Pure Strike (Project One 7) 2017 16x19, Arm Pain development!?

[Zen007]

So far I have been using my pure strike for 2 and a half months now, which was bought preowned, having a whole unique setup in the strings. As it uses a hybrid setup, strung in the mains with Babolat VS Touch natural gut at 59lb, and as for the crosses are Babolat rpm blast rough that was strung at 56lb. With 23 string saver locks creating a vertical rectangular shape, as I believe the player that used this racquet was a string a breaker, having these on my racquet does create a greater stiffness in the strings. The Racquet overall is amazing in the way it creates ball pocketing, and explosiveness in power and control. Mostly with a nice pop as I hit that sweet spot just right with my forehand.

Also, I thought it was gonna be great racquet, and so I invested in the racquet by buying new strings and grommets, of which the strings are the same with Vs touch NG, and RPM blast rough. Since I was so amazed as to how I was able to perform so well in my practice matches, as I really loved the play of the racquet so I wanted the same setup. And so I already spent around $60 bucks towards the Raquet already and I feel like I just wasted money on a racquet that I'm aren't sure of if I wanna keep using.

Also, please note though the strings are actually dead but still playable lol, so I'm still aren't sure how it would play with newer crisp strings strung on, as I don't know if I want to restring it at all for now. For my reasoning at first as to why I even bought the racquet in the first place was to have a more modern racquet that's more lightweight, full of control/power, and of course help with my aggressive playstyle. As I've also bought it for a cheap price at $65 since I've heard it was a great racquet with a good control frame and my coach thought it may be a great idea for the price and my aggressive playstyle since he knows I like control racquets. And so I basically switched from my Wilson 95 six one K Factor that used to have Lux 4g strung at 55lb and now has on Lux Alu Power rough. Trading now to the light and aggressive Pure strike for my upcoming season, as I've done my research and mostly heard that the pure strike had only power and stability issues, but I didn't know the stiffness of the racquet and shock would start creating these weird pains in my arm. And was thinking maybe switching to a Yonex Ezone (305g) Blue, as of now I may just find a substitute racquet if the racquet keeps causing these weird pain that restricts me from continuing my practices and rallies as I've had finger cramps and shoulder pains. I just hope that maybe it's not my racquet and maybe just me, as I do weight training and also stretch as I step foot onto the courts.

So I'm here searching for answers or great advice as I'm still a young player who's still learning more to improve my game and not risk future injuries that may be permanent/ serious.

Here are my 2 options I feel like I can do in order to help me play better

1. Maybe I should try to trade/sell my Pure strike and get a better racquet that is more arm friendly.
2. Or maybe improve the Pure strike by changing the strings for more fell and comfort, and maybe change the pounds that it's strung at.

Plus I would love it if anyone can give me any recommendations on racquets that are arm friendly or strings, and if I should use or not use a hybrid set up, as this was my first racquet to have a hybrid setup.

And what I should do with my already bought strings, the half set VS Touch NG gauge 16, and my full bed set RPM Blast Rough gauge 17

P.S hopefully although I feel like this is a dumb question to post since I've read some articles that It causes arm issues overtime, but I want to know if I can find a way over it and keep using the pure strike, as some have no issues at all with using the project one 7 model.

 

[Jd1boo]

Suggest biting the bullet and getting a racquet that will not risk your health. Your health is worth more than $60. You can try reducing the tension on the pure strike before discarding it or use tennis warehouse demo program to try racquets with lower RA rating. I like the prince phantom racquets but there are lots of different options for you to try.

 

[ttnyc456]

I had the same issue with the Pure Strike gen2 strung with Gut at mid tension and got horrible tennis elbow and numb fingers. Switched to a Wilson and then Yonex both with no arm pain at all.

 

[Flying_Axe]

Similar issue for me. I do not have a solution as well. If I can play po 7 painlessly, I would definitely stick with it. I love its performance that much.
Substitute-wise, ezone 305 plays similar but creates less pace. XTC 305 has less spin(a lot), but good pace for flat shot. Speed 360 mp has a good controlled reponse and can be customized to a good weapon, I think.

