***Dunlop Aerogel 1hundred (AG100) club***

[geesechops]

Destined for greatness, the Aerogel 1hundred has been tearing it up lately on these boards by evidence of users raving about its monster serve, great maneuverability and spin like a Tasmanian Devil. This club is to consolidate all the questions/comments on this racquet to one thread that can help users and possible users converse.

I switched to the AG100 from the Pro Staff 6.0 85. I have played with the K90, AK90, and RDS 001 Mid in the past year in my quest to find a mid that would take me to another level in terms of consistency, power and spin. Some had their nice qualities, but none overall measured up to the PS85 for me in terms of getting the win in a match. The AG100 seemed to do everything well for me. I'm looking forward to really getting used to this racquet like I am with my PS85's and bringing out all its potential, and mine.

edit: I currently use the MG Prestige Mid (TGK237.1), although the AG100 is still a great racquet, which is evident by this huge thread.

 

[emmanuel]

I switched to the AG100 from the Prestige Classic 600 in my case.
I am using 58 pounds of tension (wilson stamina 16). What string set up do you use with AG100?

 

[matchmaker]

One question I have about the AG100. It looks like a very fun frame but it has also a low static weight and swingweight. How does that translate into matters of stability?
I suppose many users lead it up. Where do they apply the lead in general and what is the final SW, balance and static weight after leading up?

 

[s7evin]

Count me in!
BTW emmanuel why did you switch from the Classic?
For me its way better than the AG, feel is just irreplaceable.

 

[Return_Ace]

I have yet to play with mine

It's currently sitting in a shop having being strung up.... although there's still no grip on it since i'm still waiting to receive my Vantage leathers (after having placed the order for them well over 2 weeks ago :?).

Hopefully i'll be able to hit with it on Tuesday night.

 

[Bud]

Destined for greatness, the Aerogel 1hundred has been tearing it up lately on these boards by evidence of users raving about its monster serve, great maneuverability and spin like a Tasmanian Devil. This club is to consolidate all the questions/comments on this racquet to one thread that can help users and possible users converse.

I switched to the AG100 from the Pro Staff 6.0 85. I have played with the K90, AK90, MG Prestige Mid and RDS 001 Mid in the past year in my quest to find a mid that would take me to another level in terms of consistency, power and spin. Some had their nice qualities, but none overall measured up to the PS85 for me in terms of getting the win in a match. The AG100 seemed to do everything well for me. I'm looking foreword to really getting used to this racquet like I am with my PS85's and bringing out all its potential, and mine.

Interesting... you're another person stringing it at low tension. I think they labeled the tension range on the racquet incorrectly

The racquet is labeled 55-65 lbs. I think 50-60 lbs. is more appropriate for this frame.

It definitely playes better at a lower, than labeled, tension. I think at mid-tension (60 lbs.) the racquet feels 'boardy'. I can't even imagine what it would feel like at 65#.

 

[s7evin]

@Return Ace:Those are some troublemaking vantage leathers

 

[Bud]

Count me in!
BTW emmanuel why did you switch from the Classic?
For me its way better than the AG, feel is just irreplaceable.

You think the feel of the PC600 is way better than the AG100?

 

[Return_Ace]

@Return Ace:Those are some troublemaking vantage leathers

Gah ! Tell me about it !

It's not as if it's shipping internationally as well... i only live a couple of hours drive away :?..

TBH normally i'm satisfied with their service but this is just stupid .

 

[geesechops]

The AG has great stability. Of course its not like my PS85's, but I'll give up a little there to gain all that spin and the sick angle I can pull. I also put a little weight inside the handle to help the feel/stability. The hoop is so stiff I think low tensions go great with the AG. This stiff hoop also creates all that power of the serves, probably the most ever from a racquet of this weight. And as always s7evin confuses me

 

[emmanuel]

Count me in!
BTW emmanuel why did you switch from the Classic?
For me its way better than the AG, feel is just irreplaceable.

I was searching something with open string pattern and little more powerful.
The AG100 has been a great surprise for me. Great stick!

