Diary of a Racketaholic

[Fintft]

The swingweight of my Peter is also none of your business you filthy animal. OK fine it used to be 352 but is now 326ish with a static of 335g. Doppio is presently 325g strung with a sw of about 325-6 after a bit of lead at 12.

Please help me decide between an 293.1 "grip 3. Currently it is 323g and 33,2cm balance." (I would need pallets to change it to L4) around E200 shipped from SF and a new TF40 315 16X19, that @galapagos hints that might be too advanced for me...
(The same way you were say that a light PAVS in the hands of Alcaraz makes sense)...

Hi, have you and other 293.1 owners such as @Power Player & Co have also tried the 360+ MP?

IG is innegra so Yes. Its slightly behind the 360+ MP.
no pro stock reviews from me sorry

will be hard to find IG Prestige Pro TF40 315 is amazing but it's for advanced players I would say. You get a lot of confidence with it.

Thanks!
/Second Doppio in the mail, expedited shipping#!#$

 

[Fintft]

Boy, when you guys get into it... it really can go on for a while!

As @Power Player has said... there are many factors here. So, why are you all arguing and "discussing" this for so long?

First, Alcaraz has more ability and talent in his little pinky than most of us here... so what he can do or does and with which specs, has very little to do with any of us.

Second, those are the specs that are right for him (whatever they are)... so why are you so concerned, as it doesn't have much to do with you?

Third, as @tim-ay has said... he likes 330. That's what it's about. Find what YOU like and what suits you when you are playing YOUR opponents and at your level. Don't worry about others and their specs.

Fourth, I play at the specs I like, not because Djokovic or Nadal, or any other Pro use them... but because I like it that way... and I will go up or down with my specs as it suits me and my game. Some racquets will work well at a lighter weight, so I will not go higher for the ego of it... but others may not play as well at the same (lighter weight), and based on playing with them and my experience of what the opponent is doing and the feedback I'm getting, I will go up in weight because that is what is needed with that racquet.

Fifth, and foremost, WHY are you all arguing with each other??? Just state what YOU like, except what others like... and move on!

Whatever Alcaraz is using suits HIM well... maybe that would work for you, maybe it won't... the only way to find out is to get the PA Vs and get it to those specs and go and find out. Then come back here and say "I've tried those specs and it did or didn't work for ME"... don't worry about the rest of the people and accept their experience as their own.

Most of us wouldn't even see the serve of those Pros... let alone be able to say whether they can return it or not. The only way we can possibly know and comment if something is possible is if we have an apples-to-apples comparison. So, who amongst us here has the ability, reflexes, hand-to-eye coordination, conditioning, speed, experience, and strength of Alcaraz? Anyone...?

So may we table this discussion and debate... and someone out there go and approach Alcaraz and say"Just out of interest... what are the specs of your racquet... cause I want to be you". Then we will know for sure.

Agreed, but for me is more about learning from other people experiences, not arguing. I.e. at the advice of a higher rated partner (that I don't swing fast enough), I went lighter from (RF97A to Doppio, 360g to 330g weight) and I think that I am playing better.
Discussions here are accentuated by the fact that for some of us it is hard to demo good frames anymore (and I live in Canada's capital!)

 

[danbrenner]

Please help me decide between an 293.1 "grip 3. Currently it is 323g and 33,2cm balance." (I would need pallets to change it to L4) around E200 shipped from SF and a new TF40 315 16X19, that @galapagos hints that might be too advanced for me...
(The same way you were say that a light PAVS in the hands of Alcaraz makes sense)...

Hi, have you and other 293.1 owners such as @Power Player & Co have also tried the 360+ MP?





Thanks!
/Second Doppio in the mail, expedited shipping#!#$

As Chet from Weird Science once said. “It’s done outta love”.

 

[Fintft]

As Chet from Weird Science once said. “It’s done outta love”.

So we should love ...all? Be holics? !!!

 

[topspn]

The doppio SW with pink red who knows what wasabi did push up to 332. Felt so good then as I was getting tired, not so good anymore. Taking the SW down a bit to mid 320s on ZUS and dope. I am working on fitness but it is work in progress. I did loose 4lbs lol

 

[Wheelz]

Lol I saw that post but looks like nonsense to me. So he plays strung with OG 325g/32.2/323-324SW. Some younger guys are playing less weight and SW but this is way low so I’m personally not buying it.

