Ultimate racquet of choice - tournament players and/or coaches

[antony]

so perhaps you should try to move on like those pro players Rublev from six.one to Gravity Pro and Medvedev from six.one to Tecnifibre TFight 18x19

Haha I want to try out the Head Boom now and the Tecni line. I like the gravity pro

 

[ClaudTT]

so perhaps you should try to move on like those pro players Rublev from six.one to Gravity Pro and Medvedev from six.one to Tecnifibre TFight 18x19

Haha, I just saw a close up of Medve's racket head and uses an RS section annnd RS head geometry... but am suspect of the bottom beam, seems to be more TF40 like... i.e. rectangular, not 5 sided.

 

[Wheelz]

@galapagos what were the differences between speed pro and gravity pro(tour) for you?

 

[veelium]

so perhaps you should try to move on like those pro players Rublev from six.one to Gravity Pro and Medvedev from six.one to Tecnifibre TFight 18x19

To be fair, Tfight with six-one specs
Same beam width, weight, balance etc. Just with the awesome 18x19 pattern instead.

Haha, I just saw a close up of Medve's racket head and uses an RS section annnd RS head geometry... but am suspect of the bottom beam, seems to be more TF40 like... i.e. rectangular, not 5 sided.

Most likely just the paint job? Since he is using the older DC model.

 

[galapagos]

To be fair, Tfight with six-one specs
Same beam width, weight, balance etc. Just with the awesome 18x19 pattern instead.


Most likely just the paint job? Since he is using the older DC model.

Its true, tfight that Medvedev is using has very similar specs to Six-one. I modded my RS305 to 320g/310mm and it took the weight at the handle very well. I could probably add even more but no need to. I was looking for a specific feel. I suspect 330g/305mm would work great as well!

 

[temnik]

Its true, tfight that Medvedev is using has very similar specs to Six-one. I modded my RS305 to 320g/310mm and it took the weight at the handle very well. I could probably add even more but no need to. I was looking for a specific feel. I suspect 330g/305mm would work great as well!

Is there a racquet (besides the Big Bubba types) that wouldn't take a tail-weight well?

 

[t_pac]

Is there a racquet (besides the Big Bubba types) that wouldn't take a tail-weight well?

Not tried it but I feel like I've seen a lot of posts here that blades lose their magic when you add weight to the handle

 

[Roquestil]

Not tried it but I feel like I've seen a lot of posts here that blades lose their magic when you add weight to the handle

I have added weight shifting the balance from 3 to 5 pts head light and it doesnt lose it´s magic.
Going further than 5 pts HL I would just go for a Prestige by that point because the blade somehow just feels more generic if it´s too HL.

 

[galapagos]

Is there a racquet (besides the Big Bubba types) that wouldn't take a tail-weight well?

Ye, imo blades dont like it. You can add weight across the handle or put leather grip but aggresive weight at the buttcap didnt work for me. I tried it in 2015 blade. Lost stability and plow. In general- lost something that i liked in stock blade in a first place. I would say adding weight across the handle would be better since its less aggresive and might even increase stability but wont move the balance point as much.

 

[galapagos]

@galapagos what were the differences between speed pro and gravity pro(tour) for you?

Speed pro is giving more for free. Better stability and weight distribution but very thick beam is a bit ugly on 100” racquet.
Gravity pro is like a pancake prestige mp. Bigger but still low powered. Feels a bit fast but at the same time kinda heavy. But a bit more exciting i would say.
Tough choice, both sticks are great. I think more people will like speed pro. Gravity Pro is love/hate.
Gravity Tour is super easy to play. Still kinda „pancake prestige” so string it low. Obviously not as stable as speed and gravity pro but good enough. However you kinda have that feeling of missing something if you are an advanced player.
If i had to pick one of those racquets for a rest of my tennis career i would pick gravity pro and try to customize it slightly and find good string setup. Otherwise i would choose speed pro and ignore the thickness. Performance is addictive.

 

[temnik]

I have added weight shifting the balance from 3 to 5 pts head light and it doesnt lose it´s magic.
Going further than 5 pts HL I would just go for a Prestige by that point because the blade somehow just feels more generic if it´s too HL.

