Blade alternative with a bit more spin and higher launch angle?

Roland G

Hall of Fame
Hey all, just wanted to update this group after all the great advice above.

First, I re-strung my blades with wilson nxt control at a lower tension (50 lbs) than I had before with the Tecnifibre NRG 2 at 53.

The result was, as expected, more liveliness, but I was still struggling to get a reliable shot shape when I really went for my forehands, and was struggling to keep first serves in as well.

So I decided to go ahead and demo some other options:

- Wilson PS97 CV
- Prince TT 95
- Prince TT 100P (I own this one, just pulled it back out)
- Yonex Duel G 97 (310g)

Takeaway:

I absolutely loved the Yonex Duel G. It was whippy, comfortable, and I really felt like the 16x20 pattern was the best of both worlds. As others have suggested, I think my "spin" and "launch angle" issues were actually driven by the blade being a bit too head heavy for my liking, and not being able to generate quite enough racquet head speed to really shape my shots at this stage in my development.

The Duel G being more headlight and having a lower SW felt like a game changer; I still hit fairly flat, but felt like I had a ton of control and ability to really move my opponents around the court by playing with depth in a way I hadn't been able to do before. The Duel G's lower SW and more HL balance were also helpful on my OHBH, both hitting over the ball and slicing with the super thin beam.

Loved this racquet in every way, except it definitely felt unstable against bigger hitters. I added some weight at 3 and 9 (and a bit in the handle to maintain the whippiness) which helped a ton, and honestly, all the pros waay outweigh this con.

Lastly, I really loved the less flared Yonex grip shape. Hated the prince grip shapes, as the corners of the bevels would grind a bit in my hand.

I'm going to be ordering a matched pair of these, and planning to test out some string set-ups.

Thanks again for the help! Feeling really excited to have found something that's such a good fit.

Cheers.
Glad to hear you found the right racquet for your game. I too just switched to the DG97 and I'm also loving it. I've used Blades in the past and find these similar in many ways but just a bit more user-friendly in that they swing a little quicker. Haven't tried adding weight yet but will do. Would be interesting hearing your string set ups.
 

WYK

Hall of Fame
No offense, but this isn't at all helpful.

I'm aware of where spin comes from, stated in the OP I'm planning to demo, just crowd sourcing other potential options to include in the demo group.

If you don't have ideas, that's cool; why not just avoid posting on this topic?

It was very helpful if you would have listened to it. Your issues are not purely racquet related - they are also skillset related.
 

jarcardoza

New User
It was very helpful if you would have listened to it. Your issues are not purely racquet related - they are also skillset related.
Did you read my last post in this thread?

Or just swoop in two months afterward and drop this super useful comment?
 

WYK

Hall of Fame
Did you read my last post in this thread?

Or just swoop in two months afterward and drop this super useful comment?

I recall when I used to race BMW's. I had a team mate that was always faster than I was. I once told him, "Man, I need just a bit more power to catch you" and he smiled and gave a quick laugh and replied with, "I have the same car you do, man. The same car."
 
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