BB London Tour 93in2 Club

[TennisMaverick]

Third page is passing by, still no stiffness numbers...
Only 60-61 speculation so far, so does it flex anywhere near PB 10 Mid or not?

My estimate isn't speculation. If anything, it is closer to 60, if not 59. The Tour 10 Mid was 59, and felt stiffer for sure. This lay-up is a little different, with the addition of DC, but it doesn't have the titanium, so outside of 3/9, it is softer than the T10 Mid.

 

[maxpotapov]

Hey...heard you left Brooklyn for the South. My estimate isn't speculation. If anything, it is closer to 60, if not 59. The Tour 10 Mid was 59, and felt stiffer for sure. This lay-up is a little different, with the addition of DC, but it doesn't have the titanium, so outside of 3/9, it is softer than the T10 Mid.

Hey TennisMaverick, yeah we spent some winter time in Orlando, FL and then moved further east to Ukraine I hope I'll get back to NYC next year, so looking forward to playing with Ken again!

About BB London Tour 93, if it really feels softer than PB10 Mid then this is going to be it for me! I did not try T10 Mid though but now I wonder about titanium, does PB10 Mid inherit some of its metallic feel (and sound!) from T10 Mid?

You see, I'm still looking for this soft-but-powerful response that I got from 15 years old Prestige Classic (people call it plush?) From what I gathered, the purer graphite composition the better sound and feel, the plusher feedback I get. Then of course there is a layup and 3/9 stability systems/weights that affect stiffness and sweetspot/acoustic characteristics of the percussion (I want lowest frequency deepest richest sound possible).

I liked those photos with head to head comparisons with PC600 and PB10 Mid. If I can get PB10 Mid with more real estate and less metallic feel and sound - that would be wonderful!!!

 

[TennisMaverick]

Hey TennisMaverick, yeah we spent some winter time in Orlando, FL and then moved further east to Ukraine I hope I'll get back to NYC next year, so looking forward to playing with Ken again!

About BB London Tour 93, if it really feels softer than PB10 Mid then this is going to be it for me! I did not try T10 Mid though but now I wonder about titanium, does PB10 Mid inherit some of its metallic feel (and sound!) from T10 Mid?

You see, I'm still looking for this soft-but-powerful response that I got from 15 years old Prestige Classic (people call it plush?) From what I gathered, the purer graphite composition the better sound and feel, the plusher feedback I get. Then of course there is a layup and 3/9 stability systems/weights that affect stiffness and sweetspot/acoustic characteristics of the percussion (I want lowest frequency deepest richest sound possible).

I liked those photos with head to head comparisons with PC600 and PB10 Mid. If I can get PB10 Mid with more real estate and less metallic feel and sound - that would be wonderful!!!

IMPO, put a leather grip and some lead tape on the head, and the London Tour is closer to the original Prestige than the current Prestige is. It also has that solid sound that you're talking about, but it is an extreme precision stick, as the old Prestige was, and the player has to do all of the work.

Is the economy better in the Ukraine than it is here?

 

[Agent Orynge]

My estimate isn't speculation. If anything, it is closer to 60, if not 59. The Tour 10 Mid was 59, and felt stiffer for sure. This lay-up is a little different, with the addition of DC, but it doesn't have the titanium, so outside of 3/9, it is softer than the T10 Mid.

An educated guess is still a guess.

 

[maxpotapov]

IMPO, put a leather grip and some lead tape on the head, and the London Tour is closer to the original Prestige than the current Prestige is. It also has that solid sound that you're talking about, but it is an extreme precision stick, as the old Prestige was, and the player has to do all of the work.

Is the economy better in the Ukraine than it is here?

