Pacific racquets

[klementine]

Anybody played/demo'd any of them?

Really can't find much in the way of people sticking with them and reviews. Anybody out there who's played/demo'd extensively with any of the new frames, please post some thoughts.

Seems like no one is talking about these frames. Spec-wise, they have some interesting choices.

 

[canadad]

Here's what I wrote in another thread:
So I was just on vacation and rather stupidly took only one of my frames. I went to a club where I was lucky enough to get a good hit, however I broke a string within ten minutes. The club lent me a Pacific X Feel Tour. I had heard nothing about the frame and wouldn't even have considered demoing it. I can't leave a lengthy review, because I only played with it for about 50 minutes. However, I can make a few comments.
It was an extremely fun demo! I am in that 4.0-4.5 range, with a 1hbh. I mix up spin and occasionally hit flat.
On ground strokes, the stick was great. I was able to take big cuts and the ball went in, deep and with good pace. Spin was more than adequate with both topspin and slice. For a frame that is this light, it felt heavier and stiffer that I would have expected, but it was easy on my fragile arm. The sweetspot was nice as well.
Volleys were good and I got some good placement. Maneuverability was decent, but not as maneuverable as my BB London.
I did not get a chance to serve.
I wish I had more time to play with this one.

I also have used the Vacuum 90, which was awesome for control and slice, but too small for me.

They are nice sticks.

 

[McLovin]

klementine79, I've been using the X-Force Pro for a little over 6 months now and am extremely happy with my choice. I've been an avid Fischer user over the years, most recently using the M-Comp 95s, so this wasn't much of a stretch for me as most of these frames are essentially the 'Black Granite' versions of the Fischer line that never made it to the US.

First, if you've never used Fischer, most of their frames are low powered. For me, that is a good thing as I struggle with control often, and these frames seem geared towards people with fast swings.

Second, while this line is slightly stiffer than it's predecessor, they still retain that 'Fischer Feel' people always talk about, albeit a tad 'crisper'. The X-Force Pro has great plow through, is nimble around the net, and swings easy through serves. The frame has great touch as well.

I hesitate to mention 'access to spin' as to me that is dependent upon your strokes, string & tension. Having said that, I have no problems generating it, whether it be on serves, returns, topspin groundies or slice.

For the record, I string Gut mains @ 58 with Topspin Concept Pure crosses @ 56 on hard courts/indoors. For clay I move to Solinco Tour Bite 18g @ 56lbs (I break the Gut too quickly on clay).

I see that you are from the DC area, so if you've ever hit w/ auzzieism, then you've pretty much seen my game. We are very similar in all aspects, except he has more hair than I do...

 

[Ramon]

I demoed the Pacific X Force Pro 16x20 along with a few others. I ended up getting the Pro Kennex Ki 5x, but I'm glad I demoed the X Force Pro because it's a very good stick. Here's my reviews:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=413091

 

[fibonacci888]

try the Xfast

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=414674

 

[klementine]

Canadad, McLovin- Thanks for those write ups.

McLovin, never met up with auzzieism or anyone from the boards. Just came got back state side this past year after many years overseas and now have suffered a shoulder injury in a pick-up hockey game in Jan.

Just wondering about these 2nd gen Pacific sticks and how they compare to the old fischers. Especially the Pro90Vacuum and Xfeel tour. Nice flexes on both.

 

[canadad]

Canadad, McLovin- Thanks for those write ups.

McLovin, never met up with auzzieism or anyone from the boards. Just came got back state side this past year after many years overseas and now have suffered a shoulder injury in a pick-up hockey game in Jan.

Just wondering about these 2nd gen Pacific sticks and how they compare to the old fischers. Especially the Pro90Vacuum and Xfeel tour. Nice flexes on both.

I actually never had a chance to hit any of the Fischers. I did love the Pacifics, great feeling frames.

 

[McLovin]

Just wondering about these 2nd gen Pacific sticks and how they compare to the old fischers. Especially the Pro90Vacuum and Xfeel tour. Nice flexes on both.

The X-Feel Tour, like the X-Force Pro, is effectively a slightly stiffer version of it's predecessor, the M-Comp 95. Again, I loved my M-Comps, but when they were discontinued I could no longer find grommets, and as anyone who used these frames knows, that was its lone black mark: They cracked often.

When I was demoing frames, I wanted to get back to a 98 sq in, and since the X-Feel was only 95, I looked at the X-Force Pro. I thought I would have an issue w/ the beam thickness (my previous 4 frames have been 20-21mm straight beam), but I adjusted fairly quickly.

Haven't used the Pro Vacuum 90 so I can't say anything about it, but it seems to me that the current line of Pacific is basically a PJ of the Black Granite series. Unfortunately, there wasn't a Vacuum 90 in the M-series to compare to.

