Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Babolat Pure Strike 2024 (98 16x19 and 100 16x20)

ulunxtns said:
It's my personal experience, so YMMV. I found 100 16x20 is less powerful than PS98, that's why I said it's more controlled. Ezone and PA98 have a more aerodynamic beam design and Ezone has a 19.5mm throat, which is very thin. They swing faster to me at least for my stroke. But I understand everyone has different strokes, they might not work for you.

Personally, I always feel box beams swing slower than aero beams, the only exception to me is the Blades, they're quite fast. But I definitely feel Strikes swing slower than my PA98 and Ezone 98. I also find once the balance point passes 32.5cm, the more HL balance does increase the maneuverability but not much on my swing speed, the racquets that are more than 7 pts headlight can throw off my swings, especially on my backhand (2HBH). That also could be the reason I like PS98 more than PS100. I can't feel the head of the PS100. My current PS98 specs are 326g, 32.4cm, 332sw. It feels natural to my strokes.

Again, these are all personal experiences, PS100 16x20 might suit you better, that's beauty of the sports, we all have different styles. Otherwise, everyone would just use the same racquet.
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Don't get me wrong - I modified my PA98 with a leather grip, and with its 322 strung sw, it was very fast and maneuverable, more so probably than the PS 100 16x20 (although I haven't modified it with a leather grip yet).

It was also a very close call for me between the 98 and 100 PS - I mentioned this earlier, but the lower flex was really the tie breaker since I'm still annoyed that the gen 3 98 contributed to shoulder problems I had (at least I think so...hard to isolate these things!), and the new PS98 is only marginally more comfortable than the previous version (at least that was my impression)
 
Fighting phoenix said:
Don't get me wrong - I modified my PA98 with a leather grip, and with its 322 strung sw, it was very fast and maneuverable, more so probably than the PS 100 16x20 (although I haven't modified it with a leather grip yet).

It was also a very close call for me between the 98 and 100 PS - I mentioned this earlier, but the lower flex was really the tie breaker since I'm still annoyed that the gen 3 98 contributed to shoulder problems I had (at least I think so...hard to isolate these things!), and the new PS98 is only marginally more comfortable than the previous version (at least that was my impression)
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I agree with you, no injury is the top priority.

PS100 def feels softer than PS98. I think between PA98 and PS100, I would pick PS100 as well. PA98 has a fairly small sweetspot compared to PS100, for match play, consistency is everything.

I've been testing different string setups for the new Strike, what's your favorite setup so far?
 
ulunxtns said:
I agree with you, no injury is the top priority.

PS100 def feels softer than PS98. I think between PA98 and PS100, I would pick PS100 as well. PA98 has a fairly small sweetspot compared to PS100, for match play, consistency is everything.

I've been testing different string setups for the new Strike, what's your favorite setup so far?
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Yes agreed - it was tough between the PA98 and PS100, in the end I thought it was more forgiving and a "normal" launch angle that allows me to rip forehands and slice backhands the way I like to.

Trying a lot of strings so far, but my favorite is MSV Focus Hex 1.18 (red) - good pocketing, fairly crisp, great feel with this racquet. I also like RPB Rough Flouro-red, but that was a little deader of a feel, and the tension maintenance isn't as good as it was with the MSV. Right now I'm playing it with Toroline Enso Pro (theme - I'm being vain and prioritizing Red/White for string options) which I like a lot as well, just slightly more muted than I prefer, and slightly underpowered from what I like.

Next up I'm gonna try it with Lynx Tour and TF white and red codes. What do you like in it best so far?
 
Fighting phoenix said:
Yes agreed - it was tough between the PA98 and PS100, in the end I thought it was more forgiving and a "normal" launch angle that allows me to rip forehands and slice backhands the way I like to.

Trying a lot of strings so far, but my favorite is MSV Focus Hex 1.18 (red) - good pocketing, fairly crisp, great feel with this racquet. I also like RPB Rough Flouro-red, but that was a little deader of a feel, and the tension maintenance isn't as good as it was with the MSV. Right now I'm playing it with Toroline Enso Pro (theme - I'm being vain and prioritizing Red/White for string options) which I like a lot as well, just slightly more muted than I prefer, and slightly underpowered from what I like.

