Need a Racquet with more power than Blade 98s or 104

[men8ifr]

That is not stiff!

I tried an APD but is too stiff and hurts my wrist after playing.

I'm thinking 64 stiffness or less.

I think I actually want a 110sq in racquet - In fact I have one a Prince 110 ESP 14 x 17 - that works great but maybe too powerful for summer and I would like more control (denser stringbed)

I tried the Yonex DR Rally - seemed like perfect recipe but didn't like how it played in the upper hoop.

I would need something with SW 315 max.

I'll look at slightly more powerful strings for the 104 (which feels a bit more powerful than the blade 98s) as well - I'm on kevlar/zx which works well and lasts forever however I need a bit more power.

I can look at the racquet finder tool but the problem is a lot or racquets above 110 sq in don't get the research/testing so I think many play quite badly and the chance of a demo is about zero (in the UK)

Any thoughts?

 

[anhboa2]

Ezone Ai Lite
Ezone Ai Feel , plus lots of tail-weight

 

[CopolyX]

you sure it is the stiffness of the frame? or you know, those things that hit the ball.... the kelvar strings.
blade 104 (2015) has a pretty low vibration rating and low flex 58...
Suggest a nice round copoly in the mains (med/soft) and a quality mono core sync gut in the crosses.
med-low on the tension...
This will even open up the sweet spot some more.
Add a tad of lead (dont go gonzo) at the top, this will also raise the sweet spot up a tad.
Lots of nice combos out there.

As for the 98S, no comment, not a fan. it is close to even balance and requires a lot of tweaking. it could be a good frame thou...
but compared to the real estate, power, and forgiveness of the 104.....your call...

 

[Prince Vegeta]

That is not stiff!

I tried an APD but is too stiff and hurts my wrist after playing.

I'm thinking 64 stiffness or less.

I think I actually want a 110sq in racquet - In fact I have one a Prince 110 ESP 14 x 17 - that works great but maybe too powerful for summer and I would like more control (denser stringbed)

I tried the Yonex DR Rally - seemed like perfect recipe but didn't like how it played in the upper hoop.

I would need something with SW 315 max.

I'll look at slightly more powerful strings for the 104 (which feels a bit more powerful than the blade 98s) as well - I'm on kevlar/zx which works well and lasts forever however I need a bit more power.

I can look at the racquet finder tool but the problem is a lot or racquets above 110 sq in don't get the research/testing so I think many play quite badly and the chance of a demo is about zero (in the UK)

Any thoughts?

It really sounds like you need ti ditch the kevlar strings for one. After that re-try all of your racket options and see how they play with a soft co-poly or even a hybrid in them. You said the kevlar string lasts forever, but in truth if you play a lot, you should still re-string when they go dead. Otherwise, in frames like the APD, they will hurt your wrist.

 

[esgee48]

Change your strings back to SG or multi. If you were expecting power from Kevlar/ZX, you are dreaming. One thing you could do w/o switching strings is to increase SW to 320 or more. SW max of 315 is not very much. To maintain balance, add mass to the handle.

 

[n8dawg6]

im with the dudes saying ditch the kevlar. put some responsive strings on that 104 and i bet itll fit your bill.

 

[kingp1ng]

Easy recommendation. Prince Textreme Warrior 100 or Warrior 107. Don't be turned off by the stiffness on paper. It's nowhere as stiff as 66 or 67 (respectively) in real life.

As for strings, stick with synthetic gut. If your arm is still sore after hitting with synthetic gut then go with a multifilament. You probably aren't going to gain much spin or power switching to a multi, only gain comfort.

 

[BlueB]

That is not stiff!

I tried an APD but is too stiff and hurts my wrist after playing.

I'm thinking 64 stiffness or less.

I think I actually want a 110sq in racquet - In fact I have one a Prince 110 ESP 14 x 17 - that works great but maybe too powerful for summer and I would like more control (denser stringbed)

I tried the Yonex DR Rally - seemed like perfect recipe but didn't like how it played in the upper hoop.

I would need something with SW 315 max.

I'll look at slightly more powerful strings for the 104 (which feels a bit more powerful than the blade 98s) as well - I'm on kevlar/zx which works well and lasts forever however I need a bit more power.

