Just bought a Prince Classic Response 97

haqq777

haqq777

Legend
Hi folks,

So I just bought a Prince Classic Response 97 from TW. Got a great price and since a friend of mine had been raving about the racquet, I thought I would mix up things a bit.

I have been a lifelong Babolat user (and will continue to use the my trusty APD, PD and PA since they work for me) and just thought I'll give this stick a shot. Just wanted to hear back from any Classic Response 97 users out here. How they like the racquet, and if there is any thing they do not particularly like etc.

Thanks for taking the time to comment and give feedback.

P.S: I ordered it to be strung with Volkl Cyclone, the same string I use at 52lbs.
 
I jad a pair and sold them pretty quickly. The throat bridge thing was weird and robbed the racket of any feel. It was oddly stiff as well and bothered my arm. Apart from that I liked it! Just because they are cheap it does not mean they are a bargain. Mind you I have yet to find a Prince racket I really like. The POG mid was a big disappointment for me given all the hype it gets as a classic frame.
 
smirker said:
I jad a pair and sold them pretty quickly. The throat bridge thing was weird and robbed the racket of any feel. It was oddly stiff as well and bothered my arm. Apart from that I liked it! Just because they are cheap it does not mean they are a bargain. Mind you I have yet to find a Prince racket I really like. The POG mid was a big disappointment for me given all the hype it gets as a classic frame.
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Interesting. Got raving reviews from TW playtesters and a few people I know. I guess will have to wait till it gets delivered and find for myself. I'm not expecting much, I already have my racquets sorted. I just got this one because of the price and reviews. Thanks for your feedback. Appreciate it.
 
I dont have one, but everybody says here that it is muted and low powered. Babolats seem to be the opposite.
Perhaps you like the new feel, many classic racquets are low powered and one can enjoy them and sometimes play better with them
 
daniel2015 said:
I dont have one, but everybody says here that it is muted and low powered. Babolats seem to be the opposite.
Perhaps you like the new feel, many classic racquets are low powered and one can enjoy them and sometimes play better with them
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Very true. It isnt your typical Prince which is soft as a noodle though (this one's on the stiffer side) so I'm guessing I might find some common ground. I've customized all my Babs so the heft and the swing weight wouldn't be as much different from this. Hope I like it, if not, probably just another stick in the bag for fun hitting/messing around. Anyway, thanks for the feedback!
 
I liked the PPRTi and I liked the Response 97, especially at the net and for slices. Unfortunately I couldn't justify switching from the APD because I missed the power and spin. Also, finding grommets for the Response 97 is a pain.
 
jayserinos99 said:
I liked the PPRTi and I liked the Response 97, especially at the net and for slices. Unfortunately I couldn't justify switching from the APD because I missed the power and spin. Also, finding grommets for the Response 97 is a pain.
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Thanks for the feedback. I don't plan to switch from my APDs either. Just wanted something to mix it up a bit :) - I'm not a big serve and volleyer so I'm naturally more interested in baseline exchanges. Did you feel the CR97 was good in groundstrokes dept? What tensions were you using for it and your APDs?
 
I have two (for reasons unknown) and have only strung one up and it was with Cyclone 17 @ 52lbs. Hits very nice with great control but it's a little stiff and as others have said somewhat muted and lacking feel. I think it would probably benefit from a hybrid string set up.
 
mikeeeee said:
I have two (for reasons unknown) and have only strung one up and it was with Cyclone 17 @ 52lbs. Hits very nice with great control but it's a little stiff and as others have said somewhat muted and lacking feel. I think it would probably benefit from a hybrid string set up.
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That is almost the same setup as I ordered mine (I just had Cyclone 18 put in mine). Thanks a lot for the feedback - will play around with hybrid setup once I receive it and give full poly a shot.
 
mikeeeee said:
I have two (for reasons unknown) and have only strung one up and it was with Cyclone 17 @ 52lbs. Hits very nice with great control but it's a little stiff and as others have said somewhat muted and lacking feel. I think it would probably benefit from a hybrid string set up.
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Are you sure it's lacking feel? It's generally regarded as one of the best volleying racquets, ever.
 
