Huge news about Federer's racket!!!

Fedace said:
not likely. I heard the new Federer model for 2012 is actually 90 square inch like his old frame. but i have heard that he was testing out the 92 or 93 sq inche frame. Not sure what happened to those. I don't think there is any Patent infraction here but Wilson was hesitant to go into this topic.
I think Roger is still testing out the 92 sq inche racket but not sure how that playtest is going. Everything right now is top secret as always with these matters..:???:
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Great info, thanks for posting.

Which do you think he was testing out here, the 93 inch (or 92??), or the new 95 inch?
http://www.menstennisblog.info/2011/07/photos-roger-federer-davis-cup-practice.html (ones with red t-shirt)
In half of the photos, it looks like a 95, in the other half it looks more like Dimitrov's.
 
fms said:
Great info, thanks for posting.

Which do you think he was testing out here, the 93 inch (or 92??), or the new 95 inch?
http://www.menstennisblog.info/2011/07/photos-roger-federer-davis-cup-practice.html (ones with red t-shirt)
In half of the photos, it looks like a 95, in the other half it looks more like Dimitrov's.
Click to expand...

It doesn't look like 95 sq inch to me. Head looks smaller than that. Look how long the throat and middle is. It looks like 92 or 93 sq inches from the pic. Impossible to tell which.
 
^ They're great shoes.. over 2oz. lighter than the regular barricades... and cheap!

Just because they're 'TEAM' doesn't mean they're not quality. They don't come with a six-month durability guarantee but who cares.
 
JoelDali said:
Yonex has patents on 92, 93 sqi stix.

Wilson has been flirting with patent Infractions for years.
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You're not being serious? Patents are granted for invention or discovery of any new and useful process/machine/manufacture/composition of an item, or an improvement of one.

Variations in size generally cannot be patented because a variation in size is not an invention per se (the same also applies to colour or weight). More importantly, an invention must be non-obvious to be approved for a patent. A 92 and 93sq in head size would surely be a completely obvious iteration of head size?

Regardless, design patents only last 14 years - which would mean when if a patent had been allowed? (some other patents last for 20 yrs)

nb: Yonex do have a patent on their distinctive head shape, possible because it is a fundamental design difference.
 
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Design patents can be issued for a variety of things. I remember a friend of mine telling me that when his company was defending the use of golf-ball style dimples on bicycle wheels that their lawyer cited early patents issued for a paper-clip and a slightly larger paper-clip. If that doesn't hit the obviousness button, then I don't know what does. That said, there has been a bit of a crackdown in recent year as to what constitutes obviousness - it is harder to get around this than in the past.

All things considered, I would have to imagine that if there was a patent issued on the strict size of 92 inches, that the addition of a fraction of an inch would get around it. Design patents are extremely specific, and almost any deviation from the exact spec of the patent is enough to be non-infringing. It's why we don't patent a lot of design stuff that we make. Sure we have something original that we could patent, but changing the spec my a fraction of a millimeter in a couple places would be enough to get around it. If Head had a patent on 630 racket heads, then making a 631 should be enough to get around the patent which means adding about a millimeter to the overall width and height of the head of the racket (actually that may be more than 1 sq. cm.) - certainly not enough to make a functional difference.

Utility patents are different and much more broad, but those are only issued for something that is a significantly unique design and not a matter of increment.

Of course all of this is dependent on your patent lawyer, your willingness to litigate, and the whims of the USPTO (in the US anyway). Truth be told - we've yet to file a patent where all of our claims were not first accepted, then all rejected, then all accepted and the patent issued after some abuse from our lawyer. It seems like a dumb game to me, probably set up so that people with more money and better lawyers are able to get the patents. The firm that we work with does a soup-to-nuts price on our stuff, so it doesn't matter to me how much they have to go back and forth with the patent office...
 
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klementine79 said:
^ They're great shoes.. over 2oz. lighter than the regular barricades... and cheap!

Just because they're 'TEAM' doesn't mean they're not quality. They don't come with a six-month durability guarantee but who cares.
Click to expand...

I just bought a pair of these Barricade Teams yesterday, and I am impressed as to how good they feel.
 
Fedace said:
It doesn't look like 95 sq inch to me. Head looks smaller than that. Look how long the throat and middle is. It looks like 92 or 93 sq inches from the pic. Impossible to tell which.
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So, from photos the size of a cellphone taken on an oblique angle you can spot a 3mm variance in hoop size?

Haven't we done this before with the string counting thing etc?... where people swore there were definitely 18 mains despite all the photos only having 16.

I can tell you why it's impossible to tell which head size it is out of 92 and 93 sq inches... Because it's a 90. The same frame he's been using.
 
Fed String Tension

I know this thread is about Fed's racquet, and so I hope this isn't off-topic.

Does he really string it at around 47lbs? I came across this article recently on string tension and tennis elbow exercises, and - in it - it quotes Fed's racquet tension in that range.

I'm going to go ahead and say that's bs. How is it even possible to play with a tension that low?
 
Waluigi said:
Does he really string it at around 47lbs?

I'm going to go ahead and say that's bs. How is it even possible to play with a tension that low?
Click to expand...
He does string at pretty low tensions.

21.5-22.5kg (or 47-49.5 pounds) for the mains and the crosses are a little looser as they're poly (and shorter spans). No doubt he strings slightly loser on clay and tighter for faster hard/indoor courts.

