Diary of a Racketaholic

[klementine]

A day in the Racketaholiclife has past, and today i tried three "new" frames.. First Babolat PS LTD GT.. A very low powered frame that i didnt like. Simply to old school for my liking. 2nd frame was the trusted old Wilson KSix One 95 18/20 and it felt ok, but since my period with the Pro Stock 6.1 last year, it´s hard to go back to this more hollow feeling Wilsons, so thanks, but no thanks..

Last frame was the Wilson BLX Blade 98 and it felt pretty ok actually. With some nice silicone in the handle and a good string, well, here we could have a contender

Next in line will be my two last tests before i settle for now.. Babolat AeroStorm Tour GT and Head Youtek Radical MP (this frame i will inject with about 20 grams of silicone straight away, put on a nice TK82S pallet and install about 5 to 7 grams of lead at 3 and 9.

I feel this Racketholism almost is turning into some kind of religion for me.. Eat, Sleep, testing...

I know exactly what you mean about the testing... it is all consuming... and never ends. I just like hitting and demo'ng everything. It reminds of walking into the toy store as a kid and wanting everything... you played with it for a day... and then it wound up under the bed for eternity. :smile:

I too enjoyed (shocked actually) the BLX blade98. Powerful.. stiff frame.. but comfortable. It seems as if wilson decided to put the extra .1oz at the top of the frame. My serves were sailing on me with this one.. but I was surprised by the groundstrokes. Really tight,solid feel.

In fact, I enjoyed all of the BLX demos as of late... the 6.195 18x20&16x18.. the blx98 and the blxProOpen. The ProOpen was a pleasant surprise.. less powerful than the 98 and 6.1 95's and allowed for fuller strokes.

 

[JGads]

Exo's, pro staffs must bow down for they are the unwitting collaborators in the birth of these bad boys......

Modded, the dnx and pb mids play very similarly, the main difference is the dnx is a slightly crisper hit.

All matched at around 370g/8pts hl/365sw

They look great, especially the PB10 (love the light grip vs. the stock black)....



.... But the Pro Staff bows to no one.

 

[Ross K]

A day in the Racketaholiclife has past, and today i tried three "new" frames.. First Babolat PS LTD GT.. A very low powered frame that i didnt like. Simply to old school for my liking. 2nd frame was the trusted old Wilson KSix One 95 18/20 and it felt ok, but since my period with the Pro Stock 6.1 last year, it´s hard to go back to this more hollow feeling Wilsons, so thanks, but no thanks..

Last frame was the Wilson BLX Blade 98 and it felt pretty ok actually. With some nice silicone in the handle and a good string, well, here we could have a contender

Next in line will be my two last tests before i settle for now.. Babolat AeroStorm Tour GT and Head Youtek Radical MP (this frame i will inject with about 20 grams of silicone straight away, put on a nice TK82S pallet and install about 5 to 7 grams of lead at 3 and 9.

I feel this Racketholism almost is turning into some kind of religion for me.. Eat, Sleep, testing...

Amen to that, Hank. :grin:

 

[skraggle]

They look great, especially the PB10 (love the light grip vs. the stock black)....



.... But the Pro Staff bows to no one.

Yeah, they look awesome and photo nicely composed. My shots always look sloppy by comparison...

 

[Ross K]

A true boxing great of whom the present day heavyweights aren't fit to lace his boots... RIP 'Smokin' Joe Frazier... LEGEND.

 

[Power Player]

Bold Prediction:

The EXO will become a classic stick in 8 years. Sought out as many have hunted down the PT630 and original Pure Drive swirly. It will be a staple in Prince's pro stock shop as young Princes rise to ATP prominence with it and simply can not switch to anything else.

 

[klementine]

A true boxing great of whom the present day heavyweights aren't fit to lace his boots... RIP 'Smokin' Joe Frazier... LEGEND.

A TRUE LEGEND.

And while Ali might be considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time. Without Joe Frazier there would be no Ali. They complimented each other and brought the best out of each other.

Ali (the son of a painter from a lower middle class family out of Louisville,Kentucky) was busy, running around, dodging the draft, supporting the Black Panthers and calling Joe Frazier an 'uncle tom'.

Joe Frazier (the son of a share-cropper from South Carolina) kept his mouth shut. Served a country that had treated him as a 2nd class citizen and more often than not neither as a human being, worked hard and always respected and was grateful for the life and world that he had inherited.

They were polar opposites.... but deep down the same. Ali 'talked it'.... Frazier 'walked it'.

 

[PED]

Smokin' Joe was a total bada$$. Love that pic above, the look on Ali's face seems to say: please don't hurt me Joe.

I remember their first fight in 1971, only Ali could have turned that into a race war......

 

[klementine]

^ I've seen the 1971 madison square garden fight and it could quite be the most touted and anticipated event of the 20th century and no foreseeable sporting event of the 21st century will probably match that hype.... when Frank Sinatra agrees to take pictures for Time magazine just to get ring side seats... you know the atmosphere must have been electric.