 

[BreakPoint]

Interesting... you're another person stringing it at low tension. I think they labeled the tension range on the racquet incorrectly

The racquet is labeled 55-65 lbs. I think 50-60 lbs. is more appropriate for this frame.

It definitely playes better at a lower, than labeled, tension. I think at mid-tension (60 lbs.) the racquet feels 'boardy'. I can't even imagine what it would feel like at 65#.

I agree. I think the tension range should have been 50-60lbs. I think it plays great between 53-56lbs with a hybrid of multi mains and mono syn gut crosses.

 

[ESP#1]

So Emmanuel,
Are you gettin rid of the pc600? if so let me know.

 

[bossass]

Put me down. I got the TW demo now, and I'm gonna order one here in a couple days to mess around with. At the very least, I'll keep it in the bag as an early season stick (when I'm all out of shape and my Prestiges are feeling especially heavy.)

 

[geesechops]

I called TW before I ordered one and asked about why the tension on the Dunlops was rated higher by 5lbs then the Wilsons I normally use of the same size and they said I should go with the 55lbs because that was the lowest suggested when I normally go 53lbs on my Wilsons. I think these companies just blindly throw the recommended tensions on there for show. The only time it becomes an issue is when you string over the required max and the frame breaks. I think the tension should be 45-55lbs.

It seems the more I get used to this stick the more weight I take off. Right now I have some lead in the butt under the trap door and 2 strips around the handle above my grip and thats all I seem to need. Too much lead takes away from that killer bite I get from the racquet head speed I can generate from the light weight.

 

[Keifers]

^^^

Yeah, a friend of mine has settled on 44lbs with a poly/multi hybrid and he's very happy with the results. He started at 50 and worked his way down in 2lb decrements.

I asked him what tension he would use if he did a full multi string job -- he said 50lbs.

I can feel my mouse finger itching to order one of these. Sending my TW demo back tomorrow.

 

[Dave M]

Sign me up, I liked the look and specs and was offered a lovely deal on 3, 2 new un opened and one lightly used for £130, didn't think i could say no so hit with them last week, i was more consistant than with the BB10, k95 team or pro ones that I have been trying recently.I think i'll be giving these an extended run.
Like someone else here noticed, i've got two with a RA of 63 and one with 62, looks like someone changed the stencil between batches.

 

[Return_Ace]

Picked up the AG100 from the shop today... strung nicely with X-1 Biphase @ 61lbs (never strung that high so i wanted to try it out lol).

But alas.... the leathers did not arrive today .

 

[Rabbit]

I'm currently demoing one from TW. The strings broke and I restrung with a 17 gauge multi at 58 pounds. It plays great. I'm on the verge of commiting. This is a great frame.

 

[Bengt]

Can someone comment on how it is to string? Blocked holes, 1 or 2 piece, etc...

 

[Rabbit]

TW has info:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpageRCDUNLOP-DAG100.html

String Pattern:
16 Mains / 19 Crosses
Mains skip: 7T,9T,7H,9H
One Piece
No shared holesString Tension: 55-65 pounds

Strings up pretty easy.

 

[hoodjem]

I've also got a TW demo right now, packed up and awaiting the UPS man.

Great feeling racquet. I probably played with it 10 times in the last week. (I too think it is destined to become one of those special sticks.)

And yes it does need a little bit of tweaking. (I don't at all like the stock grip.) A leather grip would be a big improvement. And maybe a little lead at 9 and 3 or 10 and 2 would increase the stability and plow-through.

And, (if I am correct, the demo tension is 60) which seems a little boardy to me. A better tension range would seem to be 50-60. (I also imagine that 65 would feel terrible.) I usually string at mid-range plus one or two; on this one I think I will go 56-57.

Yes, the sweetspot does seem surprisingly large for a 90 sq. in. racquet. When you do it right--it is like a laser-guided scalpel.

Maybe the best thing I can say about it (when comparing it to five other racquets--all of which are quite good sticks in their own right), is that it was so much fun to play with. I would hit a shot and get a big grin on my face, and say to myself "this is why I love tennis--to hit a shot like that."

