Rackets similar to Extreme Tour?

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
I started learning tennis with a clash. However, I frame it quite often as I was a beginner and even dropped it once on a slice. I might have broken it through time, as it started to have a rattling feel on impact and sent quite a lot vibration to my hand.

After that, I started looking for a new racket, based on online reviews and looking at specs, and I found extreme tour. It feels amazing! Strung with Head recommended Lynx tour and it is incredibly plushy. Also the handle seems to absorb vibration super well and there’s no noticeable vibration felt at all on my hand.

Now that I have a taste of being surprised when trying out new rackets. I am wondering if there’s other rackets that has the similar plushy feel and the ability to absorb vibration as the extreme tour, as well as the same good level of maneuverability due to the head light balance. ( From what I learned online, shock and vibration are different. For example, I can feel noticeable vibration on Vcore Pro 97HD and dislike it, but people say it’s comfortable to use. Maybe this is what people are referring to as string bed being muted or lively? I’m not sure)

I’m mostly looking at Wilson’s and Head’s rackets. As Babolat is better at making stiff rackets, which I guess wouldn’t give me the plushy feel and is not arm friendly, and I dislike the Yonex grip shape, which is very unfortunate. Based on specs and reviews, I’m interested in Pro Staff and Radical. The blade I heard is plushy but its SW is high and is very low powered, which doesn’t seem like something I can handle with my skill at the moment. The Gravity is also known for being plushy but I’m concerned with it’s head heavy feel which people described. The Speed seems good for baseliners but I’m more of an all court player. What are you guys’ thoughts on these lines of rackets and are there any other lines I should consider? Thanks!

P.S. The experience with the clash makes me question Wilson’s quality control. I’ve also found other threads complaining about the same issue I had with my clash. So I’m really leaning towards the Head’s department right now. However, I hear people say Wilson’s QC is better on the Pro Staff, so I’m also including it in my list.
 
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edelp

Semi-Pro
Speed MP 360+ is a superb frame, also kind of all court, maybe a little bit more base line. Radical MP 360+ is supposed to be good as well. Not sure what it would give you though more or very different to the Extreme Tour.
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
I just found the dunlop CX 200 is incredibly similar to the extreme tour in terms of specs. Has anyone tried both?
 

Lorenn

Hall of Fame
Speed MP 360+ is a superb frame, also kind of all court, maybe a little bit more base line. Radical MP 360+ is supposed to be good as well. Not sure what it would give you though more or very different to the Extreme Tour.

Extreme Tour leans slightly more towards heavy spin, while the Radical leans slightly more towards control. Both have a good amount of spin potential. Speed MP is a great choice as well. Feel is a little different but performance is spot on.
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
Extreme Tour leans slightly more towards heavy spin, while the Radical leans slightly more towards control. Both have a good amount of spin potential. Speed MP is a great choice as well. Feel is a little different but performance is spot on.
Gotcha. I’ll try both speed mp and radical mp then. I’m also hearing good things about gravity tour on another thread. The Graphene 360+ technology seems pretty good for Head.
 

Chezbeeno

Professional
Currently play with the Radical MP and quite enjoy it, but I quite like the Speed MP as well.
Blade 98 is maybe a little more sluggish and lower powered than the Radical and Extreme, but with the right string setup and depending on the results of your Wilson QC roulette, it could be a good option. You can request from TW a racquet that has the lowest SW they can find, if it's worth it to you. I'm positive they could find one with a lower SW than a Radical. That being said, Wilson is about to release a new version of the Blade, so you might want to wait and see what they do with specs and technology there.
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
Currently play with the Radical MP and quite enjoy it, but I quite like the Speed MP as well.
Blade 98 is maybe a little more sluggish and lower powered than the Radical and Extreme, but with the right string setup and depending on the results of your Wilson QC roulette, it could be a good option. You can request from TW a racquet that has the lowest SW they can find, if it's worth it to you. I'm positive they could find one with a lower SW than a Radical. That being said, Wilson is about to release a new version of the Blade, so you might want to wait and see what they do with specs and technology there.
Thanks for the advice! So the focus is on radical mp and speed mp!
 

DustinW

Professional
If you want to venture outside of Head and Wilson, check out the Tecnifibre TFight 300 RS. It is similar to the Radical and Speed, and also like a lighter and more comfortable Pure Strike.
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
Currently I play with a Gravity Pro, Speed MP is my secondary racquet.
I tried the speed mp. Don’t like the feel on impact. Felt like metal. Although I don’t know this one’s string and tension.

So now I’m looking at radical mp and the new pro staff six.one 100.
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
Gravity Tour and an under spec gravity pro. Can’t shake them. Will try the ET again.
Ok you’ve convinced me to try the GT. GP is too much for me. Would you say that the feel on impact is similar to ET? Or even more plush as GT has quite low stiffness? And is the difference in string pattern affect the launch angle and spin a lot?
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Ok you’ve convinced me to try the GT. GP is too much for me. Would you say that the feel on impact is similar to ET? Or even more plush as GT has quite low stiffness? And is the difference in string pattern affect the launch angle and spin a lot?
It’s been a while since I hit with the ET. But…

-GT is more plush. Not only bc of the lower RA but also more mass in the hoop. The ET, for a 64 RA, felt great to me. But it’s a slightly firmer racquet. I really think the 360+ tech has made all these head sticks pretty comfortable.

