JackB1's 11oz Racquet Corner

[JackB1]

Since I have found my preferred specs and are sticking to them, I figured I would keep my thoughts on these racquets in one thread, since most guys interested in these spec'd racquets might be interested in other similar racquets.

My preferred specs are as follows:

300 grams unstrung (11-11.3 oz strung)
4 pts headlite (give or take 1)
swingweight 315-325
beam width 21-25mm
stiffness 65

My current favorite (and has been for over a month) is the latest, Prince Warrior 100 Pro. I didn't "wow" me, but I just feel so comfortable with it in my hands and it has worked well for me. I won a tough 3 setter last night in a league 4.0 singles match and I felt really dialed in with it. It is just great all around for me and lets me play different styles depending on what is working against my opponent.

Last night I was staying at the baseline for most of the 1st 2 sets, which went 7-6, 5-7. My opponent was very steady and liked to loop shots deep into my backhand corner. He didn't have a reliable backhand, so my initial strategy was to pound his backhand with groundies. This worked, but after losing a close 2nd set, I decided to change it up. I started chipping and charging more and coming to the net at various times. I used more droppers and short balls and I got him away from the crosscourt rallying. This really worked well and I won the last set 6-1. The Warrior Pro really worked well at either stlye and my serve stayed solid and steady. All in all, I was very please with the win and the racquet.

Others I am currently looking at are the Dunlop M 4.0 and the Gamma 100M.
The Gamma is really a nice racquet and the one I "want" to be my favorite. It has such a nice solid feel on the ball and delivers easy power and a friendly sweet spot. It's only downside for me right now, is it feels slightly sluggish compared the the Warrior and I don't have the confidence with it that I do with the Warrior. It's also a little harder to control and doesn't have the easy touch shots that I have with the Prince. Coincidentally, the Gamma has the same exact specs as the Warrior Pro. No wonder I like it!

The Dunlop M 4.0 is next up for a little testing. I only warmed up with it briefly last night and it felt promising. Same specs pretty much as the Warrior Pro and the Gamma, but a little lighter in stock form (about 5-7 grams). My demo is strung with full Dunlop Silk multi (which I hate), so I have to take that into account. Everything felt good...power, swingweight, etc. but I need more time with it and to see how it serves and plays during points. More on this one to come.....

Anyway, I hope to keep updating my "adventures" here and will throw in some match related news or other ramblings, so hopefully you will enjoy reading about what's going on in my tennis world I'll try and update this thread often, so stay tuned.

Going to meet up with fellow forum member "Dimcorner" tomorrow for a hit, so that should be fun. Taking tonite off to recover from my 3 setter last night (it went 2 hrs and 45 mins) and hopefully will be fresh Sat morning.

 

[LeeD]

Got's 9 of 'em...
2 4DAerogel300's.
2 Bio300T's weighted with 12" of 1/4" lead tape at 10-2 and half that under the grip.
3 Aero500's weighted as above.
1 HeadMGRad but OS
1 Prince SharkO3 but OS.

 

[TimothyO]

Jack,

Are those target specs for stock or modded?

I've also settled on a set of target specs but have also learned that it's easier for me to pick something "under spec" with respect to weight, etc. and then mod up to something that works.

After roughly two years with the Pure Storm GT I switched this week to the Pro Staff 95. It wasn't until I tweaked them to something that works that I decided to make the switch. Those tweaks included lead at 10/2, lead under the grip, a replacement grip that that I trimmed to fit my 1HBH, and I swapped out the Wilson butt caps for Technifibre butt caps as they're more comfortable with rounded flared ends.

I've demo'd a bunch of frames in stock form and finally accepted the fact that I'd only be happy with something modded to exactly what I wanted.

 

[Nostradamus]

I prefer 10 points head light with above specs. that is perfection.

Babolat pure drive
babolat aero pro drive
Yonex
Wilson Blade Williams sisters

 

[JackB1]

Jack,

Are those target specs for stock or modded?

I've also settled on a set of target specs but have also learned that it's easier for me to pick something "under spec" with respect to weight, etc. and then mod up to something that works.

After roughly two years with the Pure Storm GT I switched this week to the Pro Staff 95. It wasn't until I tweaked them to something that works that I decided to make the switch. Those tweaks included lead at 10/2, lead under the grip, a replacement grip that that I trimmed to fit my 1HBH, and I swapped out the Wilson butt caps for Technifibre butt caps as they're more comfortable with rounded flared ends.

