TheBoom
Hall of Fame
I noticed there wasn't a lot of information comparing these frames in one place. As someone who likes and owns both, I thought I'd compile my thoughts on the two, so this may be more for myself but if it helps anyone that's great. I own the 2022 Speed Pro and the Shift 99 Pro V1. That said, I've hit with the auxetic 2.0 speed pro as well and feel most of this still applies, but will point out where I noticed differences.
Background: 4.5-5.0 former DIII, I hit with heavy topspin, big serve. I was previously hitting with the Prestige MP, took time off and came back to the sport after about 5 years off and picked up some Pure Aeros before making the switch to the Shift.
TLDR: I love both, prefer the Shift Pro over the Speed
Notable Differences:
The Shift absolutely takes the cake in terms of power. The stiffness is there, but less so when hitting with topspin, but it feels like I got an extra bit of pace and depth on my shots with the Shift. This was especially noticeable when on the run and hitting off-balance. I don't tend to have issues hitting hard with the Speed, but it really requires a full stroke and if you're off-balance, or on the run, or don't commit to the ball, you'll see a pretty steep drop-off in pace. On serve, I felt they were pretty close on kick and slice serves with a notable edge on flat serves to the Shift.
Spin:
I mentioned earlier the more open string bed of the Speed, I was surprised that I didn't get as much spin as the Shift. Between the polarized setup and the open string pattern, I thought it would be much better. With the Shift, I consistently get another foot or two over the net compared to the Speed. Both feel very comfortable on slices and I get good bite from both so I don't feel there's a notable difference in backspin between the two.
Control:
This is a tough category and I feel they control the ball differently. For me and where my game is at, I prefer the Shift. It's very direct, I can easily adjust my spin and confidently know where the ball will land. I can confidently hit flat shots with the shift as well. Because of the comfort of the Speed, it feels like you get a bit more dwell time. If you prefer that kind of feel, you'll love the control you get from the Speed. Neither racket launches the ball unpredictably like I sometimes experienced with the Pure Aero, and I don't feel like either is so much better in this area so give the edge to whether you prefer a stiffer layup or more plush layup.
Feel:
I've eluded to it above, but I think this (and comfort) is the true distinguishing feature between the two frames. If you're between the two, you'll pick one over the other because you want a more flexible or direct feel. I have to be honest that I don't love the feel of Auxetic in rackets, particularly the 2024 Speed Pro. I feel like it makes a frame a bit too muted for me. It improves the frame in comfort and it isn't as disconnected as other rackets, but I got less feedback to dial in my shots from the Speed. The 2022 Speed is my favorite of the 22/24 Speeds. When hitting flat, the Shift will feel a bit like a Pure Drive in stiffness, but it softens up quite a bit the more you hit with topspin. Not to the point I'd say it's flexible, but it is more comfortable and you still retain good feedback from the ball.
Comfort:
While the Shift is not uncomfortable, the Speed takes the cake here. I made the mistake of stringing one of my Shifts with 4G and my arm was pretty sore, so I switched to the speed and the discomfort was almost unnoticeable. Very comfortable, and the clear winner is the Speed. My $0.02 with the Shift is to keep the tension around 50 if you're concerned about comfort. I found 54 to be a bit high even with comfortable strings, and I'm not particularly string-sensitive.
Final Thoughts:
Both rackets are great, but at the end of the day, I win more with the Shift and that's the racket I'd give the edge to. The extra bump in power from the Shift and the better access to spin fit my game a bit better. If I hit flatter and was looking for something with more comfort the Speed Pro would be my go-to. I did find that the Auxetic 2.0 speed was less spin friendly than the 22 version, so if you hit flatter, that's going to be the one you go for. I'm glad to have the Speed in my bag for a break if my arm is tired or I want something different but still relatively on-spec to hit with.
Both rackets are meant for aggressive players, and both are some of the best returning frames I've used. I typically struggle returning hard serves, but if I get either frame into position the return is incredible. Even compared to rackets I've modded in the past, I'd say these strike a great balance of maneuverability and stability for returns. To the point that I almost prefer returning with these over serving, which is crazy for me to say as my serve is the best part of my game.
Hope this helps anyone looking for info between the two. I'm sure I'll come back and edit my thoughts in the future as I accumulate more time with both rackets.
Background: 4.5-5.0 former DIII, I hit with heavy topspin, big serve. I was previously hitting with the Prestige MP, took time off and came back to the sport after about 5 years off and picked up some Pure Aeros before making the switch to the Shift.
