Blake Update

[Stringer_Steve]

Just got back from the Prince National Sales Meetings in Phoenix, AZ and here's the latest on James Blake's racquet:
He will NOT be switching to an O3 technology frame. He did play test approximately 18-20 different frames with the O3 technology, and although he liked it, it wasn't for him. He has been play testing traditional technology frames with Prince's R&D team and they hope to have something made for him in the near future.
We were told that the frame will be something completely new, not a revamping of an existing frame. It will be an 18X20 pattern and should compete head to head with the Wilson 6.1 and Head Prestige/Radical (just to give you an idea of what kind of frame we are talking about here). The launch date is targeted for the 1st quarter of 2007, with James actually switching by as early as (but not guaranteed by) the Australian Open 2007. As of now, there is no name for the frame.

 

[BreakPoint]

Well, so much for the O3 technology, I guess. It's an OK racquet for recreational players but I don't see how pros can play with it.

 

[Midlife crisis]

Well, so much for the O3 technology, I guess. It's an OK racquet for recreational players but I don't see how pros can play with it.

Like world #3 Davydenko and world #2 Sharapova?

 

[The ball was in]

Just got back from the Prince National Sales Meetings in Phoenix, AZ and here's the latest on James Blake's racquet:
He will NOT be switching to an O3 technology frame. He did play test approximately 18-20 different frames with the O3 technology, and although he liked it, it wasn't for him. He has been play testing traditional technology frames with Prince's R&D team and they hope to have something made for him in the near future.
We were told that the frame will be something completely new, not a revamping of an existing frame. It will be an 18X20 pattern and should compete head to head with the Wilson 6.1 and Head Prestige/Radical (just to give you an idea of what kind of frame we are talking about here). The launch date is targeted for the 1st quarter of 2007, with James actually switching by as early as (but not guaranteed by) the Australian Open 2007. As of now, there is no name for the frame.

Thanks for the update on that...very interesting and informative..I did hit with the o3 tour for a short while (only to see what the fuss was about) and found it too powerful for my liking...but I would never trade in my trusty Wilsons...altho I might have to demo the new 'k' factor when its available

 

[emo5]

Well, so much for the O3 technology, I guess. It's an OK racquet for recreational players but I don't see how pros can play with it.

Actually many pros play with it. Just not many as you think there maybe.

 

[Meanmachine22]

Thanks for this update.

A frame that will compete to Wilson 6.1 and Head Prestige/Radical.
I am looking forward to this. The end of 2007 should see new rackets for me.
And since i am absolutely not influenced by any marketing stradegies or the fact that Mr Blake became my substitute role model since AA retired this new frame might be woth a try

 

[Chang]

Just got back from the Prince National Sales Meetings in Phoenix, AZ and here's the latest on James Blake's racquet:
He will NOT be switching to an O3 technology frame. He did play test approximately 18-20 different frames with the O3 technology, and although he liked it, it wasn't for him. He has been play testing traditional technology frames with Prince's R&D team and they hope to have something made for him in the near future.
We were told that the frame will be something completely new, not a revamping of an existing frame. It will be an 18X20 pattern and should compete head to head with the Wilson 6.1 and Head Prestige/Radical (just to give you an idea of what kind of frame we are talking about here). The launch date is targeted for the 1st quarter of 2007, with James actually switching by as early as (but not guaranteed by) the Australian Open 2007. As of now, there is no name for the frame.

Interesting. Looks like Prince has gone back to its roots. Do you think they will release it with the crossbar because I like the Prince racquets that have them.

 

[Ripper]

Poor Prince, lol. They must be desperate. Probably, they'll just take his current raquet and copy it. Maybe, add the friking stabilizer bar or something.

 

[Rabbit]

Like world #3 Davydenko and world #2 Sharapova?

That is one helluva paint job they got going there....

 

[Dunlopkid]

I bet Prince is desperate. I wondered if this would happen.

