Powerful 18x20 racquets?

[MarinaHighTennis]

Hey everyone, I'm a 5.0 player who uses the Wilson Blade v5 with a lot of lead from 10-2 o clock and in the buttcap for a very high swing weight pendulum power. I recently hit with the EZone 98 tour and everyone was commenting how it felt like I hit with an extra 5-10 mph on my serves and groundies.

I often feel like my game is dependent on how fit I am to pull off 5.0 shots with the blade but i dont play as much anymore so looking for something with easier power and forgiveness to hold or play much more comfortable.

Any suggestions to Powerful 18x20 racquets? 16x18 feels too uncontrolled for me like a not dialed in feeling but an 18x20 with a stringbed that explodes thru the ball sounds nice for an easier time on court.

 

[DropvolleysRhard]

This exact reason is why I went to the 1.0 Speed Pro. I’m 48 years old 4.0-4.5. Needed a bit more free pop when pushed compared to the YT Prestige MP frames I was using. I’m loving the Speeds. Strung my 4 with gut mains and Alu power crosses. Did them all between 52/50, 54/52, 53 and 51/50. Also have the new 2.0 pro as well. It’s a bit softer flex and the setup I liked in the 1.0 felt too soft and damp. Put full bed of poly tour rev 1.20 in it at 47 and man it hits and feels great.

 

[Fintft]

Head TGT 293.1 at 27.25" is controlled, be it at 16x19. And powerful. Swings very easily.

 

[KungfuTennis]

Speed Pro is relatively powerful, I've heard good stuff about the Solinco 18x20 frames

 

[socallefty]

Hey everyone, I'm a 5.0 player who uses the Wilson Blade v5 with a lot of lead from 10-2 o clock and in the buttcap for a very high swing weight pendulum power. I recently hit with the EZone 98 tour and everyone was commenting how it felt like I hit with an extra 5-10 mph on my serves and groundies.

I often feel like my game is dependent on how fit I am to pull off 5.0 shots with the blade but i dont play as much anymore so looking for something with easier power and forgiveness to hold or play much more comfortable.

Any suggestions to Powerful 18x20 racquets? 16x18 feels too uncontrolled for me like a not dialed in feeling but an 18x20 with a stringbed that explodes thru the ball sounds nice for an easier time on court.

You could try taking some of the lead tape off. You could change to a thinner gauge. You can lower your tension. You can reduce the stiffness of the string you are using. All of those will increase the ‘easy’ power you get from your current racquet and you can experiment yourself rather than trust the opinion of random strangers on an internet board. How many do you think can relate in any way to a 5.0 player’s needs?

 

[MarinaHighTennis]

You could try taking some of the lead tape off. You could change to a thinner gauge. You can lower your tension. You can reduce the stiffness of the string you are using. All of those will increase the ‘easy’ power you get from your current racquet and you can experiment yourself rather than trust the opinion of random strangers on an internet board. How many do you think can relate in any way to a 5.0 player’s needs?

Right now I use a full bed of Solinco Tour Bite 16s at 52 lbs. Would trying it at 40 lbs make a significant difference?

Don't really want to change to a thinner gauge as I have 2 reels and don't want to break strings that often. Taking the lead off kinda makes my ball feel soft. Ppl say while my balls don't seem fast, they feel really heavy.

 

[socallefty]

Would trying it at 40 lbs make a significant difference?

Yes. Every 3-4 lbs makes a noticeable difference at 4.5/5.0 level precision.

You won’t take lead off your current racquet because your ball might be less heavy, but you want to try other much lighter racquets?

FWIW, I think you’ll get a much heavier ball with HyperG than with Tour Bite and maybe that will allow you to take some lead off.

PS: I hope this desire to change is not prompted by losing to two better teams at Sectionals.

 

[MarinaHighTennis]

Yes. Every 3-4 lbs makes a noticeable difference at 4.5/5.0 level precision.

You won’t take lead off your current racquet because your ball might be less heavy, but you want to try other much lighter racquets?

FWIW, I think you’ll get a much heavier ball with HyperG than with Tour Bite and maybe that will allow you to take some lead off.