Youtek Prestige Mid is far from original, acoustic/tactile feedback wise. Vibration frequency and stiffness numbers are higher than that of BLX 6.1 Tour - 148 Hz/65 flex vs 141 Hz/63 flex (source: TWU) which totally correspond to my personal observations

Volkl PB10 Mid is 135 Hz/61 flex, on par with Babolat PSLGT and I guess with PC600

Economy in Ukraine? I guess more stable than US right now, but this is more like stability near the bottom whereas US economy hits the [debt] ceiling. If anything, we can freely trade with our neighbor Russia with its unlimited supply of oil/gas money - Moscow is 1 hour flight from Kiev, same language, same economic region.

 

[maxpotapov]

TennisMaverick, you mentioned that solid sound - no metallic overtones then? (and I'm talking about resonance of the frame itself, not strings - I can hear this tiny whistling metallic sound from PB10 Mid, especially on 2HBH). It's not like it bothers me, it just creates totally different perception of the stick - like you are wielding a samurai sword (sharp, easy to swing but enough heft to crush the ball)

Also, when you say "extreme precision stick" you mean not-so-generous sweetspot or just weight distribution, heft, etc.?

 

[TennisMaverick]

Youtek Prestige Mid is far from original, acoustic/tactile feedback wise. Vibration frequency and stiffness numbers are higher than that of BLX 6.1 Tour - 148 Hz/65 flex vs 141 Hz/63 flex (source: TWU) which totally correspond to my personal observations

Volkl PB10 Mid is 135 Hz/61 flex, on par with Babolat PSLGT and I guess with PC600

Economy in Ukraine? I guess more stable than US right now, but this is more like stability near the bottom whereas US economy hits the [debt] ceiling. If anything, we can freely trade with our neighbor Russia with its unlimited supply of oil/gas money - Moscow is 1 hour flight from Kiev, same language, same economic region.

The PB 10 Mid wobbles a little, is that your dislike? The London Tour, does not. It is more cushioned, or buttery as many may describe it, although I would never consider the Prestige buttery; it just rammed through the back of the ball, transferring little energy to your hand. I'm going to just throw a layer of athletic tape--if I cared, I would use black hockey tape which is the same--1/2 in wide, over the entire capped grommet, with a leather grip, and I bet that it will be the rip stick the Classic Prestige was.

On a tangent, I have to order take-out at 7:17 am......

 

[TennisMaverick]

TennisMaverick, you mentioned that solid sound - no metallic overtones then? (and I'm talking about resonance of the frame itself, not strings - I can hear this tiny whistling metallic sound from PB10 Mid, especially on 2HBH). It's not like it bothers me, it just creates totally different perception of the stick - like you are wielding a samurai sword (sharp, easy to swing but enough heft to crush the ball)

Also, when you say "extreme precision stick" you mean not-so-generous sweetspot or just weight distribution, heft, etc.?

You have to crush the ball onto the face of the racquet. I prefer that the head were a little heavier, but I'm used to 395 grams. The sweet spot isn't as big as the PB 10 Mid's, but it is comparable to the Melbourne's, just a tad smaller. The Melbourne and the London Tour, match-up very well, but the Melbourne is head heavier, as it should be.

 

[maxpotapov]

You have to crush the ball onto the face of the racquet. I prefer that the head were a little heavier, but I'm used to 395 grams.

Sounds logical - a little heavier head/higher swingweight, 395 grams must be really pancaking the ball

But my technique as of today requires something more headlight... I guess black hockey tape over the entire CAP grommet + leather grip should not really change the balance?..

 

[Agent Orynge]

The PB 10 Mid wobbles a little, is that your dislike? The London Tour, does not. It is more cushioned, or buttery as many may describe it, although I would never consider the Prestige buttery; it just rammed through the back of the ball, transferring little energy to your hand. I'm going to just throw a layer of athletic tape--if I cared, I would use black hockey tape which is the same--1/2 in wide, over the entire capped grommet, with a leather grip, and I bet that it will be the rip stick the Classic Prestige was.

On a tangent, I have to order take-out at 7:17 am......

Be careful what you eat. Don't want to bite off more than you can chew... again.