Can you head weight a prestige and make it feel like a Blade?

 

[Roquestil]

Can you head weight a prestige and make it feel like a Blade?

Prestige I have is 6 pts HL already (stock). My point was not that they are the same racquet but that the blade “changes” a lot when it gets too HL, at that point I preffer another racquet.

 

[galapagos]

Prestige I have is 6 pts HL already (stock). My point was not that they are the same racquet but that the blade “changes” a lot when it gets too HL, at that point I preffer another racquet.

Agree

 

[Wheelz]

Speed pro is giving more for free. Better stability and weight distribution but very thick beam is a bit ugly on 100” racquet.
Gravity pro is like a pancake prestige mp. Bigger but still low powered. Feels a bit fast but at the same time kinda heavy. But a bit more exciting i would say.
Tough choice, both sticks are great. I think more people will like speed pro. Gravity Pro is love/hate.
Gravity Tour is super easy to play. Still kinda „pancake prestige” so string it low. Obviously not as stable as speed and gravity pro but good enough. However you kinda have that feeling of missing something if you are an advanced player.
If i had to pick one of those racquets for a rest of my tennis career i would pick gravity pro and try to customize it slightly and find good string setup. Otherwise i would choose speed pro and ignore the thickness. Performance is addictive.

Quality answer.

 

[galapagos]

Angell K7 RED review:

probably most disappointing "premium frame" I had in my hands. Too much power, not enough stability, not enough control, quite big launch angle. Pretty much everything about this racquet could be improved... I added some weight to it and performance definitely improved but the stock version was very demanding. People were often comparing it to Yonex Ezone Dr. I purchased it with very high hopes but the level of control is far away from the legendary Yonex Ezone line. Very springy. I would faster pick Head Speed MP over it and at least get the stability and forgiveness on pro level. If you want comfort then still there are many options to choose from especially in 2022... Blades, Gravity, Elevate, TFight, Iga, Radical, Extreme Tour...

as a huge Angell fan I was very disappointed. (I had this frame with the release so maybe something has changed since then?)
Rating: 4.0
rest of the frames (click)
say hello on IG ! @dandan.tennis

 

[DJTaurus]

@galapagos which one you prefer ? Iga or rs300 as the better blade in an easier package ? Personally i found iga to hit a heavier ball…. more direct power and less vibrations.

 

[galapagos]

@galapagos which one you prefer ? Iga or rs300 as the better blade in an easier package ? Personally i found iga to hit a heavier ball…. more direct power and less vibrations.

Interesting, I haven't hit with RS300 yet. So I was told that IGA offers a bit more power but it's very small difference from what I've heard.
I am very surprised with what IGA can offer especially for it's weight and swing weight. It's the easiest blade alternative but someone coming to it from a blade would make his change too drastic probably.

Wilson Blade (most demanding)->Head Radical / Tecnifibre TF40 -> Yonex Ezone / Diadem Elevate -> Tecnifibre Iga (easiest to play)
something like that...
problem with Ezone and Elevate is that they are easier to move around but are also still control oriented so some players might find them anemic ? Too low powered? Not enough plow/ stability? While Iga is slightly stiffer to kinda balance things out and get back the stability and power while you get that control from the low weight and maneuverability anyway.

 

[DJTaurus]

Interesting, I haven't hit with RS300 yet. So I was told that IGA offers a bit more power but it's very small difference from what I've heard.
I am very surprised with what IGA can offer especially for it's weight and swing weight. It's the easiest blade alternative but someone coming to it from a blade would make his change too drastic probably.

Wilson Blade (most demanding)->Head Radical / Tecnifibre TF40 -> Yonex Ezone / Diadem Elevate -> Tecnifibre Iga (easiest to play)
something like that...
problem with Ezone and Elevate is that they are easier to move around but are also still control oriented so some players might find them anemic ? Too low powered? Not enough plow/ stability? While Iga is slightly stiffer to kinda balance things out and get back the stability and power while you get that control from the low weight and maneuverability anyway.

