travlerajm
Talk Tennis Guru
Platform frames being compared (in no particular order):
1. Wilson BLX Blade 98.
2. Head Youtek Prestige Mid+
3. Head Youtek Graphene Speed Pro Mid+
4. Wilson BLX 6.1 95 18x20.
5. Volkl Organix 9 Super G.
6. Head Graphene Prestige Mid+.
Modifications / Customizations:
This review is on frames all customized to my preferred specs.
I have chopped off 1/4” from each of these frames, as I prefer my racquet slightly shortened for much-enhanced control and touch, more solid feel, and increased comfort.
I have also weighted each frame up to my preferred specs, about 13.8 oz., 372 SW, and 12.54” balance. This usually means about 3 layers of lead tape on the upper half of the hoop.
String Setup:
Each of these have been strung with my preferred “ESP” method, with Ashaway Kevlar 16g mains at 90 lbs (prestretched), and Ashaway Monogut ZX Pro Black at ~40 lbs (thoroughly prestretched). I vary the cross tension from 35 to 50 lbs, depending on pattern density. The high tension differential between mains and crosses makes the dense pattern extremely spin friendly without compromising launch angle precision. When strung this way, the hoop compresses about 3/16”, so the strung length is actually about 26-9/16” for my customized frames.
Pattern Density:
In order from Densest Feeling to Most Open:
Graphene Prestige > Youtek Prestige > BLX 6.1 95 > Speed Pro > Super G9 > Blade.
The Head frames have the mains spaced closer together in the middle than the others, which I like. But the stringbed feel of the BLX 6.1 95 seems to have the best directional control from the stringbed, probably due to the smaller headsize. The Blade is the only one of these where I sometimes find myself wishing the pattern was a little denser.
Head Size:
In order from Largest to Smallest:
Speed Pro > Super G9 > Blade > Prestiges > 6.1 95.
Stiffness / Feel:
In order of feel from Stiffest to most flexible:
Super G9 > BLX 6.1 95 > Blade > Speed Pro > Graphene Prestige > Youtek Prestige
The G9 has RA in the 70s, and feels much stiffer than the others. The impact can feel harsh, but copious amounts of lead tape at 3 & 9, 10 & 2, and 12, help make it feel more solid. Due to its higher stiffness (think Pure Drive with thinner beam and more precise pattern), it’s probably the most forgiving on off-center hits of this group.
The BLX 6.1 95 and Blade 98 are not as stiff as the G9, but both are very solid and sweet-feeling feeling frames, especially in my customized form (shortened frames play a bit stiffer than stock length).
The Graphene Speed Pro is unique compared to the others. It plays more flexible than its high 60s RA would suggest, with all of the flex seemingly concentrated at the throat. This is probably due to the narrower beam in the throat compared to the hoop. This makes the frame very sensitive to where the lead tape is placed. This flex pattern seems to deaden the serve a bit.
The Graphene Prestige is a step down in stiffness from the ones above it, giving it a more player’s frame feel. Sometimes I like this about it, but sometimes I find myself wanting more forgiveness on volleys.
The Youtek Prestige is more flexible than the rest. I enjoyed playing with at times, but also found that I could feel the frame buckling in on off-center hits, sometimes feeling flimsy.
Serve Rating:
In order from favorite to least favorite:
BLX 6.1 95 > Graphene Prestige > Blade > Super G9 > Speed Pro > Youtek Prestige
Something about the 6.1 95, when weighted right, is just right for serves. I rate this #1 for serves.
But 1A. I also seem to be getting a nice “hammer” effect with the Graphene Prestige (feels like the mass transfer to the ball is very efficient) after I stripped away the bottom 6” of the cap grommet, which adds 7g of dead weight – removing this dead weight livened up the serve. And the dense pattern combined with enough flex for adequate dwell time allows me to hit some wicked and deceptive spins.
The Blade is solid on serve, but a notch below the smaller-headed 6.1 and Graphene Prestige.
The Super G9 also works well for serves as long is the tension is low enough to grab the ball. But since the head size is a little larger than the 6.1 95 and the Graphene Prestige, the momentum transfer to the ball seems a little lower. Like the Graphene Prestige, This one also improved on serve after I stripped away some of the lower part of the cap grommet.
