The Official Angell Users Club

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Paul Y

Rookie
I asked about the TC100 in an 18x20 but Paul says currently they don't have any plans to add anymore 18x20 frames to the custom line. I hope they changed there mind though.

Happy New Year everyone
 
P

Pneumated1

Hall of Fame
Paul Y said:
I asked about the TC100 in an 18x20 but Paul says currently they don't have any plans to add anymore 18x20 frames to the custom line. I hope they changed there mind though.

Happy New Year everyone
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Haha, well, as long as he keeps making these amazing frames, we can forgive him;) That said, I'll amend to this hopefully being the decade of the new string patterns, lol. That'll give Paul some time to come around.
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
Just got the shipping notification for my two sticks! Gonna string it up with Big Hitter Black 7 cuz that's all I got sitting around right now.

I found BHB7 pretty powerful in my Vantage 95s in a hybrid so I'm hoping the frame can tame that a bit
 
D

Dallasatl

New User
topspn said:
I have been playing mostly with revolution 1.25 but i upped my tension to 54lbs and i actually really liked it. Control is good and a penetrating heavy ball. I especially like it on serve and even a bit more on a ad kick serve twisting out and high that is giving fits to peeps i play. I am just trying revolve spin but based on today, promising! Played with it outdoors today as it was 57 but a wet court from overnight rain and we just rallied down the middle with little movement due to conditions. I will definitely hit with it more, practice serve and take it into a match. I also strung it up at 54lbs.
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My TC95 18x20 arrived last week and they sent me a pack of hybrid strings ( I can’t believe I didn’t save the pack ). It was halo spin and halo touch. I didn’t know what to do so I string both at 48#. I can’t give a full review yet but it played pretty nice in the short good weather window I had this weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
topspn

topspn

Legend
Dallasatl said:
My TC95 18x20 arrived last week and they sent me a pack of hybrid strings ( I can’t believe I didn’t save the pack ). It was halo spin and halo touch. I didn’t know what to do so I string both at 48#. I can’t give a full review yet but it played pretty nice in the short good weather window I had this weekend.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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I have a pack of Halo spin and will be trying it eventually as well.
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
It's really amazing how quickly Paul gets these racquets done and sent out, even during the Christmas season.

I keep hitting refresh on the shipping notification, hoping that FedEx put my racquets on a SR71 blackbird and it'll be here in 30 mins from Cambridge to Dallas.
 
T

the_faceless_player

Professional
itsstephenyo said:
It's really amazing how quickly Paul gets these racquets done and sent out, even during the Christmas season.

I keep hitting refresh on the shipping notification, hoping that FedEx put my racquets on a SR71 blackbird and it'll be here in 30 mins from Cambridge to Dallas.
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Yeah Paul is the man. My ASL2's made it from the UK to my door stateside in under 2 days.
 
D

Dallasatl

New User
Same experience on my 3. It says processing for 5 days and then all of a sudden it’s FedEx 2 days out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
Well crap...

Sticks arrived today. As I'm measuring out 20ft of Big Hitter Black 7, the power goes out. Whole neighborhood block is out. Dang it
 
topspn

topspn

Legend
Many of us have theorized that the TC100 gets its power from the D beam design. I am not dismissing that theory but another factor is hard to dismiss. The TC100 head shape is more elongated and the mains are longer then any other racquet i had to compare to.
 
A

avocadoz

Professional
So what's the consensus on being the best/most popular of the bunch? That's the problem with too much customization options and no way to demo.
 
topspn

topspn

Legend
Personal favorites are the TC95 and TC100. Different model and different business size. You gain great quality and customization and you don’t get a demo program.
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
TC95 16x19 and TC100 are probably the most popular ones.

Admittedly, Angell racquets are not for mass consumers anyway. I wouldn't recommend someone picking up a racquet for the first time to go customize a stick on the website. Someone getting an Angell stick would kinda know what they like already.

By the way, has anyone tried out Oehms Black Pearl Rough? A whole reel of the stuff was 50 bucks and I strung up one of my sticks last night with it just to test.
 
E

emhtennis

Professional
My used TC97 V3 came strung with black pearl. I liked it fine, the tension was lower than I normally play with but the string felt good. Felt pretty soft. Spin generation wasn't off the charts but it was there. My TC97 is also 18x20 so that was certainly playing a factor.

