***The Donnay Pro One Int'l MP Club***

The Pro One is many times more flexible than the Pro Staff 95. It can generate a ton more spin than the PS95 but the PS95 is a lot more powerful. I like stiff Wilson racquets and if the PS95 had a thinner beam and were readily available today, I would play with it over the Donnay Pro One in a heartbeat.
 
kabob said:
The Pro One is many times more flexible than the Pro Staff 95. It can generate a ton more spin than the PS95 but the PS95 is a lot more powerful. I like stiff Wilson racquets and if the PS95 had a thinner beam and were readily available today, I would play with it over the Donnay Pro One in a heartbeat.
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Has anyone compared the TW Pro One with the PT630 or the LM Radical MP? Does the TW flex rating seem accurate? And are there any hot spots or dead zones in the hoop?
 
BreakPoint said:
Here you go:

DP1INT-1.JPG


DP1INT-2.JPG




That's exactly what it looks like. :grin:
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thanks men

i men real pics :P
but is ok

soon i will have 10 of this beauty :)

i will post some pics

thanks again.
 
AlpineCadet said:
Has anyone compared the TW Pro One with the PT630 or the LM Radical MP? Does the TW flex rating seem accurate? And are there any hot spots or dead zones in the hoop?
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I am sure that others can make a good comparison with the PT 630. For now I can say that the sweetspot is a very classical and consistent one. It is fairly centered on the stringbed, oval-shaped, not very very big IMO. There are not really any dead zones on the frame IMO but outside the sweetspot the power potential diminishes drastically. When playing with it for the first time it took me about 20 to 40 minutes to find the sweetspot and hit it consistently, afterwards I did not look back anymore.
 
^^^ I agree the sweetspot is not a big one, its small and in the center of the racket IMO. However when you hit it, it feels like nothing else, just so pure
 
kabob said:
I like stiff Wilson racquets and if the PS95 had a thinner beam and were readily available today, I would play with it over the Donnay Pro One in a heartbeat.
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But the difference in beam width between the two is only 1mm.

AlpineCadet said:
Has anyone compared the TW Pro One with the PT630 or the LM Radical MP? Does the TW flex rating seem accurate? And are there any hot spots or dead zones in the hoop?
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Frankly, with the Pro One MP available, I don't see why anyone would pay more than $5 for a used PT630. :eek:

Yes, the TW flex rating of 58 does seem accurate as it's a very flexy stick. And, no, I haven't noticed any hot spots.
 
BreakPoint said:
But the difference in beam width between the two is only 1mm.
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I know, but what a difference 1mm makes, :p. It's not so much the beam width as the cross-section thickness. The PS95's cross section is too thick. A good example is the cross-section thickness difference between the nCode/PS Tour 90 and the K90. Even though they're only 1 mm apart, the additional cross thickness of the K90 makes it feel unwieldy compared to the n/PS 90.
 
Pete Semper said:
No, he used the Pro One (Davis Cup 91). He used the pro one 'till 1993 and switch with the Fisher Vacuum Pro (which was certainly a paintjob of the Head Pro Prestige 600).
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Actually not true Henri Leconte played the Vacuum Pro 90 that was made in Ried. It was never a paint job.
Fischer did not have any players using a PJ back then. That racquet in particular was played by a bunch of players without contract as it was that good.
 
kabob said:
I know, but what a difference 1mm makes, :p. It's not so much the beam width as the cross-section thickness. The PS95's cross section is too thick. A good example is the cross-section thickness difference between the nCode/PS Tour 90 and the K90. Even though they're only 1 mm apart, the additional cross thickness of the K90 makes it feel unwieldy compared to the n/PS 90.
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Hmmm....I'm not quite sure what you're referring to. The beam width is the thickness of the beam from the side of the racquet. Is this what you're referring to as the "cross section"?

From looking at the frame's face straight on, the thickness of the "V" that forms the throat is actually much thinner on the PS 6.0 95 than on the PS 6.0 85.