I can look at the racquet finder tool but the problem is a lot or racquets above 110 sq in don't get the research/testing so I think many play quite badly and the chance of a demo is about zero (in the UK)

Any thoughts?

Add a bit lead to the 104 to increase SW a bit, ditch the kevlar for soft round poly or syngut.

 

[skydog]

Add weight to the 104, stay with the Kevlar/ZX and string it lower. I had to string my modified 104's at 57 x 50 to keep the power level down. Tried one at 52 x 45 during the winter and it was just too powerful even in low temperatures.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Add a bit lead to the 104 to increase SW a bit, ditch the kevlar for soft round poly or syngut.

Just 4 grams of lead tape at 12 boosts the SW 12 pts.

 

[men8ifr]

Ezone Ai Lite
Ezone Ai Feel , plus lots of tail-weight

Do they play better than the dr rally? I liked the Ai98 and AI100 so if they play like those but less sw and more power?

 

[men8ifr]

Just 4 grams of lead tape at 12 boosts the SW 12 pts.

I don't want to add any more sw to the 104 but it was worth a thought.

 

[men8ifr]

Add weight to the 104, stay with the Kevlar/ZX and string it lower. I had to string my modified 104's at 57 x 50 to keep the power level down. Tried one at 52 x 45 during the winter and it was just too powerful even in low temperatures.

I have lowered the zx tension in the 104 it's at 20 or 30 lb so can't really go lower to get more power...

 

[men8ifr]

Easy recommendation. Prince Textreme Warrior 100 or Warrior 107. Don't be turned off by the stiffness on paper. It's nowhere as stiff as 66 or 67 (respectively) in real life.

As for strings, stick with synthetic gut. If your arm is still sore after hitting with synthetic gut then go with a multifilament. You probably aren't going to gain much spin or power switching to a multi, only gain comfort.

The warrior 107 really interests me. Don't think I could get a demo though. Yes the stiffness put me off a bit so good to know it plays soft.

 

[B Cubed]

The warrior 107 really interests me. Don't think I could get a demo though. Yes the stiffness put me off a bit so good to know it plays soft.

You may also want to try to the Prince 100p. A little less stiff, great feel, great control, dense strings, awesome pop.

 

[graycrait]

Might want to consider this: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Head_MicroGEL_Radical_Oversize/descpageRCHEAD-MGRADO.html

 

[DJTaurus]

Pro Staff 97 2017. Plays similar with blade 98s with more power/control and less spin.

 

[anhboa2]

Do they play better than the dr rally? I liked the Ai98 and AI100 so if they play like those but less sw and more power?

More like Ai100 than Ai98, because Ai-Dr98 is very demanding.
Dr Rally plays a little stiffer, Ai Feel is equally powerful and feels great with about 20-30gr tail weight (you won't even need lead tape)

But......., Ai Lite is the best of this bunch.

 

[TennisHound]

I was gonna make a suggestion, but everyone has beat me to it - Prince Textreme Warrior 100 or 100P, Ai98, PS97, Wilson Ultra 100, Head Microgel Radical OS was a good suggestion too.

 

[Stupendous1HBH]

DR98+ could be worth a demo.

 

[mnttlrg]

This is an extremely difficult question to answer given your assortment of criteria, but I will take a stab at it.

You might find more power out of a 24ish mm tweener beam like a DR 98, though that's not a certain thing. Those blades hit nasty power if you are a big enough hitter to make use out of them. Beams are very individual to me, with some getting more powerful responses than others, not really correlating to thickness.

I would also say that stiffness rating alone doesn't have to be an absolute deal breaker. For example, I found my Extreme Pro to be less taxing on my arm than a Blade, even though it's 67ish flex. There are also elements of stiff response that come from the head of the racket that make just as much difference to your arm as the throat flex that they use to measure the stiffness. Just something to keep in mind.

Most importantly, I think you will see the biggest benefit from using an extended length, even if it were just a 27.25. For example, I hit with something that is a lot like a Blade 104 but way better for the arm.... a Dunlop 300g OS (105 head, 18x20 I believe). That is one of the best lower-swingweight rackets I have ever used. It hits a good amount of power, great control, super comfortable, and the sweet spot is as good as you could ever want. Once you get bigger than a 105, the precision of the frame takes a serious nose dive and your maximum power drops and drops. I'm not sure why, but I have found this from testing numerous frames. Also, anything that large is going to hit like a crappy trampoline if you don't get it in 18 main and 19 or 20 crosses.