Kudos to your amazing topic. I didn’t even notice it until today…. maybe you should change your topic title to sth less ?

I just read all of the pages. I have to agree that i can compete with all tecnifibres and like you i believe it has to be the foam. Very connected frames in terms of feel…. simplicity and to the point. I also enjoy most of Head frames…. plug n play situation but they have too many lines and confuse me.

I also agree on your extreme tour take. It’s a very low powered stick. People got carried away from tennis nerd and then it was full of "for sale". I love the feel of this frame but it needs full swing and extra weight to shine. Not for everyone. I should have heard Kareu who also mentioned that this stick needs a full followthrough to add heaviness on the ball. Definitely not a stick with lots of easy power as it was reviewed by many. For example to me Radical MP provides at least 20% more free power. If i had to choose my favourite head it would be the feel of gravity tour, the power of speed mp, the solidness of radical mp in an 98 inch mold. That racquet doesn’t exists and i don’t believe the answer is boom pro….. is it ? Haven’t played with it yet. I also agree with you on the shape of gravity line…. imagine this stick at 98inch….. it would solve our one hand issues with its manoeuvrability.

At last i believe the best tecnifibre stick is RS305. If you can found one with proper balance and a logical SW. What lead placement do you propose to someone that needs to make this baby swing faster ? Obv only lead on the handle cause it’s super stable on the head area. Have you tried it with 1.20 string ? A friend of mine loved it with hyper 1.20 and hated with every 1.25 he tried on it. And he made the switch.

I still play with blade V5. I hate modern blades like V7 and V8 with their low flex….

 

[tennisislife4622]

Kudos to your amazing topic. I didn’t even notice it until today…. maybe you should change your topic title to sth less ?

I just read all of the pages. I have to agree that i can compete with all tecnifibres and like you i believe it has to be the foam. Very connected frames in terms of feel…. simplicity and to the point. I also enjoy most of Head frames…. plug n play situation but they have too many lines and confuse me.

I also agree on your extreme tour take. It’s a very low powered stick. People got carried away from tennis nerd and then it was full of "for sale". I love the feel of this frame but it needs full swing and extra weight to shine. Not for everyone. I should have heard Kareu who also mentioned that this stick needs a full followthrough to add heaviness on the ball. Definitely not a stick with lots of easy power as it was reviewed by many. For example to me Radical MP provides at least 20% more free power. If i had to choose my favourite head it would be the feel of gravity tour, the power of speed mp, the solidness of radical mp in an 98 inch mold. That racquet doesn’t exists and i don’t believe the answer is boom pro….. is it ? Haven’t played with it yet. I also agree with you on the shape of gravity line…. imagine this stick at 98inch….. it would solve our one hand issues with its manoeuvrability.

At last i believe the best tecnifibre stick is RS305. If you can found one with proper balance and a logical SW. What lead placement do you propose to someone that needs to make this baby swing faster ? Obv only lead on the handle cause it’s super stable on the head area. Have you tried it with 1.20 string ? A friend of mine loved it with hyper 1.20 and hated with every 1.25 he tried on it. And he made the switch.

I still play with blade V5. I hate modern blades like V7 and V8 with their low flex….

that sounds pretty damn close the the boom pro to me...

 

[antony]

Its true, tfight that Medvedev is using has very similar specs to Six-one. I modded my RS305 to 320g/310mm and it took the weight at the handle very well. I could probably add even more but no need to. I was looking for a specific feel. I suspect 330g/305mm would work great as well!

What makes a 6.1 like another 6.1? I thought it was the flex since there are multiple versions

 

[veelium]

All the 6.1's play quite similar imo. Slight differences in power level and softness between the versions but not so easy to tell in a blind test.

 

[galapagos]

Kudos to your amazing topic. I didn’t even notice it until today…. maybe you should change your topic title to sth less ?

I just read all of the pages. I have to agree that i can compete with all tecnifibres and like you i believe it has to be the foam. Very connected frames in terms of feel…. simplicity and to the point. I also enjoy most of Head frames…. plug n play situation but they have too many lines and confuse me.

