JackB1
G.O.A.T.
Haven't seen this in mine, but Donnay pallets are removable so take off the grip and pallet and see whats up.
Donnay Pro One 97 users club
- Thread starter neil1b
- Start date
Haven't seen this in mine, but Donnay pallets are removable so take off the grip and pallet and see whats up.
RollTrackTake
Professional
When did Donnay start using weights in the handle/pallet??? Haven't had that issue with any of my Donnays. From the old X series to the new Pro Ones. Let us know what you find.
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
They use lead tape on the handle, under the grip. Nothing inside the handle as far as I know.
Subaruvich
Semi-Pro
It seems to be a broken palette making that noise. Apart from that no signs of any problems under the palettes.
Are you going to replace the pallet with a new one or just go with it as is? I have a similar, but smaller, piece of one of my pallets that came off in my TC97. Thought that maybe just removing the piece, reapplying the butt cap, and wrap it up tight might be fine.
By the way, other than the staples that it looks like Donnay used to adhere the butt cap, doesn't look like they used any to adhere the pallets; some kind of adhesive?
By the way, other than the staples that it looks like Donnay used to adhere the butt cap, doesn't look like they used any to adhere the pallets; some kind of adhesive?
Subaruvich
Semi-Pro
Yes, some kind of adhesive foil under the palettes.
I think I'll go with it as it is. I am not the guy who likes tinkering with my rackets so much [emoji4]
Imago
Hall of Fame
It seems to be a broken palette making that noise. Apart from that no signs of any problems under the palettes.
Do you think TK82 will fit?
BTW, how is Pro One compared to TC97?
Imago
Hall of Fame
Considering to join it.
After providing 3xPT57A, I decided to stop looking elsewhere, but! - here comes the Xenecore Penta 97. Aesthetically enticing.
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leejayh
Rookie
The TK82 and the TK82S do not fit. Donnay no longer sells pallets to end customers. So, does anyone know where to get these or ones that fit?
NeedforPRESTIGE
Rookie
Maybe head pallets will fit. I measured and the carbon hairpin of handle is of the same dimension as head racquets. Only difference is head’s has a square cross-section and donnay’s is octagonal (shaped like they cut the four small corners from the square shape). Haven’t tried it though, so I said maybe. But definitely worth a try
leejayh
Rookie
Head pallets are the right width, but not depth. you could try a 2 on Donnay to get a 3, but then the seam will be quite wide.
I am actually going to try a hand planer to just shave bezels 3 and 7. Ironically, it will likely make the grip feel more like the Head rectangle style (TK82)
I am actually going to try a hand planer to just shave bezels 3 and 7. Ironically, it will likely make the grip feel more like the Head rectangle style (TK82)
fortunecookiesjc
Professional
I know the club is slightly dead but I just got the hexa 97 16x19 I'm in love with
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
mrtrinh
Professional
They play a bit different. The newer p1's have a higher SW and slightly more muted/dampened. My favorite is still the 2012.
Imago
Hall of Fame
Probably on pair with the best feeling Graphene Touch Prestige Mid, but more solid and soft. It is most surprising that no one eulogizes it - given the multi-thousand threads on lesser rackets.
NeedforPRESTIGE
Rookie
HexaCore: very flexible (ra 54), a bit higher swingweight, great feel if you like flexy frames, a bit less powerful and less stable compared to PentaCore. Personally I prefer the penta97.
Sardines
Hall of Fame
So the P1 2012 is closest to...? LOL
NeedforPRESTIGE
Rookie
Is the p1 2012 the tri-core or the dual-core?
fortunecookiesjc
Professional
Difference between penta 97 and hexa 97 is like bumblebee radical vs zebra
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Sardines
Hall of Fame
The dual core.
niktub
Professional
+1 !
CiscoPC600
Hall of Fame
Anyone hitting with the Pro One Penta 97? Curious on some feedback, and so far I've only seen TennisNerd's review.
mike schiffer
Semi-Pro
Pro One OS extended here at 102 sq inch....Strung at 40 with Mantis Comfort synthetic for maximum TE protection....play with heavy topspin so not afraid of too much power...very plush....
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niktub
Professional
NeedforPRESTIGE
Rookie
haven’t tried dual core unfortunately
Ted Straiker
New User
If anyone its interested i have 3 new old stock
Donnay xenecore pro one 16x19 in grip 2
Donnay xenecore pro one 16x19 in grip 2
leejayh
Rookie
I am primarily hitting with my Pro One Pentacores here in the winter. I live in the Northeast and play indoors, but it is still cold and strings and racket choice make a difference. The penta is a good frame, tenisnerd is pretty spot on in his review. The racket feels different than the stuff that is out there. Flexible but solid. No free power, but very predictable if you generate your own - which is what I look for.
