Diary of a Racketaholic

RF_PRO_STAFF

Professional
It's an amazing string, but I also have a pack of Hawk to test. If Hawk is even stiffer, I'm not sure what I'll be able to do with it other than cross it with Lux gut.
Hawk is noticeably stiffer to me. I love everything about it but my shoulder does not. But every arm/shoulder is different of course. There are other stiff strings that don't bother me that much. I personally choose Hawk often as a cross to gut mains.
 

RF_PRO_STAFF

Professional
A very special delivery tomorrow... 1x TGT345.2 and 2x 291.2.

The 345.2 is specs-matched to the Auxetic one I already own. I just bought this second one at a later time, so this one also has the Auxetix PJ. Yummie. I did tinker with the first one so I'll have to do that with this second one too to have them matched again.

The 291.2 is a frame I got really curious about last week. It's a 22mm beam (so it might pack a punch) and has a tight 16x19 string pattern if I read it correctly. Not sure if it's a 95 or a true 98? Also full gloss Auxetic PJ on these. These also need some customizing to get the specs to my liking.

Prepare for pics tomorrow where the full Auxetic gloss will splash off your screen.
 

taylor15

Hall of Fame
A very special delivery tomorrow... 1x TGT345.2 and 2x 291.2.

The 345.2 is specs-matched to the Auxetic one I already own. I just bought this second one at a later time, so this one also has the Auxetix PJ. Yummie. I did tinker with the first one so I'll have to do that with this second one too to have them matched again.

The 291.2 is a frame I got really curious about last week. It's a 22mm beam (so it might pack a punch) and has a tight 16x19 string pattern if I read it correctly. Not sure if it's a 95 or a true 98? Also full gloss Auxetic PJ on these. These also need some customizing to get the specs to my liking.

Prepare for pics tomorrow where the full Auxetic gloss will splash off your screen.
291.2 is the modern shaped beam (do they call it D beam?) instead if box beam. This is mold that the current tour and previous Pro had. It’s a true 95 and a fantastic mold. I’m unsure which layup that one is, I just know the touch is TGT291.7
 

Pneumated1

Hall of Fame
Hawk is noticeably stiffer to me. I love everything about it but my shoulder does not. But every arm/shoulder is different of course. There are other stiff strings that don't bother me that much. I personally choose Hawk often as a cross to gut mains.
Hawk Touch is as stiff as I want to play. Even it felt like barbed wire the first 10 minutes, but it settled in nicely. Very nicely. I'll be creating a hybrid plan for Hawk then. You ever hit Hawk Touch as crosses with gut mains? I suspect that will be nice as well, especially in an 18x20.
 

RF_PRO_STAFF

Professional
291.2 is the modern shaped beam (do they call it D beam?) instead if box beam. This is mold that the current tour and previous Pro had. It’s a true 95 and a fantastic mold. I’m unsure which layup that one is, I just know the touch is TGT291.7
Ah, I was already thinking something along those lines. The throat shape and the 22mm beam give it away. I love the Auxetic Prestige Tour in all aspects. The ones I've had just had too high swingweights. The 291.2s I'll be receiving have an unstrung swingweight of 299. I'll just have to remove a tiny bit of lead from underneath the bumper and add weight under the butt cap to get the specs right for my game.
 

RF_PRO_STAFF

Professional
Hawk Touch is as stiff as I want to play. Even it felt like barbed wire the first 10 minutes, but it settled in nicely. Very nicely. I'll be creating a hybrid plan for Hawk then. You ever hit Hawk Touch as crosses with gut mains? I suspect that will be nice as well, especially in an 18x20.
Yes Hawk Touch is a great cross to gut too. It's a little more 'grabby' than regular Hawk, which I why I prefer the slick Hawk in a gut hybrid. Hawk Touch is still very slick and softer so that will work well for a softer gut hybrid.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
A very special delivery tomorrow... 1x TGT345.2 and 2x 291.2.

