For Chris: modern racquet with classic feel

[flanker2000fr]

Hi Chris,

I love classic tennis racquets, especially the old Kneissl's and have actually bought a few (White Star Pro, Masters 10, Ivan Lendl) that I am currently playing with. I just enjoy the feeling, and those are the racquets I was playing with as a teenager in the 80's. But they are quite challenging, given their weight and small head, especially as I am now on the wrong side of my forties.

I tried a Babolat AeroPro Drive and found it too stiff and light. I actually bought a Wilson PS 97, and while I like it better than the Babolat, I have a hard time adjusting to it. Hard to put my finger on it, I just don't feel the ball as well as with these old school racquets. Maybe I need something with a bit more flex.

I noticed in the TW reviews that you lean towards heavier racquets, and saw a picture on the blog of you hitting with one of those Kneissl White Star. I was wondering if you could recommend a modern racquet that would come close in terms of feel.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

 

[vsbabolat]

Hi Chris,

I love classic tennis racquets, especially the old Kneissl's and have actually bought a few (White Star Pro, Masters 10, Ivan Lendl) that I am currently playing with. I just enjoy the feeling, and those are the racquets I was playing with as a teenager in the 80's. But they are quite challenging, given their weight and small head, especially as I am now on the wrong side of my forties.

I tried a Babolat AeroPro Drive and found it too stiff and light. I actually bought a Wilson PS 97, and while I like it better than the Babolat, I have a hard time adjusting to it. Hard to put my finger on it, I just don't feel the ball as well as with these old school racquets. Maybe I need something with a bit more flex.

I noticed in the TW reviews that you lean towards heavier racquets, and saw a picture on the blog of you hitting with one of those Kneissl White Star. I was wondering if you could recommend a modern racquet that would come close in terms of feel.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

I love classic racquets too.
I suggest you demo
Wilson RF97
Yonex Vcore 95 SV
Wilson Blade 98

I also recommend you go through the classifieds section for HEAD Prestige Classic 600 and Pro Tour 630 nothing plays and feels as sweet. You can PM for other options.

 

[1990's Graphite]

Try the Wilson pro staff 97s (red black gold) it feels great, solid and plush, a sleeper of a racquet, very underrated IMO.
The angell frames seem to be great, if you can demo, many have compared these to prestiges and pro tours...

 

[esgee48]

Demo the Volkl 9 and 10 series (Super G and V-Sense). They're 11-12 oz and are 98 in^2.

 

[DANMAN]

I never know whether to reply when the question is directed at TW but what about the C10 pro. I know chris likes it because he did a solo review of it and it's a classic with some pop inherent to it.

 

[flanker2000fr]

Thanks a lot for the input for far, guys.

I do own a Wilson PS97 which, as I said, doesn't do it for me (perhaps I should have tried the 97S instead). The RF97, I am a bit wary of. A few years ago, on my first attempt to come back to tennis, I made the mistake to get a K Factor Six One 90, and that was not a nice experience. The combination of heavy / stiff frame was a killer, which made me realise I like heavier frames only as long as they have a bit of flex to them.

I do like old school brands, which is why the suggestions of Volkl pique my interest. I remember, back in the 80's that this was the go-to brand for people with tennis elbow problems. Very popular where I come from in the North East of France, close to the German border, so even then getting them was not an issue for people at my club. Now, I live in Hong Kong, and I am not even sure they are distributed here, so they might be hard to demo.

I probably need to go for those models that are 11.5 oz / 12 oz unstrung, so it looks like the C10 Pro might be an option. I know that Chris liked the Super G10 Mid, but going from an elegant, all white Kneissl Masters to this garish yellow might be a star too far for me.

Still, would love his feedback on the Volkl line and confirm it might be a good fit for what I am looking for.

 

[DANMAN]

Here's his feedback on the C10 if you didn't see this:

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Reviews/C10P15/C10P15Review.html

 

[morobtennis]

Hi Chris,

I love classic tennis racquets, especially the old Kneissl's and have actually bought a few (White Star Pro, Masters 10, Ivan Lendl) that I am currently playing with. I just enjoy the feeling, and those are the racquets I was playing with as a teenager in the 80's. But they are quite challenging, given their weight and small head, especially as I am now on the wrong side of my forties.

I tried a Babolat AeroPro Drive and found it too stiff and light. I actually bought a Wilson PS 97, and while I like it better than the Babolat, I have a hard time adjusting to it. Hard to put my finger on it, I just don't feel the ball as well as with these old school racquets. Maybe I need something with a bit more flex.