I've also seen the 'thrilla in Manila', 1975 match, which was probably the greatest Ali-Frazier bout in history. And if Futch (Fraziers' trainer) hadn't stopped the fight from going into the 15th round... I believe Joe would've beaten Ali.

While I missed the 'golden age' of boxing (born in 1979).. I did enjoy such great heavy weights as Tyson, a latter Foreman, Holyfield and Lewis.

But thank goodness for all the literature available and espn classic, which re-airs all the great classic fights.

 

[Ross K]

OMG... 200 pages+!?...

 

[Tennissee]

I'd get verklempt too if I were given a brand new Golden Ace like that.

 

[el sergento]

EXO3 Tour 100 mini review

Ross, 200 pages = Legend

Also, here's my review of the EXO3 Tour 16/18 I posted on the official thread. I know right, as if these beauties weren't getting enough buzz already

EXO3 Tour 100 16/18 Review:

Had my first proper hit with one of these puppies today, the 16/18. Strung with ALU R/NXT @ 55/58 and 2 grams of lead at 12.

First impressions are very positive.

Feel / touch:

Outrageously good once you get used to........... errr, the lack of feel?? I mean, there's no getting around the fact that there's just less racquet making contact with the ball, what with the ports and the thin beam.

But once you get used to the special feel of the stick, after 15 minutes or so, it's quite responsive and supremely comfortable. I'd like it to be just a tad crisper but I guess with a 52 RA that's asking too much.

Touch shots are easy to pull off and at net, my achilies heel, I had surprising control and managed some pretty nifty deft volleys. I was actually playing cat and mouse with an opponent who usually does it to me. Very satisfying.

Off the ground:

Backhand - Huge power. Really, out of nowhere this featherweight smacks a hard deep ball. Spin is excellent, slices are deep and low and top is supremely easy to produce.

Usually my one hander gets lost in the stringbed of anything over 95 si, but it was firing on all cylinders today. I hit a couple of Guga style down the liners that just left my opponent motionless.

Forehand - Was also huge but somewhat wild. Coming from a 12+oz stick I was getting too much RHS. I found that a relaxed motion, allowing the ball to really sink into the stringbed worked better. Also, this is a topspin beast, flat lasers sailed long on me and I had to take something off when going down the line.

Overheads:

Effortless. The racquet cuts through the air and produces so much spin. Only served a couple of times and I love it. Because of my bum shoulder I rely much much more on a spiny delivery than a flat bomb, so this is right up my ally.

Overall:

+ Feel
++ Comfort
+ Touch
++ Power
++ Spin
+ Stability

- Lack of weight in stock form
- Control, flat shots can sail

Really enjoyed the hit. So much so that I played the entire session with it and never once thought of switching to my regular stick (12.2 oz YTK PPro).

It's a special racquet for sure but I was left hungry. In stock form, there's just not enough meat on this thing.

I also think that the 18/20 would suit my game better, afterall, I'm a Prestige user and control is second to none on those.

I'm thinking of adding 4 grams at 12 instead of just 2 and since there's no trap door, I'm going to just add a leather grip to increase the weight and counterbalance.

Observations:

ALU Rough at 55 feels like butter, and I'm very sensitive to the harshness of poly due to my shoulder problems. Nevertheless, I'm going up to 57 on the ALU next time to get a touch more control and crispness. I'm also upping the NXT to 60 to tame the power. I think PP is right on the money with the higher tensions, the lead at 12 is also a must, at least in my opinion.

Also, I measured the SW stock and it's higher than the 323 TW has it at. Mine came in at 328 and with the 2 grams, it was easily around 333. With two more grams it should bring me close to 340. That's a real testament to how fast this stick cuts through the air because usually I don't like anything south of 325. The EXO 3 Tour 100, whipyness personified.

To sum things up, delicious, but needs more meat on the bone

 

[Power Player]

Sarge, have you had a chance to return serves with it yet? Best stick ever for returns.

 

[el sergento]

Sarge, have you had a chance to return serves with it yet? Best stick ever for returns.

I can imagine, the stringbed is so lively that it probably redirects pace better than anything.

 

[Ross K]

Ross, 200 pages = Legend

Also, here's my review of the EXO3 Tour 16/18 I posted on the official thread. I know right, as if these beauties weren't getting enough buzz already

EXO3 Tour 100 16/18 Review:

Had my first proper hit with one of these puppies today, the 16/18. Strung with ALU R/NXT @ 55/58 and 2 grams of lead at 12.

First impressions are very positive.

Feel / touch:

Outrageously good once you get used to........... errr, the lack of feel?? I mean, there's no getting around the fact that there's just less racquet making contact with the ball, what with the ports and the thin beam.

But once you get used to the special feel of the stick, after 15 minutes or so, it's quite responsive and supremely comfortable. I'd like it to be just a tad crisper but I guess with a 52 RA that's asking too much.