-both of these racquets enable spin, but in different ways. The GT is a tight pattern in a 100” head while the ET is an open pattern in a 98” head. The ET enables easier spin, as it’s headlight, but if you’ve got a aggressive modern swing path, you can getplenty of spin with the GT.

-the ET is a light whippy racquet that offers more control snd less power than say a pure aero. And while some complain about the lack of power, I found the firmness to help with defense. The GT is a balanced racquet with a bit more plowthrough and thud to it.This helps with flat serves, slice backhands and returns. You can also flatten out your groundstrokes without the ball flying in you.

When I test the ET again, I will post with an update…in the meantime, I found this review to be pretty thorough:

 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
It’s been a while since I hit with the ET. But…

-GT is more plush. Not only bc of the lower RA but also more mass in the hoop. The ET, for a 64 RA, felt great to me. But it’s a slightly firmer racquet. I really think the 360+ tech has made all these head sticks pretty comfortable.

-both of these racquets enable spin, but in different ways. The GT is a tight pattern in a 100” head while the ET is an open pattern in a 98” head. The ET enables easier spin, as it’s headlight, but if you’ve got a aggressive modern swing path, you can getplenty of spin with the GT.

-the ET is a light whippy racquet that offers more control snd less power than say a pure aero. And while some complain about the lack of power, I found the firmness to help with defense. The GT is a balanced racquet with a bit more plowthrough and thud to it.This helps with flat serves, slice backhands and returns. You can also flatten out your groundstrokes without the ball flying in you.

When I test the ET again, I will post with an update…in the meantime, I found this review to be pretty thorough:

Ok, I tried the radical. Not the same push feel I want. As I can’t get access to the new pro staff 100, I’m putting my hope on the gravity tour now.
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Ok, I tried the radical. Not the same push feel I want. As I can’t get access to the new pro staff 100, I’m putting my hope on the gravity tour now.
For reference, these are the other racquets I’m going to demo this year:

Prince Phantom 100x 305 - very similar specs to GT

Dunlop CX 200 OS - very curious about this racquet, low RA, big sweet spot, can add some weight to it as well…
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
It’s been a while since I hit with the ET. But…

-GT is more plush. Not only bc of the lower RA but also more mass in the hoop. The ET, for a 64 RA, felt great to me. But it’s a slightly firmer racquet. I really think the 360+ tech has made all these head sticks pretty comfortable.

-both of these racquets enable spin, but in different ways. The GT is a tight pattern in a 100” head while the ET is an open pattern in a 98” head. The ET enables easier spin, as it’s headlight, but if you’ve got a aggressive modern swing path, you can getplenty of spin with the GT.

-the ET is a light whippy racquet that offers more control snd less power than say a pure aero. And while some complain about the lack of power, I found the firmness to help with defense. The GT is a balanced racquet with a bit more plowthrough and thud to it.This helps with flat serves, slice backhands and returns. You can also flatten out your groundstrokes without the ball flying in you.

When I test the ET again, I will post with an update…in the meantime, I found this review to be pretty thorough:

Another thought:

while I don’t customize…I think adding weight in the handle of the GT would be more preferable than adding weight in the head of the ET. Both are 305 sticks… adding 5 grams in the handle to make it 310 and more headlightcould
Be interesting.
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
Another thought:

while I don’t customize…I think adding weight in the handle of the GT would be more preferable than adding weight in the head of the ET. Both are 305 sticks… adding 5 grams in the handle to make it 310 and more headlightcould
Be interesting.
What do you string your GT with? What tension? I know nothing about strings and tends to go with strings recommended by the company, in this case it’s Hawk Touch for GT. But based on the product description it doesn’t seem Hawk Touch offers me the feel I want. I’m very happy with Lynx Tour on ET. Do you think Lynx Tour is also gonna work well on GT? I’ve never used or plan to use hybrid for simplicity.
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
What do you string your GT with? What tension? I know nothing about strings and tends to go with strings recommended by the company, in this case it’s Hawk Touch for GT. But based on the product description it doesn’t seem Hawk Touch offers me the feel I want. I’m very happy with Lynx Tour on ET. Do you think Lynx Tour is also gonna work well on GT? I’ve never used or plan to use hybrid for simplicity.
I have no experience with head strings, foe the most part.

I have two GTs. One I always string with Volkl Cyclone Tour 18. It’s my home base string. I love it and it’s easy on the arm. 16 and 18 gauge are soft with big spin. With the other racquet (I rotate) I experiment a bit for fun/to learn. I’ve enjoyed Volkl vsquare a lot, as well as softer/thinner solinco tour bite gauges. Haven’t hit with it yet, but I’ve got one GT strung with diadem solstice black.

in colder temps I string at 48. Summer at 50.
 