 

[Stringer_Steve]

O3 technology is not dissapearing. This is one case of one player with one racquet. As stated above, there are still numerous pros (both men and women) who use and do very well with the 03 line. Jelena Jankovic, Davide Sanguinetti, Sharapova, Davydenko, Paul Goldstein, and Guillermo Coria to name a few. And Sam Query is switching to the O3 Hybrid Tour early in 2007.
As far as desperation goes, I guess if wanting to sign and develop a racquet from scratch for the #4 or 5 ranked men's tennis player is desperation, then I suppose they are very desperate. I would guarantee that any number of companies (given the opportunity) would be just as "desperate."

 

[BreakPoint]

Like world #3 Davydenko and world #2 Sharapova?

Exactly! Don't know how they can control that trampoline on a stick. I guess that's why Coria and Spadea gave up on it. It may even have destroyed Coria's career.

 

[sureshs]

Well, so much for the O3 technology, I guess. It's an OK racquet for recreational players but I don't see how pros can play with it.

I also don't see how it is useful at the pro level, but Davydenko credits his recent success to the O3.

 

[Chang]

whatever this racquet is, if it's going to rival the Head Prestige/Radical and Wilson 6.1, it's going to make way more sales than the O3.

 

[ollinger]

Ummm, how did Coria's racquet destroy (perhaps) his career?? One could make the same statement about aliens, I suppose.

 

[Feña14]

Exactly! Don't know how they can control that trampoline on a stick. I guess that's why Coria and Spadea gave up on it. It may even have destroyed Coria's career.

hahaha i'm sure that if you talked to Coria he would be more than happy to blame the racket for his lack of a serve. I know I shouldn't laugh at another peoples misfortune but when you see someone hit first serves that land over the baseline and second serves that bounce before the net, I couldn't help but lmao. If it was down to the O3 technology that he couldn't serve then all I can say is, one of the best inventions i've ever seen!

I miss Coria shanking serves

 

[AJK1]

I can't believe it has been a year since all this Blake baloney started. A year with no Prince name on his racquet, Prince must have lost millions in potential sales because of Blake.

 

[LN_Dad]

This O3 technology is questionable at best and Prince charges way more for these rackets than better ones from Wilson, Volkl, etc.. I guess they have to make back the money they paid Sharapova and Blake from us rec players.

 

[maverick66]

Exactly! Don't know how they can control that trampoline on a stick. I guess that's why Coria and Spadea gave up on it. It may even have destroyed Coria's career.

his mental game destroyed him. when you double fault like that its mental. he would hit one then it would snowball. if it was technical they would have fixed it.

 

[Stringer_Steve]

I can't believe it has been a year since all this Blake baloney started. A year with no Prince name on his racquet, Prince must have lost millions in potential sales because of Blake.

They could easily have put "Prince" on his racquets and stenciled a "P" on his strings, but Prince felt that that would not be the right thing to do. They acknowledge that people know it is not a Prince frame he is using, so why act like it is? I guess your definition of trying to make someone a custom frame from scratch, to be mass produced and sold to the public is "baloney." I am going to guess that there are many on this site who wish they were talented enough to have a company want to do that for them.
We were told that from the time they signed Blake to the present, his ranking rose from around 40th to approximately 4th. In that time, he and his team understandably did not want to switch anything. This was understandable, but did pose a dilemma for Prince. Both Prince and Blake had the opportunity to be released from the contract. This was a decision that split the company, with half wanting to cut their losses and the other half wanting to see it through. Blake also wanted to stay with Prince, but chose not to play the O3 technology. (You can argue the virtues or lack thereof of O3 technology in other threads, this post was merely to update this situation). Prince agreed to go back to the drawing board and make him a traditional technology frame. As stated in my original post, this is due to launch in the 1st quarter of 2007.
Again, this isn't a pro James Blake or pro Prince thread, but rather some info I thought some of you might find interesting in light of the rumors and guessing that has been posted.