Next up I'm gonna try it with Lynx Tour and TF white and red codes. What do you like in it best so far?
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So far, I would say my favorite is RPM Rough Red 125, 50/48. It feels very balanced to me, has everything but nothing standout, and I can trust the stringbed. Second is a tie between Polytour Strike Black/PTP Yellow 48/46 and Polytour Fire 48/46. Third is K-Pop, but I think I will try Toro toro/Caviar next, this hybrid could be better than K-pop in PS98.

I just cut off M8 last night in one of my PS98s, somehow I felt too much pocketing with M8, put in Hyper G Soft/Hyper G Round hybrid instead, will hit tomorrow to see how it feels.

I also tried Lynx Tour/Hawk Rough hybrid, it was very weird, I can feel these two strings don't like each other lol.
 
ulunxtns said:
So far, I would say my favorite is RPM Rough Red 125, 50/48. It feels very balanced to me, has everything but nothing standout, and I can trust the stringbed. Second is a tie between Polytour Strike Black/PTP Yellow 48/46 and Polytour Fire 48/46. Third is K-Pop, but I think I will try Toro toro/Caviar next, this hybrid could be better than K-pop in PS98.

I just cut off M8 last night in one of my PS98s, somehow I felt too much pocketing with M8, put in Hyper G Soft/Hyper G Round hybrid instead, will hit tomorrow to see how it feels.

I also tried Lynx Tour/Hawk Rough hybrid, it was very weird, I can feel these two strings don't like each other lol.
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Cool! I was thinking Lynx Tour/RPM Rough hybrid - I wonder if that would play well together. I also tried Toro/Caviar as a hybrid in a Pure Aero, and it was a phenomenal hybrid and could be a good fit w/ the Pure Strike. I also forgot about PT Fire! That could be a great option.
 
Fighting phoenix said:
Cool! I was thinking Lynx Tour/RPM Rough hybrid - I wonder if that would play well together. I also tried Toro/Caviar as a hybrid in a Pure Aero, and it was a phenomenal hybrid and could be a good fit w/ the Pure Strike. I also forgot about PT Fire! That could be a great option.
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Rpm rough seems different than Hawk rough. It might work better. Based on my experience, I want to try Polytour strike black/RPM rough red hybrid. Could be a good option.
Glad to hear toro/caviar worked well, now I’m looking forward to that setup.
PT fire was really good, enough control and power on tap. I was using 120 gauge, I would go for 125 gauge next time.
 
I have very very limited experience with the GMP. Primarily because I couldn’t gel with the demo so I didn’t play it much. PS 1620 was exact opposite, even with kinda garbagey Xalt. I just bought a used 16x20 for extended demo.
 
ChanK said:
I’m considering to buy among 1.Pure Strike 100 16x20, 2. Speed MP 3. Shift 300.
I think all of them will have quite similar playability, targeting in between of control rackets and power rackets with decent level of spin potential.
I’m ~45 years old guy using pure drive 2018 and I always feel pain in my arm these days so I want to go with the most arm friendly racket among them, and will there be meaningful difference in arm comfort level among those models? Or will there be any difference in other factors?
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Have you ruled out the Gravity MP? Granted, it takes some tinkering to up the weight and get it to a similar spec
 
Another Strike 100 16x20 Update:

Played another set with AKPCX 1.24 / RPMR 1.25 @ 55/50. Mid-way through, playability took a hit, as the silicone oil coating on both AKPCX and RPMR was worn off enough that the string bed started to lock, RPMs dropped noticeably and control got a bit erratic. I continued with it, though, mainly curious if the Strike itself could shine through the lackluster string bed condition. The answer was: not really. With snapback at next-to-zero, I was left having to over-manipulate the fairly high twist weight and relatively high head weight (unstrung stock SW of 304) even more than I was used to, and it definitely effected the fine points of control, where I found it difficult to pickup and properly shape any ground strokes where contact was made at knee height or lower, and also get enough shape on serves, where I started double-faulting at about a 2-3x rate. This what a bit of a bummer because for as fantastic as AKPCX/RPMR was for 2-3 hours, and even though I string for myself and can get both strings for fairly cheap, I just can't condone restringing that often and/or filling up the garbage that fast. So, back to the drawing board on strings.