McLovin, never met up with auzzieism or anyone from the boards. Just came got back state side this past year after many years overseas and now have suffered a shoulder injury in a pick-up hockey game in Jan.

Hockey, aye? I wish there was a rink near me so I could play. Closest one is Fairfax or Reston, and that's ~ a 30 mile drive.

 

[Pneumated1]

I demoed the X-Force Pro in late December and was very impressed, but I kinda dismissed it. I took a demo of the frame out yesterday and was flat blown away for the second time. To avoid being too verbose here, I'll just say that Pacific/Fischer has somehow blended together perfection, imo. I hit more of a "flat roll" from the baseline, like to drive my bh slice flat and play all-court tennis. Flat serves are second nature with this frame, but slice and kick are on demand as well. But it's the "touch/feel," flex, and control/precision of the frame that impress me the most. I keep looking at the tapered beam and thinking that there's no way that this beam width can produce this type of touch and precision.

I'm demoing it side by side with the IG Prestige MP, and while that frame is amazing as well and gives you the impression that you're a surgeon on the court, the X-Force Pro, I have to admit, actually performs the successful surgery in a more forgiving package, without any compromise in control.

I'm down to the X-Force Pro, IG Prestige MP, and a Bio. 300 weighted to the specs of these other two. Amazing frame---for the second time.

 

[Agent Orynge]

What happened to the Melbourne, P1?

 

[shadowshifter]

@McLovin, Pneumated1:
How are groundstrokes with the X Force Pro? I'm more of a baseliner and having been thinking about demoing a Pacific racket. Thanks!

 

[Pneumated1]

What happened to the Melbourne, P1?

I hit it. It's a great racquet, very controlled, surprising spin, very precise yet powerful. . . but, it's just not me. Can't explain it. I like the X-325 better, but again, I like the Pacific and a weighted Bio. 300 the best of anything I've demoed of late. In fact, I love the Pacific and am a long time Dunlop user, so I just don't know. Very interested, however, to hear your impressions of the new Mac "200," especially a comparison against your Pacific, for those interested. Thanks.

@McLovin, Pneumated1:
How are groundstrokes with the X Force Pro? I'm more of a baseliner and having been thinking about demoing a Pacific racket. Thanks!

I'll defer to McLovin, as he's hit the frame for months now, but for me I could drive the ball on a dime with the frame--maybe the best balance of control/precision/pop/forgiveness that I've experienced in a frame. I just swung away and was amazed at the results. It's confidence inspiring; trust me. As I stated above, I hit more of a flat roll, a 1hbh, and I mix up slice and topspin on the bh side, and both were grooved with this frame off the bat, especially my slices which flew low and penetrated the court hard.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

I hit with an X-Force Pro (16 mains) as part of a demo with some other feel-good frames (Black Ace 98, C-10 Classic, Bast Core 20 & 30, Ki5 PSE). I tried them all stock first, and they all felt good and performed well, but the X-Force Pro stood out as having what I'd describe as a pleasant sort of tactile aftertaste that made me want to hit more balls with it.

Afterward I weighted all the other frames up to roughly the Ki5 PSE's specs, and most of that strange but wonderful "aftertaste" had gone. It still felt fine, but no finer than the others. (In fact, at that spec I felt a clear preference for the Black Ace's feel.) This made sense to me, as changing the mass of a frame will change its frequency response, but I haven't read of anyone else noting anything similar – only the usual, generally positive changes associated with higher mass and swing weight.

If you're going to play with it stock, don't hesitate. It's a sweet-feeling frame.

 

[McLovin]

@McLovin, Pneumated1:
How are groundstrokes with the X Force Pro? I'm more of a baseliner and having been thinking about demoing a Pacific racket. Thanks!

As others have said, the X-Force really shines from the backcourt. The best description I can give is that I feel as long as I can keep the ball within the sidelines & over the net, it will go in. This confidence allows me to "swing away", really driving through the ball. If I had to describe my game, I would say its in the mold of a Ferrer, although I do S&V when playing doubles.

The one thing you need to understand is the frame produces no power. You must provide it all, or string really low (mid 40s might do it). This works great for me as I have a fast swing off both sides, but if you are looking to add power to your game from the baseline, this is not the frame.

 

[McLovin]

Afterward I weighted all the other frames up to roughly the Ki5 PSE's specs, and most of that strange but wonderful "aftertaste" had gone. It still felt fine, but no finer than the others.

Funny, as when I first demoed the M-Comp 95 over 4 years ago, I felt it was "nice". I then added a couple strips of lead in the throat and felt it come alive. So much so that I bought 6 of them & used it for 3+ years.

One of my decisions when moving to the X-Force was it's weight. I wanted something under 12oz that I was comfortable with (I've been having shoulder problems for a while now). My first concern was that I would have to add weight like I did w/ my M-Comps to get it to come alive. However, this thing feels perfect "as is" and I have no plans on altering whatsoever.

