So I was just wondering about the point of views on the current state of the major racket brands. I personally think Head for example has started a downfall since the Youtek IG, especially the Graphene XT has been really bad imo and I'm not really impressed by touch so far. So I'm wondering what people think of the current state of Head and other brands.
I'll start:
Head: In a major downfall if you ask me (Please give back the Youtek molds!)
Babolat: Delivering steadily the frames that they are known for, decent.
Wilson: Were always pretty decent, I personally think Wilson has done a bad job with Countervail.
Yonex: Was solid and still is solid.
Prince: Still the same good quality frame imo.
./Discuss
Everybody is going to hate on the Graphene XT tech, but I am one of the small minority who are actually a firm believer in the change, at least for the new Prestige Pro mold.
I might be slightly bias considering that I have only tried the Prestige Pro version of this particular technology and actually prefer customized sticks on the heavier side, but as somebody that has used and more importantly modified every variation of the prestige pro series, this particular model has been the best in my opinion when modded up to my preferred specs (12.5-6 oz, 8 pts HL, 340-45 SW).
As some background, I have only successfully used the Wilson 6.1 Hyper Carbon Pro Staff competitively before eventually venturing over to the dark side (Babolat APD/PD) and picking up some bad habits along the way. But I was still able to get to a Div 1 college level, including a National Championship appearance, while relying far too heavily on physical attributes/basic strategy rather than actual technique. It wasn't until I started using the Prestige Pro series and gaining some strength to wield such a racket that I actually started to see a dramatic improvement in my game.
The main difference I have seen between the Graphene XT Prestige Pro and other versions is how much more polarized it is, at least towards the tip of the hoop. Now, because I prefer a stick that is much more on the headlight side of things coming from the HC 6.1 Pro Staff, this was not immediately achieved without adding A LOT of weight under the grip (leather + lead) and even a bunch under the buttcap (0.6 to 0.8 oz both total) to get closer to a 8 pts HL balance. But, because of the increased weight distributed closer to 12, I no longer have to add "
fake weight" to the tip of the racket to get enough swing weight to hit solid serves and attacking shots that have been lacking from previous versions. I find that supplementing with lead instead of using the actual weight of the racket feels much less natural, especially at 12 where you feel it the most.
That being said, the racket at stock still has too low of a twistweight to counter incoming hard shots/serves, which is probably why so many people are turned off by it at first strike, but I find that this is easily countered by adding a
small amount of lead at 3 and 9 (1-2 grams) and even a bit in the throat which feels slightly more hollow than previous versions. The hollow feeling might not be one you would familiarize with the Prestige series right off the bat, but I find that the new mold has more of a Babolat feel, which I believe adds to the power and unbelievable spin created when you hit the ball clean. This might also be another turn-off about this particular frame, as it is not a stick that lends itself to improper technique or off-centered shots, at least when you string it with a stiff poly at higher tensions (low tensions might be too powerful), but throw in a softer poly or a little bit of multi/gut into a hybrid and you have a plush-feeling beast of a control-orientated stick to dominate your opponent.
TL;DR: The full potential of some new technologies might not be felt immediately during the "
demo phase" without ensuring that you fully understand the changes and how to maximize the potential of the envisioned benefits, while minimizing the perceived deficiencies.
