Diary of a Racketaholic

Finally ended the Demo rounds and received my Pro Staff X from TWE. Haven't been able to go to the court with my new racquet. It seems TWE stringers did a bit of a poor job, with one of the knots. Might hit them with a claim depending on how the strings perform. Here is a sauna pick of my entire collection :) . Some of the racquets are hand downs from my older siblings during my junior years. The Babolat is my partners.

The racquets from left to right:

Babolat Pure Drive 30th anniversary
Yonex RDX 500
Head YouTek Prestige Pro
Head YouTek Prestige Pro
Wilson Ncode Pro Staff Six.One 95
Wilson Pro Staff X v14

iS7TskZ.jpeg
 

Vicious49

Legend
@dr. godmode I'm sure you've already played with both. I don't want you to give details or say anything you're not allowed to say but can you tell us which you preferred between the 2 new Gravity frames - the GPro or the 98 Tour?
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
@dr. godmode I'm sure you've already played with both. I don't want you to give details or say anything you're not allowed to say but can you tell us which you preferred between the 2 new Gravity frames - the GPro or the 98 Tour?
Oh Gravity stuff is fair game now I think given that TW posted reviews for both.

The 98 is the frame for me. I appreciate the changes they made to the Pro but the feel of the 360+ version means I’m a loyalist for the OG version, much like the 360+ ET.

The 98 captures a much more raw feel and it flies through the air. This is a racquet I think I could genuinely use in matches or switch to, whereas the Pro will always be a weekend racquet.

I don’t own either as of yet, trying to coordinate a full 98 review with customization and string setups. Probably won’t buy a Pro.

Without having tried the SXs or Radicals, I’m betting it’ll be G98 vs TFIGHT 305 for racquet of the year.
 

Fighting phoenix

Professional
Oh Gravity stuff is fair game now I think given that TW posted reviews for both.

The 98 is the frame for me. I appreciate the changes they made to the Pro but the feel of the 360+ version means I’m a loyalist for the OG version, much like the 360+ ET.

The 98 captures a much more raw feel and it flies through the air. This is a racquet I think I could genuinely use in matches or switch to, whereas the Pro will always be a weekend racquet.

I don’t own either as of yet, trying to coordinate a full 98 review with customization and string setups. Probably won’t buy a Pro.

Without having tried the SXs or Radicals, I’m betting it’ll be G98 vs TFIGHT 305 for racquet of the year.
So ahead of the PD98 and Ezones? ;-)
 

Fighting phoenix

Professional
I’d need more time with the Ezones to confirm but they seemed pretty incremental to me.
Yeah that is sounding like the consensus from what I've been reading, however there seems to be some who think the new 100 is uber-powerful. I'm on the PD98 playtest, but with the rain we've been having have only gotten in one hit so far - impressed, but we'll see. Lots of tennis lined up this week.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Would you say they’re similar enough that you could pair one up with a 2023/aqua black model for playing matches?

More specifically the 100 model.
Testing them several miles and months apart I remember thinking it was mostly the same but I’m a mental head case so there’s no way I’d substitute them in a match.
 

Vicious49

Legend
Oh Gravity stuff is fair game now I think given that TW posted reviews for both.

The 98 is the frame for me. I appreciate the changes they made to the Pro but the feel of the 360+ version means I’m a loyalist for the OG version, much like the 360+ ET.

The 98 captures a much more raw feel and it flies through the air. This is a racquet I think I could genuinely use in matches or switch to, whereas the Pro will always be a weekend racquet.

I don’t own either as of yet, trying to coordinate a full 98 review with customization and string setups. Probably won’t buy a Pro.

Without having tried the SXs or Radicals, I’m betting it’ll be G98 vs TFIGHT 305 for racquet of the year.
Would you say the 98 is easier to use for us rec players? It's quite telling that Chris and at least 1 other of the TW reviewers said they may be switching the the Gtour 98. That sick gloss PJ doesn't hurt either.

One of the negatives I'm noticing about the Percept 100D lately is that it's not that quick through the air. I did add leather grips to mine so my next step is to remove them to bring the static weight back down and see if that helps them cut through the air faster. Although I'm not expecting it to be on par with the PA98 as not much swings through the air as fast as that frame.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Would you say the 98 is easier to use for us rec players? It's quite telling that Chris and at least 1 other of the TW reviewers said they may be switching the the Gtour 98. That sick gloss PJ doesn't hurt either.

One of the negatives I'm noticing about the Percept 100D lately is that it's not that quick through the air. I did add leather grips to mine so my next step is to remove them to bring the static weight back down and see if that helps them cut through the air faster. Although I'm not expecting it to be on par with the PA98 as not much swings through the air as fast as that frame.
Yeah 100p. The g98 is more like a variation on the MP than the Pro. The MP is super easy to use and the G98 replicates that.

I’ve only hit it for like 15-20mins which is not enough time to analyze for flaws when you are honeymooning tho.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
So I just released my vid on the most used racquets and strings from 30 content creators and I have some stats from it. These numbers don't necessarily mean anything but I think they are interesting nonetheless.