 

[TennisMaverick]

Sounds logical - a little heavier head/higher swingweight, 395 grams must be really pancaking the ball

But my technique as of today requires something more headlight... I guess black hockey tape over the entire CAP grommet + leather grip should not really change the balance?..

The balance on this thing is about 9 pts HL, when strung, is about 6 pts HL, which for many, is substantial. It is 10 grams lighter than the Prestige, so a leather grip and 1/3-1/2 inch wide tape on the capped grommet should add about 10 grams, and not change the balance much.

My own stick maybe heavy, but it is very depolarized at 8.5 pts HL. But it does pancake the ball, and most players are awestruck its weight. Even though these guys are using sticks which are 5-6 pt HL with the lead on them, their overall weight is only around 350 grams or less, and polarized for topspin. But they are even younger than you and training 6-8 hours per day.

 

[Power Player]

I had my PC600 at 11.9 by using a synthetic grip. It swung perfectly. The player does have to do a lot of work, but it is such a rewarding racquet to use. Just from seeing the string wear I could dime the sweet spot much more consistently than with a 100 size head. Not sure if that is because I focused more or what, but that was my experience.

 

[suppawat]

I and my 10 friends playtested the London Tour found the racquet quite demanding. Only 3 out of 10 can play this racquet comfortably (Anirut was one of them). So, this is not a racquet for everyone. The racquet was strung with Volkl V-Feel. IMO, this racquet is like a smaller version of C10 Pro - same raw/solid feel, same low power level. It has a nice flex (may be < 60), but it takes a little more effort to rally groundstroke. Those who can play PK Redondo, Volkl C10 Pro, Wilson KBlade Tour should be able to play this racquet comfortably.

For former PC600 users like me and a few friends, we shared similar feedback. The London Tour is not close to PC600 yet because of smaller sweet spot, lower power, less stability. However, I will give it another try by adding lead tape at 3-12-9 o'clock positions, replace synthetic grip with leather, and change string to soft poly.

 

[tennisexecutor]

For former PC600 users like me and a few friends, we shared similar feedback. The London Tour is not close to PC600 yet because of smaller sweet spot, lower power, less stability. However, I will give it another try by adding lead tape at 3-12-9 o'clock positions, replace synthetic grip with leather, and change string to soft poly.

just as i suspected. the pj was a good start but that's where the comparison to the PC600 ends. the feel of the PC600 runs too deep and CANNOT be replicated!

the specs look closer to the black ace 93. now does this frame outperform it in anything?

 

[TennisMaverick]

Modifying DC sticks are tricky, as many London users can attest, for in doing so, you change the stick's character. Thus, minimum and more depolarized mods are better with DC lay-ups. As I previously posted, I just substituted a leather grip, after adding four layers of white athletic tape to the left and right sides to get close to an Attiva shaped grip. Then, I adhered the same tape, 1/2 wide to the capped grommet, and 2 grams of lead tape at the bridge, instead of a dampener, so as not to mask the feel. This brought the overall weight to 347 grams, 6 points HL. Basically, 10 grams heavier than stock, with the same balance. This opened the sweet spot a lot, and its stability is much better.

It's been a while since I hit with a Prestige Classic, since I thought it to be a brick compared to my Kneissl White Star, but I will stay with my original statement that you will be hard pressed to find anything closer--which was what Volkl was shooting for--a Volkl feel in a stick which plays to compete with the Prestige, but with DC and without the need for lead tape. I am going to lend this out for a play-test to a 6.5, still Prestige user--he was given tons when he was playing under them--who is only 30 years old and coaching top juniors. We will lead tape modify them from where the stick is now, to match his Prestiges, and see what he has to say.

 

[ptr]

Modifying DC sticks are tricky, as many London users can attest, for in doing so, you change the stick's character. Thus, minimum and more depolarized mods are better with DC lay-ups. As I previously posted, I just substituted a leather grip, after adding four layers of white athletic tape to the left and right sides to get close to an Attiva shaped grip. Then, I adhered the same tape, 1/2 wide to the capped grommet, and 2 grams of lead tape at the bridge, instead of a dampener, so as not to mask the feel. This brought the overall weight to 347 grams, 6 points HL. Basically, 10 grams heavier than stock, with the same balance. This opened the sweet spot a lot, and its stability is much better.