I would've looked for a lighter racquet but heavy swing weight I think but the lead also helps with the returns and volleys a lot

 

[PRS]

Right now I use a full bed of Solinco Tour Bite 16s at 52 lbs. Would trying it at 40 lbs make a significant difference?

Don't really want to change to a thinner gauge as I have 2 reels and don't want to break strings that often. Taking the lead off kinda makes my ball feel soft. Ppl say while my balls don't seem fast, they feel really heavy.

Yes, I'd definitely try dropping the tension to see how it feels. I used to use poly at 60 pounds, but now I'm often down in the low 40's.

If that doesn't work, others have mentioned the speed pro. Personally not a fan but a lot of people are. I'd also look into the Yonex Percept 100D. It's got an 18x19 string pattern, but it's a very solid racquet. You would need to add a significant amount of weight to it though, it's not very heavy standard. I added something around 30-40 grams, mostly in the handle and some at 12, and it played great, but it would be much too light for you without adding weight.

 

[fortunecookiesjc]

Shift pro

 

[Crocodile]

Volkl V8 Pro is powerful for an 18/20 but it’s a thicker beam frame and a lot lighter. You can start there as a reference point and then test out the Speed Pro.

 

[emhtennis]

Angell TC97 18x20 may be exactly what you're looking for. Has more than enough power when I string it with thin poly in the mid 40s

 

[dr325i]

Head TGT 293.1 at 27.25" is controlled, be it at 16x19. And powerful. Swings very easily.

Prestige is a low power racket, lower power than the Blade, so, you are not helping here at all. Also, the 16x19 pattern whether in 293 or 57A is less control than the 18x20 pattern.

The OP is looking at the Speed Pro probably or a pro stock, custom drill Radical MP, 18x20

 

[WYK]

I've never had the chance, but was wondering how the Pure Strike 18X20 compares to the Speed Pro?

 

[austintennis2005]

How about blade pro 18x20

 

[Chairman3]

Speed Pro
Gravity Pro
I recently acquired a Whiteout 18x20, so pending use, but I have heard it's got good power.
Blade Pro if you can handle the typically high swingweights
V7 Blades have higher swingweights, so more power.
Not sure on the V9, it just came out

 

[BillKid]

Prince Tour 100p

 

[Chairman3]

Percept 97D also

 

[flanker2000fr]

Hey everyone, I'm a 5.0 player who uses the Wilson Blade v5 with a lot of lead from 10-2 o clock and in the buttcap for a very high swing weight pendulum power. I recently hit with the EZone 98 tour and everyone was commenting how it felt like I hit with an extra 5-10 mph on my serves and groundies.

I often feel like my game is dependent on how fit I am to pull off 5.0 shots with the blade but i dont play as much anymore so looking for something with easier power and forgiveness to hold or play much more comfortable.

Any suggestions to Powerful 18x20 racquets? 16x18 feels too uncontrolled for me like a not dialed in feeling but an 18x20 with a stringbed that explodes thru the ball sounds nice for an easier time on court.

If I were you, I'd look at the Solinco Whiteout 18x20, with either a 5 or 10g butt cap module, and lead at 10 / 2 to compensate.

 

[VaMoose98]

Try the blade pro.

 

[PistolPete23]

I’m not 5.0 but have been looking for a control frame with more pop. The thing is, you won’t get more pop unless you add weight or use a stiffer racquet. So I’ve been on a quest to find something stiffer but still having comfort, feel and control. The Furi Arma Pro 98 definitely checks the power box and still is quite controllable unless you’re an old school flat hitter. It also has a good amount of feel, I find more so than other powerful players racquets that I’ve hit with. You have to hit with spin though in order to tame the power, not difficult to do with the 16x19 pattern if you’re coming from an 18x20. And also string at 50-53 lbs with a deader poly; Tour Bite 16 sounds perfect. There are some good reviews on YT from Tennisnerd and Mark Sansait (also a 5.0).

 

[kblades]

Solinco WO has the most pop of any 18x20 I’ve personally tried

 

[Dragy]

Gravity Pro has obvious power boost if you come from smaller head 18x20, but that’s mostly because of high SW, in addition to bigger/wider head.

