Hyper ProStaff 6.1 or nCode nSix-One?

B

Benjamin

Rookie
I recently (about 2 weeks ago) switched from Prince Original Graphite Mid to my old Wilson Hyper ProStaff 6.1 95 (more power, same control, better serves, better volleys).

Last night I had a chance to demo the Wilson nCode nSix-One 95 for the first time. I was hoping that it would play exactly like my Hyper Pro Staff with just a slightly lighter feel (that's what the reviews and specs would indicate).

What I found was a racquet that played A LOT different than my HPS 6.1.

The nSix-One 95 seemed to have less power (even though everything I had read said it had more, the ball landed shorter that what I achieve with my HPS 6.1), less control, a MUCH more ‘plush’ feel, and less spin potential than my HPS 6.1.

I use Kirschbaum Super Smash Honey 17g in my Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 (63 pounds) while the nSix-One 95 demo had Wilson NXT Max 16g string in it (probably around 57 pounds).

I am wondering if I should: Go with the nCode nSix-One 95 and hope that when I put Kirschbaum Super Smash Honey 17g in it (and bump the tension up to at least 60 pounds) that it will in fact play like a slightly lighter version of my HPS 6.1.......OR......If I should find some Hyper Pro Staff 6.1 racquets (I'm sure some place has one or two left---last time I saw them they were $120) and purchase one or two of them instead of the nCode nSix-One 95.

To anyone who has tried both of these racquets, or anyone who has an opinion on this, please offer me your advice/comments/thoughts.

Thanks.

Benjamin
 
a number of people on this board have said that the ncode 95 and ncode 90 play well only with gut or some type of gut hybrid. if somehow you can get hold of an ncode and restring it and test it that'd be cool. you might find what you're looking for when you string it with gut
 
I've played a few years with the HPS6.1 and have played with the nCode95 for a few months.

I found the nCode95 is string sensitive. With 16g gut at 60lbs, I had problems controlling the ball (too much power). When strung with Prince Syn Gut at both 65 and 62, it played with slightly more power than my similarly strung HPS6.1.

Overall, for me the nCode95 plays pretty similarly to the HPS6.1 with the nCode95 having these differences:
- more power, bigger sweetspot with excellent control.
- more solid feel, less vibration. Easier on the arm.
- slightly more muted, but for me, the feel (touch shots) is good.
- maybe slightly more swingweight than HPS6.1, but my nCode95 is weighted slightly at 3 & 9.
- I seem to serve slightly better with the HPS6.1 because I think it's a bit easier to generate racket head speed and wristsnap with the HPS6.1.

I only have one nCode95, which is now my regular stick. When I break a string, I have no adjustment problem going with the HPS6.1. Both sticks suit my game well (all court with a premium on consistancy - hitting out with control)
 
SC in MA,

Thanks for the response and the additional comparison...it's a great help.

The big thing (which probably seems like a small thing to most) is the "more muted" feel. Being a guy who's used at "players" racquet since I purchased my first Wilson Pro Staff (circa 1984), the muted feel is a strange feeling to me. It just seems like I lose the feel for the ball when each shot is so muted. I find that it really effects (or is it affects?) the depth on my topspin shots....a more muted feel 99% of the time means a shorter ball {for me}.

With the HPS I feel like I swing out and know exactly how much spin I've got on the ball and it lands very close to the baseline. For 2 or 3 games the other night I looked (at least this is what the 10 or so guys on the courts near me said) like a 6.0 player. Obviously after those game I woke up.

Is the recommended tension on the nCode 50-60 pounds? This seems low to me when I'm used to having my HPS strung at 63 pounds...especially since the nSix-One is supposed to have even more power than the HPS 6.1

I've only tried the nSix-One for one night but it seemed as though I was able to get much more topspin and slice (again, it may have been the difference in string) with the Hyper Pro Staff...do you find this to be true?

Thanks again for your comments.

Benjamin
 
why do u care to switch if it seems to be giving you so much trouble?? It doen'st sound like the ncode winning you over at all.
 
Benjamin, you've got to string them identically to really properly evaluate these rackets. The demo you have is probably strung closer to 55 (maybe less with typical syn gut tension loss). You can't make a legitimate comparison unless you string them the same.

I agree with one of the posters above that says the Ncode is a bit more string sensitive. I've got mine at 60 with syn gut but I will be going up to 62 (which is where I strung my HPS61's).

