Diary of a Racketaholic
- Thread starter Ross K
- Start date
For me, since almost exclusively playing full poly since the early 2000s....syngut feels like an uncontrollable rocket launcher.
So pairs nicely with a Pro Staff 6.0 85
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
I’m breaking 1.25 strings in about 40 min. Absolutely ridiculous but I have about 30 sets of 1.25 Element before I can move to 16, 1.3
Currently editing some hitting clips and writing up my first thoughts as usual
Currently editing some hitting clips and writing up my first thoughts as usual
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
Gravity Tour (98) strung with Luxilon Element 1.25 @ 48lbs
First excuse both of our laziness and inconsistency we both ate way too much right before lol and winter of course
Groundstrokes: this frame rewards big swings and big cuts. i feel like it feels most stable when youre (not necessarily hitting hard) swinging fast and making sure you brush up and follow all the way through. half strokes or counter punch blocks I noticed the trajectory is quite low and pace is okay. if you want shape on the ball you really need to be swinging quite quickly most of the time but otherwise I found it plenty stable and plenty of juice. of course coming from 18x20 there is a way higher launch angle and way easier topspin generation. espeically on my backhand i tend to have pretty bad form and bad habits like leaning back and not getting under the ball. so the open pattern really gives me so much more leeway when I am not playing particularly well to at least get the ball high and heavy and in the court.
slices: this is very important to me as I have a weak backhand and as of lately am pretty slow on the court. slicing gives me opportunity to neutralize the pt and give me time to make another move. with the Dunlop, slicing was awful for whatever reason. no pace no depth no bite. solinco was fine. no complaints but not much to really praise. With the Gravity Tour (and even MP) , slices have so much depth and oomph without even contributing much effort. i can see this getting me out of a lot of trouble in matches
volleys: definitely my weakest strokes. but the stability on this has given me so much more confidence in blocking volleys back at the minimum. i doubt ill have much serious impact at net still but I definitely feel a little better volleying with the Gravity
serves: probably the racket's biggest weakness in my realm. I havent really served in months but you can still detect issues/benefits. I tend to hit only kick serves which means im not really hitting through and forward, which is what shines with this frame. hitting up and swingingwith less forawrd impact i feel like Im not getting the stability I expected. as a result kicks are more "spinny" and less kicky. I might have to develop a flat serve over the winter.
overall: for most people that are considering this frame i don't think you need to do much for this frame in terms of customization, myself included. but as nice as it is right now it still doesnt feel like "my frame" quite yet. i give every frame no matter what 3 and 9 + leather.
this racket will most likely benefit the faster swinging players, thats where the stability seems to come out. otherwise it can be a bit wobbly when slowing down and trying to be a little more defensive. Also if you're a string breaker, expect to break strings in 1-2 hours. on average I am getting 50 minutes, but Element is a particularly weak string. My 18x20 frames usually lasted me 5-6 hours on average
First excuse both of our laziness and inconsistency we both ate way too much right before lol and winter of course
Groundstrokes: this frame rewards big swings and big cuts. i feel like it feels most stable when youre (not necessarily hitting hard) swinging fast and making sure you brush up and follow all the way through. half strokes or counter punch blocks I noticed the trajectory is quite low and pace is okay. if you want shape on the ball you really need to be swinging quite quickly most of the time but otherwise I found it plenty stable and plenty of juice. of course coming from 18x20 there is a way higher launch angle and way easier topspin generation. espeically on my backhand i tend to have pretty bad form and bad habits like leaning back and not getting under the ball. so the open pattern really gives me so much more leeway when I am not playing particularly well to at least get the ball high and heavy and in the court.
