Blading this week, for the honour of Canada! <3
-Fuji
someone needs to photoshop some godzilla fire beams on that pic of raonic
EDIT: here's mine
Hated it ....but so many people swear by it .
I didn't feel that I got a bunch of spin, but at the same time, I had plenty of control. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but that's what I thought.
Any of you tried full bed of scorpion before? I just did but I want to know your thought before I post mine lol.
Well, you're not the only one. Worst poly experience I've ever had. Had very little spin or control.
I'm wondering what tension you've tried, because I honestly couldn't stand it. I liked the feel of the string bed, but there was more spin and control needed IMO.
Since you have your own stringer now you could probably replace just the crosses with syn gut if you have any lying around. Be sure to mount the racket first before cutting out the crosses!
47. I could keep the ball in the court no problem, control was definitely there, but spin production was definitely lacking. I felt that my shots weren't as heavy, but rather, had a flatter trajectory.
Blading this week, for the honour of Canada! <3
-Fuji
This would make sense why I don't like it much. My game with my pro open is ALL topspin, and I can rarely hit flat or else it will sail. I have no clue why... It seems that this string may be aimed at flatter hitting players. I would be interested in putting this string in an 18x20.
Ack! I don't know if the 104 is turning me into a better, more rounded player or just an epic pusher!? I just played my first league match with it and won 6-0, 6-1 without hitting one good driving forehand! Not one!! Just rally shots, slice BH, drop shots, lobs, and lots of first serves. It felt quite unsatisfying to not crank any FH's but maybe that's silly, maybe being an epic pusher with a giant headed granny stick who never hits the ball out is my new destiny and I should just embrace it?!?
This is why I have a Blade on the way. Just dying to crush some groundies. I guess I should see if I actually get better results crushing forehands or if it's just sort of fool's gold. One thing is for sure, the 104 is an unbelievable pusher's stick. I feel like I can hit 10,000 slice backhands without ever missing, and then when the guy inevitably comes to net just an easy lob to the baseline. Oh man, and I'm not even an old fart yet. Don't tell the old farts about the 104!!
So Gads, between the 16m and 18m tec you prefer the steam? Lol
Yeah. My favorite full poly set up in the Prestige is Solinco Tour Bite at 48. But, I'm also partial to gut/poly hybrids like Pacific Classic and SPPP. I love spin in general, but I like to do more than slug it out from the baseline playing "modern tennis."
Its so dicey. Its almost like a character test. Would you like to win more but turn into a tennis gollum...i feel like ive done the players stick thing so many summers it might be the summer of slice...blade 104 with gut 4g hybrid all systems go in serena we trust.
It's all about having fun while we do it, right?
I can relate to this predicament. Where it really bites you is when you come off of playing a guy where all you have to do is be consistent, get the ball back, you win easily, but then go into another match with essentially the same mindset ("let's just wait...") but the other guy actually doesn't make the same mistakes and starts hitting winners.
Its so dicey. Its almost like a character test. Would you like to win more but turn into a tennis gollum...i feel like ive done the players stick thing so many summers it might be the summer of slice...blade 104 with gut 4g hybrid all systems go in serena we trust.
You should rock that shirt, too. That's a beauty.
It's so up in the air, to be honest. The Steam's serving and volleying is the easiest and most consistent, but on groundies it's the Tec or my tgk Rad I want in my hands. Against softer hitting players, I love the Steam - I hit an effortlessly deep shot to the corner, arrive at the net, put the volley away, whereas I'm more prone to errors doing the same with my heavier, more low-powered sticks. Against bigger hitting players, I love the solidity of those heavier, lovely feeling player sticks.
Of the two Tec versions, as of this moment I like the 16m better but not ready to call it definitively yet, and it's probably mostly due to the fact that it's still swinging more easily/naturally for me than the 18m, more so than a difference in the string patterns.
Next up: putting lead in the throats of these frames to see how they swing that way. Was talking to Aimr who had that done to his Tec and he likes it so far, and I've liked the lead in the throat in other frames.
So yeah, while the Blade 104 may make you feel like a pusher, it is only because you are playing guys that let you do that. If I can go out there, conserve energy and hit 60% rally balls and low slice the whole time, ill do it. Is it that fun? Well it doesn't suck. And in a ladder situation or a tourney, league.etc, the more you win, the better caliber of player you play next and then the big hitting commences.
hey guys, any comparisons with the Blade 104 and the Radical OS? specs seem similar.
