Percept 97D vs Blade v9 18X20 vs Gravity Pro vs RF01 Pro

[geniusuguru]

Rating/Type: 4.0+ with a (weak) 2HBH. 1.75m height, and 200lbs weight (20% body fat). Strong baseline player with a good first serve, and not-so-good kick and slice serve. I can generate more power and prefer to hit flat.
Current Racket: Speed pro (2018/19) with Head Velocity MLT at 55 lbs
Reasons for switching: Becoming an on-court player, and speed pro doesn't feel good at net. When playing aggressively, the ball is going long.

I was in search of a headlight control-oriented racket that is still good for serving (with or without customization). I demo-ed several rackets, but and the best feeling rackets were Percept 97D vs Blade v9 18X20 and Gravity pro. Unfortunately, they all came in different weeks of demo, and there is a waitlist for these demos. There is another racket I heard good things about (RF01 pro), but the wait is insanely long. So help me out here!

 

[Dragy]

Have you tried Percept 97 (slight customization, if neded) and Blade 16x19? Just asking. 97D might be too underpowered, unnecessary trouble, if you are not a huge guy.

GPro is a great frame, but much more potent for baseline attacking/versatile style. And imho, both Speed Pro and Gravity Pro play in-between your typical 16x19 and 18x20, so you can easily try both patterns in 97-98, dependent on what you want.

 

[GodlessEndeavor]

Reasons for switching: Becoming an on-court player, and speed pro doesn't feel good at net. When playing aggressively, the ball is going long.

Since you're a 4.0+ player, I assume you can generate decent topspin. Given that, and the fact that you say long balls frustrate you, have you tried using a more spin-oriented string?

 

[geniusuguru]

Have you tried Percept 97 (slight customization, if neded) and Blade 16x19? Just asking. 97D might be too underpowered, unnecessary trouble, if you are not a huge guy.

GPro is a great frame, but much more potent for baseline attacking/versatile style. And imho, both Speed Pro and Gravity Pro play in-between your typical 16x19 and 18x20, so you can easily try both patterns in 97-98, dependent on what you want.

Isn't 97 even more underpowered? Also, I prefer 18X20 because I tend to hit flat.

 

[geniusuguru]

Since you're a 4.0+ player, I assume you can generate decent topspin. Given that, and the fact that you say long balls frustrate you, have you tried using a more spin-oriented string?

That's a great point. I do hit with spin when close to net. That definitely has helped with balls going long. But from the baseline, I tend to hit flat. Strings wise, I am done with polys. Sure they are more spin friendly, but I like the comfort of multifilaments.

 

[GodlessEndeavor]

That's a great point. I do hit with spin when close to net. That definitely has helped with balls going long. But from the baseline, I tend to hit flat. Strings wise, I am done with polys. Sure they are more spin friendly, but I like the comfort of multifilaments.

In case you haven't tried it, Tecnifibre Triax is a fantastic string which sits right between multifilament and polyester strings.

 

[Jingo]

For me, Percept 97D > Gravity Pro > Blade 18x20 > RF01 Pro

But they're all good in their own way. RF01 is killer for slices and volleys, Blade is well-rounded, Gravity hits beastly serves and a generous sweetspot, and the Percept has the most reliable stringbed I've played with + a big sweetspot.

I went with the Percept because of feel and its complete reliability.

(And I don't think it's low-powered at all. It's somewhere in the middle of the sticks here.)

 

[geniusuguru]

In case you haven't tried it, Tecnifibre Triax is a fantastic string which sits right between multifilament and polyester strings.

No, I haven't tried it, but I have Triax and biphase in my lists of strings to try

 

[geniusuguru]

For me, Percept 97D > Gravity Pro > Blade 18x20 > RF01 Pro

But they're all good in their own way. RF01 is killer for slices and volleys, Blade is well-rounded, Gravity hits beastly serves and a generous sweetspot, and the Percept has the most reliable stringbed I've played with + a big sweetspot.