Summary: I liked the string, $50 is an easy sell. My main string is MSV Focus Hex and that is about $80 a reel and gives better spin while still being just as soft

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
haqq777

haqq777

Legend
itsstephenyo said:
By the way, has anyone tried out Oehms Black Pearl Rough? A whole reel of the stuff was 50 bucks and I strung up one of my sticks last night with it just to test.
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Excellent bang for the buck. Does everything decent and is easy on the arm. Listen to @emhtennis on this one ;)

Power is on the mid to lower end since you asked in your subsequent post. Will advise to string at your normal tension and then go from there.

I have a bunch of Oehms stuff, owner is a great guy. Excellent leather grips too btw.
 
tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
I have been playing for 30 years and have to say that Angell are one the most unique and well designed racquets today. Angell is truly the only manufacturer that makes really plush playing racquets. Not even Prince or Wilson can duplicate the Angell feel.

The new ASL2 really intrigues me and I will be looking to possibly by one.
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
I don't know if this is vain of me, but I also kinda like showing up to the courts with racquets that made by the big boy manufacturers. Kinda cool to break up the monotony of Wilson/Head/Prince/Yonex etc
 
J

joohan

Guest
Hi guys. When comparing 70RA 16x19 TC95 with 70RA TC100, what is the difference in precision and maneuverability? I know the differences between 63RA options but since I've never played 16x19 TC95, I'd be shooting in the dark without advice...Thanks
 
topspn

topspn

Legend
joohan said:
Hi guys. When comparing 70RA 16x19 TC95 with 70RA TC100, what is the difference in precision and maneuverability? I know the differences between 63RA options but since I've never played 16x19 TC95, I'd be shooting in the dark without advice...Thanks
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There is a bit of difference and precision difference is very much comparable to the 63RA difference between 95 and 100. Maneuverability used to be in the V1 and V2 a bit more pronounced but it has come closer in the V3. Probably due to the tighter tolerances on SW. I have 3 TC100 70RA and I added a bit of weight 10&2 and I don’t feel any issue with maneuverability. I do string it up a bit higher 54 and 55lbs and find the 70RA handles it much better then the 63RA.
 
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rider4ever

Rookie
itsstephenyo said:
Can you compare the 2 18x20s?
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Got the TC95 18x20 and TC 97 18x20 racquets yesterday and was able to hit with time for an hour or so. here’s my Angell collection:

https://imgur.com/CAw0vVm

Here are my initial thoughts. Will definitely need more time to get a good idea.

My current racquet is a k7 lime strung with Kirshbaum pro line 2 at 53 lbs. Feel great control and comfort and I am able to take full swings on both wings and comfortably able to keep the ball in and deep.

Played with the TC 95 and TC 97 today. TC 97 is at 360 gms (330 stock plus strings, overgrip, 6-8 gms in 10,2 and dampener) and 32 cm balance strung with Volkyl cyclone 16g measured 39.7 lbs in my app. Felt amazing pop with the same control as the lime. TC97 felt a lot more crisper, all my balls were deeper and I was able to produce some heavy topspin. Serves were on par with the K7 lime or even better. The TC 97 clearly has more power or may be it was just the crispness than the lime but in a controlled manner. Instantly gelled with the racquet. May be the extra weight made is feel so stable and powerful. I might be in the honeymoon period with the racquet but I am blown away and switching to it from my lime at least for the next few days to see if I am still feeling the same.

TC 95 had same strings at 50 lbs measured using the racquet tune app and weighed about 358 gms. I felt it had thesame amount of power and better control but need to get used to the smaller head size. I was framing a lot of balls but I think TC 97 is a great compromise between the lime and TC 95.

I didn’t play with the TC 95 as much since I was loving the TC 97 so much. I will play with it a bit more and update how it actually compares.
 
J

joohan

Guest
topspn said:
There is a bit of difference and precision difference is very much comparable to the 63RA difference between 95 and 100. Maneuverability used to be in the V1 and V2 a bit more pronounced but it has come closer in the V3. Probably due to the tighter tolerances on SW. I have 3 TC100 70RA and I added a bit of weight 10&2 and I don’t feel any issue with maneuverability. I do string it up a bit higher 54 and 55lbs and find the 70RA handles it much better then the 63RA.
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Thank you very much. I've noticed while reading this forum that V3 does not have those major differences in SW...makes it easier to choose.
 
topspn

topspn

Legend
joohan said:
Thank you very much. I've noticed while reading this forum that V3 does not have those major differences in SW...makes it easier to choose.
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Yes, for sure the SW range is tighter on V3 so above 300 SW unstrung has become rare. I order my TC100s 70RA at 310g/7HL and i added 2g @3&9. My unstrung SW was 327-328
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
I also had the first hit with my TC 97s 18x20. I'll be comparing them to my Vantage 95s 16x19, which were basically TC95 v1. Specs for the TC97 unstrung were 320g 10HL. The Vantage was about 338g 6HL strung, lead tape at 3 and 9 for stability. The TC97 was in its stock form. I didn't get a chance to weigh the tc97s before I hit with them, but with strings overgrip and head tape (yes I use headtape, fight me!) it was probably around 345ish? Both were strung with Big Hitter Black 7 and I strung the TC97 about 5 pounds less than I did the V95.