My friend, as recap: to do not affect DC technology weight only in the handle (leather grip or/and lead) and lead only on the 6 o'clock, yes? Lead on 10/2 or 9/3 can affect DC Technology?

Thanks, I didn't know! I'm new in BB world

 

[ptr]

TM, any comment for above?

 

[TennisMaverick]

My friend, as recap: to do not affect DC technology weight only in the handle (leather grip or/and lead) and lead only on the 6 o'clock, yes? Lead on 10/2 or 9/3 can affect DC Technology?

Thanks, I didn't know! I'm new in BB world

You can put lead at 3/9, or 2/10. You just can't put as much as you usually would, and with the DC, you shouldn't have to.

As I stated above, I just weighted the capped grommet with 1/2 in athletic tape, plus the 2 grams at 6:00, and the stick felt great.

 

[ptr]

You can put lead at 3/9, or 2/10. You just can't put as much as you usually would, and with the DC, you shouldn't have to.

As I stated above, I just weighted the capped grommet with 1/2 in athletic tape, plus the 2 grams at 6:00, and the stick felt great.

Thank you for that comment!

 

[Automatix]

According to my friends who playtested the frame it's nothing extraordinary.
The pj is indeed beautiful and the CAPS are really nice but for it's weight class it's not that stable, it also feels to them like 63-64RA. The string spacing is somewhat wider than found on a MG Prestige Mid. Also it doesn't feel as substantial given the weight.

Frame was strung with Voelkl Cyclone.

 

[TennisMaverick]

According to my friends who playtested the frame it's nothing extraordinary.

It's as close as you can get to a traditional 93in2 graphite frame. So it's old school, with nano carbon at 3/9 to provide stability without the need for lead tape there, but at 320 grams for racquet head acceleration.

 

[Automatix]

It's as close as you can get to a traditional 93in2 graphite frame. So it's old school, with nano carbon at 3/9 to provide stability without the need for lead tape there, but at 320 grams for racquet head acceleration.

Well, their opinion differs from what you just wrote.

There are, in their opinion of course, more stable frames in this weight class.
Except for the pj this model didn't overwhelm them. And that's it.

 

[TennisMaverick]

Well, their opinion differs from what you just wrote.

There are, in their opinion of course, more stable frames in this weight class.
Except for the pj this model didn't overwhelm them. And that's it.

I guess there is a communication issue. I'm not disputing their opinion; what I am saying is, how do you expect "old school", to be extraordinary?

 

[Automatix]

...how do you expect "old school", to be extraordinary?

By extraordinary I meant they didn't find the frame to excel in anything.

It wasn't as soft as a Max 200G.
It didn't have the stability or feel of a Prestige Classic Mid.
It didn't feel as precise as a PS85.
Etc.

Actually one of the testers was more impressed with the Donnay X-Dark Red.

 

[TennisMaverick]

By extraordinary I meant they didn't find the frame to excel in anything.

It wasn't as soft as a Max 200G.
It didn't have the stability or feel of a Prestige Classic Mid.
It didn't feel as precise as a PS85.
Etc.

Actually one of the testers was more impressed with the Donnay X-Dark Red.

Sorry....we're talking past each other....we have very different view points for the definition of extraordinary.

 

[maxpotapov]

According to my friends who playtested the frame it's nothing extraordinary.
Frame was strung with Voelkl Cyclone.

I remember playtesting 15 years old Silver/Green Prestige 600 strung with something like Prince Top Spin Syn Gut of about the same age. The feel and sound was amazing, even though catapult effect was a little too much

Then after a while the string finally broke and guy restrung it with something like Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour and I tried it again. Now that was a harsh dead boardy feel coming from the same beautiful <60 flex frame .

