Share your 2014 racquet experience

[od_sf]

Started the year playing with the Prestige IG MP, ended with the Prestige PT600 mid. Couldn't be happier with the switch. So much more feel, more power than the MP due to the increased heft, super stable, pin-point accurate. HUGE sweetspot for a 89.5 stick. Nothing I've hit with feels as good as the PT600. Best thing about it? This racquet forces you not to be a lazy f#$k. You gotta put the work in to get good results. Need to be in shape and have good footwork, lazy shots don't work. You gotta get to the ball with plenty of time to prepare for your shot, and you need to take full swings at the ball. You have to work hard to play well, which in return makes you a better player.

 

[Soundbyte]

Where did you pick up your PC600s from? I'm looking for some in 4 1/4 grip.

 

[od_sf]

Where did you pick up your PC600s from? I'm looking for some in 4 1/4 grip.

the bay, and also found a couple on craigslist. Most people don't want anything to do with mids anymore, their loss! It takes patience finding them in good shape, especially L2 and L3 grips - most of the ones you see are L4s and L5s. But I managed to pick up near perfect examples by checking those sites daily.

 

[GL44]

Returned to tennis this last year after a 10 year hiatus. Started the year using a couple of AeroPro Drive Cortex's that I had purchased years ago. My now older elbow quickly realized they wouldn't work anymore, just too stiff. Demo'd my brains out, literally probably 20 racquets, and acquired over the course of the year a Tecnifibre T-Fight 315 Ltd. 16, a Wilson Six-One Tour 90, and a Prince 100 T ESP, the latter of which I played for most of the year. Really love the Tour 90, though, and after a year of shaking the rust off, will definitely try to get more accustomed with it next year. Recently traded for a Head Graphene Speed XT MPA, which I can't wait to try after figuring out how to add a little weight to it. Those darn Wyoming winters, anyway!

 

[WINZOWAR]

Started with Yonex rds 001 mids which I had been using for a few years. Got a used Volkl PB10 mid, liked the flex. Decided I wanted to try bigger and more flexible. Got an old Yamaha Bronze 100 on bEay and leaded it up. Strange thing happened, my dead shoulder came back to life. Haven't been able to find a second so Yamaha Silver 100, not quite as nice. Got a Head Pro Tour 280, Chinese version. Capped it, little bit of lead under the grip. Gorgeous racket. Was kind of disappointed at first then one day I couldn't put it down. It took a while to find the sweetspot, but when I did, it was bliss. Got another one. If my timing is off, I go back to the Bronze 100. Even framed shots are easy on the arm. Looking for more PT280s though.

 

[bertrevert]

I've also been testing the 2015 Pure Drive and so far, my arm is fine.

See, people have been saying this and I'm really surprised and really hopeful.

I want to go to the PD this year.

For me this year I stuck to my 2012 Pro Open and the same model before it (from 2010?), with respectively they have a flex of 68 and 66. The stiffer 68 I can really feel compared to the 66 of the earlier model.

Why am I going on about that?

Because 2014 for me meant a long-ish tryout with the Blade 98S, and the lack of flex of it defeated me. Or maybe it was the vibration from a thin beam. I don't know. Several stringjobs, several good matches, I so wanted it to work. However I got GE elbow. I couldn't play with it.

I want to go to the PD this year.

Call it a NYE resolution.

But I'll just stick to my Pro Opens if that PD is a bone shaker.

With the PD having a stiffness of 72 will it be impossible?

(The PD hasn't turned up in my local yet to demo.)

 

[oble]

In 2014, I playtested and bought the Wilson Pro Staff 95 BLX and shelved the Pro Staff 100 BLX.

Then came the new Pro Staff line, so I demo-ed the whole range except for the PS97LS. I really loved the RF97, hit some of my best 1h backhands and top spin serves with it, but I doubted that I could wield it over the length of a long match. On the bright side, it gave me a rough idea on how I wanted to customise my PS95BLX.

Other racquets that I demo-ed in 2014:
Yonex Ezone Ai's
Wilson Pro Staff 90, 95 and 100L (2014 version)
Head YouTek IG and Graphene Instincts (cuz my very first tennis racquet was a Microgel Instinct)
Head YouTek IG Speed MP and Elite (clearance racquets at that point since Graphene was released)
Babolat Pure Drive 2012

But no matter what I demo-ed, I just kept going back to the 2014 PS95 and my own PS95BLX. I have since told myself that I will try to stock up on a couple of the 2014 PS95's this year before it's all gone.

 

[sir_noms_alot]

Started with my youtek prestige pros and ended the year with some new youtek IG prestige pros, with a brief affair with some leaded up IG Radical MPs. I just cannot get away from the combination of specs my prestiges offer and will hopefully stop lusting over new sticks. Certainly looking at all the posts and reviews by others on this forum don't help my case though!

 

[cknobman]

2014 turned out to be a good and rather stable year for me when it came to raquets.

First I'd like to say that this has been the first year ever I made it through without breaking a racquet out of anger or frustration!! Yay personal best for me I'm maturing as a person
I did break 1 racquet but it was freak and happened on a groundstroke and everyone on court heard it. It was replaced free under warranty from Wilson though.

Another first for me: I made it through an entire year playing with only 1 model of racquet!! Historically I switch frames every 4-6 months and never get completely satisfied with what I am using.
This year I started playing with the Wilson 6.1 95s. I loved it so much that since picking it up I have not even considered playing with anything else. (maybe me loving it so much is why I have not got mad and smashed one)

While I love playing with this frame and have remarkably good success playing with it I did have quite a journey trying to find strings to play in it.
I had chronic string breakage issues where my hybrids were breaking in a matter of 2-3 sets.
This led me to trying full stringbeds of polyester string. With full poly I was getting about 1 week out of it before I would snap it as well.

