Help me choose the right Pure Strike

[CarolinaFang]

I tried the Pure Strike 18x20 with Polyester strings recently and it was the best racket I ever played with. Laser control, easy spin and I found it very easy to serve with. After an hour or two, though, I developed some wrist and shoulder pain that made me cry like an infant.

Since then, I tried the PS 100 with Multifilament strings and I didn't like it as much. Not as much control, but still better than the other 3 rackets I tried (Pure Drive, Clash, Blade)

Here is my question and my 3 top options:

1. Should I go with the PS 98 with 16x19 (which I have never even tried) with MultiFilament and pray that my arm pain was either the 18x20 pattern or the Poly string?
2. Should I settle for the PS 100 with multifilament?
3. I can choose some other flexible racket and demo it with polyester strings. (What if I was actually loving the Poly strings and not the racket at all?)

Is it possible the poly strings made that big of a difference and caused me the pain?

TiA,
Carolina

 

[BallBasher247]

I tried the Pure Strike 18x20 with Polyester strings recently and it was the best racket I ever played with. Laser control, easy spin and I found it very easy to serve with. After an hour or two, though, I developed some wrist and shoulder pain that made me cry like an infant.

Since then, I tried the PS 100 with Multifilament strings and I didn't like it as much. Not as much control, but still better than the other 3 rackets I tried (Pure Drive, Clash, Blade)

Here is my question and my 3 top options:

1. Should I go with the PS 98 with 16x19 (which I have never even tried) with MultiFilament and pray that my arm pain was either the 18x20 pattern or the Poly string?
2. Should I settle for the PS 100 with multifilament?
3. I can choose some other flexible racket and demo it with polyester strings. (What if I was actually loving the Poly strings and not the racket at all?)

Is it possible the poly strings made that big of a difference and caused me the pain?

TiA,
Carolina

You should probably try a few other rackets before committing to the Pure Strike. Those are known to cause arm issues because they're stiff and not sufficiently dampened; I have tested both the gen2 (in 18x20) and gen3 (in 16x19) and had elbow pain after sessions with both of them. The gen2 was also strung with multifilament. Multifilament strings help with arm pain, and stiff polyester strings should be avoided if you have a history of pain, but if you can find a racket comfortable enough to accommodate the strings you like, that's probably a better choice.

Some similar rackets to the Strike 18x20 to check out would be the Tecnifibre TFight 305 RS and Tecnifibre TF40 305.

-The 305 RS is stiff (67RA) and powerful like the Strike, but it's completely foam-filled so comfort is much better. It's also 18x19, so you'll get a little extra spin but not as much as 16x19.

-The TF40 305 is a bit more control-oriented than the Strike and RS with its 22mm flat beam and 18x20 string pattern. It's also pretty crisp (64RA), but it's a little softer than the Strike and it's very comfortable with its partial foam-filling. It plays similar to the Strike, just with a little less free power and a much better feel on contact.

 

[golden chicken]

TW demo program gives you the option to demo a racket with a multi or with a poly. You could even demo the same racket strung with different types of strings.

 

[ChanterRacquet]

I used the PS18x20 for a year because, as you’ve found out, it is an excellent 18x20 if not the best (I haven’t demoed all of them, but close!). I hated the 16x19. RPM Blast in the 18x20 while great, was for sure an arm killer. Multis in the 18x20 are fine.

I have switched to a 62 RA frame for arm reasons. I like soft co-poly like cyclone tour, same feel as multi but with better spin.

My PS18x20 was way underspec, so when I bought a Blade18x20 I was surprised at its heft since my PS was supposed to be the same. So my plan to fix the arm issue with the Blade failed because the swingweight of the blade was as listed on TW whereas my PS was way under, something I didn’t know until I needed to understand why they felt so different. Anyways, if you demoed an on-spec PS, the Blade18x20 is basically the same but softer. So there’s that.

 

[CarolinaFang]

I appreciate everyone's responses!

I found it very interesting that @ChanterRacquet found such a big difference between 18x20 and 16x19 string patterns.

And, I have already ordered some TF rackets to demo from TW per @BallBasher247 advice.

My plan going forward is to pay more attention to the actual kind of strings as well: it had not occurred to me that it is likely just as important to test different poly strings because I am learning that poly wears out quickly and not all poly is created equal.

I will be sure to update this thread when I make my final decision.

 

[socallefty]

I prefer the Pure Strike Tour - it is heavier, but as maneuverable as the lighter versions because it is balanced more headlight and has a similar SW. According to TW, the vibration frequency of 139 is 7-8 points lower than the lighter versions and this translates into much comfort.

I demoed all of them and selected the Pure Strike Tour - very happy playing with it for almost 2 years now with no injury issues.

 

[PrinceMoron]

PD VS is the way to go

 

[mhkeuns]

If you can handle the heft, I’d go with the Tour version as well, It’s just more stable but just as maneuverable, That said, my son absolutely loves his Pure Strike 16x19. We’d tried stringing one with full poly at 50 lbs and the other at 45 lbs (*17G). He likes it with lower tension because it feels more powerful and spinny without losing control. I did like the 18x20 a lot, but the 16x19 just felt a little softer, imo.

 

[Fairhit]

I had a little bit of TE a couple of years ago, the Pure Strike PO7 was the one that cured the pain.