I noticed in the TW reviews that you lean towards heavier racquets, and saw a picture on the blog of you hitting with one of those Kneissl White Star. I was wondering if you could recommend a modern racquet that would come close in terms of feel.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

See if you can the Volkl Organix V1 Pro from a few years ago. Great classic feel, tons of control with more than enough pop on every stroke. The flex in this frame will definitely remind you of frames from the 80's.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[wangs78]

Sounds like a Head Prestige or Dunlop Muscleweave 200g would work well for you. With the head Prestige I believe I read that the most recent iterations have gotten stiffer ao you may want to look for older models which can still be found new on the big auction site.

 

[mhkeuns]

How about the Prince Textreme Tour 95? Or, if you can go back to a model from a few years ago, maybe the Volkl Powerbridge 10 Mid & the Six One 95?

 

[TW Staff]

The C10 Pro would be my first recommendation for your demo list. The Stan the Man Yonex Duel G 97 330 is a beast of a stick and you'll likely welcome its similar plow through but in a more modern and forgiving package compared to your classics. I'd also add the Pure Control 95 (although you will likely have to weight it up as the swingweight is a tad low in stock form). The new Blades with Countervail played with a much more classic and solid feel for me compared to previous versions, so are worth a hit.

For something much more modern feeling but offering perhaps the best flex and feel out there among modern offerings would be the Yonex DR 98 and 98+. With the 98+ I can really feel the flex of the racquet and I really, really like that stick. The Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 Project One7 is worth a hit, too. It has a nice blend of power and control but is a little further removed on the feel front (I put this one in there since you hit the Pre Aero and the Strike bridges the gap been it and the Yonex racquets I mentioned).

Have a hit with some of those and let us know how it goes.

Cheers,
Chris, TW

 

[crazyups]

Q+ Tour Pro or QTour 18x20.

 

[flanker2000fr]

Chris, guys, thanks very much for the input. I will definitely try to get my hands on the Volkl C10 Pro.

 

[flanker2000fr]

Hi Chris,

I did consider a Pure Strike 16x19 PO7, but my elbow is somewhat sensitive, and while the PS seems less harsh than an APD or PD, I have decided to stay away from Babolat. This brand seems to generate more issues of TE than all other brands combined.

So I bought a Yonex Ezone DR 98 and had a hit with it last night. I had it strung with a Luxilon 4G 1.25 at 23kg (50lbs), as I figured that the low stiffness of the frame could accommodate a poly. I was right about that: it feels extremely comfortable and plush - probably the most comfortable frame I ever hit with. The Wilson PS97 is not bad at all on this front, but the Yonex is definitely a step up. I had no issue generating both power and spin, though my technique would probably qualify me as "old school": eastern grips on both FH and BH, mostly sliced BH, flat / moderate topspin on the FH, decent kick on the serve (think of a poor man's Stefan Edberg's serve). I was quite pleased to see how much kick I could generate, with the ball really spinning up and away.

I am very pleased with it, and wanted to thank you for your advice. One thing, though: with an overgrip on, the racquet is about 8-9 points HL, which is a bit too much for my liking. I'd like a bit more plow through when I go for flat forehands, so I will probably add a bit of lead tape at 3 and 9 to help with that.

 

[anfield]

The new Vcore 330 Pro. It's got that graphite whippy feel, it's twice as fast as my RF at the same weight. The DR 98 is plush, but too much flex in the throat and I don't get any feedback, it's nice, but does not have have the feel and control of the 330 which is quite special, much more feel, spin and pop than the previous 330 model.

 

[donnayblack99]

Hi Chris,

I love classic tennis racquets, especially the old Kneissl's and have actually bought a few (White Star Pro, Masters 10, Ivan Lendl) that I am currently playing with. I just enjoy the feeling, and those are the racquets I was playing with as a teenager in the 80's. But they are quite challenging, given their weight and small head, especially as I am now on the wrong side of my forties.

I tried a Babolat AeroPro Drive and found it too stiff and light. I actually bought a Wilson PS 97, and while I like it better than the Babolat, I have a hard time adjusting to it. Hard to put my finger on it, I just don't feel the ball as well as with these old school racquets. Maybe I need something with a bit more flex.

I noticed in the TW reviews that you lean towards heavier racquets, and saw a picture on the blog of you hitting with one of those Kneissl White Star. I was wondering if you could recommend a modern racquet that would come close in terms of feel.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond.

Volkl C10 is classic but can easily play with any Babolat, Yonex or new Wilson. It’s a hidden gem. Soft, stable and hits a very heavy ball.