But I second the idea to add lead under the bumper guard (counterbalance if needed), lowering tension and altering string setup (gut in the mains or multi in crosses, or softer livelier poly hybrid). Blade isn’t some 90 sq.in. frame.

Also don’t discard 16x19 frames (or 16x20 for instance), that’s not something like switching to Extreme MP or Pure Aero right away. A lot of good frames with thight string spacing.

 

[veelium]

Angell TC 95 is powerful (especially if you get the higher RA one). Pure strike too.

 

[PRS]

Others reminded me of another good option: Solinco Whiteout. Probably one of the most powerful racquets that I would still consider a control racquet. Decent pop and spin, feels built for the modern game, whereas some control racquets, like the prestige, feel like they more cater to those looking for a more classic feel.

 

[18x20 ftw]

I also play the 2015 blade 18x20 with lead (all racquets are 336 swingweight). I’ve tried many racquets and can’t get the same level of control and power (Usta 4.5). The one racquet is the 18x20 gen 3 non-tour pure strike. It has more power and good control but after 7 great months my arm couldn’t take it.

 

[18x20 ftw]

You could try lowering your tension or perhaps a gut hybrid.

 

[18x20 ftw]

I use poly tour pro 1.20 at 53 lbs.

 

[yourtennisfit]

If you really want to go 100 - definitely try the Gravity Pro

it will generate power more by plowthrough than by power from the string bed, but I love the combo of control, power and spin
Just need to be aware that it will require to swing 335-340 SW

 

[BillKid]

If you can handle the SW, TFight 305 would be a great pick. It’s extremely powerful. It’s not exactly 18x20 but 18x19 but it’s still a close pattern.

Edit: sorry, reading your initial post I understand you want something on the « easy » side. The TFight 305 is not exactly that because the SW is quite high.

 

[Yamin]

v7 18x20 Blade has the greatest power potential of any racket I've played with, but you do have to put in the effort. I have to be careful not to hurt people with it.

Radical Pro is very stiff and 16x19, has quite a bit more of "easy power", but the control on it is as good as 18x20.

 

[MarinaHighTennis]

If you can handle the SW, TFight 305 would be a great pick. It’s extremely powerful. It’s not exactly 18x20 but 18x19 but it’s still a close pattern.

Edit: sorry, reading your initial post I understand you want something on the « easy » side. The TFight 305 is not exactly that because the SW is quite high.

I play with a very high SW racquet already with a leaded blade v5. By easy I want easy power for extra oomph. I prefer high SW racquets

 

[MarinaHighTennis]

v7 18x20 Blade has the greatest power potential of any racket I've played with, but you do have to put in the effort. I have to be careful not to hurt people with it.

Radical Pro is very stiff and 16x19, has quite a bit more of "easy power", but the control on it is as good as 18x20.

The v7 I felt was way too light it didn't play well on counter attack or defense as it loses the contact battle with the ball vs heftier racquets

 

[julianokay]

Not 18X20 but you should check out the Ezone 98. Very dense 16X19 and tons of easy power.

 

[omegaman]

Speed Pro with Lynx Tour at 50 lbs. The Blade is too unstable and I felt like I was getting pushed around even with lead. The 2015 TT100P is the holy grail but good luck finding any in good condition.

 

[ulunxtns]

Blade pro 18x20

 

[MarinaHighTennis]

I ordered demos for the Shift 99 Pro, Solinco Whiteout XTD 18x20, Prince Tour 100P 18x20. I also asked my stringer to lower my tension to 42lbs so well try that out. I have tried the Blade Pro 18x20 but some reason that does not feel veryprecise

 

[AmericanTwist]

Easier power = stiffer frame or bigger frame. More forgiveness = bigger frame. So look for a 98 that's stiffer than 64ra. Or similar stiffness and a bigger 100 head.

Pure strike Gen3 and Dunlop cx 200 tour come to mind but I am sure there are other choices too. Number one thing in tennis is footwork so maybe up your fitness level lol. You could also try different strings/lower tension that give you more power.