Touch shots are easy to pull off and at net, my achilies heel, I had surprising control and managed some pretty nifty deft volleys. I was actually playing cat and mouse with an opponent who usually does it to me. Very satisfying.

Off the ground:

Backhand - Huge power. Really, out of nowhere this featherweight smacks a hard deep ball. Spin is excellent, slices are deep and low and top is supremely easy to produce.

Usually my one hander gets lost in the stringbed of anything over 95 si, but it was firing on all cylinders today. I hit a couple of Guga style down the liners that just left my opponent motionless.

Forehand - Was also huge but somewhat wild. Coming from a 12+oz stick I was getting too much RHS. I found that a relaxed motion, allowing the ball to really sink into the stringbed worked better. Also, this is a topspin beast, flat lasers sailed long on me and I had to take something off when going down the line.

Overheads:

Effortless. The racquet cuts through the air and produces so much spin. Only served a couple of times and I love it. Because of my bum shoulder I rely much much more on a spiny delivery than a flat bomb, so this is right up my ally.

Overall:

+ Feel
++ Comfort
+ Touch
++ Power
++ Spin
+ Stability

- Lack of weight in stock form
- Control, flat shots can sail

Really enjoyed the hit. So much so that I played the entire session with it and never once thought of switching to my regular stick (12.2 oz YTK PPro).

It's a special racquet for sure but I was left hungry. In stock form, there's just not enough meat on this thing.

I also think that the 18/20 would suit my game better, afterall, I'm a Prestige user and control is second to none on those.

I'm thinking of adding 4 grams at 12 instead of just 2 and since there's no trap door, I'm going to just add a leather grip to increase the weight and counterbalance.

Observations:

ALU Rough at 55 feels like butter, and I'm very sensitive to the harshness of poly due to my shoulder problems. Nevertheless, I'm going up to 57 on the ALU next time to get a touch more control and crispness. I'm also upping the NXT to 60 to tame the power. I think PP is right on the money with the higher tensions, the lead at 12 is also a must, at least in my opinion.

Also, I measured the SW stock and it's higher than the 323 TW has it at. Mine came in at 328 and with the 2 grams, it was easily around 333. With two more grams it should bring me close to 340. That's a real testament to how fast this stick cuts through the air because usually I don't like anything south of 325. The EXO 3 Tour 100, whipyness personified.

To sum things up, delicious, but needs more meat on the bone

Yes, well, 200 pages + is pretty incredible and down to the likes of your good racketaholic self... so keep posting!

Nice little write up, Serge. Thanks. I've now played 2 full matches (though adverse weather today made it all a bit inconclusive), but am holding on to my own review until I've played a bit more. I think I largely agree with you though.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

Gads what is up with that blx85. I rrrreally want one. But dont need. But really want.

 

[Ross K]

RHs,

Hoping to play a bit more in the next few weeks. This lack of play-time is killing me. It certainly makes for slow progress too in assessing the Exo Tour 100.

I'm starting (albeit slowly) to check out a few slightly different mod jobs. Also plan on a few different string-jobs (definitely want to look at a hybrid or 2, and might also experiment with a full multi job.) Just had the Tour Bite treatment and this rac takes to the TB very nicely and isn't far off the PC+ Swirly for a 'perfect match.' It always intrigues me how some frames (PC+, APD) can feel so compatible with it and others (YTPP, TF320, N95), just didn't quite do it for me.

Re my present Exo impressions/thoughts, I'll say this... if I can tweak it/myself into getting a bit more b-line blasting oomph, I could be in business. It's an all-around very impressive racket... Love the comfort. Love the spin (it's positively dripping on groundies and on short stuff coming in it is absolutely wicked what you can do.). Love the serve pop (who would have guessed?!) Love the weight. Love the grip... but, yes, just need to get more blasting b-line power (like the APD) where I can quickly put the opponent back on his his heels or rocket a winner; it's like I want to shorten the points a bit because too much is coming back sometimes.

And how are other 'Holics and their present 'flings'?

 

[Ross K]

Bloody Hell. I've only just heard that Mr "Bunga Party" himself, Silvio Berlusconi, has resigned!

Okay, I'm no expert, but quite how/why he survived so long when all he seemed to do was blacken Italy's name and drag it down and bring out the worst in his countrymen, well, it mystifies me a bit.

And so Europe takes another lurch into the unknown amidst this all-engulfing financial crisis which threatens to get a whole lot worse.

 

[JGads]

Gads what is up with that blx85. I rrrreally want one. But dont need. But really want.

My man, I was in the same boat. I didn't even really have a desire to even try this re-issue out. And then MadDog1 came over for a hit and ruined everything. I went ahead and tried his. I couldn't believe how good it felt (just sublime feel), even with full poly, and how good so many of the shots were. (not to mention the reverse playtest: from the other side of the net, Mad Dog's shots were insane with the 85, with a certain heaviness along with corner precision that seemed to outdo his BC20, which is a phenomenal stick in and of itself.)