 

[Zen007]

I had the same issue with the Pure Strike gen2 strung with Gut at mid tension and got horrible tennis elbow and numb fingers. Switched to a Wilson and then Yonex both with no arm pain at all.

Yess!, that is the exact same thing that I had with both my fingers and arms, glad I'm not the only one whos having this issue, well luckily I'll be switching to a Pro Staff 97s 2015 year model thank you

 

[Zen007]

Similar issue for me. I do not have a solution as well. If I can play po 7 painlessly, I would definitely stick with it. I love its performance that much.
Substitute-wise, ezone 305 plays similar but creates less pace. XTC 305 has less spin(a lot), but good pace for flat shot. Speed 360 mp has a good controlled reponse and can be customized to a good weapon, I think.

Yea that's probably my exact issue since its hard to let go of the racquet since it plays so well, I was able to ace my opponent 4 times with this racquet easily, welp created an attachment that I must let go. And yes I believe I had tried Speed 360 with a well-customed hybrid set of strings and string savers with tungsten tape, for the ezone it was a racquet that was love at first sight as I've played with it once. As for an XTC, never tried technifibre racquets before. But yea great options tho, but I might either go back to Wilson racquets, or the ezone it is.

 

[Fairhit]

Yess!, that is the exact same thing that I had with both my fingers and arms, glad I'm not the only one whos having this issue, well luckily I'll be switching to a Pro Staff 97s 2015 year model thank you

I took a similar path, I was playing with my PO7 and came across a couple of PS97 at a pretty good price and I've been playing with those ever since. The Strike didn't give any pain at all but the PS97 are much more comfortable.

 

[Fairhit]

Also, performance wise you won't miss anything about the Strike with a Pro Staff or a Blade.

 

[Zen007]

Also, performance wise you won't miss anything about the Strike with a Pro Staff or a Blade.

Thanks that helps a lot since researching for a new racket ain't easy as I'm always looking for suggestions, but yes I do miss using Wilson rackets because of the feeling whenever I hit a good forehand eep into the courts.

 

[Zen007]

I took a similar path, I was playing with my PO7 and came across a couple of PS97 at a pretty good price and I've been playing with those ever since. The Strike didn't give any pain at all but the PS97 are much more comfortable.

By the way, do you have any string suggestions for my pro staff 97s since I think of maybe going back for Lux Alu Power but the soft string version? Also, racquets that are similar to the Pure Strike but are more arm friendly for that aggressive playstyle.

 

[GenerationTennisElbow]

A Prince tour 100p of some sort could also be a nice replacement. The blade if you want to go to something with a little more control and a higher swingweight. Yonex vcore pro range could be another option, and I think a lot of those are less jarring on the arm than the current ezone.


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[BBender716]

Strongly consider the Clash 98. Very comfortable, same racquet head size, and a good deal of control though not as much as a Blade or Ultra.

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[ttnyc456]

I switched to the Blade then Vcore Pro HD, and both played even better than the PO7. Alu power soft is a great string for both rackets. The HD feels more crisp than the blade, but it has a lower RA and after playing hours my arm and fingers feels no strain at all - highly recommend the HD!

 

[ttnyc456]

Also RolFlex Pro arm roller really helped with recovering from tennis elbow!

 

[Zen007]

A Prince tour 100p of some sort could also be a nice replacement. The blade if you want to go to something with a little more control and a higher swingweight. Yonex vcore pro range could be another option, and I think a lot of those are less jarring on the arm than the current ezone.


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Wow, those are some great choices, I think I've tried something similar to the Prince 100p, like the Prince warrior 100. And both the old blade 98 and the new model but not the newest like the oneTsitsipas use the V7. But the vcore pro, that I've got to try out, thanks for the suggestions

 

[Zen007]

I switched to the Blade then Vcore Pro HD, and both played even better than the PO7. Alu power soft is a great string for both rackets. The HD feels more crisp than the blade, but it has a lower RA and after playing hours my arm and fingers feels no strain at all - highly recommend the HD!