Congrats on the win, the 104 claims another! So....just an existential crisis I guess, if I'm actually more successful being relaxed and steady all over the court but not ripping FHs left and right will I be satisfied with that? The fact that I just ordered a Blade reveals my extent of my skepticism!
If I had to win a match right now, I'd go with the blade 104.
To hit for fun I'd take the steam 99s.
If I had a good nights sleep and was able to quit my job and play tennis all day I'd probably go vcore 95d with lead.
I need to get in a more hardcore league so I can get this sorted.
Leaning blade...still thinking about getting a tec or a C10 or a dunny tour, something heavy and flex.
I played a radical OS a few years ago and was really impressed with it. Posted a review about it in a Radical thread.
Ended up going with the Radical Pro though.
I'd stay with the Blade.
For sure. The worst thing you can do is try to create pace when you aren't getting any back. Thats a solid formula for losing to players you should be beating.
Now if you are getting pace and still can't put the ball away when you have a window, that is a problem.
That is why I bought 3 tecs and am out of holic-demo-curiousity mode. I know the ball is going to stay in as long as I move my feet and set up.
it is only because you are playing guys that let you do that. If I can go out there, conserve energy and hit 60% rally balls and low slice the whole time, ill do it. Is it that fun? Well it doesn't suck.
I agree with both of these. Had my first hit with the Blade in 70 degree plus weather, the power available on an easy swing is unbelievable-this thing is a swiss army knife, it can hit any shot. I've got my favorite poly hybrid in there: tour bite crossed with tour bite at 52/49.
I like your 2nd point as I saw an interview here the other day with Gulbis about playing Nadal.
Gulbis pointed out that Nadal is never going to beat himself, if Nadal is out of position, he'll roll one high over the net with a ton of net clearance and spin and then just wait til he's back into a position to hurt you. He's not trying to paint the lines but just hit with a ton of margin for error.
Keith...for us it should be all about doing whatever brings you more enjoyment to the sport. If you have more fun ripping winners and don't care as much about making more UEs, than do it. If you enjoy playing more steady and consistent, than do that. Whichever leaves you feeling more satisfied after a match is over is the way to go.
My game is more about variety. I love trying to figure out what gives my opponen trouble and then exploiting it. Each match is like a puzzle waiting to be solved.
Heck yeah. To add to that, I used to be so inconsistent, but once I get in a groove now, I always hit the ball back. Especially in practice...i many times hit against 2 players if the courts are busy, and I can keep rallys going forever now. 20-30, sometimes 40 balls back. Couldn't fathom doing that a few years ago unless I was pushing.
I really enjoy a nice long point during matches. It is tiring, but there is nothing more rewarding than a long point in tennis if both players are hitting quality, heavy shots at each other.
Heck yeah. To add to that, I used to be so inconsistent, but once I get in a groove now, I always hit the ball back. Especially in practice...i many times hit against 2 players if the courts are busy, and I can keep rallys going forever now. 20-30, sometimes 40 balls back. Couldn't fathom doing that a few years ago unless I was pushing.
I really enjoy a nice long point during matches. It is tiring, but there is nothing more rewarding than a long point in tennis if both players are hitting quality, heavy shots at each other.
allow me to add that you're hitting with more variety...that's going to get you more points in a match.
Which Blade?
Hated it ....but so many people swear by it .
I used it in a hybrid which was pretty good, I also got the feeling when I was using it that I wouldn't like it much in a full bed. It seems like many of the ppl who like it use it in a hybrid with syn gut or a multi, and a lot of the ppl who didn't like it tried it in a full bed.
Count me in too, Mike, Dark Knight, Ray... not my cup of tea at all as a full job. Big disappointment.Well, you're not the only one. Worst poly experience I've ever had. Had very little spin or control.
Well, the Blade 16x19 showed up early, must have heard me talking about it. Strung it up with full syn gut at 58, roughly as Dr. PP prescribed, seems dead on spec, 330g, 5HL with OG and damper, just right, 76 degress...suddenly can't find a partner?! What kind of cruel joke is this?!:shock:
Hit against the wall, its better than nothing-
posted some thoughts on a brief hit today with the Prince EXO3 Red 105 here:
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=460165
very surprising frame! Not sure if it's a good match, but after enjoying the Blade 104 so much, I wanted to see if there was something even EASIER to use that would work with my game.
I think I am done with playing with sticks "over my head". I am leaving the pure players sticks to you guys