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Hey Kal-el, have you hit with the FXP Radical tour?
Dunlop Aerogel 100 Review
Overall I think this is a pretty good effort from Dunlop. I didn't get around to adding my lead tape to the frame, and I feel with some in the head, it would be a great groundstroke racquet as well. Very solid all around though, and worth a demo. Not with the ranks of the K90, or MG Prestige, but close!
emerckx53 - may have to supply KE with those frames if he doesn't have access to them.
Hey Kal-El I've demoed the microgel prestige midplus and it's an awesome racquet. I demoed it along with the
Pure Drive standard
Radical Pro
Fischer Mpro
I didn't like the Radical Pro or Fischer. The Babolat was cool for a while but I have to hold up a litte on groundstrokes and couldn't serve comfortably with it.
For my maybe final group of demos I think I'm going to include
Either 18x20 or 16x18 k 61 95- think this might be too heavy but I would like to try it again.
Storm Tour
Technifibre 325 and 320
Are these good choices before I decide on the prestige?
BUT.. I'm worried that the quality of these 70 dollars frames is bad. Considering they probably don't care as much about quality as the microgels and such.
Head Microgel Prestige Pro
I feel this will be the racquet I am soon carrying in my bag. I am going to use the Midplus version a little bit more, but I really like this frame. I have been spending a couple hours a day with it on court for about 2 weeks now. I have had it strung with a lux / nxt hybrid, all x-1 biphase, and all signum pro poly. I have been using a 4 and 3/8 and a 4 and ½ grip with this frame
I was a little worried when I picked this one up that I would not be able to keep strings in this frame. I was popping them very fast in the MG Radical Pro, and felt that this would be no different. I do not know why this is, but I have not had the same problem with this racquet. I like the feeling of the Prestige frame with a more open string pattern. What I found was a very nice combination of power, control, comfort, and spin. The swingweight on the racquet was very maneuverable on all types of shots from the baseline. I can take very healthy cuts at the ball, and get big topspin. I feel it quite a bit easier to flatten the ball out with this Pro rather than the MG Radical Pro as well. I was also getting good stick and good depth of defensive balls. This racquet feels like it has a little bit of extra pop in it compared to the other Prestiges in this line; probably due to the more open string pattern. Of center shots were not as comfortable as with the midplus, but when this racquet is struck well it is money. I really enjoyed hitting passing shots, and approach shots with this frame as well. I had excellent control going up the line from both sides, and could also snap a short angle with no problems.
I felt equally confident returning serve with the Prestige Pro as well. I liked the extra pop on this frame on the return, and feel like I got a little more pace, a little more depth, and didn’t sacrifice control compared to the other Prestiges in this line. You have to take a full swing at this ball, or really black it back squarely to get anything on the ball. Half swings don’t go anywhere, so if you catch a lot of shots late, or don’t have a somewhat powerful swing, this may not be exactly right for you. I felt I was getting a little extra topspin on my forehand return, which kept the ball landing deep in the court and kicking up high off the bounce.
I really volleyed well with this racquet, as I have with other Prestige family lines. The little extra power level with this frame really made putting away volleys at the net easy. It was also very forgiving on reflex volleys and ones I was catching a little late, and the frame was very maneuverable up at the net as well. I was really driving volleys deep in the court, and found a really comfortable blend of touch on drop volleys and angle finishing volleys. The Prestige Pro felt incredibly stable at the net, and I got now frame rattle if I didn’t catch the ball perfectly. The frame really set itself apart on put away volleys though.
The extra power gave me great results with my serve. Who doesn’t like a little extra power when serving with a frame of this heft? Very nice! Control was spot on. I have been setting up cones and serving at them the past couple of days during training and have been knocking them down way faster than I normally do. I served the best with the Prestige Pro than I have noticed with the other Prestige family lines. On the serve I was faintly reminded of my old LiquidMetal Radical TOUR frames with this one. Anyone who has ever hit that frame please tell me if you experienced a similar feeling. There was nothing not to like on the serve with this frame. Excellent access to spin on both kick serve and slice, while no problems flattening it out and bombing one up the T.
Overall I give this frame an 8.5/10… After playing with a Wilson racquet for some time now, the transition back to a head racquet has been fun. This racquet felt very good in my hands right when I picked it up. I think the more time I spend with this one, the more I like it. Great all courters racquet. It is also good for big, aggressive players, serve and volleyers, and doubles players. If you are a counterpuncher, who does not generate a lot of your own power, maybe check out the instinct, or like a k-pro open, or a pure drive roddick or something along those lines…
Prince EXO3 Graphite 93 Review
Alright.. here is another review finally. I apologize for the delay. I spent about 10-12 horus with the EX03 Graphite 93, and tried it strung with one of the new yellow and white Prince polyester strings, and some Technifibre X-One Biphase 17G. I had a 4 and 1/2 grip.