I don't believe you can get soft, "deep" old skool feel from a frame with a full "plastic" string bed. I want to hear from somebody who tried full multi or at least poly/syn gut hybrid on BB London Tour 93.

 

[TennisMaverick]

I remember playtesting 15 years old Silver/Green Prestige 600 strung with something like Prince Top Spin Syn Gut of about the same age. The feel and sound was amazing, even though catapult effect was a little too much

Then after a while the string finally broke and guy restrung it with something like Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour and I tried it again. Now that was a harsh dead boardy feel coming from the same beautiful <60 flex frame .

I don't believe you can get soft, "deep" old skool feel from a frame with a full "plastic" string bed. I want to hear from somebody who tried full multi or at least poly/syn gut hybrid on BB London Tour 93.

My stick was strung with Gripper@53M/50C. Next time, I will drop .5 lbs.

What do you want to know?

 

[maxpotapov]

My stick was strung with Gripper@53M/50C. Next time, I will drop .5 lbs.

What do you want to know?

My point was, I wanted to hear from more people testing the stick with "oldskool" strings. Full poly (or co-poly) does not do justice to any frame in feel department, plastic always feels and sounds like plastic

 

[Hominator]

My point was, I wanted to hear from more people testing the stick with "oldskool" strings. Full poly (or co-poly) does not do justice to any frame in feel department, plastic always feels and sounds like plastic

Gripper is a multi, not a poly.

 

[maxpotapov]

Gripper is a multi, not a poly.

I know I already got TennisMaverick's impressions earlier in this thread

 

[TennisMaverick]

My point was, I wanted to hear from more people testing the stick with "oldskool" strings. Full poly (or co-poly) does not do justice to any frame in feel department, plastic always feels and sounds like plastic

I have a full cosmetic proto, that is why I had it 4 weeks ago. They didn't want me messing with the Stealth--even though I really wanted it--because it wasn't production. My proto is. There are guys in Europe and Asia who have proto models, but if they do not state how well they play, their opinion is irrelevant. Otherwise, no one has them to play test. The SoCal rep who I used to coach told me that he received his samples only last Friday.

This is a very old school 93in2. You better be able to hit in the center 97/98 out of 100 balls, and be able to adjust on the very next shot, or get spanked. You also better be very definite on your contact point before contact, because it does not have the forgiveness of a PB 10 Mid or a London. It is a more HL 93in2 version of the Melbourne, without the recessed cross string cupping action; you have to pressure the ball or hit with a lot of acceleration and grind like Federer, lead-it-up, or else, just play with the Melbourne.

This is the most precision oriented frame in both lines, and you better check your ego at the gate, unless you want to look like the scrub dressed to the nines, with the nicest, newest bag and gleaming sticks, who no one will play with because he chases down more balls than he makes contact with, and has to pay the hitter $25/hr for a workout. Plain and simple.

 

[TennisMaverick]

I hit again with the above mods just before dusk, and it was too polarized for me to hit flat shots against the guy that I hit with, so I chucked 3 grams in the throat, which helped. I will now loan it out as is, because if I modify it to my specs, no one will like it unless they are using it to hammer nails...

 

[dje31]

Not to threadjack or anything---actually reviving this thread, as its content is relevent---but is there going to be an Organix 10 (tour/pro/93) to replace the PB10Mid? Hopefully still a 16x19.

TM, is there an ETA on such an animal? I know, I'm jumping the gun, esp. when the London Tour hasn't even been officially introduced, let alone released.

Still looking forward to trying the London Tour when it's available.

 

[TennisMaverick]

Not to threadjack or anything---actually reviving this thread, as its content is relevent---but is there going to be an Organix 10 (tour/pro/93) to replace the PB10Mid? Hopefully still a 16x19.

TM, is there an ETA on such an animal? I know, I'm jumping the gun, esp. when the London Tour hasn't even been officially introduced, let alone released.

