Moving on from Pure Strike 16x19 3rd gen. Suggestions?

[Ramjet]

Hi Guys - thinking about moving on from the pure strike 16x19 3rd gen. Basically I'm not generating as much swing speed as I used, and my shoulder doesn't quite have the same range of motion. I played with the pure strike 100 today and found it had a lower swing weight and higher launch angle. I felt I could play more easily with it, place balls with control, more spin and higher launch angle. So that got me thinking maybe it's time to switch. The 100 racket had a poly/poly hybrid in (not sure which). I have gut/poly at 52/48 in my 98 in pure strike so I'm not sure whether that had a factor.
With my pure strike 98, I find I can't quite control it as my swing speed/shoulder mobility is lower than before, and so couldn't control depth or height that well. When i used the 100 i felt my balls were going much higher over the net, and I could control direction and depth better, even with slower and shorter swings. The only draw back was less plow through.

What other racquets would you suggest? Maybe blade v8 16x19, or one of the radicals or gravity or speeds?

(p.s. I put a leather grip on my 98 pure strike and would want to do the same with any other racquet, and that adds about 10g of weight and maybe a point or two of headlightness)

Thank you

 

[NewcomerfromBalkan]

Tecnifibre RS 305,with some poly gauges 1.20 on mid to high tension if you can handle Swingweight and higher launch angle on 100 inches PS you will got very good plow through with this stick believe me.
I raise my game for 20 to 30 percent with this change,No arm issues dont be affraid of high stiffness its foam filled and smoothy muted balls have very good precision and control without sacrificing power at All.Regards From Bosnia

 

[StringStrungStrang]

You might want to consider the Yonex Ezone 98 or 100. There are a lot of others too if you want to get away from the PS 98 type of racquet.

 

[FutureF1]

Tecnifibre RS 305,with some poly gauges 1.20 on mid to high tension if you can handle Swingweight and higher launch angle on 100 inches PS you will got very good plow through with this stick believe me.
I raise my game for 20 to 30 percent with this change,No arm issues dont be affraid of high stiffness its foam filled and smoothy muted balls have very good precision and control without sacrificing power at All.Regards From Bosnia

That’s a very high SW racquet. Kinda the opposite of what OP wants

 

[NewcomerfromBalkan]

That’s a very high SW racquet. Kinda the opposite of what OP wants

But its control oriented its little tricky if he have slower stroke swings like he mentioned above,sry

 

[tomkowy]

I’d try Tecnifibre RS 300 first. It’s like an easier Pure Strike - a bit lower static weight and swingweight but similar overall.

If you need more power and forgiveness, Pure Drive is a first choice. More arm friendly choice would be Yonex Ezone 100. Pure Strike 100 in my opinion is not as good as any of the racquets mentioned above.

 

[Chairman3]

Blade 16x19
Pro Staff 97
Pro Staff 100
Yonex Vcore 98 or 100
Speed MP
Gravity Tour

Any of those would likely work and probably more comfort than any of the Strikes.

 

[10S-Junkie]

Demo the new Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 if you can. Very similar specs to the Pure Strike 3rd gen but more arm/shoulder comfortable

 

[fox]

Prince 100 310

 

[TennisHound]

Hi Guys - thinking about moving on from the pure strike 16x19 3rd gen. Basically I'm not generating as much swing speed as I used, and my shoulder doesn't quite have the same range of motion. I played with the pure strike 100 today and found it had a lower swing weight and higher launch angle. I felt I could play more easily with it, place balls with control, more spin and higher launch angle. So that got me thinking maybe it's time to switch. The 100 racket had a poly/poly hybrid in (not sure which). I have gut/poly at 52/48 in my 98 in pure strike so I'm not sure whether that had a factor.
With my pure strike 98, I find I can't quite control it as my swing speed/shoulder mobility is lower than before, and so couldn't control depth or height that well. When i used the 100 i felt my balls were going much higher over the net, and I could control direction and depth better, even with slower and shorter swings. The only draw back was less plow through.

