Control Racquet

[Peacock19]

I'm looking to get a new racquet to replace my Pure Aero. It's a great racquet for power and spin, but I feel I don't need all the power and would like more control. I'm trying to narrow my racquet choices down to four so I only have to order one box of demo racquets. I've read many racquet reviews but still can't seem to make a decision. Some racquets I've been looking at are the Prince Textreme Tour 95, Wilson Ultra Tour, Wilson Blade 98 (18x20), Wilson Burn 95, Wilson Pro Staff RF97, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Babolat Pure Strike 98, and Babolat Pure Aero VS.

I play with a lot of topspin, so I'd like to have a racquet that has a mix of spin and control even though I know these don't go together as well as power and spin. I am usually an aggressive baseliner unless I'm being overpowered and I'll switch to a retriever. I am a high school player and I play 1 singles. Any suggestions for racquets I should demo and helping me narrow it down to four would be greatly appreciated.

 

[darklore009]

The Tour 95 should fit well. It just a matter of adjusting to the small headsize compared to the 100sq in from the Pure Aero.

 

[TennisHound]

I'm looking to get a new racquet to replace my Pure Aero. It's a great racquet for power and spin, but I feel I don't need all the power and would like more control. I'm trying to narrow my racquet choices down to four so I only have to order one box of demo racquets. I've read many racquet reviews but still can't seem to make a decision. Some racquets I've been looking at are the Prince Textreme Tour 95, Wilson Ultra Tour, Wilson Blade 98 (18x20), Wilson Burn 95, Wilson Pro Staff RF97, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Babolat Pure Strike 98, and Babolat Pure Aero VS.

I play with a lot of topspin, so I'd like to have a racquet that has a mix of spin and control even though I know these don't go together as well as power and spin. I am usually an aggressive baseliner unless I'm being overpowered and I'll switch to a retriever. I am a high school player and I play 1 singles. Any suggestions for racquets I should demo and helping me narrow it down to four would be greatly appreciated.

You might also think about adding the new Pure Drive 2018.

 

[CosmosMpower]

The Ultra Tour and Blade 98 18x20 are pretty closed string patterns so may not be as suited for a extreme top spin game. I'd try the RF97, DR98/Ezone and Pure strike Project one seven.

You didn't mention this but Angell TC95 or 97 in 16x19 in 63RA flex might also suit you quite well.

 

[Anton]

I'm looking to get a new racquet to replace my Pure Aero. It's a great racquet for power and spin, but I feel I don't need all the power and would like more control. I'm trying to narrow my racquet choices down to four so I only have to order one box of demo racquets. I've read many racquet reviews but still can't seem to make a decision. Some racquets I've been looking at are the Prince Textreme Tour 95, Wilson Ultra Tour, Wilson Blade 98 (18x20), Wilson Burn 95, Wilson Pro Staff RF97, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Babolat Pure Strike 98, and Babolat Pure Aero VS.

I play with a lot of topspin, so I'd like to have a racquet that has a mix of spin and control even though I know these don't go together as well as power and spin. I am usually an aggressive baseliner unless I'm being overpowered and I'll switch to a retriever. I am a high school player and I play 1 singles. Any suggestions for racquets I should demo and helping me narrow it down to four would be greatly appreciated.

Yonex EZONE DR 98 with 17g poly, add a bit of lead for more stability/SW/power.

...new EZONE 98 if you don't care about it's slightly stiffer feel and want a bit more power/spin than DR98

Babolat Pure Strike 98, and Babolat Pure Aero VS. can also work, so you may as well demo those too.

 

[estigma2001]

i play with the PS 97 and even though is very control oriented has enough power for you so you will not miss the power of the aero

 

[Hansen]

i would choose the:
yonex dr 98
babolat pure strike po 7
wilson ps 97 (rf 97 is too heavy)
babolat pure aero vs

wilson ultra tour and prince tour 95 would be too low powered (likely)
the blade 18x20 could work with a spinfriendly string

 

[AMGF]

Ultra Tour hands down.

 

[Anton]

Ultra Tour hands down.

not as much spin as DR98, VERY different from PA

 

[time_fly]

I would try the Pure Strike P17 (16x19) first. The Prince Tour 95 is a further step down in power; you could check out the Tour 100P which has a bit more pop but still good control. The new Phantom has a ton of spin and very low power, but still has that 100" head similar to the Pure Aero. I recently tried the Volkl Super G10 325g and thought it also has a lot of spin and control. That's an old model but the specs on some of the new VSense 10s look very similar to it.