haqqani1777 said:
Thanks for the feedback. I don't plan to switch from my APDs either. Just wanted something to mix it up a bit :) - I'm not a big serve and volleyer so I'm naturally more interested in baseline exchanges. Did you feel the CR97 was good in groundstrokes dept? What tensions were you using for it and your APDs?
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Absolutely. It hits a slightly different ball, not quite as powerful and spinny, but competent in that it's still a solid ball from the ground. I typically string my frames (regardless if it's APD or Response) in the low to mid 50s with Tour Bite 1.25.
 
Since you're going to be playing on the first set of strings strung on the frame, you can expect the grommets to seat into the frame holes and give you 2 or 3 lbs. lower tension. You might also find that the first string bed will feel inconsistent. Don't blame the frame until you've played with a second set of strings.
 
I own 3. Its definitely got a firm feel compared to my previous frames (AI98, PCG107, Prince Tour100) but not harsh to me. I've only played full poly (my sig) but you could probably gain back some feel with softer string/hybrid. I like the feel as is, and am dropping tension to gain some back

One big observation I've made is that the middle 6 crosses are similarly spaced to the next 6-8, so it's pretty lively for a 16x20 & consistent across the stringbed.

Definitely agree volleys are the standout stroke, especially low/reach ones. But I don't feel it's lacking anywhere for me. I have 4g total of lead centered on the 12th cross inside the hoop.

I don't really have a frame with similar specs to compare it to. Maybe a 6.1 would be a good comparison, similar mass/balance/stiffness/beam/Swingweight
 
Muppet said:
Since you're going to be playing on the first set of strings strung on the frame, you can expect the grommets to seat into the frame holes and give you 2 or 3 lbs. lower tension. You might also find that the first string bed will feel inconsistent. Don't blame the frame until you've played with a second set of strings.
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I see. I like playing low 50s and even go low as low 40s so I hope I wont be caught that offguard. I probably will have no issues in adjusting to 2-3 lbs lower tension. Will keep in mind the inconsistency issue you brought up. Thanks!
 
Thamel90 said:
I own 3. Its definitely got a firm feel compared to my previous frames (AI98, PCG107, Prince Tour100) but not harsh to me. I've only played full poly (my sig) but you could probably gain back some feel with softer string/hybrid. I like the feel as is, and am dropping tension to gain some back

One big observation I've made is that the middle 6 crosses are similarly spaced to the next 6-8, so it's pretty lively for a 16x20 & consistent across the stringbed.

Definitely agree volleys are the standout stroke, especially low/reach ones. But I don't feel it's lacking anywhere for me. I have 4g total of lead centered on the 12th cross inside the hoop.

I don't really have a frame with similar specs to compare it to. Maybe a 6.1 would be a good comparison, similar mass/balance/stiffness/beam/Swingweight
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Thanks for the reply. I was curious how the 16x20 bed would play since I'm used to 16x19 - I also like the 6.1 so even better! Looking forward to receiving the stick and trying it out.
 
You should wait, play and get your own opinion, this way you'll be hight pre-conditioned in your own assessment.

and to counter balance what's been said, here's my opinion though:

Despite being of on the stiff side (according to what some posters state) its an extremely comfortable frame - so I did not perceived as stiff. so, for ex. if I play on a cold day, the POG would be felt by me much much stiffer and unconfortable than the Response.

Also, even though not a Babolat (where I felt I could play with my eyes closed, hence went elsewhere) this frame is imho NOT low powered, it has very decent amount of power and one can get incredible spin with it.

I had my best kick serves with this stick. They became almost un-answerable.
So, Why am I playing with the PS97 instead? simply because I could not gel with the slightly twangy feel/feedback I got from the stringbed - everything else I liked very much.
 
shamaho said:
You should wait, play and get your own opinion, this way you'll be hight pre-conditioned in your own assessment.

and to counter balance what's been said, here's my opinion though:

Despite being of on the stiff side (according to what some posters state) its an extremely comfortable frame - so I did not perceived as stiff. so, for ex. if I play on a cold day, the POG would be felt by me much much stiffer and unconfortable than the Response.

