differences between wilson ultra kevlar 95 & ultra ceramic 95
- Thread starter Maloya
- Start date
mental midget
Hall of Fame
weird--the kevlar i thought should be blue, the old fpk basically (amazing racket.) never seen a white one...
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
FPK is blue, kevlar is pearl white, Ultra graphite red. All sweet racquets. Still have the Bosworth Hana 85 FPK too
mental midget
Hall of Fame
this frame design was outstanding--headlight and maneuverable, firm but with feathery touch. i wonder why it hasn't been revisited?
I have the Ultra 2 Mid and the Ultra FPK, both has the tapered beam. But I've always felt that the Ultra 2 was a lot more solid feeling. The Ultra FPK seems to have the sweet spot a lot lower in the head and outside the sweet spot seems to produce a hollow feel.
ok, for the ultra FPK but for this ultra ceramic?
i know FPK, graphite and kevlar, but ceramic 95 is rarely mentioned.
how does it compare to FPK, graphite and kevlar?
how could we place it in terms of weight, control flex and power compared to others?
does it exist in the US or just in europe?
for head, the radical existed in terms of trisys 260, some rackets at the time had different names whether they were intended for the European, US or Japanese market, does ceramic exist under another name in the US?
i know FPK, graphite and kevlar, but ceramic 95 is rarely mentioned.
how does it compare to FPK, graphite and kevlar?
how could we place it in terms of weight, control flex and power compared to others?
does it exist in the US or just in europe?
for head, the radical existed in terms of trisys 260, some rackets at the time had different names whether they were intended for the European, US or Japanese market, does ceramic exist under another name in the US?
I thought I read somewhere that the difference between silicon carbide (which makes ceramic) and basalt (BLX) the difference was tiny .. well, I think. So, in theory, ceramic rackets lasted long after 1980
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Just meant that IMHO rarely saw new ceramic racquets after 1990. Have a Slazenger Panther Pro Ceramic, racquet James Scott Connors used in the late 80s.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
Ceramic got popular for a year or so. Then, some report came out that said ceramic rackets were hard on your arm. They fell out of favor. All the rackets that had white paint jobs were now painted another color. White was representative of ceramic just like silver became representative of titanium later.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Fischer continued to use ceramic in their racquets, just cannot recall white pj. Just the wettest red & glossiest racquets ever,
ce
ceramic or basalt? on mine it's just wrotte blx basalt..Fischer continued to use ceramic in their racquets, just cannot recall white pj. Just the wettest red & glossiest racquets ever,
Last edited:
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Shoulda posted a pic of the Pro #1 or other Fischer racquets of the 90s. Did not find a good pic.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
The ceramic Fischer frames were not hard on the arm at all. How the material was used in the layup, along with the composition of other materials and the geometry of the frame and wall thickness all factor into the stiffness.
Fischer seemed to be very careful to tune its frames to a certain vibration amplitude range that felt more comfortable to the average player, regardless of the stiffness.
Fischer seemed to be very careful to tune its frames to a certain vibration amplitude range that felt more comfortable to the average player, regardless of the stiffness.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Never found most ceramic racquets to be stiff or uncomfortable. Not sure if the Prince Spectrum Comp uses ceramic.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
Yes, the Spectrum Comp had some ceramic fibers in its mix.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Still have a NOS white Spectrum Comp and a yellow one that I use
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
I didn't either. I used a Ceramic WB-210 at the time. But, the rumor was going around all the tennis publications, so most manufacturers quit making them (or at least quit advertising that the racket had ceramic in it).
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Then the manufacturers introduce Wide-bodies! Goodbye joints, hello pain & misery
i can't play with rigid frames.
my stiffest racquet should have a flex of 65.
it must be a pacific X-fast .. BLX (blx = basalt)
the rest, a bit of radical zebra and prince pog 107
my current main ones are between head lite tour and head pro tour, which must be between 55 and 60 I think.
from time to time donnay allwood 102 (RA 50) my arm says thank you
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
I've read several of your posts and it seems you went on a very similar racket journey that I did. Mine were t3000, Slazenger Challenge #1, PDP Open, AA Comp, Snauwaert Boronite II, Yonex 8500, Pro Kennex Black Ace, PK Comp Dominator, Yonex R-22, Fox WB210, PK Ceramic Destiny, Prince Ripstick, Fischer Pro 1, Pro Kennex 5g, PK 15g PSE, PK ki 10 PSE, Head Extreme Team, Fischer MSpeed 105. I'm sure there were some more, but these were rackets I played with for over a year. I'm sure some look familiar.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Odd, for over 20 yrs I stuck with most racquets for at least 3 yrs. Maxply Fort, RedHead, Yonex YY7500. Discovered Graphite, Wilson Ultra & Ultra II till the Yonex R-22. PK Composite Destiny, then Wilson Profile Air shell 3.0. Had to switch to more flexible racquets after that. PS 7.5 95 and all those Ultra FPK, Graphite, and even Major Bullit Elite. Fav was the Head Prestige Master & 660 but had to keep chasing the rabbit.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
I used the MaxPly too (forgot to add that one). Did you ever try the PK Asymmetric? It's like the Destiny except it has the asymmetric design. Softest, most arm-friendly racket PK ever made. I have one, but it was actually too soft for me to get comfortable with. I used the Red Head too, but not by choice. My PDP Open throat piece cracked and Oshmans couldn't get a new one. He gave me a Red Head as the replacement. Never really liked it.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Have a maroon PK Asymmetric next to a Ceramic and Composite Destiny. Hit my best volleys with the redHead
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
I have a maroon one too, and also a black one (Asymmetric 265). It's softer. The maroon one is nice too, but not nearly as soft. I sold my Composite and Ceramic Destiny rackets. May still have 1 Ceramic left. With the Composite Destiny, I removed the grip and dug a big chunk of lead out of the handle. I replaced it with some rubber cement. Thought it dampened vibration a little better, and weighed a little less.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Kind of wondered how the Asymmetric was soft, mine is not. Had a light version of the Composite Destiny. Ceramic is not so light.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
What color is your Asymmetric?
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Maroon
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
Yes, that's the stiffer one. I have that one too. The softer one is kind of a matt grayish/black. Says Asymmetric 265 on it I think. When I find it, I'll try to learn how to post pictures
