Federerkblade
Hall of Fame
Yeah a couple have
Nordicdots Tennis Racquets - Model99
- Thread starter Trip
- Start date
KickVicious
Semi-Pro
The Speed MP is a good stick that does most everything pretty well. But for me it wasn’t much fun and there’s wasn’t anything about it that wow’d me. The M99 is more fun to play with, has more customization options since it’s got meaningfully lower static and swing weight and, ironically, feels speedier to swing and get more. Racquet head speed with. I actually just sold my Legend MP Thursday. Just my take.
Haha… I might just have too! But damn, it feels good to rip a onsie!
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topspn
G.O.A.T.
Start putting a coin in your bag for heads/tails lol
KickVicious
Semi-Pro
I’ve got a pair. I’m not a string breaker so I could be convinced to let one go. LMK
Or ask the other player to spin his/her racquet. What in the chance of both players using Nodi racquets. lol
wingedeagle
Rookie
I watched a new review of the 99 model over the weekend from a you tuber named Billy. Just seemed very promotion... worst thing was grip shape.
How have users match performances been with the frame ? and which strings and tensions have started to work well....
How have users match performances been with the frame ? and which strings and tensions have started to work well....
ekucheraw
Rookie
Match performance has been positive on my end. I played against some of the heaviest hitters I know with it and felt incredibly stable (only mod is a leather grip so far) which allowed me to rally relatively easily with them without feeling the need to over or underswing. Serves are still precision airstrikes, volleys are crisp, my main complaint still (outside of the buttcap because I like to incorporate spinning racquets in drills when I coach and it’s a minor irritant to use the side instead of the logo) is that it’s just a tad slower through the air and less maneuverable than I’d like, which is where I felt I suffered on returns the most.
I think Pure Rush and Ghostwire 54 lbs will be where I settle, I tried Tour M8 at 48 lbs this last week and felt I lost a little of the magic I had been feeling in terms of put away power and control on blocked balls.
HypnoticLasagna
Rookie
Ok good to know. I have been playing with M8 at 48, been loving the control of it, but needs a little spice. I think I am going to use it for my doubles match this weekend with the M8 since it still seems fresh enough. I have the ND Power string and was debating going with that or a new prototype string I have laying around.
curtstead
Professional
I've had USTA Nationals and a lot of stuff at home the last couple of weeks, so I haven't had a ton of time with it, but I'll get some more time with them this week to really give the Model 99 a chance.
The two-ish hours I've hit with them so far... pretty mixed feelings. One strung with Nordicdots Eco at 51#, the other Lynx Tour 17g #51. Hit both side by side. Side note before I talk more, I liked the Eco Power a bit more than Lynx Tour in this frame, fwiw. This frame is so bizarre. For something as light as this with not a HH balance or high SW, it seems sluggish. I was definitely late on both serve, return, and groundstrokes, especially against hard hitting teammates as we prepared for nationals. There was some good pop on first serves, but a lot else felt rather underpowered. Stability is really good, especially at it's weight. Sweetspot does feel pretty big, even when a bit off center. I also noticed that the ball would just trampoline away at times on some groundstrokes, similar to my experience with the Furi Arma Pro 98 if you remember those days @Trip . The difference was I loved the Arma Pro 98 on first hit regardless of those random launches. This one, not so much. It gives me pause to really trust it and that just sucks. Most of the time when I experience that with a frame, more time doesn't typically help with getting it dialed in and becoming an extension of my arm. It typically means it just doesn't fit with how I swing, but it's not ALWAYS the case. Boom MP was sort of like that at first, and I've come to really like that frame a lot and trust it more than I initially did. So maybe we can turn a corner here. (The difference here is I had a lot more that I liked a lot with the Boom MP than with the Nordicdots Model 99.)
I don't think it's bad, necessarily. I need to give it more time. It does look really nice, feels high quality, whatever that means, lol. It just might not be for me. I'm also a big fan of TennCom, have had many interactions with Beckett, and the shenanigans ND pulled with him does not sit well with me. So they have a long way to go here. If the racquet sucks, might just smash it to pieces Office Space style on IG, and tag Nordicdots in the post, lol.