The 345.2 is specs-matched to the Auxetic one I already own. I just bought this second one at a later time, so this one also has the Auxetix PJ. Yummie. I did tinker with the first one so I'll have to do that with this second one too to have them matched again.

The 291.2 is a frame I got really curious about last week. It's a 22mm beam (so it might pack a punch) and has a tight 16x19 string pattern if I read it correctly. Not sure if it's a 95 or a true 98? Also full gloss Auxetic PJ on these. These also need some customizing to get the specs to my liking.

Prepare for pics tomorrow where the full Auxetic gloss will splash off your screen.
Buon appetito..
 

Pneumated1

Hall of Fame
Yes Hawk Touch is a great cross to gut too. It's a little more 'grabby' than regular Hawk, which I why I prefer the slick Hawk in a gut hybrid. Hawk Touch is still very slick and softer so that will work well for a softer gut hybrid.
I had to work into the softness of Hawk Touch, but it's definitely there. It's a very hardy string with great feel, but I did have a few inexplicable fliers yesterday, so it's more jumpy than it feels. By comparison, the softer Gosen G Tour 3 that I had in the Tengo previously was more controlled with no hot spots/surprises, even though it felt like a fishnet after around 8 hours. Who can figure it all out? I will say, though, that the feel of the Hawk line is special. As long as it doesn't hurt my arm, I'll keep hitting it, and I suspect it's the perfect complement for gut mains, as you've alluded to.
 
Hello everyone, I've been reading through this thread for a few days now, and I am blown away with the amount of knowledge in here! I wonder if anyone here has any experience with the KPro Tour 96 from Wilson? I have played with inherited Pro Tour 630's from Head for the last fifteen years, and it works perfectly fine, but as I enter my 30s I wonder if it would be worth switching to a frame that offers a bit more for free. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel - just find something that is a little easier to use without feeling foreign. In particular I have started to hit with more racquet head speed than ever before to try and shorten points. Looking at the specs it appears to be ever-so-slightly more forgiving than my current racquet (96 sq in vs 95, 16x20 vs 18x20, 300 sw vs 327), and most importantly, they don't seem terribly inflated on the second-hand market. I'm not willing to pay for the asking price for current retail frames. The only thing that I'm not sure I would like is a much thicker beam. But I digress.. Any opinions on this racquet would be appreciated! I can't find much info on it, doesn't seem like it was a big seller.
 

djNEiGht

Legend
Hello everyone, I've been reading through this thread for a few days now, and I am blown away with the amount of knowledge in here! I wonder if anyone here has any experience with the KPro Tour 96 from Wilson? I have played with inherited Pro Tour 630's from Head for the last fifteen years, and it works perfectly fine, but as I enter my 30s I wonder if it would be worth switching to a frame that offers a bit more for free. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel - just find something that is a little easier to use without feeling foreign. In particular I have started to hit with more racquet head speed than ever before to try and shorten points. Looking at the specs it appears to be ever-so-slightly more forgiving than my current racquet (96 sq in vs 95, 16x20 vs 18x20, 300 sw vs 327), and most importantly, they don't seem terribly inflated on the second-hand market. I'm not willing to pay for the asking price for current retail frames. The only thing that I'm not sure I would like is a much thicker beam. But I digress.. Any opinions on this racquet would be appreciated! I can't find much info on it, doesn't seem like it was a big seller.
decent amount of options out there. If you like the 18x20 bed but a little more user friendly I'd say look into the Yonex vCorePro 97d, Current Head Prestige Pro, or Blade 18m. Just some that come to mind right away.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Hello everyone, I've been reading through this thread for a few days now, and I am blown away with the amount of knowledge in here! I wonder if anyone here has any experience with the KPro Tour 96 from Wilson? I have played with inherited Pro Tour 630's from Head for the last fifteen years, and it works perfectly fine, but as I enter my 30s I wonder if it would be worth switching to a frame that offers a bit more for free. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel - just find something that is a little easier to use without feeling foreign. In particular I have started to hit with more racquet head speed than ever before to try and shorten points. Looking at the specs it appears to be ever-so-slightly more forgiving than my current racquet (96 sq in vs 95, 16x20 vs 18x20, 300 sw vs 327), and most importantly, they don't seem terribly inflated on the second-hand market. I'm not willing to pay for the asking price for current retail frames. The only thing that I'm not sure I would like is a much thicker beam. But I digress.. Any opinions on this racquet would be appreciated! I can't find much info on it, doesn't seem like it was a big seller.