slices: this is very important to me as I have a weak backhand and as of lately am pretty slow on the court. slicing gives me opportunity to neutralize the pt and give me time to make another move. with the Dunlop, slicing was awful for whatever reason. no pace no depth no bite. solinco was fine. no complaints but not much to really praise. With the Gravity Tour (and even MP) , slices have so much depth and oomph without even contributing much effort. i can see this getting me out of a lot of trouble in matches
volleys: definitely my weakest strokes. but the stability on this has given me so much more confidence in blocking volleys back at the minimum. i doubt ill have much serious impact at net still but I definitely feel a little better volleying with the Gravity
serves: probably the racket's biggest weakness in my realm. I havent really served in months but you can still detect issues/benefits. I tend to hit only kick serves which means im not really hitting through and forward, which is what shines with this frame. hitting up and swingingwith less forawrd impact i feel like Im not getting the stability I expected. as a result kicks are more "spinny" and less kicky. I might have to develop a flat serve over the winter.
overall: for most people that are considering this frame i don't think you need to do much for this frame in terms of customization, myself included. but as nice as it is right now it still doesnt feel like "my frame" quite yet. i give every frame no matter what 3 and 9 + leather.
this racket will most likely benefit the faster swinging players, thats where the stability seems to come out. otherwise it can be a bit wobbly when slowing down and trying to be a little more defensive. Also if you're a string breaker, expect to break strings in 1-2 hours. on average I am getting 50 minutes, but Element is a particularly weak string. My 18x20 frames usually lasted me 5-6 hours on average
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
And the proper hitting session finished. Was a pretty even match, I had to stop early though cause my knee started feeling unstable at 4-5 40-15 on my own serve. Don’t think I’ve done anything to it, but I will let it rest and will monitor it as we go.
I hit some good backhands but the margin is still missing for it to feel reliable. Gonna have to put in some more practice hours on the shot when time allows. That said the slice was excellent today. Few misses and a mean trajectory on them. And I hit two flick one handed backhand passes for winning plays that made the one handed backhand time feel worthwhile haha
Fun session overall, just hoping the knee is fine and that it’s just tired from the intense session after hiking all day yesterday.
I hit some good backhands but the margin is still missing for it to feel reliable. Gonna have to put in some more practice hours on the shot when time allows. That said the slice was excellent today. Few misses and a mean trajectory on them. And I hit two flick one handed backhand passes for winning plays that made the one handed backhand time feel worthwhile haha
Fun session overall, just hoping the knee is fine and that it’s just tired from the intense session after hiking all day yesterday.
tim-ay
Legend
Ah, the (minor) injury bug finally got me. This past week had some pretty cool days again down in Florida, I’ve been busy, only rode a little bit, and have been fking around with a new Spark 2 a little too much (for those guitar folk here). Anyway, only a few rides and no tennis in 4 days lead me to a Saturday morning match on a really fast playing hard court.
Started off with really fun tennis using the only racket I seem to care about anymore. Both guys serving really well and it’s me serving 4-5 with ad in. Hit a kick really driving with my legs on first serve and came in, somewhere in that movement pulled a glute(?). Held and then broke for 6-5 lead and can serve out the first set. Slice ace for 15-0, then trying to serve on the ad side… uh oh. My butt is fked literally. This is pretty rough. Somehow got it to deuce but guy figures out I’m not throwing in change ups and lose the next two points. End up losing the set as movement is toast. I feel for Naomi. Retired as this is only going to get really bad if I keep playing.
Actually was able to take a ride on the bike in the afternoon, surprisingly hard after warming up. That’s another story but basically hammered with some dudes training for a race next weekend. Some funny things were said when I told them about being injured that morning in tennis.
As normal, riding seems to be helping the healing but I’m going to be out a week or so. Walking is still a little painful. Will ride this afternoon and hopefully take it easy. A guy needs multiple hobbies during times like this.