If you are talking about the new Blade 104, you should definitely check out the older Blade 104 that is 27.5 and 310 swing weight. My 4.5 buddy hit with that for a couple of seasons, and he could rip the ball with crazy pace and spin. It also has a lower stiffness.

 

[BlueB]

I was gonna make a suggestion, but everyone has beat me to it - Prince Textreme Warrior 100 or 100P, Ai98, PS97, Wilson Ultra 100, Head Microgel Radical OS was a good suggestion too.

Mg Rad doesn't have any inherent power...
Also the OP wanted a 100+ frame.

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[BlueB]

I have lowered the zx tension in the 104 it's at 20 or 30 lb so can't really go lower to get more power...

How about gut/zx instead of kevlar/zx?

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[graycrait]

How about gut/zx instead of kevlar/zx?

I've used this hybrid several times. It lasts a good while and plays well throughout its life.

 

[TennisHound]

Mg Rad doesn't have any inherent power...
Also the OP wanted a 100+ frame.

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Oh got it, my bad

 

[THE MAN]

Babolat Pure Drive 107....that's what I got my wife and I put Tungsten lead under the butt cap with Tecnifibre NRG2 18g strung at 53#. Its powerful, forgiving, easy to swing....sweet racket!

 

[men8ifr]

Might want to consider this: http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Head_MicroGEL_Radical_Oversize/descpageRCHEAD-MGRADO.html

Looks great flexy thin beam but the 18 mains puts me off I think it will be similar power to my blade 104?

 

[men8ifr]

DR98+ could be worth a demo.

The swingweight on the 98 is already too high but I liked it.

 

[men8ifr]

Babolat Pure Drive 107....that's what I got my wife and I put Tungsten lead under the butt cap with Tecnifibre NRG2 18g strung at 53#. Its powerful, forgiving, easy to swing....sweet racket!

I don't want to risk it. My wrist hurts after a single session on the APD

 

[men8ifr]

Ok as a first step I'm thinking I restring the blade 104 with a soft slippy 19 gauge poly at a medium to low tension.. I'll have a look on the TWU string page to find something suitable

 

[THE MAN]

I don't want to risk it. My wrist hurts after a single session on the APD

My wife's last racket was a APD+ and she never had shoulder, elbow, or wrist problems and she is in her mid 50's that plays at least 3 times a week.
I am guessing it's your choice of string and tension. If your having wrist problems I would use a multi or syn/gut. Good Luck!

 

[graycrait]

Looks great flexy thin beam but the 18 mains puts me off I think it will be similar power to my blade 104?

I gave both my Blade 104s away, black & silver and black & green versions. I've tried to like the MGRad OS's but can't find the right string combo. If I use an OS it is generally one of my PCG 107s. Day to day I use PCG 100s. Once in a while I like to hit with 11oz Head Ti6.

 

[BlueB]

Looks great flexy thin beam but the 18 mains puts me off I think it will be similar power to my blade 104?

Lower then Blade 104.

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[dman72]

Agreed on the kevlar and power, i swapped racquets with a guy using a Fed 97 a few weeks back for some hitting, and he couldn't even get the ball over the net initially with my NXG 107s, kevlar at 55 in the mains. He was shocked that such a large headsize lacked power. It's the strings.

 

[rockbox]

Looks like the new head extremes have lots of power.

 

[BlueB]

Looks like the new head extremes have lots of power.

And someone proved, recently, that the head size is much bigger then the advertised 100.

 

[Dartagnan64]

WTF is "power" when it comes to rackets? All rackets are plenty powerful enough to send a ball screaming over the opposite fence by a 10 year old girl.

For a particular swing you can make a ball travel further through a number of mechanisms.
1) reduce spin - this can be accomplished by switching from spin friendly poly's to syn gut or multi string beds or using a 18x20 string bed or tightening your string tensions
2) Increase energy transfer to the ball - this can be accomplished with a stiffer frame, looser tensions, softer more resilient strings like natural gut, or heavier swing weights

Or you can work on your swing mechanics to provide these things through more RHS.