To the other question, there is nowhere to buy the pallets. They stopped selling them, to supposedly avoid liability. A damn shame as, selling the pallets would make the racket and brand have more of that tennis enthusiast's preference given the RA, etc.
Quality of these sticks is always questionable, so getting one is a crapshoot. The string markings on them are often wrong (tie cross, etc) so don't follow these. They put stickers on the wrong ones to tell you the correction.
And sometimes the pallets are applied wrong. I have gotten one where the pallets where not applied correctly and thus did not come together and the grip was larger than spec, as it was too wide.
I have posted on these alot. They are great sticks, they really are. But the company is tiny, quality hit or miss, and the business practices are questionable.
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tigonian02
New User
What does this meeeeeean?
tigonian02
New User
Grabbed a pro one hexacore unibody and I must say that I’m pleasantly surprised. The last pro one that I had was the first grey pro one (I think from 2013 or 2014). I was not very impressed with it as I had some consistency issues with it, along with soreness in the arm and chest from it. This new hexacore version feels much more plush and muted. I will still need to mess around with string set up, but so far it seems pretty good. I’ve been playing with the prince phantom p100p but I think I’m going to make the switch back to donnay.
Hi all, I have and use both the Pro One Penta97 16x19 and the 18x20. Here are some observations, both random and also responding to points / questions raised by others on this thread.
- The Pro One Penta97 18x20 is actually a 99 sq. in. head racquet. Donnay has confirmed this for me directly, and it's self-evident by aligning the two racquets.
- The Pro One Penta 16x19 markings for where to tie off crosses are totally wrong. In fact, it's worse than that. The markings for main tie-offs are right, but they're the only two large grommet holes at the top of the frame for mains. The other two large grommet holes at the top are for cross strings, which means that you have to tie off your starting cross string to another cross. To work around this problem, I drilled a larger hole through the frame myself, then cut off the Donnay hole sleeve and inserted a larger one from an old HEAD grommet that I had salvaged after the bumper guard wore out.
- one of my 16x19 frames has an incorrect string pattern printed on the frame. It notes the frame as an 18x20, even though it's a 16x19. My other 16x19 is printed correctly. I have no idea how something like this happens.
- The plastic used for the Donnay grommet caps is worse than industry standard. The sleeves split easily with string pressure, well before the bumper guard portion wears out, esp. on the 16x19 frames. I've cut out around 30% and replaced them with sleeves from TW.
- All of my frames came with lead tape at 12 o'clock under the bumper guard, presumably to bring them up to spec. In some cases, the lead tape wasn't even centered. One frame also came with lead tape at the top of the grip. The two round plugs in the hairpin that can be seen in Subaruvich's post are also for adding weight. One was missing in one of my frames, presumably because it would have brought the frame in over spec. each plug weighs around 3.5 g.
- As noted by others, Donnay's weight quality control, even with the lead tape and hairpin plugs, is not near, say, Yonex's. All of my frames were more than 5g different in weight, with different balance points.
- It is possible to use HEAD grip palettes. I used 4 1/4" TK82 palettes to make my Donnays somewhere between a 4 3/8" and a 4 1/2" grip. A HEAD 4 3/8 Butt cap fits over the assembly. Yes, there's a gap between the two palette halves, but under a grip (I use leather, but that shouldn't matter) and an overgrip, you can't tell. Note that the HEAD palettes + caps are around 8 g heaver than the Donnay palettes + caps. The Donnay Palettes are of a different, more porous foam than the HEAD ones. They're more delicate, but they're also not attached to the hairpin with a strong double sided tape, so they came right off without having to heat them and pry them off, as was the case with the HEAD palettes.
- the stock Donnay grips are also lighter than what I've seen from other manufacturers. I replaced them with leather anyway. I then took out the hairpin plugs to make up for the additional weight
- The string spacing for the 16x19s is more open than the 16x19 of the HEAD radicals from the Graphene onwards. The string spacing of the Donnay 18x20 is closer to that of the HEAD Radical near the sweetspot, and you can get plenty of spin production, esp. if you string low. Donnay advertises the 18x20 as a frame for flatter, more traditional games, but I find it works perfectly well for a more modern aggressive baseline style. The 16x19 seems to be a little more string sensitive in that the launch angle is a little more unpredictable and needs to be tamed by string choice.
- Donnay says to string at 45 lbs ±10 lbs, or 35-55 lbs, which is an incredibly large range. HEAD, by comparison, lists 48-57 lbs for the Radicals and Prestiges. My preference for full poly string jobs with the Donnay frames is, depending on the string stiffness, low to mid 40s for the 16x19 and high 30s to low 40s for the 18x20 frames. By way of comparison, I preferred high 40s to low 50s for the HEAD frames.
- One of my 18x20 frames had the hoop crack right at 6 o'clock for no apparent reason. Fortunately, Donnay will replace it.