I've demo'd a bunch of frames in stock form and finally accepted the fact that I'd only be happy with something modded to exactly what I wanted.

those are just my general preferred specs. Not exact numbers. My Warrior Pro's are both stock and weight 330 grams strung. I usually only mod if needed. I agree its much easier to buy under spec and mod it up until it's perfect. Too many wild fluctuations in specs these days to count on a racquet coming it at advertised specs.

Good luck with the PS95. Its a great racquet. I often pick one up just for a demo hit. Its light enough to not be demanding and the sweet spot feels oh so sweet. Just too demanding for me to use in match situations.

 

[Nostradamus]

those are just my general preferred specs. Not exact numbers. My Warrior Pro's are both stock and weight 330 grams strung. I usually only mod if needed. I agree its much easier to buy under spec and mod it up until it's perfect. Too many wild fluctuations in specs these days to count on a racquet coming it at advertised specs.

Good luck with the PS95. Its a great racquet. I often pick one up just for a demo hit. Its light enough to not be demanding and the sweet spot feels oh so sweet. Just too demanding for me to use in match situations.

what do you think of William sister racket, blade 104? would it fit into one of your best rackets ever in this category ?

 

[TimothyO]

those are just my general preferred specs. Not exact numbers. My Warrior Pro's are both stock and weight 330 grams strung. I usually only mod if needed. I agree its much easier to buy under spec and mod it up until it's perfect. Too many wild fluctuations in specs these days to count on a racquet coming it at advertised specs.

Good luck with the PS95. Its a great racquet. I often pick one up just for a demo hit. Its light enough to not be demanding and the sweet spot feels oh so sweet. Just too demanding for me to use in match situations.

It's definitely more demanding than the Pure Storms which are extremely user friendly but the extra weight and soft gut mains enlarge the sweet spot enough to make it surprisingly forgiving if not idiot proof. I wasn't prepared to switch until I got a win which happened earlier this week. And to do that it took quite a bit of trial and error. I had nearly given up on the frame for match purposes but the tweaks finally worked.

 

[Winners or Errors]

I prefer 10 points head light with above specs. that is perfection.

Babolat pure drive
babolat aero pro drive
Yonex
Wilson Blade Williams sisters

How'd you set up the Pure Drive and APD for those specs?

 

[BlueB]

My preferred specs are as follows:

300 grams unstrung (11-11.3 oz strung)
4 pts headlite (give or take 1)
swingweight 315-325
beam width 21-25mm
stiffness 65

These are nice specs, I can play with that out of the box. I'd normally add an over grip and just a bit to the handle and end up about 6hl and close to 330g strung.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I thought you were using the Ai 100?

 

[JackB1]

These are nice specs, I can play with that out of the box. I'd normally add an over grip and just a bit to the handle and end up about 6hl and close to 330g strung.

Almost any 300 gram racquet I choose, winds up near 330 grams after strings, overgrip and dampener. My choice of overgrip weighs 8=10 grams. I love Gamma SuperSoft overgrips. Perfect blend of tack and cushion.

 

[JackB1]

I thought you were using the Ai 100?

I was, but I got distracted and moved on. I liked the AI100 but never cared for the very dampened feel of it. Much prefer my Warrior Pro.

 

[JackB1]

Got to meet and hit with "Dimcorner" this morning. Super nice guy and a solid tennis player. Has very nice looking strokes and a solid serve (great motion). We played some points and a set. Took some video too.

He was also quite impressed with the Warrior Pro. Its funny, but so far about 5 other guys have tried it and they all really liked it. He didn't like my Gamma Rzr 100M as much. We seem to like the same racquet specs and he's currently using a Pure Drive.

 

[BlueB]

Almost any 300 gram racquet I choose, winds up near 330 grams after strings, overgrip and dampener. My choice of overgrip weighs 8=10 grams. I love Gamma SuperSoft overgrips. Perfect blend of tack and cushion.

This morning I loaded my O3 White to 335g, 321sw, 8hl. Plays like a dream. I might have lost a bit of RHS on the serve, though.