Diadem Elevate could make a lot of sense.
 

Nollid

Professional
First day back playing competitively last night after 8 weeks off. 1.5 hours of spirited doubles. Lots of trepidation, but all went well. Arm and shoulder held up and are feeling near normal today. On the holic front nothing too exciting. I stuck with the BP with Lux Gut / Hawk Rough. This string bed feels elastic, but controlled. Like a slingshot. It must be the gut. I'm loving Hawk Rough so I sourced a couple of reels of it. I took the overgrip off of the BP to save a few grams and to see how I liked it. I don't think I've ever gone without an overgrip. I just thought using an OG was the thing to do. I really like it without the OG. So much more bevel feel and I prefer the smaller size (L3) without it. Plus the grip felt good and never got too sweaty or slippery.
 

am1899

Legend
Had a hit with the BP today. Holy sh*t! Where has this thing been my whole life??? Now I wish I had listened to some of y’all sooner. It is what it is I guess.

I’ll be putting in my trusty BK 1.23 tomorrow. Where are you BP 16x19 guys with tension?
 

BPlain

Semi-Pro
Hope springs eternal in the racket honeymoon phase…

Maiden voyage with 2023 VC95 today was delightful. Loved the consistency I could produce with it at 70-80% effort and string bed trust was immediate. I also loved the frame feedback as I knew immediately where the ball was going and whether or not it was going to be in or out. No surprises at all.

The extended upper hoop head shape really helped as I tend to hit the ball higher and the 16x20 pattern toed the line between having enough spin with good control and ability still there to flatten shots out. Stability from baseline and volleys also seemed adequate in stock form. I just slapped on two OGs to go more head light and was ready to rock.

My PK Black Ace 315 felt like an overly flexy trampoline rocket launcher by comparison.

Played with BK 1.18 at 45lbs and probably could even go lower or hybrid if I wanted too. All good on the elbow front thus far but we’ll see if anything pops up in the next day or so.

Today was a good day.
 

Nollid

Professional
Had a hit with the BP today. Holy sh*t! Where has this thing been my whole life??? Now I wish I had listened to some of y’all sooner. It is what it is I guess.

I’ll be putting in my trusty BK 1.23 tomorrow. Where are you BP 16x19 guys with tension?
52-54lbs. What's your normal preferred tension range? I tried BK but liked something deader and settled on Durafluxx. That is before I went down the gut / poly hole.
 

am1899

Legend
52-54lbs. What's your normal preferred tension range? I tried BK but liked something deader and settled on Durafluxx. That is before I went down the gut / poly hole.

Typically 52lbs with Tengo, EZ100. I tried DF again a while back, but the wrist wasn’t thrilled about it.
 
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RF_PRO_STAFF

Professional
Hope springs eternal in the racket honeymoon phase…

Maiden voyage with 2023 VC95 today was delightful. Loved the consistency I could produce with it at 70-80% effort and string bed trust was immediate. I also loved the frame feedback as I knew immediately where the ball was going and whether or not it was going to be in or out. No surprises at all.

The extended upper hoop head shape really helped as I tend to hit the ball higher and the 16x20 pattern toed the line between having enough spin with good control and ability still there to flatten shots out. Stability from baseline and volleys also seemed adequate in stock form. I just slapped on two OGs to go more head light and was ready to rock.

