Bottle Rocket
Hall of Fame
So here I am, almost 10 years later, and I still haven't found a replacement for my beloved Wilson BLX Six.One 95 18X20. Am I doomed forever?
Here are its specs:
I jumped on the hype train for the Blade v7 recently and gave it a shot (somewhat comparable swing weight, low static weight, super squishy, intriguing concept) for the last 3 months or so. It's comfortable and soft, but I can't remember playing with another frame that gives back so little compared to what you put into it, even with string tensions near 50. I'm a bit shocked that this frame is as popular as it is, but I suspect the low power (with great sound indicative of a harder shot) is just a major confidence builder for those using it.
The RF97 is a non-starter for me because it eats through strings like scissors (even 16g poly's such as 4G), the trajectory of the ball off the string bed (string pattern too open) is annoyingly high, and the weight and balance is a bit goofy (Wilson quality control?). It's just too heavy and swings oddly.
The Yonex has been my primary racket for the last couple of years and it swings right and has great specs (mine has a sw of 333, total weight of 352.5, and balance at 32cm), but it feels a bit unpredictable to me, probably due to the more open string pattern and significantly higher power. Pace of the ball off the string bed is consistently impressive and I've never experienced any pain or discomfort, but I've struggled to gain confidence on the backhand side. Something about the combination of spin to power just isn't jiving with me compared to the Six.One 95.
Right now I am going down a mental path of convincing myself that the re-issue of the K Six.One 95 will provide me a fresh version of this stick that will miraculously be more comfortable, while providing me with matching specs to what I'm used to. Am I insane? What else is out there? For those Six.One fanatics out there, how are you living in today's racket world?
Here are its specs:
- Swingweight: 338
- Strung weight: 351.5 g (with tourna grip & 1.30 mm Cyber Flash full bed, which is about 3g more than a 17 gauge string bed)
- Balance: 32 cm
I jumped on the hype train for the Blade v7 recently and gave it a shot (somewhat comparable swing weight, low static weight, super squishy, intriguing concept) for the last 3 months or so. It's comfortable and soft, but I can't remember playing with another frame that gives back so little compared to what you put into it, even with string tensions near 50. I'm a bit shocked that this frame is as popular as it is, but I suspect the low power (with great sound indicative of a harder shot) is just a major confidence builder for those using it.
The RF97 is a non-starter for me because it eats through strings like scissors (even 16g poly's such as 4G), the trajectory of the ball off the string bed (string pattern too open) is annoyingly high, and the weight and balance is a bit goofy (Wilson quality control?). It's just too heavy and swings oddly.
The Yonex has been my primary racket for the last couple of years and it swings right and has great specs (mine has a sw of 333, total weight of 352.5, and balance at 32cm), but it feels a bit unpredictable to me, probably due to the more open string pattern and significantly higher power. Pace of the ball off the string bed is consistently impressive and I've never experienced any pain or discomfort, but I've struggled to gain confidence on the backhand side. Something about the combination of spin to power just isn't jiving with me compared to the Six.One 95.
Right now I am going down a mental path of convincing myself that the re-issue of the K Six.One 95 will provide me a fresh version of this stick that will miraculously be more comfortable, while providing me with matching specs to what I'm used to. Am I insane? What else is out there? For those Six.One fanatics out there, how are you living in today's racket world?