Racquet Leaderboard
1. Aero 98 (4)
2. Blade 98 (3)
2. VCORE 98 (3)
2. Solinco Whiteout (3)
3. Speed MP (2)
4. Head Extreme Pro (1)
4. Prostaff X (1)
4. RF01 Pro (1)
4. VCORE 95 (1)
4. EZONE 98 (1)
4. Ultra 100 (1)
4. Speed Pro (1)
4. Percept 97 (1)
4. Clash 100 (1)
4. EZONE 100 (1)
4. Radical Pro (1)
4. Gravity Pro (1)
4. Phantom 100P (1)
4. ProKennex BlackAce 105 (1)
4. Percept 100D (1)
4. PURE STRIKE 98!!!!! (1)

String Leaderboard
1. Toroline Wasabi (2)
1. Toroline KPOP/KPRO (2)
1. ReString Zero (2)
1. Lynx Tour (2)
1. Solinco Tour Bite (2)
2. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
2. Toroline Super Toro/Caviar (1)
2. Taan TS5600 18g (1)
2. Solinco Revolution (1)
2. Wasabi/Toro Toro (1)
2. Hyper-G Soft (1)
2. Kirschbaum of some sort lol (1)
2. Solinco Hyper-G (1)
2. Volkl Cyclone (1)
2. Pure Rush (1)
2. LXN ECO Power Rough (1)
2. Polytour Pro (1)
2. V-Square/Ghostwire (1)
2. MonoGut ZX Pro/Vortex (1)
2. Zero/Wasabi X (1)
2. Solinco Confidential (1)
2. Max Power Rough (1)
2. ALU Power (1)
2. Tour M8 (1)
2. Caviar/Ghostwire (1)
2. ReString Sync (1)

String Leaderboard (not counting hybrids)
1. Toroline Wasabi (5)
2. Toroline Caviar (4)
3. ReString Zero (3)
4. Lynx Tour (2)
4. Solinco Tour Bite
4. Ghostwire
5. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
5. Toroline Super Toro
5. Taan TS5600 18g
5. Solinco Revolution
5. Toro Toro
5. Hyper-G Soft
5. Kirschbaum of some sort lol
5. Solinco Hyper-G
5. Volkl Cyclone
5. Pure Rush
5. LXN ECO Power Rough
5. Polytour Pro
5. Volkl V-Square
5. MonoGut ZX Pro
5. Prince Vortex
5. Wasabi X
5. Solinco Confidential
5. Max Power Rough
5. ALU Power
5. Tour M8
5. ReString Sync

Racquet Brand Leaderboard
1. Yonex (8)
2. Wilson (7)
3. Head (6)
4. Babolat (5)
5. Solinco (3)
6. Prince (1)
6. ProKennex (1)

String Brand Leaderboard
1. Toroline (12)
2. Solinco (5)
3. ReString (4)
4. Tru Pro (3)
5. Head (2)
5. Kirschbaum
5. Luxilon
5. Volkl
6. Nordic Dots (1)
6. Taan
6. Yonex
6. Ashaway
6. Prince
6. Grapplesnake

Of course I missed some key creators that I would like to have on for next year as I get the chance to meet more of them! I think the main interesting takeaway is Toroline. 2 years ago they probably only would have had 1 (ZeroLove), today they have 12. Shows not only how powerful their marketing has been but also that the product is strong enough to stay in people's racquets long term. I think other brands could take note of this.

Yonex's presence in the racquets is also very telling, with very few of us having brand deals for free racquets, it shows that many people are choosing Yonex over others.

Also, 4/5 of Babolat's used among the 30 were Pure Aero 98's, with it being the most popular racquet on the list. Given that 3/4 who use it are chronic racketaholics, I think it says a lot about what that racquet can offer for competitive situations.

Finally, I'm very surprised to see the EZONE so far down on the list, with only 1 98 and 1 100. Numbers wise, these racquets do the most views for me and we see the general public using them everywhere, but they are not represented the same way online. Funny that the two tennis news channels that participated, The Slice and Gill Gross both use VC98s.
 
Last edited:

Addxyz

Hall of Fame
So I just released my vid on the most used racquets and strings from 30 content creators and I have some stats from it. These numbers don't necessarily mean anything but I think they are interesting nonetheless.

Racquet Leaderboard
1. Aero 98 (4)
2. Blade 98 (3)
2. VCORE 98 (3)
2. Solinco Whiteout (3)
3. Speed MP (2)
4. Head Extreme Pro (1)
4. Prostaff X (1)
4. RF01 Pro (1)
4. VCORE 95 (1)
4. EZONE 98 (1)
4. Ultra 100 (1)
4. Speed Pro (1)
4. Percept 97 (1)
4. Clash 100 (1)
4. EZONE 100 (1)
4. Radical Pro (1)
4. Gravity Pro (1)
4. Phantom 100P (1)
4. ProKennex BlackAce 105 (1)
4. Percept 100D (1)
4. PURE STRIKE 98!!!!! (1)