 

[JackB1]

This morning I loaded my O3 White to 335g, 321sw, 8hl. Plays like a dream. I might have lost a bit of RHS on the serve, though.

321 sw and 8 pts headlie should be pretty whippy. Just give it some time to adjust or back off about 5 grams.

 

[BlueB]

I had it at 328g, 321sw, and just over 6hl, before this last mod.

My backup is still at 325g, 317sw and somewhat over 5hl. Hits loopy ball and is easy to serve with, but can not crush the ball like the heavier version. As soon as I get some more lead, I'll load that one up too.

Funny, my Mrs played identical specs as my racquets for few years, but now moved to over 340g and 330+ SW. She stole my PT280, too. I feel like such a weakling now

 

[BlueB]

1 Prince SharkO3 but OS.

I had the MP version, it was quite awesome. I broke it's throat last summer.
The previous version, TT Turbo Shark is great too.

 

[danbrenner]

321 sw and 8 pts headlie should be pretty whippy. Just give it some time to adjust or back off about 5 grams.

Hey Jack. So the Warrior Pro is still your stick of choice? I'm I to the Blade 98s right now. Switched from my Blade 16x19. The 98s gives me the extra maneuverability that I was looking for. So can u give a few more comparisons why the Prince has outshone the Yonex?

 

[JackB1]

Hey Jack. So the Warrior Pro is still your stick of choice? I'm I to the Blade 98s right now. Switched from my Blade 16x19. The 98s gives me the extra maneuverability that I was looking for. So can u give a few more comparisons why the Prince has outshone the Yonex?

Yes.. the Warrior Pro is still on top.

I briefly tried the Blade 98s when it came out and liked it quite a bit. It's weird how that racquet gets such little buzz, but its a solid one and the pattern isn't extremely open like some of the other "spin" models. The Blade 16x19 was too sluggish for me and felt very weighty in the head. I could use it and it felt great on solid shots, but I would get a bit worn down late in matches with it.

The Prince beats the Yy because its more crisp feeling and I feel very "connected" to my shots. The Yy was quite muted feeling and the ball sometimes felt "lost" in the stringbed. The Warrior Pro is just a great all around "pick up & play" racquet, a lot like the Graphene Speed MP. No real weaknesses and will take you where u need to go.

 

[JackB1]

To update things.....

I finally gave up on the Gamma Rzr 100 M. Started out great with it, but struggled with control after a while with it. Shots would launch on me with greater frequency and I lost confidence in it. Liked it a lot though and maybe with some tinkering with string setups, it could be dialed in.

Have a Dunlop M 4.0 on the way for some playtesting. Seems quite similar to my Warrior, so it should be a good head to head comparison.

 

[BigCat]

A bit lat on this suggestion I'm afraid - the Slazenger V98 Team wo9uld fit your initial target "dream racquet" nicely. It is especially easy to modify as well.

 

[BigCat]

The Dunlop M4.0 is pretty similar to the V98 Team and made by the same company.

 

[LeeD]

M-4 seems surprisingly close to my 3 old Aero500's, weighted with 12" of 1/4" lead tape at 10-2 and also up the butt of the handle.
Newer 500's are much stiffer than 68.
Played with it today, after two sets with my Aero300's. Was very good, quicker hit, more power, faster response than 300's, but it forces me to start to swipe at the ball, leading to body control issues and a loss of form.
I still like the 60 flex of the Aero4D300's along with STBite16 at 47 lbs. Now one full year old, those strings feel the same as my 3 hour old backup.

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

M-4 seems surprisingly close to my 3 old Aero500's, weighted with 12" of 1/4" lead tape at 10-2 and also up the butt of the handle.
Newer 500's are much stiffer than 68.
Played with it today, after two sets with my Aero300's. Was very good, quicker hit, more power, faster response than 300's, but it forces me to start to swipe at the ball, leading to body control issues and a loss of form.
I still like the 60 flex of the Aero4D300's along with STBite16 at 47 lbs. Now one full year old, those strings feel the same as my 3 hour old backup.

Agree LeeD. When I use those high power frames and have to use a WW fh, it feels unnatural. Much more natural to hit through the ball.