I’d say a bit more with 16g rpm blast. Then add the dampener. Maybe even closer to 330sw and near 330g?

 

[Classic-TXP-IG MID]

Agreed, but for me is more about learning from other people experiences, not arguing. I.e. at the advice of a higher rated partner (that I don't swing fast enough), I went lighter from (RF97A to Doppio, 360g to 330g weight) and I think that I am playing better.
Discussions here are accentuated by the fact that for some of us it is hard to demo good frames anymore (and I live in Canada's capital!)

I understand. However, there are so many factors that come into play that it is very difficult to just generalise. Maybe it was right for you to just drop 30g from your racquet and get the higher RHS. Likewise, maybe making you train with the RF97A for 2 months really hard, might have also improved your game, fitness, technique, etc... and you would have gotten a higher RHS and improved the same amount or more. Who's to say? Maybe the RF97A was too advanced for you, maybe it wasn't? Maybe if you dropped to a 310g weight you would play even better, maybe you wouldn't?

All these things are individual. Therefore, what has worked for you, may not work for me, or the next person... or maybe it might. Maybe my optimal is 345g or 330g or 300g... but that has got very little to do with your optimal. We all need to experiment and find OUR right spec. Too many people here, IMO, take what works for them as what will work for everyone and try to push that view. They try to make it sound like anyone that feels or thinks differently is somehow wrong, or silly to believe a certain thing (like what SW is necessary for stability or what they might need against their opponents)... instead of just listening and hearing what the person is telling them (that they are comfortable at a certain weight, or SW, or TW, or balance).

Pointing out that Alcaraz is using a lower SW, or that top college players don't modify their racquets, says what? What has that got to do with ME, or YOU? It's OK for them to point it out, but when they do so time and time and time again... it becomes a pattern and they are doing it for a reason. The point is, try it yourself and find if it works. Then come back and say this works for ME. Don't imply that therefore it should work for others... or that what others believe is somehow a "mistaken belief".

I'm not saying that you are doing that. But, others do... and when it goes on and on... it's just a bit tiring!

The only way to assess something for sure, is to have a look at you (a person that is asking or wanting to know what to do in a particular case), then see your level, your technique, your movement, your fitness, the equipment you are using, etc... then start to modify and change things around to see what suits you best according to all those assessments. Get a lighter racquet, get your current racquet, get a heavier racquet... and then get you to play with each for a week or two. See how you perform. Alternatively, before changing anything, get you to improve your fitness, or footwork for a month... then see how you are playing with your RF97A. Has it improved or gotten worse? Try it with a lighter racquet? Try it with a heavier racquet... are you getting better in one case VS the other? ETC, etc, etc.

The easiest thing to do is just say... get a lighter racquet. Of course you will swing faster, you will not get as tired, and your game may improve. But, has it improved in the long run? Is that the best move for your future development? Maybe it is, or maybe it isn't... but that can only be assessed on an individual basis... that is all I am saying.

 

[Fintft]

...you would have gotten a higher RHS

Pointing out that Alcaraz is using a lower SW, or that top college players don't modify their racquets, says what? What has that got to do with ME, or YOU?

Thanks,
I'll just try to answer this quote: We should swing faster, RHS being key and going for higher weight to achieve power is probably the wrong way.
At my club, nobody lower than 4.5 swings fast enough and (case in point), my "almost 5.0" and club champion partner told me to swing faster, by using a lighter racquet...

Now my friend (military, ex-pilot) used 290-310g (probably unstrung) racquets, while my coach, in the past indicated that she prefered the heavier RF97A for me, b/c "when I line up, I hit with more power"- I'll ask her again, now that she has seen me using the lighter Doppio for a couple of doubles games/lessons over the past weeks.

 

[Vicious49]

True, for pros, who knows, but the mere idea a stock racket needs weight for a rec player to play his best tennis is something that needs to be reflected upon because players who are way better than us don't need the extra weight to play their best.

Im one of those guys who use to use an RF97A when I was maybe a 3.0. I jsut didnt know any better. I just knew I wanted something heavy so as not to have to worry about tennis elbow.Reflecting back on it now I wasnt generating RHS or even hitting out in front as much as using the sheer mass of that frame to block everything back. Im still glad I went that route as opposed to a lot of guys I was playing with who went with 10 oz oversized racquets. I often make things difficult on myself because I believe it will pay off in the long run.