Ryebread

Hall of Fame
I originally thought the ET was a "no power" stick, like the Blade. But then I strung it at 52/51 with soft poly, and realized that there is more power to be had with the ET!
if you go around 55/54, 54/53, it's more of a control racquet, but it shrinks the sweet spot quite a bit. South of 52, the sweet spot is expanded, but the stick now has too much power for me.

Putting racquets like the blade aside.... the Ezone 98 is the best for me. So I can swing out. But keep reasonable low, for poly, around 52/51, which feels great for me. The Vcore 98, too much power. Radical MP, felt closer to the ET, and the same issue with sweet spot for me. I love the Extreme MP, but I have to be up at 54lbs to harness it, and really hit with a lot of spin. Nice big sweet spot. and feels plush. It's a 100.

Good luck
 

Dartagnan64

G.O.A.T.
Its like how do I know if she is for me if I’ve only ever dated one girl?

Sometimes you just know. If we are going to go with the "girl" analogy, my advice to all men is that if you find a good one, keep her. The world is full of lonely men lamenting "the one that got away". Much the same could be said for rackets.

It seems like you already found what you want with the ET. Just stick to it and stop looking, it's a rabbit hole.

Exactly. If you are someone that is just starting tennis which you'd have to be if the Clash was your first frame, you are way too early into this game to be searching for racket after racket. The Extreme Tour is a really good frame. Be glad you have one and learn on it. Once your game develops you can start to tweak your frames to your liking.
 

yessir

Semi-Pro
It seems like you already found what you want with the ET. Just stick to it and stop looking, it's a rabbit hole.
Guys and string recommendation for ET? I was looking for easier net clearance than my Blade 18x20 and it seems that the ET has a pretty closed pattern. I tried the Black code 4s 16L on 51 pounds and the launch angle was even lower than my Blade 18x20 with hyper g 16L on 51 pounds as well....Maybe bc4s has a low launch or i do need to lower the tension. I have 3g lead on ET --> 323 swingweight. I do love the ETs whippyness, please help! :)
 

Fluffy_Skye

Rookie
Guys and string recommendation for ET? I was looking for easier net clearance than my Blade 18x20 and it seems that the ET has a pretty closed pattern. I tried the Black code 4s 16L on 51 pounds and the launch angle was even lower than my Blade 18x20 with hyper g 16L on 51 pounds as well....Maybe bc4s has a low launch or i do need to lower the tension. I have 3g lead on ET --> 323 swingweight. I do love the ETs whippyness, please help! :)
I really like Lynx Tour @ 53lbs on ET. Some people think Lynx Tour is muted, but I like the muted feel.
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
I really like Lynx Tour @ 53lbs on ET. Some people think Lynx Tour is muted, but I like the muted feel.
Maybe you are over indexing on spin potential with your strings and the ball is diving aggressively into the service box.

I would consider, maybe, a softer poly with greater energy return. This may given your ball easier depth.
 

CosmosMpower

Hall of Fame
I originally thought the ET was a "no power" stick, like the Blade. But then I strung it at 52/51 with soft poly, and realized that there is more power to be had with the ET!
if you go around 55/54, 54/53, it's more of a control racquet, but it shrinks the sweet spot quite a bit. South of 52, the sweet spot is expanded, but the stick now has too much power for me.

Putting racquets like the blade aside.... the Ezone 98 is the best for me. So I can swing out. But keep reasonable low, for poly, around 52/51, which feels great for me. The Vcore 98, too much power. Radical MP, felt closer to the ET, and the same issue with sweet spot for me. I love the Extreme MP, but I have to be up at 54lbs to harness it, and really hit with a lot of spin. Nice big sweet spot. and feels plush. It's a 100.

Good luck

I'm confused, didn't you just post a while ago that the ET had way less power than a Vcore 95?!? Did you have it strung at 60 or something?
 

Ryebread

Hall of Fame
I'm confused, didn't you just post a while ago that the ET had way less power than a Vcore 95?!? Did you have it strung at 60 or something?

I had an ET demo and it had ZERO power. I could swing all out at 4.5 and had extreme control, like a blade, but more maneuverable.
Then I borrowed a friend's ET and strung it at 53/52 with 17 gauge soft poly, and it was a LOT more lively. Ball was jumping off the bed.
So that is why I posted that update a few days ago. My bad guys.
Looking back, that demo was prob strung super tight. Strings were not dead, or the ball would have sailed on me, I think.
 

Icedorb217

Semi-Pro
Have not tried this frame personally but I have others in the line. The Prestige Tour also fits this spec range and might be worth checking out. The Blade is also a solid option here as well.
 

CosmosMpower

Hall of Fame
I had an ET demo and it had ZERO power. I could swing all out at 4.5 and had extreme control, like a blade, but more maneuverable.
Then I borrowed a friend's ET and strung it at 53/52 with 17 gauge soft poly, and it was a LOT more lively. Ball was jumping off the bed.
So that is why I posted that update a few days ago. My bad guys.
Looking back, that demo was prob strung super tight. Strings were not dead, or the ball would have sailed on me, I think.

That is precisely I won't demo a frame unless I can cut the strings out and string it with my string at my tension. It's pointless otherwise.
 
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