Hmmm idk what it is with Yonex but heir frames always interest me, ever since my coach has sad the squarish shape of the frame is for better control. Tbh I wanted an ezone but, you're the 4th person to suggest this model, I might look more into it since the racquet sounds great for my play style.

 

[Zen007]

Strongly consider the Clash 98. Very comfortable, same racquet head size, and a good deal of control though not as much as a Blade or Ultra.

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Now that's a Wilson Racquet that I've been wanting, I remember it was so hyped up, to the point it lives up to its expectations. I would give it a go but its quite on the pricey side, unless if I can pick up a used one at a decent price from my closest tennis store or online as its the best way to try and find one of those beauties. I've never tried it but it always amazes me to hold it and get a feel of the racquet, I've never tried it but have tried out both the Ultra and blade.

 

[BBender716]

Now that's a Wilson Racquet that I've been wanting, I remember it was so hyped up, to the point it lives up to its expectations. I would give it a go but its quite on the pricey side, unless if I can pick up a used one at a decent price from my closest tennis store or online as its the best way to try and find one of those beauties. I've never tried it but it always amazes me to hold it and get a feel of the racquet, I've never tried it but have tried out both the Ultra and blade.

Definitely scour **** and the forums here. You'll be bound to find one pop up.

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[Zen007]

Als RolFlex Pro arm roller really helped with recovering from tennis elbow!

Also thanks I'll keep that in mind, as it might be the perfect tool after 3 to 5 hours of practice. Also, I feel like a lot of the racquet recommendations are great but are there cheaper racquet alternatives to the vcore HD?

 

[Zen007]

Definitely scour **** and the forums here. You'll be bound to find one pop up.

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Ya just saw one lol for 170, but was sold. Also, I can post forums to buy racquets on tennis talk too right?! Since I was in deep research about the Pure strike and came across forums of people wanting to buy a brand new one to their collection or a specific model to use.

 

[SpinToWin]

Considering switching to this cause I’ll be gifted a few used ones from a junior who got his new batch from Babolat, but y’all are scaring me lol

 

[Zen007]

Considering switching to this cause I’ll be gifted a few used ones from a junior who got his new batch from Babolat, but y’all are scaring me lol

Ya read forums and articles and didn't believe it, but after 2 and a half months I can feel a difference and change in using the pure strike that I heard so many great things about it. Since it was used by Dominic who motivates me to work out harder and improve my one-hand backhand. I say you can give it a shot but go with lower tensions like 55 or 54lbs, and arm friendly strings that are good in comfort and feel, plus use a shock absorber like a Yonex shield one. Good luck, as I feel it depends on your playstyle and time you play with tbh since I like to play up to 5 hours during, rallying training and games. But if you end up in my situation then come back here tot his forum.

 

[SpinToWin]

Ya read forums and articles and didn't believe it, but after 2 and a half months I can feel a difference and change in using the pure strike that I heard so many great things about it. Since it was used by Dominic who motivates me to work out harder and improve my one-hand backhand. I say you can give it a shot but go with lower tensions like 55 or 54lbs, and arm friendly strings that are good in comfort and feel, plus use a shock absorber like a Yonex shield one. Good luck, as I feel it depends on your playstyle and time you play with tbh since I like to play up to 5 hours during, rallying training and games. But if you end up in my situation then come back here tot his forum.

At least I have enough arm friendly racquets to choose from haha. I’d probably then go back to the Clash, in case I’m in a splurging mood I’d find some used 98.

 

[Zen007]

At least I have enough arm friendly racquets to choose from haha. I’d probably then go back to the Clash, in case I’m in a splurging mood I’d find some used 98.

But aye at least now ya know, and after all the clash itself is already a solid enough racket️

 

[phanamous]

PS17 has a very stiff hoop so any stiff strings, even in the crosses, will make it rather not arm-friendly. That RPM blast is stiff.
Swap it out with a softer poly like Head Hawk Touch 17 to see how it goes. It made a big difference for me as I also do a hybrid of gut/poly.
Try increasing the mains tension and lower the crosses also to lessen the stiff crosses impact on the stringbed harshness.