 

[Feña14]

They could easily have put "Prince" on his racquets and stenciled a "P" on his strings, but Prince felt that that would not be the right thing to do. They acknowledge that people know it is not a Prince frame he is using, so why act like it is? I guess your definition of trying to make someone a custom frame from scratch, to be mass produced and sold to the public is "baloney." I am going to guess that there are many on this site who wish they were talented enough to have a company want to do that for them.
We were told that from the time they signed Blake to the present, his ranking rose from around 40th to approximately 4th. In that time, he and his team understandably did not want to switch anything. This was understandable, but did pose a dilemma for Prince. Both Prince and Blake had the opportunity to be released from the contract. This was a decision that split the company, with half wanting to cut their losses and the other half wanting to see it through. Blake also wanted to stay with Prince, but chose not to play the O3 technology. (You can argue the virtues or lack thereof of O3 technology in other threads, this post was merely to update this situation). Prince agreed to go back to the drawing board and make him a traditional technology frame. As stated in my original post, this is due to launch in the 1st quarter of 2007.
Again, this isn't a pro James Blake or pro Prince thread, but rather some info I thought some of you might find interesting in light of the rumors and guessing that has been posted.

I always thought that Prince did put "Prince" on the side of the frame but Dunlop were having non of it and told them to get rid of it, so now he only has his name on it?

That's my understanding of thing anyway

 

[AJK1]

Well, that may be the case, but i can't remember Federer etc. mucking around for a year to get a new racquet made. Maybe Prince are a bit inept in getting the thing happening.

 

[BreakPoint]

his mental game destroyed him. when you double fault like that its mental. he would hit one then it would snowball. if it was technical they would have fixed it.

Then how would you explain Coria winning everything on clay in sight when he used his POG? He was fine mentally then. After he switched to the O3, he pretty much stopped winning.

Yes, I agree that when you can't get a serve in to save your life with a racquet that it could wreak all kinds of mental havoc on you. :sad:

BTW, I also personally had a very hard time trying to serve with the O3 Tour MP. :sad:

 

[BreakPoint]

Ummm, how did Coria's racquet destroy (perhaps) his career?? One could make the same statement about aliens, I suppose.

Well, prior to switching to the O3 Tour, he was winning just about everything on clay and was far and away the dominant clay courter. After he switched to the O3 Tour, he pretty much stopped winning anything. So you can draw your own conclusion.

 

[BiGGieStuFF]

I noticed he started losing after the collapse at the French and several injuries. There was a point he switched back to the POG but it didn't yield any better results. I'm not 100% on this as I don't really follow coria.

 

[BreakPoint]

I noticed he started losing after the collapse at the French and several injuries. There was a point he switched back to the POG but it didn't yield any better results. I'm not 100% on this as I don't really follow coria.

I think he did try switching back to his POG for a while but it was already too late. He was already only a shell of his former self by then after suffering through all the losses that he had with the O3 Tour. He confidence was shot for good. :sad:

 

[Chang]

Well, prior to switching to the O3 Tour, he was winning just about everything on clay and was far and away the dominant clay courter. After he switched to the O3 Tour, he pretty much stopped winning anything. So you can draw your own conclusion.

He had injury too but the main reason is probably the O3 tour even though other players had some success with it.

 

[AndrewD]

Then how would you explain Coria winning everything on clay in sight when he used his POG? He was fine mentally then. After he switched to the O3, he pretty much stopped winning.

Yes, I agree that when you can't get a serve in to save your life with a racquet that it could wreak all kinds of mental havoc on you. :sad:

BTW, I also personally had a very hard time trying to serve with the O3 Tour MP. :sad:

The year prior to switching to the 03 Tour MP, Coria won 2 tournaments and was runner-up in 4 others. After switching to the 03 Tour MP he was runner up in 3 tournaments (all to Nadal) and won 1. Basically, Nadal did to Coria what he's done to everyone else on clay - beat them. Wouldn't have mattered what racquet he was using, Nadal had his measure. End result is that whatever cockiness was left over after losing the French Open was, effectively, knocked out of him. Injury hits, possibly a slight modification to his service action (due to the back injury he sustained) and, voila, 'the yips'. The racquet had nothing to do with it.