Lately Im finding that Im preferring my frames in the 320-325 SW range. The static weight in my VC95s is in the 336-340 range because I had to add lead to match them and get the SW up as most of them are around 310-315 strung. It could be the frames Im using now work better at a lower SW but I think its more likely that my timing has just gotten much better. Even a year ago Id have trouble against a heavy hitter or someone who hits with heavy top spin whereas now I handle it fine - and with a racquet with low 320s SW.

 

[Vicious49]

Played doubles tonight which is not really noteworthy as most of that competition is meh. What is worth mentioning is that I arrived anout 10 minutes early and some other guys were wrapping up. Theyre about 4.5 or so and wouldnt give me the time of day in the past. Nice guys but werent really trying to hit with me. Recently one of the guys has started hitting with me for a few if he has time.

I started with the Speed Pro against him thinking Id need the extra power and forgiveness. After anout 5 minutes I switched to the 2021 VC95. Surprisingly I handled all the balls fine with the VC95 and actually hit better backhands with it than I was hitting with the Speed. The Speed does give me easier power but the VC95 comes through faster so it helps me with my timing and gives me better control. After 10-15 m8nutes of hitting with him I was sweating so hard. For him thats normal pace whereas for me that was maximum pace.

Afterwards he told me Im hitting fine but I need to play better competition than these guys. I told him I know. Ive been finidng better singles guys to play with but when thats not available I play doubles just to get on the court.

 

[Vicious49]

I did try to use the 2018 VC95 again tonight during the doubles match. I did much better with it tonight than last time. Surprisingly it has pretty good power. Much more than I was expecting. Its similar to the 2021 but different. Im not saying its better or worse but it is a bit different. Ill nave to spend a lot more time with it so I can get used to it before deciding which I prefer. Right now Im dialed in with the 2021 so that would be my choice. Maybe that will change as I spend more time with the 2018.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

Played doubles tonight which is not really noteworthy as most of that competition is meh. What is worth mentioning is that I arrived anout 10 minutes early and some other guys were wrapping up. Theyre about 4.5 or so and wouldnt give me the time of day in the past. Nice guys but werent really trying to hit with me. Recently one of the guys has started hitting with me for a few if he has time.

I started with the Speed Pro against him thinking Id need the extra power and forgiveness. After anout 5 minutes I switched to the 2021 VC95. Surprisingly I handled all the balls fine with the VC95 and actually hit better backhands with it than I was hitting with the Speed. The Speed does give me easier power but the VC95 comes through faster so it helps me with my timing and gives me better control. After 10-15 m8nutes of hitting with him I was sweating so hard. For him thats normal pace whereas for me that was maximum pace.

Afterwards he told me Im hitting fine but I need to play better competition than these guys. I told him I know. Ive been finidng better singles guys to play with but when thats not available I play doubles just to get on the court.

Thats because one of these racquets is a war proven well built katana and the other one is a Head Speed

 

[snoflewis]

I missed a hell of a day on the holics thread! Thought i was in the pro racquets and gear section. So what i got out of it is that i shouldnt try to return 100+ mph serves with my new 308 strung sw sticks?

 

[Classic-TXP-IG MID]

I missed a hell of a day on the holics thread! Thought i was in the pro racquets and gear section. So what i got out of it is that i shouldnt try to return 100+ mph serves with my new 308 strung sw sticks?

No... you should try... and if it works well for you, you should just keep playing with them and crushing it. But if it doesn't, you should look to find what works for you (higher, lower, different balance, etc). What ends up working for you, might not work for me, or the next guy... or it may work for all of us and be a revelation.

We are all different. You may be a superb returner, with exquisite hand-to-eye coordination, excellent timing, and impeccable technique. I might not be. Therefore, what suits you, might be totally inappropriate for me. You may swing away at 100+ mph serves, and I might not even see then before they hit the back fence, or just rely on blocking them back to get in the point. We are all different, and we may need (or even like) different things from our equipment.

That's all.

 

[snoflewis]

No... you should try... and if it works well for you, you should just keep playing with them and crushing it. But if it doesn't, you should look to find what works for you (higher, lower, different balance, etc). What ends up working for you, might not work for me, or the next guy... or it may work for all of us and be a revelation.