BTW, the PS Tour 90, nCode 90, and K90 all come out of the same mold so they have to be the same thickness, despite what TW's specs may say. I have measured their beam widths and they are all the same. BTW2, I find both the PS Tour 90 and the nCode to be much more unwieldy than the K90 due to the higher swingweights of the PS Tour 90 and nCode 90.
 
Calling Breakpoint for comparison

BP,

Could you compare the Pro One to the Yonex RDX 500 mid? And how about the form of the sweetspot on that frame? Especially in the upper hoop, I am concerned about the Yonex shape in that aspect.
 
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matchmaker said:
BP,

Could you compare the Pro One to the Yonex RDX 500 mid? And how about the form of the sweetspot on that frame? Especially in the upper hoop, I am concerned about the Yonex shape in that aspect.
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I think they both have similar feels because they are both flexy in the throat and both have that sweet, solid, old school feel to them. The sweetspot on the RDX 500 Mid might even be a tad bigger despite the fact that it has a smaller head at 90 vs. 95. The sweetspot in the RDX also extends further up in the stringbed. Both are great racquets. :)
 
Alright... you guys sold me. I just ordered the Donnay Mid+. It's just too good of a deal. I don't think I'll make this one my primary racquet, but it's great to know it's there for whenever I need (or am ready for) it. The last mid+ I played with was an Estusa Areomax EPT. I felt very comfortable with that old faithful. :)

By the way? Is this Donnay frame a lot like what Borg used?
 
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BreakPoint said:
I think they both have similar feels because they are both flexy in the throat and both have that sweet, solid, old school feel to them. The sweetspot on the RDX 500 Mid might even be a tad bigger despite the fact that it has a smaller head at 90 vs. 95. The sweetspot in the RDX also extends further up in the stringbed. Both are great racquets. :)
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Is the Pro One as muted? Because I found the RDX500 terribly muted. I'd still like to try it with poly one day strung tight, but the TW demo I got with soft multifilament was virtually unplayable to me as the racket gave me no sense of shot. It was just all numb. Smooth and buttery yes, but to such a degree that it felt like a solid slab of cold butter. A neither here nor there response, in other words, like living in no man's land for a cold and endless eternity. Needless to say, I was very dissapointed, as I had previously thought that on paper this was to be the be-all, end-all racket of all times for me.
 
!Tym said:
Is the Pro One as muted? Because I found the RDX500 terribly muted. I'd still like to try it with poly one day strung tight, but the TW demo I got with soft multifilament was virtually unplayable to me as the racket gave me no sense of shot. It was just all numb. Smooth and buttery yes, but to such a degree that it felt like a solid slab of cold butter. A neither here nor there response, in other words, like living in no man's land for a cold and endless eternity. Needless to say, I was very dissapointed, as I had previously thought that on paper this was to be the be-all, end-all racket of all times for me.
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No, I don't see the Pro One as terribly muted. There is a clear sweetspot around the center of the frame and it feels very nice if you hit the ball there. You definitely get feedback from the racquet.

I just asked some info about the RDX 500 to Breakpoint because I don't know that frame, so I can't make a comparison. I can only talk about the Pro One.
 
matchmaker said:
A little update on my progress with the Pro One MP. Today I have played a doubles match, and again I was charmed by the versatility of the frame.

I did a little experiment: I am hitting wonderful forehands with this frame in a way that made me feel this frame must also be suited for doublehanded backhands. I have a onehanded backhand but in my teens I used to play doublehanded. I do not mean to poach at all but my backhand is top class at my level. Everyone gives me compliments about it and I constantly produce winners with it.

I know many people are divided into two camps: 1HBH and 2HBH and loathe the other camp. I do not because I master them both. I also think both have advantages and disadvantages. The onehander will permit you to take the ball further in front of you, the twohander will deliver when receiving high-bouncing, deep topspin shots.