Also, even though not a Babolat (where I felt I could play with my eyes closed, hence went elsewhere) this frame is imho NOT low powered, it has very decent amount of power and one can get incredible spin with it.

I had my best kick serves with this stick. They became almost un-answerable.
So, Why am I playing with the PS97 instead? simply because I could not gel with the slightly twangy feel/feedback I got from the stringbed - everything else I liked very much.
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Yeah, I was going to wait and test the stick out myself but got a little impatient and thought I'd see what others were saying about it. My colleague who initially told me about it has great groundstrokes and he has a couple of these and swears by them. But I agree, no better way of finding out than actually playing with it yourself :) - thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it.
 
Honestly, I always thought of these Prince (Precision) Response racquets as the Babolat Pure Drives before they were Babolat Pure Drives, and without the arm issues.
 
Say Chi Sin Lo said:
Are you sure it's lacking feel? It's generally regarded as one of the best volleying racquets, ever.
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I don't think the two have to go hand in hand. You can have a great volley without great feedback from the string bed. It could very well be because it's strung with Cyclone which is one of the deadest and stiffest strings I've tried. This is why I suggested a hybrid set up, more specifically with poly in the crosses to get some more power out of it and soften it up. I'll have to start using it more, but once I got the TT95, the R97 took a back seat in terms of when I want to use a "players racquet".

Do you have one? Do you think it has great feel?
 
I have been using it for a couple weeks because my PA gets an annoyingly high bounce off the stringbed. However, the PR97 has been hurting my arm as of late, and the APD and PA never did. I bought it strung with volkl cyclone 16 at 55 and it's almost time to restring.

Using a long wilson shock trap dampened has helped and my volleys are more stable with that extra weight in the head. I will also likely try a hybrid setup next and hopefully it feels better on my arm. I don't think this racquet is underpowered. It hits a nice low and heavy ball with control. I hope I don't have to switch due to tennis elbow. If I do, I will demo some textremes.
 
mikeeeee said:
I don't think the two have to go hand in hand. You can have a great volley without great feedback from the string bed. It could very well be because it's strung with Cyclone which is one of the deadest and stiffest strings I've tried. This is why I suggested a hybrid set up, more specifically with poly in the crosses to get some more power out of it and soften it up. I'll have to start using it more, but once I got the TT95, the R97 took a back seat in terms of when I want to use a "players racquet".

Do you have one? Do you think it has great feel?
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Yeah I played with it, and it communicated what the ball was doing despite an overall muted feel.
 
Say Chi Sin Lo said:
Honestly, I always thought of these Prince (Precision) Response racquets as the Babolat Pure Drives before they were Babolat Pure Drives, and without the arm issues.
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I see. Never had arm issues with Babs so either way it's all good. I think it is flexier than APD,PA and PD so I might have to adjust a slight bit there.
 
JonnyAbs said:
I have been using it for a couple weeks because my PA gets an annoyingly high bounce off the stringbed. However, the PR97 has been hurting my arm as of late, and the APD and PA never did. I bought it strung with volkl cyclone 16 at 55 and it's almost time to restring.

Using a long wilson shock trap dampened has helped and my volleys are more stable with that extra weight in the head. I will also likely try a hybrid setup next and hopefully it feels better on my arm. I don't think this racquet is underpowered. It hits a nice low and heavy ball with control. I hope I don't have to switch due to tennis elbow. If I do, I will demo some textremes.
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Great,thanks for the feedback. Will be interesting to see since none of the Babs hurt my elbow either even though I've seen many people complain about that.
 
haqqani1777 said:
Great,thanks for the feedback. Will be interesting to see since none of the Babs hurt my elbow either even though I've seen many people complain about that.
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On a side note, since you have experience with both the APD and PA, do you have more trouble with control with the PA that you didnt have with the APD? I am leaning towards abanboning the PA.
 
haqqani1777 said:
I see. Never had arm issues with Babs so either way it's all good. I think it is flexier than APD,PA and PD so I might have to adjust a slight bit there.
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I think the cortex must help a great deal because Babolats never hurt my arm, whereas I the PR97 is straight graphite. I understand why they put the built-in dampener in this racquet. It vibrates like a mother with it in there, so I can't imagine it with nothing. I assume that its the vibration that is giving me pain on some shots because the longer vibe absorber does seem to help. Time and string experimentation will tell.
 