I still don't know if it's a match stick. But the fun factor was just kind of off the charts for me and I kept thinking about that stick for the rest of the week. Finally, I cracked, ordering one while in New York, and I just got back home tonight and the new member of the family is waiting patiently for me in the office of my apartment building. Will pick it up in the morning, we'll watch some football together (need to make it a Texans fan) and then, perhaps after eating the yolk of an eagle's egg, will head out to the courts.

Will update further in the coming days. Even if it ends up being a for-fun-only frame, I'm glad to have it. I could see it being my Fortress of Solitude, where I return to occasionally just to remember what a tennis racquet is supposed to feel like.

 

[Meaghan]

Second winter singles league match, won 0 & 0....

The pb 10 mid is just serving out of this world, I can put it on a dime and the power and spin is just incredible. Genuinly boys Im serving like a pro, varying it up, second serve is very good too. Had 3 sets of singles, and 4 sets of doubles....one double fault! Very happy playing so well, my groundstrokes after tinkering are on the ball too, this racket just fits my game.

Why didnt anyone tell me....

 

[klementine]

Bloody Hell. I've only just heard that Mr "Bunga Party" himself, Silvio Berlusconi, has resigned!

Okay, I'm no expert, but quite how/why he survived so long when all he seemed to do was blacken Italy's name and drag it down and bring out the worst in his countrymen, well, it mystifies me a bit.

And so Europe takes another lurch into the unknown amidst this all-engulfing financial crisis which threatens to get a whole lot worse.

I believe the year was 2007... maybe 2008?... Prodi became prime minister and in less than 2 months parliament had been dissolved and Silvio was back. Berlosconi's 'associates' run northern Italy and his 'acquaintances' in southern Italy keep the 'peace' between the two sides.

As anyone who's spent any time in Italy can attest to, Italy is divided into pretty much the equivalent of two states ... northern and southern Italy... The Italians in the north joke that if you're headed to southern Italy... don't forget to bring your passport.

I don't want to call Italy a 'fascist' state... but a trip through northern Italy will uncover such delightful touristic souvenirs from their past... such as bottles of red wine with Mussolini on the front. Mussolini, had in his time, made it mandatory that families with over a certain numbers of acres relinquish their properties to the state.. only to be re-distributed to families with less. Really explains the economic prosperity enjoyed by the north since that era. Their labor and immigration laws are a mockery when compared to the rest of the western world and are meant to protect the Italian work force and industry.

The south is another world. Naples, Calabria and Sicily, any region south of Rome, enjoys a 'local' government that oversees all aspects of society and everyday living. This 'local' government is assumed by many to be the mafia but really is families that have collected strength and dominance over the generations... and while the mafia has lost it's power over the past decade or so, it's still alive and well. A certain 'mob-rule' environment engulfs these regions and survival of the fittest is a prominent motif.

Silvio Berlosconi was possibly the only politician that could find a balance between Italy's states within a state. He had the financial backing and connections of the industrialized north and was smart enough not to intervene in too many matters as pertained with the south, in fact I believe he had sent the army in Naples just to collect trash that had accumulated on the streets. Many believe he was close but never associated with the mafia... or 'families' of the south. He had a laid back philosophy when it came to internal matters and let Italy run as usual.

What I like about Italy is the people nor the media try to hide any of these facts. While the rest of us believe we live in working democracies.. the Italians realize that business is tied into everything... especially politics. Our leaders need lobbyists... fund raisers and special interest pacs to hide this seedy underworld of politics/business/policy. And while the world and certainly most young Italians are joyous viewing the exit of Berlosconi from the public eye... I for one am a bit scared of the outcome and how it relates to the European economy and the greater world economy.


EDIT:
Sorry for this long-winded tantrum..... but it's Sunday morning and I have nothing to do.....

shall we continue with sticks, frames and racs?

 

[Power Player]

I was up all night 'discussing racquets' with a young lady and have just returned home on little sleep.

Planning to string the b5e with the magical N Vy crosses. Lead at 12 is still rocking. Hoping I have the energy to hit a little this evening. I am excited to see how much control I get out of this GOAT setup.

Ross, I know right where you are at in terms of groundies. The good news is that I am now hitting those putaway strokes again. Took me a while, but it boils down to timing. Your timing will be off because this stick comes around so fast. I worked on this all week and am now hitting clean heavy balls again. What helped me out was focusing on starting the forehand by pulling across with my left hand and just letting the racquet come around through contact. Huge difference once I re calibrated that.

 

[Ross K]

JG,

Even if it ends up being a for-fun-only frame, I'm glad to have it. I could see it being my Fortress of Solitude, where I return to occasionally just to remember what a tennis racquet is supposed to feel like.

Nicely put. I feel sort of the the same about the N95 and PT630.


Meags,

Tremendous about the PB10 mid. I know that when I find a frame that I can serve very well with it just gives you such a boost. The only problem I've encountered is you tend to overlook the negatives in other areas (AG100 springs instantly to my mind. I could also have dallied with the TF SF 315 for a long time if I wasn't relatively quick, on this occasion, to recognize the 'cons.') From the sounds of it though Rich, seems like you're happy with the frame all around and not just re serve.