I also agree on your extreme tour take. It’s a very low powered stick. People got carried away from tennis nerd and then it was full of "for sale". I love the feel of this frame but it needs full swing and extra weight to shine. Not for everyone. I should have heard Kareu who also mentioned that this stick needs a full followthrough to add heaviness on the ball. Definitely not a stick with lots of easy power as it was reviewed by many. For example to me Radical MP provides at least 20% more free power. If i had to choose my favourite head it would be the feel of gravity tour, the power of speed mp, the solidness of radical mp in an 98 inch mold. That racquet doesn’t exists and i don’t believe the answer is boom pro….. is it ? Haven’t played with it yet. I also agree with you on the shape of gravity line…. imagine this stick at 98inch….. it would solve our one hand issues with its manoeuvrability.

At last i believe the best tecnifibre stick is RS305. If you can found one with proper balance and a logical SW. What lead placement do you propose to someone that needs to make this baby swing faster ? Obv only lead on the handle cause it’s super stable on the head area. Have you tried it with 1.20 string ? A friend of mine loved it with hyper 1.20 and hated with every 1.25 he tried on it. And he made the switch.

I still play with blade V5. I hate modern blades like V7 and V8 with their low flex….

What a story Ye I have lead at the handle. A lot… to make it around 320g/310mm… it improved a lot my serves and feeling of the loop and like you said the racquet is so stable that it doesnt need any lead at the head.
Blade 2015 is hard to replace for sure. Have you tried TF40 18x20? They even kept the balance at 32.5 like older blades.
I like V7 blade. Hated countervail but V5 probably hits the heaviest ball. Havent tried v8 yet but 16x19 version doesnt look like a blade with 320 SW ;p
I dont think Boom Pro is the solution but i would like to try it as well. In theory it sounds more like an ezone territory.
Radical is great alternative i see many serious juniors with radical now.

 

[antony]

What a story Ye I have lead at the handle. A lot… to make it around 320g/310mm… it improved a lot my serves and feeling of the loop and like you said the racquet is so stable that it doesnt need any lead at the head.
Blade 2015 is hard to replace for sure. Have you tried TF40 18x20? They even kept the balance at 32.5 like older blades.
I like V7 blade. Hated countervail but V5 probably hits the heaviest ball. Havent tried v8 yet but 16x19 version doesnt look like a blade with 320 SW ;p
I dont think Boom Pro is the solution but i would like to try it as well. In theory it sounds more like an ezone territory.
Radical is great alternative i see many serious juniors with radical now.

I heard Djokovic really uses an older Radical

 

[mxblink]

TF40 with mods is really something!

Any updates on your thoughts here? I think this stick comes alive with some 10+2 weight.

 

[veelium]

I heard Djokovic really uses an older Radical

There are many threads describing what he actually uses. Not exactly an older radical model but somewhat close.

 

[DJTaurus]

What a story Ye I have lead at the handle. A lot… to make it around 320g/310mm… it improved a lot my serves and feeling of the loop and like you said the racquet is so stable that it doesnt need any lead at the head.
Blade 2015 is hard to replace for sure. Have you tried TF40 18x20? They even kept the balance at 32.5 like older blades.
I like V7 blade. Hated countervail but V5 probably hits the heaviest ball. Havent tried v8 yet but 16x19 version doesnt look like a blade with 320 SW ;p
I dont think Boom Pro is the solution but i would like to try it as well. In theory it sounds more like an ezone territory.
Radical is great alternative i see many serious juniors with radical now.

I prefer previous TF40 18x20 305/315 to the new ones…. TF40 2020 has probably the best feel among V5 and DR for my taste. But to me it felt very low powered….even with ice code. I play with 18x16 blade… it has the free power of pure aero with the solid/stable feel and trademark control of Blade. It’s light, fast without feeling like you hold a hollow toy….. it plays like a Blade. It’s very very difficult to found sth else to switch…..Blade 98S coupled with 4G is godlike. I am thinking to try RS305 with a thinner string too….. I need more spin and manoeuvrability from that stick and it could be perfect…. probably the best frame i ve used for returns.