String Leaderboard
1. Toroline Wasabi (2)
1. Toroline KPOP/KPRO (2)
1. ReString Zero (2)
1. Lynx Tour (2)
1. Solinco Tour Bite (2)
2. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
2. Toroline Super Toro/Caviar (1)
2. Taan TS5600 18g (1)
2. Solinco Revolution (1)
2. Wasabi/Toro Toro (1)
2. Hyper-G Soft (1)
2. Kirschbaum of some sort lol (1)
2. Solinco Hyper-G (1)
2. Volkl Cyclone (1)
2. Pure Rush (1)
2. LXN ECO Power Rough (1)
2. Polytour Pro (1)
2. V-Square/Ghostwire (1)
2. MonoGut ZX Pro/Vortex (1)
2. Zero/Wasabi X (1)
2. Solinco Confidential (1)
2. Max Power Rough (1)
2. ALU Power (1)
2. Tour M8 (1)
2. Caviar/Ghostwire (1)
2. ReString Sync (1)

String Leaderboard (not counting hybrids)
1. Toroline Wasabi (5)
2. Toroline Caviar (4)
3. ReString Zero (3)
4. Lynx Tour (2)
4. Solinco Tour Bite
4. Ghostwire
5. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
5. Toroline Super Toro
5. Taan TS5600 18g
5. Solinco Revolution
5. Toro Toro
5. Hyper-G Soft
5. Kirschbaum of some sort lol
5. Solinco Hyper-G
5. Volkl Cyclone
5. Pure Rush
5. LXN ECO Power Rough
5. Polytour Pro
5. Volkl V-Square
5. MonoGut ZX Pro
5. Prince Vortex
5. Wasabi X
5. Solinco Confidential
5. Max Power Rough
5. ALU Power
5. Tour M8
5. ReString Sync

Racquet Brand Leaderboard
1. Yonex (8)
2. Wilson (7)
3. Head (6)
4. Babolat (5)
5. Solinco (3)
6. Prince (1)
6. ProKennex (1)

String Brand Leaderboard
1. Toroline (12)
2. Solinco (5)
3. ReString (4)
4. Tru Pro (3)
5. Head (2)
5. Kirschbaum
5. Luxilon
5. Volkl
6. Nordic Dots (1)
6. Taan
6. Yonex
6. Ashaway
6. Prince
6. Grapplesnake

Of course I missed some key creators that I would like to have on for next year as I get the chance to meet more of them! I think the main interesting takeaway is Toroline. 2 years ago they probably only would have had 1 (ZeroLove), today they have 12. Shows not only how powerful their marketing has been but also that the product is strong enough to stay in people's racquets long term. I think other brands could take note of this.

Yonex's presence in the racquets is also very telling, with very few of us having brand deals for free racquets, it shows that many people are choosing Yonex over others.

Also, 4/5 of Babolat's used among the 30 were Pure Aero 98's, with it being the most popular racquet on the list. Given that 3/4 who use it are chronic racketaholics, I think it says a lot about what that racquet can offer for competitive situations.

Finally, I'm very surprised to see the EZONE so far down on the list, with only 1 98 and 1 100. Numbers wise, these racquets do the most views for me and we see the general public using them everywhere, but they are not represented the same way online. Funny that the two tennis news channels that participated, The Slice and Gill Gross both use VC98s.
Love the stats. However, I only think Toroline is big amongst the younger folks (content creator generation) because of their social media presence. Don't most of these content creators also have affiliate links with them? I've never used Toroline, so I have no dog in this.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Love the stats. However, I only think Toroline is big amongst the younger folks (content creator generation) because of their social media presence. Don't most of these content creators also have affiliate links with them? I've never used Toroline, so I have no dog in this.
That's how you gain popularity yes but I think we are seeing staying power from Toroline which is indicative of a high quality product. If it was just a bunch of lame stuff attached to an affiliate link the strings wouldn't have stuck around. A lot of these players need match wins (MPTennis in college, Trey for his channel, Karue of course) and could easily get deals with other companies but they stick with Toroline.
 

gino

Legend
Sorry to chip in but I got on the ps97 v14 bandwagon again, initially sold mine but quickly realized the mistake I made and acquired two in quick succession. It has a very addictive feel. I put a couple of grams of lead at 12 and string it around 45-48. Lead at 3/9 made the stick a bit cumbersome for me. Same with a poly at 50. I like 4g but recently played with alu and not sure I can go back. So much pop on serves and volleys. Anyways, ps97 has a noticeably firmer flex and absolute nukes the ball if you swing it well. PSVS pockets and absorbs more. Energy return profiles are different. Also, PS97 feels more precise but punishing outside sweetspot or on a weak mistimed swing so you might stay in the rally a tad longer with the psvs. (Tighter pattern on the v14) I play on these omni synthetic grass courts and the balls just die on the bounce (great for older gents and slow eyes) but the pro staff gives me some extra punch back. Overall pro staff gives me butterflies after a good session, she's the one for me. Total Static weight 342. No idea on balance or sw. 2g dampener and 2g lead.

PS97 has a little better feel and higher trajectory. One of the best players frames thats been released recently, imo. I have not hit much with my PSVS, so I still prefer the Staff to it. I modded my PS97 to get the SW to 330 I believe. I ended up selling all of my Staffs once I went Babolat.

I think the PSVS will have more power to it. The Pure Storms do. But the Staff can hit a nasty ball, just have to be careful that you don't swing out too much and stress the arm and shoulder.

I won't be using any control sticks for a while so it was an easy decison. Thinking I may list my PT280 and PC 2.0 as well.