Klem,

Not a long-winded tantrum at all. Cheers for the articulate and thoughtful post. I'm no economics guru, but it truly seems we are teetering on the edge of an abyss here - all of us.


PP,

was up all night 'discussing racquets' with a young lady and have just returned home on little sleep.

Planning to string the b5e with the magical N Vy crosses. Lead at 12 is still rocking. Hoping I have the energy to hit a little this evening. I am excited to see how much control I get out of this GOAT setup.

Ross, I know right where you are at in terms of groundies. The good news is that I am now hitting those putaway strokes again. Took me a while, but it boils down to timing. Your timing will be off because this stick comes around so fast. I worked on this all week and am now hitting clean heavy balls again. What helped me out was focusing on starting the forehand by pulling across with my left hand and just letting the racquet come around through contact. Huge difference once I re calibrated that.

You lucky boy. Ah yes, I remember the days when i myself used to be "up all night discussing rackets with a young woman".:wink: ... BTW, I just ordered a set of N Vy... BTW2, Interesting to hear comments about timing etc with the Exo. Have to say, this week I want to look at putting 2g in the butt to counteract the 2g @ 12. At any rate, probably a bit early to declare this, but for bh especially where I've always noticed increased SW seems to assist in more oomph, the 2 g @ 12 now seems a must. Curious though to see what happens with counterweight in handle.

 

[Meaghan]

Ross
There are some similarities between the volkl and the prince in that they move thro the air very quickly and if you have a relatively big swing this can prove problematic. Its easier for me in some ways as I have more weight to play with but deffo weight at 10 & 2 is a must to slow the bigger down esp on fh. For me it had worked a treat and I'm blasting away from the baseline with ease. As for lead at 12 imo its a must for a big serve so for you its gonna be all about balancing the weight up.

As for lead in the handle I ask you to try my method of spacing weight top of handle and not in butt cap.

As for serve, I can pretty much belt down one with anything, its just the pb does it with bells on. Its just as easy as my opt from the baseline even eith the smaller head.

 

[Power Player]

The NV and B5e with 2 grams of lead at 12 and full ports will one day be immortalized as the holiest of all goat setups.

I just worked on sending heavy top inside out FHs over and over until I caught him cheating and then could easily hit CC winners.

Seriously amazed at how good N Vy plays. How long it lasts, and how it never gets that hard feeling that most syn guts get after a while. Best cross string ever. Perfect match for the EXO. String up at 58 or higher and the poly 4-8 pounds lower.

 

[el sergento]

PP, Klem
What difference do the normal gromet ports make? I ask because the added weight alone has to up the power a touch and feel wise I imagine they must crisp up the stringbed.

I'm super curious because with a slightly crisper/stiffer stringbed I figure that lower tensions would be nice. Also the added weight sounds like that little bit of beef that i find lacking.

Thx

 

[JGads]

85 Update:

We introduced ourselves, happily watched the Texans improve to 7-3 and then hit the courts. Definitely feeling it as a for-fun frame, but don't think it'll be for serious matches that I'm really trying to win. Granted, this comes with two caveats: first off, full Tour Bite in the 85, something about it just feels completely, oddly, off. Just inconsistent feel. Had much better feel with Mad Dog's Iontec string, which I really like. Secondly, I haven't played in more than a week and am battling some testy cold, so I was off as well. But, past the excuses, I did shank a few too many points and didn't get the easy power on serve that I'm used to with my others -- you can crush some serves, yes, but form and timing does need to be spot on.

PP: what's N Vy exactly? And did you ever get to try that Exo with the string holes for feel/play comparison? I forget if you have or not.

 

[JGads]

Weird. I hadn't seen Serge's question about the string holes when I typed that last message. Serge, we're so connected.

 

[skeeter]

The NV and B5e with 2 grams of lead at 12 and full ports will one day be immortalized as the holiest of all goat setups.

Been playing a lot with gut mains, poly crosses; never been a fan of poly in the mains due to elbow sensitivity. But have been thinking about adding NV as a cross to my gut mains, mostly as I like the idea that it could last a bit longer than poly and provide a tad more umph to some of my shots. Thoughts? Too much power (though I tend to string in mid/upper 50's)?

 

[el sergento]

Weird. I hadn't seen Serge's question about the string holes when I typed that last message. Serge, we're so connected.

It's cuz we both rock the bro staff I hear you about the 85 though. Today, after some serious play time with the EXO, the 85 felt like sooo heavy and the leather, like razor blades.

The 85 is a sometimes racquet, just like cookies are a sometimes food.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

It's cuz we both rock the bro staff I hear you about the 85 though. Today, after some serious play time with the EXO, the 85 felt like sooo heavy and the leather, like razor blades.

The 85 is a sometimes racquet, just like cookies are a sometimes food.

What im hearing here is that I shouldnt get an 85. I already have the 88 for sometimey wilson withdrawal pains.

