I posted a short review of my three demo sessions with a Microgel Prestige MP (18x20). I've been playing the LM Prestige for 3 years. I liked the MG demo enough to make the switch.
Thanks to Roman at ****, I got a few new MG Prestige MPs from the Austrian factory. I strung them up with my preferred Big Banger ALU Power at 54 lbs. Roman put the old style Head grip pallet and a Head calfskin grip on them. They weigh 12.1 with overgrip and 7 1/2 points headlight. Identical spec to my LMs. I played D. I college tennis in the early 80s and am 4.5-5.0 currently. After playing a couple weeks with the MG Prestige (18x20) here are my impressions:
Head has done a great job of making a Prestige that has the soft, dampened feel of the older models and the great control that makes me a Prestige fan, but with just a bit more pop all the way around, especially on serve. Just what I was looking for!
Feel: This is where the MG Prestige seems really dialed in, for me at least. It feels much more solid and stable and muted than my LM Prestige which feels "twangy" and a little shaky in the upper hoop by comparison, especially on mishits. The MG feels very solid, even mishits don't jar much, but "buttery" at the same time. It doesn't feel stiff like Wilson N and K 6.1's do to me, or soft but "dead" like my old Yonex MP-1 Tour did to me and other recent Yonex players frames like the RDX500 or RDS001. Head seems to have managed to stiffen the upper hoop from the LM Prestige (without the unpleasant stiffness I found in the Flexpoint version) and yet, also make the racquet feel sweeter at the same time. Nice trick! I like!
Pop: No one buys a Prestige for power (at least they shouldn't unless they want to experience disappointment). But with even the 40 and up set (like me) looking to bang away from the baseline more and more, a little more pop is welcome (that is, if it comes without sacrificing feel and control). Head delivered on this front. Against my most regular playing partner, I've noticed my ace totals per match have more than doubled. I've also notched more winners off the ground than I usually do against him. So more pop in a racquet that feels sweeter than my old one. I really like!
Control: power is nothing without control, they say, for good reason. In this case again, the MG Prestige gave me the same precise control over the ball that made me a fan of the LM Prestige. I felt like I could put the ball right where I wanted it, and yet it got there just a hair quicker than it would with my LM Prestige. Spin production was similar to the LM Prestige. Neither are exactly spin doctors, but I got plenty of kick on second serves and ample topspin and slice when I needed it. Much liking in this department!
Overall: The mold sure looks the same as the old PT630-i.Prestige. It seems like Head has gone retro on us this time around and that's good news as the older Prestige models seem to get much more love than the last two generations (no more "precisely drilled" holes in the head, "total sweet spot construction" bulges in the frame, or stuff like that. No gimmicks, just a classic, proven mold). I'm certainly a convert. I don't have any recent experience with a PT630 or i.Prestige so I'm sorry I can't offer head to head comparisons there. But I can say that for me at least, the MG Prestige MP is an excellent player's stick for the modern game. I found great feel, awesome control, and just enough pop to allow you to hang with the big hitters. Anyone in the market for a player's stick like a Yonex RDS001, 002 Tour, RQis, Wilson K. 6.1, Babolat Pure Storm, Prince o3 or Ozone Tours, Becker 11, et. al. or those with older Prestiges looking for a new one that has the old school feel but more modern performance to match the way the game is going these days, should take a long hard look at the MG Prestige...
Thanks to Roman at ****, I got a few new MG Prestige MPs from the Austrian factory. I strung them up with my preferred Big Banger ALU Power at 54 lbs. Roman put the old style Head grip pallet and a Head calfskin grip on them. They weigh 12.1 with overgrip and 7 1/2 points headlight. Identical spec to my LMs. I played D. I college tennis in the early 80s and am 4.5-5.0 currently. After playing a couple weeks with the MG Prestige (18x20) here are my impressions:
Head has done a great job of making a Prestige that has the soft, dampened feel of the older models and the great control that makes me a Prestige fan, but with just a bit more pop all the way around, especially on serve. Just what I was looking for!
Feel: This is where the MG Prestige seems really dialed in, for me at least. It feels much more solid and stable and muted than my LM Prestige which feels "twangy" and a little shaky in the upper hoop by comparison, especially on mishits. The MG feels very solid, even mishits don't jar much, but "buttery" at the same time. It doesn't feel stiff like Wilson N and K 6.1's do to me, or soft but "dead" like my old Yonex MP-1 Tour did to me and other recent Yonex players frames like the RDX500 or RDS001. Head seems to have managed to stiffen the upper hoop from the LM Prestige (without the unpleasant stiffness I found in the Flexpoint version) and yet, also make the racquet feel sweeter at the same time. Nice trick! I like!
Pop: No one buys a Prestige for power (at least they shouldn't unless they want to experience disappointment). But with even the 40 and up set (like me) looking to bang away from the baseline more and more, a little more pop is welcome (that is, if it comes without sacrificing feel and control). Head delivered on this front. Against my most regular playing partner, I've noticed my ace totals per match have more than doubled. I've also notched more winners off the ground than I usually do against him. So more pop in a racquet that feels sweeter than my old one. I really like!
Control: power is nothing without control, they say, for good reason. In this case again, the MG Prestige gave me the same precise control over the ball that made me a fan of the LM Prestige. I felt like I could put the ball right where I wanted it, and yet it got there just a hair quicker than it would with my LM Prestige. Spin production was similar to the LM Prestige. Neither are exactly spin doctors, but I got plenty of kick on second serves and ample topspin and slice when I needed it. Much liking in this department!
Overall: The mold sure looks the same as the old PT630-i.Prestige. It seems like Head has gone retro on us this time around and that's good news as the older Prestige models seem to get much more love than the last two generations (no more "precisely drilled" holes in the head, "total sweet spot construction" bulges in the frame, or stuff like that. No gimmicks, just a classic, proven mold). I'm certainly a convert. I don't have any recent experience with a PT630 or i.Prestige so I'm sorry I can't offer head to head comparisons there. But I can say that for me at least, the MG Prestige MP is an excellent player's stick for the modern game. I found great feel, awesome control, and just enough pop to allow you to hang with the big hitters. Anyone in the market for a player's stick like a Yonex RDS001, 002 Tour, RQis, Wilson K. 6.1, Babolat Pure Storm, Prince o3 or Ozone Tours, Becker 11, et. al. or those with older Prestiges looking for a new one that has the old school feel but more modern performance to match the way the game is going these days, should take a long hard look at the MG Prestige...
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