 

[ArliHawk]

The X Fast Pro looks tempting, but if these racquets are generally underpowered, it might be a no go.

 

[McLovin]

The X Fast Pro looks tempting, but if these racquets are generally underpowered, it might be a no go.

The X-Fast Pro is a completely different animal. This is Pacific's first "original" offering, and looks to be their 'Pure Drive' clone. Everything up to this point has essentially been a PJ of the Black Granite Fischer line.

 

[Pneumated1]

I hit with an X-Force Pro (16 mains) as part of a demo with some other feel-good frames (Black Ace 98, C-10 Classic, Bast Core 20 & 30, Ki5 PSE). I tried them all stock first, and they all felt good and performed well, but the X-Force Pro stood out as having what I'd describe as a pleasant sort of tactile aftertaste that made me want to hit more balls with it.

Afterward I weighted all the other frames up to roughly the Ki5 PSE's specs, and most of that strange but wonderful "aftertaste" had gone. It still felt fine, but no finer than the others. (In fact, at that spec I felt a clear preference for the Black Ace's feel.) This made sense to me, as changing the mass of a frame will change its frequency response, but I haven't read of anyone else noting anything similar – only the usual, generally positive changes associated with higher mass and swing weight.

If you're going to play with it stock, don't hesitate. It's a sweet-feeling frame.

I sense that the weight of the X-Force Pro is concentrated more at the top of the handle, throat, shoulders, etc. That's where it get it's heft. The tapered beam, remarkably seems to serve the dual purpose of providing a more forgiving hit/"feel," while somehow not becoming "overwhelming" to maintain pinpoint control and, as I keep repeating, to drive the ball on a dime. The flex in the thin throat is very noticeable, and as you mention, all of these attributes come together quite remarkably to produce one of the best frames that I've ever hit stock, and I'm quite surprised by it, to be honest. I always tinker with a little lead here and there in my frames, but I wouldn't touch this one . . . at least I don't think. I do wonder what a gram or two in the throat might do, but it works great as is.

You mention changing a racquets frequency response, which got me to thinking. Most would expect my BB Londons to play less demanding at their 11.4-11.5 stock weight, 4hl, sw 315-320, etc. However, at this stock weight, I launch balls all over and outside the court. If I put on a leather grip or heavier synthetic, 6-8 grams in the hoop, and half that much in the throat, the "frequency response" seems deadened to me and more controllable. Interesting.

You're right, though, this Pacific is one sweet frame stock and underrated, imo. And btw, your signature is the G.O.A.T. I even told my wife about it after reading it one day.

 

[jman32]

Here's what I wrote in another thread:
So I was just on vacation and rather stupidly took only one of my frames. I went to a club where I was lucky enough to get a good hit, however I broke a string within ten minutes. The club lent me a Pacific X Feel Tour. I had heard nothing about the frame and wouldn't even have considered demoing it. I can't leave a lengthy review, because I only played with it for about 50 minutes. However, I can make a few comments.
It was an extremely fun demo! I am in that 4.0-4.5 range, with a 1hbh. I mix up spin and occasionally hit flat.
On ground strokes, the stick was great. I was able to take big cuts and the ball went in, deep and with good pace. Spin was more than adequate with both topspin and slice. For a frame that is this light, it felt heavier and stiffer that I would have expected, but it was easy on my fragile arm. The sweetspot was nice as well.
Volleys were good and I got some good placement. Maneuverability was decent, but not as maneuverable as my BB London.
I did not get a chance to serve.
I wish I had more time to play with this one.

I also have used the Vacuum 90, which was awesome for control and slice, but too small for me.

They are nice sticks.

hi Can, it sounds like we are in similar spots (level and equipment). i play a DC Legend (leaded to 12.3oz) and i am looking to change to something with more control, less power. i am having trouble controlling put-aways from the base line or inside the base line. how is the control of the "feel tour" when hitting out (and overall), was it better or worse than your Becker? was the power similar, was it more controlled? i find it easy to get good spin with the Legend? how is the spin on the pacific?

thanks

 

[shadowshifter]

Cool, thanks! I'll give it a go

 

[Glennie]

I recently hit with the X-Force (98) and the X-Feel Tour and really liked the X-Feel (the X-Force was also very good). Nice open stringbed, 100" headsize, good sweetspot, and very manueverable. The power level was just fine and being a Fischer technology it was great on my arm. Super control and feel. Well worth checking out.