Started off with really fun tennis using the only racket I seem to care about anymore. Both guys serving really well and it’s me serving 4-5 with ad in. Hit a kick really driving with my legs on first serve and came in, somewhere in that movement pulled a glute(?). Held and then broke for 6-5 lead and can serve out the first set. Slice ace for 15-0, then trying to serve on the ad side… uh oh. My butt is fked literally. This is pretty rough. Somehow got it to deuce but guy figures out I’m not throwing in change ups and lose the next two points. End up losing the set as movement is toast. I feel for Naomi. Retired as this is only going to get really bad if I keep playing.
Actually was able to take a ride on the bike in the afternoon, surprisingly hard after warming up. That’s another story but basically hammered with some dudes training for a race next weekend. Some funny things were said when I told them about being injured that morning in tennis.
As normal, riding seems to be helping the healing but I’m going to be out a week or so. Walking is still a little painful. Will ride this afternoon and hopefully take it easy. A guy needs multiple hobbies during times like this.
Oh, fun. I’m glad I did this since I play gut poly usually and it’s a wet day but now I’m concerned that I shouldn’t be playing line 1 with this setup. Maybe I can get one more strung up before we play or maybe it will be fine. I’m half expecting it to break in the first set.
How wet are we talking here? Outdoors haven't had issues with gut breaking due to rain.
The indoor clay swamp I play in 3 times per month kills it though extremely quickly.
RF_PRO_STAFF
Hall of Fame
Thanks for the elaborate review and nice hitting! Mine will arrive this Tuesday. What spec is yours and how high of a SW usually fits your strokes?
Happy Sunday rackaholics
In need of some help here.. I’m looking to switch from the blade 18x20 v8. Just don’t think it’s for the game I’m trying to play anymore. Instead of looking for winners left and right, and being a rookie aggressive baseliner I’m trying to develop a better all around consistent game. I’ve demoed a healthy amount of rackets and dialed down to the specs I like but can’t seem to find the right one.
Specs I like are: traditional racket, strung weight 330-335g, even balanced, not dampened or muted
Ultra Pro (16x19) spec’d up: I liked this the most but it was way too headlight and started causing wrist and bicep pain. I didn’t want to add more weight as it becomes too heavy
Pro Staff 97: I liked it but can’t get fully dialed in with it and sweet spot feels pretty demanding maybe something I can get used to but unsure
Head Prestige Tour: another one I really enjoyed and didn’t find too demanding but very plush and not stiff enough.
I’m a 3.5 but oddly enough I always play my best tennis with these types of rackets. The typical Ezone 100s, Speed MPs, Pure Aeros, Drives, just don’t fit my game at all.
In need of some help here.. I’m looking to switch from the blade 18x20 v8. Just don’t think it’s for the game I’m trying to play anymore. Instead of looking for winners left and right, and being a rookie aggressive baseliner I’m trying to develop a better all around consistent game. I’ve demoed a healthy amount of rackets and dialed down to the specs I like but can’t seem to find the right one.
Specs I like are: traditional racket, strung weight 330-335g, even balanced, not dampened or muted
Ultra Pro (16x19) spec’d up: I liked this the most but it was way too headlight and started causing wrist and bicep pain. I didn’t want to add more weight as it becomes too heavy
Pro Staff 97: I liked it but can’t get fully dialed in with it and sweet spot feels pretty demanding maybe something I can get used to but unsure
Head Prestige Tour: another one I really enjoyed and didn’t find too demanding but very plush and not stiff enough.
I’m a 3.5 but oddly enough I always play my best tennis with these types of rackets. The typical Ezone 100s, Speed MPs, Pure Aeros, Drives, just don’t fit my game at all.
Pro Staff X, TF40 315 would both be worth trying given what you look for and enjoy in a racket. If you like a more even balance, the TF40 takes weight exceptionally well too. Maybe a blade pro?
Active misting rain, fortunately when it stated snowing they called it. Was willing to play in the on and off rain bc reschedules are so hard - the snow and sleet is a lot though.
croplayer22
New User
Did someone tried both gravity tour 98 and some of solinco whiteout?
KC!