We are all different. You may be a superb returner, with exquisite hand-to-eye coordination, excellent timing, and impeccable technique. I might not be. Therefore, what suits you, might be totally inappropriate for me. You may swing away at 100+ mph serves, and I might not even see then before they hit the back fence, or just rely on blocking them back to get in the point. We are all different, and we may need (or even like) different things from our equipment.

That's all.

i don't appreciate this completely reasonable and sensible take.

 

[Classic-TXP-IG MID]

i don't appreciate this completely reasonable and sensible take.

... sorry. I will do better.

 

[mad dog1]

No... you should try... and if it works well for you, you should just keep playing with them and crushing it. But if it doesn't, you should look to find what works for you (higher, lower, different balance, etc). What ends up working for you, might not work for me, or the next guy... or it may work for all of us and be a revelation.

We are all different. You may be a superb returner, with exquisite hand-to-eye coordination, excellent timing, and impeccable technique. I might not be. Therefore, what suits you, might be totally inappropriate for me. You may swing away at 100+ mph serves, and I might not even see then before they hit the back fence, or just rely on blocking them back to get in the point. We are all different, and we may need (or even like) different things from our equipment.

That's all.

Get this nonsense outta here!

 

[mad dog1]

I missed a hell of a day on the holics thread! Thought i was in the pro racquets and gear section. So what i got out of it is that i shouldnt try to return 100+ mph serves with my new 308 strung sw sticks?

So solely based on shadow swings and drop feeds with foam balls…how buttery are they? And are they thumpy, powerful with incredible stability?

 

[taylor15]

So solely based on shadow swings and drop feeds with foam balls…how buttery are they? And are they thumpy, powerful with incredible stability?

You can’t tell that from shadow swings unless you’re indoors where humidity doesn’t affect you.

 

[Richard Pioline]

He is definitely better than us.

You sure?

 

[Richard Pioline]

There are some rackets, like the YY SV95 that worked for me with a SW in the 320s because I would naturally swing faster. And returning 200km/h serves with it worked well. But in the YY97H I feel right at home with the SW at 340.
Most pro players and better players than us are probably better than us because they don't overthink their equipment. They find something that works for them and just play with it. There is this guy, was top 200 males in Germany that I played in a tournament 2 years ago. He was 17 back than and had whippy and extremely powerful topspin shots that came down at my baseline like missiles. I quickly lost 3:6, 2:6. He played a Pure Aero (lite or something). He said it was 275 grams static weight unstrung!!!
I have long strokes and as I am only playing once a week, I have the feeling that the stability and plow in my rackets helps me a bit even if I am late and don't find perfect contact.
I asked this guy I played from the top 200 how often he plays and he asked me: "per day?" He said, he played 3 times a day! So, for him and his footwork it is easier to make good contact and he has those extremely whippy and fast strokes. I think a bit heavier will be good for him aas he grows up, but a heavy racket and SW would just hinder him in his swiftness on the court, I guess.
So, I am 40 now and I go more for consistency, it easier to do that with a heavier racket for me, so I don't have to swing fast all the time. With my higher SW I can just easily swing and let the racket do the work. At least that is how I feel today, who knows about tomorrow. The future is a blank canvas.

 

[snoflewis]

You can’t tell that from shadow swings unless you’re indoors where humidity doesn’t affect you.

you definitely can. this 308 sw stick is so buttery on shadow swings, it leaves grease marks in the air.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

I believe it was John Cauthen who discovered the secret talktennis swingweight configuration that is only available to the pros. However the knowledge was too powerful for 3.5 players to possess so the CIA invented the pure drive to throw us off the scent.

 

[longtimelurker]

I believe it was John Cauthen who discovered the secret talktennis swingweight configuration that is only available to the pros. However the knowledge was too powerful for 3.5 players to possess so the CIA invented the pure drive to throw us off the scent.

The original ! He ended up being right about the weight (bell shape) at the top of the handle. Many respected posters here even admitted it and retracted their comments after seeing pros later use weight as he described.

 

[Ace of Aces]

There are plenty of D1 players using stock pure drives. Plenty using leaded semi-trucks as well. Its about mass x acceleration so in some ways those with less RHS (us) need the mass the most.

 

[Fintft]

There are plenty of D1 players using stock pure drives. Plenty using leaded semi-trucks as well. Its about mass x acceleration so in some ways those with less RHS (us) need the mass the most.