 

[Fintft]

I ordered demos for the Shift 99 Pro, Solinco Whiteout XTD 18x20, Prince Tour 100P 18x20. I also asked my stringer to lower my tension to 42lbs so well try that out. I have tried the Blade Pro 18x20 but some reason that does not feel veryprecise

BP v8 16M with poly at 47/44 had decent control for me, but I can yeld the Shift 99 300(with 6g at noon) much easier, especially when defending.

Gl!

 

[what_army]

I don’t think the racquet is the issue here. The blade v5 18x20 has all the power you’ll ever need but stringing TB 1.30 is likely killing it. I strung my blades v7 18x20 with it once (around 50lbs although it was cold weather) and the ball was literally going nowhere. When the strings died after a few hours it was even worse.

I’d look at other strings (lux alu power, head hawk) before assuming the racquet is the root cause of your problems.

 

[Yamin]

The v7 I felt was way too light it didn't play well on counter attack or defense as it loses the contact battle with the ball vs heftier racquets

Interesting. Sounds like you need something with a higher twist weight or you got something under spec.

Pure Strike 18x20 or Shift Pro might be more what you're looking for, but they're both kinda logs and similar in the same manner. Percept 97 D could be an option as well. These all hit very linear stable balls, but will give you much less shape than the blade.

Have also heard good things about the white out but haven't tried it myself...

 

[bogdan101]

Wilson Pro Staff 95.

 

[Oval_Solid]

KSix-One 95
it has a 18x20 version
look at del potros forehand
unless you need a new racket from the store

 

[dr325i]

Hey everyone, I'm a 5.0 player who uses the Wilson Blade v5 with a lot of lead from 10-2 o clock and in the buttcap for a very high swing weight pendulum power. I recently hit with the EZone 98 tour and everyone was commenting how it felt like I hit with an extra 5-10 mph on my serves and groundies.

I often feel like my game is dependent on how fit I am to pull off 5.0 shots with the blade but i dont play as much anymore so looking for something with easier power and forgiveness to hold or play much more comfortable.

Any suggestions to Powerful 18x20 racquets? 16x18 feels too uncontrolled for me like a not dialed in feeling but an 18x20 with a stringbed that explodes thru the ball sounds nice for an easier time on court.

Another one interesting and worth trying and much cheaper than some other suggestions would be Artengo TR960CT. I see one 16x19 and 18x20 for sale in FS section.

 

[Tranqville]

Technifibre T-Fight ISO 305, stock.

 

[Rosstour]

Yes, I'd definitely try dropping the tension to see how it feels. I used to use poly at 60 pounds, but now I'm often down in the low 40's.

If that doesn't work, others have mentioned the speed pro. Personally not a fan but a lot of people are. I'd also look into the Yonex Percept 100D. It's got an 18x19 string pattern, but it's a very solid racquet. You would need to add a significant amount of weight to it though, it's not very heavy standard. I added something around 30-40 grams, mostly in the handle and some at 12, and it played great, but it would be much too light for you without adding weight.

Poly at 60lb? Kill me

 

[PRS]

Poly at 60lb? Kill me

Yeah, in a stiff racquet too, haha. That was before I knew anything about racquets or strings, but thankfully I have learned better since then.

 

[PFG1]

I ordered demos for the Shift 99 Pro, Solinco Whiteout XTD 18x20, Prince Tour 100P 18x20. I also asked my stringer to lower my tension to 42lbs so we’ll try that out. I have tried the Blade Pro 18x20 but some reason that does not feel veryprecise

How did these demos turn out for you? What racket did you end up with?

 

[Conrado85]

Blade Pro 18x20
Whiteout 18x20
Prince Tour 100P
Pure Strike 18x20

 

[AA7]

Blade Pro 18x20
Whiteout 18x20
Prince Tour 100P
Pure Strike 18x20

This list is gold.

Also ez98 tour that you tried… what did you not like about it? Ezone is probably the densest 16x19 at 98 inch head size that I have ever hit with… it really plays like 18x20 especially launch angle and directional control wise.