My PK Black Ace 315 felt like an overly flexy trampoline rocket launcher by comparison.

Played with BK 1.18 at 45lbs and probably could even go lower or hybrid if I wanted too. All good on the elbow front thus far but we’ll see if anything pops up in the next day or so.

Today was a good day.
That's a good first impression. I'm waiting for you to join the club... ;)
 

FrankyRelax

Professional
This is interesting. Any feedback on how this plays? Have you tried a full bed of DF?
It's been my go to so far. Great comfort. The snapback on durafluxx is real. I wanted to keep the bed a tad softer than full bed DF while maintaining the spin potential so i crossed with GW.

I may try some Tour Hex/GW and Tour Status/GW setups soon. I'm as much a racquetaholic as a stringaholic
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Had a hit with the BP today. Holy sh*t! Where has this thing been my whole life??? Now I wish I had listened to some of y’all sooner. It is what it is I guess.

I’ll be putting in my trusty BK 1.23 tomorrow. Where are you BP 16x19 guys with tension?
Durafluxx 1.23 at 46#s.
 

Nollid

Professional
It's been my go to so far. Great comfort. The snapback on durafluxx is real. I wanted to keep the bed a tad softer than full bed DF while maintaining the spin potential so i crossed with GW.

I may try some Tour Hex/GW and Tour Status/GW setups soon. I'm as much a racquetaholic as a stringaholic
Cool. I have GW on hand. I'll try this out.
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
Had a hit with the BP today. Holy sh*t! Where has this thing been my whole life??? Now I wish I had listened to some of y’all sooner. It is what it is I guess.

I’ll be putting in my trusty BK 1.23 tomorrow. Where are you BP 16x19 guys with tension?
Maybe @Pneumated1 reads this as well and gives it a try? :)
It's not only the tension (47/44) but the strings as well...For me the Big Spin/Tour Hex hybrid worked best so far (but only tried Durafluux and Confidential + full bed Tour Hex. Have more to try such as Black Knight, S7T, gut/poly, etc).
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Hello everyone, I've been reading through this thread for a few days now, and I am blown away with the amount of knowledge in here! I wonder if anyone here has any experience with the KPro Tour 96 from Wilson? I have played with inherited Pro Tour 630's from Head for the last fifteen years, and it works perfectly fine, but as I enter my 30s I wonder if it would be worth switching to a frame that offers a bit more for free. I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel - just find something that is a little easier to use without feeling foreign. In particular I have started to hit with more racquet head speed than ever before to try and shorten points. Looking at the specs it appears to be ever-so-slightly more forgiving than my current racquet (96 sq in vs 95, 16x20 vs 18x20, 300 sw vs 327), and most importantly, they don't seem terribly inflated on the second-hand market. I'm not willing to pay for the asking price for current retail frames. The only thing that I'm not sure I would like is a much thicker beam. But I digress.. Any opinions on this racquet would be appreciated! I can't find much info on it, doesn't seem like it was a big seller.
If you're used to PT 630s then a KPro Tour 96 would be a rather harsh, way different hitting experience. Much stiffer, more hollow, from what I remember. Assuming you're now used to PT kind of feel I would suggest the Artengo Control Tour, Auxetic Prestige Pro, or maybe even something like one of the Gravities. Or the simplest answer: the PT 2.0, which is a slightly modernized version of the OG, but still the PT joy is all there.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
First day back playing competitively last night after 8 weeks off. 1.5 hours of spirited doubles. Lots of trepidation, but all went well. Arm and shoulder held up and are feeling near normal today. On the holic front nothing too exciting. I stuck with the BP with Lux Gut / Hawk Rough. This string bed feels elastic, but controlled. Like a slingshot. It must be the gut. I'm loving Hawk Rough so I sourced a couple of reels of it. I took the overgrip off of the BP to save a few grams and to see how I liked it. I don't think I've ever gone without an overgrip. I just thought using an OG was the thing to do. I really like it without the OG. So much more bevel feel and I prefer the smaller size (L3) without it. Plus the grip felt good and never got too sweaty or slippery.
I'm glad to hear your arm and shoulder felt ok. Hope it keeps improving.
 

am1899

Legend
Durafluxx I felt in the arm the most of the 3

I did go looser with the DF, 48 I think. Even then it was a bit harsh for my taste. Doesn’t mean I dont see the value in it for others…totally get it. My arm is notoriously fussy. OTOH, there are other strings that some people feel are relatively stiff…that don’t bother me at all. <Shrug>.
 