It's actually mass x speed for the momentum of an elastic collision...
And like @Classic-TXP-IG MID is saying above, maybe we could train to have higher RHS?
I agree, just by watching 3.5s at my club, as none of them swing even moderately fast enough...

 

[snoflewis]

except the mass here isn't limited to the mass of the racket

 

[Fintft]

except the mass here isn't limited to the mass of the racket

The same person switches racquets, so the mass we are talking about is the racquet's. Especially since the collision is not totally elastic, it has to be limited to the racquet and the ball.

 

[snoflewis]

The same person switches racquets, so the mass we are talking about is the racquet's. Especially since the collision is not totally elastic, it has to be limited to the racquet and the ball.

and what happens to the swing speed when mass increases? if you think the mass behind the ball is limited to the racket, i can't imagine you're getting much on the ball. probably the same reason folks here just can't believe a low 320 sw stick can be good enough at the pro level. there's way more mass behind the ball than just from the racket, technique permitting.

 

[JGads]

Please help me decide between an 293.1 "grip 3. Currently it is 323g and 33,2cm balance." (I would need pallets to change it to L4) around E200 shipped from SF and a new TF40 315 16X19, that @galapagos hints that might be too advanced for me...
(The same way you were say that a light PAVS in the hands of Alcaraz makes sense)...

Hi, have you and other 293.1 owners such as @Power Player & Co have also tried the 360+ MP?
Thanks!
/Second Doppio in the mail, expedited shipping#!#$

To be honest my recommendations would be a) just stick to the Doppio and not worry about the others, but if you really have the itch then b) only consider that 293.1 if those specs are strung, which is probably unlikely, unless you or someone can customize to your specs/remove lead/etc, c) the 293.1 is still a very demanding frame and the TF40 is still probably more user friendly for most, I would say, but d) if you’re going to go TF40 you can also go with the 305g weight for even more ease-of-use.

I’ve never hit the 315g version so can’t say but both the 305 18m previous paint and the 305 16m new paint are good sticks - I actually preferred the older 18m to the 16m newer frame. ... overall I would heavily lean TF because shipping from Europe (?), unknown sw perhaps, and just more strange factors regarding pro stocks/getting a duplicate of you like it, etc... it’s not a path I ever “recommend.” You may end up going to very complicated lengths for a mystery frame you may not even like at all.

 

[DanTheMan1972]

I can play really bad with any swingweight

 

[snoflewis]

shocking event.... my pair of IG speed mp 300s came in with a 0.8g and 0.09 sw variance. time to go get a lottery ticket

 

[JGads]

Only a holic:

goes to peruse what’s new in the TWE universe; notices he has an item in his “cart”, goes, “wait what’s that?”, then clicks and remembers he once put in an outgoing Ki5 into said basket just to see what the price would be with the advertised discount code; price used to be 170 with the discount, which was then still a hard no, what for; now he notices it must have been discounted further, since the cost now shows 141; now he goes, “hmm.”

 

[tim-ay]

and what happens to the swing speed when mass increases? if you think the mass behind the ball is limited to the racket, i can't imagine you're getting much on the ball. probably the same reason folks here just can't believe a low 320 sw stick can be good enough at the pro level. there's way more mass behind the ball than just from the racket, technique permitting.

For sure the body is involved. But you’re going to feel that. And it certainly isn’t mass that makes some of us believe 320 is really low for a pro, it’s how that feels when it collides with a ball. We have all hit different SW.

and what does it all mean? Carlos is playing with low swingweight? Good for him. He’s in a very small minority at that level for a reason. He’s a great player, but he’s not tennis Jesus. There is a reason the tennis gods are all using beefy SW. are we really saying now that Nadal has low racket head speed and poor technique because he is swinging 350+? Lol.
this feels like another argument with the wind.

 

[topspn]

Only a holic:

goes to peruse what’s new in the TWE universe; notices he has an item in his “cart”, goes, “wait what’s that?”, then clicks and remembers he once put in an outgoing Ki5 into said basket just to see what the price would be with the advertised discount code; price used to be 170 with the discount, which was then still a hard no, what for; now he notices it must have been discounted further, since the cost now shows 141; now he goes, “hmm.”

Ooh, so what does said holic do? Grab KI with 20% discount. Or wait for the new KI and try that one . I sympathize, it’s tough on holics

 

[tim-ay]

Ooh, so what does said holic do? Grab KI with 20% discount. Or wait for the new KI and try that one . I sympathize, it’s tough on holics

Do both. It’s the only way to know!!!