 

[klementine]

Gads/Serg-In regards to the port/string grommets.

I've tried all combinations. Full ports on the 18x20 is what I prefer... as does PP on the 16x18, I believe. It just opens up the frame in terms spin/forgiveness and power.

I used full string-holes and came away with a so-so perspective. It really shrinks the sweetspot... even more so than any other 100sq.in. frame. On the 18x20 model, makes it feel less forgiving and 'boardy'. Although the feel is definitely more traditional and tight/crisp... it begs one to ask, why do I have holes in my frame?

I've also tried string-hole ports at 12 and ports at 3&9. This didn't mesh with me as much as ports at 12 and string-holes at 3&9. The latter seems the perfect combo for those seeking the qualities of ports (spin/feel/power) but with a tighter feel.

The string-hole grommets don't add that much weight to the frame.. ~1gram. I really just prefer all port-holes with the 18x20... can imagine the 16x18 frame to feel less boardy with full string-holes.

----------

Ross,
I think we're all rather apprehensive and fearful of the current economic situation. I recently left my country (Greece) and returned back to my adopted country(America) for these exacts reasons.

Unless the banking system is thoroughly reformed (besides Basel I,II and III) beyond capital adequacy in relation to liquidity, which is what the Basel agreements basically try to promote, we (as a global economy) will have further troubles.

The incentives that banks and financial institutions have to operate and profit based on a the current 'debt-risk' model needs to be revised and slowly phased out.

Let's take a look at Greece' situation. To become eligible for EU candidacy (currency conversion) in 2000-2001, Greece needed to have less than 3% debt based on annual GDP. Goldman Sachs (the american investment bank) restructured Greece' debt in 2000 thus 'hiding' the real numbers. Greece met EU debt standards and adopted the Euro. When Goldman Sachs went belly up in Set. 2008 due to the mortgage backed securities and sub-prime fiasco, they had to relinquish the Greek debt back to the Greek state. Too much for a small country such as Greece to absorb. And today they find themselves in the situation that we are all aware of.

The banking system is a 'debt-incentive' based system and has to be reformed, restructured and regulated.

Sarkozy actually had the most ambitious solution yet to the European dilemma in 2007, when he had served his 6 months as European president.

Sarkozy suggested that the European Union be divided amongst the butter-olive oil line. Or northern europe and southern europe. With different interest rates, bond yields and GDP/Growth expectations. The north, which has an economy predominantly based on production and industry would have different quotas based on their economies (Germany and France). The southern european countries (Portugal,Spain,Italy and Greece) would have separate criteria to meet, as their economies are mainly based on agriculture, shipping and tourism.

 

[el sergento]

What im hearing here is that I shouldnt get an 85. I already have the 88 for sometimey wilson withdrawal pains.

No no no, the 88 is fine, I have one, it's some real tasty pate, the 85, well, that's foie gras

IMO, everyone should have one.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

No no no, the 88 is fine, I have one, it's some real tasty pate, the 85, well, that's foie gras

IMO, everyone should have one.

I feel very handsome when holding the 85 demo.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

I need to try it with poly. The sensation is just not that sensational.

 

[Power Player]

Babolat N Vy is a synth gut that really shines as a cross. It has incredible feel, and never really changes throughout the 10-12 hours you will get out of the setup. It just simply is the best cross I have ever used and it allows me to string tighter and still have a lot of comfort.

I have 2 EXOs and one had stringholes. Those grommets are just too boardy feeling to me. I am addicted to the feel of the ports, and they also are so much better on my wrist. If I switch off to anything else, I feel it in my wrist, but the ports have helped me prevent any further inflammation and the sweet spot is huge. I just do not think the String Holes add much. The EXO to me, is all about spending some time and getting used to the Ports. It took me about 3-4 weeks and suddenly I have to have ports and any other racquet i pick up feels foreign to me.

 

[el sergento]

Babolat N Vy is a synth gut that really shines as a cross. It has incredible feel, and never really changes throughout the 10-12 hours you will get out of the setup. It just simply is the best cross I have ever used and it allows me to string tighter and still have a lot of comfort.

I have 2 EXOs and one had stringholes. Those grommets are just too boardy feeling to me. I am addicted to the feel of the ports, and they also are so much better on my wrist. If I switch off to anything else, I feel it in my wrist, but the ports have helped me prevent any further inflammation and the sweet spot is huge. I just do not think the String Holes add much. The EXO to me, is all about spending some time and getting used to the Ports. It took me about 3-4 weeks and suddenly I have to have ports and any other racquet i pick up feels foreign to me.

Other than feel, what do the grommets add/subtract from the frame? Do they affect power? Control? String movement?

Thx

 

[Power Player]

I would say the control was slightly better at first, but now that I am used to the port holes, I have more action on the ball and the control is even. Power goes to ports, string movement is a little more with ports, but nothing too bad.

