Diary of a Racketaholic

Richard Pioline

Hall of Fame
OK, the Ivo is just a glorious racquet. In the beginning I was swinging too hard a little bit, but after twenty minutes, I found my groove and I couldn‘t miss. I strung it up with Revolution 115 and it is a very good match. Just a very good „can‘t miss - hit a heavy ball ratio“. The feel compared to TB is not as crisp, still a bit metallic, more thuddy, probably not as nice. But the touch was way better in my opinion. Had the feeling I could play very crafty as well. It feels like more string touches the ball with Revolution, but it is crisper with TB.
Revolution115 is as thick as TB120 and also weighs the same, just if you are interested.
Will have to see if my arm can handle the string, as it doesn‘t feel firm, but seems to be annoying my arm a bit, after play.
If this doesn‘t work, I will go with TB 120.

Peace!
 
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maksp

Semi-Pro
This is the first racquet since my Whiteout where the energy return of the graphite feels like it's in the same realm. The new Strike needs 5pts higher SW and a much thicker beam to produce the same heaviness as my WO.

The Regna reminds me a lot of some of the older Yonex's in my collection, 95D, DR98, XI98 where there's some kind of x-factor Zip. Ode to Yonex's greatest hits might be in order as well.
Have you tried 98d?
 

veelium

Hall of Fame
OK, the Ivo is just a glorious racquet. In the beginning I was swinging too hard a little bit, but after twenty minutes, I found my groove and I couldn‘t miss. I strung it up with Revolution 115 and it is a very good match. Just a very good „can‘t miss - hit a heavy ball ratio“. The feel compared to TB is not as crisp, still a bit metallic, more thuddy, probably not as nice. But the touch was way better in my opinion. Had the feeling I could play very crafty as well. It feels like more string touches the ball with Revolution, but it is crisper with TB.
Revolution115 is as thick as TB120 and also weighs the same, just if you are interested.
Will have to see if my arm can handle the string, as it doesn‘t feel firm, but seems to be annoying my arm a bit, after play.
If this doesn‘t work, I will go with TB 120.

Peace!
TB doesn't annoy your arm?
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
OK, the Ivo is just a glorious racquet. In the beginning I was swinging too hard a little bit, but after twenty minutes, I found my groove and I couldn‘t miss.

So you favour not missing....
Speaking for myself, I'd take 30% misses for controlling the point and not having to defend too much, or not at all, what do you guys think?
 

Vicious49

Legend
I heard this before buying the Rads and sized up to G4, found then way to big so had to change them down a size, bought the prestige’s in G3 and they felt fine.

I was playing with the PA23 (G3) prior to these though, which if I recall you didn’t like the grip shape of, so maybe it’s something to do with that.
Head, wilson, dunlop grips run very true to size. If anything Yonex and Babs feel a bit large due to the grip shape,

So you favour not missing....
Speaking for myself, I'd take 30% misses for controlling the point and not having to defend too much, or not at all, what do you guys think?
Thwt would be a very high UE rate so no, I would not want that.
 

Richard Pioline

Hall of Fame
So you favour not missing....
Speaking for myself, I'd take 30% misses for controlling the point and not having to defend too much, or not at all, what do you guys think?
Nah, key is swinging easy and cantrolling points. When I swing too hard, I often mishit and balls turn out to be less effective than when I swing relaxed.
Key is knowing your normal swings do enough damage, and you do not have to hit harder. At least for me, that means being on top without that much effort in many cases. Against better players, nothing is gonna help me.
 

emhtennis

Hall of Fame
Nah, key is swinging easy and cantrolling points. When I swing too hard, I often mishit and balls turn out to be less effective than when I swing relaxed.
Key is knowing your normal swings do enough damage, and you do not have to hit harder. At least for me, that means being on top without that much effort in many cases. Against better players, nothing is gonna help me.
I feel like this post is something I need to really explore in my own game.

It is hard for me to swing "easy" but not decelerate during the stroke.

Part of the difficulty for me is if I swing easy but then get a winner hit on me on the next shot then I should have swung harder!

Any recommendations for how to practice?
 

Vicious49

Legend
Nah, key is swinging easy and cantrolling points. When I swing too hard, I often mishit and balls turn out to be less effective than when I swing relaxed.
Key is knowing your normal swings do enough damage, and you do not have to hit harder. At least for me, that means being on top without that much effort in many cases. Against better players, nothing is gonna help me.
I've found for me the key is footwork. If I'm moving my feet that day then everything else falls in to place.