What other racquets would you suggest? Maybe blade v8 16x19, or one of the radicals or gravity or speeds?

(p.s. I put a leather grip on my 98 pure strike and would want to do the same with any other racquet, and that adds about 10g of weight and maybe a point or two of headlightness)

Thank you

Have you thought about the Pure Drive? It’s a good racquet

 

[Ramjet]

Thanks guys. All great suggestions. Just given some of these racquets are on sale and I like a bargain. How would these specifically compare against the 98 pure strike (hoping to swing easier and whippier but still with good power and spin and maybe more feel)

Head Graphene Speed 360 MP
Head Graphene XT Speed MP
Head Graphene 360 Radical MP

@TennisHound I tried the pure drive and it felt too hollow for me and not enough precision and feel

 

[GoArmyTennis]

The new Prince ATS 98 and 100

 

[tomkowy]

Thanks guys. All great suggestions. Just given some of these racquets are on sale and I like a bargain. How would these specifically compare against the 98 pure strike (hoping to swing easier and whippier but still with good power and spin and maybe more feel)

Head Graphene Speed 360 MP
Head Graphene XT Speed MP
Head Graphene 360 Radical MP

@TennisHound I tried the pure drive and it felt too hollow for me and not enough precision and feel

If you want easier racquet, I’d rule Radical out.

The other two - it’s a coin flip. These are two different molds but similar racquets overall.

 

[teckid]

I just bailed on this racket, had high hopes for it to replace my Blade V6, they have similar specs on paper. I felt the PS3 was a bit too harsh, not plush enough, never felt connected, lot of vibrations. Bummer.

 

[Hulger]

Tecnifibre RS 305,with some poly gauges 1.20 on mid to high tension if you can handle Swingweight and higher launch angle on 100 inches PS you will got very good plow through with this stick believe me.
I raise my game for 20 to 30 percent with this change,No arm issues dont be affraid of high stiffness its foam filled and smoothy muted balls have very good precision and control without sacrificing power at All.Regards From Bosnia

Yeah, genious suggestion to upgrade to clunkier less spin-friendly racquet.

Try Speed MP

 

[guardian2002]

Please try the Solinco Whiteout and post a review....

 

[phanamous]

1HBH or 2HBH?

Hi Guys - thinking about moving on from the pure strike 16x19 3rd gen. Basically I'm not generating as much swing speed as I used, and my shoulder doesn't quite have the same range of motion. I played with the pure strike 100 today and found it had a lower swing weight and higher launch angle. I felt I could play more easily with it, place balls with control, more spin and higher launch angle. So that got me thinking maybe it's time to switch. The 100 racket had a poly/poly hybrid in (not sure which). I have gut/poly at 52/48 in my 98 in pure strike so I'm not sure whether that had a factor.
With my pure strike 98, I find I can't quite control it as my swing speed/shoulder mobility is lower than before, and so couldn't control depth or height that well. When i used the 100 i felt my balls were going much higher over the net, and I could control direction and depth better, even with slower and shorter swings. The only draw back was less plow through.

What other racquets would you suggest? Maybe blade v8 16x19, or one of the radicals or gravity or speeds?

(p.s. I put a leather grip on my 98 pure strike and would want to do the same with any other racquet, and that adds about 10g of weight and maybe a point or two of headlightness)

Thank you

 

[puppybutts]

What do you dislike about the strike 100 other than the lack of SW? some posters are suggesting more comfortable, low RA racquets, but it didn't sound like the stiffness of your strike 98 bothered you, just the lower launch angle and too heavy SW. and going to a lower-powered racquet may not help your swing speed/shoulder issue.

The Dunlop CX 400/Tour, Head Speed MP, and Yonex VCore Pro 100 all come to mind though

 

[socallefty]

OP, you look like a candidate for Babolat’s high powered tweeners like the Pure Aero and Pure Drive. If you think a Pure Strike is underpowered, I also suggest taking some coaching lessons and developing a full swing.

 

[Ramjet]

1HBH or 2HBH?