The Youtek Prestige seems a little flexible for serving. And Graphene Prestige brings up the rear, probably due to having the largest head size (and so shortest distance from hand to impact point) of the group.
Groundstroke Control:
In order from most control to least:
BLX 6.1 95 > Super G9 > Blade 98 > Graphene Prestige > Speed Pro > Youtek Prestige.
The BLX 6.1 95 has the edge over the rest – the dense pattern seems better connected to the head of the frame than the rest.
The Super G9 is right behind due to itself extra crispness. The larger head size and added stiffness is more forgiving than the 6.1 95, but the larger head size also means a little less concentrated mass and thus less depth control than the 6.1.
The Blade 98 is right behind the G9. It’s always reliable, but the slightly more open pattern means slightly less precision.
The Graphene Prestige is fun to play with, with distinct player’s racquet feel, but the added flex means less forgiveness, with lower power outside the sweetspot.
The Speed Pro is enjoyable for groundies, and the variable density pattern helps make it feel more precise. I sometimes get in nice groove with this one.
The Youtek Prestige is still nice on groundies, and grabs the ball well to deliver controlled spin. Being last on this list doesn’t do it justice, as it’s still a nice control frame on groundies. It’s just too flexy for my taste.
Volley Rating:
In order from favorite to least:
Super G9 > BLX 6.1 95 > Blade 98 > Speed Pro > Graphene Prestige > Youtek Prestige
My rankings are basically in order of stiffness. I love the crisp and short dwell time of the Super G9 at net. The BLX 6.1 95 is right behind.
The Blade seems to work well on volleys too, despite the slightly more open pattern. The Heads, being more flexy and with longer dwell time, seem less suited to net play than the stiffer Volkl and the Wilsons.
Current Overall Favorite:
The Super G9 is the current favorite, just nosing out the BLX 6.1 95. The combination of crisp precision and forgiveness (i.e., large consistent response over the whole hitting area) gives me a lot of confidence to take the G9 into competition. I used it for the recent mixed season, and played well in playoffs, qualifying for sectionals. The G9 also has an aesthetic advantage over the others – everywhere I go, people are always asking me about my racquet – they always notice my bright neon orange frame from several courts away. This one draws attention.
The 6.1 is right behind, but maybe only due to a technicality. I’m thinking of picking up another BLX 6.1 95, as the one I own has too small a grip size for me (using a 4-3/8” with only 1 overgrip contributed to a bout of tennis elbow, and having to add 3 overgrips is not ideal, since customization room is limited and bevels are more rounded than I like). I suspect I might like the 6.1 better if the grip size was bigger to begin with. And I haven’t quite got my serve dialed in to the same ceiling with the G9 that I’ve found at times with the 6.1.
The Blade, for me is a notch below the G9 and 6.1 due to slightly more open pattern, but it’s a reliable back-up option that I always feel comfortable going back to, like an old friend.
The Graphene Prestige is my most recent addition to my collection. Really enjoying what this racquet does for my serve. It makes it easy to serve offensively, with variety of spins and power. Overheads seem to have extra thunder with this one too. But still not sure if I’m fully comfortable with the more flexible feel for all-court tennis – a little less forgiving (less uniform ball response across the stringbed) than the stiffer frames on this list.
The Speed Pro plays almost like an OS compared to the others on this list, for better or for worse. I can play very consistent with it, but I never seem to serve very offensively with it, which drops it down the list.
The Youtek Prestige brings up the rear for me. Not only did I find it flimsy on off-center hits, but it has an extreme weight distribution in stock form (lots of mass at 6 o’clock), plus lots of mass in lower hoop due to cap grommets. I had to putt 4 layers of lead tape across the tip from 10:30 to 1:30 to reach my specs. This frame would probably be much better if I removed some dead weight from bottom of cap grommets at lower half of hoop, like I did already with my Graphene Prestige, and also with my G9. Then I could replace this “dead” mass with more efficient mass further up the hoop for better stability and pop.
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