Now the Donnay is typically a frame that produces great shots when you really sneak in on the ball. When you stand straight behind it it can open all possible angles. This is so for the FH and it made me think it would be great to try and hit some 2 handers with it although I have been playing 1 handed with great succes for several years.

All said and done, I feel it is really a shame they put such a short handle on it. I changed the handle and put a longer one on.

Result: This racquet enables you to hit some beautiful 2 handers. I felt like Agassi or Nalby. I was pounding cross-court winners, passing the net player along the line, and at one occasion I fooled them both by hitting a slice dropshot they could barely reach, they returned a high and deep ball to the side and I just let it drop to shoulder height and then I pounded it inbetween the two off them through the middle as if I could hit a hundred of those balls without missing even one.

All of this was quite amazing because for many months I haven't hit a single doublehander. Last time I remember was a similar (one session) experiment with the Redondo MP.

Now, I do not have a preference for the 1HBH or the 2HBH, so I don't know what I will be playing like in the future. But I felt that especially in doubles where the service player on the ad side will typically stand further from the center than in singles, thus serving also wider to the backhand and with higher bounce, the 2HBH really delivers on those shots.

One of our opponents was a teaching pro and basically I destroyed him by serving wide with topspin on his backhand (1HBH) he just could not handle it. Taking it with topspin he could not complete his swing and the balls would bounce to high to put any power behind them; taking the serve with slice he would typically cough up a shorter ball, inviting me to pound a cross-court backhand and come to net, or just lack the necessary directional control to avoid the net player and my team mate could perform some easy volleys as a consequence of that.

Then again he tried the same tactic on me and the result was quite different. I took those high balls without any problem and gave them back to him cross-court or when the occasion emerged and I saw the net player was to far in the center I would rip a down the line passing shot winner.

Now, I don't want to poach, the teaching pro did fool us quite some times with tricky shots. And I also feel he wasn't giving his best because his team mate was a student of his and as the latter was the weakest player of the four, it does not take a genius to know that the team with the weakest player in doubles will always loose. But the above lines do show how a two hander can have a clear advantage over a one hander in certain situations. In others it could be the other way round.

Especially on serve returns I feel the 2HBH is a great weapon and the Donnay Pro One MP is a great ally in this.

Further updates after my following outing with the frame.
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You say you "changed the handle & put a longer one on"? Does one have to take it to a professional to do this?
 
Serpententacle said:
You say you "changed the handle & put a longer one on"? Does one have to take it to a professional to do this?
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I did not change the handle but the grip.

No, you don't need to be a professional for this. You just pull off the shoddy factory grip and put another one on. But instead of cutting it where the handle pallet ends you wrap it further until you reach the bottom of V-section going to the throat. The only inconvenience you could have is that beyond the pallet the grip will be smaller, but as you would only use this part of the grip for your supporting hand when hitting twohanders I don't think this would be much of an issue. You could also try to insert some kind of material to level out this difference. Or when putting an overgrip over the replacement grip you could wrap it double.
 
BTW the above experiment with a two-handed backhand was just a try out. I normally hit one-handers but it shows how the Donnay is also suited for 2-handers if you put a longer grip on it.
 
matchmaker said:
BTW the above experiment with a two-handed backhand was just a try out. I normally hit one-handers but it shows how the Donnay is also suited for 2-handers if you put a longer grip on it.
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Excellent. I have a 2 handed backhand. I was almost afraid that I made a mistake in buying this stick. Your solution makes sense. Thank you.
 
Serpententacle said:
Excellent. I have a 2 handed backhand. I was almost afraid that I made a mistake in buying this stick. Your solution makes sense. Thank you.
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No, you haven't made a mistake. The Donnay actually works very nicely for doublehanded backhands. The only issue is that for whatever reason it may be they put a very short factory grip on it. However there is nothing in the racquet that would make it difficult to hit a doublehanded backhand. Quite the contrary I would say. When doing my experiment as mentioned above I felt I could hit doublehanders with great success, as if it were my natural stroke, although my usual backhand is normally a onehander.
 