Still looking forward to trying the London Tour when it's available.

Fall 2012. My suggestion to them was 16x19 but an 18mm X 10 Mid, or keep it 19mm, with 18x20. I do know that they will keep the head shape, which for me, is HUGE! I suggested this because the X material at 12:00 will substantially stiffen the frame. I personally have never played well with the more powerful 93in2 sticks that Volkl produced over the years...Tournament Pro, C 10 Pro Tour, Tour 10 Mid, DNX 10 Mid.

 

[dje31]

Dang...over a year away. Poop.

Thanks for the info, Mav.

 

[TennisMaverick]

From a 6.5 player:

Classic flex feel; love the BH slice in terms of both rpm and mph; serves had a lot on them.

More to come.

 

[canadad]

Fall 2012. My suggestion to them was 16x19 but an 18mm X 10 Mid, or keep it 19mm, with 18x20.

Shoot, I am disappointed to hear that! I play only in the spring and summer, so this means I can't play with this until 2013.
Is the delay due to tester feedback and potential tweaking?

 

[TennisMaverick]

Shoot, I am disappointed to hear that! I play only in the spring and summer, so this means I can't play with this until 2013.
Is the delay due to tester feedback and potential tweaking?

I never mentioned a delay. It's widely known that the PB 10 Mid is a best seller and is soon to be the third Volkl Classic. Why would they be in such a hurry to bury it?

 

[canadad]

I never mentioned a delay. It's widely known that the PB 10 Mid is a best seller and is soon to be the third Volkl Classic. Why would they be in such a hurry to bury it?

I didn't think that releasing another mid would bury the PB 10 Mid. I agree that stick is a classic. So does Volkl traditionally have one Mid at a time? I am new customer to this company.

 

[TennisMaverick]

I didn't think that releasing another mid would bury the PB 10 Mid. I agree that stick is a classic. So does Volkl traditionally have one Mid at a time? I am new customer to this company.

If you break-out an update, your current sales would obviously be affected. It is only logical to intro an update when the current frame's sales drp significantly.

The new mid is the 18x20 London Tour. It's a classic graphite feeling frame, which plays much like the Prestige Classic. You should read the thread from the beginning.

 

[canadad]

I just saw this on the Boris Becker Tennis Facebook page:
"The new London mid will hit stores in a week or so. 93 square inches, 18x20 pattern, 27 inches long, and 11.3 oz unstrung"

 

[canadad]

If you break-out an update, your current sales would obviously be affected. It is only logical to intro an update when the current frame's sales drp significantly.

The new mid is the 18x20 London Tour. It's a classic graphite feeling frame, which plays much like the Prestige Classic. You should read the thread from the beginning.

I just realized how stupid I sounded, I talking about the London update and you guys were talking about the PB 10 Mid update. Sorry, I guess I do need to read the thread closely.
Opps!

 

[dParis]

I see the London Tour is now available for pre-sale at TW.

Mav, do you think the X8-315 and the London Tour are the final Volkl Becker releases for 2011?

 

[maxpotapov]

From the specs page on TW:

Stiffness: 55
Beam Width: 19.5mm / 19.5mm / 19.5mm

Is not that awesome?!
And price is nice too, $159.99

I can see where people complaining come from:
Swingweight: 308

But with
Strung Weight: 11.6oz / 328.85g
Balance: 6 pts HL
sky is the limit in terms of customization - adding stability, plowthrough, enlarging sweet zone etc.

To TM: does BB's grip fit true to size compared to, say, Head?
From my experience with PB10Mid I remember 4 3/8 was a bit rounder/smaller. I'm asking because I want easier way to add weight to the handle to balance whatever I put on top, like 2 overgrips.
Plus I don't see any sensor handle technology, so maybe 2 overgrips will not be a bad idea. I currently use Head 4 3/8 + overgrip

And yet another question: does it look like I can stuff lead tape under the CAP? I see it is conveniently split at the top and this is where I want to add weight to polarize my setup and add swingweight

 

[TennisMaverick]

I see the London Tour is now available for pre-sale at TW.