My PS17 18x20 setup was very comfortable with the following:

- Baboblat VS Touch 16 / HHT 17 @ 56/45
- Crosses are strung progessively about 5lbs less near the top and bottom. Less jarring when hit off sweetspot.
- Wilson Shockshield gel grip
- Memory foam stuffed in the butt end
- TW worm dampener

 

[McGradey]

Wtf did they make this racquet out of to make it so hard on the arm, kryptonite?
It feels so good in the sweetspot but hit one near the edge and RIP your arm

 

[SpinToWin]

PS17 has a very stiff hoop so any stiff strings, even in the crosses, will make it rather not arm-friendly. That RPM blast is stiff.
Swap it out with a softer poly like Head Hawk Touch 17 to see how it goes. It made a big difference for me as I also do a hybrid of gut/poly.
Try increasing the mains tension and lower the crosses also to lessen the stiff crosses impact on the stringbed harshness.

My PS17 18x20 setup was very comfortable with the following:

- Baboblat VS Touch 16 / HHT 17 @ 56/45
- Crosses are strung progessively about 5lbs less near the top and bottom. Less jarring when hit off sweetspot.
- Wilson Shockshield gel grip
- Memory foam stuffed in the butt end
- TW worm dampener

Jesus Christ

 

[fuzz nation]

So far I have been using my pure strike for 2 and a half months now, which was bought preowned, having a whole unique setup in the strings. As it uses a hybrid setup, strung in the mains with Babolat VS Touch natural gut at 59lb, and as for the crosses are Babolat rpm blast rough that was strung at 56lb. With 23 string saver locks creating a vertical rectangular shape, as I believe the player that used this racquet was a string a breaker, having these on my racquet does create a greater stiffness in the strings. The Racquet overall is amazing in the way it creates ball pocketing, and explosiveness in power and control. Mostly with a nice pop as I hit that sweet spot just right with my forehand.

Also, I thought it was gonna be great racquet, and so I invested in the racquet by buying new strings and grommets, of which the strings are the same with Vs touch NG, and RPM blast rough. Since I was so amazed as to how I was able to perform so well in my practice matches, as I really loved the play of the racquet so I wanted the same setup. And so I already spent around $60 bucks towards the Raquet already and I feel like I just wasted money on a racquet that I'm aren't sure of if I wanna keep using.

Also, please note though the strings are actually dead but still playable lol, so I'm still aren't sure how it would play with newer crisp strings strung on, as I don't know if I want to restring it at all for now. For my reasoning at first as to why I even bought the racquet in the first place was to have a more modern racquet that's more lightweight, full of control/power, and of course help with my aggressive playstyle. As I've also bought it for a cheap price at $65 since I've heard it was a great racquet with a good control frame and my coach thought it may be a great idea for the price and my aggressive playstyle since he knows I like control racquets. And so I basically switched from my Wilson 95 six one K Factor that used to have Lux 4g strung at 55lb and now has on Lux Alu Power rough. Trading now to the light and aggressive Pure strike for my upcoming season, as I've done my research and mostly heard that the pure strike had only power and stability issues, but I didn't know the stiffness of the racquet and shock would start creating these weird pains in my arm. And was thinking maybe switching to a Yonex Ezone (305g) Blue, as of now I may just find a substitute racquet if the racquet keeps causing these weird pain that restricts me from continuing my practices and rallies as I've had finger cramps and shoulder pains. I just hope that maybe it's not my racquet and maybe just me, as I do weight training and also stretch as I step foot onto the courts.

So I'm here searching for answers or great advice as I'm still a young player who's still learning more to improve my game and not risk future injuries that may be permanent/ serious.

Here are my 2 options I feel like I can do in order to help me play better

1. Maybe I should try to trade/sell my Pure strike and get a better racquet that is more arm friendly.
2. Or maybe improve the Pure strike by changing the strings for more fell and comfort, and maybe change the pounds that it's strung at.

Plus I would love it if anyone can give me any recommendations on racquets that are arm friendly or strings, and if I should use or not use a hybrid set up, as this was my first racquet to have a hybrid setup.