Just got mine today. I can't wait to hit with it this weekend. The weather's going to be gorgeous. For the past 5 weekends here in Ohio it's been rain. Finally... some action. I'll let you guys/gals know what I think early next week.

By the way... the frame is beautiful. Great cosmetics. Feels nice and heavy in my hand. I have it strung at 55 with Babolat Fibertour (Fiberace) 16 String... we'll see. 8)
 
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Just got back from a hitting session with my Pro One. What I learned was that this racquet is incredibly accurate, but you have to work for every shot. Prior to using this racquet I used an APD, so one could imagine the adaptation it would take to fully utilize the Pro One. I had to adjust my game and endure my share of shanks & mishits. But if you get one right on the sweet spot, I never felt such a crisp and certain hit. I can't make a final assessment until I hit with it more his weekend. The weight was a mild issue, but I know I'll get used to it. I really want to change the grip tape. I'm thinking about putting on a leather one.

I am confident this racquet will force me to hone my technique. More about it later.
 
After further play, I'm beginning to realize my limitations with this stick. The more I used it the more I felt I was hitting with a racquet that I have yet to "grow into". You really have to HIT the ball to get it deep. I don't know how much I will use this racquet, for it's obvious to me and my hitting partners that I hit better with my APD.

Yet, I'm still working out the winter kinks. At this point, I don't know how I feel about The Pro One MP.
 
Serpententacle said:
After further play, I'm beginning to realize my limitations with this stick. The more I used it the more I felt I was hitting with a racquet that I have yet to "grow into". You really have to HIT the ball to get it deep. I don't know how much I will use this racquet, for it's obvious to me and my hitting partners that I hit better with my APD.

Yet, I'm still working out the winter kinks. At this point, I don't know how I feel about The Pro One MP.
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I think you've come to realize that the Pro One MP is much lower-powered than the APD so you have to swing each very differently. The APD will give you free power but the Pro One will not. You have to have long, smooth, polished strokes to get the most out of the Pro One. Wristy shots or flicks won't cut it. The Pro One is really for people who love low-powered racquets and want to be able to generate their own power rather than have the racquet do it for them. It really is very old-school. That's why I like it. :)
 
Serpententacle said:
Just got back from a hitting session with my Pro One. What I learned was that this racquet is incredibly accurate, but you have to work for every shot. Prior to using this racquet I used an APD, so one could imagine the adaptation it would take to fully utilize the Pro One. I had to adjust my game and endure my share of shanks & mishits. But if you get one right on the sweet spot, I never felt such a crisp and certain hit. I can't make a final assessment until I hit with it more his weekend. The weight was a mild issue, but I know I'll get used to it. I really want to change the grip tape. I'm thinking about putting on a leather one.

I am confident this racquet will force me to hone my technique. More about it later.
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Well as BP said, this racquet is a precision tool. It will require good footwork and complete strokes. But if you do that the result will be there. The first thing is to find the sweetspot consistently. That can take you a couple of minutes, hours or weeks. But you will find it. Once you are there you will have to start using your feet to get in position.

If you take the time to work on all that you will be rewarded with a precise and powerfull ball.
 
Okay, you are accepted Dreydrey. As the initiator of this club I feel I can take that decision, although your thread is being a rival to us. So, let's join forces. The Donnay alliance, here we come!
 
Well, after thinking about it, this thread is the Pro One Int'l Midplus Club, so that excludes the Oversize in a way. Plus, you have already posted your own thread, so it really doesn't make sense anymore.
 
Dreydrey,

Let me know if you still want to be in the club. Depends on you. As you already have your own thread, I can imagine you do not longer feel the need to be in this one... Am I wrong?
 
Okay,

Some updating. As the initiator of this club I have to confess something. I have a severe case of TE in my right hand elbow and have been playing lefty for some time, whenever my right arm hurts too much.