 

[JGads]

Ooh, so what does said holic do? Grab KI with 20% discount. Or wait for the new KI and try that one . I sympathize, it’s tough on holics

He’s still leaning “wait”, but he would also like Ki expert @Humbi_HTX to weigh in here - have you hit the most recent Ki5? I forget which versions you danced with. And this is ridiculous because this holic already has other shenanigans afoot. But discounts will really make one go “hmm.” And hmms are dangerous.

 

[topspn]

Do both. It’s the only way to know!!!

Lol we are the worst enablers! Or is it the best? Ha
On other note, will try a few drills today with TS and hot pink red wasabi

 

[tim-ay]

Lol we are the worst enablers! Or is it the best? Ha
On other note, will try a few drills today with TS and hot pink red wasabi

I’m jealous. Won’t get to hit today due to some obligations / fun stuff my wife put together. Going out for a bike ride in 10 min tho’. Will try to get a couple of hours so I’m dead and dehydrated and ready for a beer.

 

[Fintft]

and what happens to the swing speed when mass increases? if you think the mass behind the ball is limited to the racket, i can't imagine you're getting much on the ball. probably the same reason folks here just can't believe a low 320 sw stick can be good enough at the pro level. there's way more mass behind the ball than just from the racket, technique permitting.

What are you talking about? You lost me....
We are just comparing weights of the racquets.

A heavier racquet is harder to swing, correct lol

 

[Fintft]

And it certainly isn’t mass that makes some of us believe 320 is really low for a pro, it’s how that feels when it collides with a ball.

True and a lighter racquet will be pushed back faster, after the elastic collision with the ball, b/c the momentums have to be equal, meaning:

m1 = Mass of object 1 (ball)
m2 = Mass of object 2 (racquet)
v1i = Initial velocity of object 1
v2i = Initial velocity of object 2
v1f = Final velocity of object 1
v2f = Final velocity of object 2

Momentum of an Elastic Collision
Pi = Initial momentum of the system
Pf = Final momentum of the system
Pi = m1 * v1i + m2 * v2i
Pf = m1 * v1f + m2 * v2f
Pi = Pf
m1 * v1i + m2 * v2i = m1 * v1f + m2 * v2f


So if m2 is the racquet's mass, the bigger that is, the lower v2f (final velocity of the racquet) will be, hence less impact to your body.

 

[Fintft]

To be honest my recommendations would be a) just stick to the Doppio and not worry about the others, but if you really have the itch then b) only consider that 293.1 if those specs are strung, which is probably unlikely, unless you or someone can customize to your specs/remove lead/etc, c) the 293.1 is still a very demanding frame and the TF40 is still probably more user friendly for most, I would say, but d) if you’re going to go TF40 you can also go with the 305g weight for even more ease-of-use.

I’ve never hit the 315g version so can’t say but both the 305 18m previous paint and the 305 16m new paint are good sticks - I actually preferred the older 18m to the 16m newer frame. ... overall I would heavily lean TF because shipping from Europe (?), unknown sw perhaps, and just more strange factors regarding pro stocks/getting a duplicate of you like it, etc... it’s not a path I ever “recommend.” You may end up going to very complicated lengths for a mystery frame you may not even like at all.

Thanks and the seller confirmed that "Yes they are strung specs without grip as you can see the pics i sent to your email. It is currently l3. You can buy pallets fairly easily imo."

 

[JGads]

Carlitos=mc2

 

[Vicious49]

My take on this argument:

4th and long —-> Punt

 

[tim-ay]

My take on this argument:

4th and long —-> Punt

Not an engineer. Haha.

 

[RF_PRO_STAFF]

Yesterday the three SV95's I got from @Richard Pioline finally arrived. @Richard Pioline took good care of them, they look beautiful. Love the gloss. They are 4-3/8's. I prefer 4-1/4 grips but lately I've learned to appreciate 4-3/8's as well. They were all matched at 338/315/325 (with PTP 1.25 + maybe dampener) which is almost exactly what I play my '18 VC95's at. But ocd as I am, I removed the base grips and put on a new Yonex AC128EX on one of them. 0.5mm Kimony overgrip on top.
Strung that one up with the trusty Hawk Touch 1.20 at 46/44 to get a good gauge of what the SV95 is like. Strung, with a small rubber band dampener the SW was 320. I put 1g of lead at 12 to reach 323 SW. I play my '18's at 324 so that's perfect enough for now to get a good comparison. Removed the 1.2g silicone that was under the butt cap to reach 337.5g and 31.6cm, everything installed.