Mav, do you think the X8-315 and the London Tour are the final Volkl Becker releases for 2011?

If memory serves, they are bringing in on cheap frame as well, the Team Tour, but the top of the line frames are just those two. The XV1s didn't make the production cut in time.

 

[TennisMaverick]

From the specs page on TW:

Stiffness: 55
Beam Width: 19.5mm / 19.5mm / 19.5mm

Is not that awesome?!
And price is nice too, $159.99

I can see where people complaining come from:
Swingweight: 308

But with
Strung Weight: 11.6oz / 328.85g
Balance: 6 pts HL
sky is the limit in terms of customization - adding stability, plowthrough, enlarging sweet zone etc.

To TM: does BB's grip fit true to size compared to, say, Head?
From my experience with PB10Mid I remember 4 3/8 was a bit rounder/smaller. I'm asking because I want easier way to add weight to the handle to balance whatever I put on top, like 2 overgrips.
Plus I don't see any sensor handle technology, so maybe 2 overgrips will not be a bad idea. I currently use Head 4 3/8 + overgrip

And yet another question: does it look like I can stuff lead tape under the CAP? I see it is conveniently split at the top and this is where I want to add weight to polarize my setup and add swingweight

The BB grip is far rounder. Read my grip mods thread for haters.

This is a real traditional frame. I gave it to a Prestige user, who teaches with a current Prestige but plays with his old Classics. He played with my Tour, which I put a leather grip, 3 grams of lead in the throat and bridge total, covered the capped grommet with 1/2 in wide athletic tape, and 2 grams of lead tape at 3/9. He said that it plays closer to his Prestige Classic than any other Prestige iteration.

 

[maxpotapov]

The BB grip is far rounder. Read my grip mods thread for haters.

OK, I'll do a search

This is a real traditional frame. I gave it to a Prestige user, who teaches with a current Prestige but plays with his old Classics. He played with my Tour, which I put a leather grip, 3 grams of lead in the throat and bridge total, covered the capped grommet with 1/2 in wide athletic tape, and 2 grams of lead tape at 3/9. He said that it plays closer to his Prestige Classic than any other Prestige iteration.

Sounds very good, now, do you think I can put lead tape under the CAP grommet at 12 o'clock?

 

[ptr]

The BB grip is far rounder. Read my grip mods thread for haters.

This is a real traditional frame. I gave it to a Prestige user, who teaches with a current Prestige but plays with his old Classics. He played with my Tour, which I put a leather grip, 3 grams of lead in the throat and bridge total, covered the capped grommet with 1/2 in wide athletic tape, and 2 grams of lead tape at 3/9. He said that it plays closer to his Prestige Classic than any other Prestige iteration.

why 2g @ 3/9? for stability? What is full weight of stock with OG and dumper?

 

[TennisMaverick]

why 2g @ 3/9? for stability? What is full weight of stock with OG and dumper?

BB DC sticks are very soft. Add a little weight to one area, and you immediately change the stick's qualities--ask any London user. After adding a leather grip and the 5 grams of athletic tape to the capped grommet, the flex in the center and the lightness in the center was overly noticeable.

I don't use over grips, ever, but I believe that they weigh-in at 1-2 grams.

Dumper? I assume that you mean dampener? BB/Volkl dampeners weigh 3.3 grams.

 

[TennisMaverick]

Just Posted on TW's Sale Pre-Sale Site

Plush.
Cushioned.
Awesome feel.
Hits a heavy ball, stock.
RPM and MPH on slice backhands has to be seen.
Capped grommet provides for a lot of plow thru.
The lighter weight allows for a lot of customization.
Switched from my 396 gram PB 10 Mid to this at a customized 360 grams.
Closest thing to a Classic Prestige.

Also, the 18x20 string bed provides massive control and good dwell time due to cupping, not ball compression.