 

[galapagos]

I prefer previous TF40 18x20 305/315 to the new ones…. TF40 2020 has probably the best feel among V5 and DR for my taste. But to me it felt very low powered….even with ice code. I play with 18x16 blade… it has the free power of pure aero with the solid/stable feel and trademark control of Blade. It’s light, fast without feeling like you hold a hollow toy….. it plays like a Blade. It’s very very difficult to found sth else to switch…..Blade 98S coupled with 4G is godlike. I am thinking to try RS305 with a thinner string too….. I need more spin and manoeuvrability from that stick and it could be perfect…. probably the best frame i ve used for returns.

have you tried stringing slightly lower? Like 21kg ? I see that trend more and more with modern players and soft,low powered frames using lower tensions to unlock the power, add forgiveness and increase spin potential.

other than that, how would you compare 4g to luxilon original ? I am looking at the 4g coz I am a huge Original fan.
RS305 is great indeed. One of the racquets that actually didn't affect my match results while switching from Angell (even improved them when I had my form down)

 

[RF_PRO_STAFF]

Angell K7 RED review:

probably most disappointing "premium frame" I had in my hands. Too much power, not enough stability, not enough control, quite big launch angle. Pretty much everything about this racquet could be improved... I added some weight to it and performance definitely improved but the stock version was very demanding. People were often comparing it to Yonex Ezone Dr. I purchased it with very high hopes but the level of control is far away from the legendary Yonex Ezone line. Very springy. I would faster pick Head Speed MP over it and at least get the stability and forgiveness on pro level. If you want comfort then still there are many options to choose from especially in 2022... Blades, Gravity, Elevate, TFight, Iga, Radical, Extreme Tour...

as a huge Angell fan I was very disappointed. (I had this frame with the release so maybe something has changed since then?)
Rating: 4.0
rest of the frames (click)

I tried it last summer for 45 minutes and I agree with everything you said. It was a big dislike for me. There's usually at least something I like about a frame but it was too hard for the K7 Red. Well, the paintjob was fine for me and it was comfortable, but at the same time hollow feeling which felt odd. Put it up for sale right away after I got home lol.

 

[DJTaurus]

have you tried stringing slightly lower? Like 21kg ? I see that trend with more and more modern players with soft low powered racquet to unlock the power, add forgiveness and increase spin potential.

other than that, how would you compare 4g to luxilon original ? I am looking at the 4g coz I am a huge Original fan.
RS305 is great indeed. One of the racquets that actually didn't affect my match results while switching from Angell (even improved them when I had my form down)

I haven’t tested original. But if you like ice code for example or lynx tour you should definitely try 4G. I haven’t found a more consistent string…. strung low on open patterns is buttery smooth unlike the stiffness ratings it has. Love the feel and the control of it but it’s best aspect is energy return and heavy slap on the ball.

Iga ready for playtest with red code. Glossy paint…. love it. Unfortunately the design is meh.

 

[galapagos]

I haven’t tested original. But if you like ice code for example or lynx tour you should definitely try 4G. I haven’t found a more consistent string…. strung low on open patterns is buttery smooth unlike the stiffness ratings it has. Love the feel and the control of it but it’s best aspect is energy return and heavy slap on the ball.

I prefer Razor Code to Ice Code. More control. Lynx Tour is nice but if you are using already a heavier frame then it adds +/- 2 grams more than average string.
Well 4g still sounds interesting I am also thinking about 4g rough and element

 

[DJTaurus]

I prefer Razor Code to Ice Code. More control. Lynx Tour is nice but if you are using already a heavier frame then it adds +/- 2 grams more than average string.
Well 4g still sounds interesting I am also thinking about 4g rough and element

Luxilon 4G will play the same for an average of one month with no upside downs. Expensive to buy, cheap after using it. But not recommend it on 18x20 patterns. Element is sweet. Great feel but it won’t last more than 10 days (it becomes too elastic)…. and it breaks easily if you heavy spin the ball.

 

[Vale46]

have you tried stringing slightly lower? Like 21kg ? I see that trend more and more with modern players and soft,low powered frames using lower tensions to unlock the power, add forgiveness and increase spin potential.