 

[Bud]

Sign me up, I liked the look and specs and was offered a lovely deal on 3, 2 new un opened and one lightly used for £130, didn't think i could say no so hit with them last week, i was more consistant than with the BB10, k95 team or pro ones that I have been trying recently.I think i'll be giving these an extended run.
Like someone else here noticed, i've got two with a RA of 63 and one with 62, looks like someone changed the stencil between batches.

All four of mine are 63. Did they change the composition or just the stencil?

 

[Rabbit]

I've also got a TW demo right now, packed up and awaiting the UPS man.

Great feeling racquet. I probably played with it 10 times in the last week. (I too think it is destined to become one of those special sticks.)

And yes it does need a little bit of tweaking. (I don't at all like the stock grip.) A leather grip would be a big improvement. And maybe a little lead at 9 and 3 or 10 and 2 would increase the stability and plow-through.

And, (if I am correct, the demo tension is 60) which seems a little boardy to me. A better tension range would seem to be 50-60. (I also imagine that 65 would feel terrible.) I usually string at mid-range plus one or two; on this one I think I will go 56-57.

Yes, the sweetspot does seem surprisingly large for a 90 sq. in. racquet. When you do it right--it is like a laser-guided scalpel.

Maybe the best thing I can say about it (when comparing it to five other racquets--all of which are quite good sticks in their own right), is that it was so much fun to play with. I would hit a shot and get a big grin on my face, and say to myself "this is why I love tennis--to hit a shot like that."

Egggggggggggsactly! I hit two backhands yesterday that were screamers! I haven't pegged two like that in quite some time if ever. I was playing doubles with 3 other 4.5s and actually nailed a guy at net from behind the baseline. The ball had a lot of work on it and pace...pace...and more pace.

For me, this frame feels right in my hand and is close to being an extension of my arm. With other frames, I lacked the desire to adjust my game to fit them. With this frame, there is very little adjustment required. Why do it then? Well, as others have noted, there is one tremendous payback with this stick: the serve. My serves had a lot more on them. With some of them, I felt like I was getting close to full compression on the ball. With a little tweaking of string and tension, this frame could be a monster.

I also like the fact that this frame has great potential IMO with a full gut set up. I'm playing the remainder of my demo time with this frame and then pulling the trigger...

BTW, hoodjem, if you're interested in selling your PS 95's, I have a buyer...

 

[hoodjem]

BTW, hoodjem, if you're interested in selling your PS 95's, I have a buyer...

Yes, I am interested in selling them. But let's be certain: these are not PS 95s, they are nPS 95 (from the nCode line, not Pro Staff 95).

 

[roddick89]

has this frame just come out in the US?

 

[BreakPoint]

has this frame just come out in the US?

Almost two months ago now.

 

[roddick89]

^^^
wow, i'm suprised about that, i'm not trying to boast but it been out here for a while, pretty much since the AG200.
Suprised because theres a huge market for tennis in the US and this frame is similar to the tour 90 which has a healthy following therefore they'll probably be loads of players interested in this stick.

 

[Barricade V]

Tried this as a setback to the k90, awful stability.

 

[geesechops]

^^^it's definitely not the brick house K90, but for some of us the compromise is worth it. I played with an RDS 001 Mid for a while last week and was loving it, but once I picked up the AG100 again I felt more at home. That is the measure of a good stick for you. If your trying out racquets and actually liking them, but you still keep coming back to the same stick, then you know its the one for you. Hopefully I will stick with it. Oh crap, I guess I have to now that I started the club right? :shock:

 

[Fedace]

Isn't this headsize too small.? the sweetspot must be tiny

 

[geesechops]

^^^dude, you say the most random sh!$ sometimes

 

[Fedace]

^^But i do believe it is much more User Friendly than the K90 however.

 

[BreakPoint]

^^^
wow, i'm suprised about that, i'm not trying to boast but it been out here for a while, pretty much since the AG200.
Suprised because theres a huge market for tennis in the US and this frame is similar to the tour 90 which has a healthy following therefore they'll probably be loads of players interested in this stick.

