My new favorite racket came from a fellow TT forum member !

teachingprotx

teachingprotx

Legend
Dude.
Like for real I’m absolutely shocked and amazed at this.
Context … so a fella here on the forum sent and Paid shipping to send it to me a Wilson ultra graphite 95. I couldn’t believe it. So incredibly kind and so very much appreciated.
Thank you !
Anywho I’m blown away I had to change the specs as it was 13 oz strung with grips and dampener.
So I took off the paint ..re-painted it black. Removed the grommets and head gaurd . Strung it up with isospeed . Done.
It’s now 11.9 oz strung …
15 pts head light
Ra high 40,s low 50,s
I sanded it down I bit so the Ra is lower now for sure …
It plays lights out. I just bought another .. and just bought a 3rd a few minutes ago.
It in no way shape of form is a 95. It’s either 100 sq or at the smallest a 98 head . It’s fantastic I couldn’t miss with it . I haven’t been this excited in years . So fun ! Thank you again to The TT forum gentlemen for turning me on to this you sweet boy !
Unreal .. so happy
 
Oh man I have one of these in red (another very lucky Goodwill hit ~3 years ago) and given your affinity for the Head graphite racquets I'm not very suprised you like it. The launch angle is a little high and hard to work with sometimes is the only complaint I would have.
 
Wow that’s incredible you should say that. When I found out I was getting this racket I knew the pattern was more open than my other 18x20 racket Ive been using as of late. Since my other racket which is a wilson pro staff junior 6.1 it shares the same pattern as the ultra graphite 95. So…. I can switch change between the two rackets with ease most days. That being said as a just in case, to avoid a weird high trajectory coming from the ultra I decided to string it with the lowest launch angle of any string that I’ve ever used or seen which is isospeed pro 17 .
 
Excellent, enjoy the ride...
If one has played a long, long time and has lived through all the racquet changes in composition and size (and string differences), then you "know it" when you have that right frame in hand.
Recently, like you, I found a vintage frame that has been a dream on court for more than a year now. The moment I picked it up, 9 out of 10 second serves were automatic. And. better yet, the harder I hit up and spun them, the more they went in with placement. Imo, youthful muscle memory is a big part of it. Similarly, this frame reminds me of, let's say, maybe 30% the feel of wood. It is nice to hit out again - and shot variety for me is the fun of the game....
Enjoy, enjoy - we all know how you love the game...
 
Frankc said:
Excellent, enjoy the ride...
If one has played a long, long time and has lived through all the racquet changes in composition and size (and string differences), then you "know it" when you have that right frame in hand.
Recently, like you, I found a vintage frame that has been a dream on court for more than a year now. The moment I picked it up, 9 out of 10 second serves were automatic. And. better yet, the harder I hit up and spun them, the more they went in with placement. Imo, youthful muscle memory is a big part of it. Similarly, this frame reminds me of, let's say, maybe 30% the feel of wood. It is nice to hit out again - and shot variety for me is the fun of the game....
Enjoy, enjoy - we all know how you love the game...
Click to expand...
@Frankc, what pray tell frame is this?
 
teachingprotx said:
Wow that’s incredible you should say that. When I found out I was getting this racket I knew the pattern was more open than my other 18x20 racket Ive been using as of late. Since my other racket which is a wilson pro staff junior 6.1 it shares the same pattern as the ultra graphite 95. So…. I can switch change between the two rackets with ease most days. That being said as a just in case, to avoid a weird high trajectory coming from the ultra I decided to string it with the lowest launch angle of any string that I’ve ever used or seen which is isospeed pro 17 .
Click to expand...
What do you mean it shares the same pattern?

Yes I don't mind the launch angle most of the time, in fact I like it more than not because it makes it really nice and fun to hit loopy shots, but I can't autopilot my mind completely while playing with it or I default to habits formed with lower launching frames. It also sometimes seems not 100% predictable with the angle itself on slices if I catch the ball near the tip.
I think this however might be more of a skill issue than a fault of the racquet. :laughing: I kept using the string that was in it when I found it (I think just the classic Wilson syngut) so not sure how much of a difference that makes. The reviews for the one you mentioned seem very nice, I will just remember it in general.
 
I just recently got a new convertible! Well not new but new to me! So I’m doubly excited :) oh wait it’s gonna be 27° here on the gulf coast of Florida and Alabama . So top up for sure
 
I am curious about the 15 pt HL. Is that something you prefer, and if so, why? Genuinely interested. The PS 6.0 95 is often derided as being too HL and not enough SW, and those tend to run @ 350g static strung weight (average) with a 10-11 pt HL balance but only a @310-312 SW (again, average). However, they are notably stiffer racquets than the ultra graphites. I personally like a pretty decent HL balance, say maybe 9 pts on average, but 15 HL seems like there might be stability issues if you frequently come to net or try to get into net?

I don't have nearly the experience you or a lot of guys here have but I'm truly curious about this. The old PS 6.1 'stretch' were crazy HL because Wilson stuck two bars of lead in the grip, so those like me who play around with chopping them to get a standard length 6.1 w/ 18X20 stringing still have to deal with the issue of all that material in the handle else they still end up being @ 12+ HL. And good luck trying to get that lead out of there without making a mess of things! They are seriously adhered in some way.

Caveat, I'm much more an old school flat hitter, so I'm not engaging in all the whippy and wristy/loopy stuff that is considered the standard FH technique now.
 
Is the Ultra Graphite 95 a fiberglass and graphite mix? If I run across one I might have to try it if it is. I have liked the feel of just about every fiberglass frame I've tried.

