Prestige. But the P1 is now on my radar.
Click to expand...

The Pro One really is a nice frame. It should be a pretty easy transition from the 7G. It's also surprisingly powerful, like others have said. My main racquet is a Volkl X10 325, but last week I took out my Donnay Pro One, just for fun. It was unbelievably more powerful - it was a fun hit.

If you go with the Pro One and want to protect your arm, I recommend a good multi, such as Babolat Xcel and to replace the stock grip with a Wilson Shock Shield grip - it takes the edge off.
 
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