And what I should do with my already bought strings, the half set VS Touch NG gauge 16, and my full bed set RPM Blast Rough gauge 17

P.S hopefully although I feel like this is a dumb question to post since I've read some articles that It causes arm issues overtime, but I want to know if I can find a way over it and keep using the pure strike, as some have no issues at all with using the project one 7 model.

Your switch from the Wilson Six.One 95 to the Pure Strike was a pretty big step to a different racquet. The Wilson was heavier and probably balanced a bit more head-light compared with your Pure Strike. So even though your Babolat has a slightly larger head, it's probably inherently a little less powerful than your old Wilson and the different balance also gives it a little different behavior when you swing to contact.

Switching to a significantly lighter frame isn't automatically a good thing. It depends on what was working or not working for you with your Six.One 95. Did you get the Babolat after you tried it a couple of times or did you hear a lot of great things about it and then get one?

I agree with our pals above in terms of the Pro Staff 97 probably being something to check out. Be patient and you'll eventually come across a lot of different options that are more affordable than many of those shiny new racquets with their hefty price tags. And if you need to protect your arm, stay away from poly strings in any racquet you play, even as a cross string in a hybrid with a softer main.

 

[Callthecops]

I had the first generation of the Pure Strike 100" 16x19 strung with Babolat RPM Blast at 59lbs .
It was harsh and unstable outside the sweetspot and (you probably guessed it) I got severe tennis elbow within 4 months of playing with the Pure Strike.
Tried different strings and tensions, but my elbow got so painful I had to quit playing tennis for 18 (eighteen) months.
My tennisshop and this forum adviced me to get rid of the Pure strikes and buy the Prince Textreme Tour 100P with Prince Premier Touch at 48lbs (Currently playing with Head Rip Control)
Best tennis related advice I've got so far.

 

[Zen007]

Your switch from the Wilson Six.One 95 to the Pure Strike was a pretty big step to a different racquet. The Wilson was heavier and probably balanced a bit more head-light compared with your Pure Strike. So even though your Babolat has a slightly larger head, it's probably inherently a little less powerful than your old Wilson and the different balance also gives it a little different behavior when you swing to contact.

Switching to a significantly lighter frame isn't automatically a good thing. It depends on what was working or not working for you with your Six.One 95. Did you get the Babolat after you tried it a couple of times or did you hear a lot of great things about it and then get one?

I agree with our pals above in terms of the Pro Staff 97 probably being something to check out. Be patient and you'll eventually come across a lot of different options that are more affordable than many of those shiny new racquets with their hefty price tags. And if you need to protect your arm, stay away from poly strings in any racquet you play, even as a cross string in a hybrid with a softer main.

My reasoning was I wanted my own racquet since the k factor was a given racquet from my coach since I didn't or couldn't afford a racquet for my first season at the time. And I've been saving up after playing for months up to half a year, I thought of returning the racquet since I felt bad being honest. So I really wanted babolat, due to all the wonders I heard on power and control of the pure strike. And my coach thought it was a good idea, since I'm aggressive as a baseline and at net. With a powerful forearm at net, since I hit both flats and tops pins, and I might go back to my Kfactor for now. Since you're right, all the racquet suggestions are great and cool and new but that also means alot of money as a I cant really afford it. As my budget atm is $120, and yes I'll probably just be patient as I try resolving my issue with my pure strike if not then I'll probably sell it and try finding a better alternative amd wait for a good deal.

 

[Zen007]

Is there any other cheaper racquet alternatives that's more modern in a good control orientated frame and arm friendly of course. I would likely spend around 120 bucks, and not in the 200 dollar zone.

 

[Ramon]

Is there any other cheaper racquet alternatives that's more modern in a good control orientated frame and arm friendly of course. I would likely spend around 120 bucks, and not in the 200 dollar zone.

Try the Prince Textreme Beast 98. I found that it plays a lot like the Pure Strike, it's only $89, and it's very arm-friendly. For me it's a bit light, so I added lead at 3, 9, and 12.