Coria, is a professional - unlike either one of us- so it's just stupid to suggest he can't serve with a particular racquet he has had time to fine-tune and get used to. I'm sorry to hear that you can't serve well with the 03 Tour MP (the opposite of my experience) but that is irrelevant for any statement of the racquet's quality - especially as it relates to a pro.

 

[BreakPoint]

The year prior to switching to the 03 Tour MP, Coria won 2 tournaments and was runner-up in 4 others. After switching to the 03 Tour MP he was runner up in 3 tournaments (all to Nadal) and won 1. Basically, Nadal did to Coria what he's done to everyone else on clay - beat them. Wouldn't have mattered what racquet he was using, Nadal had his measure. End result is that whatever cockiness was left over after losing the French Open was, effectively, knocked out of him. Injury hits, possibly a slight modification to his service action (due to the back injury he sustained) and, voila, 'the yips'. The racquet had nothing to do with it.

Coria, is a professional - unlike either one of us- so it's just stupid to suggest he can't serve with a particular racquet he has had time to fine-tune and get used to. I'm sorry to hear that you can't serve well with the 03 Tour MP (the opposite of my experience) but that is irrelevant for any statement of the racquet's quality - especially as it relates to a pro.

If the racquet had nothing at all to do with it then why did Coria go back to his POG?

BTW, from the comments on this board on the O3 Tour, I believe the majority of the posters here had trouble hitting big flat serves with it just like I did. So I guess you must be one of the rare few that is able to serve well with it.

 

[OrangeOne]

whatever this racquet is, if it's going to rival the Head Prestige/Radical and Wilson 6.1, it's going to make way more sales than the O3.

And there you're forgetting about the gazillions of sales they make due to screamapova alone. Remember - 95% or more of tennis players are not serious / hardcore etc - they're not looking for a "player's racquet".

Another way to look at it: Many, many, many more players are looking for a trendy racquet than a serious racquet. O3 is hip, trendy, and has screamapova sex-symbolling it to sell it.

A new serious racquet may find a few sales amongst the serious, and will no doubt sell because Blake will be 'using it'. But, imho, it won't be anywhere near their existing stuff, sales wise.

 

[federer_nadal]

If the 03 tour was the worst thing that happened to coria, then it must be the best thing that happened to tennis. He is a little upstart.

 

[DariusRaiden]

The 03 Tour is in no way responsible for Coria's slide. He used it throughout 2005, where he finished in the Top 8 and was still the #2 player on clay behind Nadal. He developed serving yips at the USO in the quarters, where he barely lost to Ginepri and hasn't recovered his form since due to injuries and lack of confidence. He "switched back" to the 03 Tour for ONE MATCH at a tournament in Mexico or something where he got killed, then promptly returned to the 03 Tour.

It's up to him to use equipment suited to his game and he surely wouldn't be dumb enough to 'ruin' his career just to make a few more bucks in endorsement deals. Since he promptly returned to his 03 Tour after ONE MATCH, I'm sure he realized it didn't affect him negatively. Remember the entire time Coria used a blacked out POG (over a year) he was likely playtesting his 03 Tour and making sure it was perfect- it is most definately custom if you notice since it has matte paint on it likely signifying that it's personally for Coria since all of the other 03 Tour users have regular paint.

Blake has said he won't use a racquet he's not 100% comfortable with, which is likely why his switch process is taking forever. Smart though, since he's number 4 in the world and doesn't want to jeopardize his results just to make a few bucks.

It's silly to think that a racquet which a company has personally made for you (Coria's 03 Tour) would hurt your results after you spent OVER A YEAR playtesting it.

 

[Richie Rich]

Then how would you explain Coria winning everything on clay in sight when he used his POG? He was fine mentally then. After he switched to the O3, he pretty much stopped winning.

Yes, I agree that when you can't get a serve in to save your life with a racquet that it could wreak all kinds of mental havoc on you. :sad:

BTW, I also personally had a very hard time trying to serve with the O3 Tour MP. :sad:

agree with you regarding serving with the 03 Tour - had a hard time serving with it.

disagree with you regarding Coria and the 03. Agree with others that Prince spent a long time consulting with Coria so don't think you can blame everything on the racquet. He was top 5 player and their most important sponsored player at the time.