My hitting partner was a former d3 college player who went about .500 for his college career. His career was sidelined on a wrist injury so he's getting back into it.

Forehand: this is where I felt the biggest change in a racquet switch. The TC97 was significantly less powerful and had a much lower launch angle, so it really forced me to hit up and through the ball. It took me a solid 30 mins to adjust to it but once I did, my goodness the control! I actually didn't mind the tight string pattern and found good access to spin and passing shots when I needed it. I hit with more pace than my hitting partner, but he's an absolute machine and doesn't stop running. The TC97 definitely forced me to use better footwork, and when I did, I was rewarded with solid strokes. If I didn't move my stupid feet, I found myself hitting the bottom of the net.

Backhands: Simply put, my 1handed backhand THRIVED on the TC97. The heavier stick did require me to prepare a tad earlier, but the adjustment period on topspin backhands was much shorter than the forehand side. It was easy to change directions, and I also hit a very nasty short cross court passing shot on a full sprint that landed inside the service box . Loved it on the backhand side. Wouldn't change a thing.

Volleys : I didn't hit many volleys cuz quite frankly I suck at them haha. I did finish off a few points at the net during the sets we played, but I can't give a conclusive result when compared to a V95.

Serves : holy crap, excellent! Everyone always says angell racquets are amazing serving racquets. This thing did not disappoint. Not kidding when I say I was swinging free on serves. Flats were bigger, topspin kicked more, and slices slid wide. I didn't want to stop serving. I've also been retooling my service motion, and this racquet helped me focus more on ME vs pretending like the racquet was the reason I missed a wide serve.

Overall, the TC97 is EXACTLY what I wanted in a racquet. I wanted the same solid THUNK that Vantage/Angell gives but also wanted to tame the power of the racquet a bit. The TC97 18x20 was for sure lower powered when compared to a TC95 16x19, even when strung 5 pounds less. I don't know if I want to go lower, bc I like how I need to stop being lazy. I don't know if I'll be adding any lead tape. Gonna keep hitting with it in its stock form for now
 
R

rider4ever

Rookie
Classic-TXP-IG MID said:
Have you tried the TC95 18x20? If so, how do you like it compared to the TC97 18x20?
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I tried the 95 18x20 for may be 15 mins and was framing a lot of balls, so just continued playing with the 97 since it was feeling so good. I will probably use it more in the coming week and get back on how it compares.

btw, how difficult is it to change grip sizes for the custom racquets? Can any racquet be swapped with any grip size if you get the right size pallet?
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
Yeah, Ive swapped pallets before and it's very easy. Take em off, put em on. I used a cheap staple gun to secure the pallets onto the frame
 
Classic-TXP-IG MID

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
rider4ever said:
I tried the 95 18x20 for may be 15 mins and was framing a lot of balls, so just continued playing with the 97 since it was feeling so good. I will probably use it more in the coming week and get back on how it compares.

btw, how difficult is it to change grip sizes for the custom racquets? Can any racquet be swapped with any grip size if you get the right size pallet?
Click to expand...

You can't change them after you get them as Paul doesn't sell different grip sizes. You can choose one when ordering from him, but that's it. You can also change the weights within the handle to get different balances... but that's a whole different thing.

I personally didn't have any trouble with framing shots and feel like the two racquets (TC95 and TC97) have identical or almost identical head sizes. It may be more the balance of the two racquets... but that was me... you obviously had a different experience. That's why we are all individuals and one racquet doesn't suit everyone.
 
R

rider4ever

Rookie
Classic-TXP-IG MID said:
You can't change them after you get them as Paul doesn't sell different grip sizes. You can choose one when ordering from him, but that's it. You can also change the weights within the handle to get different balances... but that's a whole different thing.

