Ok, here's my take on the Fischer M Speed Pro Number One Light (UL, 11oz) and Dunlop Aerogel 300... the Fischer came strung with NXT 16 at about 50lbs and the Dunlop with NXT 16 at roughly 53 lbs.
Out of the box, I liked the Fischer from the start. It's light, like a 300G, and nearly identical in terms of weight/balance. Just bouncing a ball on the stringbed, there was a noticable dampened feeling which I thought would be a nice change from the moderate feedback from my 300G and Spirit. Unfortunately this wasn't the case. The grip is odd (square?) which began to dislike the more I hit with it. It also seems a little short by 1/8" or so. The buttcap is small, like a Yonex, which I also dislike. The slightly muted feeling reminded me of the i.Radical MP with an even lower flex and less feedback. It's slightly heavier though, with a lower balance by a point or two. The swingweight felt more like 300 than 315. The sweetspot was lower than I like and probably resulted in decreased power. The power was about the same or higher than the i.Rad, but lower than the Aerogel and even a 300G. I would have strung it higher than 50 lbs to have more control and feedback, which would have meant many short balls if I didn't add lead. I played three sets with this racquet before I decided it wasn't for me. Too little feedback and a wierd grip. For some reason, I could not slice well at all with this frame - maybe the grip, loose strings, or low feedback?
The Aerogel 300 is a little heavier than the 300G, so it makes sense that it's slightly more powerful. It has the 300G feeling (semi-stiff), not the boardy feeling I experienced with the M-Fil 200 2006. It still has M-Fil technology and a lot of feedback, but I like that feeling personally. If you've used a 300G you know what I'm talking about ...it isn't for everyone. The increased power was mostly noticable on serve and when flattening the ball out, just where I needed it. Volleys still require great timing and execution. I suspect it still it has less power of any of the ncodes, k-factors, babolats, etc with a similar headsize so it wouldn't be a good choice for people who like heavier, or dampened, or powerful frames, or those w/o fast, full swings. I swing out frequently and I'm probably a case of tennis elbow waiting to bloom. The sweetspot is the same as the 300G or slightly higher, which is important to me since I normally hit higher on the stringbed. It isn't the perfect frame for everyone, but it does everything reasonably well for it's weight and is a nice update to the 300G at roughly 320g. The mold is nearly the same, except that the indented curves at the top of the throat are flat and the bridge is more narrow and round. A great replacement for a 300G ...if that's your kind of frame.
]. I will add the mid to my list though if I can get a bunch at one time.