 

[chiru]

yeah seriously this coria business. i mean im as big a racket enthusiast/pj conspiracist as the next guy. but the fac to fthe matter is, he was wining the FO in 04, and then cramped like no body's business and lost a match he really should've still won against what i lie to the think the most negative tennis player ive ever seen win a grand slam. he played a marathon final against an 18 year old upstart on clay and lost it. I'd say the FO loss in 04 killed him mentally for teh rest of 04 season (although in all honesty he wasn't terrible just yet); and he sort of gave himself one last chance to gain back lost ground clay season 05, but when he saw himself loose his clay court magician title to nadal in such a close match, he probably just lost his mojo, worse than roddick ever did. i wouldda been pretty crushed if i had his last couple years. i seriously hope he doesn't blame his loss of form on a racket, if thats the case he ought to know that he can't jeopardize tennis for a few extra bucks. james isn't, pete didnt, and i honestly don't think any pros actually use a racket they are convinced will make them play worse just for money.

 

[johncauthen]

My theory has always been, if a player who is not tall like Coria gets a more powerful serve, he loses his ability to serve.

Coria got a more powerful serve from his O3 racquet. His serve no longer fit the court.

We should change the court so Coria can use his better serve, or you could think like Federer_Nadal: "If the 03 tour was the worst thing that happened to coria, then it must be the best thing that happened to tennis. He is a little upstart."

In other words, little upstarts, average guys who win should not be allowed. That IS the argument for keeping the court as it is, even if the court dimensions are clearly outdated.

I am serious about changing the court. If a player as talented as Coria can't make it because his serve gets stronger due to the racquet; and Kournikova had the same weird fate because she matured and got stronger: I think there is a real problem with the length of the service court. I think it should be longer, and then you have to make the whole court narrower, and then you have to make the whole court longer. The game is now rebalanced so it works as before, but in one sense it didn't work because people with proven talent should be able to win. There shouldn't be one thing that happens, like getting a more powerful racquet, and boom, you can't play competitive tennis anymore. It happened to me. I changed the court.

A taller player wouldn't be ruined if he developed a more powerful serve. It would make a taller player more competitive, but average-size people like Kournikova and Coria get more powerful serves and they get the yips. They can't compete anymore. That is strange but true. We've seen it happen in the pro ranks twice.

If little upstarts shouldn't be allowed to win: if only proper, tall people should be allowed to win, the game we have is brilliantly perfect. This brilliant court eliminates most people and penalizes you for being normal. You must be a kind of elite person to play tennis. If you are average and doing well, don't improve your serve. No wonder kids today don't play tennis. You feel all that stuff even if you don't understand it enough to put it in words.

 

[Dunlopkid]

O3 technology is not dissapearing. This is one case of one player with one racquet. As stated above, there are still numerous pros (both men and women) who use and do very well with the 03 line. Jelena Jankovic, Davide Sanguinetti, Sharapova, Davydenko, Paul Goldstein, and Guillermo Coria to name a few. And Sam Query is switching to the O3 Hybrid Tour early in 2007.
As far as desperation goes, I guess if wanting to sign and develop a racquet from scratch for the #4 or 5 ranked men's tennis player is desperation, then I suppose they are very desperate. I would guarantee that any number of companies (given the opportunity) would be just as "desperate."

First off, Davide Sanguinetti is probably close to retirement, Paul Goldstein probably is too, and he has never been a top pro, and Coria, who knows if he'll ever get to the top of his game again. So Prince really doesn't have that many high-ranked, well-known pros.

And to BP, if countless pros can control the Bab PD, I have no doubt they can control the 03's.

 

[BreakPoint]

agree with you regarding serving with the 03 Tour - had a hard time serving with it.

disagree with you regarding Coria and the 03. Agree with others that Prince spent a long time consulting with Coria so don't think you can blame everything on the racquet. He was top 5 player and their most important sponsored player at the time.