Initial thoughts TLDR:
Pros:
Good on first serve
Sweetspot felt bigger than avg
Good stability
Cons:
Sluggish from all areas of the court
Underpowered outside of first serves
Random trampoline launch
Don't trust the frame in tough spots so far (could be that I don't hit the ball as high up in the stringbed as designed)
@curtstead - Heya Curtis, hope all is well! Thank you for the taking the time. And yes, I remember your initial Arma Pro 98 impressions. Definitely seemed a little stronger then versus now. Perhaps you could quicken the general behavior by removing a bit of face weight, by via a thinner/lighter poly, 18 gauge or similar, or maybe a poly/non-poly hybrid. Looking forward to more thoughts you get some more hours with it. Thanks again!
Fighting phoenix
Professional
Interesting - any insights into what actually went down between them and TennCom? What exactly was the problem with the racquet from Beckett's perspective?
HypnoticLasagna
Rookie
Looks like some 100 is coming soon. Spotted Henrik putting it away via TN video.
konstantinos kalfountzos
Hall of Fame
Looks like some 100 is coming soon. Spotted Henrik putting it away via TN video.
Looks like Prince-phantom purple previous generation. Nordicdots are killing it!!!
Federerkblade
Hall of Fame
They are going for the sweet spots with one final killer in the end …
ekucheraw
Rookie
Dang, was hoping the headsize would trend downwards, I guess I just feel 99 and 100 are practically interchangeable in most instances. Hopefully the beam width, head geometry, or some other change makes it feel truly unique amongst it and the M99. I'm curious what their take on a 97 or 95 would be and hope that's somewhere in the cards down the line!Looks like some 100 is coming soon. Spotted Henrik putting it away via TN video.
Romix
Rookie
I actually spoke to them about it over instagram to see if they would go into smaller heads. They stated it is a new business adventure but with the overall performance and success that the model 99 has been they stated they want to add more grip sizes first before they start to make more types. Id love to see a 97 with the 16x20 pattern but still gotta try this model 99 first.
Jingo
New User
Some updates~
Another couple weeks have passed since my last update. Since then, I've played a college club tournament and messed around with lead (4g at 2 and 10) on both and a leather grip on one:
Another couple weeks have passed since my last update. Since then, I've played a college club tournament and messed around with lead (4g at 2 and 10) on both and a leather grip on one:
- Just a leather grip and no lead ruined it completely for me. The balance was really weird. Put 4g on there and it's close to where it was, albeit more polarized. The feel is better—more solid—but it's now getting up to Blade Pro (16x19) specs and I think the Blade Pro is better at being that racket than the 99. Still, it does feel good and stable in this form.
- With just the 4g added (stock grip), I do get more stability and a cleaner feel but I don't think it's worth the slight loss in maneuverability. As others have noted, it's not a whippy stick and adding lead (obviously) just makes it less so.
- I played a tourney with stock specs against young and wild 5.0s smashing balls at me at the net as hard as they could—stability wasn't really an issue. My biggest issue was on groundies and the way that the stick demanded that I hit through the ball. It was difficult to do this under match pressure. That's partly, definitely a "me" problem. As noted before, I feel like the racket forces me to swing properly. Can't just wrist anything or be lazy or late. I won a couple good matches and lost a couple and never really felt like the racket was a liability, though I also don't think it was a major benefit either over my other frames (but these are high bars!).