But FWIW I have a Blade 104 SW and I can't imagine being able to find a much more powerful racket out there. Even stock it's way more powerful than my leaded up Prince Textreme Tour 100.

 

[fuzz nation]

The swingweight on the 98 is already too high but I liked it.

In case you haven't tried experimenting with racquets you already have at your disposal, you might get exactly what you need in terms of extra power from something that has enough heft through the hoop for you to thump the ball nicely with it. But more heft isn't something to necessarily be afraid of compared with racquets (like that painful APD) having only moderate weight and not much head-light balance. Like you, I find those APD's to play rather harsh.

If you've never done any of your own customizing (lead tape, etc.), I recommend giving it a go. After getting the hoop feeling a little more solid through the ball (more power!!), you can then add enough weight on or inside the handle to gain a more comfortable balance. If it doesn't work, it's no big deal to just peel the stuff off.

My regular racquets are semi-soft Volkls customized up to 12.8 oz, but they also have enough weight added to their handles that they balance at about 10-11 pts. head-light (HL). I'm not saying that you need this rig, but I am saying that I've loaned this racquet to 11 and 12-year-old boys and girls who play at average levels. On several occasions they've used these racquets of mine for over an hour without wearing out or running into any discomfort.

While my frames likely have a SW of over 315, they're also manageable enough for kids to enjoy for more than just 5 or 10 minutes. I'm often disappointed with many current "middleweight" frames these days when I sample them because they have such minimal HL balance that they're relatively sluggish despite their reasonable static weights.

I've tried both the Blade 98 and the Blade 104. The 98 was rather fun despite having less HL balance than I prefer, but the 104 seemed too underweight for me by more than just a little bit. If you want more power from that frame, I think step #1 would be adding a few grams total to the hoop at 3/9 o'clock and see what that gives you. While larger heads seem to be inherently more lively, this racquet simply didn't seem to have any mass to stand up to a ball with a little pace on it.

 

[fuzz nation]

Oops - you could also weight the handle of the DR 98...

 

[BlueB]

But FWIW I have a Blade 104 SW and I can't imagine being able to find a much more powerful racket out there. Even stock it's way more powerful than my leaded up Prince Textreme Tour 100.

Take note that SW is not the same as the old 104 the OP referred to. The old one is soft, low swing weight and pretty low power. The SW is pretty much opposite...

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[mnttlrg]

Looks great flexy thin beam but the 18 mains puts me off I think it will be similar power to my blade 104?

It will be noticeably less because of the length difference alone.

Not sure why you care about the 18 mains. Fewer mains in that size of head hits like crap, imo.


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[mark b.]

Going back to your original question. You want something more powerful. By using the Racquet Finder you come up with this> Notice the Power level. MEDIUM.
Most are low or Low medium. I've modified mine. Cut it down to 27 inches and added silicone on the handle. Killer racquet. These are My specs.

​

Dunlop 300G Oversize
Head Size: 105 sq. in. / 677 sq. cm.
Length: 27 inches / 69.85 cm
Strung Weight: 11.60 oz / 300 g
Balance: 7pts HL
Swing Weight: 318
Beam Width: 22.0mm
Tip/Shaft: 22.0mm / 22.0mm
Composition: Hot Melt Braided Graphite w / Elastomer / Kevlar Yoke
Power Level: Medium
Stiffness: 57
String Pattern: 18 Mains/20 Crosses

 

[PBODY99]

From TW Europe Prince Textreme Premier 110. I have one, more powerful than a 104 Blade [gold\black] I own.

 

[The Big Kahuna]

It really sounds like you need ti ditch the kevlar strings for one. After that re-try all of your racket options and see how they play with a soft co-poly or even a hybrid in them. You said the kevlar string lasts forever, but in truth if you play a lot, you should still re-string when they go dead. Otherwise, in frames like the APD, they will hurt your wrist.

I completely agree. Dump the Kevlar and lower the string tension. Power problem SOLVED.


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[The Big Kahuna]

Well, if you are a fan of the 2015 Blades, you best jump on one now given that TW just dropped the price today! They are now all $119 - $139 ( less when you buy a pair). Best value in tennis racquets IMO.


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