Roger’s BLX90

[0d1n]

Thanks for the effort Fabfed.
So ... this shows that either he makes slight adjustments depending on what tournament he is playing in (surface maybe...?!?) or that he has gone slightly more head light in the last couple of years.
I guess if we knew for sure in what events each racquet was played we could extrapolate based on that info.
Maybe the more head heavy one was played on a slower surface ??!?

The other possibility ... that he has gone slightly more head light would tell us that the only thing he needs to do to fix his game would be to go back to the more head heavy setup :twisted:.
(joke)

 

[Netspirit]

(skipping the entire thread )))

So, does it feel like K or BLX when you hit the ball?

 

[morten]

swingweight please...

 

[Cooper_Tecnifibre4]

not bad.... very interesting)

What is up with your signature dude.....

 

[safinator]

Thanks FabFed for the updated info!
Sorry to see what happened to your board...but hey - that's for the good of the TT community! (Just in case that can recomfot you a bit...)

 

[sureshs]

Fed's ('09 &'10) racquets are closer to 7 pts. HL.

Yes it did come out to be more than 6.5, isnt 't?

 

[jimbo333]

I have measured the Fed racquets, took a little more time and pain than I thought. One racquet has the same balance as the one belonging to Jimbo's friend, the other 3 are not too far off. Will post the pics shortly.

zorg - the Fed grip measures 11.4 cm/4.48inches (with the overgrip).

2008 Fed K90 - 32.4cm

Hi Fabfed, thanks for posting these photos here, really good of you to do this

Sorry to see you broke the board afterwards though

And interesting the balances are slightly different, although very similar. I will let my friend know that his racket has about same balance as all of yours!

 

[Edberg]

swingweight please...

Let me save you some time FabFed. It varies from 340 to 345.

 

[Bobby Jr]

Is it just me or now that I've seen some close up pics of the balance board (with scale) it would be pretty easy to just make one?

 

[Fabfed]

Happy to have shared the pics and info with everyone, glad you guys like it

 

[Fabfed]

Is it just me or now that I've seen some close up pics of the balance board (with scale) it would be pretty easy to just make one?

You are right Bobby, it's actually not too difficult to make one. Unfortunately I'm not remotely skilful enough to construct one myself, so just went ahead to buy one.

 

[Tennis_Bum]

I thought all pro rackets have their last name on it so that the stringers know which racket belongs to which player. I know only Fed used that racket but still, don't pros have their names anyway? Is that right? If so, I don't see Fed's name on this racket. Can someone clarify this for me? Thanks

 

[Alex75]

Epic Win Fabfed.
now we got to discover which tournaments they were played at?!

 

[Fabfed]

Ok Alex75 and Od1n, let's try and figure this out. I know where 2 of the 4racquets were used. The K90 with the clean white grip (32.2cm) was used at last year's ATP World Tour Finals, same as the stick belonging to Jimbo's friend, so that's indoor hardcourt. Thanks to Ron, we now know that the BLX90 was used at Miami this year, so that's hardcourt as well. I do not know where the 2008 K90 (with the badly bled through grip) was used, though I remember Ron strung that racquet and probably knows where it was used - Ron, could you tell us where that racquet was used? If you recall, I said the racquet might have been used in Madrid 08 but you said it wasn't. Not sure if you can remember and tell from the photos here -
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=340181 - Thanks!

The last K90, the one with the slightly bled through grip (32.1cm) was used in 2009, that's all I know.

 

[corners]

Fabfed, Thanks for the weight and balances, and sorry about your new balance board. We now have two of thee critical specs on the frames. Thanks. Time for swingweight. You can do this at home, using two pencils, a tape measure, a book and a stopwatch. This is a very useful skill that you'll need for customizing racquets as well, so you might want to learn it. The only part of the frame that will be in any contact with any potentially damaging objects will be one cross string, which will only be touching two pencils. Very low risk.

This explains how to do it:

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/howto_swingweight.php

This little tool will calculate swingweight for you:

http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/swingweight_calc.php

All you have to do is pick a string near the top of the hoop to swing the racquet from. Then measure carefully from the buttcap to that string using your metric tape measure.

As you can see from the tool you need four things to calculate swingweight:

1. Mass (you have that)
2. Balance (you have that)
3. Distance from butt to string you swing it from (easy peasy)
4. Time for ten swings

To get #4 you just follow the simple instructions in the first link above. The critical thing is being very precise in measuring the time.

The iPod app RacquetTune also has the swingweight calculator and will function as a stopwatch.

Good luck and let us know if you need any help.