Yes, we were surprised it didn't come out here in the U.S. at the beginning of '07 like it did in Europe and at the same time as the AG200. But with so many people here clamoring for it, Dunlop finally relented and decided to send some over the pond. It was originally supposed to be here in April this year but got delayed for two months for whatever reason.

Somebody at Dunlop once said that the market for 90 sq. in. racquets in Europe was bigger than it is in the U.S. and that's why they didn't release the AG100 in the U.S. Sounds strange as most people in Europe play on clay while most people in the U.S. play on hardcourts. Maybe Dunlop did a marketing survey and found that more claycourters prefer smaller racquets? ;-)

 

[s7evin]

You think the feel of the PC600 is way better than the AG100?

For me it is.
I will string it with something better next time but after using the 600 and after that picking up the AG, it just feels hollow, and kinda cheap.
But afterall it's just my opinion.

 

[BreakPoint]

Isn't this headsize too small.? the sweetspot must be tiny

"Too small" for what?

Haven't you heard the old saying that size doesn't matter? :shock:

 

[hoodjem]

^^^Ignoring the girlfriend comment above, I was surprised at how large the sweetspot was. For me it was certainly easier to find than on the K90.

^^^it's definitely not the brick house K90, but for some of us the compromise is worth it.

Yes it isn't, but for some others of us it was not a compromise. I demoed a K90 simultaneously with the AG100, and (not to knock the Wilson) the K90 definitely was a brickhouse: heavy, turgid, stiff, slow, and very stable.

The K90 had a very "old school" feel--greatly reminded me of my old pal, the PS 85 or the Kramer Staff woodie. But it seemed to have less power than the PS 85, and even less flex and feel. If one wants a current version of the PS, then the K90 is very very close IMO.

Oddly, the AG100 also reminded of my youth with Wilson, but even earlier: maybe a Kramer Autograph: lighter, quicker, more like a sabre less like a broadsword.

(Anyone remember a TA Davis Imperial woodie? The AG100 was a hybrid of that and a Kramer Auto, but in modern technology.) Very much a precision, touch racquet with power.

 

[Bud]

^^^it's definitely not the brick house K90, but for some of us the compromise is worth it. I played with an RDS 001 Mid for a while last week and was loving it, but once I picked up the AG100 again I felt more at home. That is the measure of a good stick for you. If your trying out racquets and actually liking them, but you still keep coming back to the same stick, then you know its the one for you. Hopefully I will stick with it. Oh crap, I guess I have to now that I started the club right? :shock:

This is exactly how the AG100 is for me. I keep coming back to it.

 

[Bud]

... but once I picked up the AG100 again I felt more at home. That is the measure of a good stick for you. If your trying out racquets and actually liking them, but you still keep coming back to the same stick, then you know its the one for you. Hopefully I will stick with it. Oh crap, I guess I have to now that I started the club right? :shock:

The AG100 club is bigger than even you, now... you could stop using it and the club would live on :lol:

 

[Bud]

^^^Ignoring the grilfriend comment above, I was surprised at how large the sweetspot was. For me it was certainly easier to find than on the K90.



Yes it isn't, but for some others of us it was not a compromise. I demoed a K90 simultaneously with the AG100, and (not to knock the Wilson) the K90 definitely was a brickhouse: heavy, turgid, unwieldy, slow, and very stable.

The K90 had a very "old school" feel--greatly reminded me of my old pal, the PS 85 or the Kramer Staff woodie. But it seemed to have less power than the PS 85, and even less flex and feel. If one wants a current version of the PS, then the K90 is very very close IMO.

Oddly, the AG100 also reminded of my youth with Wilson, but even earlier: maybe a Kramer Autograph: lighter, quicker, more like a sabre less like a broadsword.

(Anyone remember a TA Davis Imperial woodie? The AG100 was a hybrid of that and a Kramer Auto, but in modern technology.) Very much a precision, touch racquet with power.