- I've been playing one with Lynx Tour + Solinco Confidential and the other with Lynx Tour + O-Toro — the first setup is too stiff and boardy. Not a fan at all. The second is not bad but also weird, but that was also the case on my Percept 97D. I think it's just a bad combination. So far, my favorite setup was the Nordicdots Eco string, followed by their TS string. Both great fits but the TS string got horrible after it lost tension. Was great while it lasted! At this point, I think the best setup should be something fairly soft and pockety, with decent power. Nothing low power or firm. It seems to be pretty string-sensitive.
wingedeagle
Rookie
after watching reading the comments on the you tube video and also how many view the video already has had, i think nordic has prob lots 100s of sales of the frame....
unfortunate but thats how it seems reading the you tube comments
unfortunate but thats how it seems reading the you tube comments
Konik_1982
Rookie
Also just watched Beckett´s video...honestly no idea why the owner of ND reacted in this way. It´s just childish behaviour, even if there´s quite a lot in the game...not only sales money but some reputation as well. Very strange. I stand behind Beckett in this, he has been always honest in his reviews and he´s not a jerk by any means. Doesn´t deserve this kind of feedback. We´re adults right? So we should behave accordingly and solve things reasonable. I honestly have no interest trying anything from them...
wingedeagle
Rookie
i presume the owner also who responds on instagram ?
heavyD
Professional
Yeah you have to have thick skin when releasing a product because there's never going to be 100% acceptance especially with a tennis racquet given the variety and differences in preferences from one player to the next. The best thing they could have done was to just take the comments in stride and if they are that upset maybe not send that reviewer racquets in the future but to send an email out like that attacking a guy for his opinions is just bad business.
Hulger
Semi-Pro
Today, I came across a highly disappointing video of @dr. godmode crying and publicly revealing private messages. In doing so, he also heavily criticized a new racquet brand, effectively sabotaging it. This incident is disappointing for both parties involved. However, after reading the early impressions, I can somewhat understand their reaction. You received a racquet with notable flex, yet you failed to analyze this aspect. Instead, you made irrelevant comparisons to entirely different types of racquets and used inappropriate adjectives. Frankly, this racquet’s specifications seem far beyond your current playing level.
Of course resorting to legal threats is wrong and utterly foolish. However, someone with a significant following who profits from racquet reviews should focus on providing technical and objective analyses, rather than prioritizing personal preferences. And publishing such an emotional video to seek community support, knowing the potential harm it could cause to the sales of what might be a great racquet, comes across as a fragile and irresponsible move.
Bxb
New User
Nah. Companies design and produce rackets, people try them and give their impressions and that's it. Obviously people will have various and differing POVs. That's why you have a plethora of products. The entire forum is full of various people sharing their POVs. Clearly there's no holy grail that is to everyone's liking. How it works. What makes this odd is there was actually nothing particularly damning in the review comments (the ones which you also quoted) but after those Tenncom had evidently been asked to return the racket. Really can't see what the issue supposedly was. Just one person's POV among many, and nothing much would've come out of those nor the eventual YT review. What is more Tenncom himself mentioned a couple of other cases where a product had not been to his liking, but the companies had handled the situation like professionals and adults. Seemingly ND too initially thanked him for the feedback and were supposed to send a new racket until the owner apparently lost his head. Came out looking very unprofessional, merely stirring up a Streisand effect. He/ND are the ones in the wrong here and who will reap what they sow.
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Fighting phoenix
Professional
Agreed, plus I don't approve of digs like this racquet being "far beyond your current playing level" - please. Also, let's not forget that one of the things which make Tenncom special is that they aren't focused on "technical and objective analyses" - it's a fun channel by someone who's clearly a geek w/r to tennis equipment. He also is clear about his favorites vs. what he thinks is objectively still good stuff, and in this case he was asked to send the racquet back before he was able to finish customization experiments.
jimdontcare
Rookie
Please tell me this is satire
Bxb
New User
Exactly. That's the thing. There are hundreds of rackets out there and one person prefers this and another prefers that. As you said Tenncom too has his preferences and while he does always ponder various aspects, his POV is in the end whether a racket is good for his game/style. Plus, in regards to customization experiments, he actually said: "I've got a feeling it will take weight extremely well though." Certainly a positive comment and might've been the key to unlocking the racket also for him. Well, sth that may never be known now. His POV was certainly not dishonest and preconceived to trash a new operator in the market. On the contrary as a racket nerd you'd think he welcomes any serious newcomers that aspire to bring quality and new flavor to the market.