As for the Strike itself, it still continues to impress, but the more I compare it with my customized Prestige MP-L, the more I can feel how kludgy it is to wield in general. As such, part of me wants to pull the trigger on a 100 16x20 with a <=295 unstrung SW, to see how much the lighter head weight could improve playability (hopefully without forgoing too much power and plow). That may happen, depending on how the next few play tests go.

For my next string bed, I think I may go with a shaped poly main (something with edges that don't wear down) and a syn gut cross, for, even if I don't get as much initial snapback, at least I'll have more permanent ball bite from the mains and playability will hopefully remain more consistent over the life of the setup. I'll update again once I get it strung up and an initial play session in the books.
 
I only tried a few Babolats in my life, and recently I impulsively bought the 16x20. It has similar spec to my 6.1 100 (334-336 g strung, unknown SW but very similar balance, and similar stiffness feel).

The new racket has greater power, and while both rackets encourage full swing, the 6.1 empowers me with penetrating drive while the PS gives me low skidding topspin. On net, they have similar feel but touch volley might be slightly better with Wilson because its beam shape (same stability though).

I restrung my Wilson with hybrid TB/Vanquish 46/50 (before it was Cyclone 48 lbs) and my Babolat with Hyper G 50 lbs. On hybrids the 6.1 have similar power to PS.
 
I am not part of the playtest, but I would like to share my first impression of the new Pure Strike 98 16/19.

I am a 4.0-4.5 aggressive baseliner with a semi western FH and a OHB.
I like to play first strike tennis, so keep the rallyes short is my strategy. My swing motion is more through the ball than up and loopy. So, I like plow through power a lot.

After my trusted youtek IG radical pro, I was looking several years for a replacement. But it was really tough to find a racket that is nearly as good.
For the last months, I went with a Wilson Blade 98 V7 16x19, but I missed some spin potential and a little more free power and stability ( I also getting older :D). I tried some lead in the hoop and handle, but the Blade is in stock relatively head heavy and after some lead (only 2G), it was too much to handle for long matches. Maybe, I got an overspeced one.
In the past, I always liked the playability of the Pure Strike 98 16/19. I tried Gen2 and Gen3, but something in feel was missing. Gen2 was too stiff and Gen3 too muted.
So, I had really high hopes for Gen4 and for now I can say, I really like it.

My Pure Strike 98 16/19 specs:
unstrung weight 304g
unstrung balance: 32.1 cm

Strung with Babolat VS/Alu Power 1.20 mm + OG + Dampener
Total weight: 329g
Balance: 32.8 cm
SW: ?

First Impression:
It has everything. For me, it has the perfect balance of controllable power, spin and stability.
It has more free power and better spin potential than the Blade and also better stability, because of the thicker hoop.
It is fast through the air, faster than Blade, but not as fast like Vcore 95,98 or Extreme Tour. It is more like the T-Fight series. Also the flattened shaft reminds me of the T-Fight rackets.
Now the most important part for me.
The feel of the new Strike is a huge improvement over Gen2 and Gen3. It is between the Blade V7 and Aucetic Radical. Definitely more direct and crisp and not as comfortable and plush as the Blade V7.
Therefore the touch of the Blade is better than Strike, but there is not a huge difference.
Control is very good. Not Prestige like, but still on par with Blade and Radical. More precise than Extreme Tour or Vcore 98.
Launch angle is, I would say, user friendly.
Not as high as Extreme, Aero or Vcore.
The most improvement over the Blade 98 was my serve. I noticed a plus in power and swing speed for my serve.

