Fischer Retro stinks at higher tension

!Tym

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Btw, for those who were wondering if the Retro lost its feel when you string it over the mid tension range like with the old ceramic Fischers, that is the case here. I strung it with Pro Poly Plasma 17L/NRG2 at 54lbs. the first time, feel was great, light yet soft and crisp. Strung it with TiMo 17L/16g synthetic gut at 57lbs. and it no longer has that delicate touch/feel to it.

Basically, same experience as with my old Vacuum Pro 98 MPs, when I strung it at 57lbs. it stunk, took on an unresponsive, harsh feel to it; that is the case here.

Note, I string with a constant pull machine, which strings tighter by about 5lbs. than the old crank machines that were the popular choice back when ceramic Fischers were envogue.

In other words, the original version of these retros had a max tension of 57lbs. I would say that if you string with a constant pull machine, that ideal tension range SHOULD probably be more like 48 to 54lbs. or so.

When I owned the Vacuum Pro 98s I didn't string my own rackets and they were always strung on a lockout crank machine at 54lbs. and that felt just about right. Later, I still had one of them remaining as a keepover leftover, strung it up again for kicks at 57lbs. on a constant pull machine...NOT good, much like my experience with this Retro.

Food for thought for those who were wondering if this re-release really did have ceramics as advertised. It definitely does. Only the ceramic Fischer rackets would turn from soft and comfy to harsh, tinny, and metalic overnight with a mere few pounds extra tension on a string job, in particular, when 57lbs. is generally considered relatively sane and mild anyway.

Btw, there IS a difference between a harsh string and a harsh racket response. An RD-7 strung at 65lbs. with Kevlar gear 17L for me was a case of a harsh string, but not a harsh racket response; meaning the racket still felt like it was "working" if you will. A Fischer ceramic racket strung tight, gives the sense that something's wrong with the racket, like the battery was removed or something, and it's just not functioning anymore. It just feels dead, even if your shots aren't necessarily behaving that abnormally; the FEEL of the racket just feels OFF in this sixth sense sort of way that you can't quite put your finger on, but you know it's there and something's wrong. I guess I would equate it to the feeling of driving with a blown power steering pump. Yeah, you can drive, but not without noticing that something's way off kilter now.
 
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Same here. I have four of them. I have them strung with Alu Power at 53 lbs (electrical machine) at the moment. This gives me more than enough power, enough control. Stringing it higher makes the racket boardy.

I'm getting an original 90 from a friend soon.
 
I played with a couple of my Retros today. I string mine at 55 with synthetic gut (Gosen Micro). Of all my frames, this one feels the sweetest, especially at net, and on the one-handed backhand. I played a so-so first set with a Volkl Tour 10 Gen II, then switched, and the Fischer felt so much better. I think part of the attraction is the elongated head and the shorter length of the frame, combined with the grip shape. I am also convinced these frames have ceramics in the layup, based on the feel.
 
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