 

[tacotanium]

^^ yea i did that to some of the rackets i have and it seem pretty accurate except once i have to add weight i have to find the balance again which was kinda tedious. haha

 

[corners]

^^ yea i did that to some of the rackets i have and it seem pretty accurate except once i have to add weight i have to find the balance again which was kinda tedious. haha

Once you know weight, balance and swingweight you can use TW's customization worksheet (http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/customizationReverse.php) to keep track of how those specs change after adding weight. This tool will give you the changed balance and swingweight after adding weight anywhere on the frame.

 

[tacotanium]

Once you know weight, balance and swingweight you can use TW's customization worksheet (http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/customizationReverse.php) to keep track of how those specs change after adding weight. This tool will give you the changed balance and swingweight after adding weight anywhere on the frame.

sweet!! thanks a lot. will save a lot of time, by not doing the calculator thingy. hope it's very accurate. save me the time of doing statics too. LOL. it's gonna keep me busy now.

only 5 lines?

 

[AlpineCadet]

Sorry guys, don't think I will post any more pics on this thread, I'm way too disappointed, stayed up all night/early morning and this happens, I'm pretty sure Rafa's gonna win in straights tomorrow over Nole. Will just stash this stick away with the rest and move on, too painful

Here, let me give you an electronic hug.. [>^_^]>

Oh, you're back! WHAT a surprise!

 

[Fabfed]

Here, let me give you an electronic hug.. [>^_^]>

Oh, you're back! WHAT a surprise!

lol .... ya, it's good to be back

no worries, no hard feelings AC

 

[Fabfed]

I'll see what I can do about swingweight (no promises). I'll need more time as I'm pretty busy at the moment. Maybe I can bring just one of the K90s to some place with an RDC machine but I'll need to find out where first, where I'm from tennis isn't very huge so most of the shops only have your basic stringing machines and not the diagnostic machines.

 

[corners]

I'll see what I can do about swingweight (no promises). I'll need more time as I'm pretty busy at the moment. Maybe I can bring just one of the K90s to some place with an RDC machine but I'll need to find out where first, where I'm from tennis isn't very huge so most of the shops only have your basic stringing machines and not the diagnostic machines.

Cool, thanks Fabfed. The at-home method looks complicated, but after you do it once you realize it's actually very easy - the only tricky part is recording the time accurately. But that's just about being careful and precise. Once you get the method down the whole process takes but 10 minutes to complete.

To improve timing accuracy, I usually do 7 rounds of 20 swings, dividing the times by 2 (since you only need the time for 10 swings), then throwing out the high and low times and averaging the remaining 5. This largely gets rid of small timing errors and gives you a final figure that's within 1-2 units of what you get with an RDC. Tennis Warehouse actually uses this method to calibrate their RDC machine.


But the RDC method is definitely easier, although your driving time to and fro might make it more of a bother. If you do it that way, make sure to take 3-6 readings for accuracy. Maybe other posters could help you find a shop in your area that has the machine.

 

[powerslave]

Hey what's with the translucent over grip ? Doesn't look like Wilson pro.

 

[flyinghippos101]

Hey what's with the translucent over grip ? Doesn't look like Wilson pro.

How can you tell? I'm pretty sure it is

Btw a thumbs up for these pics and specs

 

[Alex75]

Hey what's with the translucent over grip ? Doesn't look like Wilson pro.

it's not translucent, it's the leather grip "bleeding" trhough. i only noticed that with the wilson pro btw, never with the white tourna or the babolat vs...

 

[Rorsach]

it's not translucent, it's the leather grip "bleeding" trhough. i only noticed that with the wilson pro btw, never with the white tourna or the babolat vs...

Get the same bleeding with a white Pacific overgrip.

 

[ChrisBackAtIt]

Fabfed-
Thank you for sharing your collection, and also going to the effort of checking weights, balance, etc.

Very, very cool of you.

 

[Fabfed]

Fabfed-
Thank you for sharing your collection, and also going to the effort of checking weights, balance, etc.

Very, very cool of you.

No prob, glad you like the pics/measurements

 

[ronalditop]

One question Fabfed. Which gripsize is bigger, Rogers or Rafas?

 

[safe]

Roger grip is L3. Nadal grip is L2

 

[Cooper_Tecnifibre4]

Hey FabFed,

Do you know what size Roger's beam width is? is it bigger/smaller compared to retail version>?

 

[Baloo]

I've just bought a BLX tour 90 coz I wanted to try out Feds racquet, now it looks like it's not Feds racquet at all.....

Oh well so long as it makes me play like him...

FF good job on posting up all this info

 

[AlexDK09]

I've just bought a BLX tour 90 coz I wanted to try out Feds racquet, now it looks like it's not Feds racquet at all.....

Oh well so long as it makes me play like him...

FF good job on posting up all this info

Did you demo it before buying it?

 

[sureshs]

I've just bought a BLX tour 90 coz I wanted to try out Feds racquet, now it looks like it's not Feds racquet at all.....