Some of his older frames with tension stickers on them...
DSC00636.JPG
 
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AlpineCadet said:
I can't post pictures, I might get banned.. so, even through PRIVATE EMAILS and whatnot, I just can't do it. Trust me, I am telling the truth. :oops::oops::oops: BTW, fail.
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ah my friend. unlike you when i tell someone i am going to or not going to do something, i stick to my word. it's called being a trustworthy guy. try it sometime.
 
zapvor said:
ah my friend. unlike you when i tell someone i am going to or not going to do something, i stick to my word. it's called being a trustworthy guy. try it sometime.
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what a JOKE!!!
YOU!!?? Trustworthy??
Try taking some of the medicine you are prescribing, Zapvor.
 
Bobby Jr said:
He does string at pretty low tensions.

21.5-22.5kg (or 47-49.5 pounds) for the mains and the crosses are a little looser as they're poly (and shorter spans). No doubt he strings slightly loser on clay and tighter for faster hard/indoor courts.

Some of his older frames with tension stickers on them...
DSC00636.JPG
Click to expand...

I think it's important to keep in mind that Federer's strings, including both the gut and poly, were pre-stretched before being strung. And after they were strung by the good people of P1, they are played within a limited number of hours. Left for too long, like more than a day, the strings were probably cut out. So that's why they were strung so low.

So I don't think people should look at this and say "Wow, Fed strung so low, perhaps I should too!"
 
Waluigi said:
I know this thread is about Fed's racquet, and so I hope this isn't off-topic.

Does he really string it at around 47lbs? I came across this article recently on string tension and tennis elbow exercises, and - in it - it quotes Fed's racquet tension in that range.

I'm going to go ahead and say that's bs. How is it even possible to play with a tension that low?
Click to expand...
It's true. Sometimes Federer strings even lower than 47lbs depending on the surface and climate.

You've obviously never read this thread: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=319527
 
2Hare said:
I think it's important to keep in mind that Federer's strings, including both the gut and poly, were pre-stretched before being strung. And after they were strung by the good people of P1, they are played within a limited number of hours. Left for too long, like more than a day, the strings were probably cut out. So that's why they were strung so low.

So I don't think people should look at this and say "Wow, Fed strung so low, perhaps I should too!"
Click to expand...
Proof please?
 
What would be sad is if Federer changed racket and all the wannabees changed too, even after professing undying love for the BLX 90.

Hope Roger lives to 100, I am off to buy shares in the company that makes Weed racquets.
 
PrinceMoron said:
What would be sad is if Federer changed racket and all the wannabees changed too, even after professing undying love for the BLX 90.

Hope Roger lives to 100, I am off to buy shares in the company that makes Weed racquets.
Click to expand...

I dont think there is as much love for the BLX90 compared to the k90...

Most are gonna get the PSBLX95 Tour Purely because:
- 18mm Box Beam
- 16x19 (Fairly Open Pattern)
- 7pts HL.

Find me another racquet with the same specs on the market atm...
 
So when does this new line come out? I noticed TW already has the BLX lines discounted.
 
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RF20Lennon said:
he was using a 90 sq in lol he didnt try out anything
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I guess that rumors had it how federer tried out larger headsize just because there are now larger variations of his own 90, now coming in 95 and 100. He obviously won't give up his legendary ps six one 90.
 
Are they just updated PJ's?
They're still BLX right?
They look very nice in my opinion!
Which are the new BLX Tours? (Nishikori/Kvitova frames).
 
Have none of you realized that the majority of people who pipe up on these boards about new PJs only have bad things to say about them. You are all going to complain about these PJs, and you'll complain about the next generation as well. "Why can'y we just have flat black PJs?" Why? Because that's boring and I'm sure more people in the mainsteam market would complain about that. Wait to hit with the racquet. If you like it, you like it; if you don't, you don't.
 
The Djoker said:
Have none of you realized that the majority of people who pipe up on these boards about new PJs only have bad things to say about them. You are all going to complain about these PJs, and you'll complain about the next generation as well. "Why can'y we just have flat black PJs?" Why? Because that's boring and I'm sure more people in the mainsteam market would complain about that. Wait to hit with the racquet. If you like it, you like it; if you don't, you don't.
Click to expand...

Sounds like somebody has never played with a true classic frame and appreciate their simplistic, non-pretentious, and gorgeous.

Wilson Pro Staff Original 6.0
Head Prestige Classic 600
Prince Original Graphite
 
I hit with 12 of the newest wilson rackets over this entire past weekend. I evaluated every frame. I can post the rating scale I came up with if anyone is interested. Bottom line: Wilson has launched a full on assault upon Babolats #1 market share. Will it succeed? TBD.
 
Stevo Karlovic said:
I hit with 12 of the newest wilson rackets over this entire past weekend. I evaluated every frame. I can post the rating scale I came up with if anyone is interested. Bottom line: Wilson has launched a full on assault upon Babolats #1 market share. Will it succeed? TBD.
Click to expand...
Yes, please do tell. Especially if you have a review of the new PS BLX 95. :)
 
Stevo Karlovic said:
I hit with 12 of the newest wilson rackets over this entire past weekend. I evaluated every frame. I can post the rating scale I came up with if anyone is interested. Bottom line: Wilson has launched a full on assault upon Babolats #1 market share. Will it succeed? TBD.
Click to expand...

Please don't tell me Wilson made the Pro Staffs with a RA rating of 70 and above, and turned them into rocket launchers. :(
 
KHSOLO said:
I love my 4 BLX .90s, why should i even consider changing?
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I recently switched to the blx90 and like you, i love them... But sometimes I'm not too crazy about the lollipop/busy paintjob. I switched to the blx90 as part of my 2months long demo. It's very difficult to swing a Pro Staff after 10years with a Prestige.

Yes, I'm thinking about switching because of the paintjob.
 
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