Let me first just say I have not been a fan of any of the "O" frames from Prince. That being said, I was still excited about a new graphite, as the specs (aside from the string pattern) match rather closely to the POG.
This frame felt pretty solid on groundstrokes. I will give it a 7.5/10. As a fan of the POG, I really just expected more from this frame. It wasn't bad, but certainly didn't make me like it anywhere close to other frames in its category. Still can't improve on the original. My two handed backhand felt pretty good with this frame. A flatter shot by nature, I had good control in moving it all around the court. I had no trouble generating topspin, and slice felt extra nice (who knew I was a poet?). I really found myself favoring my backhand side, to the point I would hit it on shots hit to me up the middle where I would normally hit forehand. My forehand however gave me some troubles. It's not that I couldn't hit it, but I really noticed the "O" feel here. The frame just felt ultra dampened on my forehand, which was something I had not noticed as much on my backhand. I felt like the frame wanted me to hit topspin on everything, which was fine until I wanted to flatten one out to end the point. Control was excellent with this frame, and I will say I didn't find myself hitting poorly with this frame, but something just always felt a bit off to me. I am trying to not write a biased review because of the "O" feel, but I really feel this is why I did not like the frame more than I did on my groundies. If you are accustomed to the Prince feel, and like the Graphite series, you may absolutely LOVE this frame. The weight is good, and there is a nice blend of power and control. The small headsize makes this ideal for more advanced level players however.
Serve returns were a lot of the same here. I wanted to pound my backhand, and found myself second guessing myself a bit on a usually reliable forehand. The weight of this frame felt pretty good on the return though. I felt like my timing was there, something lacking in the OS version of this frame which feels more "whippy" as I like to say.
Volleys are very nice on this frame. 8/10. They felt very crisp, and the racquet felt stable on every volley that I struck. The frame doesn't give anything "extra" to the hitter. However, it didn't feel like it was lacking on anything at the net. If I wanted to bring some pace, and stick one deep in the court, I got exactly what I put into the shot on the ball when hit. Touch shots felt very smooth with this frame. The dampened feel I am not crazy about on the groundstrokes, actually came in handy for me at the net. I felt very comfortable with the drop volley, which is a shot I find myself using more and more these days.
Serves were good with this racquet, but not great. Again, I got exactly what I put into the serve, and nothing extra. I do like a frame that will give you a little extra pop to really bring some heat on a serve, and it just wasn't there for me. I think the dampened nature of this frame can be attributed for this to an extent. My flat serve was still by best with the EXO3 Graphite. My slice felt pretty smooth, but I did notice some trouble with my kick serve. I found less spin and power on my kicker, which I did not like haha. I WANT MORE!! Control is very good with this frame. I could pinpoint where I wanted the ball to go, but I wish I could have done it with a bit more power in general.
Overall this is a pretty good frame. I feel like it is a small step down from the POG, but Prince's best effort at improving the frame yet. I liked this version better than the OS and any of the Rebels in the EX03 series. Of all the "O" frames, this was probably my favorite one that I have hit yet. The paintjob I thought I hated, but the more I see of it the more I like it. I really wanted to love this frame, but I just didn't. I liked it, but nearly enough for me to consider a switch. Not a bad frame all around though, and for sure worth a demo if you are a Prince fan!
Kal,
Now you've already done a lot of reviews of key rackets of today. I wonder though if there's any chance you might look at and speak about the 6.1 series - PSC, HPS, n95? Plus also, due to its standing, I'm sure a PT 630/280 review would go down very well around here. Finally, I'd be curious as to your impressions of the Bab PST.
R.
Hey Kal El, ever hit with the flexpoint prestige? What did you think?
Did you try with the string hole inserts? I've been told that it's feels and plays better, more like a traditional POG.
yes it does play a little better with the inserts, but not that much. i barely noticed it, but a little crispier feel to it.
Very forgiving feeling frame...
This really does reduce vibration to the arm, and creates a very comfortable feel while in play.
...with good power level as well. ... I had great access to power, but I did notice my topspin to increase, and felt like I was hitting spots very consistantly.