Hall of Fame
I find the 2025 Ezone 100 to perform much better for my liking. It’s so much more maneuverable & I’m able to generate so much more raquet head speed with it. It doesn’t feel so clunky in the head as the 2022. I’ve ben hitting with the Rafa 290 also weighted up to 335 swing weight. This raquet is all about fun, but I definitely play better with the 2o25 Ezone 100.
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
I dont often measure my frames tbh it’s all a feel thing. I’m usually in the 325+ range
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
Had to play games with the 6-8 UTRs and I take back my statement on the serves.
My first serve is a faster kick and there’s def effortless power on that. The second serve tho is def weak and not placed where it should be and feels wobbly at times
My first serve is a faster kick and there’s def effortless power on that. The second serve tho is def weak and not placed where it should be and feels wobbly at times
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
I used to use 18x20 XTD
Gravity is much better feeling and a little more controlled power compared to 16x19. WO16M is pretty launchy. Power is similar but it just can be unpredictable with the string spacing
18x20 has pretty good spin potential but much lower powered. XTD 18M is a thing of its own. Hard to compare it to anything really
SupremeCourt
Rookie
Just when I thought I was figuring it out with rafalito—I proceeded to get bageled. Switched to ps97 v14 for the second set and won 6-2…. Everything just seemed to slow down and I was able to hit with so much variety without really losing much pace.
Also despite it being such a small difference I just feel at home with Wilson pallets.
Also despite it being such a small difference I just feel at home with Wilson pallets.
croplayer22
New User
I have been testing some racquets lately, lastly played with prostaff 97, gravity pro 2023 and vcore 98. Currently I am leaning towarda to gravity pro because of that feel and control. Some extra power and sping would be great, if it wouldn't change much on feel and control.
I am looking out to try new gravity pro and gravity tour before deciding.
18x20 XTD got me interested, but can't get that one for test. How is it in feel and control against something like gravity pro 2023?
From that description I'd say try the Blade, ah wait...
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
Seems like the blade fits the game they wanna play and the other rackets fit the game they currently play
Vicious49
Legend
I watched @dr. godmode latest vid. I couldn't agree more on those Dunlop ATP balls. My buddy bought a case and we're lucky to get 1 set out of them before they are so fluffed up that we need to switch to my can of Wilson US Open balls. I thought we had just gotten a bad case.
FrankyRelax
Professional
Agree as well. With all the brands seemingly going down in quality what is the new best ball out there?
I also used to be a pro Penn marathon guy but every other can has a dead or almost dead ball in it
Dunlop used to be my favorite ball, and I took them into a match last weekend. Same experience, they started fluffing up to the point my partner and I were losing power. Our opponents were slicer/dicer style players and it accentuated their game. We pulled a squeaky narrow win but the second set was close. I’ll never buy Dunlop’s again, going to technifibre x-1 balls now
Fighting phoenix
Professional
Yeah I noticed this two years ago with the Dunlop ATP balls and stopped using them. I've been sticking with Wilson US Open XD, and those have been consistently great, especially in comparison with the Penn balls others have been pulling out of their bags.
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
i like the look of the new throat in the pure drives. extending that little flat base looks like it feels nice in between pts
topspn
G.O.A.T.
Agree with Dunlop ATP, however the Bab balls are great which he had a can of as he was speaking
I think USO XD has dropped off significantly. Their felt practically disappears after a set.
I think all balls are worse compared to years prior. All the top tier balls I hit with are "fine". There's no clearly superior ball. Just different pros and cons
KC!
Hall of Fame
The Bab balls feel similar to the Wilson US Open balls which are my favorite.
X-One are the best balls, I have no con with it.
It's rock hard compared to other high end balls.
That's the feedback I hear most when we use those.
Again, they're fine. I only object to Costco penns
KC!