JonnyAbs said:
On a side note, since you have experience with both the APD and PA, do you have more trouble with control with the PA that you didnt have with the APD? I am leaning towards abanboning the PA.
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Indeed. APD gives me much better control. PA I felt had more power and if I wasnt cautious I was spraying (it does have monster spin though). I haven't had the time to adjust weight settings on PA but you're right that a customized APD has much better control.
 
JonnyAbs said:
I think the cortex must help a great deal because Babolats never hurt my arm, whereas I the PR97 is straight graphite. I understand why they put the built-in dampener in this racquet. It vibrates like a mother with it in there, so I can't imagine it with nothing. I assume that its the vibration that is giving me pain on some shots because the longer vibe absorber does seem to help. Time and string experimentation will tell.
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Yeah, adjustng string/tensions always helps.
 
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I've heard some people here comment that these racquets were hard on their arms. Can anyone confirm or deny this, and is it due to the 68 RA combined with old construction graphite lay up that may be causing this.
 
Crocodile said:
I've heard some people here comment that these racquets were hard on their arms. Can anyone confirm or deny this, and is it due to the 68 RA combined with old construction graphite lay up that may be causing this.
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Thats my guess and I was interested as well because it hurts my arm a bit. Do u have one?
 
I own it. Like I've said in another thread, it's kinda dead in the upper hoop. When I demoed it before buying, it felt very muted... with an half dead poly in it. Really low launch angle, low sweetspot and not much power/plow either due to a really low SW. Apparently my frames come fairly low in SW compared to the target specs inside the throat (about 10 points too low), but the demo felt really the same. With lead tape at twelve, the racquet truly shines. It's so headlight that counterbalancing it isn't required. Fixes the low sweetspot, launch angle and power and livens up the upper hoop. Without lead, it felt kinda meh.
 
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I used the original PP Response 97 for some years and had a great time with the racquet. I found spin to be excellent and I can echo what others have said here. It was fantastic for volleying, a little low powered, fairly firm but not harsh or uncomfortable.Very manoueverable too. I typically prefer noodly sticks but I enjoyed this a lot. I gave it up because no matter what I did with the strings it was starting to bother my elbow. Just couldn't work around it. If my elbow was more robust I may well still be playing them.
 
Lukhas said:
I own it. Like I've said in another thread, it's kinda dead in the upper hoop. When I demoed it before buying, it felt very muted... with an half dead poly in it. Really low launch angle, low sweetspot and not much power/plow either due to a really low SW. Apparently my frames come fairly low in SW compared to the target specs inside the throat (about 10 points too low), but the demo felt really the same. With lead tape at twelve, the racquet truly shines. It's so headlight that counterbalancing it isn't required. Fixes the low sweetspot, launch angle and power and livens up the upper hoop. Without lead, it felt kinda meh.
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Thanks for the detailed feedback. I was thinking about weight at 12 myself. The one thing that stood out for me was that the SW was low compared to static weight (12.0 grams strung). I'm used to high launch angles of APD and PD so I was thinking about tinkering some with adding weight before I even purchased it (can't do too low launch angles). How do you reckon Cyclone would behave in this stick? Or do you recommend going with a livelier poly?
 