Hulger
Semi-Pro
Let me explain this with an analogy: imagine an average Joe reviewing fast race cars. If he’s being honest, he’d probably say they’re all too fast or uncontrolled for him. Similarly, in this case, we have someone reviewing a modern tennis racquet designed for players with significantly more physical strength and racquet head speed. He fails to realize that adding a substantial amount of weight to such a racquet would probably make things worse.
It’s fine if you enjoy watching reviews that are more about personal preferences and entertainment, but in my opinion, that’s a waste of time if the reviewer doesn’t dive deeper into the technical aspects. I want to understand why something performs the way it does.
As for the guy responding from Nordic Dots—he comes across as an ass. However, publicly sharing private messages and defaming an entire company, especially by someone profiting from reviewing others’ products, is utterly crooked.
jimdontcare
Rookie
Dude it wasn't even a review, it was first impressions on a forum post that sounds like everybody's first impressions on a forum post. Not even a youtube video.
Defamation is only defamation if the statement is false. Beckett's opinions weren't false, because they were his opinions. And he didn't lie about what the ND owner said because he showed us. Maybe I'm a product of the 21st century but if you care about your reputation, don't be a jerk. People will naturally share that information somehow.
You're basically saying "Beckett deserved it because I didn't like the way he wrote his first TT post" or "he does gear reviews weird so what did he expect."
How big does a company have to be before we're allowed to say mildly negative things about their products?
HenriJH
New User
I have to disagree almost everything you said in last two posts except this part.
Bxb
New User
Thing is, there's actually equally as much value in hearing what kind of a style/player a racket might not be ideal for. You see even here some posts back a person saying: "The Racket is not my cup of Tea, so i send it back [...]". As said different styles and preferences. What is more if you insist a racket requires you to be a pro or past a certain level to be worthwhile, why even send it to a person who you purport doesn't match this requirement... Doesn't make sense. The guy has a YT channel of over 200 videos. Plenty of material of him hitting a ball. Also, this supposed threshold/requirement doesn't seem to square with the fact that Tennisnerd too was one of the tennis influencers to be sent a racket for testing and reviewing. Certainly not a pro. Nope, just plain unprofessional behaviour from the owner/ND.
Passingshot78
Rookie
I completely agree that some players cannot extract some things from rackets Many if not most online reviewers think they play better then they really are and sometimes they talk funny things especially when combined with footage of them playing
HOWEVER. its company the one who choose who they send their product. They choose 4.5 racket experts they get 4.5 racket experts opinions.
And yes i understand that average racket buyer level is lower then that
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Romix
Rookie
There is no excuse for the owner's behaviour. Not everyone is going to like the racquet. Its impossible for one racquet to fit all. I can only go based off the info tenncom has provided us but that type of behavior through the emails especially from the owner himself its extremely unprofessional and idiotic considering your dealing with someone who has a popular following on here and on YT. Based off the video tenncom wasn't even really bashing the racquet it just wasn't what he expected and it didn't suit his style of play.
To be honest im still going to try the racquet since it matches the specs im looking for but definitely feel wary of the professionalism ill be dealing with if things don't work out with the frame.
To be honest im still going to try the racquet since it matches the specs im looking for but definitely feel wary of the professionalism ill be dealing with if things don't work out with the frame.
I disagree with this. We need all kinds of reviews from different perspectives unless you want the same review from all reviewers, just watch the releasing video then.
I doubt the people who buy or want to try this racquet are all above the playing level of @dr. godmode , I also don't think Nordicdots just want to sell their racquets to higher-level players. Everybody knows the mass recreational players make the most sales for the company.
The emails and messages between Beckett and Nordicdots are essentially for business purposes; they were not private messages. Plus, no NDA was requested or signed, so Beckett is free to share them.