Conclusion:
I really like the playability of the new strike. It is definitely more user friendly than the Blade 98 V7. The feel still could be a little bit better, but the overall package convinced me. I will go my way with the Strike for the next months.
 
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GermanBeast said:
I am not part of the playtest, but I would like to share my first impression of the new Pure Strike 98 16/19.

First Impression:
It has everything. For me, it has the perfect balance of controllable power, spin and stability.
It has more free power and better spin potential than the Blade and also better stability, because of the thicker hoop.
The most improvement over the Blade 98 was my serve. I noticed a plus in power and swing speed for my serve.

Conclusion:
I really like the playability of the new strike. It is definitely more user friendly than the Blade 98 V7. The feel still could be a little bit better, but the overall package convinced me. I will go my way with the Strike for the next months.
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If it is somehow better than the v7 blade in all these categories I won't ever lose a match again. Have a demo of this coming next week.

Stike has generally felt like a stiff log with high twist weight which is why it hasn't worked for me in the past.
 
Yamin said:
If it is somehow better than the v7 blade in all these categories I won't ever lose a match again. Have a demo of this coming next week.

Stike has generally felt like a stiff log with high twist weight which is why it hasn't worked for me in the past.
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In the category feel and touch the Blade 98 is better.
You can reduce swing and twist weight by using thinner strings or find one with a lower swing weight
 
So, another update on the 100 16x20 (again, for those unaware, with an over-spec playtest sample of stock unstrung spec: 307g/31.8cm/304sw)
Unstrung, with two Volkl V-Dry overgrips: 318g/30.7cm/304sw
Strung, with Gamma AMP Ocho Silver 1.30 mains / Kirschbaum Syn Gut Black 1.30 crosses: 335g/31.9cm/335sw

GnQwktf.jpg

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I strung it up at 54/52 lockout (so ~51/49 eCP/dropweight). Fresh off the stringer, it pinged at 55.9 lbs in Tennis Tension Pro on Android.

This was an interesting setup, in that it played with minimal snapback, almost fully-locked from the get-go. So any spin/directional "grip" came purely from static friction -- reminded me more of the full beds of syn gut I used to play in my Princes back when I was learning. Kind of a nice throw-back, actually. For the first 30-45 minutes, it played fairly tight, nicely controlled but with good touch and power response. By 60-90 minutes in, as you might guess, it opened up considerably, and played much more spongy, springy and flexy in the string bed, which was nice for forgiveness, enlarging the sweet spot, enhancing power, and providing a bit of extra dwell and grip on certain slice and topspin shots, but on the flip side was tougher to control, especially on big driving ground strokes with a lot of time to setup. By 2-3 hours in, I got the full profile on this setup, and it was time to cut it out. Overall, a good hybrid, which held its playability much more consistently than the previous AKPCX/RPM Rough combo, and probably would have continued playing just about the same into the 15-20 hour range, but ultimately I was feeling too much string weight. The Ocho 1.30 mains tipped the scales more than I had anticipated, and combined with the fairly high twist weight, the overall setup just felt too cumbersome to "turn over" easily enough on my topspin OHBH, and even made scooping low forehands at the mid-court considerably more of a chore than normal. In both cases, it left me hitting a lot more stuff purely flat than I ever would, usually splaying long. Aside from that, though, overall playability was nice, with a solid balance between power and control on most strokes; still makes me curious about a more on-spec sample, more in the low-mid 290's unstrung SW (we'll see about that maybe later...).

Next up, Gosen AK Pro CX "Black Spiral" 1.24 mains / Gosen G-Tour 3 Black 1.18 crosses, probably at 55/51 -- looking to lighten up the string weight and bring strung SW down towards 330 or less, plus regain some much-desired snapback (more akin to when I had RPM Rough in there). Another update soon, once I get some more court time!
 
