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Quote from
"original" Pro's Pro Art of War thread...
Somebody else tried this racket? Price has dropped to 30 Euro...
My friend Imago, I don't know if finally you get one... I wish you did!
Anyway, I was lucky to got
the very last Art of War!
(code A120, Art of War I)
Thank you very much all you guys who brought up again the info about this racquet!
Is this the end of an interesting part of tennis history? (wow, be cool man). If BDAZ is right (if this racquet is not going to reproduced again) maybe yes...
For sure, just after my purchase the product page unpublished (the ex page goes to a 404 error now).
I have it few days now but the weather didn't help to test it sooner.
Unfortunately I’ve lost the first “unboxing” photos where everything was unattached – I take new photos afterwards, but the case is a little bit stretched of my bag, I’ve also put an overgrip and I’ve replace the standard noname finishing rubber ring with a Pro’s Pro “branded one” (yes, you can lol for that last) . These are the pics...
These are my Pro’s Pro Art of War specs which are this thread subject.
Static weight (strung with out anything else on it) = 332 g (11.71 oz)
Frame length = 68.00 cm (26.75 in)
Balance (for this length above) = 32.4 cm (5 HL)
Swing weight (estimated empirically) = from 320 to 325
(I’m going to check that on an RDC as soon as I re-strung it)
Stiffness (estimated empirically) = 50 to 55 RA
Before I play...
Length issue:
I have a fear about that 0.6 mm which are missing, but I’ve used that as the same happens to my IGPMPs in the past, and to my PK Redondo C98 (at -0.3 mm for this) recently (I may extended some time in the future if I like it much). My main fear was that a shorter stick it is possible to play more stiff than the standard one...You can see below an image compared with my Ti.Rad (which is 69 cm long as I've put a new IG butt cap on it).
Overall Quality:
As other players comment in the various Art of War threads, the buying experience – when you unpacking the racquet is very positive!
Case (is A BIG CASE):
First of all, the Pro’s Pro case for the Art of War is really beautiful and really high in very very quality! Two times better than any other branded case I have. Also it's very thick with a lot of thermo foam. Meaning that, if other cases have a production cost eg 5 euros this has at least 10! For a 24 euro racquet this is something surprising!
Paint / Stickers:
The racquet itself is above average, with a paint quality and stickers similar to any brand. The design is too classic for that decade but the name is so inspired imho! Only two points in the racquet’s paint (which in a “quality” brand will be re-fixed) reveal that is a low cost racquet with very “wide” margin of error in QC. The first are few small marks under the paint and the second an area where the paint has flow and make a line.
Mold:
The mold is not the “squared” one from Prestige line (PT 630) but that form the Radicals MP, meaning the PT113.
It has same width 21 mm as Rad. I don't have a way to meter the thickness but it maybe be a little less like 20.5 mm (posibily for copyright issues). This may give the flexier result.
(EDIT: The bumper of AOW is different and the strings are passing the holes with a different order. See the picts below.Here the Ti.Rad has Microgel MP grommet where the bumper is longer than AOW's. The original Ti.Rad bumper is even smaller than AOW's).
I find it hard to put both stringbeds in line, but are the same – maybe 2-4 holes have a minus 1-2 mm difference in the position.
Beside the mold they’d even borrowed the Titanium motto!
Factory Strings:
I can’t say which PP string is on (it’s a mono with an outer coating) , but contrary to another member, mine came to tide, to boardy (I could say at 60lbs).
Out on the court:
The racquet is really perfect – exactly as expected before I take it (a flexier Prestige MP version). As I’ve said “actually”-stiffness (RA) must be in low 50’s, meaning that plays like that.
The power (with those tide factory strings) is above average for that type of racquets – meaning that you can play (with full swing only, but) without any need of lead addition!
The ground strokes are fine. The power is there if you full swing it.
Forehands are more on the flatter side (as with all 18x20 classics), stable and well targeted. The forehand slice is a weapon with AOW as it goes with very fast speed.
Backhands are also very stable and the slices / drop shoots executed easy and successfully.
Serving has a very good pace (rarely you double faulting with AOW), a perfect placement and a medium speed (on serving you have more success with spin eg slice serves that speedy flats).
Vs other 18x20 classics
Compared with Head IG Prestige MP (my racquet of choice for a long period) and ProKennex Heritage Type C98 Redondo MP (I have it in my bag but I use rarely / as is stringed too tide) the PP Art Of War are a much easier and pleasant racquet, in all aspects, with the same stability, but more comfortable, and with a (maybe) bigger sweetspot (as I’ve said is strung too tide which doesn’t help to that).
The Art Of War plays very similar to Ti.Radical MP as it shares (you may see my photos) the same mold.
One thing where the racquets have a difference (again I'm not 100% sure for that due to different strings and lbs) is when you hit the ball close to the tip, Art Of War makes a “plaf” noise, maybe the low flex or the carbon layers do this… But nothing which bothers the racquet’s playability.
Overall Pro’s Pro Art Of War is (unfortunately was) a very good racquet, in a price which is real steal!!!
I wish to be re-produced again asap!