galain said:
I used the original PP Response 97 for some years and had a great time with the racquet. I found spin to be excellent and I can echo what others have said here. It was fantastic for volleying, a little low powered, fairly firm but not harsh or uncomfortable.Very manoueverable too. I typically prefer noodly sticks but I enjoyed this a lot. I gave it up because no matter what I did with the strings it was starting to bother my elbow. Just couldn't work around it. If my elbow was more robust I may well still be playing them.
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Thanks for the feedback. Really appreciate it. I'm used to stiffer sticks (played with Babs for a long long time) and haven't ever had elbow problems. I'm not a huge S&V type guy (in fact I avoid net like the plague) so perhaps playing with this will give me some motivation to go near the net once in a while. Or maybe I'll feel inclined to play doubles more, lol. Thanks again :)
 
haqqani1777 said:
Thanks for the detailed feedback. I was thinking about weight at 12 myself. The one thing that stood out for me was that the SW was low compared to static weight (12.0 grams strung). I'm used to high launch angles of APD and PD so I was thinking about tinkering some with adding weight before I even purchased it (can't do too low launch angles). How do you reckon Cyclone would behave in this stick? Or do you recommend going with a livelier poly?
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No idea, never played with Cyclone. I had Völkl V-Star 16 (1.30) in it at 21/19 kgs (46/42 lbs) and that felt like absolutely nothing at all, so I cut it. Tried Pro's Pro Red Devil 17 (1.18) which is a poly with a lot of ball pocketing and it was much better. I have one in the closet still with Red Devil 23/21 kgs (50/46 lbs), but I haven't played tennis in a month so I couldn't tell you how it is. As far as the mods go, I have 6 grams under the bumper in one single stripe (well two since I used 1/4in tape but you get the idea. I plan at some point to replace the grip with Wilson FeatherThin which is very, very light and thin as its name implies, but that won't be until some time.
 
haqqani1777 said:
Thanks for the detailed feedback. I was thinking about weight at 12 myself. The one thing that stood out for me was that the SW was low compared to static weight (12.0 grams strung). I'm used to high launch angles of APD and PD so I was thinking about tinkering some with adding weight before I even purchased it (can't do too low launch angles). How do you reckon Cyclone would behave in this stick? Or do you recommend going with a livelier poly?
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I bought it from TW with cyclone 16 in it and it played great. It started to hurt my arm at a certain point, but once I took out the cheap vibe absorber and replaced it with a longer one, that seems to have gone away. I got in a good ten hours and now the strings are starting to die and some of my shots are trampolining, so I will restring it tomorrow.

However, yesterday I played a guy on another team who was undefeated this season so far and beat me in a 3 setter about two months ago when I was using the PA. My third set against him the first time was crap, and I felt like I couldnt hit anything in. However, playing with a nearly dead set of strings yesterday that caused a bunch of errors, I was still able to beat him 6-2, 6-4 with the PR 97 and redeem myself. Two weeks ago I also won the first match I played with the PR97 6-1, 6-2, so I have had great success with this racquet.

I was struggling earlier this season with the PA, hitting a lot long even with fresh strings, which made me try to hit closer to the net and dump a bunch of shots. It was really messing with my head. That made me pick up the PR97 in the first place and it has worked wonders. I love the low launch angle, plow, and blend of power and spin. If the PA is considered high powered (which I would definitely say so), the PR97 would be medium, but not low. If you want a higher launch angle with the PR97, try using a thinner gauge.
 
JonnyAbs said:
I bought it from TW with cyclone 16 in it and it played great. It started to hurt my arm at a certain point, but once I took out the cheap vibe absorber and replaced it with a longer one, that seems to have gone away. I got in a good ten hours and now the strings are starting to die and some of my shots are trampolining, so I will restring it tomorrow.

However, yesterday I played a guy on another team who was undefeated this season so far and beat me in a 3 setter about two months ago when I was using the PA. My third set against him the first time was crap, and I felt like I couldnt hit anything in. However, playing with a nearly dead set of strings yesterday that caused a bunch of errors, I was still able to beat him 6-2, 6-4 with the PR 97 and redeem myself. Two weeks ago I also won the first match I played with the PR97 6-1, 6-2, so I have had great success with this racquet.