Hall of Fame
TwinCinema
Professional
This is also a really good read:
Has The Tennis Ball Gotten Worse?Defectorhttps://defector.com › has-the-tennis-ball-gotten-worse
Has The Tennis Ball Gotten Worse?Defectorhttps://defector.com › has-the-tennis-ball-gotten-worse
JGads
G.O.A.T.
+1 .. maybe a little hard out of the can but in exchange you get some serious longevity. Definitely my favorite.
Hm true but I don't find them uncomfortable which would normally be an issue with hard balls. And as @JGads said, serious longevity, felt last for ages.
US open wilson's used to be similar (but not as good), nowadays though the felt just disappears after 1 hour. Maybe it's a regional thing as many in here seem to like them.
konstantinos kalfountzos
Hall of Fame
Guy asks a genuine question, that many of us have.
Looks like Jannik has not yet fully adjusted into the latest Speed Aux 2.0 (with shared grommet holes).
Same story as the Novak Speed Legend thing going.
Looks like Jannik has not yet fully adjusted into the latest Speed Aux 2.0 (with shared grommet holes).
Same story as the Novak Speed Legend thing going.
Fighting phoenix
Professional
Agree with others that Wilson US Open's felt isn't what it used to be, but at least the pressure maintenance is there, and they're consistent, unlike Penns.
AlexKangaroo
Rookie
Is there any real difference between Wilson Roland Garros (all court) and Wilson US Open balls? I think RG version is sold more here in Europe.
danbrenner
Legend
so thats quite an advertisement for YY. MKeys switch to the EZ1 and absolutely obliterating all her opponent's.. im not pushing it.. although i do own one and love it. not my main tho.
could be if i stayed with it long enough. .. but anyway. so she swtiched over from Wilson and her 97/98 thin beamed player frames she has been using her entire career. and to the ez1 thick beamed 100, and is absolutely kicking everyones ass in assassin mode. just sayin
could be if i stayed with it long enough. .. but anyway. so she swtiched over from Wilson and her 97/98 thin beamed player frames she has been using her entire career. and to the ez1 thick beamed 100, and is absolutely kicking everyones ass in assassin mode. just sayin
808
Professional
True, but it's the 98, no?
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah and she also changed her technique, especially the serve. That's the main reason for the improvement. The EZ is definitely easier to use and probably keeps her in check from over hitting, like she used to always do. It's a contributor, but small compared to the technique changes.
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
Surprised Head allows sinner to use the old paint scheme still
Then again DelPo used the Kfactor frames for how many years haha
Then again DelPo used the Kfactor frames for how many years haha
TwinCinema
Professional
With Sinner it’s still so identifiably a Speed that it doesn’t really matter. A regular weekend warrior going to the tennis shop will see the 2024 Speed and be like oh yeah that’s what Sinner has. Only us psychos notice small differences I think.
It isn’t like the Extreme where Berretini had to go from the Avocado to the Highlighter because it’s such a huge change in PJ.
danbrenner
Legend
danbrenner
Legend
mainly technique? i disagree.. i would say its the equipment that allowed her to change the technique. if it was just her changing her technique she would have done that with the older frame. bottom line. shes a markedly different player since the switch. what i personally noticed is her use of arc or shape on the groundies. in which she would over shoot her forehand much of the time. but that is down to equipment. the ez1 allows for that. the 18m blade or ultra just dont they are more linear.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
Keys’ frame is the 98 according to a guy who claims to have strung it in Adelaide. She talked about the frame in her press conference today saying it allowed her to make last second adjustments better. She had no idea of the specs - couldn’t even say if it was lighter than her old frame when someone asked.
Saw the latest ezone on a stringer’s table the other day. First sighting in person, and that thing is a beauty. I love the color in person, unique and pleasing to the eye, more so than on TV/pics.
Greetings from Head Corner.
Saw the latest ezone on a stringer’s table the other day. First sighting in person, and that thing is a beauty. I love the color in person, unique and pleasing to the eye, more so than on TV/pics.
Greetings from Head Corner.
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