All in all I think the HPS61 is very slightly more solid feeling than the Ncode6195 but the Ncode is slightly more manueverable and somehow softer feeling. Otherwise they are very close in each category. Also, FWIW the HPS61 hurt my arm after a while and so far the Ncode version has not.
 
TennisBoy,

There were/are two main reasons I was looking to switch to the nCode nSix-One 95: 1) according to the specs it looked as though it would play almost identical to the Hyper ProStaff 6.1 but in a slightly lighter, more maneuverable, package; and 2) it looks as though the Wilson Hyper ProStaff 6.1 has been discontinued (have only found it one place on line) so I thought that if I were to get another "back up" racquet, I maybe should go with something that I can get a replacement for.

rooski,

I'm a little put off by the fact that the nCode is supposed to be more powerful than the HPS 6.1 yet it's recommended stringing tension has been dropped 5 pounds. 60 pounds seems a little loose when I'm used to 63 with poly in my HPS 6.1. I agree that the nCode is a "softer" feeling racquet (which is something I usually steer away from...I hate that "mushy" feeling)...I'm just wondering how much "softer" it would play than the HPS 6.1 if the nCode had some poly in it.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Benjamin
 
have you tried **** or online auction in general?? They usually offer pretty competitive prices and often times they're ujst online distributors. I actually play with the hyper prostaff. I picked up a pair recently at city sports since they're having a blow out on them due to its discontinuance. See if you can catch a deal here or there.
 
Benjamin, I probably missed a thread along the way, but what happened to your very positive reactions to the Diablo Mid? At the end of the day did you decide that your HPS 6.1 was preferable? I've played with both, so curious.
 
backhand,

I had decided that the Diablo Mid was a new and improved version of my POG mid. I had almost ordered it about 3 weeks ago but a buddy of mine said that he wanted me to order him two demos (don't know why he couldn't do it himselft) and he would pay for me two demos. I decided to hold off on the Diablo Mid and try out the nCode nSix-One 95 just for the heck of it. So ordered the nSix One and the Diablo Mid so I could try them side by side. Unfortunately (but understandably) it took me three weeks to get the demos in.

In that three weeks I decided to pull the Hyper ProStaff 6.1 out of the closet just for the heck of it. I've been using it the last two weeks and have been playing EXTREMELY well---probably the best tennis I've played in years. The HPS 6.1 has give me more power (I've had more aces in the past two weeks than I have in the past two years prior to picking up the HPS again), better control, better volleys, and better serves than my POG mid.

In comparing the Hyper ProStaff 6.1 (or nCode nSix-One 95 for that matter) to the Diablo mid side by side it is just no contest. I played a set the other night with the nCode and then switched over to the Diablo mid and the difference in power was amazing. I just couldn't not get the ball deep in the court with the Diablo mid. It seems as though the Diablo mid (and now that I'm playing so well with the HPS 6.1) and POG mid are out of the picture for a while.

So now it boils down to either going with the nCode nSix-One 95 and hoping that putting Kirschbaum in it will make it play like a lighter HPS 6.1 or else going with another HPS 6.1.

Benjamin
 
ben, let me know how it goes with the kirschbaum in the n6.1 95. i normally play the 17g competition. i hit the n6.1 95 with some mushy old synthetic that didn't do it any favors but still liked it enough to entertain the idea that i could play it with some good poly or gut hybrid.

thanks
 
Benjamin said:
rooski,

I'm a little put off by the fact that the nCode is supposed to be more powerful than the HPS 6.1 yet it's recommended stringing tension has been dropped 5 pounds. 60 pounds seems a little loose when I'm used to 63 with poly in my HPS 6.1. I agree that the nCode is a "softer" feeling racquet (which is something I usually steer away from...I hate that "mushy" feeling)...I'm just wondering how much "softer" it would play than the HPS 6.1 if the nCode had some poly in it.

Thanks again for everyone's help.

Benjamin
Click to expand...

I don't think the Ncode is really more powerful than the HPS but with it's slightly more open string pattern is does seem more lively (more dwell time). All I am suggesting is that you string up the Ncode6195 the same way as you do your HPS61 and then make the call. I strung my HPS's at 62-63 as well and even though I loved the playability, the racket hurt my arm which is why I'm using the softer Ncode at 60.

I'm not sure why the tension range for the Ncode is lower than for the HPS but I can't imagine that stringing one up at 63 is gonna hurt it.
 
