Is the Pure Control Tour the plushest racquet of all time

Pneumated1

Hall of Fame
I doubt it. There are a handful of Princes that would be more plush. The C-10 Pro is more plush. What I appreciate about my PCTs is that they're traditionally plush with a crisp edge to them. That hint of modern strikes just the right balance for me, and I've found few frames to match it. The UT/UP, for instance, don't quite get there for me as legendary as they are. But it's more in the total package with the PCT. The feel is a traditional/modern combo, leaning toward the plush end of the scale, but the frame moves so well with more than adequate stability. It's a Swiss army knife that would (and has) still undoubtedly disappoint many.
 

Shaolin

Talk Tennis Guru
I hit with a PC swirly strung with Babolat Fibertour back in the day and it was the plushest thing Ive ever hit with.

Felt like a king size luxury mattress.
 

derick232

Rookie
I used to play with with the Pure Control, not the tour version, though I wouldn't have expected them to be that different given the same stiffness rating. I don't remember it being very plush compared to my wilson blade V7 or even my Yonex VPC. But perhaps compared to most babolat rackets which feel like a board to me it could be considered plush. I would assume the wilson Clash has got to be the plushiest based on its ridiculously low stiffness.
 

Pneumated1

Hall of Fame
I used to play with with the Pure Control, not the tour version, though I wouldn't have expected them to be that different given the same stiffness rating. I don't remember it being very plush compared to my wilson blade V7 or even my Yonex VPC. But perhaps compared to most babolat rackets which feel like a board to me it could be considered plush. I would assume the wilson Clash has got to be the plushiest based on its ridiculously low stiffness.

That V7 Blade is almost the gold standard for plush. Agree that the PCT is crisper than the V7 Blade but no less arm friendly, imo, with more sculpting potential.
 

10S-Junkie

Semi-Pro
I used to play with the PCT and PC95. 95 is more plush (58 stiffness rating) and still have it. PCT was a great racquet for its time but eventually switched to Prince and Yonex.
 

derick232

Rookie
That V7 Blade is almost the gold standard for plush. Agree that the PCT is crisper than the V7 Blade but no less arm friendly, imo, with more sculpting potential.
Very true, I love the feel of my V7 Blade. But I found my Yonex VCP 310 is a great mix of the softness of the blade and sculpting ability of the PC. Still, every once in a while I pull the blade back out and I'm just amazed at how great it feels.
 

MomentumGT

Semi-Pro
Head Premiere Tour Twin Tube is the most plush lol. The closest in the classic Head line up would be the PC600 mid but imo the Premiere Tour still beats it…At least from my collection. PT 280 and Radical Tour 260 MP aren’t even close but a case can be made for the Radical Tour OS string at lower tensions
 

Fintft

G.O.A.T.
Hasn't LeGads himself gone on record stating the Artengo is more about performance than feel? We're discussing a 'feel' frame here that boasts a goldilocks 16x20 and performance all its own. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
Artengo LeGads has great feel as well. And who are you, the Fuhrer?
 

Kozzy

Hall of Fame
PCT has great feel, but I don't think you could call it the plushest ever. It's a really great racquet, though!
 

SlowTiger

Professional
Softest racquet I can remember playing with us the blade 98S. Since the PCT and blade 98S aren't available anymore, what are the plushest racquets that are readily available now?
 

ShahofTennis

Hall of Fame
2014 Pure Control Tour was not as plush as people say. I personally believe it kind of toes the line between lively and being too muted, but its definitely not jarring.
 
D

Deleted member 775108

Guest
I beleive Prince Phantom 100 is plushest modern racquet I have tried (i have tried about 50 modern racquets). With a stiffish round string at lowish tension it will give you plushness, spin and ball pocketing for days.

Do not use a mushy soft poly string though because when it becomes too plush and you can lose feel on that string bed. If you want even plusher you need to go towards classic racquets.

r2-1+copy.jpg


The Pro Kennex Black Ace 300 is ultra plush but due to the kinetic beads doesnt sound plush (still feels plush) on touch shots and hard serves and when the sweet spot is missed.

pro-kennex-ki-black-ace-300-g_1~2.jpg


The Wilson Ultra Tour is very plush BUT the 18x20 string bed stiffness can make it feel not so when strung with something too stiff / too thick or Player doesnt have enough RHS.

wrt73721u_1.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

ariwibowo

Rookie
Played with Youtek IG Radical OS last week and I can feel the racquet bends every time I hit the ball, felt mushy. TW measured it with 58 RA.
 

Hulger

Semi-Pro
I just picked up a ‘16 PAVS, and its like a flexy marshmallow
Tried it briefly yesterday and you pretty much nailed the feeling above. Nonetheless, I had no control of the power and the launch angle decreases as the hitting speed increases like with most flexy racquets. Some might say it is a plush racquet but for me it felt like a toy.
 

TennisHound

Legend
Tried it briefly yesterday and you pretty much nailed the feeling above. Nonetheless, I had no control of the power and the launch angle decreases as the hitting speed increases like with most flexy racquets. Some might say it is a plush racquet but for me it felt like a toy.
Yeah, I don’t know how some of the pros use this thing.
 
Last edited:

Hulger

Semi-Pro
Played with Youtek IG Radical OS last week and I can feel the racquet bends every time I hit the ball, felt mushy. TW measured it with 58 RA.
Youtek Radical MP seems to have a rare type of flexing behaviour: it slings the ball at great speed after bending and the launch angle is pretty high and the ball trajectory loopy for 18x20. Also it doesn't feel mushy and you get suprisingly lot of information about the hit considering the low RA. It could actually be close to the definition of plushness among racquets.
Totally different than IG Prestige MP which plays stiffer but unexpectedly less powerful (even if the SW is matched) and the ball trajectory is straighter. Hard to figure out is the difference explained by the other one having CAPS which might stiffen the hoop or is it releated to different beam shape. I suspect the graphite material is pretty much the same. (Not a fan of racquet materials used by Head, but this youtek era was far less worse than the current.)
 

Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
Volkl C10 Pro, Pro Kennex Q Tour 325 and 315 2021 plus Angell K7 Red and PK black ace 2021 would be more plush. Prince Phantom Pro 100P also more plush,
I would say the Babolat Pure Control Tour would be comparable to the Wilson Ultra Pro.
 
Top