Playing with full poly I ended up getting tennis elbow pretty bad and even had to take a month off trying to let it heal up (I still have slight pain there now but I'd say I am 90%).

When I came back after a month off I went back to trying hybrid setups and a few full multi stringjobs. I went straight back to breaking strings in a matter of sets.
To try and overcome it I reduced my tensions from 55-60lbs to 50-55lbs.
This helped but not enough. I then went from using 17g poly to 16g poly which seemed to help a tiny bit but still not enough.

My preferred hybrid setup has been multi/syn mains and poly in the crosses.
Reluctantly I have switched to a poly main and multi/syn cross. Poly main 16g and multi/syn 16g cross.
I am now getting 2-3 full matches before I break strings but sometimes I actually need to cut them because this setup seems to loose tension rather quickly.

While I loved my Wilson 6.1 95s in 2014 and still love it now I am getting more frequent thoughts of trying out a super soft (below 60 stiffness) frame and putting a soft full bed of poly in it strung @<50lbs this year.

Time will tell but I did enjoy the last year and thanks Wilson for finally making a 6.1 in the weight range I prefer!

 

[bertrevert]

This year I started playing with the Wilson 6.1 95s.

Playing with full poly I ended up getting tennis elbow pretty bad

With you on this!

I wanted the Blade 98S to work out for me (18x16 ) but no luck.

Got GE, the same pain but on the outside of the ebow.

The open pattern is more forgiving, feels more plush, allows more snapback for spin, and yet it, and full poly, just transmits more shock. I don't know about you but I cannot play with a dampener and never have, and cannot change now, and so I just got tons of shock down the shaft and couldn't keep going. I don't want to lay blame with the 98S frame - I've an older elbow so any full-poly is a bit no-no - however I have been fine with full Tour Bite Soft in a 100 sq in 16x19.

So what to do?

 

[Lavs]

For me it was the year when I discovered magic of APD Original. I started use it in December 2013 and all the 2014 long and finally got addicted by its unique playability and, which is even more important, results

 

[gregor.b]

Started the year with a Microgel Extreme Team modded to 335g, and finished the year with it. Am currently trying to get an Instinct Rev to play just like it, as I wanted a slightly smaller head and hopefully a more intense sweet spot. Seems like the thing just doesn't want to play ball though, so probably sticking with the Microgel for now.

 

[ArliHawk]

Aeropro drive all year. Of course started with the yellow, and ended up with a couple of the Roland Garros editions.

 

[bertrevert]

trying to get an Instinct Rev to play

Interesting frame, they bringing out a heavier one it seems, a Rev Pro, and it is shorter than standard length, might be the go maybe?

With the Extreme haven't you got a more rounded hoop and generous sweetspot but with the Instinct I found it to be a very small ungenerous sweetspot - a bit like the player who endorses it ... :twisted:

 

[Captain Ron]

Played the first half of the year with a vcore tour 97.
Decided I should try something a little lighter and played with the youtek IG Prestige S and my Babolat PS LTD's. Rounded out 2014 with the PS LTD as my primary with the Prestige S as a close second.

 

[Jim A]

Started 2014 with Prince Speedport Tour after another hiatus from the game.

Demo'd -
Blade BLX 16*19
Blade BLX 18*20
Graphene Speed Pro
Graphene Radical Pro
Babolat Pure Strike

Purchased: Youtek IG EP 2.0

What? The guy who demo's everything but never pulls the trigger I bought them on TW without a hit. The Blade's should be right up my alley in spec but never felt right. In the end I will probably move to the GSP, hoping they drop a bit more in price, as I like the thinner beam. The EP has been a great find though and having the additional power is a nice touch, just might be a touch too much.

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

Themost memorable experience was getting a new set of grommets with my typical string job (which I rarely do)... and proceeding to play the best set and a half all year. DidI just breakin the new grommets? Nah couldnt be...

Now I keep thinking that fresh grommets are some magical ingredient... they arent but I feel the superstition every time I hit the court. It doesnt seem rational

 

[babar]

My 2014 began was very volatile. I began with the Volkl Organix 10, Wilson 6.1, Head Rad OS, Prince Graphite 100, Babolat PD, Prince EX03 Red 105.

I have decided that I want to give an extended length frame a try to gain some advantage on my serve and my returns. I'm getting so much more swing and power on my serves and the depth on my returns is much better also.

So, APD+ and PD+ along with the Yonex VCORE Xi Team + are in the bag to decide between.

 

[coolschreiber]

Started off the year with the IG Mid, now trying to transition to the IG Mid Plus. Tried the ps 95 leaded up but I liked the IG MP better. Later in the season I tried IG Mid with really low tensions and was very impressed. It felt as if I had a high performance IG mid with almost all the benefits of IG MP. Both my Mid and MP are a leaded up a little. So my conundrum's back, I'll get in more matchplay with both sticks to make a final decision. To add to the mix I brought an RF 97 too but that'll just be for fun, not for matchplay.

 

[BHBeguile]

Wilson 6.1 Team (2012)
==>Wilson Six.One 95S
==> back to 6.1 Team
==> Wilson Pro Staff 95S (red/white)
==>Wilson Pro Staff 97 (currently).

Also tooling around with my old Fischer M-speed Pro 98 (green/yellow).