Frame that plays like the Dunlop 4D 100 ... but?
- Thread starter SteveI
- Start date
xcestennis
New User
I like the Dunlop Biomimetic 200, and Wilson Juice Pro for the player control type frame.
Winners or Errors
Legend
Wilson Six.One 95, 16x18.
I like the 4D100. Mine are gripped with leather and I usually put enough head tape on to make it look like it has capped grommets, but it can be unforgiving. IMHO, the "direct" feel of the 4D100 is much closer to the Six.One than it is to the M-Fil 200 I also play.
YMMV, but I think the Wilson is the closest you'll get to mid feel in a mid-plus. The more headlight balance of my Wilson's also makes them swing remarkably like the 4D100, and I can move from one to the other without much loss of timing.
I like the 4D100. Mine are gripped with leather and I usually put enough head tape on to make it look like it has capped grommets, but it can be unforgiving. IMHO, the "direct" feel of the 4D100 is much closer to the Six.One than it is to the M-Fil 200 I also play.
YMMV, but I think the Wilson is the closest you'll get to mid feel in a mid-plus. The more headlight balance of my Wilson's also makes them swing remarkably like the 4D100, and I can move from one to the other without much loss of timing.
shaneno
Professional
Enjoy
I used the dunlop 4D 100, for half a year but i started to play more tournament players and i need a more forgiving frame.
Why not go to the
-Dunlop 300 or 300 tour, if your looking for HL balance go with the 300 tour i know it says 18X20 but it feels more open then closed.
- Wilson prostaff 95 or 95S, low powered, customizable, HL balance good, spin friendly
-dunlop 200 line pretty good, tour to heavy tho compare to the 4d 100
I used the dunlop 4D 100, for half a year but i started to play more tournament players and i need a more forgiving frame.
Why not go to the
-Dunlop 300 or 300 tour, if your looking for HL balance go with the 300 tour i know it says 18X20 but it feels more open then closed.
- Wilson prostaff 95 or 95S, low powered, customizable, HL balance good, spin friendly
-dunlop 200 line pretty good, tour to heavy tho compare to the 4d 100
robbo1970
Hall of Fame
Wilson Pro Staff 95.
If my memory serves me correctly, this is pretty much the same specs but with a 95 head. I think the AG100 had quite a low swingweight, which this Wilson also has.
Haha, is it about the time 4d100 users to move on these days? After 3 years with it I'm just moving on now to POG 100LB. Not really a logical coming from 4d100 but I used to use POG mid before and always wanted the LB.
I hit with LB first time this weekend and had a lot of adjusting to do. Actually cannot imagine how my game will end up with LB but the other guy felt more heaviness so it's a decent start. But 4d100 swings so fast and precise I could totally relax into the shot but bigger frame needs more reservation for precision but more power can be had when there's time. LB probably is not a recommendation after 4d100 but just a little bit of my experience. Good luck. I'm still keeping 4d100 around.
Some Wilson prostaff swings similar but larger head changes a lot of the small head characteristics IMO. And the flex and feel of 4d100 is not very common for most modern frames. It could be a bigger change than you wanted if I have to guess.
I hit with LB first time this weekend and had a lot of adjusting to do. Actually cannot imagine how my game will end up with LB but the other guy felt more heaviness so it's a decent start. But 4d100 swings so fast and precise I could totally relax into the shot but bigger frame needs more reservation for precision but more power can be had when there's time. LB probably is not a recommendation after 4d100 but just a little bit of my experience. Good luck. I'm still keeping 4d100 around.
Some Wilson prostaff swings similar but larger head changes a lot of the small head characteristics IMO. And the flex and feel of 4d100 is not very common for most modern frames. It could be a bigger change than you wanted if I have to guess.
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robbo1970
Hall of Fame
Wow, the Dunlop100 to a POG LB, thats quite jump, but past experience will help you I'm sure.
I'm about to give the Dunlop F100 a go. Same specs as the AD100 and I just couldn't resist giving it a go, it looks such fun.
Yeah the adjustment will take quite some time I fear but it's for the better for me to deal with bigger hitters.
F100? I'm not sure which racquet you're referring to..
OP, what about F 2.0 Tour? It's going for $99 too. A little more weight and swing weight and stiffer but overall not a huge difference in shape and size, 90 to 95. I was intrigued by that frame too but I wanted more of a change.
robbo1970
Hall of Fame
The F100 is part of the 'classic' range that Dunlop brought out, only in Europe I think. It's basically the first generation Biomimetic range but with slightly different paintjobs. Although I noticed that the F100 (which replaces the Bio100) has a swingweight of about 305 like the 4D100, whereas the Bio 100 had a swingweight of about 320.
Ok, I see. I also tried bio100 when demoing 4d100 and didn't find the SW difference that big of an issue for those two. IIRC, bio 100 felt stiffer and had less pure graphite plush feel, which is why I chose 4d100. If f100 is similar to 4d100 it should be a great racquet as long as the technique is there. I'd say go for it.
robbo1970
Hall of Fame
I do tend to string around the 50lbs mark otherwise I have found the Bio's to feel a bit board-like otherwise.
