Turning a Prestige into a Pure Drive

[mg_teaneck]

Is it possible to replicate the power and spin of the Pure Drive in a Prestige with a string setup like gut/poly, multi/poly, thin poly, really low tension poly, etc.?

Or does a thin-beamed, flexible, dense-patterned racquet just not have the potential to imitate a thick-beamed, stiff, open-patterned racquet?

 

[dr. godmode]

I guess gut/poly hybrid would work in terms of increasing the energy return but the efficiency of a thicker beam is hard to replicate

 

[mg_teaneck]

I guess gut/poly hybrid would work in terms of increasing the energy return but the efficiency of a thicker beam is hard to replicate

First of all, love your videos @dr. godmode.

Second, what do you mean by efficiency? I would think the power from the gut would be more consistent and controlled in an 18x20.

 

[dr. godmode]

First of all, love your videos @dr. godmode.

Second, what do you mean by efficiency? I would think the power from the gut would be more consistent and controlled in an 18x20.

Power and spin would be a product of the amount of force you apply to the ball through the racquet. Swing speed and racquet weight determine the amount of force applied. Then the energy must be transferred to the ball. Softer strings transfer energy morr efficiently and stiffer frames transfer that energy more efficiently. Still I think the average decent player can hit more spin with poly in a controlled racquet than gut in a “spin” racquet.

Also I did not infer your first post to be related to control or consistency.

 

[socallefty]

Is it possible to replicate the power and spin of the Pure Drive in a Prestige with a string setup like gut/poly, multi/poly, thin poly, really low tension poly, etc.?

Or does a thin-beamed, flexible, dense-patterned racquet just not have the potential to imitate a thick-beamed, stiff, open-patterned racquet?

At least you recognize that performance comes from the combination of racquet, string, gauge, tension instead of rating each racquet like it is an immutable object whose performance is constant - a racquet is a stringed instrument and each stringjob just shows a sliver of its full performance range.

On the other hand, I don’t think you can ever make a Prestige feel like a Pure Drive particularly in terms of feel/comfort. Obviously, you can string a Prestige at very low tension with a soft thin string and make it resemble the power/control of a Pure Drive strung with a stiff thick string at high tension. But, I don’t think they will feel the same particularly on the serve, overhead, quick volleys etc. where the differences in swingweight, beam width etc. will still be felt.

 

[Crocodile]

As to what you feel and what is being felt by the person you are hitting with may tell the story. I think the stiffness of the Pure Drive will be the telling factor.
I’ve had players hit with me while testing out different racquets and you do feel a substantial difference between a PD and a flexible frame like a prestige especially with the height of the ball that I was experiencing so I would say that in normal circumstances you wouldn’t be able to turn the prestige into a PD.
The unknown variable is how you like to hit the ball.

 

[yonexRx32]

..that..and also..can you turn a ripe banana into a sword?

 

[SinneGOAT]

Step 1. Drop tension
Step 2. Weight that baby up
Step 3. Learn to use your body to create power.

Spoiler

Step 4. Roid up like Karatsev!

 

[Chairman3]

..that..and also..can you turn a ripe banana into a sword?

Freeze it, duh
Next question

 

[mg_teaneck]

Update: I put some lead in the hoop of my Prestige, 2g at 12 and 1g each at 3 and 9. Strung up with Head Hawk Touch 19 (1.15) at 40lbs and hit around for an hour. First 10 minutes it felt pretty lively but still with a controlled and low launch angle . After 10 minutes the string bed completely died. I guess it lost the remainder of the already low tension it was strung at. Now when I move the strings with my finger it makes a cracking noise like used synthetic gut and has no snapback whatsoever.

Now I need some other stringing ideas. The strings I currently have are:

• A reel of Tourna Big Hitter Silver
• A couple sets of Champagne Lynx Tour
• 1 set of Orange Lynx Tour, WeissCanon Silverstring, and Tecnifibre Razor Code Soft
• 1/2 set of Luxilon Natural Gut (1.30), Head Velocity, Luxilon Alu Power Soft, and Isospeed Cream