 

[LeeD]

So why don't I like the MGRadMids? That head shape is more round than oval, but the ball is round.
My PrinceO3SharkOS basically replaced my MGRadOS, for those lazy days of tennis, as it hits MUCH harder, has more control, and of course, is stiffer with tighter strings.
Only racket I can look at now is the PrinceYellow sticks, old or new, in 54-58 flex ratings.
Is this possible? Soft rackets need soft strings to get some power. While stiffer rackets need tighter tension to retain control? :shock:

 

[BigM]

Hey Jack, Have you tried the new Prince tour 100 pro? I'm really interested in this frame. Your feedback would be helpful if you played this frame. BigM

 

[JackB1]

The Dunlop M4.0 is pretty similar to the V98 Team and made by the same company.

I know but those Slaz paint jobs are butt ugly

 

[JackB1]

Hey Jack, Have you tried the new Prince tour 100 pro? I'm really interested in this frame. Your feedback would be helpful if you played this frame. BigM

No I have not. That 58 stiffness with the thin beam = bad racquet for me.
I need a stiffness of at least 65 to get the pop I need. Whenever I try flexy racquets, it seems lots of the power get sapped by the frame.

I can try and demo it next time I am at my local shop, if they have one available.

 

[danbrenner]

To update things.....

I finally gave up on the Gamma Rzr 100 M. Started out great with it, but struggled with control after a while with it. Shots would launch on me with greater frequency and I lost confidence in it. Liked it a lot though and maybe with some tinkering with string setups, it could be dialed in.

Have a Dunlop M 4.0 on the way for some playtesting. Seems quite similar to my Warrior, so it should be a good head to head comparison.

The Warrior Pro seems like a solid choice IMO. I tried the old Warrior last year and lived it. My only gripe was that it was so light in static weight, that I did feel that it put enough zip in the ball/and the plow was lacking. But the updated specs on this years pro version seems to address exactly that. Do u agree with that? How does it differ from last years Warrior (isner) in your opinion. ? I would give it a demo when I'm able.

 

[danbrenner]

Sorry. Didn't feel it had enough zip. *

 

[JackB1]

The Warrior Pro seems like a solid choice IMO. I tried the old Warrior last year and lived it. My only gripe was that it was so light in static weight, that I did feel that it put enough zip in the ball/and the plow was lacking. But the updated specs on this years pro version seems to address exactly that. Do u agree with that? How does it differ from last years Warrior (isner) in your opinion. ? I would give it a demo when I'm able.

Biggest difference is the more crisp feel due to the holes versus the O ports. The swingweight on both of mine is 330 so they are not flimsy at all. Great mix of power and control. Like I said before, very similar to the Speed MP which I also liked a lot.

 

[BlueB]

Biggest difference is the more crisp feel due to the holes versus the O ports. The swingweight on both of mine is 330 so they are not flimsy at all. Great mix of power and control. Like I said before, very similar to the Speed MP which I also liked a lot.

Swing weight or weight? SW should be under 320...

Dan, Isner plays with O3 White longbody, painted to look like Warrior.

 

[pmata814]

Biggest difference is the more crisp feel due to the holes versus the O ports. The swingweight on both of mine is 330 so they are not flimsy at all. Great mix of power and control. Like I said before, very similar to the Speed MP which I also liked a lot.

Jack, do u feel like the oports allow for a larger sweetspot and easier spin at all?

Also, would u say the warrior pro feels closer to the speed than the exo3 warrior? Kuz i hated the speed and i'm very much liking the exo3 warrior. To me those felt nothing alike. Speed was stiff as a rock and exo3 warrior feels firm yet still plush if that makes sense.

 

[danbrenner]

Swing weight or weight? SW should be under 320...

Dan, Isner plays with O3 White longbody, painted to look like Warrior.

Thanks Blue. I'm so tired of these companies misrepresenting. I hope they pass laws against it at some point. Talk about false advertising.

 

[JackB1]

Swing weight or weight? SW should be under 320...

Dan, Isner plays with O3 White longbody, painted to look like Warrior.

I think TW has 325 for the warrior pro, so 330s not too much of a stretch.

 

[LeeD]

Seems to me, M3 would be closer in flex to Warrior, at 64, while M4's are stiffer, around 66.
Unless you hate the 98 sizing.
I bracket both with 60, 64, and 68 flex ratings, all 11 oz and 320 SW's.

 

[JackB1]

Jack, do u feel like the oports allow for a larger sweetspot and easier spin at all?

