any news on the London Tour and how it compares to Head prestiges?
Review: Boris Becker London Tour
By Robert Martin
(October 3, 2011) Typically, when you think of a control racquet with a dense string pattern and a 93 square inch head size, the first thought goes to the Head Prestige line, but it turns out there are other options. The most recent release into this limited market share is the Boris Becker London Tour, which happens to be the most recent update to a discontinued Volkl frame that I actually used for a time, the Tour 10 V-Engine Mid.
With this in mind, the first thing I wanted to look for was the differences, and there were not many. At essentially the same weight, the two frames were nearly identical aside from frame itself. Of course the idea behind the V-Engine frame was to elongate the central main strings by using a V-shaped throat bridge.
The only other appreciable change is the thickness of the beam, which has been increased to a still-thin 20mm in width. While that pretty much sums up the external changes, this is a case where all the magic takes place on the inside.
For those that do not know, Boris Becker actually owns a fair percentage of Volkl, and so they share many of the same technology aspects, in this case, the DNX material that was developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute. In the case of Becker frames, these carbon nanotubes are taken to another level and arranged in a delta pattern for added strength and stability.
What does all this mean on the court for players looking for maximum control? Let’s find out.
Disclaimer: My current setup is the Yonex RDiS200 320g strung withYonex Tour Super 850 mains with Yonex Poly Tour Pro 125 crosses at 28/26kg. The London Tour was strung with the same setup.
Boris Becker London Tour:
Head Size: 93 square inches
Length: 27 inches
Weight: 11.5 ounces unstrung
String Pattern: 18 x 20
First Impressions: This is a good looking frame. A deep red color with black accents, one feature that I expected, and appreciate is the, what I will call the “Improved CAP Grommet.” It’s almost an extended bumper guard that goes towards the bottom of the head, protecting the sides of the frame from scratches, but does not have the pieces that cover the strings like the Head variation.
On Court: As cliché as it sounds, it is nearly impossible to look at a frame with these specs and not immediately try to compare it to the Prestige line. With that said, the London Tour offers plenty of directional control and a low powered response.
One of the unique things of Volkl and Becker frames is that they have a more extended head shape than normal, which has a negative impact on the stability of the frame. The addition of the Deltacore material at the sides of the head adds additional rigidity, making up for some of the stability loss.
As expected, baseline play is not this racquet’s strong suit. Between the narrow head shape and the less than optimal stability, I had some issues on the forehand side. I typically hit with a semi-western forehand and moderate spin, but found that the frame seemed better suited to a flatter style, so I began to transition towards a more classic eastern grip.
On the backhand side, I did not have as many issues, as I hit a fairly flat backhand with a compact swing to begin with. The low power level certainly did not make it easy to attack from that side, but control was excellent and I was able to set up the next shot with high success.
By far my favorite aspect of this racquet was its maneuverability and control at the net. Normally I prefer a more open pattern for touch shots, but I did not feel hindered by the 18x20 pattern of this one. There is nothing I would change about the way this racquet performs at net, so I definitely changed to a net-rushing style to get the best results.
Serving, one of the reasons I gave up my old Volkl in the first place. There is something about the Volkl head shape that makes it serve like a Wilson frame. By that I mean that the frame tends to have a large dead spot near the upper hoop, which is where I tend to contact my serves, leaving me wanting more pace. The added stability helped this problem, but it was still there, and very clearly evident in comparison to my current racquet.
I have to say that this was interesting to test. I can definitely feel the improvements over the Volkl I used back in 2005, and despite the specs, this played very differently from the Prestige. In my mind, the Prestige is capable of serving huge, and hits bigger ground strokes, but definitely sacrifices some touch and feel at the net compared to the London Tour.
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I'm right in there with this review, but I attribute the difference in Tour vs Prestige feel to head shape, and that the Prestige's heft is felt closer to 2/10, whereas the Tour's is closer to 4/8. The Prestige is more tip heavy, and you can feel it just by swinging it through the air. I received a text today from a 6.5 player who addressed this, as all of his Tours have 1/2 in lead tape covering the top 8 center mains. The frame is also built from the T10 Mid, not the T10 VE Mid.