I absolutely agree!
in my opinion, stringing lower has an influence that should not be underestimated.

 

[ClaudTT]

@galapagos which one you prefer ? Iga or rs300 as the better blade in an easier package ? Personally i found iga to hit a heavier ball…. more direct power and less vibrations.

But IGA is also stiffer and the arm may fatigue more like a PDrive, the RS300 is a serious gentle weapon with large sweet area, if you drop tension and control with spin it generates very heavy ball. The better control is the TF40 2020 and at lower tension 18x20 becomes more alive.

 

[galapagos]

But IGA is also stiffer and the arm may fatigue more like a PDrive, the RS300 is a serious gentle weapon with large sweet area, if you drop tension and control with spin it generates very heavy ball. The better control is the TF40 2020 and at lower tension 18x20 becomes more alive.

Iga racquet with mayami hepta power felt like my angell 63ra. Razor code is also cool so I believe ice code and red code should feel comfortable as well.
That being said I will probably put my hands on RS300 this year
Black code is stiffer and is making the frame a bit more dead.

 

[DJTaurus]

My problem with RS300 was quality control. I had one of my best playtest experiences with the demo. I was almost ready to switch. Demo was so solid almost like 305 version. The one I bought had a SW of 303 strung. Even with lead it was a hollow uncontrollable plastic toy. I couldn’t believe it. One week ago i did another playtest with another demo and feel was different and harsh…. very crisp with lots of vibrations. Seriously what’s going on.

My second playtest with iga: i believe it has the most muted feel among all tecnis i ve tried. I got pain on the shoulder after only 2-3 games. 1HB was smoking like my experience with new TF40. I wished only this frame was 22mm instead of 23…. I need more freedom on my wrist. Power wise it’s exactly what i want from a racquet (ripping the ball on sweet spot hits and on flat serves)…. easy pop for defensive shots. If you can handle its stiffness then this stick is my new favourite proposal instead speed mp as the easiest players racquet Tweener.

Now i will test again 305RS and TF40 16x19 with thinner (1.20) polys for more extra spin / easy power if possible.

 

[galapagos]

My problem with RS300 was quality control. I had one of my best playtest experiences with the demo. I was almost ready to switch. Demo was so solid almost like 305 version. The one I bought had a SW of 303 strung. Even with lead it was a hollow uncontrollable plastic toy. I couldn’t believe it. One week ago i did another playtest with another demo and feel was different and harsh…. very crisp with lots of vibrations. Seriously what’s going on.

My second playtest with iga: i believe it has the most muted feel among all tecnis i ve tried. I got pain on the shoulder after only 2-3 games. 1HB was smoking like my experience with new TF40. I wished only this frame was 22mm instead of 23…. I need more freedom on my wrist. Power wise it’s exactly what i want from a racquet (ripping the ball on sweet spot hits and on flat serves)…. easy pop for defensive shots. If you can handle its stiffness then this stick is my new favourite proposal instead speed mp as the easiest players racquet Tweener.

Now i won’t to test again 305RS and TF40 16x19 with thinner (1.20) polys for more extra spin / easy power if possible.

what string setup was in your "honemoon" RS300 ?
I had 8 Tecnifibre racquets and only one was off the spec. Everything else within 2-3 grams or spot on. Funny enough the one that came much heavier actually played great xd (I could meassure only weight and balance)

 

[DJTaurus]

what string setup was in your "honemoon" RS300 ?
I had 8 Tecnifibre racquets and only one was off the spec. Everything else within 2-3 grams or spot on. Funny enough the one that came much heavier actually played great xd (I could meassure only weight and balance)

The godlike demo was with ice code. It’s my favourite tecnifibre string too.