 

[GenerationTennisElbow]

If you wanna go cheap the best place to look is on eb*y for used racquets. You can find a lot of old gems that have gotten thrown to the wayside as new models have come out, like old Yonex tour 97’s, AI98’s, Wilson blades, Babolat pure controls/pure storms, maybe even some Prince tour/rebel 98 racquets if you wanna go cheap and comfy.


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[Bender]

Considering switching to this cause I’ll be gifted a few used ones from a junior who got his new batch from Babolat, but y’all are scaring me lol

I used the One7 for a few years with nothing but a full bed of stiff strings strung between 50-58 lbs (currently at 57 lbs): ALU Power, Pro Line, Hyper G, RPM. No arm issues.

I do think a lot of arm pain has to do with technique, so if you're confident in that then you should be fine.

 

[fuzz nation]

My reasoning was I wanted my own racquet since the k factor was a given racquet from my coach since I didn't or couldn't afford a racquet for my first season at the time. And I've been saving up after playing for months up to half a year, I thought of returning the racquet since I felt bad being honest. So I really wanted babolat, due to all the wonders I heard on power and control of the pure strike. And my coach thought it was a good idea, since I'm aggressive as a baseline and at net. With a powerful forearm at net, since I hit both flats and tops pins, and I might go back to my Kfactor for now. Since you're right, all the racquet suggestions are great and cool and new but that also means alot of money as a I cant really afford it. As my budget atm is $120, and yes I'll probably just be patient as I try resolving my issue with my pure strike if not then I'll probably sell it and try finding a better alternative amd wait for a good deal.

I'm a pretty big fan of Volkl and two of their models are marked down at TW right now. The V-Sense 10 Tour has a narrow beam and looks like a potentially nice player. One consideration is its listed static weight of 11.5 oz. strung - that's going to be lighter than the K factor you've been using. I haven't sampled that frame myself just because I know that I wouldn't be able to use it without doing a lot of tuning first.

Volkl's V-Sense 10 mid is the other one that's marked down. That frame would be a bit more similar to the Six.One 95 in terms of weight, hoop size, and stiffness. Volkl seems to include vibration dampening in the handles of many of their frames, so even models with some higher stiffness can be rather easy on the arm.

As far as arm friendliness goes, priority #1 is to stay away from stiffer strings in any racquet you play. That means avoid polys. If you don't want a string layout that's too soft, you might do fine with a full bed of synthetic gut that's a little on the snug side. I still love that string for its feel and performance, but it also gives me moderate softness that's become a high priority for me.

 

[SpinToWin]

I used the One7 for a few years with nothing but a full bed of stiff strings strung between 50-58 lbs (currently at 57 lbs): ALU Power, Pro Line, Hyper G, RPM. No arm issues.

I do think a lot of arm pain has to do with technique, so if you're confident in that then you should be fine.

Pretty confident with technique.

 

[Bender]

Pretty confident with technique.

Oh yeah I think you shared a hitting video before (I’m not sure, but it might have been in the PS90 thread).

Have you tried the RF97A? If you’ve not had issues with that then the Strike shouldn’t be any different. If anything it’ll feel a lot more soft depending on the strings you put in it. Lot less powerful as well.

I don’t think the last gen Pure Drive is a similar comparison because of its beam shape. That hybrid beam seems to make a difference. The current Pure Aero has a somewhat similar feeling.

 

[SpinToWin]

Oh yeah I think you shared a hitting video before (I’m not sure, but it might have been in the PS90 thread).

Have you tried the RF97A? If you’ve not had issues with that then the Strike shouldn’t be any different. If anything it’ll feel a lot more soft depending on the strings you put in it. Lot less powerful as well.

I don’t think the last gen Pure Drive is a similar comparison because of its beam shape. That hybrid beam seems to make a difference. The current Pure Aero has a somewhat similar feeling.

Only reason I’m considering it is cause I’m getting several racquets for free haha.

 

[Jimmy Hong]

I have 3 of these with various string configs, all strung in the low 40's

i only get some elbow pain (inner elbow) when I use full bed poly and leave them in too long (with string savers to prevent notching).

so now I mostly use poly on mains and multi cross; let the strings break when they may

 

[SpinToWin]

Oh yeah I think you shared a hitting video before (I’m not sure, but it might have been in the PS90 thread).

