Demoing-- Agressive All-courter

[kingcheetah]

One of my assistant coaches wants me to change to a more aggressive, all court game (some serve and volley but not purely that way.) He's asked me to try some new racquets out for that, since the Blade 104 is great for baseline exchanges but not the best for precision, so he wants me to demo some of the other options on the market. The thought that immediately came into my mind is Six One 95 18x20. The other two I added were the Blade 93 and the new Radical Pro. Suggestions for a 4th demo that is control-oriented for an attacking all-courter?

 

[LeeD]

Since you seem to like the ease of use of a 104, why not stick to 100's or 98's?
I don't think you need old school precision, to play an attacking game.
You'd miss the easy power of a small OS racket with a 93 or smaller.
Seems most guys are changing over to just under 100 for their games.

 

[lgbalfa]

Since you seem to like the ease of use of a 104, why not stick to 100's or 98's?
I don't think you need old school precision, to play an attacking game.
You'd miss the easy power of a small OS racket with a 93 or smaller.
Seems most guys are changing over to just under 100 for their games.

i recently made the transition from 98 to 95 and in all honesty i cannot even tell the difference.

 

[LeeD]

I play with 95's, 98's, another 98, and 100's. All are good enough.
I also play with Head107's and Prince 110's, close enough, but not quite the precision of anything 100 and smaller.

 

[kingcheetah]

Since you seem to like the ease of use of a 104, why not stick to 100's or 98's?
I don't think you need old school precision, to play an attacking game.
You'd miss the easy power of a small OS racket with a 93 or smaller.
Seems most guys are changing over to just under 100 for their games.

I do like the ease of the 104, and I told the coach that to me it has more feel than the baseline-oriented Blade 98 models do... I did play a lot of my junior days with the six one 95 though, so I know I have a fondness for that frame.

 

[Fuji]

The blade 93 is unrealistic to play with. I wouldn't recommend it. Keep it at 95 or above, trust me! Haha.

An interesting demo list for you to try might be:

Pure Drive
Aero Pro
Pure Strike Tour
Prestige Pro

Good luck!

-Fuji

 

[kingcheetah]

Ok I've substituted a Pure Strike Tour into the mix instead of the Blade 93... any other suggestions out there?

 

[ryydman]

Blade 98, 18x20...

 

[SpinToWin]

I'm not sure if you'll like the new Graphene Radical… If I was you, I'd rather demo the IG Radical Pro, it's the much better feeling racquet.
Attacking oriented with control is the forte of the IG Prestige Pro. It is incredible in this regard, hits a really heavy ball with the right swing but gives impressive precision at the same time.

 

[lima]

One of my assistant coaches wants me to change to a more aggressive, all court game (some serve and volley but not purely that way.) He's asked me to try some new racquets out for that, since the Blade 104 is great for baseline exchanges but not the best for precision, so he wants me to demo some of the other options on the market. The thought that immediately came into my mind is Six One 95 18x20. The other two I added were the Blade 93 and the new Radical Pro. Suggestions for a 4th demo that is control-oriented for an attacking all-courter?

If you play aggressive tennis, you wan't control, and you have the skill, try Head Youtek IG Prestige MP. Absolutely fantastic racquet!

 

[McLovin]

I'm not sure if you'll like the new Graphene Radical… If I was you, I'd rather demo the IG Radical Pro, it's the much better feeling racquet.

I agree w/ SpinToWin. I demoed the new Radical a few months back, and after 2 minutes, put it back in the demo box. Terrible frame. Felt like a 2x4.

If going w/ Head, stick w/ the previous Radical, or look at the Prestige line. A couple other frames to consider:

- Babolat Pure Control Tour
- Dunlop 2.0 line (F or M, depending on weight & pattern desires)
- Yonex VCORE Tour 'G' 97
- Pacific X Force Pro (tough to find, but worth a look when BX2 versions come out)
- Volkl C10 Pro​

 

[Lancer]

Dunlop F 3.0 Tour or Tec 315 Ltd 18M might be options as well, in terms of similar feel you're looking for. Would need to add a bit more weight.

 

[kingcheetah]

Based on specs alone it would seem that the Graphene Radical is going to play closer to the Six one 95 than the old one did, since it's stiffer and has a more HL balance...

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

For attacking tennis, you want control and feel and maybe a little more ease of use from the baseline that something like a blade 93. I would stick with something like the prestige pro, six one, vcore tour maybe (haven't used), and volkl 10 series.