 

[Recon]

Here's the details, I'm a onehander who's recovering from a heavy addiction to mid sized racquets, K90-Prestige Mid, I cannot get over it, but I know I should. I've switched to the BLX95 and its great no complaints, just that I feel its missing something extra special you know? I can do everything I want with it, but it doesn't have that one outstanding trait. Its just a tried and true all court beast, many pros have used the 95 lineage of wilson prostaffs but I just don't feel it has that special bigmac sauce! Lol. Anyway I've tried babolats, can't do it, swinging that thing with my whippy onehander something just feels off.

I know I should look into 95-100 range, I have some racquets in mind...my ideal stick would probably be 95-98 12oz open string pattern. On my list to try would probaby be, tfight 320/aerostorm/verdascos racquet but it doesn't come in 16x19/i have no idea what else give me your suggestions!!.for sure my string of choice is solinco tourbite, that thing is just beast. I got the curisoity from this thread about the string and I know many of you love that crunch on contact as well, so I've come full circle, my only problem is I don't like weird headshapeslike the lollipop crap from prince exos(although I heard its really good) and head speeds (sucks, I demoed it. Just sucks), the head extreme is too round and even the tecnifibre looks really weird. So I'm lost. I want that modern spin of the aeroprodrive, with the solid feel of the prostaffs (including the special ability to hit outrageous winners), and with the control of the prestige, I know, I'm crazy.

And the most important aspect...it has to have a thin beam, no bigger then 20mm. I don't know why, its a feel thing. Does my racquet exist? Or only verdasco has the ability to get it.

 

[Power Player]

^^^^^

Youtek Prestige Pro

 

[Recon]

^^^^^

Youtek Prestige Pro

Too small, literally 94sqin, and the spacing on the stringbed is not vindictive of a true 16x19.

 

[Power Player]

Try some Dunlops?

 

[Recon]

Lol, there's no hope for me. Thanks anyway.

 

[Power Player]

Just don't be sooo picky or you'll be fighting against yourself.

 

[Chace]

Lol, there's no hope for me. Thanks anyway.

I think you should give the Tec 320 a demo. I have been a long time user of the POG mid and was pleasantly surprised with the Tec 320. Effortless power and hits a heavy ball. The string pattern is very open as well.

 

[el sergento]

Here's the details, I'm a onehander who's recovering from a heavy addiction to mid sized racquets, K90-Prestige Mid, I cannot get over it, but I know I should. I've switched to the BLX95 and its great no complaints, just that I feel its missing something extra special you know? I can do everything I want with it, but it doesn't have that one outstanding trait. Its just a tried and true all court beast, many pros have used the 95 lineage of wilson prostaffs but I just don't feel it has that special bigmac sauce! Lol. Anyway I've tried babolats, can't do it, swinging that thing with my whippy onehander something just feels off.

I know I should look into 95-100 range, I have some racquets in mind...my ideal stick would probably be 95-98 12oz open string pattern. On my list to try would probaby be, tfight 320/aerostorm/verdascos racquet but it doesn't come in 16x19/i have no idea what else give me your suggestions!!.for sure my string of choice is solinco tourbite, that thing is just beast. I got the curisoity from this thread about the string and I know many of yw
ou love that crunch on contact as well, so I've come full circle, my only problem is I don't like weird headshapeslike the lollipop crap from prince exos(although I heard its really good) and head speeds (sucks, I demoed it. Just sucks), the head extreme is too round and even the tecnifibre looks really weird. So I'm lost. I want that modern spin of the aeroprodrive, with the solid feel of the prostaffs (including the special ability to hit outrageous winners), and with the control of the prestige, I know, I'm crazy.

And the most important aspect...it has to have a thin beam, no bigger then 20mm. I don't know why, its a feel thing. Does my racquet exist? Or only verdasco has the ability to get it.

As a PPro user, I can attest to the awesomeness of the racquet. However, if you're a longtime Wilson player, it's not really recommended unless you're willing to invest some serious time and money modifying it, stock it just don't cut it.

First you have to hunt down some Wilson shaped TK82S pallets and then add quite a bit of lead to get the SW anywhere near the BLX's.

Honestly, stick to what you know and wait for the thin beam PS 95 that Wilson will soon release.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

Here's the details, I'm a onehander who's recovering from a heavy addiction to mid sized racquets, K90-Prestige Mid, I cannot get over it, but I know I should. I've switched to the BLX95 and its great no complaints, just that I feel its missing something extra special you know? I can do everything I want with it, but it doesn't have that one outstanding trait. Its just a tried and true all court beast, many pros have used the 95 lineage of wilson prostaffs but I just don't feel it has that special bigmac sauce! Lol. Anyway I've tried babolats, can't do it, swinging that thing with my whippy onehander something just feels off.

