James Blake has THREE racquets left!
- Thread starter OrangeOne
- Start date
mikro112
Semi-Pro
Yeah, that's hilarious!
Wow, this really is a special interview... how often do you come across pro's discussing their views on their frames in such detail? And it confirms a lot of ppls views on modern v older frames re material composition and performance... BTW, I'm with Xenakis - he should contact Paul or Sven at Vantage!
R.
R.
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Wow, this really is a special interview... how often do you come across pro's discussing their views on their frames in such detail? And it confirms a lot of ppls views on modern v older frames re material composition and performance... BTW, I'm with Xenakis - he should contact Paul or Sven at Vantage!
......Paul was, after all Head of racket development at Dunlop, he may be able to help. It would be interesting to hear him comment.
AlpineCadet
Hall of Fame
Whatever those three frames are, I'm sure they're easy to replicate. Not sure why he has to harp on about them in the interview. As for his opinions on Lux, I'm sure they're spot on. Poly today, gone tomorr... in 1 hour.
*BTW, I saw him playing dubs with Roddick this past Monday, 15ft away from the court, and Blake was hitting flat as hell compared to Roddick. His timing/strokes are pretty insane, and he really doesn't have much room for error.
*BTW, I saw him playing dubs with Roddick this past Monday, 15ft away from the court, and Blake was hitting flat as hell compared to Roddick. His timing/strokes are pretty insane, and he really doesn't have much room for error.
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AlpineCadet
Hall of Fame
You aren't even connected to the industry. Please stop talking as though you know how companies like Dunlop/Head/Wilson etc. work. Blake has issues with his strokes/timing, not JUST his equipment as he has stated.
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Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Well, Blake mentions that in the interview giving some credence to it. But he says that the newer frames don't "feel" like his old frames even when both were new. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Dunlop had run 250 off for Blake some years ago and now his stock is running out.
ericsson
Hall of Fame
Well you've heard wrong, Tyger doesn't make rackets but copy or use molds from other brands. The racket James plays has absolutely nothing in common with Tyger, it is a Dunlop mold (and racket).
JRstriker12
Hall of Fame
If he learned to adjust to the feel of his rackets as they broke down, I doubt his perception of how his rackets felt new is accurate anymore - especially considering that those racquets were new over a decade ago????
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
I understand, but if you read the interview, Blake concedes that his frames are broken in (worn out) which does complicate it. But, he says that the new frames don't feel as good as his old frames when they were new.
Let's assume that Dunlop did run off 250 frames for him some time ago. He wouldn't have used all the frames. He would have used what he needed. When he "felt" they went dead, he'd have gotten more out of inventory. In any event, he "knows" what a new frame feels like. I think that his current situation is more out of circumstance than choice.
Witness his experiement with Prince. He tried and Prince tried to replicate the feel of his frames. Apparently then he had plenty of inventory, including new inventory, for Prince to sample and replicate. They were unable....
AlpineCadet
Hall of Fame
Nadal/Roddick love their hollow/tiny frames. Maybe Blake just has superhuman powers that not even Luxilon can control.
Rock Strongo
Legend
Rock Strongo
Legend
Were*
I want my edit button!
I want my edit button!
D
decades
Guest
if only Blake would have made that extra 20 grand at IW he could find some decent rackets. As it stands he could sue the chair umpire for damages as well as pain and suffering. As for our pain and suffering watching him bash balls mindlessly, well we have no recourse but to change the channel.
VGP
Legend
What are you talking about?
Companies are bending over backwards trying to make frames for him. They want to make frames he's willing to use and endorse so that they can make money off his brand.
He's just not willing to compromise his performance to switch. Although for some, his "performance" being debatable, given Blake's game, as he illustrated in the interview, his game is high risk and has little room for error. He's looking for "that certain feel" and a frame that gets him that little bit of dip at the end of a full-court ground stroke or return. Even if it's out by a millimeter using a "new" frame (as confirmed by Hawk-eye), out is out.
As for newer materials not being "better" than the old? I assume the graphite is better in the sense that it's finer, lighter, and stronger. Better for other uses, if not most things. As someone pointed out earlier, tennis isn't the only industry that uses carbon fiber. Newer materials might be better but it is different.
I do buy into the newer materials having a different feel. Pick up an old but in decent shape Prince Graphite from the late 80's and give it a whirl. You can feel the fibers grabbing onto each other kinda like velcro.
JRstriker12
Hall of Fame
Please read the article in the orginal post. It will answer your question...
D
decades
Guest
oh yeah they are bending over "backwards" to supply some nonexistent perfect racket to some 30 year old guy who is sliding down the rankings faster than bode miller does a dowhill. there are just NO rackets out there good enough for Mr. James Blake. I guess it's because he can't afford them? Somehow the 51 or some odd pros ahead of James in the rankings have found something that is acceptable. Blake's brand only has high status with a small but annoying group of fans in NYC called the "J BLOCK".
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Lefty78
Professional
James' racquets come from the mold: PT 924_0
VGP
Legend
I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you. It's just that even at his current #52, there are less than 10 guys in the top fifty that are more marketable than Blake. Sad but true.
IMO, the fact that Prince and Dunlop were (perhaps the optimal word here) in development for a frame specifically for him is "bending over backwards." Not every player gets that sort of treatment.