Have you tried the RF97A? If you’ve not had issues with that then the Strike shouldn’t be any different. If anything it’ll feel a lot more soft depending on the strings you put in it. Lot less powerful as well.

I don’t think the last gen Pure Drive is a similar comparison because of its beam shape. That hybrid beam seems to make a difference. The current Pure Aero has a somewhat similar feeling.

Think it was in the bumblebee thread that unfortunately died. Wasn't my best play, but it showed that I know how to hit the ball haha

 

[Daniel Waters]

So far I have been using my pure strike for 2 and a half months now, which was bought preowned, having a whole unique setup in the strings. As it uses a hybrid setup, strung in the mains with Babolat VS Touch natural gut at 59lb, and as for the crosses are Babolat rpm blast rough that was strung at 56lb. With 23 string saver locks creating a vertical rectangular shape, as I believe the player that used this racquet was a string a breaker, having these on my racquet does create a greater stiffness in the strings. The Racquet overall is amazing in the way it creates ball pocketing, and explosiveness in power and control. Mostly with a nice pop as I hit that sweet spot just right with my forehand.

Also, I thought it was gonna be great racquet, and so I invested in the racquet by buying new strings and grommets, of which the strings are the same with Vs touch NG, and RPM blast rough. Since I was so amazed as to how I was able to perform so well in my practice matches, as I really loved the play of the racquet so I wanted the same setup. And so I already spent around $60 bucks towards the Raquet already and I feel like I just wasted money on a racquet that I'm aren't sure of if I wanna keep using.

Also, please note though the strings are actually dead but still playable lol, so I'm still aren't sure how it would play with newer crisp strings strung on, as I don't know if I want to restring it at all for now. For my reasoning at first as to why I even bought the racquet in the first place was to have a more modern racquet that's more lightweight, full of control/power, and of course help with my aggressive playstyle. As I've also bought it for a cheap price at $65 since I've heard it was a great racquet with a good control frame and my coach thought it may be a great idea for the price and my aggressive playstyle since he knows I like control racquets. And so I basically switched from my Wilson 95 six one K Factor that used to have Lux 4g strung at 55lb and now has on Lux Alu Power rough. Trading now to the light and aggressive Pure strike for my upcoming season, as I've done my research and mostly heard that the pure strike had only power and stability issues, but I didn't know the stiffness of the racquet and shock would start creating these weird pains in my arm. And was thinking maybe switching to a Yonex Ezone (305g) Blue, as of now I may just find a substitute racquet if the racquet keeps causing these weird pain that restricts me from continuing my practices and rallies as I've had finger cramps and shoulder pains. I just hope that maybe it's not my racquet and maybe just me, as I do weight training and also stretch as I step foot onto the courts.

So I'm here searching for answers or great advice as I'm still a young player who's still learning more to improve my game and not risk future injuries that may be permanent/ serious.

Here are my 2 options I feel like I can do in order to help me play better

1. Maybe I should try to trade/sell my Pure strike and get a better racquet that is more arm friendly.
2. Or maybe improve the Pure strike by changing the strings for more fell and comfort, and maybe change the pounds that it's strung at.

Plus I would love it if anyone can give me any recommendations on racquets that are arm friendly or strings, and if I should use or not use a hybrid set up, as this was my first racquet to have a hybrid setup.

And what I should do with my already bought strings, the half set VS Touch NG gauge 16, and my full bed set RPM Blast Rough gauge 17

P.S hopefully although I feel like this is a dumb question to post since I've read some articles that It causes arm issues overtime, but I want to know if I can find a way over it and keep using the pure strike, as some have no issues at all with using the project one 7 model.

If you bought that racquet and it was already strung with the gut and RPM blast rough, and you've been using it for 2.5 months in addition to what it was played with before, then I suspect the RPM blast rough has been dead for a long time now. Factor in all those string savers, and I would imagine that string bed is far from comfortable, even with the natural gut mains. A dead and stiff poly string, high tension (for the poly) to begin with, and tons of string savers in that set up is definitely a recipe to start giving you some arm problems.