I think footwork is one reason the US fails to put top 5 players out there. - at least on the mens side The Europeans have better movement and footwork. We don't focus on it enough here. My daughters coach played at a D1 program and has coached at D1 programs. He was telling me that a lot of these parents get upset when he starts making the kids do footwork drills because they are 'paying for their kids to learn to swing or hit the ball'. I tell him to do all the footwork he wants with her.
 

Vicious49

Legend
@emhtennis I will be in New Braunfels tomorrow for a wedding. It's just a day trip though as the hotel prices were too high. So we are going to drive in for the wedding and drive home that night.

I will be in Cali next week at this time. 3 days near Santa Monica area and then 3 days at Disney. I'd love to hit with some of the Cali folks but I think my wife would kill me if I tried to play tennis on our vacation.

I will be in Omaha next month for work. There I could bring my frames and play every night but I don't think anyone from here lives in that area.
 

Nollid

Professional
@emhtennis I will be in New Braunfels tomorrow for a wedding. It's just a day trip though as the hotel prices were too high. So we are going to drive in for the wedding and drive home that night.

I will be in Cali next week at this time. 3 days near Santa Monica area and then 3 days at Disney. I'd love to hit with some of the Cali folks but I think my wife would kill me if I tried to play tennis on our vacation.

I will be in Omaha next month for work. There I could bring my frames and play every night but I don't think anyone from here lives in that area.
If you're jonesing to get out on the court in Omaha and there's a club near by book an hour or two with a pro. You'll get to hit and get some fresh tips from someone new. I've done this in multiple places- Chicago, Cayman and others. It's always been a positive experience.
 

danbrenner

Legend
I heard this before buying the Rads and sized up to G4, found then way to big so had to change them down a size, bought the iprestige’s in G3 and they felt fine.

I was playing with the PA23 (G3) prior to these though, which if I recall you didn’t like the grip shape of, so maybe it’s something to do with that.
Ironically, the pure aero is the most solid feeling of all the babolats. It really does feel solid to the touch and feel. More so than any other Babolat that I have used. I just have not had luck with that grip shape if I had to use the PA. Have to go down as size to a 3/8 and used two grips so as to mute the feeling of the belvels , which are awkward when I could feel them
 

danbrenner

Legend
So just wanted to reiterate that the head speed Mp is a perfect morph of a prestige and a Babolat. Head truly has.hs nailed this one. Here are the stats between the prince 310 and the Soeed

PRINCE. 11.60 hydrosorb. 8.2. Hl

SpeedL5 11.30. 1.3. Leather 4.0 Hl

The speed with a leather 1.3 mm grip weighs in at 11.30. Oz. The prince 11.6.
And yet the speed has the solidity control and thump of a prestige. What a great job head has done. If anyone hasn’t owned one as a Holic I would implore you to do so. It’s an absolute must own for the collection for all of us.
 

danbrenner

Legend
Have a great news about the speed is that they are due this month or within a month to come out with arguably the greatest paint job ever. The all black gloss, Novak Djokovic signature paint job.
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
Nah, key is swinging easy and cantrolling points. When I swing too hard, I often mishit and balls turn out to be less effective than when I swing relaxed.
Key is knowing your normal swings do enough damage, and you do not have to hit harder. At least for me, that means being on top without that much effort in many cases. Against better players, nothing is gonna help me.
Ok, but:
a) Even when swinging fast, I have to try to be relaxed, for effortless power. I almost never mishit, but the harder I hit, the more chances of missing long or wide, usually.
b) Against better players, I have to make it random, hence maybe inject more power, take more chances.
 
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Fintft

G.O.A.T.
I feel like this post is something I need to really explore in my own game.

It is hard for me to swing "easy" but not decelerate during the stroke.

Part of the difficulty for me is if I swing easy but then get a winner hit on me on the next shot then I should have swung harder!

Any recommendations for how to practice?
Long story short: See when @Richard Pioline says that "key is knowing your normal swings do enough damage", he is a high level player that has worked hard to reach that stage. That's the moral of the story.

Practice suggestions:

Swing at 80% of your max speed (which better be good, btw).
Never decelerate on the follow thru.
You might need a lighter racquet and even a mushy poly (like my hybrid) that inspires confidence to swing fast. Ask @galapagos :)
Do you do the racquet head lag? The ATP FH? You can also practice it with shadow swings in between points. I practice the whole quick racquet takeback with spacing, racquet drop, followed by the swing.

Finally, if you don't want winners hit against you:
Have a first strike weapon (serve, ROS) or at least try to take control of the point ASAP.
Invest in a racquet with both control and tons of power.
 