1HBH

 

[Ramjet]

What do you dislike about the strike 100 other than the lack of SW? some posters are suggesting more comfortable, low RA racquets, but it didn't sound like the stiffness of your strike 98 bothered you, just the lower launch angle and too heavy SW. and going to a lower-powered racquet may not help your swing speed/shoulder issue.

The Dunlop CX 400/Tour, Head Speed MP, and Yonex VCore Pro 100 all come to mind though

I think you nailed the essence, and avoided red herrings. Thanks for the thoughtful analysis and recommendations

 

[Ramjet]

OP, you look like a candidate for Babolat’s high powered tweeners like the Pure Aero and Pure Drive. If you think a Pure Strike is underpowered, I also suggest taking some coaching lessons and developing a full swing.

Thanks. As additional context, three different coaches rate me around 4.25 ntrp. They tell me I have well developed strokes. My issue now is lesser shoulder mobility and not quite as strong as when I was in my late thirties (I'm 47 now). So I'm basically looking for an easier racquet with some touch and feel. The pure strike 98 right now delivers all the power in the world for me but requires a bit too much work when I want to be lazy! Maybe you're right with the aero. When I used the pure drive it felt hollow and unconnected.

 

[phanamous]

Due to bad QC, a Pure Strike 98 can play quite comfy or harsh after having tried many. The lighter more headlight specs tend to play much softer while sacrificing power and stability obviously. It's hoop is super stiff so string choice is super important here needing a soft cross for gut/poly setup, T1 Ghostwire 16 or Head Hawk Touch 17 currently for me. Worth a try to look for these specs if you like the frame.

Been trying lighter and bigger frames the past few years settling with the Blade 101L currently. Great platform racquet as I've added some 30gm, mostly in the butt end, to suit my 1HBH. Very forgiving and comfortable frame. It's now 325gm, 7HL, 320SW by my estimation which is a far cry from my old 340gm, 7HL, 330SW spec.

Some other comfy platform options I'm trying/considering:

• Dunlop CX200 OS (105)
  • Surprisingly low power for an OS but with decent control due to dense pattern at sweet spot
  • Love the plush soft feel
• Dunlop CX200 (98)
  • Brief hit has me very curious now mainly due to the plush feel
• Dunlop CX400 (100)
  • Brief hit tells me it has potential but stiffer feeling than CX200
• Head Extreme Tour (98)
  • Good potential with some added weight
  • A tad jarring on off-centered hits, likely do to spin grommet system
  • Not too polarized like the other Head frames
• Head Boom MP (100)

 

[PrinceMoron]

Drop the racquet a little more than usual and then hit out for all you are worth.
The PS allows you to absolutely mash the ball
Just go for it and you will be rewarded with a frame that just melts in your hand.

If you are not addicted to this frame you are not doing it right.

you could fell an elephant with this frame

 

[Ramjet]

Thanks for all the recommendations. I ended up demoing the speed mp, gravity mp, blade 16x19 v8. Out of all these I liked the speed mp the most. Felt I could do everything well, and was much easier for me to be consistent and effective than the PS. Couldn't believe how much spin I was getting. Also the serve came through faster because it was easier to whip the racquet, and same for slice or topspin on the serve. The volleys were decent given the lighter racquet, and I could get quick reaction volleys better than with ps.
Frankly I had to get used to swinging a much lighter racquet since I've always used c 330g to 340g racquets with swingweights around 330. I found with the speed mp every shot just felt easy including touch shots. And so I felt I had more control.
The blade came second. It felt easier than the PS, but not as easy as the speed.

 

[Trip]

@Ramjet - The '22 Speed MP is one of the most balanced and arm-friendly control/tweener hybrids out there; I'm not surprised it was your favorite. Key specs are the 23mm beam, well-balanced string spacing and arm-friendly layup that still provides good feel. If you haven't already settled on it, I would demo the Dunlop CX 400 Tour, Prince Twistpower X100 Tour, Wilson ProStaff Six.One 100 v13 and/or the 2021 Yonex VCore Pro 100 -- any of those are fairly similar and would help you confirm your choice.