I understand what you're saying. But don't forget that Coria grew up using the POG and used it for a long time and had lots of success with it, thus, he had full confidence in it. Switching to the O3 Tour which feels very different from the POG, he likely lost some confidence in his shots. And since Coria is not a big, power hitter that can win just on physical prowess, he depends a lot on his confidence to win matches. So I think any hit to his confidence, however slight and whether it's due to equipment or injury, can mean the difference between winning and losing for him IMHO.

Also witness JC Ferreo ditching his Head Flexpoint Radical and returning to his POG and the difference it made to his confidence and results. Costa also ditched his Fischer and went back to his POG. Lastly, do you think Sampras would have had the same level of confidence, and thus, results if he had switched away from his St.Vincents to something like a PS 6.1 Classic or PC600? I doubt it. Edberg couldn't do it and went back to his PS 6.0 85, even using one painted like a PS 6.1 Classic for a while.

Anyway, as we all know from personal experience and the prevalence of paintjobs in the pro ranks, using a racquet that you're intimately familar with and have used for a long time goes a long way to boosting your confidence.

 

[Rafa's best friend]

Just got back from the Prince National Sales Meetings in Phoenix, AZ and here's the latest on James Blake's racquet:
He will NOT be switching to an O3 technology frame. He did play test approximately 18-20 different frames with the O3 technology, and although he liked it, it wasn't for him. He has been play testing traditional technology frames with Prince's R&D team and they hope to have something made for him in the near future.
We were told that the frame will be something completely new, not a revamping of an existing frame. It will be an 18X20 pattern and should compete head to head with the Wilson 6.1 and Head Prestige/Radical (just to give you an idea of what kind of frame we are talking about here). The launch date is targeted for the 1st quarter of 2007, with James actually switching by as early as (but not guaranteed by) the Australian Open 2007. As of now, there is no name for the frame.

WOW, this is great news, i thought he was using O3 tour?? What is he really using right now ?? I hope he doesn't suck after he switches. And will this racket come in extended version ??

 

[Richie Rich]

I understand what you're saying. But don't forget that Coria grew up using the POG and used it for a long time and had lots of success with it, thus, he had full confidence in it. Switching to the O3 Tour which feels very different from the POG, he likely lost some confidence in his shots. And since Coria is not a big, power hitter that can win just on physical prowess, he depends a lot on his confidence to win matches. So I think any hit to his confidence, however slight and whether it's due to equipment or injury, can mean the difference between winning and losing for him IMHO.

Also witness JC Ferreo ditching his Head Flexpoint Radical and returning to his POG and the difference it made to his confidence and results. Costa also ditched his Fischer and went back to his POG. Lastly, do you think Sampras would have had the same level of confidence, and thus, results if he had switched away from his St.Vincents to something like a PS 6.1 Classic or PC600? I doubt it. Edberg couldn't do it and went back to his PS 6.0 85, even using one painted like a PS 6.1 Classic for a while.

Anyway, as we all know from personal experience and the prevalence of paintjobs in the pro ranks, using a racquet that you're intimately familar with and have used for a long time goes a long way to boosting your confidence.

well, i have to hand it to you - you've swayed my opinion. can't refute the examples given above (BTW, you forgot Safin and his Dunlop experiment :smile

 

[ollinger]

BP had a little too much chardonnay with his bird. Makes the point that the 03 so thoroughly destroyed Coria's confidence that when he went back to the POG, it was "too late." But when Ferrero ditched his Radical and went back to the POG, he had some great results. Uhhh, how come his confidence was able to be resurrected but not Coria? As noted, injuries and the ascendence of Nadal did in alot of clay courters, and I suspect that has been Coria's problem. Your point that pros can't do well with the 03 sounds like an embittered rant, given the results of Davydenko, Sharapova, Jankovic, Stosur, Washington and others. Lots of pros seem to be doing fabulously well with it.

 

[johncauthen]

It's about whether more power helps or hurts your game. It has more power.