- Donnay's customer service has been good. You can call them, email them, etc. and they'll respond. (Actually, I've only ever corresponded with Howie Matthews, so I'm not sure there is anyone else there). I haven't had any issues at all with business practices - to the contrary, they've been up front, honest, and direct in all cases. I actually prefer dealing with small companies like them in spite of the obvious advantages that a larger firm will have in terms of consistency and standards, but that's neither here nor there.
- In spite of all the quirks and weirdness, the frames play really well and feel great. The chrome paint job looks fantastic, and that also matters to me as a designer.
- The Pro One Penta97 18x20 is actually a 99 sq. in. head racquet. Donnay has confirmed this for me directly, and it's self-evident by aligning the two racquets.
- The Pro One Penta 16x19 markings for where to tie off crosses are totally wrong. In fact, it's worse than that. The markings for main tie-offs are right, but they're the only two large grommet holes at the top of the frame for mains. The other two large grommet holes at the top are for cross strings, which means that you have to tie off your starting cross string to another cross. To work around this problem, I drilled a larger hole through the frame myself, then cut off the Donnay hole sleeve and inserted a larger one from an old HEAD grommet that I had salvaged after the bumper guard wore out.
- one of my 16x19 frames has an incorrect string pattern printed on the frame. It notes the frame as an 18x20, even though it's a 16x19. My other 16x19 is printed correctly. I have no idea how something like this happens.
- The plastic used for the Donnay grommet caps is worse than industry standard. The sleeves split easily with string pressure, well before the bumper guard portion wears out, esp. on the 16x19 frames. I've cut out around 30% and replaced them with sleeves from TW.
- All of my frames came with lead tape at 12 o'clock under the bumper guard, presumably to bring them up to spec. In some cases, the lead tape wasn't even centered. One frame also came with lead tape at the top of the grip. The two round plugs in the hairpin that can be seen in Subaruvich's post are also for adding weight. One was missing in one of my frames, presumably because it would have brought the frame in over spec. each plug weighs around 3.5 g.
- As noted by others, Donnay's weight quality control, even with the lead tape and hairpin plugs, is not near, say, Yonex's. All of my frames were more than 5g different in weight, with different balance points.
- It is possible to use HEAD grip palettes. I used 4 1/4" TK82 palettes to make my Donnays somewhere between a 4 3/8" and a 4 1/2" grip. A HEAD 4 3/8 Butt cap fits over the assembly. Yes, there's a gap between the two palette halves, but under a grip (I use leather, but that shouldn't matter) and an overgrip, you can't tell. Note that the HEAD palettes + caps are around 8 g heaver than the Donnay palettes + caps. The Donnay Palettes are of a different, more porous foam than the HEAD ones. They're more delicate, but they're also not attached to the hairpin with a strong double sided tape, so they came right off without having to heat them and pry them off, as was the case with the HEAD palettes.
- the stock Donnay grips are also lighter than what I've seen from other manufacturers. I replaced them with leather anyway. I then took out the hairpin plugs to make up for the additional weight
- The string spacing for the 16x19s is more open than the 16x19 of the HEAD radicals from the Graphene onwards. The string spacing of the Donnay 18x20 is closer to that of the HEAD Radical near the sweetspot, and you can get plenty of spin production, esp. if you string low. Donnay advertises the 18x20 as a frame for flatter, more traditional games, but I find it works perfectly well for a more modern aggressive baseline style. The 16x19 seems to be a little more string sensitive in that the launch angle is a little more unpredictable and needs to be tamed by string choice.
- Donnay says to string at 45 lbs ±10 lbs, or 35-55 lbs, which is an incredibly large range. HEAD, by comparison, lists 48-57 lbs for the Radicals and Prestiges. My preference for full poly string jobs with the Donnay frames is, depending on the string stiffness, low to mid 40s for the 16x19 and high 30s to low 40s for the 18x20 frames. By way of comparison, I preferred high 40s to low 50s for the HEAD frames.
- One of my 18x20 frames had the hoop crack right at 6 o'clock for no apparent reason. Fortunately, Donnay will replace it.
- Donnay's customer service has been good. You can call them, email them, etc. and they'll respond. (Actually, I've only ever corresponded with Howie Matthews, so I'm not sure there is anyone else there). I haven't had any issues at all with business practices - to the contrary, they've been up front, honest, and direct in all cases. I actually prefer dealing with small companies like them in spite of the obvious advantages that a larger firm will have in terms of consistency and standards, but that's neither here nor there.
- In spite of all the quirks and weirdness, the frames play really well and feel great. The chrome paint job looks fantastic, and that also matters to me as a designer.
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Imago
Hall of Fame
Very comfortable racket, certainly better than Blade 16x19 and easier to play than Wilson Ultra Tour. Form and size of the frame is almost identical to i.Prestige.
BTW, SW is 320 strung.