Benjamin said:
I don't think TW would be happy with my restringing their demo :D

Benjamin
Click to expand...

Then you could restring your HPS 6.1 with the same string and tension as the TW demo for a "fair" comparison, athough they other way around would have been better of course.
 
Benjamin said:
I don't think TW would be happy with my restringing their demo :D

Benjamin
Click to expand...

Call them and ask them. It sounds to me like you've been a pretty good customer (be sure to bring this up) and a properly strung racket could mean the difference between a sale and a no-sale. It's worth a try.

I demoed my NCode6195 locally (pro shop) and asked them to restring the racket with my strings (I brought in a pack of PSGwDF) at my tension. They didn't even flinch. I wouldn't have pulled the trigger on the NC6195 based on my first hit with mid range demo strings.
 
I would say you can string it up to 65 and it will be fine. There's a post about this in the TW Questions/Comments section, and TW said that Wilson changed its player racquet stringing recommendations to 50-60 for all racquets I believe. They changed the recommendation for the HPS 6.1 to 50-60, and when I asked TW if it was okay to still string it at 64 lbs, they said it was.
 
Benjamin, thanks for the update. Surprised you found the HPS so much more powerful than the Diablo; my own experience is the opposite. Hunch that the HPS gives you more usable power because it's livelier, more forgiving. My Diablo makes Big Power - like a PD - around the sweetspot, but off axis hits feel muffled, die young. I'd probably still be using a HPS if my elbow were made of titanium. Looking forward to your thoughts on the nCode.
 
backhand,

My initial impressions of the nSix-One are not favorable. I thought it would be a slightly lighter Hyper ProStaff 6.1 but I'm finding I have way less spin potential, less control, and less power with the nSix-One. I'll know a lot more once I play two huge doubles matches (to see if we go to the state competition) this weekend with it.

Benjamin
 
Benjamin said:
backhand,

My initial impressions of the nSix-One are not favorable. I thought it would be a slightly lighter Hyper ProStaff 6.1 but I'm finding I have way less spin potential, less control, and less power with the nSix-One. I'll know a lot more once I play two huge doubles matches (to see if we go to the state competition) this weekend with it.

Benjamin
Click to expand...

My last comment on this thread...YOU CAN'T JUDGE THE NSIXONE 95 VS. THE HPS61 WITH SUCH A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN STRING SET UPS. If you are afraid to call TW and ask to restring the Ncode6195, then string your HPS61 at 54 with dead syn gut and see how well it plays. Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference when you get the Ncode strung correctly.

BTW....I get huge spin (better than HPS), the same control and about the same power with the Ncode. All of this in a softer, slightly more arm friendly package. Speaking of flex....I get a little bit better feel on drop shots and drop volleys than with the HPS.

FWIW....I'm a 43yo 5.0-5.5 all court player; SW FH, 1H BH. Currently playing the Ncode 6195 w/ PSGw/DF 16g at 60 lbs (probably will go to 62 soon if my arm stays happy)
 
rooski,

I agree....an 8 pound difference in tension and Kirschbaum vs. Wilson NXT will make a huge difference. backhand just said he looked forward to my comments so I gave him my 'initial' impressions. I'm seriously considering the purchase of an nSix-One 95 and hoping that putting Kirschbaum or Luxilon in it and stringing it tighter will give me what I'm looking for when changing from my Hyper 6.1. Just a little nervous because I know I like the Hyper ProStaff 6.1 and can get it for $119. I 'think' I'd like the nSix-One 95 at $180 if it were strung differently but I'm not 100% sure.

Benjamin
 
Benjamin,

I agree with and endorse Rooski's comments. I, too, have hit with both frames and now own an nCode Six-One 95. Mine is strung with VS Thermogut 16 at 60 pounds. To me, the nCode is far superior to the HPS 6.1 with the only exception being that the nCode is less "crisp" than the HPS 6.1. However, that's more of a preference and really doesn't affect the playability of the racquet.

I agree with everyone that the nCode is very tension sensitive. Strung at 55 pounds I could not control the power, and I have more of a medium stroke. At 60 pounds the power level is just right, even sometimes a little high. But I have gut in the racquet so that probably accounts for the power. Most of the time the power and control are perfectly blended.

Another big seller for me is the gentleness of the nCode on the body. I have had ZERO arm and elbow soreness with the nCode going on a month strong now. I don't recall too many racquets, and I've used hundreds, that have been that easy on the body.