In doing so, I have been cheating a little bit on the Pro 1 Int'l. For some reason I have been preferring the Volkl VE mid when playing lefty. I really like the VE mid, and felt it was a better fit for my lefty side. The sweetspot is very long and that enabled me to take some shots high on the stringbed, which was an important plus as my left hand is not as strong as my right hand, although I am improving fast.

However this week end I got fed up by the too narrow character of the VE mid's sweetspot. All of a sudden it just felt like a bat rather than a tennis racquet. I just felt I could not get over the ball, especially on inside out forehands. It is not that the VE mid does not produce spin. It can produce tons, if you know what you are doing. It is just the shape of the sweetspot.

So, I threw it in my bag and dug out the Pro 1 Int'l. This proved to be a good decision. What most surprised me was that my serves were so much better with the Pro 1. Generally the VE mid is considered a good serve racquet.
Off course, my lefty serves are not yet anything in comparison with my right handed serves but still, I really had the impression that for the first time I could hit through.

The reason why I took the Pro 1 out of the bag also proved to be justified. The inside out forehands were sharper, easier to produce, more accurate.

As I have already mentioned, the power level of the Pro 1 is slightly higher than the VE mid. That is a big plus on any put away.

The only drawback could be that you really need to have good footwork with the Donnay. The sweetspot is a bit lower on the stringbed, so you kind of have to sneak in on the ball to have a maximum angle.

BTW, I also felt the Donnay more flexible than the Volkl, which corresponds with their flex ratings (respectively 58 and 60) but many people describe the Volkl as being a noodle. I think neither of these racquets is a noodle. Perhaps the sensor system in the Volkl gives a very soft feedback some people don't like, and the Donnay gives a more direct, rawer feedback. But the frame itself seems to flex more on the Donnay than on the Volkl. But this is nothing negative, it allows for great feel and spin.

So anyway, for now it will be all Donnay Pro 1, both left and right. There was a huge improvement after the switch, and although many people say that it is the fiddler and not the fiddle, in this case I can only say that the same fiddler played a lot better with another fiddle. The Donnay is just such a no-nonsense, classic, recognizable, familiar, walk-down-the-memory-lane frame.
 
Hi Ericsson,

For now I am using PSGD 16g @58. I like this string and the gauge (I use 16 on open patterns and 17 on closed string patterns). PSGD is soft and lively but the problem is the durability. It doesn't last very long and the mains move around after a short time. I am thinking of using a poly in the mains. Maybe I will try a poly at 56 in the mains and keep the crosses at 58. 56 should be playable, not too high for a poly, as I feel I could increase the tension a little, now I am used to the frame.

I always prefer to start playing a little lower until I get familiarized with the frame and then I increase the tension gradually.
 
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Does anyone here have stringing instructions for the Donnay Pro One Mid? Any string recommendations for someone with elbow problems?
 
skip at 8 for both head/throat or top/bottom. As far as tie offs go, tie off were you can. :)

you can look up the pattern on klipperusa.com I believe
 
Okay,

Went out to practice with a friend but he did not show up. Decided to to a few serves, volley drills...

I can now definitely say that this racquet serves very naturally. It is not a thunderstick but you can feel that if you time everything well, you will be rewarded with a fast paced, well placed serve.
 
Please let me join the club. I just ordered three Pro One International mids and they will be arriving tomorrow. I had one back in 1996. It was the blue and green version of the International. Back then the Int. had fiberglass for flex versus the Limited which I believe was 100% graphite and thus was stiffer. I did notice that my frame from 1996 was half an inch shorter. Someone else mentioned this as well. Do the current production frames measure the standard 27 inches?
 
You're in. Welcome:).

It seems the TW version is a mix between the two versions you mention. Not 50/50, not 100 % graphite but 75% graphite and 25% fiberglass.

Let us know how it goes when your new racquets arrive!
 
rabidcow said:
skip at 8 for both head/throat or top/bottom. As far as tie offs go, tie off were you can. :)

you can look up the pattern on klipperusa.com I believe
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thanks for the info- do I use one piece or two?
 
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