I personally didn't have any trouble with framing shots and feel like the two racquets (TC95 and TC97) have identical or almost identical head sizes. It may be more the balance of the two racquets... but that was me... you obviously had a different experience. That's why we are all individuals and one racquet doesn't suit everyone.
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I agree with you on the size. When I first received the racquets I couldn’t really distinguish the 95 and 97 since I didn’t know where to look for the 97 or 95 name on the racquet as there was lead over the numbers. May be it was just in my head when I framed a couple shots. My hitting partner felt the same as well. May be if I give the 95 a little more time, it should feel better
 
E

emhtennis

Professional
If you shoot Paul a message on Facebook he'll let you know what to do. Pallets are like a 'secret' item they sell on their website. You have to put it in the comment box on the checkout part of the website. They're not that expensive, only 10 or 15 pounds. If I remember correctly the pallets are molded hard foam so they will break or crack after one-too-many installations/removals.
 
S

stephenclown

Professional
rider4ever said:
Got the TC95 18x20 and TC 97 18x20 racquets yesterday and was able to hit with time for an hour or so. here’s my Angell collection:

https://imgur.com/CAw0vVm

Here are my initial thoughts. Will definitely need more time to get a good idea.

My current racquet is a k7 lime strung with Kirshbaum pro line 2 at 53 lbs. Feel great control and comfort and I am able to take full swings on both wings and comfortably able to keep the ball in and deep.

Played with the TC 95 and TC 97 today. TC 97 is at 360 gms (330 stock plus strings, overgrip, 6-8 gms in 10,2 and dampener) and 32 cm balance strung with Volkyl cyclone 16g measured 39.7 lbs in my app. Felt amazing pop with the same control as the lime. TC97 felt a lot more crisper, all my balls were deeper and I was able to produce some heavy topspin. Serves were on par with the K7 lime or even better. The TC 97 clearly has more power or may be it was just the crispness than the lime but in a controlled manner. Instantly gelled with the racquet. May be the extra weight made is feel so stable and powerful. I might be in the honeymoon period with the racquet but I am blown away and switching to it from my lime at least for the next few days to see if I am still feeling the same.

TC 95 had same strings at 50 lbs measured using the racquet tune app and weighed about 358 gms. I felt it had thesame amount of power and better control but need to get used to the smaller head size. I was framing a lot of balls but I think TC 97 is a great compromise between the lime and TC 95.

I didn’t play with the TC 95 as much since I was loving the TC 97 so much. I will play with it a bit more and update how it actually compares.
Click to expand...

The 95 feels like a 96 and the 97 is pretty much the exact same size. It's not the head size that is causing the framing but likely the weight distribution being different from your current frame. The 97 seems like it has a lot of mass in the throat and the lime seems to have that boxy throat as well. The feel through the air is completely different and the 97 is just super solid. It was my favourite of the Angells that I tried. After going back to a box beam the TC90 felt unstable which was very disappointing.
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
Yes I emailed Paul and I believe he told me to check out on his website under a miscellaneous item he has on the site. I think it's listed as Customization or something. I don't remember exactly as it's been several years since I ordered the pallets from him.

I don't believe they were that expensive. A pair of two for my Vantages were maybe 20-30 bucks shipped from what I remember.

The pallets come in halves that just sandwich onto the frame. When I removed the first set that was on the racquet, it was a bit difficult because not only are they stapled down, they're also stuck down with kind of a double sided fine mesh tape that was suuuper sticky.

Last edit: the item on his website is listed as Variations and I think as long as you speak to him first, you just leave him a message in the box as to what size and shape you want.
 
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Caol-ila

Caol-ila

Rookie
Several months ago I bought a used TC95 18x20, but after an initial enthusiasm I stopped using it, going back to K7 red or TC95 16x19. Anyway from time to time I tried to use it again, without much success. Then two weeks ago I felt it natural in my hand, and played well with it. The last time I entered a court I did not even look at the other racquets I have in my bag and played. Maybe that depends on the string tension, now lower than earlier. I like to have some pocketing, mainly because I prefer the feeling of a soft impact, but also as a protection for my joints.
There was a moment on the court when I thougth of the 18x20 as a refined version of the 16x19, as if the latter were a beta version of the former. But maybe it was the other way round.
 
R

rider4ever

Rookie
What string tensions work with the TC 97 18x20? The one I just received 2 days back was strung with
Volkyl cyclone 16g and measured 39.7 lbs in the racquet tune app. Not sure what it was strung at, how long it was used or how long ago it was strung but I kinda liked the setup. May it was the 360gm weight of the racquet that I was liking...

I would like to know what worked best for you guys. If you can give the weight and balance as well, that would be great
 
itsstephenyo

itsstephenyo

Semi-Pro
I'll be experimenting with tension in a bit as well. I like a firmer string bed. For example I was stringing a full bed of BHB7 17g at 59lbs in my 16x19 and even that felt too powerful.
 
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