Also, would u say the warrior pro feels closer to the speed than the exo3 warrior? Kuz i hated the speed and i'm very much liking the exo3 warrior. To me those felt nothing alike. Speed was stiff as a rock and exo3 warrior feels firm yet still plush if that makes sense.

If that's how you feel, you should stick with the EXO3 Warrior. The Warrior Pro definitely feels closer to the Speed Mp than the OPort Warrior. Yes the Speed MP can feel a bi stiff with certain string types. With full poly, for sure. I tried the Psycho hybrid with it and it was firm but not too stiff. I really liked the way a multi/poly hybrid felt in the Speed.

 

[JackB1]

So lately my thinking is swinging back towards "easy to use, slightly oversize racquets with good power". I think this is due to watching too much video of myself and realizing how bad I can look at times
Most of my teammates use oversize and light racquets and they are all 4.0s. I tried the Graphene Radical S and really liked it. The 102" headsize was perfect and the extra pop, forgiveness and light weight seemed to help me. I seem to be "late" a lot due to bad footwork, so why not go light? I think my swing is more "compact" in nature (tell me if u agree http://youtu.be/5PS39U8gkBs), so this type of racquet probably is a better match for me. Also considering a return to the Prince EXO3 Red. The Red is a widely used racquet at my level out on the courts of Atlanta.

 

[Dasol]

So lately my thinking is swinging back towards "easy to use, slightly oversize racquets with good power". I think this is due to watching too much video of myself and realizing how bad I can look at times
Most of my teammates use oversize and light racquets and they are all 4.0s. I tried the Graphene Radical S and really liked it. The 102" headsize was perfect and the extra pop, forgiveness and light weight seemed to help me. I seem to be "late" a lot due to bad footwork, so why not go light? I think my swing is more "compact" in nature (tell me if u agree http://youtu.be/5PS39U8gkBs), so this type of racquet probably is a better match for me. Also considering a return to the Prince EXO3 Red. The Red is a widely used racquet at my level out on the courts of Atlanta.

Thanks for sharing the video, and yes, your swing is compact in nature, which means you swing primarily with only arms, not with the whole body rotation. So, I think you are right that a light weight (even balance or even head heavy would be fine) with oversize head will fit to your swing style.

 

[danbrenner]

So lately my thinking is swinging back towards "easy to use, slightly oversize racquets with good power". I think this is due to watching too much video of myself and realizing how bad I can look at times
Most of my teammates use oversize and light racquets and they are all 4.0s. I tried the Graphene Radical S and really liked it. The 102" headsize was perfect and the extra pop, forgiveness and light weight seemed to help me. I seem to be "late" a lot due to bad footwork, so why not go light? I think my swing is more "compact" in nature (tell me if u agree http://youtu.be/5PS39U8gkBs), so this type of racquet probably is a better match for me. Also considering a return to the Prince EXO3 Red. The Red is a widely used racquet at my level out on the courts of Atlanta.

cool. yeah a powerful light stick seems like it would perfectly match to your style. Donnay xp dual black 102 (Courier swears by it). ?? The Head you mentioned also seems like a winner.. maybe just bring it up to about 11oz.

 

[JackB1]

cool. yeah a powerful light stick seems like it would perfectly match to your style. Donnay xp dual black 102 (Courier swears by it). ?? The Head you mentioned also seems like a winner.. maybe just bring it up to about 11oz.

I actually tried the XP 102 a while back and didn't care for the feel. Could have been the string job though....it was some prepackaged hybrid. The specs are great though. I was expecting it to feel similar to the Pro One 97 and it wasn't even close.

 

[SmilinBob]

The Dunlop M4.0 is pretty similar to the V98 Team and made by the same company.

Slight correction: The V98 Team is the exact same frame/drill pattern as the M3.0, not the 4.0 which is a newer frame and I'm not sure if it's the same as the 3.0/V98 or (as TW claims online and in their video review) a prior Dunlop such as the Biomimetic 400 series.

The only difference between the M3.0 and the V98 Team is the weight distribution in the frame and the Aeroskin finish. The V98 Team has much more of it's mass in the hoop and a near-even, if not head heavy balance while lacking the skin. The V98 Team is a vastly superior stick to the M3.0. It's a downright shame they sold like crap in the US and aren't available at TW any more.