Yeah it should be a fun racquet to use. I used to have an old Yamaha racquet that was about an 80/85 head, similar weight to the F100 and hitting out with it was brilliant. It used to surprise me how easy it was to really swing with it and still keep the ball in and the accuracy with the smaller headed racquets is amazing. I will accept I am not always going to hit the sweet spot every time, but for the moments I do, it will make up for all the miss-hits
SteveI
Legend
Thanks all for your great comments. The Wilson pro staff 95 blx 2012 or the newer model seem to almost the same specs as the Dunlop AG 4D 100. There is just something in the Dunlop that is hard to describe and I am so impressed by how large the sweetspot is on that frame. I know I have seen that posted many times for other small headed frame.. but I say for certain it is true for the Dunlop AG 4D 100. I am also amazed on how much spin that little 90 sq inch head can produce. Power wise the frame can seem underpowered unless you string it on the low side with a nice soft powerful poly or something like TF X-1 17G.. then the frame just comes alive. Also the frame is just soooo solid when you connect with the ball. Using a Pure Drive will never produce that feeling..
robbo1970
Hall of Fame
Exactly. I've been leaning towards the smaller headed racquets as well and l actually find I get better spin with a smaller head than a larger one.
KarmaKorps
Rookie
To the OP, I would say the Dunlop 200 lite. It's a 95" with similar specs, including a fairly narrow beam.
Robbo, I hope you post your F100 experiences. I've been looking at it for about a year now.
I have two Bio100s and they're great fun. I put just 2 grams at 12 for a bit more mass on my serve. Didn't want to interfere with the free-swinging characteristic that I love so much.
Im intrigued by the potential softer feel of the F100 and the lower swingweight. My experience with spin is similar... I get a nice jump on the ball. Still playing with my PDR+ racquets and getting decent results, but I can hit my inside out forehand more accurately with the 100s. accuracy in general is simply better.
Robbo, I hope you post your F100 experiences. I've been looking at it for about a year now.
I have two Bio100s and they're great fun. I put just 2 grams at 12 for a bit more mass on my serve. Didn't want to interfere with the free-swinging characteristic that I love so much.
Im intrigued by the potential softer feel of the F100 and the lower swingweight. My experience with spin is similar... I get a nice jump on the ball. Still playing with my PDR+ racquets and getting decent results, but I can hit my inside out forehand more accurately with the 100s. accuracy in general is simply better.
robbo1970
Hall of Fame
Hopefully I'll get out with it at the weekend and I'll report back. Side by side the F100 is exactly the same mold as the Bio but with a different cosmetic and slightly lower swingweight so even more room for those who like to customise. Personally, I got it for its stock spec. I've mostly been playing with a 93 recently so the 90 head won't be an issue and I'm really looking forward to see how much control I can get. I know its going to be a lot of fun.
MT Dunlop
New User
I had played with my Dunlop F100 classic and with my Dunlop biomimetic 100 in nearly 2 years and I´m still in love with this frame. I didn´t find another frame with the same specs. Sometimes I play my old Max200g, but it´s very heavy to swing. With the Dunlop 100 I discover all the time new shots I can play what is really amazing.
J
joohan
Guest
I used to play with the 4D100 for over a year and I think that 300 series from Dunlop is an excellent suggestion.
P.S.: I've recently switched to Yonex Vcore 89T and after I've leaded up to my usual specs(the ones I use to have on the 4D100 as well), the 4D100 keeps popping up in my mind everytime I play. Not very helpful since it's ine discontinued frame for another, though...
kvan
Semi-Pro
I loved the AG 4D100 with a leather grip and a bit of lead at 3 and 9. What a maneuverable, controlled beast it was. Pretty good on spin, too, and the feel was nice—not too firm, but crisp. Used solinco tour bite and gosen og sheep micro in it while I had a fling with it. Hit some of my best ohbh's with it if I can recall, and it was no slouch on serve.
I now play the Babolat PS 16x19 (older model) and have been having an extended playtest with the Wilson RF97A. I'd say the RF97 is a much beefier, less maneuverable, more spin friendly version of the AG 4D100. I'll have to dig mine up from the closet and give it a side-by-side test.
I now play the Babolat PS 16x19 (older model) and have been having an extended playtest with the Wilson RF97A. I'd say the RF97 is a much beefier, less maneuverable, more spin friendly version of the AG 4D100. I'll have to dig mine up from the closet and give it a side-by-side test.
blackpearl2007
Semi-Pro
This! In my opinion, the best two racquets released by Dunlop over the last number of years. Awesome racquets that are very plush and I really never had to modify them.
robbo1970
Hall of Fame
Nice frames, but hefty.
The AG4D100 that the OP mentions has quite a low swingweight and is super whippy. The F100 I used specs out the same.
What made those frames fairly unique is that they offer ultimate control from the small head, but are lightening fast to move around.
For something similar to the AG4D100 but with a slightly larger head, you're looking at a handle weighted Dunlop 300, a Tec 315 Ltd or a PS95. They all retain that fairly low swingweight that the AG4D100 has.
MT Dunlop
New User
I tested now my F100 classic with tungsten tape from Wilson on 3 and 9 o'clock to get more stability in the frame, it plays wonderfull.
I love really this frame, all shots are possible and it plays smooth like butter.
I stringed one racquet with Dunlop Black Widow that plays smoothly on this frame with tension 25kg. And on my favorite and competition racquet I have stringed with MSV Hepta twist 18G and tension 23kg, it plays softly and you get a lot of touch out of the frame. I'm more of a controll freak and like to plays my balls on the lines instead to get power, and for this skill the frame workes well.
I love really this frame, all shots are possible and it plays smooth like butter.
I stringed one racquet with Dunlop Black Widow that plays smoothly on this frame with tension 25kg. And on my favorite and competition racquet I have stringed with MSV Hepta twist 18G and tension 23kg, it plays softly and you get a lot of touch out of the frame. I'm more of a controll freak and like to plays my balls on the lines instead to get power, and for this skill the frame workes well.