It was comfortable, low impact on the arm, gave you some nice pop, and great access to spin and depth in the court
Also felt this frame was solid on defensive returns and off center hits. This is one of the most comfortable frames I have hit with on off-center shots. The frame does not rattle, and the ball still comes off pretty clean. This is a similar feeling to that which I had with the LM radical and LM radical tour. Great frame for returning against anybody.
I really enjoyed serving with this racquet as well. I feel the extra length gave me a little extra juice on my serve with the red star. My flat serves felt huge, and I sacrificed NO control whatsoever. I could bring big heat with my flat serve, but my kick serve had huge jump on it, and my slice serve was eating into the court very nicely. My slice serve out wide on the duece side was as dangerous as it has ever been. Really enjoyed serving with the frame.
Overall I give this frame an 8/10. If you like the extended length, you might even find a higher rating for yourself. I think this frame may go down as one of the most under-rated racquets in the history of the game. I am really, really surprised that I did not see more people hitting with this growing up. Quality is amazing, paint-job is great, and play was very nice.
Also worth noting is how awesome I felt the Kneissl Poly-Tech string was. It did not even feel like a polyester string to me. Holds up very well, with amazing feel and touch. Not stiff at all, but still gives you that nice crisp feel of an upper scale poly string. Loved it. I don’t know where one can get it, but if you can I also recommend trying this out.
I have been a junior tournament players, division 1 college player, teaching instructor, high school coach, and now am playing futures again..
In my time, I have had the chance to hit with tons of racquets and decided I would start a forum reviewing the many racquets I have tried in my time...
The review page is shaping up nicely! Click the link below to be taken to a specific review, or just have fun scrolling through what is getting to be an awesome thread~!
LINK to my KPS88 Vs. Microgel Prestige MP comparison
K ProStaff 88 - reviewed pg 12 post #236
K6.1 95 18x20- reviewed pg 1 post #5
k-90 - reviewed pg 9 post #181
k Blade tour - reviewed pg 2 post #34
K Blade 98 - reviewed pg 2 post # 26
K Obra - so bad it does not even warrant a review.. GROSS
K Pro Open - reviewed pg 15 post #292
K Pro Tour - reviewed pg 16 post #311
6.6 Classic Stars and Stripes 95
Head Microgel Radical - reviewed pg 2 post #37
Head Microgel Radical Pro - reviewed pg 2 post #40
Head Microgel Prestige Pro - reviewed pg 3 post #50 Bad_Call's Review
Head Microgel Prestige Midplus - reviewed pg 5 post #91
Head Microgel Prestige Mid - reviewed pg 7 post #129 Drakulie's Review Click Here
Head Microgel Instinct - reviewed pg 1 post #16
Head Liquidmetal Radical - reviewed pg 14 post #270
Head Liquidmetal Radical TOUR - reviewed pg 19 post #362
Head Liquidmetal Prestige
Head Flexpoint Radical
Head Flexpoint Radical Tour - reviewed pg 19 post #366
Kneissl Red Star - reviewed pg 3 post #41
Babolat Pure Drive Roddick - reviewed pg 8 post #163
Babolat Aero Pro Drive Cortex - reviewed pg 1 post #6
Babolat Aero Storm Tour 1998- pg 6 post #115
Babolat Pure Storm - Reviewed pg 2 post #24 - reviewed by another poster in response pg. 4 post #76
Dunlop Aero Gel 300 - reviewed pg 1 post #20
Dunlop Aero Gel 200 - reviewd pg 8 post #162
Dunlop Aero Gel 100 - reviewed pg 13 post #252
Prince Precision Mono - reviewed pg 10 post #197
Prince RipStick Extender
Prince Original Graphite Mid
Prince Original Graphite OS
Prince ExO3 Graphite 93 - reviewed pg 11 post #215
Prince ExO3 Graphite 100 - pg 12 post #229
Prince Ex03 Rebel 95 - reviewed pg 11 post #217
Alright... You guys asked for it, so here it is. The KPS88 review. I would have had this out earlier, but I wanted to give it enough time to make an accurate judgment on the frame. Again, if I were to sum up this frame with one word it would be solid. That is because that is how this frame feels all over the court.
I had this strung with luxilon alu flouro mains / wilson stamina crosses, and a 4 and 1/2 grip.
Before I get into how the frame plays, I have to take a moment and talk about the cosmetics of this frame. AMAZING. I think this is one of the nicest paintjobs I have ever seen on a raquet.. A little old school, and a little new school. Great mix. Alright, with that out of my system, let's get on to the good stuff.