 

[canadad]

hi Can, it sounds like we are in similar spots (level and equipment). i play a DC Legend (leaded to 12.3oz) and i am looking to change to something with more control, less power. i am having trouble controlling put-aways from the base line or inside the base line. how is the control of the "feel tour" when hitting out (and overall), was it better or worse than your Becker? was the power similar, was it more controlled? i find it easy to get good spin with the Legend? how is the spin on the pacific?

thanks

Oops! Sorry my friend, I must of unsubscribed to this thread accidentally, as I completely missed this.
I thought the Tour was a little more forgiving than the London and I found myself hitting depth with control pretty easily. The London is a pretty unique stick, so I am very used to it so I think my control is generally pretty good with it. However, I was controlling the ball well with the Tour. I was definitely controlling my volleys better with the London and my first volleys with the Pacific were going long. Spin was great on both, but slice was better with the Pacific. As for power, it is hard to remember, but I think my Becker has a little more pop. Your Legend is nearly an ounce heavier than my London.
It is funny that you should mention the put aways. I am having the same problems. I am demoing the Dunlop Bio 200, and while it is more difficult to use than my London, I can really pull the trigger with it.

 

[shadowshifter]

Man, I got to say, I'm intrigued now. So I got a demo of the X Force Pro earlier this week, but hadn't played for a couple of months so the first day out my rackethead speed was real awful and I thought the racket felt stiff and unforgiving. Put it aside for a few days, until after I found my strokes again, and hit again, and wow, big difference! All of a sudden it felt great at contact, control was good, and I was all like wow this racket has potential. And then ... after a few minutes, the demo strings broke Guess I'll have to demo again!

Has anyone tried the XFP as well as the X Feel Pro and Tour? And has anyone tried the 16x20 vs 18x20 XFP? I'm wondering if I should check out more Pacific rackets next time around ...

 

[fibonacci888]

i said it before in other threads. Give the Pacific Xfast a swing. I found it to be indeed, easy acces to spin and most of all fun to play with.

 

[fibonacci888]

i said it before in other threads. Give the Pacific Xfast a swing. I found it to be indeed fast, easy acces to spin and most of all fun to play with.

to bad no edit button......

 

[eidolonshinobi]

to bad no edit button......

There is but you've got to reach a certain amount of posts to earn it.

 

[syke]

Is there any Pacific racquet that plays like a PD?

 

[fibonacci888]

Is there any Pacific racquet that plays like a PD?

Try the Xfast!

 

[etrevino09]

X Force 295 gr. Feedback

Pacific X Force with a Fairway grip and 5 grams (total) of lead at 3-9 is my weapon of choice. I have gone trough several racquets in my 6 playing years and fischer - pacific (pro one - xforce) is definitely high quality stuff. Certainly the racquet is string sensitive and I get the best of it at 50 lbs. with multifilament strings. The feel at higher tensions is rigid and boardy, for fist-time testers can be disappointing. But one you find your personal set-up wow!!! soft and solid feel. Great volley racquet, superb for half volleys and forehand slice, and very versatile for either topspin or flat forehands, which is great for players like myself that use all shots and play all court. I'm a Recreational Player and find in this racquet a great partner. I really cannot understand why these frames are not more popular among competitive players, but maybe this thread can make some justice to the brand. Hope so, as I wouldn't like to see them out of the market.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

You mention changing a racquets frequency response, which got me to thinking. Most would expect my BB Londons to play less demanding at their 11.4-11.5 stock weight, 4hl, sw 315-320, etc. However, at this stock weight, I launch balls all over and outside the court. If I put on a leather grip or heavier synthetic, 6-8 grams in the hoop, and half that much in the throat, the "frequency response" seems deadened to me and more controllable. Interesting.

You're right, though, this Pacific is one sweet frame stock and underrated, imo. And btw, your signature is the G.O.A.T. I even told my wife about it after reading it one day.

Thanks! (It's not my joke, though, alas.)

What I'm speculating might be frequency response is strictly a matter of feel, not of performance, for me. All those rackets performed more or less similarly when their specs were the same. The Pacific had the odd distinction of having this sweet aftertaste at its stock weight that made me want to hit more balls with it – like tactile MSG, maybe. It had all the performance advantages of a heavier frame when weighted up, but that magical aftertaste was almost entirely gone.

I have exactly the same experience with heavier rackets giving me better control, but I don't think it is the frequency at which they vibrate. I think instead it is the unfortunate fact that if a racket is light enough, all the flaws in my strokes come right out to play as I attempt micromanagement of the racket head. With heavier frames, I'm more likely to get myself out of the way and let it swing itself.

 

[Ross K]

Totally agree with all the praise above for the X Force Pro. Of new frames I tested in 2012 it was my favourite. A really class act that harks back to the great Fischers of the past. Comparable to the old red/silver Pro No. 1's with a tiny bit more pop (although, as McLovin says, it is indeed still low powered.) Solid. Quality build. Excellent serve frame. Fantastic control. Great all around the court. If this sounds like it could suit your game, I advise ppl to give it a demo.