 

[BreakPoint]

well, i have to hand it to you - you've swayed my opinion. can't refute the examples given above (BTW, you forgot Safin and his Dunlop experiment :smile

The thing is, I'm not really sure if Safin ever used a real Dunlop in a real match. He used a PC600 painted to look like a MW200G. However, he likely tried a real MW200G and realized that he couldn't play with it and that he wouldn't have any confidence on the court with it, hence the paintjob.

 

[vsbabolat]

Breakpoint is right Safin never used a real Dunlop. HEAD filed a lawsuit against Dunlop to stop them from painting Safin's Prestige Classic 600 to look like a Dunlop. For a while there Safin was even using the C.A.P. system on the paintjob of the Dunlop. This is what really got HEAD mad.

edit: here are some pics of Safin with C.A.P. on his Paintjob Dunlop:

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=1078514&cdi=0
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=1080314&cdi=0

 

[BreakPoint]

Makes the point that the 03 so thoroughly destroyed Coria's confidence that when he went back to the POG, it was "too late." But when Ferrero ditched his Radical and went back to the POG, he had some great results. Uhhh, how come his confidence was able to be resurrected but not Coria?

Because Coria was a headcase to begin with. Once he lost his confidence, he couldn't find it again. Not the case with Fererro. Some people can regain their confidence (like Blake, Haas, etc), and some people cannot (like Ginepri, Fish, etc.). It's just part of people's mental make-up.

Your point that pros can't do well with the 03 sounds like an embittered rant, given the results of Davydenko, Sharapova, Jankovic, Stosur, Washington and others. Lots of pros seem to be doing fabulously well with it.

That was my original point in post #2. I don't quite understand how any pros can play with it unless they're heavily customized or are really paintjobs. But then again, I don't really consider what Sharapova does on a tennis court to be really "playing tennis" anyway. LOL

 

[rounick]

Breakpoint is right Safin never used a real Dunlop. HEAD filed a lawsuit against Dunlop to stop them from painting Safin's Prestige Classic 600 to look like a Dunlop. For a while there Safin was even using the C.A.P. system on the paintjob of the Dunlop. This is what really got HEAD mad.

edit: here are some pics of Safin with C.A.P. on his Paintjob Dunlop:

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=1078514&cdi=0
http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/details_pop.aspx?iid=1080314&cdi=0

That is probably the coolest racquet I have ever seen.

 

[rounick]

And by the way,I think what Prince is doing with Blake is very honest and cool.Prince used to make great racquets.I am just hoping they will release the actual frame Blake will be using and not something that looks like it.
If they do it's gonna work out for the both of them.Blake is a great guy,a very good player and an athlete every company would wannt to endorse.
Nice one stringer Steve.

 

[federer_nadal]

My theory has always been, if a player who is not tall like Coria gets a more powerful serve, he loses his ability to serve.

Coria got a more powerful serve from his O3 racquet. His serve no longer fit the court.

We should change the court so Coria can use his better serve, or you could think like Federer_Nadal: "If the 03 tour was the worst thing that happened to coria, then it must be the best thing that happened to tennis. He is a little upstart."

In other words, little upstarts, average guys who win should not be allowed. That IS the argument for keeping the court as it is, even if the court dimensions are clearly outdated.

I am serious about changing the court. If a player as talented as Coria can't make it because his serve gets stronger due to the racquet; and Kournikova had the same weird fate because she matured and got stronger: I think there is a real problem with the length of the service court. I think it should be longer, and then you have to make the whole court narrower, and then you have to make the whole court longer. The game is now rebalanced so it works as before, but in one sense it didn't work because people with proven talent should be able to win. There shouldn't be one thing that happens, like getting a more powerful racquet, and boom, you can't play competitive tennis anymore. It happened to me. I changed the court.

A taller player wouldn't be ruined if he developed a more powerful serve. It would make a taller player more competitive, but average-size people like Kournikova and Coria get more powerful serves and they get the yips. They can't compete anymore. That is strange but true. We've seen it happen in the pro ranks twice.