Retweet, PS97 is goated and the v14 layup is special
 

gino

Legend
We are, as they say, back.

Forehand back to around 90 percent. Backhand to 97 percent. Slice back to 82.3 percent. Footwork back to 31.2 percent (which for me is 100 percent).

Even sampled a couple of demos (so stupidity back to 97.8 percent) with a buddy of mine. The Gravity MP XL, which is a real thumper and overall nice but a bit clunky through the air and unfortunately, for me, still a Gravity. And the Prince 100x 18x20, WONDERFUL racquet, a real joy and makes tennis so easy, swings so light for 320 unstrung grams because of that thin beam, and overall I just love it except that it’s like a hot dog with ketchup, only ketchup, and I need some mustard too to make a hot dog really sing.

Friend bought a Pure Strike Vs on sale, and that thing is awesome.

Prestiges and PTs (OS and 2.0), with sprinkles of old hats and Radicals, for me.

Serve is at 2 percent, but we’re coming.
Welcome back gads!! Continued healing and happy hitting mate
 

gino

Legend
So I just released my vid on the most used racquets and strings from 30 content creators and I have some stats from it. These numbers don't necessarily mean anything but I think they are interesting nonetheless.

Racquet Leaderboard
1. Aero 98 (4)
2. Blade 98 (3)
2. VCORE 98 (3)
2. Solinco Whiteout (3)
3. Speed MP (2)
4. Head Extreme Pro (1)
4. Prostaff X (1)
4. RF01 Pro (1)
4. VCORE 95 (1)
4. EZONE 98 (1)
4. Ultra 100 (1)
4. Speed Pro (1)
4. Percept 97 (1)
4. Clash 100 (1)
4. EZONE 100 (1)
4. Radical Pro (1)
4. Gravity Pro (1)
4. Phantom 100P (1)
4. ProKennex BlackAce 105 (1)
4. Percept 100D (1)
4. PURE STRIKE 98!!!!! (1)

String Leaderboard
1. Toroline Wasabi (2)
1. Toroline KPOP/KPRO (2)
1. ReString Zero (2)
1. Lynx Tour (2)
1. Solinco Tour Bite (2)
2. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
2. Toroline Super Toro/Caviar (1)
2. Taan TS5600 18g (1)
2. Solinco Revolution (1)
2. Wasabi/Toro Toro (1)
2. Hyper-G Soft (1)
2. Kirschbaum of some sort lol (1)
2. Solinco Hyper-G (1)
2. Volkl Cyclone (1)
2. Pure Rush (1)
2. LXN ECO Power Rough (1)
2. Polytour Pro (1)
2. V-Square/Ghostwire (1)
2. MonoGut ZX Pro/Vortex (1)
2. Zero/Wasabi X (1)
2. Solinco Confidential (1)
2. Max Power Rough (1)
2. ALU Power (1)
2. Tour M8 (1)
2. Caviar/Ghostwire (1)
2. ReString Sync (1)

String Leaderboard (not counting hybrids)
1. Toroline Wasabi (5)
2. Toroline Caviar (4)
3. ReString Zero (3)
4. Lynx Tour (2)
4. Solinco Tour Bite
4. Ghostwire
5. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
5. Toroline Super Toro
5. Taan TS5600 18g
5. Solinco Revolution
5. Toro Toro
5. Hyper-G Soft
5. Kirschbaum of some sort lol
5. Solinco Hyper-G
5. Volkl Cyclone
5. Pure Rush
5. LXN ECO Power Rough
5. Polytour Pro
5. Volkl V-Square
5. MonoGut ZX Pro
5. Prince Vortex
5. Wasabi X
5. Solinco Confidential
5. Max Power Rough
5. ALU Power
5. Tour M8
5. ReString Sync

Racquet Brand Leaderboard
1. Yonex (8)
2. Wilson (7)
3. Head (6)
4. Babolat (5)
5. Solinco (3)
6. Prince (1)
6. ProKennex (1)

String Brand Leaderboard
1. Toroline (12)
2. Solinco (5)
3. ReString (4)
4. Tru Pro (3)
5. Head (2)
5. Kirschbaum
5. Luxilon
5. Volkl
6. Nordic Dots (1)
6. Taan
6. Yonex
6. Ashaway
6. Prince
6. Grapplesnake

Of course I missed some key creators that I would like to have on for next year as I get the chance to meet more of them! I think the main interesting takeaway is Toroline. 2 years ago they probably only would have had 1 (ZeroLove), today they have 12. Shows not only how powerful their marketing has been but also that the product is strong enough to stay in people's racquets long term. I think other brands could take note of this.

Yonex's presence in the racquets is also very telling, with very few of us having brand deals for free racquets, it shows that many people are choosing Yonex over others.

Also, 4/5 of Babolat's used among the 30 were Pure Aero 98's, with it being the most popular racquet on the list. Given that 3/4 who use it are chronic racketaholics, I think it says a lot about what that racquet can offer for competitive situations.