Racketdesign
Semi-Pro
I'd of thought that their pathes may of crossed in the past, if only Blake saw this thread we could point him to vantage now and his career could gt going in ernest again.
Xenakis
Hall of Fame
Yes. Well Paul has graced this thread with his presence now so perhaps he could help get Blake's career back on track by furnishing him with some decent frames.
He is of course half British and perhaps with Paul's help we could coax him into our Davis Cup team.
Muzza and Blake might actually be reasonably competitive.
I think James is full of it;
It's not the materials in modern racquets, it's the fact that someone isn't making him a custom layup with a custom mold any more. So obviously a stock BLX90 isn't going to feel as good to him as his old custom racquets that were designed for him.
Although I do admit that off-the-shelf racquets nowadays don't have the same labor an cost-intensive processes that made racquets so much better back in the day...
But I don't think it's the materials as much as it is the layup, and the process.
It's not the materials in modern racquets, it's the fact that someone isn't making him a custom layup with a custom mold any more. So obviously a stock BLX90 isn't going to feel as good to him as his old custom racquets that were designed for him.
Although I do admit that off-the-shelf racquets nowadays don't have the same labor an cost-intensive processes that made racquets so much better back in the day...
But I don't think it's the materials as much as it is the layup, and the process.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
His Dunlop's are not a custom mold. Blakes's racquets as well as the Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 TOUR come from the same MOLD as the old Dunlop Revelation Tour 95. Berdych's old Dunlop racquets came from the same MOLD as well.
FYI, AG300T 4D uses the same mold as Tomas Berdych's frame but has different lay-up. Berdych's frame is a bit softer and more powerful.
Blake is back to his old Dunlop. However Dunlop is unable to manufacture his racquets the way he likes because the same raw materials are no longer available. That is a fact.
But the former designer from Dunlop who posts regualy can design and manufacture the racquets Blake would like.
To keep it simple -
Hotmelt is where the resin is heated before being applied to the dry carbon cloth. Gives good uniformaty and saturation.
"Standard" prepreg is achieved by pulling the carbon through a cold resin bath. Prone to less consistant coverage and possible dry spots.
In many racquets, a combination of both materials are used.
The "feel" element comes from a variety of factors such as material mix percentages, layup design for each layer, Grade or quality of the raw carbon cloth.
Whilst some of the older grades of carbon are no longer available, its still possible to re-create the old school feel.. just costs a few more $$ and needs a bit more thought
BLX
Rookie
Anyone noticed that after he moved from nike to fila
his website attempted to photoshop almost every single nike tick in the gallery?
"you cost me $20,000 mofo"
old
WTF
his website attempted to photoshop almost every single nike tick in the gallery?
"you cost me $20,000 mofo"
old
WTF
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decades
Guest
I doubt they are trying to very hard to make him happy at this point in his career. I think you're kind of looking in the rear view mirror with regard to James. His star power is rapidly diminishing. As it stands, his popularity was essentially a media creation given he has only made it as far as a grand slam quarter, his last, 2 years ago in AUS. His record is about as good as Tommie Robredo's is.
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VGP
Legend
Yeah, you're right. But.....as for a player being able to sell stuff with a lower/fluctuating or non-existent ranking, look at Sharapova with Nike and Prince and Kournikova with K-Swiss.
As for Blake and his rackets, for a guy that broke his neck a couple of years back, sucking it up and using a new frame should be looked at as a blessing. Hell, he could even secure additional endorsement dollars before he hangs it up.
film1
Semi-Pro
What old stock frame is close to this?
D
decades
Guest
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
I continue to be in awe of your posts. You are definitely one of the best resources for the truth on the boards. Please keep up the good work. Excellent post(s)!!!!!
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Thanks a lot Rabbit! I think you have a impressive history in tennis and got to be exposed to a variety of very interesting racquets and you are truly a great contributor to the boards. You and people like Racketdesign are great assets to this tennis forum!!
tenis
Professional
Very interesting, thanks.
OliverSimon
Hall of Fame
Cool pics on that website.
OliverSimon
Hall of Fame
Don't Let It Bounce
Hall of Fame
Do you mean the retail 4D 300 Tour? If so, and given that it's listed at 98 sq in: is the 300 Tour really a 95, or was the Rev Tour 95 really a 98?
Skabeast121
Banned
I think he just needs to move on and get a new racquet. At this stage in his career no company would go out of their way to make a completely custom frame for him. He is near retirement there would be no point
brinkeguthrie
Hall of Fame
Hard to believe this guy can't find a frame on the planet he likes.
Federer found one.
Nadal found one.
But JAMES BLAKE can't find a frame to work with?
He's not exactly top tier, anyway.
Federer found one.
Nadal found one.
But JAMES BLAKE can't find a frame to work with?
He's not exactly top tier, anyway.
OliverSimon
Hall of Fame
IMO, Blake should have stayed with the Wilsons.
Both of the above players you identify have (arguably) been playing with the same frame for most of their careers. Blake just wants to keep playing with the same frame, but they don't make it anymore.
Sometimes these forums are bizarre. You somehow make it sound like you're opinion is somehow valid - on a frame that someone else should use, someone that has been top 10/5 in the world - someone that has earned almost 7million in prizemoney? Strange.
TennisNinja
Hall of Fame
Wow, great story, interesting to find out about and well done.
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