GROUNDSTROKES get an 8.5/10. This frame, like I said, performs very solid from the baseline. It honestly feels like a heavier k-90. I didn't notice much difference in the headsize while swinging from the baseline (i doubt many can seriously notice much difference between 2 sq. in of hittin surface). However, the extra weight did provide so excellent pop on my groundstrokes. What I noticed on my forehand, was the my topspin was much heavier than normal. I sturggled at first with depth/control, but once I got it down I was really impressed by how deep and heavy those forehands were feeling. Where this frame really excelled to me was on my finishing forehands. When I wanted to go after one, and flatten it out... you better look out, because I was bringing some serious heat on that bad boy. Really liked that aspect of this frame. My backhand, I struggled a bit with. I had similar results with the k-90, but I think I performed a little better with this one. My 2 handed backhand was good when i wanted to flatten it out and rip it, very solid. However, I feel like I use a little more frame surface when spinning my 2 hander. Slice felt incredible with this frame. What I enjoyed most about my backhand was slice backhand approach shots. I found that I really could knife that ball wherever I wanted, or change up and drop shot at any moment. My slice had incredible bite on the ball, and was more effective than usual I noticed. I also found that my slice felt better with this than on K90.
Serve returns were also solid with this new pro-staff. At first, I found the frame a little sluggish (maybe it was just cuz I am weak) and hard for me to get around in time. However, once I got into a groove with this frame, the serve returns were very nice. Control was amazing, and the added weight allowed me to gain a little power on both sides.
*note* if you are not a 4.5 player or above, this frame may be very difficult to use. The small headsize leaves no room for error. If you hit the sweetspot, this is the nicest feeling frame I have hit. However, if you are not striping that ball absolutely perfect, this frame is not giving you much. On off-center shots, I really noticed the ball sitting in the middle of the court with no pace, just begging to be crushed by my opponent.
Volleys get a 8.5/10 as well. This racquet is very classic feeling at the net. Heavy, stiff, and solid as a rock. I loved how this frame felt at the net. Better than the K-90 and the original in my opinion. When I struck the ball, I knew it was going wherever I told it to go. Control was awesome. Pace was also good. I noticed my deep volleys sticking a little deeper in the court than normal. This was nice, and probably due to the little extra heft of this frame. What I liked about hitting dropshots on my groundstrokes, I liked equally as much on touch and drop volleys. I could almost pinpoint where I wanted that ball to drop, and finsih when necessary. I felt I could be a little more creative at the net as well than I normally do with other frames, and felt very at ease. Off-center volleys dont get a whole lot of power, but the control is still there.
*note* on off center volleys and groundstrokes this frame still feels very sturdy. There are no vibrations to the arm (unless you are using wilson hollow garbage). Very sturdy piece of equipment right here.
Overheads - do I need to comment on this any more other than when i say "killed it"??? Didn't think so
Serves get a 9/10 for me. VERY VERY VERY nice on the serve. I really enjoyed the weight of this frame. I could swing easy, and still get good pace, or really get amped up and bring some SERIOUS power. My flat serve was huge, bigger than I serve with the k90, k95, or Head MGPP. Loved it, and the surgical instrument control was still there. Slice serve got that real nice bite I was commenting on when discussing groudstrokes, and I noticed I could really hit some extreme slice angles on the duece side. These were probably my favorite serves to hit while slugging this racquet. I did notice my kick serve had lost some action, which saddened me..... until I hit another slice and forgot about it haha. I am going to keep messing around with this frame and see if I can get that big kicker back. It jdidn't feel bad by any means, just had lost some action.
Overall this is one very impressive frame. The headsize is a little small for my personal liking, but the frame performs extremely well. If you are a player with good technique, and can handle the weight of this frame, you will be rewarded nicely. I think this is a frame everyone should try out at least once though! So quit reading my stupid review, get the frame, and get out the courts! peace
Do you live in chi-town, or a suburb?
Kal-El,
Do you have a pic of your new kps88? Thanks
me thinks KE lives a little south of that area. don't want to give specifics cause 4.0s like myself will pester him to practice.
Hey, can you compare the KPS 88 and the MG Prestige mid? They're both around 88 sq in head sizes and from reading other reviews, their in the same league. I just wanna know which is better at so-and-so. I'm having a hard time deciding which to get, they both sound really nice.
Oh, and a side note, TW's review on the Prestige doesn't make it sound to great. Do you think the scores the playtesters gave to the mid matches what you thought about the racquet?
Kal-El, I have a question. Which one is more demanding - Prestige MP or Radical Pro?
I am actually from central illinois, BUT have spent the last 3 summers in Long Grove (North West Burb)
in my youth, lived a number of years in southern illinois and have relatives living in Chicago area. go SIU...