If little upstarts shouldn't be allowed to win: if only proper, tall people should be allowed to win, the game we have is brilliantly perfect. This brilliant court eliminates most people and penalizes you for being normal. You must be a kind of elite person to play tennis. If you are average and doing well, don't improve your serve. No wonder kids today don't play tennis. You feel all that stuff even if you don't understand it enough to put it in words.

In my life the term 'little upstart' doesnt really have much to do with the size of the person. It may be australian slang, or just slang that is used in my family. I just dont like his attitude. My mum calls me a little upstart when im being an ass and im over a foot taller than her lol. So all in all i have a grudge against "him" not his height.

Also if you want to argue that argument, why should we alter the court so that shorter players can serve, they are usually able to move around the court much better than the taller, bigger players. THis would be like making the courts thinner so that the bigger players could move about it easily.

People have to deal with their body type and i think the court is perfect for everyone. You just have to play to your body type. Big person, big server, minimum movement game. Shorter player, a more physical game based around groundstrokes. This of course is just stereotyping, just as you did saying that shorter players cant serve well with powerful racquets. Many players break these moulds such as Nadal who is a fairly big bloke but is extremely agile.

 

[Rabbit]

...I am serious about changing the court. If a player as talented as Coria can't make it because his serve gets stronger due to the racquet;...

I can't see changing the court because one player begins to double fault incessantly.

 

[AndrewD]

If the racquet had nothing at all to do with it then why did Coria go back to his POG?

BTW, from the comments on this board on the O3 Tour, I believe the majority of the posters here had trouble hitting big flat serves with it just like I did. So I guess you must be one of the rare few that is able to serve well with it.

You said, " I also personally had a very hard time trying to serve with the O3 Tour MP" . So, in reality, it was only the flat serve you couldn't manage, not serving as a whole. Regardless, I really doubt that I'm one of the few who can serve well with the 03 Tour MP although the serve is something that gels very quickly for me when I'm changing racquets (forehand always takes longer). If you have a look at the TW review you'll see that 4 of the 5 testers were quite happy with the way they served using the 03 Tour MP and both Granville and Chris mentioned getting good pace on the 'heater'.

I think that illustrates my point very clearly. That you don't serve well, or play well, with a particular racquet is no real reflection on the racquet itself. Other players with more skill or a different style will, invariably, have no difficulty. When you start talking about the pros, all comparison is null and void as those guys have a level of skill that players like you and I can't approach. So, to say that Coria CAN'T serve with the 03 Tour MP is completely wrong. What is causing problems for him isn't a flaw in his racquet but in his mental approach and, probably, his technical one as well.

Why did Coria go back to his old racquet? Well, we've both been around tennis long enough so I would have thought that was pretty obvious. The most logical explanation is desperation. His confidence must be at an all-time low due to the losses and injuries so he's grabbing at anything that might bring back some of the 'old magic'. Part of that 'magic' is the old racquet.

Will it help him? Perhaps it will BUT, if it does, it won't be a function of the racquet per se (its composition, design, etc) or a reflection on the 03 Tour MP (its composition, design, etc). It will be purely a mental improvement. In that regard, the old racquet would have the same function as a security blanket (be it a toy, blanket or whatever) for a child - the familiar object reduces tension not because of what it does but what it represents.

Was he wrong to change to the 03 Tour MP in the first place? I would say yes, as you just never mess with a winning game. If you do and suffer a few losses then confidence goes out the window.

 

[thomas martinez]

Well, actualy Safin did use a Dunlop. Long story with that one, but basically Dunlop made a whole new frame for him, which was loosely based on the green/black frame that Flip used years ago, and was slightly modified to fit the CAPs. There was a few things he didn't like about it in the end, and went back to his black painted PRestiges with the Dunlop stencil. This is where Head threw their fit, and sued Dunlop. And the 03 Tour Coria is using, is NOTHING like the retail version. First off, it's 28" long, has his weight balance and swingweight, along with a layup they do just for him, and a cosmetic they do just for him.