Strong Era of Racquet Design

[maxpotapov]

We are now in a strong era of racquet design, aren't we? Just when I collected almost all HEAD classics I ever wanted, I found that modern racquets have finally matured. Prince Textreme 95, Yonex DR 98, Babolat Pure Aero Tour to name just a few -- they can keep any serious player satisfied for years to come, old school or new. This is not how it was during "weak era", before 2015, when we had to put up with any junk, painted as "new tech", or endlessly pursue pro stock or "new old stock" racquets and go crazy with customization.
I hope that HEAD will go to its roots with their new Prestige MP, and smaller players like Angell or Xenecore will always be there to challenge marketing-driven cost cutting design, prevalent in the industry.
Same can be said about polyester strings -- they have matured as a technology as well, so now we are in unique situation when "new and improved" stuff is actually better.

 

[topspn]

I still don't see any of these new offering able to come close to my Angell TC95s. Especially that you can order the exact specs you want for your game.

 

[WYK]

Strong era of marketing

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

We are now in a strong era of racquet design, aren't we? Just when I collected almost all HEAD classics I ever wanted, I found that modern racquets have finally matured. Prince Textreme 95, Yonex DR 98, Babolat Pure Aero Tour to name just a few -- they can keep any serious player satisfied for years to come, old school or new. This is not how it was during "weak era", before 2015, when we had to put up with any junk, painted as "new tech", or endlessly pursue pro stock or "new old stock" racquets and go crazy with customization.
I hope that HEAD will go to its roots with their new Prestige MP, and smaller players like Angell or Xenecore will always be there to challenge marketing-driven cost cutting design, prevalent in the industry.
Same can be said about polyester strings -- they have matured as a technology as well, so now we are in unique situation when "new and improved" stuff is actually better.

Not to sound like I'm putting you down but for friendly arguments sake what you describe is a golden era of string design. Not racquets. It used to be that discussions of comfort, precision, solidity and spin potential were all mainly centered around the racquets. Now the string tech has rendered that discussion a sidebar. Besides most of the sticks are so similar anyways... that kind of monoculture of stiff frames that all play very similar ifweighted and balanced the same is a big minus for the game and it mirrors the clone wars that has characterized a lot of defensively oriented pro tennis as of late.

Things like the "Fischer Feel" were idiosyncratic to specific manufacturers and it is good that Pacific still makes them... the Pro No.1 is a unique frame. Dunlops had a thing, wilsons had a thing and the Prestige was a Prestige (hint it wasnt stiff)

The problem isn't the sticks... just that today's top players play so similarly to one another... and strings/surfaces were/are the catalyst of that standardization. Edberg, Mecir, Lendl, Mac, Agassi, Wilander, Slobodon Zivojinovic all played such different games and did better on different surfaces

 

[AMGF]

I think racquet companies are just creating a new marketing technobabble every two years to make people believe they're innovating. Liquid metal, Graphene, GrapheneXT, TiCarbon etc...

The stiff, thin walled, hollow frames of today are not an upgrade. It's just a cost cutting measure. Pros don't play with those frames for a reason. Thank god for companies like Angell. I must admit that the new Textreme Tour line has some of the best feel of the big companies.

 

[JBH]

We are now in a strong era of racquet design, aren't we? Just when I collected almost all HEAD classics I ever wanted, I found that modern racquets have finally matured. Prince Textreme 95, Yonex DR 98, Babolat Pure Aero Tour to name just a few -- they can keep any serious player satisfied for years to come, old school or new. This is not how it was during "weak era", before 2015, when we had to put up with any junk, painted as "new tech", or endlessly pursue pro stock or "new old stock" racquets and go crazy with customization.
I hope that HEAD will go to its roots with their new Prestige MP, and smaller players like Angell or Xenecore will always be there to challenge marketing-driven cost cutting design, prevalent in the industry.
Same can be said about polyester strings -- they have matured as a technology as well, so now we are in unique situation when "new and improved" stuff is actually better.

I agree with you completely. I do think that string technology still has a lot of gas in the tank, whereas racquets are fairly nature at this point.