I know but those Slaz paint jobs are butt ugly

I thought so too when looking online, but in person it's actually pretty sharp. The paint and lettering lines are all very crisp and the splash of orange in the throat gives it a nice color pop. It has a nice matte finish. Don't let the paint steer you away if you can find/demo one. Good stick.

 

[JackB1]

So I have begun my "lighter and bigger is better" experiment.
Last night after the first set of my singles match I switched from my Prince Warrior Pro 100 to a Volkl Organix 4. 105" Head and only 300 grams strung. Funny thing was, the adjustment period was very quick. At first I was a little hesitant in swinging out, but I started dialing it in pretty quickly. I played about the same with the X4 as the Warrior Pro, which is encouraging considering it can only get better from here. The strings in it were bad too...some old poly/syngut hybrid that was in there for almost 6 months! I didn't seem to notice the extra half inch too much and liked how easy it was to use. My Warrior is 300 grams and the X4 304, so maybe I should bring it up another 10-15 grams to make the difference smaller? I will probably try it with some lead next time out. First it needs a fresh set of strings badly.

stay tuned......

BTW, the set went 7-6, 4-6, 4-6. I played evenly throughout, but my opponent got the edge on me in the 2nd and 3rd sets. Very close match. The racquet wasn't an issue in any way.

 

[LeeD]

Wierdo surprisingly good racket, Prince03SharkOS, stock stringing.
1/2" extended, 110 sizing, high sweetspot, just under 11 oz and just under 320 SW, not at all too stiff feeling compared to Prince's other extended OS offerings, it hit's a really good ball for $59 here at TW, but I think they are out of those.
So, $39 PrinceSharkOS with some other string at 58 lbs would replicate the O3.

 

[JackB1]

Wierdo surprisingly good racket, Prince03SharkOS, stock stringing.
1/2" extended, 110 sizing, high sweetspot, just under 11 oz and just under 320 SW, not at all too stiff feeling compared to Prince's other extended OS offerings, it hit's a really good ball for $59 here at TW, but I think they are out of those.
So, $39 PrinceSharkOS with some other string at 58 lbs would replicate the O3.

Thanks Lee, but I am good for now with racquets

 

[LeeD]

It's cool!
I actually bought it as a joke for a couple of the League 4.0 team guys at our local courts.
Sitting around, I said I could buy any sub 70 dollar racket and still beat all the 4.0's there, and of course, that got some enraged replies.
Bought that racket, first time out, against 3 of the best guys at the courts, totally easy domination. I hated such a wierdo racket could do so well, so parked it for 4 months, still playing the same with all the others.
Then 3 weeks ago, coming back from a hurt back, couldn't really twist at all, needed that extended crutch to power thru a windy day against some pretty solid players. It came thru, I parked it again since.

 

[Sofl]

JackB1

In a previous thread, I believe you said that at one time you played with a V1? Can't remember if it was an Organix or an earlier model. How does the 4 compare to the V1?

 

[JackB1]

JackB1

In a previous thread, I believe you said that at one time you played with a V1? Can't remember if it was an Organix or an earlier model. How does the 4 compare to the V1?

They are definitely similar. The X4 has more power than the V1 Mp. The V1 feels more muted and the X4 more crisp. The X4 also has an extended length where the V1 does not.

 

[PigPen]

It's definitely more demanding than the Pure Storms which are extremely user friendly but the extra weight and soft gut mains enlarge the sweet spot enough to make it surprisingly forgiving if not idiot proof. I wasn't prepared to switch until I got a win which happened earlier this week. And to do that it took quite a bit of trial and error. I had nearly given up on the frame for match purposes but the tweaks finally worked.

Hi,

Exactly how much lead did you place in each area? What replacement grip did you use? Is there an over grip on the frame?

 

[danbrenner]

They are definitely similar. The X4 has more power than the V1 Mp. The V1 feels more muted and the X4 more crisp. The X4 also has an extended length where the V1 does not.

Hey Jack. I know you don't need help finding racquets to test. But I had two thoughts. One. Is since you enjoyed the Warrior Pro, do u think the reg Warrior which is more maneuverable would be better suited for u? And secondly for what it's worth I am playing the best tennis of my life with a Blade 98s. I'm cleaning house with some opponents that I routinely had a lot if trouble with.