 

[AMGF]

not as much spin as DR98, VERY different from PA

Well he's asking for a control frame, it doesn't get much better than the Ultra Tour in my opinion. TC97 18m is very good too and has a bit more spin and power.

Everything else he will be compromising control for something else. I never played the DR98, but it's a 16x19 frame and for sure will have a higher trajectory and less control at the benefit of more spin and power. But he says he can generate power and spin by himself.

Maybe the UT will be too different from what he's used to. But it's a fantastic control frame.

 

[Peacock19]

So it seems like the DR 98 and Pure Strike 98 are popular suggestions and there's something I really like about the textreme tour 95. Just need to decide on one more racquet then.

 

[EdMcMush]

the new Dunlop Srixon tour looks very promising. 18 20 pattern, 95 inchs, 61 stiffness

 

[Anton]

the new Dunlop Srixon tour looks very promising. 18 20 pattern, 95 inchs, 61 stiffness

It's a frame similar to Ultra Tour

 

[Anton]

Well he's asking for a control frame, it doesn't get much better than the Ultra Tour in my opinion. TC97 18m is very good too and has a bit more spin and power.

Everything else he will be compromising control for something else. I never played the DR98, but it's a 16x19 frame and for sure will have a higher trajectory and less control at the benefit of more spin and power. But he says he can generate power and spin by himself.

Maybe the UT will be too different from what he's used to. But it's a fantastic control frame.

He is asking for a mix of control and spin if you read carefully. UT does have more control, but not really a spinster.

 

[Peacock19]

Well he's asking for a control frame, it doesn't get much better than the Ultra Tour in my opinion. TC97 18m is very good too and has a bit more spin and power.

Everything else he will be compromising control for something else. I never played the DR98, but it's a 16x19 frame and for sure will have a higher trajectory and less control at the benefit of more spin and power. But he says he can generate power and spin by himself.

Maybe the UT will be too different from what he's used to. But it's a fantastic control frame.

I might try out the Ultra Tour too, just to see how I like a mostly control oriented frame.

 

[EdMcMush]

I might try out the Ultra Tour too, just to see how I like a mostly control oriented frame.

the volkl c10 pro is a great stick. very control oriented. 16 19 but it has 8 mains in the throat. 98 square inch. very very thin beam

 

[AMGF]

I might try out the Ultra Tour too, just to see how I like a mostly control oriented frame.

It could definitely serve as a base for comparison.

 

[Muppet]

A lower power option compared to your Pure Aero: Pure Aero VS
It will probably be easy for you to get used to.

A beefier racquet that begs for a leather grip to give it a better balance: Blade 18x20 2015
A good one to try if you want to step up to a heavier racquet. Good spin for an 18x20.

Prince TT95 and Wilson UT will be too much of an adjustment to very low power from Pure Arrow.

 

[stephenclown]

I have come from the exact same racquet - pure aero and now waiting for my Angell TC95 to arrive. Pure aero gave me intense wrist pain from an old injury I need surgery on. The other option I was looking at was the DR98. The reason I chose Angell was mainly due to the quality of materials, customised specifications and open 16x19 pattern. What sealed the deal above all else was the low stiffness rating available. I may pick up a DR98 in old paint for cheap to check it out as a second main racquet as it is also quite flexible and plush.

Based on all the Angell reviews and thread I think this could be an option if you want power and spin, similar to the TT95 but outclasses in nearly every aspect according to a multitude of people.

I have a variation of the precursor to those Pure Aero VS I think - Pure Storm Ltd - and the Grommets just arrived today for restringing so hopefully it goes well. Even with the closed string pattern the spin is exceptional if you know how to use it, issue was the incredibly low power of the frame, but also easily adapted to. Also those VS frames are stiff compared to their previous iterations (68?), I suggest looking elsewhere unless you're going to string super high to loosen the frames a bit. There really is no advantage to a stiff frame, power is made through technique and string choice, not the cheapness of materials used (cheap graphite = stiff = stiff frame). Apparently the Pure Storm Ltd is 62 stiffness which is good and around 59 strung which is perfect, just going to use lower gauge strings given the closed pattern and use it for teaching my girlfriend.

I suggest low RA for long-term body health so would suggest Angell, Yonex or Prince as the other main manufacturers are mainly putting out high variance and stiff garbage.