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Hello all,
i´m planing to pick 2 Raquets out of 5. These are the specs.
Which 2 would you choosse? or leave all of them and wait for another batch...?


weight/swing w/ Balance/ / RA
1: gr 309.1 295 31,8 77
2: gr 308.7 298 31,6 76
3: gr 308.7 300 31,9 76
4: gr 309 296 31,5 76
5: gr 311,6 300 31,8 77

My fav 2 and 4 because of same RA and "most Near" swingweight to specs

thx for a suggestion

Regards
 
@Justus_Jones - Not like it makes much of a difference in how we guide you here, but which model Strike, and what is the strung spec that you typically like to play, if you know it?

Short of knowing any of that, I would probably opt for #2 and #4, as they'll be the easiest to identically match at the lowest total spec required, while also giving you the most head-light final balance -- typically very desirable in frames that are already as head-heavy as the Strikes.
 
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Justus_Jonas said:
Hello all,
i´m planing to pick 2 Raquets out of 5. These are the specs.
Which 2 would you choosse? or leave all of them and wait for another batch...?


weight/swing w/ Balance/ / RA
1: gr 309.1 295 31,8 77
2: gr 308.7 298 31,6 76
3: gr 308.7 300 31,9 76
4: gr 309 296 31,5 76
5: gr 311,6 300 31,8 77

My fav 2 and 4 because of same RA and "most Near" swingweight to specs

thx for a suggestion

Regards
Click to expand...

Redacted. (I read the numbers wrong)
 
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Trip said:
@Justus_Jones - Not like it makes much of a difference in how we guide you here, but which model Strike, and what is the strung spec that you typically like to play, if you know it?

Short of knowing any of that, I would probably opt for #2 and #4, as they'll be the easiest to identically match at the lowest total spec required, while also giving you the most head-light final balance -- typically very desirable in frames that are already as head-heavy as the Strikes.
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I come from a aero pro drive 2013 with poly setup 23x22kp.. so for me is important that the raquets dont feel sooo much heavier than the aero...


"typically very desirable in frames that are already as head-heavy as the Strikes." this was my thinking too. And i normally add a head protection tape in the head which add´s another 3gr to the head.

so
2: gr 308.7 298 31,6 76
4: gr 309 296 31,5 76

are matching in most parts (esp in balance, to keep the goal with not feeling head heavy with added tape)
 
Justus_Jonas said:
I come from a aero pro drive 2013 with poly setup 23x22kp.. so for me is important that the raquets dont feel sooo much heavier than the aero...
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Gotcha. Coming from an AeroPro Drive GT (2013), with a swing weight in the mid-upper 320's, to 330-ish, I would stand by my original suggestion of opting for frames #2 and #4, because they can be matched at the lowest swing weight and lowest balance point possible, which will give you swing physics closest to the APD GT.
 
Trip said:
Gotcha. Coming from an AeroPro Drive GT (2013), with a swing weight in the mid-upper 320's, to 330-ish, I would stand by my original suggestion of opting for frames #2 and #4, because they can be matched at the lowest swing weight and lowest balance point possible, which will give you swing physics closest to the APD GT.
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thx! i placed an order for 2+4
 
Another update on the Strike 100 16x20 (unstrung spec, stock w/ 2 Volkl V-Dry over grips: 318g/30.95cm(10.5pts HL)/304sw), this time strung with Gosen AK Pro CX 1.24 "Black Spiral" / Gosen G-Tour 3 1.18 Black @ 55/51 lockout (so ~52/48 eCP/dropweight), which came off the stringer at 56.7 lbs on Tennis Tension Pro, and had a strung spec of 332g/31.8cm(8pts HL)/329sw:

PTjXCTZ.jpg
D5YArhn.jpg

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I enjoyed the swing behavior much more with the 329sw than I did with a mid-upper 330's swing weight of previous setups. That said, less face weight and more "give" on impact did slightly dilute the overall imposing nature of the Strike, but the added ease-of-whip gained in hitting tighter angles, picking up low mid-court balls and/or last-second defensive lunges made for a worthwhile trade-off.