I went with the Percept because of feel and its complete reliability.

(And I don't think it's low-powered at all. It's somewhere in the middle of the sticks here.)

I like how you described all the rackets, and I felt the same with Percept, Gravity and Blade. But with your own description, Blade being great all-around, why didn't you go with Blade?

 

[Conrado85]

Go to Blade, excelent all arround control racquet...

 

[socallefty]

Buy one of each, string them the same way with your favorite stringjob and see which one you like. You might need to restring some of them by tweaking tensions to ‘improve’ them to your liking. After 2-3 restrings on each racquet, you should be ready to say which one fits you the best and what is the optimal string tension. Keep that and sell the rest.

Demoing without similar strings that are relatively new doesn’t help much especially if it is a poly stringjob and you don’t know the age of the stringjob - almost all demos with poly have ‘dead’ poly on them.

 

[Jingo]

I like how you described all the rackets, and I felt the same with Percept, Gravity and Blade. But with your own description, Blade being great all-around, why didn't you go with Blade?

A bit less spin and power and the feel wasn't quite as satisfying. To me, it's just slightly worse than the Percept in every category.

I put it behind the Gravity Pro because the Pro, while a bit tough to work with, is really good at what it does well (two-handed backhands and serves). It's just difficult to recommend the Gravity to everyone without qualification, whereas I can recommend the Percept and the Blade to everyone.

(And the RF 01 Pro to people who love feel and don't mind making tennis more difficult for themselves!)

 

[geniusuguru]

A bit less spin and power and the feel wasn't quite as satisfying. To me, it's just slightly worse than the Percept in every category.

I put it behind the Gravity Pro because the Pro, while a bit tough to work with, is really good at what it does well (two-handed backhands and serves). It's just difficult to recommend the Gravity to everyone without qualification, whereas I can recommend the Percept and the Blade to everyone.

(And the RF 01 Pro to people who love feel and don't mind making tennis more difficult for themselves!)

What’s your Percept 97D setup?

 

[Jingo]

What’s your Percept 97D setup?

Playing stock specs and have been experimenting with all sorts of string setups. Favorite so far was Grapplesnake M8 at 49/48lbs—great feel and really precise. (Had no fewer than three people say they wanted to switch after borrowing it.) Generally, I'm finding that it takes hybrid setups with lower tensions really well. My go-to is Lynx Tour in the mains with a softer, round poly (Restring Sync/Zero/Wasabi X/O-Toro) in the crosses.

Only bad setup was my experiment with O-Toro in both the mains and crosses (way too soft and pockety—couldn't feel anything). Fortunately/unfortunately they broke really fast.

So, I'd generally recommend something with bite in the mains and whatever you want in the crosses.

And I've felt zero interest or need to add weight.

 

[geniusuguru]

Playing stock specs and have been experimenting with all sorts of string setups. Favorite so far was Grapplesnake M8 at 49/48lbs—great feel and really precise. (Had no fewer than three people say they wanted to switch after borrowing it.) Generally, I'm finding that it takes hybrid setups with lower tensions really well. My go-to is Lynx Tour in the mains with a softer, round poly (Restring Sync/Zero/Wasabi X/O-Toro) in the crosses.

Only bad setup was my experiment with O-Toro in both the mains and crosses (way too soft and pockety—couldn't feel anything). Fortunately/unfortunately they broke really fast.

So, I'd generally recommend something with bite in the mains and whatever you want in the crosses.

And I've felt zero interest or need to add weight.

Thank you. I can't do full poly. So it has to be hybrid or full multi. My multi of choice has been velocity and Xcel 17 (preferred but more expensive). Any suggestions?

 

[Jingo]

Thank you. I can't do full poly. So it has to be hybrid or full multi. My multi of choice has been velocity and Xcel 17 (preferred but more expensive). Any suggestions?