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danbrenner

Legend
From a large L3 in Shift 300 (and with a flared butt cap), I went to an L2 in Head TGT Prestige and I loved the fact that I can more easily swing fast (plus no more blisters in the middle of my palm).
yes. whatever works. i just cant believe how solid the speed is . i used my L5 last night. 11.30 oz static. and i swear it has the solidity of a 12oz prestige. its absolutely brilliant. i think Head has truly made the stick of the decade with this Speed.
again. im a holic. doesnt mean i cant enjoy other frames.. but i have to give Head this accolade.
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
yes. whatever works. i just cant believe how solid the speed is . i used my L5 last night. 11.30 oz static. and i swear it has the solidity of a 12oz prestige. its absolutely brilliant. i think Head has truly made the stick of the decade with this Speed.
again. im a holic. doesnt mean i cant enjoy other frames.. but i have to give Head this accolade.
Could be and congrats, although I think nothing beats the HEAD TGT 293.1 XL, aka FC :)
I beat it swings faster than the Speed...
 

danbrenner

Legend
Could be and congrats, although I think nothing beats the HEAD TGT 293.1 XL, aka FC :)
I beat it swings faster than the Speed...
yes. im sure its a great stick. part of the magic of the speed is that it is a 100. so it so cleverly morphs the two separate ends of the tennis spectrum flawlessly.
 
D

Deleted member 807105

Guest
Ironically, the pure aero is the most solid feeling of all the babolats. It really does feel solid to the touch and feel. More so than any other Babolat that I have used. I just have not had luck with that grip shape if I had to use the PA. Have to go down as size to a 3/8 and used two grips so as to mute the feeling of the belvels , which are awkward when I could feel them
Crazy how people feel things completely different, I stick a leather grip on everything, the PA, Rads, MP-L’s and now they are all G3, I feel fine with them all!
 
First tournament win today. Match started 19:20 and finished 21:10.
Playing again 10:00 tomorrow.

* Blade V5 16x19 with Alu Power 1.25

win.jpg
 
Absolutely clutch with two consecutive TB wins when down the first set
Man, it feels good to win (finally)!
Eratosthenes is one of my science hero’s, so I love some Greek. But that alphabet is some crazy sh*t man.
Jostein Gaarder's "Sophie's World" keeps it all very simple. Great book as an intro to Greek Philosophy, but how "Democritus" had put the atom's structure into a picture without microscope is beyond me.

! There's also academic disputes about the origin of Alphabet. Was it Phoenicia who made it first or Greeks (Minoan Crete "loan"?). Keeping in mind that 12.000 before now, sea level in Mediterranan was 120 meters below its current state one could commute between Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus and Middle East very easily.

10-drachmes.jpg
 

danbrenner

Legend
Crazy how people feel things completely different, I stick a leather grip on everything, the PA, Rads, MP-L’s and now they are all G3, I feel fine with them all!
Yes. It’s crazy. Some peeps like myself are really grip specific. I need to feel super confident with the way I grip the thing. Once I have what I know feels right, it’s not possible for me to go with what feels not so right. Both in regards to size and shape.
 

danbrenner

Legend
I think I have the perfect analogy for what the speed MP feels like. Itt feels like a better balanced more headlight blade pro with more power.
 
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JGads

G.O.A.T.
You finally got to hot with a Regna? Sweet!! Perhaps a Regna review on the future?

Also Im getting hit with that same security error that @JGads and others were complaining about. Luckily i can still access the site from my iPad but from my PC it wont allow me to get to the login screen.

So it’s not just me? This website is at war with me. I keep getting locked out, then suddenly it works (after I’ve fiddled with settings/cookies/browser for awhile, then an hour later it’s locked me out again.

You sure that the 27.25" FC?

My specs of the 293.1. I can’t call mine FC’s. I prefer G.1s. One of them I call T.1, named after my buddy whom I got it from.

Glorious sticks.

As is my PT57A, which I rekindled a flame with tonight.
 

JOSHL

Hall of Fame
So it’s not just me? This website is at war with me. I keep getting locked out, then suddenly it works (after I’ve fiddled with settings/cookies/browser for awhile, then an hour later it’s locked me out again.
I was having trouble a couple weeks ago as well. WiFi wouldn’t work but if I used my cell phone without WiFi I could access it.
 

Vicious49

Legend
Oh, I’m on different wifi right now.

Is there a fix? Or it just went back to normal after a bit?
Even when it wasn't working on my laptop, when I opened a browser window in Incognito mode it worked. It was annoying switching windows for a few days until it went back to normal on it's own. I would try that if you haven't already. It's something going on with their cookies or cached info.
 
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