I was struggling earlier this season with the PA, hitting a lot long even with fresh strings, which made me try to hit closer to the net and dump a bunch of shots. It was really messing with my head. That made me pick up the PR97 in the first place and it has worked wonders. I love the low launch angle, plow, and blend of power and spin. If the PA is considered high powered (which I would definitely say so), the PR97 would be medium, but not low. If you want a higher launch angle with the PR97, try using a thinner gauge.
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Super! I'm used to 18 gauge anyway (Cyclone and Hyper-G) since I'm not a chronic string breaker and I use that to my advantage. It is arriving today, btw. Looking forward to hitting with it. Will post pics too. Once again thanks for the feedback! :)
 
haqqani1777 said:
Super! I'm used to 18 gauge anyway (Cyclone and Hyper-G) since I'm not a chronic string breaker and I use that to my advantage. It is arriving today, btw. Looking forward to hitting with it. Will post pics too. Once again thanks for the feedback! :)
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Nice, did you have them string it with Cyclone 18? I think it's half price and only $4 with a racquet purchase.
 
Just a little update, friends. Received the stick yesterday. Didn't come with a cover (just the TW box) but that is no issue at all. Looks and feels solid in hand. Had it strung with Cyclone 17 at 52. Will take it out over the weekend and hit to see how it really performs. Have a feeling I'm going to be pleasently surprised. Here are a few pictures (sorry about the bad quality pictures, my phone's camera suddenly becomes impotent indoors):

QQrnthI.jpg


EVypkxa.jpg


HuFcyQ9.jpg


6Nw2uwL.jpg


2tAnvE3.jpg


Since taking these pictures, I've added an overgrip and 3 grams of lead to the head (the latter I might adjust/take off depending on how the stick performs).
 
Apologies in advance for the ginormous picture size. I should have adjusted the picture proportion sizes on Imgur.
 
haqqani1777 said:
Apologies in advance for the ginormous picture size. I should have adjusted the picture proportion sizes on Imgur.
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Did you get a chance to hit with it?

I have had three USTA matches so far since I switched from a PA to PR97 and I won all three. The first was against a lesser opponent and I beat him nicely 6-1, 6-2, and the last two were against guys who hadn't lost this year, one of whom beat me earlier this season in three sets, and I beat him in two last week. Granted, all of the success is not solely due to the racquet and I guess some is due to me, but it seems like the racquet does fit me well.
 
JonnyAbs said:
Did you get a chance to hit with it?

I have had three USTA matches so far since I switched from a PA to PR97 and I won all three. The first was against a lesser opponent and I beat him nicely 6-1, 6-2, and the last two were against guys who hadn't lost this year, one of whom beat me earlier this season in three sets, and I beat him in two last week. Granted, all of the success is not solely due to the racquet and I guess some is due to me, but it seems like the racquet does fit me well.
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That is awesome news. It rained here and the courts were all wet so I couldn't get a chance to hit, I'm itching to just go to the courts now though. Over the weekend perhaps hopefully. And congrats once again for the awesome performance. Seems PR97 is a great fit for ya!
 
JonnyAbs said:
Did you get a chance to hit with it?

I have had three USTA matches so far since I switched from a PA to PR97 and I won all three. The first was against a lesser opponent and I beat him nicely 6-1, 6-2, and the last two were against guys who hadn't lost this year, one of whom beat me earlier this season in three sets, and I beat him in two last week. Granted, all of the success is not solely due to the racquet and I guess some is due to me, but it seems like the racquet does fit me well.
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Just out of curiosity did you customize your PR 97? Any weight to the hoop or the handle?
 
Talk less, hit more.
You spend half your life talking and posting pictures. Go out and hit with it, THEN talk about it.
 
LeeD said:
Talk less, hit more.
You spend half your life talking and posting pictures. Go out and hit with it, THEN talk about it.
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These are the only pictures I have posted on this issue and I was curious about the racquet. Not sure where your attitude is coming from? Did I say something to upset you?
 
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