I don't use multi, but anything with good feel should work. Just avoid anything that pockets too much because the Percept will do that for you and it's already a bit dampened from the tech.

 

[fox]

Have you tried Prince Tour 100P?

 

[leng jai]

97D if you want an extremely stable point and shoot stick that is fantastic for hitting heavy flat groundstrokes.

Gravity Pro if you want something easier to use with a huge sweet spot and more topspin potential. If you're really focused on hitting serves with more power this is the one to get.

 

[Trip]

For those who care to know, here's @geniusguru's first thread, with more on racquet and playing history:

Best control oriented racket that serve bombs while being comfortable?

Four years back I demo-ed and bought a Dunlop fx500. That was my first racket ever, and I learned flat serves with that. Then someone gifted me a speed pro (2018/19 version). Soon speed pro became my preferred racket, as it kept the ball in. But the serve lost its oomph. On someone’s...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

@geniusuguru - Considering all info exchanged so far, while some <=98 18x20's may seem optimal, you should know what you're getting into. The 97D, Blade 18x20, and similar, are overall not going to make tennis any easier than your Speed Pro. They're just not. Even though you're finding it easier to hit purely flat and probably play more controlled attacking tennis, almost any counterpunching, defense and/or ability to hit a high-enough quality rally ball is going to require a level of prowess that may simply be higher than what you're able to sustain reliably, let alone reach periodically. For someone just north of 4.0 with a self-admittedly-weak 2HBH, I would urge you consider trying to find perhaps a better middle ground on power-to-control and/or power-to-weight. That is, if playing your highest-percentage, most winning tennis is your goal. If you just want to go for the sweetest sensation on contact possible, then I guess have at the <=98 thin-beam control sticks, but like I said, you may be leaving better outcomes on the table for doing so.

That said, I think something like the Prince ATS Tour 100P has your name potentially written all over it. It's like a more smartly-designed Speed Pro for all-court play, in that it still has the flatter control and higher consistency of an 18x20, but it's even a bit more open than the Speed, so it lifts, pops and spins more like 16-main, without the added unpredictability you get from many 16-main string beds. Plus, in stock form, it's 1pt more head-light than the Speed, and the hoop shape makes it handle more like a 98 than a 100, and the tapered beam width at the neck and tip allow for more nuanced touch and feel, so altogether it's a much better all-court stick. Yet you still get an adequate-enough power response from the 23mm mid-beam. Paired with a good multi, I would think something like that would strike a better middle ground for you, than the likes of a 97D or Blade 18x20. I think you should at least try one.

Hope some of that helps!

 

[gfwp]

Rating/Type: 4.0+ with a (weak) 2HBH. 1.75m height, and 200lbs weight (20% body fat). Strong baseline player with a good first serve, and not-so-good kick and slice serve. I can generate more power and prefer to hit flat.
Current Racket: Speed pro (2018/19) with Head Velocity MLT at 55 lbs
Reasons for switching: Becoming an on-court player, and speed pro doesn't feel good at net. When playing aggressively, the ball is going long.

I was in search of a headlight control-oriented racket that is still good for serving (with or without customization). I demo-ed several rackets, but and the best feeling rackets were Percept 97D vs Blade v9 18X20 and Gravity pro. Unfortunately, they all came in different weeks of demo, and there is a waitlist for these demos. There is another racket I heard good things about (RF01 pro), but the wait is insanely long. So help me out here!

Check PS X. Probably the best stick of the year for the control-power sector.

 

[Bigmctennis]

Try one of the auxetic speeds. Really good stability at net and no problem with long balls if you use a stiffer type of string given you have enough racket head speed

 

[geniusuguru]

Try one of the auxetic speeds. Really good stability at net and no problem with long balls if you use a stiffer type of string given you have enough racket head speed

I demo-ed it, and I guess I am leaning towards thinner beams more.

 

[geniusuguru]

Check PS X. Probably the best stick of the year for the control-power sector.

I have to try it now, thanks for the tips.