I know I should look into 95-100 range, I have some racquets in mind...my ideal stick would probably be 95-98 12oz open string pattern. On my list to try would probaby be, tfight 320/aerostorm/verdascos racquet but it doesn't come in 16x19/i have no idea what else give me your suggestions!!.for sure my string of choice is solinco tourbite, that thing is just beast. I got the curisoity from this thread about the string and I know many of you love that crunch on contact as well, so I've come full circle, my only problem is I don't like weird headshapeslike the lollipop crap from prince exos(although I heard its really good) and head speeds (sucks, I demoed it. Just sucks), the head extreme is too round and even the tecnifibre looks really weird. So I'm lost. I want that modern spin of the aeroprodrive, with the solid feel of the prostaffs (including the special ability to hit outrageous winners), and with the control of the prestige, I know, I'm crazy.

And the most important aspect...it has to have a thin beam, no bigger then 20mm. I don't know why, its a feel thing. Does my racquet exist? Or only verdasco has the ability to get it.[/QUOYEE]
Finding the solution to this problem has become my life's work.
I have tried everything. The best solutions are tfight 320, aerostorm tour gt and ytpp. Ultimately these will all lack the super solid feel of a k90. You may have to just man up and stay with the 90. The new wilson 95 is way light, you're gonna need a pound of lead for that one.

 

[Ross K]

Here's the details, I'm a onehander who's recovering from a heavy addiction to mid sized racquets, K90-Prestige Mid, I cannot get over it, but I know I should. I've switched to the BLX95 and its great no complaints, just that I feel its missing something extra special you know? I can do everything I want with it, but it doesn't have that one outstanding trait. Its just a tried and true all court beast, many pros have used the 95 lineage of wilson prostaffs but I just don't feel it has that special bigmac sauce! Lol. Anyway I've tried babolats, can't do it, swinging that thing with my whippy onehander something just feels off.

I know I should look into 95-100 range, I have some racquets in mind...my ideal stick would probably be 95-98 12oz open string pattern. On my list to try would probaby be, tfight 320/aerostorm/verdascos racquet but it doesn't come in 16x19/i have no idea what else give me your suggestions!!.for sure my string of choice is solinco tourbite, that thing is just beast. I got the curisoity from this thread about the string and I know many of you love that crunch on contact as well, so I've come full circle, my only problem is I don't like weird headshapeslike the lollipop crap from prince exos(although I heard its really good) and head speeds (sucks, I demoed it. Just sucks), the head extreme is too round and even the tecnifibre looks really weird. So I'm lost. I want that modern spin of the aeroprodrive, with the solid feel of the prostaffs (including the special ability to hit outrageous winners), and with the control of the prestige, I know, I'm crazy.

And the most important aspect...it has to have a thin beam, no bigger then 20mm. I don't know why, its a feel thing. Does my racquet exist? Or only verdasco has the ability to get it.

Then there's a few of us who are crazy on this thread. That's very close to how I'd describe my own racketaholic predicament of several years - LOL.

Ever considered Vantage frames?

 

[Recon]

Here's the details, I'm a onehander who's recovering from a heavy addiction to mid sized racquets, K90-Prestige Mid, I cannot get over it, but I know I should. I've switched to the BLX95 and its great no complaints, just that I feel its missing something extra special you know? I can do everything I want with it, but it doesn't have that one outstanding trait. Its just a tried and true all court beast, many pros have used the 95 lineage of wilson prostaffs but I just don't feel it has that special bigmac sauce! Lol. Anyway I've tried babolats, can't do it, swinging that thing with my whippy onehander something just feels off.

I know I should look into 95-100 range, I have some racquets in mind...my ideal stick would probably be 95-98 12oz open string pattern. On my list to try would probaby be, tfight 320/aerostorm/verdascos racquet but it doesn't come in 16x19/i have no idea what else give me your suggestions!!.for sure my string of choice is solinco tourbite, that thing is just beast. I got the curisoity from this thread about the string and I know many of you love that crunch on contact as well, so I've come full circle, my only problem is I don't like weird headshapeslike the lollipop crap from prince exos(although I heard its really good) and head speeds (sucks, I demoed it. Just sucks), the head extreme is too round and even the tecnifibre looks really weird. So I'm lost. I want that modern spin of the aeroprodrive, with the solid feel of the prostaffs (including the special ability to hit outrageous winners), and with the control of the prestige, I know, I'm crazy.

And the most important aspect...it has to have a thin beam, no bigger then 20mm. I don't know why, its a feel thing. Does my racquet exist? Or only verdasco has the ability to get it.[/QUOYEE]
Finding the solution to this problem has become my life's work.
I have tried everything. The best solutions are tfight 320, aerostorm tour gt and ytpp. Ultimately these will all lack the super solid feel of a k90. You may have to just man up and stay with the 90. The new wilson 95 is way light, you're gonna need a pound of lead for that one.

I share the same speculation on the new PS95, its too light and I think its going to be classical in a sense where it wont have that modern racquet power/spin. Especially seeing how its coming in a light weight. I'm more inclined to go with the prestige just for familiarity's sakes but that's settling for something instead of finding the perfect frame. We'll see, I have to demo.

 

[Fed Kennedy]

You might try the blx85. Or the diablo mid.