Finally, I'm very surprised to see the EZONE so far down on the list, with only 1 98 and 1 100. Numbers wise, these racquets do the most views for me and we see the general public using them everywhere, but they are not represented the same way online. Funny that the two tennis news channels that participated, The Slice and Gill Gross both use VC98s.
Interesting crowd sourced data set. No PS97 makes my heart ache. It’s such a nice ride at any level of play. The strike 98 only having one user also shocking. I guess I’m perceiving this from a lens of someone who loves player sticks so I suppose a layer of bias here
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Interesting crowd sourced data set. No PS97 makes my heart ache. It’s such a nice ride at any level of play. The strike 98 only having one user also shocking. I guess I’m perceiving this from a lens of someone who loves player sticks so I suppose a layer of bias here
Yeah no PS97 and only a single 95 square inch frame, the VC95. The times have changed.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Love the stats. However, I only think Toroline is big amongst the younger folks (content creator generation) because of their social media presence. Don't most of these content creators also have affiliate links with them? I've never used Toroline, so I have no dog in this.
For the most part yes, but I will say that their strings are in general, pretty good. And not expensive. And O-Toro is damn good. If you are still using the Ezone, I could it be a really good fit in that frame. O-Toro is somehow loaded with ball feel and still soft on the arm. It's a good one.

So it's hardcore influencer model plus having a solid product.
 

jimdontcare

Semi-Pro
So I just released my vid on the most used racquets and strings from 30 content creators and I have some stats from it. These numbers don't necessarily mean anything but I think they are interesting nonetheless.

Racquet Leaderboard
1. Aero 98 (4)
2. Blade 98 (3)
2. VCORE 98 (3)
2. Solinco Whiteout (3)
3. Speed MP (2)
4. Head Extreme Pro (1)
4. Prostaff X (1)
4. RF01 Pro (1)
4. VCORE 95 (1)
4. EZONE 98 (1)
4. Ultra 100 (1)
4. Speed Pro (1)
4. Percept 97 (1)
4. Clash 100 (1)
4. EZONE 100 (1)
4. Radical Pro (1)
4. Gravity Pro (1)
4. Phantom 100P (1)
4. ProKennex BlackAce 105 (1)
4. Percept 100D (1)
4. PURE STRIKE 98!!!!! (1)

String Leaderboard
1. Toroline Wasabi (2)
1. Toroline KPOP/KPRO (2)
1. ReString Zero (2)
1. Lynx Tour (2)
1. Solinco Tour Bite (2)
2. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
2. Toroline Super Toro/Caviar (1)
2. Taan TS5600 18g (1)
2. Solinco Revolution (1)
2. Wasabi/Toro Toro (1)
2. Hyper-G Soft (1)
2. Kirschbaum of some sort lol (1)
2. Solinco Hyper-G (1)
2. Volkl Cyclone (1)
2. Pure Rush (1)
2. LXN ECO Power Rough (1)
2. Polytour Pro (1)
2. V-Square/Ghostwire (1)
2. MonoGut ZX Pro/Vortex (1)
2. Zero/Wasabi X (1)
2. Solinco Confidential (1)
2. Max Power Rough (1)
2. ALU Power (1)
2. Tour M8 (1)
2. Caviar/Ghostwire (1)
2. ReString Sync (1)

String Leaderboard (not counting hybrids)
1. Toroline Wasabi (5)
2. Toroline Caviar (4)
3. ReString Zero (3)
4. Lynx Tour (2)
4. Solinco Tour Bite
4. Ghostwire
5. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
5. Toroline Super Toro
5. Taan TS5600 18g
5. Solinco Revolution
5. Toro Toro
5. Hyper-G Soft
5. Kirschbaum of some sort lol
5. Solinco Hyper-G
5. Volkl Cyclone
5. Pure Rush
5. LXN ECO Power Rough
5. Polytour Pro
5. Volkl V-Square
5. MonoGut ZX Pro
5. Prince Vortex
5. Wasabi X
5. Solinco Confidential
5. Max Power Rough
5. ALU Power
5. Tour M8
5. ReString Sync

Racquet Brand Leaderboard
1. Yonex (8)
2. Wilson (7)
3. Head (6)
4. Babolat (5)
5. Solinco (3)
6. Prince (1)
6. ProKennex (1)

String Brand Leaderboard
1. Toroline (12)
2. Solinco (5)
3. ReString (4)
4. Tru Pro (3)
5. Head (2)
5. Kirschbaum
5. Luxilon
5. Volkl
6. Nordic Dots (1)
6. Taan
6. Yonex
6. Ashaway
6. Prince
6. Grapplesnake

Of course I missed some key creators that I would like to have on for next year as I get the chance to meet more of them! I think the main interesting takeaway is Toroline. 2 years ago they probably only would have had 1 (ZeroLove), today they have 12. Shows not only how powerful their marketing has been but also that the product is strong enough to stay in people's racquets long term. I think other brands could take note of this.

Yonex's presence in the racquets is also very telling, with very few of us having brand deals for free racquets, it shows that many people are choosing Yonex over others.

Also, 4/5 of Babolat's used among the 30 were Pure Aero 98's, with it being the most popular racquet on the list. Given that 3/4 who use it are chronic racketaholics, I think it says a lot about what that racquet can offer for competitive situations.