The one show-stopper, though, was snapback, which more or less ground to a halt within 10-15 minutes of medium-hard hitting. As you can see in the string bed closeup, even with both hybrid strings sporting silicone coatings, once AKPCX started wearing and notching, even just minimally, it lost its sliding properties pretty much entirely, really killing any dynamic nature that the string bed started out with. I did enjoy the overall feel, but rebound response and snap was nowhere near as good as AKPCX/RPM Rough, at least for the first couple hours of that setup (which unfortunately isn't close to long enough to consider it as a permanent choice).

So, onward we go. I'll probably try another couple/few setups before considering what to do with the frame. Next up will be MSV Focus Hex Black 1.18 / Volkl Power Fiber Pro Lava 1.25, probably at 52/49. Hope to get out on court by later in the week!
 
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As someone who switched to the PS100 16x20 after a lengthy racquet journey and testing a ton of these frames, I'm slightly miffed by the lukewarm TW written review they just published (two areas they highlighted as negatives were instability and lack of free power). My swingweights strung are in the 325g range, so that might help explain why I didn't notice any of the stability issues they mention, but their view on power levels have me baffled - I find this to offer plenty of power, and Tennis Nerd just published a review of the 16x20 and said the same (quote: "The Pure Strike 100 has a popular spec that competes with racquets like the HEAD Speed MP, Dunlop CX 400 Tour, and Wilson Blade 100. Compared to these racquets, it is firmer and more powerful, which makes it more forgiving, but also more difficult to control.")

Also, maybe this is related, but I'm surprised they chose 4 women and no men to do the review (of course some of them are still very high level players) - I think it would be more balanced to mix up the genders of who they choose to do reviews, especially since this racquet is still in the "players" racquet category and isn't marketed primarily to women.
 
I'd love it if someone would compare
  • Pure strike 100 16x20
  • Head gravity tour 18x20
  • Yonex percept 100D 18x19
on paper the specs should be similar, curious how the different strings pattern influence the overall performance.
 
I have some questions regarding Babolats in general:

1. Why do they feel more comfortable in higher tension (pop and sharp in 53/50) vs other stiff rackets such Regna (my Regna 100 really comes alive with 43/40 lbs). I have demoed PA 100 (and + version) and now use PS 16X20 and in low tension they feel brassy. My string of choice is full bed of Lynx Tour Champagne for higher swingweight.

2. I also feel that boxy beam in PS is annoying, I gelled more with Aero beam shape, even it is thicker but because the lateral thickness is low, I feel the Aero moving faster. Does that mean the Aero maybe suits me better? I really like the Aero+ but sold it before I tweaked the racket to my specs.

3. Coming from ProStaff/Prince ATS/Blade Pro, I feel that volleys with Babolats are a bit awkward because the beam feel thick. Many of my usual volleys pop up and go long.

How about you guys' experience?
 
idna80 said:
I'd love it if someone would compare
  • Pure strike 100 16x20
  • Head gravity tour 18x20
  • Yonex percept 100D 18x19
on paper the specs should be similar, curious how the different strings pattern influence the overall performance.
Click to expand...

Those are exactly the same 3 I'm settled now and have a deep testing

So far the PS 100 16x20 is really a step ahead for control and flat hitting...

Not far the Percept 100D... very similar in terms of depth control but much more firm... a tad more powerful and you have to apply a bit more spin (just a bit) to control your balls

Then the Gravity Tour... this one feels amazing but lacks a bit in terms of power and also spin, especially compared to the Percept 100D...

It's a bit between the Percept 100D and PS 100 16x20

For fun really I like the PS 100 because you can hit like a bull and it will stay in... maybe for a match play (especially on clay which is 90% of what I play) I would go Percept.

Not decided yet

For info PS is strung with Ice Code 120 (SW 329) and Percept with Toroline Enso Pro carbon (SW of 320)
 
Casper777 said:
Those are exactly the same 3 I'm settled now and have a deep testing

So far the PS 100 16x20 is really a step ahead for control and flat hitting...

Not far the Percept 100D... very similar in terms of depth control but much more firm... a tad more powerful and you have to apply a bit more spin (just a bit) to control your balls

Then the Gravity Tour... this one feels amazing but lacks a bit in terms of power and also spin, especially compared to the Percept 100D...