I personally think they should bring back fiberglass in racquet layup, but I think I am probably in the minority on that one.
 
Boys I would love to show my latest stuff with pics but nothing I do ever works it’s so frustrating man . 90% of the reason I do these paint jobs is to show my 3 friends that I have in this world and you. You guys are my 90% cause I care what y’all think
 
@ Kevo
A minority of two... enjoying a fiberglass/graphite frame right now...

Agree, fiberglass will never make a return because:
can be engineered for flexibility, yet "feel" is not a concept that applies to today's game;
is heavier, yet we all know that lighter is always better s/;
is usually more flexible, and we all know that stiffer and lighter is always better s/ .
 
moldyoak hi buddy .
Well normally I get any racket that I play with the most extreme head light balance I can get .
My head rackets are 21 pts HL . If I could I’d go higher .
I don’t know why but ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved the way tennis rackets feel and swing without strings. Like . That weight is what I’m after that type of extreme balance . I do not need any mass in the head . Hate it really . I feel so off with it like that
 
I do know that my head rackets that I use are almost 100 % fiberglass as I know this because I take off all the paint and you can see it’s fiberglass skeleton. I have pics but can’t post it here TT y’all need a better imaging system
 
The Ultra Graphite had fibreglass. If the schematic is accurate, then it looks like two FG layers and three graphite layers, so around 40% FG:

Wilson-Ultra-95-compositions.jpg
 
I have never hit with a tennis racket that has this big of a sweet spot .
It’s as if the entire racket surface is a sweet spot . It’s uncanny
 
Is that good? All that sweet spot? Or are you saying that all the racquet head is lively enough?
I was taught to use the sweet spot and the areas off the sweet spot for different types of shots? I still do...
 
Yeah I was possibly thinking this frame is just a placebo . Honeymoon situation .
But it’s still feeling . Really really good. It’s good but almost too good as I’m frustrated I haven’t tried this until just now. I’ve purchased more of these to see if they are able to hold up to some scrutiny, best way too do that is to get others . I’ll do the same customization process.
I’m also in the process of getting the kevlar ultra 95 to compare and contrast.
The specs of both of these ultras is way out of my normal spec range. Even after doing my custom stuff. So interesting. So bizarre. So fun .
 
I would guess that with the lightness and light sw and the flex that you can really hit out and swing away...
 
Yes for me that is key. I want to be able to swing as fast and as hard as I can and not hit it out with my forehand. I don’t care about anything else truthfully. Being my forehand is my worst shot. So if I can make it with that being controlled, I can do everything else on my own without anxiety…
 
The Ultra Kevlar has a nicer feel than the Ultra Graphite for me. A touch stiffer, but more smooth. The most flexible one is the Ultra Graphite SL (Mandlikova), which is also 1/4oz lighter, but that has such a nice paint-job it would be a shame to sand one of those down.
 
Yes I’ve been looking at that one too. Unfortunately I cannot get any info as to what is the true balance of the ultra graphite SL ?
So many times I’m fooled with the “SL “ as it is lighter but it’s always lighter from the bottom usually the grip /handle weight, which is the exact opposite to what I’m seeking . Now if I could find out if the balance is the same as the graphites then I’m running to the ultra graphite SL’s!
 
teachingprotx said:
Yes for me that is key. I want to be able to swing as fast and as hard as I can and not hit it out with my forehand. I don’t care about anything else truthfully. Being my forehand is my worst shot. So if I can make it with that being controlled, I can do everything else on my own without anxiety…
Click to expand...
I understand - for me, with a more neutral gripped all court game, a big drawback to the much stiffer modern frames is that I feel like I am always holding back on the hit. Hate that - leads to lessened confidence... especially on the spin serve...
 
Frankc said:
I understand - for me, with a more neutral gripped all court game, a big drawback to the much stiffer modern frames is that I feel like I am always holding back on the hit. Hate that - leads to lessened confidence... especially on the spin serve...
Click to expand...
Me too man . I have a semi western forehand but still I agree with you 1000000%
 
teachingprotx said:
Yes I’ve been looking at that one too. Unfortunately I cannot get any info as to what is the true balance of the ultra graphite SL ?
So many times I’m fooled with the “SL “ as it is lighter but it’s always lighter from the bottom usually the grip /handle weight, which is the exact opposite to what I’m seeking . Now if I could find out if the balance is the same as the graphites then I’m running to the ultra graphite SL’s!
Click to expand...

My Graphite is 352g strung, 32cm balance with the original leather grip.
My Graphite SL is 344g strung, 32cm balance with the original leather grip.

So it looks like the SL is about 8g lighter with mass removed evenly throughout. I previously speculated that the SL might just be the Graphite models that came out at the bottom of the QC range, although I do find the SL slightly flexier too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

teachingprotx
Wilson ultra tapered beam graphite 95 , Kevlar and graphite SL Compared and reviewed coming up
Replies
34
Views
427
teachingprotx
teachingprotx
teachingprotx
Hit w/ a ladies racket / played lights out!!!
Replies
9
Views
873
teachingprotx
teachingprotx
teachingprotx
Dunlop max 200 pro purple green graf frame
Replies
23
Views
2K
mhkeuns
mhkeuns
E
TT new conversations/email alert/forum alert query
Replies
4
Views
468
TW Staff
TW Staff
teachingprotx
Fischer black granite UL / 295 model black white red color way specs ?
Replies
1
Views
162
NicoMK
NicoMK
Back
Top