My impressions have been that the nCode has the same or slightly better spin than the HPS 6.1, same control, and a bit more power, most definitely in a softer, gentler, more arm friendly package.

By way of comparison, the Diablo Mid was a bit too underpowered for me, and the Diablo MP had way too much power, felt unstable, and lacked feel.
 
I played the HPS6.1 18X20 in the UK. Gave me arm issues. I have just switched to Ncode 95 from my Tour90/Ncode90. Very comfy frame and provides topspin on demand. Strung with gut at 62lbs - It feels great.
 
tkoets,

Thanks for your opinions and comments on the nCode nSix-One.

The one thing that I dislike in a racquet is a "mushy" feel. For some reason I don't seem to "feel" the ball on the strings as well when there is not a crisp feel. I don't think the nSix-One is really "mushy", but it does have a much softer feel than my Hyper ProStaff. Just a little too soft for my taste (with the Wilson NXT Max 16g string that is in the demo).

Do you think if I were to string it with my typical string (either Kirschbaum Super Smash Honey 17 or Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power 16L) at say 62 pounds (I typically string my HPS 6.1 at 63 with the Kirschbaum), I'd get rid of that "softer" feel and have more spin potential at the same time?

Thanks again for your comments.

Benjamin
 
Benjamin,

When mine was strung around 55-53 pounds, I thought it felt too soft and mushy. But 16g natural gut at 60 pounds definitely feels more crisp in comparison. And gut is a softer string, so yeah, I would think that it would be crisper at that tension and with that kind of string. The big question is, will it feel crisp enough to suit your tastes. Unfortunately, that's a tough call that I guess there's no way to find out until you try.

The nCode is certainly not as "crisp" as the POG Mid. I understand where you're coming from, since I like a crisper feel as well. But at the higher tension and thicker string, I do find it crisp enough for my liking. It's barely over the "acceptable" threshold for me, mind you, but I'm satisfied. Where you place that limit is, of course, a matter of personal preference.

Do keep us posted on what you decide. I think either way you wouldn't go wrong. If you go for the HPS 6.1, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to get 2-3 of them and some extra grommet sets to be safe.

Tim
 
You can string the Pro Staff 6.1 as tight as you want. I had two 6.1's that I strung at 75 lbs. and had no problems whatsoever. Since the 6.1's had two much power even at 75 lbs. I switched to the Tour 90's which really kick some booty.
 
BTW...I've hit w/the nCode 6.1 90 w/multifilament, and it played absolutely wonderfully...this "only w/gut" commentary one these racquets is just silly...
 
Hmmm. I've used the HPS 6.1 since shortly after it came out and recently switched to the NCode 6.1 because I wanted a stick that was a bit more maneuverable at net. The two racquets aren't identical in terms of feel and play in my experience. Ben has described the NCode as mushy, but I don't quite think that's right. It's really more muted than mushy, IMHO. The HPS has a really unique feeling on impact that I'd describe as "poppy" when you hit the sweet spot. I also think that I lost some zip on my serve when I switched over to the NCode--not a lot, but it's still noticeable to me. What I gained was at net, where I always felt the HPS was just a tad slow. In all honesty, I've been playing with the NCode since mid-July, and it's taken me until now to really settle in and get comfortable with it. My groundstrokes (okay, the forehand) have turned out to be awfully sensitive to string/tension. I had to actually drop tension on the NCode to get similar play to the HPS--from 59 to 55 lbs. I also find that I like Sensation better than NXT in this frame. Now, it's getting to the point where I don't think about the stick in my hand, so it's probably going to be a keeper for me.
 
Fair comparison

As an old golf clubmaker, I can tell you that the human
body is enormously sensitive to very small changes
in weight and balance. The weight of a dollar bill can
be felt by a good amateur golfer and change the way
a club feels and swings.

So too with tennis racquets. Without identical stringing,
you really cannot make a fair comparison.

Furthermore, even then you still have the many possibilities for
tuning with lead tape (assuming the stick is not already
too heavy in the 3rd set)
And of course, different string tensions will change the
way it plays; If you can send your ego on a vacation,
54 pounds might pleasantly surprise you.

Dont give up on a racquet you are interested in until
you have tried the many options available to customize
it to your particuar preferences ....power,stability, touch,
control, etc.
 
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