It's a bit between the Percept 100D and PS 100 16x20

For fun really I like the PS 100 because you can hit like a bull and it will stay in... maybe for a match play (especially on clay which is 90% of what I play) I would go Percept.

Not decided yet

For info PS is strung with Ice Code 120 (SW 329) and Percept with Toroline Enso Pro carbon (SW of 320)
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Casper, do you happen to have a OHBH, and can share your experience with these? Also landed on wanting to compare the GT with the other two.
 
No I have a 2HBH and use a lot of slice...

For backhand the added power of the percept is nice as it's my weak shot....

My weak backhand is also the reason I go for 100 frames to get the extra pop and tolerance...
 
The TW review of the PS100 16x20 states lack of stability and does not rate it high for spin. I did not experience this in the demo racquet but it had a strung SW of 335+. I felt like there was more stability (and power from plow) than what I needed. I wonder if this drastically changes on a lower SW ~320 racquet.
 
soulfree914 said:
The TW review of the PS100 16x20 states lack of stability and does not rate it high for spin. I did not experience this in the demo racquet but it had a strung SW of 335+. I felt like there was more stability (and power from plow) than what I needed. I wonder if this drastically changes on a lower SW ~320 racquet.
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I found that review to be highly inaccurate in that regard. Mine's in the mid 320s, plenty of stability and easy access to spin and power.
 
Fighting phoenix said:
I found that review to be highly inaccurate in that regard. Mine's in the mid 320s, plenty of stability and easy access to spin and power.
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It would have been nicer to get a few other opinions from reviewers who are more used to control frames. Chris Edwards or Troy as an example. :) Nothing against any of the other reviewers. It should result in a more balanced review since the racquet is a tweener.
 
jimdontcare said:
Do you have some comparisons for how easy spin production is? Obviously it's not an Aero but I'm hoping it's easier than the regular 98
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To me it's very spin friendly - it's a fairly open pattern for a 16x20 (the last cross is very low in the hoop, and it's a 100 sq in head). The difference between it and something like the Pure Aero is that the launch angle is medium vs. really high like the PA.

The only area where I feel it lacks a bit is it isn't as powerful on serves relative to the regular PS 100, Pure Aero, etc.. Definitely better than similar "control" racquets like the Percepts. My kick serves however are a weapon, but that's also my best serve anyways.
 
I seem to remember spin generation being pretty good for the 16x20. I haven't been playing with it because I strung it up with poly and then injured my elbow. I hate to waste the poly, but I'm thinking it's about to get cut in favor of a multi so that I can start playing with this racquet again.
 
Casper777 said:
No I have a 2HBH and use a lot of slice...

For backhand the added power of the percept is nice as it's my weak shot....

My weak backhand is also the reason I go for 100 frames to get the extra pop and tolerance...
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Found all three of these rackets in hardly used condition now. Waiting for them to get in, then let the testing begin (also against my gravity MP and Tour I still have).
 
I see that people’s impression of that frame varies wildly depending on the specs of the frame used. I suspect the TW’s own test frames came in quite a bit under spec, and the forum batch was on or above spec.

In any case I found the frame to be plenty stable and quite spin friendly, more so than say, the Blade V9 16x19, and slightly less than a Pure Aero.
 
I've been battling an elbow issue.

During the heat of the pain, I tried hitting with this frame with the RPM Rough installed. Immediate shockwaves went through my arm. On the bright side, I hit with it a few times last night, and I didn't have any significant discomfort. So, that's encouraging!

My topspin shots had visible arch to them, and my backhand slice shots were near perfect. These strings really do seem to help with spin generation. That said, I think I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not a full bed poly player.

So, while the red RPM Rough strings compliment the red stripes very well, I'm cutting these out to go full bed multi. I hate cutting out relatively unused strings; but I've missed playing with this racquet, and I don't want to risk re-injury.

20240515-091105.jpg
 
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