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Spanglish72
Rookie
Just hit with a Pro One 97 16 x 19 today.
Kinda feels like a Blade 98 CV, but softer.
I really liked it.
Not bad for a company without any pros endorsing it.
Are they out trying to get their product in the hands of ranked juniors?
Do they have a marketing team? What's the deal with this company?
Kinda feels like a Blade 98 CV, but softer.
I really liked it.
Not bad for a company without any pros endorsing it.
Are they out trying to get their product in the hands of ranked juniors?
Do they have a marketing team? What's the deal with this company?
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
They’re nice racquets. There are problems with QC but if you find a good one, they play incredibly plush, stable, and solid at the same time. I own 2 of the P1 Penta, one in 18x20 and the other in 16x19. My 18x20 was significantly heavier than the 16x19 when I bought it new and didn’t feel as head light per advertised; a while later I found a large strip of lead under the bumper at 12 o’clock. After removing the lead, the racquet is closer to the listed specs, so I don’t understand why they decided to add weight in the first place. As far as marketing goes, the company is INCREDIBLY lean. They might have finally hired somebody to redesign the website, but for a long while it was basically a single guy running everything because of lack of capital. So you can imagine what that kind of situation can do to quality control.
Spanglish72
Rookie
Thanks for the info. Not sure why more companies aren't going for solid frames. I really don't see any negatives, but maybe cost?
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
A lot of classic racquets were foam-filled; for example, my PS Original 6.0 is foam-filled. That’s no longer the case with the big manufacturers, probably to cut cost. You can also check out Angell’s custom racquets; from what I’ve heard, top notch quality and also foam-filled.
Tennisguy3000
Semi-Pro
Bumping this to see how everyone is doing and what they are using (Still using Donnay?). I just ordered two new grommet sets for my 2014 Pro One 18 x 20's. The grommets were a challenge in the past and I have corresponded with them regarding this, hopefully better now (any updates?). I've also got two Platinum 99's that are on the back burner for now. Lastly, any updated impressions on the latest models? Cheers
dnlcarvalho
Rookie
I have 3x Donnay Pro One Hexa 16x19 (2019) and a pair of Donnay Pro One Unibody (2020).
Still deciding which version I prefer, but it seems like the Pro One Hexa 2019 has a higher launch angle, and suits better to aim for regions on the court, less unforced errors, while Unibody is more precise in laser shots and tends to be better to aim to spots rather than regions and also better and firmer on volleys. However it seems like 2019 version plays safer (rendering less unforced errors) than the 2020 Unibody.
I had already made the move towards the Unibody, but doubt creeped in again. Also have been flerting with some 16x19 H22s, 18x20 Blade Prostocks and some Fabrizi racquets. Trying to see if they have an even more reliable feedback from the Unibodys and better power/balance blend that would justify the switch.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
I've been using the Donnay Pro One Penta 16x19 a lot. It's just a really comfortable stick and feels solid. Also has what I call the "soft wobble" feedback when you hit the sweetspot, characteristic of old school flexible racquets. Some have said it lacks power but I strung it up with Tour Bite 17 at 50 lbs and it has plenty of pop for me when I hit cleanly. I've also been playing with the Head IG Prestige Mid. To me it has nearly just as much comfort, better control, but much lower launch angle.
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I’m still totally in love with my Pro One GTs from 2016. Possibly the best racket I’ve ever used considering comfort, forgiveness and easy power. I didn’t like it with straight poly, old school frame and a bit string sensitive. Zx Crossfire was made for this frame. Kevlar mains at 46, zyex crosses at 54 makes you forget why you ever liked poly in the first place. With splicing tape on outside bevels to simulate Head rectangular, over grip and lead at 10, 12, and 2 approx 12.2 oz.
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I can only speculate here having never used a WPL frame, I mean it’s a personal, subjective, apples and oranges thing anyway. The WPL frames are said to be thicker and more stable and generally heavier than the regular line. In relation to Donnays, the WPLs are not foam filled.
I would venture that the WPLs would not have the generous sweet spot of a Donnay and lack the same degree of power per ounce. Beyond that I can only guess. Different feel obviously - a side by side would be optimal.
dnlcarvalho
Rookie
I had a pair of Ultra Tour and own a trio of Donnays Pro One Hexacore, but in 16x19 pattern and also a pair of Donnay Pro One Unibody in 16x19 pattern.
Donnays feel more solid, less "hollow" to me. Ultra Tours feel crisper and more precise (due to the 18x20 pattern as well).
In the end, I preferred the Donnays for better spin, stability, power and versatility. I agree with @PT280 Fan that Donnays also seem to have a larger sweetspot.
Ultra Tours, however, are excellent to swing freely, as they are light, precise and don't have so much power.
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dnlcarvalho
Rookie
Has anybody else compared the Pro One Hexa to the Pro One Unibody (also Hexa) version?