I took it straight with me to group training yesterday evening. I agree with the general opinion about the comparison between the SV95 and the '18 VC95. You really notice the SV95 has the same DNA, swings almost exactly the same and of course the specifications are too. There's definitely noticable differences though. The biggest one is the more direct, stiffer feel. It's a matter of preference I think (and also what your arm prefers). @Richard Pioline mentioned he experienced a bit of discomfort using these and I definitely felt something in my elbow yesterday as well. I've also been playing a lot of tennis this week so that's playing its part too. The slightly stiffer frame doesn't absorb as much of the pace of the incoming ball and shoots it right back, delivering noticably more power than the '18 VC95. It was very enjoyable to get that extra pop with a frame that swings almost exactly the same as the one I've been using for two years. I had tons of fun using the SV95.
I always find 'feel' a difficult thing to talk about. Following the general opinion, I guess you could say the SV95 has more feel because it's not dampened as much. But I feel the ball perfectly well with the '18 as well.

The extra power provides the same depth with less effort (really noticable on volleys too), enabling me to focus more on the amount of spin I want to give the ball. Even when disregarding that, I think it's a tiny bit easier to get the same amounts of spin with the SV95. Probably due to the stiffness of the frame. This one also has the aero fins all over 12 o'clock, don't know if that's just marketing or if it actually does something.
I'm curious how the power difference would affect me in a match. It might lead to overhitting more when feeling a bit tight on the court. That's where the '18 VC95 gives me a huge amount of confidence. I have hardly any fear of missing, truly an extension of my arm as they say. It gives me all the control I could want. The power increase with the SV95 also closes the point out a tiny bit quicker because of the ball having a bit more pace.

I don't think I've ever been able to compare a frame so well for myself. It's way easier to do when comparing it against a racquet that has the same DNA and only has slight differences. It makes those slight differences very noticeable when having used the other frame for two years though. Makes me want to try a '21 VC95 too.
I'm taking the SV95 out again tomorrow. I really hope the stiffness of it won't prove to be too high for my arm. If it turns out to be fine, it will actually be a really tough decision to say which one I prefer. It's really about preferring a bit more pop versus a bit more control and comfort I think. But it's still very early days.

I'll also be stringing one of the others up too with a softer setup, and see what that does.

 

[Classic-TXP-IG MID]

and what does it all mean? Carlos is playing with low swingweight? Good for him. He’s in a very small minority at that level for a reason. He’s a great player, but he’s not tennis Jesus. There is a reason the tennis gods are all using beefy SW. are we really saying now that Nadal has low racket head speed and poor technique because he is swinging 350+? Lol.
this feels like another argument with the wind.

Completely agree. If we look at all the greatest players in history... they all had more beefy SW.

Nadal - 350+
Djokovic - 350+
Federer - 340+
Sampras - way higher than 350+
Becker - Based on the Becker 11 Special Edition (which is supposed to mimic his specs) - 382 (or something like that - from memory)
Edberg, McEnroe, Borg, Rod Lever, plus many others - 340 or 350+ easy
Murray - 350+ (closer to 370+... but may have changed things since surgery... not sure)
Wawrinka - 350+

So... that is the current record holders. Maybe the times are changing... maybe things will be different in the future... but that remains to be seen.

It really doesn't matter. What matters is what people are comfortable with and what suits them, and that may vary. Which is great and how it should be.

So, lets all just play with what we're comfortable with and what works for us. I don't hold anything against someone who has a lower SW on their racquets... so I don't see what bothers them about someone who plays with a higher SW. It baffles me.

 

[Vicious49]

Not an engineer. Haha.

Nope. I do support engineers though.

The more I think about it I do believe Alcaraz could be playing at those stock type specs. He may end up adding weight as he gets older because absorbing the vibrations and impacts from those heavy balls may start taking a toll. He's already had arm issues in the past so I do think the weight would help him in that aspect.

 

[haqq777]

I can play really bad with any swingweight

THIS! Me too.

 

[haqq777]

About to go show Carlito who the real boss is.