TLDR: I love both, prefer the Shift Pro over the Speed
Notable Differences:
- String Spacing: Right off the bat, you can see the speed pro has noticeably more spacing between strings than the shift. The Speed also seems to have more even spacing on the string bed compared to the Shift which has a denser string bed towards the middle, with more spacing as you move to the hoop.
- Flex: This is obvious from the specs. The Speed Pro feels very comfortable, even with stiffer polys in it. I like Hyper G in it quite a lot, and it's comfort is on-par with my old Prestige MP when strung up with Hyper G, maybe more.
- Weight location: The Speed Pro feels like it has a more polarized weight balance than the Shift. As a result, I feel the Shift's swings at a consistent speed through the stroke, where the Speed Pro feels like it's accelerating quite a bit.
- Shiftyness: As a former marketer, I don't usually buy into marketing features, but I do think there's something to the layup of the Shift. It is noticeably more comfortable when hitting with spin, and my topspin shots dive very aggressively into the court, much like the PA, but with a lower launch angle. Say what you will, but it was one of the first things I noticed, and it remains true for me now.
The Shift absolutely takes the cake in terms of power. The stiffness is there, but less so when hitting with topspin, but it feels like I got an extra bit of pace and depth on my shots with the Shift. This was especially noticeable when on the run and hitting off-balance. I don't tend to have issues hitting hard with the Speed, but it really requires a full stroke and if you're off-balance, or on the run, or don't commit to the ball, you'll see a pretty steep drop-off in pace. On serve, I felt they were pretty close on kick and slice serves with a notable edge on flat serves to the Shift.
Spin:
I mentioned earlier the more open string bed of the Speed, I was surprised that I didn't get as much spin as the Shift. Between the polarized setup and the open string pattern, I thought it would be much better. With the Shift, I consistently get another foot or two over the net compared to the Speed. Both feel very comfortable on slices and I get good bite from both so I don't feel there's a notable difference in backspin between the two.
Control:
This is a tough category and I feel they control the ball differently. For me and where my game is at, I prefer the Shift. It's very direct, I can easily adjust my spin and confidently know where the ball will land. I can confidently hit flat shots with the shift as well. Because of the comfort of the Speed, it feels like you get a bit more dwell time. If you prefer that kind of feel, you'll love the control you get from the Speed. Neither racket launches the ball unpredictably like I sometimes experienced with the Pure Aero, and I don't feel like either is so much better in this area so give the edge to whether you prefer a stiffer layup or more plush layup.
Feel:
I've eluded to it above, but I think this (and comfort) is the true distinguishing feature between the two frames. If you're between the two, you'll pick one over the other because you want a more flexible or direct feel. I have to be honest that I don't love the feel of Auxetic in rackets, particularly the 2024 Speed Pro. I feel like it makes a frame a bit too muted for me. It improves the frame in comfort and it isn't as disconnected as other rackets, but I got less feedback to dial in my shots from the Speed. The 2022 Speed is my favorite of the 22/24 Speeds. When hitting flat, the Shift will feel a bit like a Pure Drive in stiffness, but it softens up quite a bit the more you hit with topspin. Not to the point I'd say it's flexible, but it is more comfortable and you still retain good feedback from the ball.
Comfort:
While the Shift is not uncomfortable, the Speed takes the cake here. I made the mistake of stringing one of my Shifts with 4G and my arm was pretty sore, so I switched to the speed and the discomfort was almost unnoticeable. Very comfortable, and the clear winner is the Speed. My $0.02 with the Shift is to keep the tension around 50 if you're concerned about comfort. I found 54 to be a bit high even with comfortable strings, and I'm not particularly string-sensitive.
Final Thoughts:
Both rackets are great, but at the end of the day, I win more with the Shift and that's the racket I'd give the edge to. The extra bump in power from the Shift and the better access to spin fit my game a bit better. If I hit flatter and was looking for something with more comfort the Speed Pro would be my go-to. I did find that the Auxetic 2.0 speed was less spin friendly than the 22 version, so if you hit flatter, that's going to be the one you go for. I'm glad to have the Speed in my bag for a break if my arm is tired or I want something different but still relatively on-spec to hit with.
Both rackets are meant for aggressive players, and both are some of the best returning frames I've used. I typically struggle returning hard serves, but if I get either frame into position the return is incredible. Even compared to rackets I've modded in the past, I'd say these strike a great balance of maneuverability and stability for returns. To the point that I almost prefer returning with these over serving, which is crazy for me to say as my serve is the best part of my game.
Hope this helps anyone looking for info between the two. I'm sure I'll come back and edit my thoughts in the future as I accumulate more time with both rackets.
