And now for something completely different...................or is it??
That's what I THOUGHT I'd find when I received my BB 11 SE demo from the good folks at TTW earlier in the week. Something 'completely different'. Remember, I am kind of "Old School", right? My current frame is the KPS 88: Black paint, small head, heavy weight, open string pattern, etc, etc, etc. And the BB 11 SE? I mean this thing is ORANGE, for Heaven's Sake! 98si, heavy (at least by most standards), 18x20 pattern. You get the idea. Well, read on tennis fans, because what I found just MIGHT surprise you! I know it surprised me.
Fit'n'Finish: I will admit my 'first blush' response to the BB 11 SE was not positive. I don't like the gawdy paint, and the off-set DNX material in silver seems a bit too 'Techno' in the Kraftwerk sense of the term, if you know what I mean. However the QUALITY of the paint, fit, and finish is excellent. Further the frame is, as promised, EXACTLY on spec. I won't list them here, because all you have to do is go to the link on TTW. I even took a few minutes to measure the SW. Guess what: 377. So, if you buy one, you apparently WILL get an 'exact replica' of what Boom Boom himself plays (or at least played at sometime in the recent past). I don't have the energy to keep track of these kind of things.
Prelude: There was almost NO adjustment needed in transition from my KPS 88 to the BB 11SE. Believe it or not, the two swing VERY similiarly. Even though all of my KPS 88's have been matched to a 345 SW, I actually felt the 11 SE was a bit EASIER to manuever and 'get around' during point play. While I typically agree with NBMJ when he says specs are very reliable predictors of how a frame will react in play, for some reason the Becker frame just felt more nimble to me. Go figure. So after a 15-20 minute warm up all the strokes felt 'Right as Rain', to quote the English (didn't Boris live in/maintain a residence in London for a while?) Time to get down to some tennis!
Groundstrokes: I really enjoyed hitting the BB 11SE from the ground. Off both sides I was able right away to generate good pace, plenty of spin, and most important of all, consistent depth. Bill commented almost immediately that he felt my shots were actually 'heavier' with BB 11 SE. Indeed I found the 11 SE to be noticeably more powerful than my KPS 88's, and on the FH this lead me to (at least initially) feel as though I needed to 'reign in' the shot. But with more hitting and a VERY slight adjustment of my grip to allow for more spin to control the trajectory of the ball I was back off the races. Moving along, the OHBH slice merits special mention with this frame. In particular, I really liked hitting approaches using the 11 SE because I got such consistent, nasty, 'bite' with my slice approaches. As a result, many times the volleys were MUCH easier to put away. I've historically found something very similiar with the KPS 88, Prestige mid, and other 'heavy' players' frames, so this quality may be a 'class effect', but is definitely noteworthy for all the chip and charge or s/v players still remaining out there.
Approach shots: I intentionally tried to play a bit more aggressively today and even opted to 'chip and charge' off some of Bill's second serves to try and get a sense for the 11 SE's quality on these shots (which are critical to my game). I was very pleased overall, especially (as I alluded to above) with the OHBH slice approach. While the BB has a less 'raw' feel when compared to the KPS 88 (and MUCH less 'feedback to the hand') it still offers a good sense of control and touch. I imagine deciding between the two frames when it comes to this category (where such preferences for one type of 'feel' over another is very often highly idiosyncratic amongst better players) will likely come down to a personal preference, with some preferring the Becker's more 'muted' quality (akin to the n90, if that helps you Wilson-nites, or the C10 Pro for the Volkl lovers amongst us) and others the 'immediacy' of the Pro Staff line.
Volleys: LOVE IT. Same 'set the racquet head and let the frame do the work' quality found with the KPS 88, but just a 'touch' more forgiving. This is a frame that rewards simple, solid technique. No 'swing' required folks!!! Again, Bill thought my volleys has just that little bit of extra 'stick' w/ the BB 11 SE. The frame is also EXTREMELY comfy and stable. During point/set play I was forced by Bill's strong play to tackle some half volleys and 'pick up shots', which the 11 SE handled with aplomb. Again, here I probably prefer the KPS 88's 'raw' feel, but I certainly did NOT uncover a 'limitation' (whatever that means) in terms of the Becker frame's ability to be used successfully at net.
Serves and Overheads: WOW. WOW. WOW. I didn't have a radar gun, but I may borrow one for tomorrow. "Big and nasty", those were Bill's words. I cruised through my service games today, generating pace with ease and hitting targets ALMOST as well as with my 88's. Again, for sheer MPH's I'd go with the BB. For precision and 'kick' on seconds, the 88. Filet, or well prepared Alaskan salmon? You decide. Likewise I was quickly snapping off overheads with no problema.
Conclusion: Who would have thunk it?
Even though I very much liked the Volkl Tour 10Gen II and BB 11 Mid, I didn't care much at all for the 'STANDARD' edition of the BB 11 which I found 'clunky'. THIS frame, the BB 11 SE, is my friends a wholly different beast. Rock solid off the ground, stable, nimble, and possessed of plenty of 'umph' at net, it is also just plain nasty on the serve. I see why Big Boris likes this one. I would LOVE to snap the low quality string TW provides in its demos so I'd have an excuse to get Geoff to string it with my preferred set up. Who knows, the mains WERE fraying a bit after two and a half hours of hitting today. :twisted:
Happy Hitting,
CC
Why not try one? Best, CC