Edit - power of Pure Aero is due to the open string pattern, FSI grommets, frame size and swingweight, stiffness to me feels like a nonfactor. Top pros are hitting much harder than nearly all recreational players and using much softer frames with the correct string matchup and stroke technique. Don't believe the hype around stiff cheap mass produced crap.

 

[prjacobs]

The Pure Aero gave the above poster, me and many others wrist pain. And for me - it was like driving a race car with no brakes. I could pulverize the ball - but not with pinpoint accuracy. Compared to the PA, just about any frame is a control frame. But - I'm going to recommend my current frame, the 2013 APD. Yes, yes - I know it's not known as a control frame, but for me, the DR 98 and Pure Strike make my game anemic compared to the 2013 APD. Mine weigh in at 11.75 ounces, with a Shock Shield grip and 5 grams of tungsten under the grip. I use a gut/poly setup at 43/41. With my Jack Sock like swing speed (totally kidding[emoji4]), I get a ton of control, lots of shape on my shots, and at that low tension, my arm feels fine.


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[dimbmw]

I'm looking to get a new racquet to replace my Pure Aero. It's a great racquet for power and spin, but I feel I don't need all the power and would like more control. I'm trying to narrow my racquet choices down to four so I only have to order one box of demo racquets. I've read many racquet reviews but still can't seem to make a decision. Some racquets I've been looking at are the Prince Textreme Tour 95, Wilson Ultra Tour, Wilson Blade 98 (18x20), Wilson Burn 95, Wilson Pro Staff RF97, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Babolat Pure Strike 98, and Babolat Pure Aero VS.

I play with a lot of topspin, so I'd like to have a racquet that has a mix of spin and control even though I know these don't go together as well as power and spin. I am usually an aggressive baseliner unless I'm being overpowered and I'll switch to a retriever. I am a high school player and I play 1 singles. Any suggestions for racquets I should demo and helping me narrow it down to four would be greatly appreciated.

How about just add 5 lbs of tension to the existing ones?

 

[stephenclown]

The Pure Aero gave the above poster, me and many others wrist pain. And for me - it was like driving a race car with no brakes. I could pulverize the ball - but not with pinpoint accuracy. Compared to the PA, just about any frame is a control frame. But - I'm going to recommend my current frame, the 2013 APD. Yes, yes - I know it's not known as a control frame, but for me, the DR 98 and Pure Strike make my game anemic compared to the 2013 APD. Mine weigh in at 11.75 ounces, with a Shock Shield grip and 5 grams of tungsten under the grip. I use a gut/poly setup at 43/41. With my Jack Sock like swing speed (totally kidding[emoji4]), I get a ton of control, lots of shape on my shots, and at that low tension, my arm feels fine.


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I was thinking about trying a prior APD but more difficult to find. The stiffness is still pretty high and I still find a smaller frame perfect for my 1HBH, the lower twist weight would help with it at the net. I would string it 70+ pounds a few times with cheap syn gut or something soft then see if it loosens up the frame a bit.

I don't know what it is with the pure aero.. I think it has to be the TW and swingweight with open pattern - it is a killer, it feels hollow and super stiff and sluggish. Unfortunately I haven't tried the old APD's but a guy I coached with in the past used the Original or 2009 version and loved it, he was a state level player here and top 10 junior in India, a great player and guy. He said it was the best frame he had ever used so I might give him a message to see. I can't see why he would think its great by using this pure aero so it must have felt completely different.

*The only thing I can think of is the open pattern needing to be restrung more often as it reduces life of polys and makes them go dead considerably faster - also more power which is not needed so stringing higher tension.

 

[Peacock19]

The Pure Aero gave the above poster, me and many others wrist pain. And for me - it was like driving a race car with no brakes. I could pulverize the ball - but not with pinpoint accuracy. Compared to the PA, just about any frame is a control frame. But - I'm going to recommend my current frame, the 2013 APD. Yes, yes - I know it's not known as a control frame, but for me, the DR 98 and Pure Strike make my game anemic compared to the 2013 APD. Mine weigh in at 11.75 ounces, with a Shock Shield grip and 5 grams of tungsten under the grip. I use a gut/poly setup at 43/41. With my Jack Sock like swing speed (totally kidding[emoji4]), I get a ton of control, lots of shape on my shots, and at that low tension, my arm feels fine.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I had wrist pain about a year and a half ago, but it didn't last too long and I think it was due to stringing the Pure Aero with Luxilon Big Banger Original at a higher tension than I normally string at. I agree, on short balls I can definitely pulverize the ball but I can't control it much, although it typically goes in because of topspin. I'd rather sacrifice all that power to be able to control where the shot goes and generate power on my own.