 

[JackB1]

One of my assistant coaches wants me to change to a more aggressive, all court game (some serve and volley but not purely that way.) He's asked me to try some new racquets out for that, since the Blade 104 is great for baseline exchanges but not the best for precision, so he wants me to demo some of the other options on the market. The thought that immediately came into my mind is Six One 95 18x20. The other two I added were the Blade 93 and the new Radical Pro. Suggestions for a 4th demo that is control-oriented for an attacking all-courter?

Funny. I thought that the Blade 104 was one of the best "all court" racquets out there If you don't believe me, just read the description from TW:
"The dense 18x19 pattern does a good job controlling the pop. The added length comes in handy on serves, where the extra leverage is perfect for putting heavy action on the ball. At net, this one feels very fast, making it great for reaction volleys and put aways. The extra length and 104 square inch head also helps with reach. A great option for 3.5+ all-court players or doubles specialists looking for maneuverability and controllable power."

Not accurate? I don't get that comment either. It's a closed pattern, slightly oversize racquet that really does everything well. Venus and Serena have great all court games and play lots of doubles too and they don't seem to have any issues with the 104.

It's also weird that most of the suggestions about what to switch to are pointing you towards other more baseliner oriented racquets Doesn't make sense.
The Blade 104 IS a "control oriented" racquet and you are using Lux at 58 lbs and don't find that controlling enough? I am missing something here.

 

[ROCKinCourier]

I think you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't try either the Volkl PowerBridge 10 Mid (my racket of choice) or the Volkl Organix 10 Mid ...

 

[harryz]

Prestige MP

If you can handle the grip shape. The MG, Youtek and IG are all terrific frames

 

[dnation]

Agree with Harryz. Stick as close as you can to a 98" headsize, especially if you're coming from 104. You will be in for a rude shock if you jump straight to a 93" or less. The Mids feel a lot better but as soon as you lose focus or get fatigued, you will shank as much
as Sharapova screaming.

A lot of people are raving about the new graphene Rad Pro, but the IG version is also very good.

 

[chrisberchris]

Prestige pro or a six.one. I do not know if I would recommend anything smaller than 95 if you are used to a 104

 

[burn1986]

I was kind of wondering why not stick with the 104? I use an IG Prestige MP, but its not for everyone. I think the Youtek Prestige Pro is better than the IG Pro if you go that direction. There are a whole group of racquets in the 11.1 - 11.7 range that are fine for serve and volley. I would by some used demos of the 6.1 95 and others to see if you like it. I wouldn't go with an 18x20 in a 95'' frame, but rather 98 and above. Beware, anything with the name Graphene on it is arm toxic.

 

[KYHacker]

I would recommend paying attention to what pros in the 50-250 ranking range that play the style you want to play. Also look at what pro doubles players use. What I see most commonly are: Wilson 6.1 95/PS 95, Head Prestige MP (or some relative), Babolat PD/PDR, Prince Tour 100, and Head Speed.

 

[SpinToWin]

I would recommend paying attention to what pros in the 50-250 ranking range that play the style you want to play. Also look at what pro doubles players use. What I see most commonly are: Wilson 6.1 95/PS 95, Head Prestige MP (or some relative), Babolat PD/PDR, Prince Tour 100, and Head Speed.

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE!
Many pros use pro stock racquets with current paint jobs, this is not a good advice.

 

[SpinToWin]

I was kind of wondering why not stick with the 104? I use an IG Prestige MP, but its not for everyone. I think the Youtek Prestige Pro is better than the IG Pro if you go that direction. There are a whole group of racquets in the 11.1 - 11.7 range that are fine for serve and volley. I would by some used demos of the 6.1 95 and others to see if you like it. I wouldn't go with an 18x20 in a 95'' frame, but rather 98 and above. Beware, anything with the name Graphene on it is arm toxic.

I disagree, I played both and the IG is noticeably easier to play, as it has more stability and is more forgiving at a similar weight, also it provides more power.
The YouTek's sweetspot is a lot smaller and though it feels better, it is much harder to hit consistently. Coming from a larger racquet, the higher power, stability and forgiveness of the IG over the YT will be preferable.