I agree... no compromise here. I just sold a PC600, which I played with many times. The AG100 feels as solid, if not more so.

 

[nn]

I hit with hit. But I don't understand people say it is as good as K90 or PS85 or other great sticks..

Yeah put some lead and leather grip and bring it to 12.5 or so where you have some many other racquets which has perform so well.. I know when new racquet come people say it is greatest ever... just like they did for k90 or new one from wilson coming out as sampras racquet around US OPEN (learn that here on this board)

 

[geesechops]

I agree that we get a little excited around here when we get our hands on new racquets that play well. I love the thing now, but in a month I could love something else. It is true that the great ones stay in your hands for a long time. I think people like me are trying very hard to find that one stick that you can buy a few of and play with for a long time, but we are also the people trying out new sticks all the time...kind of ironic.

 

[bossass]

I hit with hit. But I don't understand people say it is as good as K90 or PS85 or other great sticks..

It's great because you can hit the shots you can hit with those classics AND flick it around like a fly swatter getting shots you'd never get with those sticks. What's not good about that?

 

[hoodjem]

I hit with it. But I don't understand people say it is as good as K90 or PS85 or other great sticks.

Each to his own.

Just my opinion, but the AG100 reminded me of the PS 85--not in its feel but in what I could do with it and how I felt when hitting. Like I was invincible and could put the ball on a dime anywhere in the court. (I used to feel that way sometimes with the PS 85.)

And, while the K90 racquet reminded me a lot of the feel of the PS 85 racquet in terms of weight, density, vibration, sound, I could not do all that much with it. I thus did not care for the K90. It is definitely an extremely stable racquet, but it didn't do anything for my game.

IMO the AG100 is better--in my hands.

The K90 was "a very serious racquet". I had to do everything exactly right with it--it was very demanding, all business. The AG100 was great fun: I still had to do most things right (of course), but it is lighter, more lively, faster, sharper, crisper, more rewarding than demanding.

Just MO.

 

[lilxjohnyy]

i have heard that the MG prestige seems to be similar to the new AG 100. Can someone do a comparison?

 

[geesechops]

I think the MG Prestige hits more like a Pro Staff 85 than anything else I have tried. Plow-through is sick and it serves ka-bombs. I don't know if it is like the AG100 though. I actually have this racquet in my bag right now along with the AG100. Indoors I love the AG100, but outdoors I seem to prefer the MG Prestige, I know.. strange. The swingweight is higher on the MG, but they are both faster to swing than the PS85 or K90. I could play with either one of these racquets and be happy.

 

[jorel]

It's great because you can hit the shots you can hit with those classics AND flick it around like a fly swatter getting shots you'd never get with those sticks. What's not good about that?

agreed.... thats why i loved the Vantage 90 (similar racquet??? )

gave me the performance of the PS85 with added manuevarbility (playing with that racquet made me feel like Fed) felt like i could do amything with the ball... the only problem,,, it got pushed around a little because of the lower swingweight.

never tried the 100g but might look into it now

 

[jorel]

Each to his own.

Just my opinion, but the AG100 reminded me of the PS 85--not in its feel but in what I could do with it and how I felt when hitting. Like I was invincible and could put the ball on a dime anywhere in the court. (I used to feel that way sometimes with the PS 85.)

thats great stuff (feel the same about my customized Vantage 90's)

 

[hoodjem]

I think the MG Prestige hits more like a Pro Staff 85 than anything else I have tried. Plow-through is sick and it serves ka-bombs. I don't know if it is like the AG100 though. I actually have this racquet in my bag right now along with the AG100. Indoors I love the AG100, but outdoors I seem to prefer the MG Prestige, I know.. strange. The swingweight is higher on the MG, but they are both faster to swing than the PS85 or K90. I could play with either one of these racquets and be happy.

Which MG Prestige?

18 X 20 Mid 93 or 18 X 20 Midplus 98 or 16 X 19 Pro 98?

 

[geesechops]

Oh sorry. The only real Prestige...the mid.