 

[Peacock19]

How about just add 5 lbs of tension to the existing ones?

Raising tension on a Pure Aero with poly strings isn't a good idea for the elbow and wrist. I'm a fit junior player and my elbow still aches often when I string it higher than I do now.

 

[Peacock19]

I have come from the exact same racquet - pure aero and now waiting for my Angell TC95 to arrive. Pure aero gave me intense wrist pain from an old injury I need surgery on. The other option I was looking at was the DR98. The reason I chose Angell was mainly due to the quality of materials, customised specifications and open 16x19 pattern. What sealed the deal above all else was the low stiffness rating available. I may pick up a DR98 in old paint for cheap to check it out as a second main racquet as it is also quite flexible and plush.

Based on all the Angell reviews and thread I think this could be an option if you want power and spin, similar to the TT95 but outclasses in nearly every aspect according to a multitude of people.

I have a variation of the precursor to those Pure Aero VS I think - Pure Storm Ltd - and the Grommets just arrived today for restringing so hopefully it goes well. Even with the closed string pattern the spin is exceptional if you know how to use it, issue was the incredibly low power of the frame, but also easily adapted to. Also those VS frames are stiff compared to their previous iterations (68?), I suggest looking elsewhere unless you're going to string super high to loosen the frames a bit. There really is no advantage to a stiff frame, power is made through technique and string choice, not the cheapness of materials used (cheap graphite = stiff = stiff frame). Apparently the Pure Storm Ltd is 62 stiffness which is good and around 59 strung which is perfect, just going to use lower gauge strings given the closed pattern and use it for teaching my girlfriend.

I suggest low RA for long-term body health so would suggest Angell, Yonex or Prince as the other main manufacturers are mainly putting out high variance and stiff garbage.

Edit - power of Pure Aero is due to the open string pattern, FSI grommets, frame size and swingweight, stiffness to me feels like a nonfactor. Top pros are hitting much harder than nearly all recreational players and using much softer frames with the correct string matchup and stroke technique. Don't believe the hype around stiff cheap mass produced crap.

The only problem I have with Angell frames is not being able to demo them.

 

[stephenclown]

The only problem I have with Angell frames is not being able to demo them.

That's my exact same issue but I have used similar frames and with all the positive reviews and Paul's history of quality racquet manufacturing for top pros I took a risk. Hopefully it turns out to be a good risk as I will be needing a few more racquets if they work out.

Edit* My process of throught was: Pure Aero + Pure Storm Ltd (95") - Love the feel of the Pure Storm more, however its string pattern is pretty tight so I want a bit more spread like the pure aero to reduce wrist issues. However, I don't want the excessive power and poor accuracy associated with this racquet as well as the high twist weight and head size. The TC95 is supposed to be slightly larger than a true 95 and with a spread out pattern with ample power and monster bite on the ball. For me the option to modify on top of this is a huge bonus and I asked for 62 RA or lower for the hairpin to make sure I have a low RA frame. Overall, I don't see it as that much of a risk.

I will be purchasing a TC97 18x20 later as it is supposed to feel very very similar to the PT57A which is the frame I absolutely want to test out.

 

[kailash]

I'm looking to get a new racquet to replace my Pure Aero. It's a great racquet for power and spin, but I feel I don't need all the power and would like more control. I'm trying to narrow my racquet choices down to four so I only have to order one box of demo racquets. I've read many racquet reviews but still can't seem to make a decision. Some racquets I've been looking at are the Prince Textreme Tour 95, Wilson Ultra Tour, Wilson Blade 98 (18x20), Wilson Burn 95, Wilson Pro Staff RF97, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Babolat Pure Strike 98, and Babolat Pure Aero VS.
...

Four from your list:

Prince Textreme Tour 95,
Wilson Ultra Tour,
Wilson Blade 98 (18x20),
Yonex EZONE DR 98

Four more, in no specific order:

ProKennex Redondo MP
Pacific X Force Pro No 1
Wilson Six One 95 (18x20)
Head Microgel Radical MP (18x20)