Finally, I'm very surprised to see the EZONE so far down on the list, with only 1 98 and 1 100. Numbers wise, these racquets do the most views for me and we see the general public using them everywhere, but they are not represented the same way online. Funny that the two tennis news channels that participated, The Slice and Gill Gross both use VC98s.
Cool stuff. The Yonex trend definitely tracks, but the diversity of racquets is what caught my attention more. Only five racquets having multiple representatives is pretty interesting. It makes Toroline in the strings section look dominant.
 

Vicious49

Legend
So I just released my vid on the most used racquets and strings from 30 content creators and I have some stats from it. These numbers don't necessarily mean anything but I think they are interesting nonetheless.

Racquet Leaderboard
1. Aero 98 (4)
2. Blade 98 (3)
2. VCORE 98 (3)
2. Solinco Whiteout (3)
3. Speed MP (2)
4. Head Extreme Pro (1)
4. Prostaff X (1)
4. RF01 Pro (1)
4. VCORE 95 (1)
4. EZONE 98 (1)
4. Ultra 100 (1)
4. Speed Pro (1)
4. Percept 97 (1)
4. Clash 100 (1)
4. EZONE 100 (1)
4. Radical Pro (1)
4. Gravity Pro (1)
4. Phantom 100P (1)
4. ProKennex BlackAce 105 (1)
4. Percept 100D (1)
4. PURE STRIKE 98!!!!! (1)

String Leaderboard
1. Toroline Wasabi (2)
1. Toroline KPOP/KPRO (2)
1. ReString Zero (2)
1. Lynx Tour (2)
1. Solinco Tour Bite (2)
2. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
2. Toroline Super Toro/Caviar (1)
2. Taan TS5600 18g (1)
2. Solinco Revolution (1)
2. Wasabi/Toro Toro (1)
2. Hyper-G Soft (1)
2. Kirschbaum of some sort lol (1)
2. Solinco Hyper-G (1)
2. Volkl Cyclone (1)
2. Pure Rush (1)
2. LXN ECO Power Rough (1)
2. Polytour Pro (1)
2. V-Square/Ghostwire (1)
2. MonoGut ZX Pro/Vortex (1)
2. Zero/Wasabi X (1)
2. Solinco Confidential (1)
2. Max Power Rough (1)
2. ALU Power (1)
2. Tour M8 (1)
2. Caviar/Ghostwire (1)
2. ReString Sync (1)

String Leaderboard (not counting hybrids)
1. Toroline Wasabi (5)
2. Toroline Caviar (4)
3. ReString Zero (3)
4. Lynx Tour (2)
4. Solinco Tour Bite
4. Ghostwire
5. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
5. Toroline Super Toro
5. Taan TS5600 18g
5. Solinco Revolution
5. Toro Toro
5. Hyper-G Soft
5. Kirschbaum of some sort lol
5. Solinco Hyper-G
5. Volkl Cyclone
5. Pure Rush
5. LXN ECO Power Rough
5. Polytour Pro
5. Volkl V-Square
5. MonoGut ZX Pro
5. Prince Vortex
5. Wasabi X
5. Solinco Confidential
5. Max Power Rough
5. ALU Power
5. Tour M8
5. ReString Sync

Racquet Brand Leaderboard
1. Yonex (8)
2. Wilson (7)
3. Head (6)
4. Babolat (5)
5. Solinco (3)
6. Prince (1)
6. ProKennex (1)

String Brand Leaderboard
1. Toroline (12)
2. Solinco (5)
3. ReString (4)
4. Tru Pro (3)
5. Head (2)
5. Kirschbaum
5. Luxilon
5. Volkl
6. Nordic Dots (1)
6. Taan
6. Yonex
6. Ashaway
6. Prince
6. Grapplesnake

Of course I missed some key creators that I would like to have on for next year as I get the chance to meet more of them! I think the main interesting takeaway is Toroline. 2 years ago they probably only would have had 1 (ZeroLove), today they have 12. Shows not only how powerful their marketing has been but also that the product is strong enough to stay in people's racquets long term. I think other brands could take note of this.

Yonex's presence in the racquets is also very telling, with very few of us having brand deals for free racquets, it shows that many people are choosing Yonex over others.

Also, 4/5 of Babolat's used among the 30 were Pure Aero 98's, with it being the most popular racquet on the list. Given that 3/4 who use it are chronic racketaholics, I think it says a lot about what that racquet can offer for competitive situations.

Finally, I'm very surprised to see the EZONE so far down on the list, with only 1 98 and 1 100. Numbers wise, these racquets do the most views for me and we see the general public using them everywhere, but they are not represented the same way online. Funny that the two tennis news channels that participated, The Slice and Gill Gross both use VC98s.
Lots of work you had to put in to compile that list. I knew before even looking at it that the PA98 would be #1. Besides that I had no idea except I figured the Speed MP and Pro would have been higher on the list.
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Lots of work you had to put in to compile that list. I knew before even looking at it that the PA98 would be #1. Besides that I had no idea except I figured the Speed MP and Pro would have been higher on the list.
vcore 98 was a surprise to me too, over performer compared to the reception it got in reviews
 

taylor15

Hall of Fame
Love the stats. However, I only think Toroline is big amongst the younger folks (content creator generation) because of their social media presence. Don't most of these content creators also have affiliate links with them? I've never used Toroline, so I have no dog in this.
Bought K-pop when I saw it on the wall at TW…love it! It’s one of my favorite all poly setups. Softer, so had some power and a lot of spin.
 