If you like the racquet, then I'm not sure I'd abandon it at this point and start looking for another frame. Cut the strings out and try a hybrid string using your poly of choice with a softer synthetic gut cross. This will give a similar feel to what is in the racquet now, and you can save your expensive gut for later when you are sure you've found a frame you want to play with. Plus, that Pure Strike frame will play much better with the poly main string strung much lower, say 50 lbs or lower. You can string the synthetic gut slightly higher if you are concerned about control, but the poly main is going to be less powerful than the natural gut mains that are in there now, even at the lower tension. Your launch angle may be higher initially from the lower tension, but you will adjust to that in time. If your arm troubles don't start improving after this, then you can start exploring more flexible racquets. Just a note, I would not classify the Pure Strike as a control frame. It's not a rocket launcher like a Pure Drive, but it is definitely not a frame I would classify as a control frame. There are certainly a lot more racquets out there that are going to be more control oriented than the Pure Strike.

 

[lcondez90]

Also, drop that tension. I'm at 39lbs full poly pro hurricane tour. : )

 

[time_fly]

I am one of the many who loved the P17 until it wrecked my elbow. I liked how it played so much I messed with different grip sizes, both string patterns, different string setups, all to no avail. I've never had any substantial elbow problems with any other frame.

 

[Traffic]

I've tried my son's Pure Strike 98 (16x19) and it was pretty buzzy for me with poly strings. But then I tried it with gut/multi and gut/poly and felt is was much more tolerable. 59/56 seems pretty high tension.

You might try 55 gut mains with good pre-stretch and 52 cross with a softer poly like Isospeed Cream.

I just strung up my sister's Head Extreme with Legend17/Velocity17 @ 50/48 and she is reporting back good results. I've used gut/multi ever since she had elbow issues with poly/multi.

 

[Zen007]

Really wished I had these replies earlier before I had to decide on a new racquet, since my coach worries about me letting the team down.

So I decided on a blade over a ezone, which has a hybrid setup of both solinco hyper G in mains and tour bite soft on the cross. Not a bad setup feels very comfy as it has a nice feel in comfort.

Also might decide on using a half set of NG that I had bought for my Strike, and use it on my blade and hybrid it up with 4g.

My first racquet being the 95 K Factor six one, I had it strunged with 4g at 55lb on a full bed. Never had issues at all with these strings.

Any thoughts on my future hybrid setup?
Babolat VS Touch mains at maybe 56-58lb
Lux 4g crosses at 55lb or lower

And thanks alot for all the replys, suggestions and options guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[DTennis3]

I'm playing poly and having arm issues. Go figure...

I personally play the 3rd Gen PS 16x19 with RPM Team/VS or RPM Team/Origin and haven't had any issues but get bothered by people complaining about their arms yet continue to play polys. There are certainly racquets that might help here but step 1 is adjusting the string set-up as that makes as much if not more impact in this area than the racquet. Worth noting as someone else also pointed out but I do find the 3rd Gen Pure Strike a bit more comfortable than the '17 model(PO7). In checking out new frames, I found the new Blade to have decent feel, just a bit unpredictable compared to it's predecessors with it taking some technologies from the Clash which I personally didn't care for in this version.

 

[fuzz nation]

I'm playing poly and having arm issues. Go figure...

I personally play the 3rd Gen PS 16x19 with RPM Team/VS or RPM Team/Origin and haven't had any issues but get bothered by people complaining about their arms yet continue to play polys. There are certainly racquets that might help here but step 1 is adjusting the string set-up as that makes as much if not more impact in this area than the racquet. Worth noting as someone else also pointed out but I do find the 3rd Gen Pure Strike a bit more comfortable than the '17 model(PO7). In checking out new frames, I found the new Blade to have decent feel, just a bit unpredictable compared to it's predecessors with it taking some technologies from the Clash which I personally didn't care for in this version.

A refreshing voice of reason