 

[maxpotapov]

Not to sound like I'm putting you down but for friendly arguments sake what you describe is a golden era of string design. Not racquets. It used to be that discussions of comfort, precision, solidity and spin potential were all mainly centered around the racquets. Now the string tech has rendered that discussion a sidebar. Besides most of the sticks are so similar anyways... that kind of monoculture of stiff frames that all play very similar ifweighted and balanced the same is a big minus for the game and it mirrors the clone wars that has characterized a lot of defensively oriented pro tennis as of late.

Things like the "Fischer Feel" were idiosyncratic to specific manufacturers and it is good that Pacific still makes them... the Pro No.1 is a unique frame. Dunlops had a thing, wilsons had a thing and the Prestige was a Prestige (hint it wasnt stiff)

The problem isn't the sticks... just that today's top players play so similarly to one another... and strings/surfaces were/are the catalyst of that standardization. Edberg, Mecir, Lendl, Mac, Agassi, Wilander, Slobodon Zivojinovic all played such different games and did better on different surfaces

So maybe tennis has matured as a game and I as a player? I came to appreciate poly strings and stiffer frames (like Pure Storm Carbon Xtreme) lately as I worked on heavy top spin technique. To hit a 80 mph and/or 3000 rpm forehand -- I do need a technology for that

 

[vsbabolat]

Not to sound like I'm putting you down but for friendly arguments sake what you describe is a golden era of string design. Not racquets. It used to be that discussions of comfort, precision, solidity and spin potential were all mainly centered around the racquets. Now the string tech has rendered that discussion a sidebar. Besides most of the sticks are so similar anyways... that kind of monoculture of stiff frames that all play very similar ifweighted and balanced the same is a big minus for the game and it mirrors the clone wars that has characterized a lot of defensively oriented pro tennis as of late.

Things like the "Fischer Feel" were idiosyncratic to specific manufacturers and it is good that Pacific still makes them... the Pro No.1 is a unique frame. Dunlops had a thing, wilsons had a thing and the Prestige was a Prestige (hint it wasnt stiff)

The problem isn't the sticks... just that today's top players play so similarly to one another... and strings/surfaces were/are the catalyst of that standardization. Edberg, Mecir, Lendl, Mac, Agassi, Wilander, Slobodon Zivojinovic all played such different games and did better on different surfaces

Agreed! This is not a good era for racquet design.

 

[maxpotapov]

Agreed! This is not a good era for racquet design.

Better than it's ever been since mid '90s.

 

[gino]

Better than it's ever been since mid '90s.

There's some truth to this, and some error.

The 2004-2008 period was magnificent IMHO, here are some examples:

HEAD Liquidmetal/Flexpoint/Microgel Prestiges/Radicals
Wilson nCode/K-Factor 6.1's
Dunlop Aerogels
Babolat Pre-Cortex (APD original)

There are some great frames that came from this period. Players sticks loaded with feel, pop, and precision.

However, in 2010 most of these companies turned a new leaf (aside from HEAD, until 2014) and shifted their focus towards power, spin, and flashy cosmetics... Now, there seems to be a swinging the pendulum and players are starting to crave protection for their bodies over power and spin.

 

[maxpotapov]

^Magnificient is overstatement to say the least
I owned or still own some Liquidmetal and Microgel models, playtested some YT's and IG's as well.
Compared to PT630/600 variations it's "weaker era" already. There is no substitute for quality material mix, especially Graphite/Twaron (Kevlar) composite, which made Prestiges and Pro Staffs so unique

 

[Easy Rider]

Now, rackets are not what the used to be. Cut costing shiiit sugarcoated as modern feel. It is awful.
2 weeks ago friend of mine took off the wall one PT 630 Head and strung it. Maaaaan, we had lot of joy while hitting with it

 

[vsbabolat]

Better than it's ever been since mid '90s.

No! It's all BS Marketing. You've had some of the cool-aide.

 

[DanF1961]

Strong era of marketing

Agree - it's mostly marketing. Wilson comes out with the Burn series that will literally burn your joints while virtually eliminating the 6.1 line. Head's Graphene series are pieces of junk compared to their sticks of a few years ago, and Dunlop totally missed the mark with their I-Dapt series. Although, Yonex made some nice sticks with the AI, DR & V Core series and Prince came up with the Textreme frames, all things considered, I think the industry has regressed in many respects.

 

[Algo]

Prince should go back to Exo3.
Wilson should reinstate the PS 90.

I mean, the racquets I feel comfortable with are 5+ years old.
Weak era. For me anyway.