I was the first group of people who bought this racquet, I sold it already. Two reasons: 1. I can't accept the company's behavior, and I would never support this kind of company or use their products. 2. The racquet is okay, there is nothing really special about it. I tried it side by side with my Ezone 98 and Speed MP. I would play both racquets over Nordicdots. Plus, both Speed Legend and M99 have glossy black paint. M99 glossy paint looks much lower quality than Speed, it looks cheap and plasticky. If someone wants to buy it, I'd recommend the grey.
Also, look how many people disagreed with you here, rethink it.
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Passingshot78
Rookie
I agree people who buy racket may be below playing levels of reviewers And sometimes its causing the problem - They may dont understand that reviewer - not racket - is not very good at tennis.
To be clear not talking about Mr goodmode or anyone specifically. Some reviewers arę humble enough to admit some rackets are above their level some others think they play amazing when they barelly move
Generał tenedency is the better player - more humble
But like i said post before: Its the companies choosing reviewers they arę sending their stuff
So finally its their own fault if someone who review their product isn't skilled /profesional enoughto understand/extract its full potential
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Hulger
Semi-Pro
The above sums up all the essentials. Do you think the most popular opinion is always the best one? I’m not here to agree with as many people as possible.
The fact that someone reviews racquets for money doesn’t mean they should praise every product or focus only on the positives—that would be corrupt. That’s not the issue. But at the same time, a racquet company has every right to pull their product from a reviewer if the review doesn’t meet their standards. (Though in this case, the way they handled it seemed subpar.) By sending a racquet to a reviewer, the company gets exposure but also risks receiving a negative review. The fact that this particular review wasn’t even especially negative should give you something to think about. Who knows, maybe the company is playing 4D chess with you, deliberately stirring up controversy to grab attention?
The big issue here is that a reviewer, after a minor personal conflict, decides to use all his energy to smear an entire brand. That shows a destructive level of ego. What we’re likely dealing with here is a solid racquet that some of you - possibly the most sheep-minded - will now miss out on. This hurts the whole tennis community.
You also seem to be embodying the most foolish form of cancel culture. If someone is perceived as unpleasant, even their good work gets dismissed. By that logic, throw your iPhones at the wall—we all know Steve was a jerk.
I've never said the most popular opinion is always the best one, I said rethink it. In fact, my responses were all for different opinions and voices, I was saying we need real reviews from different levels of players, no matter if it's positive or negative. It comes down to the viewers to decide which reviewer is more close to their level, and which review they should trust. You were the one saying the 'negative' review Beckett had was because he's not good enough for that racquet.
I'm just here to speak out my thoughts. You can agree or disagree. I would never accuse people like that if I didn't know enough about that person
jimdontcare
Rookie
What you perceive as "minor" and "significant" in this thread is very confusing.
Passingshot78
Rookie
Speaking about Nordicdots owner
Im 100% sure that if this guy Beckett wrote in his post that ND 99 is the amazing racket, best he hit in a while - this "unprofesional" "confidential" stuff would never happen
Im 100% sure that if this guy Beckett wrote in his post that ND 99 is the amazing racket, best he hit in a while - this "unprofesional" "confidential" stuff would never happen
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Hulger
Semi-Pro
And then stepped forth a man of notable standing, one whose words had echoed through the halls of TT over 10,000 times.
Is this drawn from your personal checklist?
Apologies, I simply couldn’t resist penning that.
Federerkblade
Hall of Fame
A real shame, hopefully this can all be addressed.
It would be a real shame if people did not try Nordic racquets now and in future as a result of this .
If the video released yesterday means ppl don’t try the frame or future frames it’s a damn shame .
Whatever happened I personally don’t feel a video was needed. Things happen in life it’s not like anyone got hurt or their was a financial loss
When I say hurt not physically anyway .. yes there can be emotional hurt but we have to handle it
It would be a real shame if people did not try Nordic racquets now and in future as a result of this .
If the video released yesterday means ppl don’t try the frame or future frames it’s a damn shame .
Whatever happened I personally don’t feel a video was needed. Things happen in life it’s not like anyone got hurt or their was a financial loss
When I say hurt not physically anyway .. yes there can be emotional hurt but we have to handle it
Honza
Semi-Pro