Oh well so long as it makes me play like him...

FF good job on posting up all this info

Fed adds lead at 12 bringing up the SW to more than 350 and the balance to 6 to 7 pts HL instead of 8 or 9. So it is not the same racquet as stock.

Its composition could also be different, but we don't know about that.

If you want the exact racquet as a pro, there was the Boris Becker Limited Edition, but I don't think it is being offered any more. Though the BB Delta Core Legend is being marketed as Becker's frame.

 

[Baloo]

Did you demo it before buying it?

No, not an option where I live.

Fed adds lead at 12 bringing up the SW to more than 350 and the balance to 6 to 7 pts HL instead of 8 or 9. So it is not the same racquet as stock.

Its composition could also be different, but we don't know about that.

If you want the exact racquet as a pro, there was the Boris Becker Limited Edition, but I don't think it is being offered any more. Though the BB Delta Core Legend is being marketed as Becker's frame.

I will play around with some lead at 12 (depending on the weight of the racquet stock) not that I'll have any clue if it plays the same as Feds anyway.

It won't have nat gut and lux strings either so I shouldn't be too disappointed if my forehand is still a couple of mph slower than his.....right?
That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

 

[quest01]

When I switched from the apdc to the blx90 there was a noticeable difference in my game, for starters I played a lot like Federer with this racquet. My strokes mimicked Federers shots with this racquet while with the apdc I was more like Nadal.

 

[Cooper_Tecnifibre4]

When I switched from the apdc to the blx90 there was a noticeable difference in my game, for starters I played a lot like Federer with this racquet. My strokes mimicked Federers shots with this racquet while with the apdc I was more like Nadal.

Are you 1HBH or 2HBH?

 

[Fabfed]

Hey FabFed,

Do you know what size Roger's beam width is? is it bigger/smaller compared to retail version>?

I didn't measure them but they do look the same, will take a closer look the next time as I have put the racquets away.

Someone else asked about the Fed and Nadal grips, Fed's is bigger.

 

[Fabfed]

Anyone else notice Roger taking out a fresh racquet from his bag and removing the P1 polybag right after his match against Seppi at the Shanghai Masters? Why did he do that when the match had already ended, the camera cut away before I could find out

 

[Edberg]

Maybe so he could get it strung fresh for tomorrows match? But you would think he might want to practice between now and then. Strange.

 

[BreakPoint]

When I switched from the apdc to the blx90 there was a noticeable difference in my game, for starters I played a lot like Federer with this racquet. My strokes mimicked Federers shots with this racquet while with the apdc I was more like Nadal.

Yes, and then your alarm clock went off and you woke up. :lol: LOL

 

[PeterFig]

Anyone else notice Roger taking out a fresh racquet from his bag and removing the P1 polybag right after his match against Seppi at the Shanghai Masters? Why did he do that when the match had already ended, the camera cut away before I could find out

He needed an empty plastic bag to put in his wet shirt he changed from earlier in the match. So he took out the racquet, put his old, sweaty shirt in the bag and put the racquet back in his bag. mystery solved

Edit: just to add to this... it's not that I'm making a stab in the dark, if you watch carefully you can actually see him with the wet shirt in the clear bag as he's packing up

 

[JoelDali]

Roger needed the bag for his opium drop shipment.

 

[Fabfed]

He needed an empty plastic bag to put in his wet shirt he changed from earlier in the match. So he took out the racquet, put his old, sweaty shirt in the bag and put the racquet back in his bag. mystery solved

Edit: just to add to this... it's not that I'm making a stab in the dark, if you watch carefully you can actually see him with the wet shirt in the clear bag as he's packing up

Ahh, I was fixated on the racquet, when it was all about the polybag...and laundry, thanks

 

[Fabfed]

Roger needed the bag for his opium drop shipment.

Haha...who knows

 

[Larrysümmers]

nguyendat9- this is for you

 

[courtking]

thanks for great pictures and time.... 1 question none mentioned was open the snap butt cap and see what's in there..

 

[Bud]

nguyendat9- this is for you

Is that Justine Henin? :lol:

 

[Edberg]

I think she liked it.

 

[nguyen320]

I will try to respond to the other questions soon. In the meantime, here are my last batch of photos on the weight...

Retail US BLX90

I would like to point out that that is the weight without the strings, and that strings would add on about 20 grams (I took this info from the specs on TW. When weighing TW adds 20g to the unstrung weight to get to the strung weight)
With this info, we could conclude that Federer doesn't add much lead tape, because the wilson pro overgrip would also add about 5g.
I am not 100% sure but that is what it would seem to be.
TW also lists the retail racquet with strung weight at 12.5oz / 354.37g. this would mean +5g from overgrip and then about 5g of lead.