FlatShot_V

New User
So I just released my vid on the most used racquets and strings from 30 content creators and I have some stats from it. These numbers don't necessarily mean anything but I think they are interesting nonetheless.

Racquet Leaderboard
1. Aero 98 (4)
2. Blade 98 (3)
2. VCORE 98 (3)
2. Solinco Whiteout (3)
3. Speed MP (2)
4. Head Extreme Pro (1)
4. Prostaff X (1)
4. RF01 Pro (1)
4. VCORE 95 (1)
4. EZONE 98 (1)
4. Ultra 100 (1)
4. Speed Pro (1)
4. Percept 97 (1)
4. Clash 100 (1)
4. EZONE 100 (1)
4. Radical Pro (1)
4. Gravity Pro (1)
4. Phantom 100P (1)
4. ProKennex BlackAce 105 (1)
4. Percept 100D (1)
4. PURE STRIKE 98!!!!! (1)

String Leaderboard
1. Toroline Wasabi (2)
1. Toroline KPOP/KPRO (2)
1. ReString Zero (2)
1. Lynx Tour (2)
1. Solinco Tour Bite (2)
2. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
2. Toroline Super Toro/Caviar (1)
2. Taan TS5600 18g (1)
2. Solinco Revolution (1)
2. Wasabi/Toro Toro (1)
2. Hyper-G Soft (1)
2. Kirschbaum of some sort lol (1)
2. Solinco Hyper-G (1)
2. Volkl Cyclone (1)
2. Pure Rush (1)
2. LXN ECO Power Rough (1)
2. Polytour Pro (1)
2. V-Square/Ghostwire (1)
2. MonoGut ZX Pro/Vortex (1)
2. Zero/Wasabi X (1)
2. Solinco Confidential (1)
2. Max Power Rough (1)
2. ALU Power (1)
2. Tour M8 (1)
2. Caviar/Ghostwire (1)
2. ReString Sync (1)

String Leaderboard (not counting hybrids)
1. Toroline Wasabi (5)
2. Toroline Caviar (4)
3. ReString Zero (3)
4. Lynx Tour (2)
4. Solinco Tour Bite
4. Ghostwire
5. Nordic Dots TS127 (1)
5. Toroline Super Toro
5. Taan TS5600 18g
5. Solinco Revolution
5. Toro Toro
5. Hyper-G Soft
5. Kirschbaum of some sort lol
5. Solinco Hyper-G
5. Volkl Cyclone
5. Pure Rush
5. LXN ECO Power Rough
5. Polytour Pro
5. Volkl V-Square
5. MonoGut ZX Pro
5. Prince Vortex
5. Wasabi X
5. Solinco Confidential
5. Max Power Rough
5. ALU Power
5. Tour M8
5. ReString Sync

Racquet Brand Leaderboard
1. Yonex (8)
2. Wilson (7)
3. Head (6)
4. Babolat (5)
5. Solinco (3)
6. Prince (1)
6. ProKennex (1)

String Brand Leaderboard
1. Toroline (12)
2. Solinco (5)
3. ReString (4)
4. Tru Pro (3)
5. Head (2)
5. Kirschbaum
5. Luxilon
5. Volkl
6. Nordic Dots (1)
6. Taan
6. Yonex
6. Ashaway
6. Prince
6. Grapplesnake

Of course I missed some key creators that I would like to have on for next year as I get the chance to meet more of them! I think the main interesting takeaway is Toroline. 2 years ago they probably only would have had 1 (ZeroLove), today they have 12. Shows not only how powerful their marketing has been but also that the product is strong enough to stay in people's racquets long term. I think other brands could take note of this.

Yonex's presence in the racquets is also very telling, with very few of us having brand deals for free racquets, it shows that many people are choosing Yonex over others.

Also, 4/5 of Babolat's used among the 30 were Pure Aero 98's, with it being the most popular racquet on the list. Given that 3/4 who use it are chronic racketaholics, I think it says a lot about what that racquet can offer for competitive situations.

Finally, I'm very surprised to see the EZONE so far down on the list, with only 1 98 and 1 100. Numbers wise, these racquets do the most views for me and we see the general public using them everywhere, but they are not represented the same way online. Funny that the two tennis news channels that participated, The Slice and Gill Gross both use VC98s.
Pretty cool stats. Can't wait to watch the vid. Sadly Toroline strings have no presence in my country yet so I can't try them out. What would be their alternative to tourna big hitter?

Pretty wild to me that Yonex 100 sticks don't get some more love. Where are the vcore 100s?
 

dr. godmode

Hall of Fame
Pretty cool stats. Can't wait to watch the vid. Sadly Toroline strings have no presence in my country yet so I can't try them out. What would be their alternative to tourna big hitter?

Pretty wild to me that Yonex 100 sticks don't get some more love. Where are the vcore 100s?
Brittany from TW here claimed 2 racquets, the EZ and VC100's but I decided since we have so many flip floppers that my list would only include a 1 racquet from whatever was mentioned based one whichever seamed more important to the player (judged on intonations and body language or which was mentioned first). I think next year we will see more 100s with everyone looking for more powa.