KC!

Hall of Fame
I did go looser with the DF, 48 I think. Even then it was a bit harsh for my taste. Doesn’t mean I dont see the value in it for others…totally get it. My arm is notoriously fussy. OTOH, there are other strings that some people feel are relatively stiff…that don’t bother me at all. <Shrug>.
I was a little surprised I felt Durafluxx in my arm. I play with S7T, Confidential & Tour Sniper all the time with no issues.
 
If you're used to PT 630s then a KPro Tour 96 would be a rather harsh, way different hitting experience. Much stiffer, more hollow, from what I remember. Assuming you're now used to PT kind of feel I would suggest the Artengo Control Tour, Auxetic Prestige Pro, or maybe even something like one of the Gravities. Or the simplest answer: the PT 2.0, which is a slightly modernized version of the OG, but still the PT joy is all there.
That is great insight, thank you sir
 

am1899

Legend
I was a little surprised I felt Durafluxx in my arm. I play with S7T, Confidential or Tour Sniper all the time with no issues.

I’ve played with S7T and while a pinch stiff it doesn’t bother me.

Oh man, it just dawned on me. ALU might be worth a shot…
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I feel crazy but I love a full job of Lux Element. I have been hitting it in the 2012 Pure Drive and the feel is just blissfull. Lots of crisp ball feel and pocketing. The comfort of the PD leaves a lot to be desired unfortunately. The FX500 on the other hand has a really nice pocketing feel for a tweener. Very good comfort. I hit it with Tour Sniper tonight and enjoyed it a lot, but I kind of want to try full Element in it too.

Interested in how the open pattern fares on this Dunlop. I guess it is kind of like a Diadem Elevate, but I can't compare them. This is not a control frame by any means, but it was not hard to hit spots on the run with the CC forehand. My first impressions of the Dunny is it a PowerGads. Somewhat similar feel to the LeGads and a similar pattern, but it does very mean things to the ball. A good example is I set the machine for heavy high top to the deep FH corner and I was able to defend those shots and answer with depth. I also was able to attack high kicking short balls by hitting across the back with some sidespin.

Serves are insane. Pure Drive level for sure. I hit both frames back to back and the biggest difference was the feel. The Pure Drive is really crisp and feels awesome, but my god it is not arm friendly at all. Whereas the Dunlop has a much more forgiving, solid and thuddy feel to it. Pure Drive with full Element feels amazing outside of the stiffness, so I am probably going to try that same setup in the Dunlop next.

Definitley a nice frame for my focus on relaxed hitting. For having so much power it is very comfortable and the pocketing makes it almost feel like it is enveloping the ball and just spitting it out. You can actually feel the ball sink into the sweetspot and the bit of flex in the throat is quite nice too.

So far pretty impressed with this frame. Need to see how confident I play with it in a match and also need to find the optimal string setup. Don't sleep on Luxilon Element!
 

tim-ay

Legend
Had a hit with the BP today. Holy sh*t! Where has this thing been my whole life??? Now I wish I had listened to some of y’all sooner. It is what it is I guess.

I’ll be putting in my trusty BK 1.23 tomorrow. Where are you BP 16x19 guys with tension?
I can literally use anything in the BP and it’s goat. Any string I own and my string collection is …. Well… built for the end of days.

But Durafluxx is pretty awesome. 123 @ anything in the 40’s
 
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