 

[Ramjet]

@Ramjet - The '22 Speed MP is one of the most balanced and arm-friendly control/tweener hybrids out there; I'm not surprised it was your favorite. Key specs are the 23mm beam, well-balanced string spacing and arm-friendly layup that still provides good feel. If you haven't already settled on it, I would demo the Dunlop CX 400 Tour, Prince Twistpower X100 Tour, Wilson ProStaff Six.One 100 v13 and/or the 2021 Yonex VCore Pro 100 -- any of those are fairly similar and would help you confirm your choice.

I actually demoed the previous version not the 22 version. Are they basically the same (specs look close enough)? Or any reason to get one over the other. Can save a few bucks with last year's version unless there's a worthwhile reason to get the new one

 

[Trip]

Aha. I gotcha. Compared to the G360+ version, the 2022 Auxetic has a bit more direct feel, slightly smaller sweet spot and a bit lower swing weight and stock power potential, so not necessarily an upgrade, just a bit different. I would say if you liked the G360+ version and can get a deal, you might as well!

 

[Ramjet]

Well - I enjoyed the '22 Speed MP for a year, and it is a great all round racquet. Felt very easy to play with great spin, control and power. Was using black code 17 at 48lbs in that. For some reason I kept missing the plow through and slightly higher swing weight of my 3rd gen pure strike 16x19. So i switched back to that for now. Though i replaced the strings to be 17 guage black code at 46lbs (should have gone to 48lbs). Feels great, with that extra penetration, but now more spin with the black code strings. And it feels fairly soft on the elbow. Note i have a leather grip on mine which adds about 10g of static weight.

I guess these racquets are close enough to switch between occasionally as the mood takes me...

 

[Tweener]

Gravity MP

 

[Sughaclef]

Well - I enjoyed the '22 Speed MP for a year, and it is a great all round racquet. Felt very easy to play with great spin, control and power. Was using black code 17 at 48lbs in that. For some reason I kept missing the plow through and slightly higher swing weight of my 3rd gen pure strike 16x19. So i switched back to that for now. Though i replaced the strings to be 17 guage black code at 46lbs (should have gone to 48lbs). Feels great, with that extra penetration, but now more spin with the black code strings. And it feels fairly soft on the elbow. Note i have a leather grip on mine which adds about 10g of static weight.

I guess these racquets are close enough to switch between occasionally as the mood takes me...

hey there, thanks for coming back to this thread and giving your opinion a year later. that's quite cool of you to give perspective a year later (and surprising you went back to the PS). I am using PA98 and Prince ATS98, but given your comments, I was thinking you may like the Dunlop 400 Tour or the 200 Tour. The 400 is quite stiff and very powerful, the 200 has more touch/feel/precision. The 400 is an Ace-Machine if you have fast serve mechanics... Just a thought.. PS, was it just the swing weight of the Speed MP that caused your departure, what were your over-all thoughts (as I am considering the PSv.3 or the Speed as the PA98 gives me shoulder pain)

 

[Ramjet]

hey there, thanks for coming back to this thread and giving your opinion a year later. that's quite cool of you to give perspective a year later (and surprising you went back to the PS). I am using PA98 and Prince ATS98, but given your comments, I was thinking you may like the Dunlop 400 Tour or the 200 Tour. The 400 is quite stiff and very powerful, the 200 has more touch/feel/precision. The 400 is an Ace-Machine if you have fast serve mechanics... Just a thought.. PS, was it just the swing weight of the Speed MP that caused your departure, what were your over-all thoughts (as I am considering the PSv.3 or the Speed as the PA98 gives me shoulder pain)

Both are great racquets. I put leather grips on both which adds about 10g. The PS has a slightly higher swing weight with a flatter more penetrating ball. With the speed MP more spin and slightly easier to manoever with a huge sweet spot. I generally play 10% better with speed MP. Both have good control for powerful racquets. I string mine with black code at 48lbs. I'm an all courter with a single hand backhand