I don't think Toroline has anything close to Big Hitter Silver. Maybe O-Toro if any but the shape is wrong. If anything ReString Sync is the play.
 

Addxyz

Hall of Fame
For the most part yes, but I will say that their strings are in general, pretty good. And not expensive. And O-Toro is damn good. If you are still using the Ezone, I could it be a really good fit in that frame. O-Toro is somehow loaded with ball feel and still soft on the arm. It's a good one.

So it's hardcore influencer model plus having a solid product.
I have an EZ98 in the rotation, but it's currently strung with gut/poly. I enjoyed Lynx Tour in it previously. I've though about O-toro for a while, but the non-discounted price is in the mid to approaching bougie string territory. Too bad I couldn't make up my mind when it was on sale during BF. :(
 

kevin qmto

Hall of Fame
Wow, win some lose some. Found a nice Wilson, NOS. Strung it up with Natty gut and poly tour drive crosses....

And I somehow cracked the thing at the throat my first night out with it... Still have no idea what I did.
 

bobeeto

Hall of Fame
Anyone have experience with the Vcore SV98? Just got my hands on one and it feels solid. Stiff, but more substantial than my heavier 21’ VC95’s or my 18’ 98+
 

FlatShot_V

New User
Anyone have experience with the Vcore SV98? Just got my hands on one and it feels solid. Stiff, but more substantial than my heavier 21’ VC95’s or my 18’ 98+
One guy that plays in my club has one, I think. I guess I could try to ask him to hit with it sometime.
 

JGads

G.O.A.T.
Illicit late-night rendezvous are being had with my friend’s Pure Strike Vs. Just too much to like. I have made an order so as to stop messing with my friend’s gal and have thus arrived at the summer of 2023. Prestige v Strike v PTOS wunderbattle looming.
 

topspn

G.O.A.T.
PA98 on the leaderboard makes a lot of sense as well as Toroline popularity. I personally favor wasabi pro or k-pop on the PA98. Just a great combo
 

Fighting phoenix

Professional
That's how you gain popularity yes but I think we are seeing staying power from Toroline which is indicative of a high quality product. If it was just a bunch of lame stuff attached to an affiliate link the strings wouldn't have stuck around. A lot of these players need match wins (MPTennis in college, Trey for his channel, Karue of course) and could easily get deals with other companies but they stick with Toroline.
Clearly though the Toroline stats are selection bias - they are targeting influencers, so obviously there will be a high percentage of influencers who use Toroline a lot. Don't get me wrong - agreed that they are good strings and a reason why they've done well recently and why many influencers use them. However, for the vast majority of rec players, most are using Blast/HyperG/ALU/etc., and still haven't heard of Toroline except for the occasional Karue fan who uses K-pop.

I do think they're a great option, especially since they're comfortable and have decent tension maintenance and snap-back, but in general they're too muted / rubbery for my liking as I prefer a crisper set up (ie Lynx Tour / Confidential / Tour Bite)
 

Richard Pioline

Hall of Fame
vcore 98 was a surprise to me too, over performer compared to the reception it got in reviews
Still Shaming over here. I love the VCore 98 Tour with a leather grip, and I am good to go. Maybe the racquet I have sticked with for the longest since the 93P four years ago.
Just read the last five posts or so. String is HHR or TP PR.
Enjoy the time with your families!
Peace out, Richard!
 
Head Speeds keep going strong here in Greece. A local coach just bought 2 and uses Lynx Tour 1.25.

He prefers it to his Prince ATS 98 which I have tried for myself and we both feel it's an attacking-flat hitter's frame. The Speed is easier for baseline grinding, easier net clearance and top-spin.

I've only played Tennis once since early September. Don't know when I will resume to playing on a regular basis. In order to enjoy tennis, I have to be able to play at least twice a week, quite challenging due to workload.

I've started playing Pickleball for a couple of hours on weekends, with my 8-year-old nephew and recently with one of my tennis hitting partners.

IMG-20241219-193232.jpg
 

danbrenner

Legend
Head Speeds keep going strong here in Greece. A local coach just bought 2 and uses Lynx Tour 1.25.

He prefers it to his Prince ATS 98 which I have tried for myself and we both feel it's an attacking-flat hitter's frame. The Speed is easier for baseline grinding, easier net clearance and top-spin.

I've only played Tennis once since early September. Don't know when I will resume to playing on a regular basis. In order to enjoy tennis, I have to be able to play at least twice a week, quite challenging due to workload.

I've started playing Pickleball for a couple of hours on weekends, with my 8-year-old nephew and recently with one of my tennis hitting partners.

IMG-20241219-193232.jpg
Hello Mr K . My name is Dan of the message board police. unfortunately you cannot engage or play in anything to do with Pickleball, and have any standing on this thread. please immediately desist from any association with the aforementioned sport. otherwise you will be in violation, and will lose any and all privileges on this thread. you have been warned.
 

AmericanTwist

Professional
Inflation is here to stay and looks like it is on an upward path again. Get your sticks and gear while you can before new tariffs kick in next year. Used sticks will look more attractive going forward.
 
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