 

[KYHacker]

Spintowin, I think you generally give good advice, but I think we ask realize that many pros use pro stock frames with paint jobs. There are also many that don't. I wasn't recommending that the OP buy a frame that his favorite pro uses. That's one of the reasons that I didn't recommend top 50 players. Pros use their racquets primarily because that is the frame they developed their game with. The characteristics of those frames-- especially those used by younger up and coming players will pretty much show what good players think will work for a particular paying style. Note that almost every frame is 95-98 or 100 and except for Babolats are 22mm or less and that most are 18x20. I also see a ton of Pure Drives used by lower ranked players and especially in doubles play. Babs are typically not pro stock but just custo 22mm ized weight and balance.

 

[SpinToWin]

Spintowin, I think you generally give good advice, but I think we ask realize that many pros use pro stock frames with paint jobs. There are also many that don't. I wasn't recommending that the OP buy a frame that his favorite pro uses. That's one of the reasons that I didn't recommend top 50 players. Pros use their racquets primarily because that is the frame they developed their game with. The characteristics of those frames-- especially those used by younger up and coming players will pretty much show what good players think will work for a particular paying style. Note that almost every frame is 95-98 or 100 and except for Babolats are 22mm or less and that most are 18x20. I also see a ton of Pure Drives used by lower ranked players and especially in doubles play. Babs are typically not pro stock but just custo 22mm ized weight and balance.

generally I do not agree to looking at pros for ideas on which racquets to play. First reason is that they often play pro stocks. This does not only mean older models with new paint jobs (such as the pt57a for a LOT of Prestige and Radical players), but also custom racquets in general. Pros' racquets can be only the mold with a custom inner layup resulting in different flex/stiffness, etc. Also most pros customize their racquets with lead, making them play completely differently. A racquet which doesn't play well at net can be transformed into a beast at net with the right customization. Pros at 250 in the world still are vastly better than any of us here on TT, so taking them as a comparison is a bad move IMO. Furthermore, there is no transparency as to what is different/modified for a specific pro's racquet.

It is much more effective for him to have an understanding of what he likes and wants in a racquet and testing available and well known racquets based on these criteria. Something a pro plays may be too much for him or may only play well in that specific style thanks to extensive customizations. I did not mean to be offensive, I just found it to be a very bad advice…

 

[KYHacker]

Fair enough. My point was simply that if you look at a sample of aggressive all-courters, some trends are pretty easy to spot. Very easy to see same trends if you watch college tennis, but a lot of people don't have easy access to that.

 

[kingcheetah]

That was part of the logic with demoing the six one 95 line. I played the 2010 18x20 throughout high school, but the 2012 version just wasn't my cup of tea... something seemed to be lacking with that version. I have really enjoyed demoing the 2014 model however.

 

[kingcheetah]

Update: Sticking with the Blade 104. The six one has its advantages (better for slicing, a bit more aerodynamic on volleys, but the Blade has a softer feel and better spin, which are helpful given my natural power. I'll be playing with the lead setup on the 104s to see the ideal.

 

[JackB1]

Update: Sticking with the Blade 104. The six one has its advantages (better for slicing, a bit more aerodynamic on volleys, but the Blade has a softer feel and better spin, which are helpful given my natural power. I'll be playing with the lead setup on the 104s to see the ideal.

Like I said earlier....there is no reason to switch away from the Blade 104 for your new more aggressive all court game (see post #15). The 104 can do it all and do it all well. It really has no weaknesses other than its a little light, but that can be easily fixed with lead tape.

 

[Fintft]

One of my assistant coaches wants me to change to a more aggressive, all court game (some serve and volley but not purely that way.) He's asked me to try some new racquets out for that, since the Blade 104 is great for baseline exchanges but not the best for precision, so he wants me to demo some of the other options on the market. The thought that immediately came into my mind is Six One 95 18x20. The other two I added were the Blade 93 and the new Radical Pro. Suggestions for a 4th demo that is control-oriented for an attacking all-courter?

Your fist choice seems best to me, but what exact model?

1. The Kfactor? I would say no (still own one)
2. The original BLX? (Still have a couple of those)
3. The BLX Amplifeel 2012? (The one I use and even more controll oriented)
4. The current, 2013 BLX?
5. Finally I would suggest 16X18, rather then 18X20, especially if you use full bed natural gut (for me it helps prevent the balls from sailing long, by adding more spin/bitting more into the ball- even more so when natural gut is frayed).

Other than that Prince Rebel 95 felt pretty close and you may also want to have a look at Babolat Pure Strike Tour.
The other Babolat Aerostorm Tour I've used years ago had similar specs to Six One 95 as well.

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Babolat_Pure_Strike_Tour/descpageRCBAB-PST.html