 

[galapagos]

The godlike demo was with ice code. It’s my favourite tecnifibre string too.

slightly livelier than razor code
honeymoon happens to all of us. I had like 3 or 4 racquets that felt godlike xd all of them were actually not mine but borrowed for a session. All of them were strung very low in tension (or just dropped as the string was old), all of them were actually very headlight. Since then I try to stick to headlight setups
(almost) All of them I had purchased later for myself but sold eventually because the magic was no longer there lol (or got wrong specs?! haha)

 

[ClaudTT]

what string setup was in your "honemoon" RS300 ?
I had 8 Tecnifibre racquets and only one was off the spec. Everything else within 2-3 grams or spot on. Funny enough the one that came much heavier actually played great xd (I could meassure only weight and balance)

It can possible happen. BUT, reality is different at least on the 'white' frames that I got from Tecni... admittedly not bought at once from the same source... but they are all different for the most part. The fact is that DJ descriptions on how the rackets felt are same as mine... with the RS300 I have to 'rethink' how the frame was reacting to the added weight AND how the frame was changing its behaviour at various tensions... like I found that some times was not engaging mechanically and giving erratic responses. The frame 23mm is an issue but will not change the designers mind, I requested thinner frames ex: 22mm and was banned of conversation on the spot when they were NOT answering (evading) and I insisted. Arrogant parisians...
My 'arm and tennis healing' frames are the LTD's which I am currently using to recover my forearm from the strain/fatigue of the RS300. I still find the FT40 2020 (18M) at 21-22 kg quite a good unique frame...
The RS300 has a bunch of good qualities... QC is lacking no doubt, of 4 frames they are all SW apart and weight as well, I measured them and scratch my head, because the overall dynamic stiffness is quite similar... which helps.
But that is were we are...

 

[DJTaurus]

It can possible happen. BUT, reality is different at least on the 'white' frames that I got from Tecni... admittedly not bought at once from the same source... but they are all different for the most part. The fact is that DJ descriptions on how the rackets felt are same as mine... with the RS300 I have to 'rethink' how the frame was reacting to the added weight AND how the frame was changing its behaviour at various tensions... like I found that some times was not engaging mechanically and giving erratic responses. The frame 23mm is an issue but will not change the designers mind, I requested thinner frames ex: 22mm and was banned of conversation on the spot when they were NOT answering (evading) and I insisted. Arrogant parisians...
My 'arm and tennis healing' frames are the LTD's which I am currently using to recover my forearm from the strain/fatigue of the RS300. I still find the FT40 2020 (18M) at 21-22 kg quite a good unique frame...
The RS300 has a bunch of good qualities... QC is lacking no doubt, of 4 frames they are all SW apart and weight as well, I measured them and scratch my head, because the overall dynamic stiffness is quite similar... which helps.
But that is were we are...

While you mention it I added weight on RS300 but it didn’t change the hollow feel of the one i got…. 15 points of lower SW. The demo was so solid. The one i bought so hollow i couldn’t believe it…. I was over swinging and on clay i had literally no control and feel. Ball could fly without a reason. Worse than a pure aero…..

Red code is a great sweet feeling string but not solid for my taste. It plays light on impact. Tomorrow i ll test TF40 16x19 305 again with a thinner (1.20 ice code) to see if i ll get more spin and power. Did you try new TF40s ? What’s your verdict ?

Your go to go string ?

 

[Dauren]

Hi everyone, ran over this great reviews lately, @galapagos my respect. My level 4.5 - 5.0 with some good potential , playing with 360+ Speed pro currently with velocity mlt main and tour byte soft crosses 17g both, cause of elbow issues. Coming from blade 2015 18M, tried Gravity pro, tour, Ezone dr 98, speed MP, blade v7 18M, all great racquets, except speed MP probably, loved gravity pro most, but couldn't handle it for long, gravity tour was almost perfect, however a bit sluggish through the air and spin is less than pro model even with thinner gauge for my flat game style. Speed pro amazing, love from the first touch, but my second serve is still quite bad, that's why need your advice @galapagos, what would u recommend to me, I like racquets with higher SW within 325-330 range, need smth stable in stock form, cause my elbow can't stand vibrations, which my speed provides a lot and unfortunately can't handle heavy racquets 310 is my max, the lower better and low powered I guess. Thank u in advance.

 

[edelp]

Hi,

Indeed @galapagos has created a super nice page with super reviews. Really appreciated!

Interesting to read your comment. Specially that you also, from all the test, find the least good the one I use, the same as @galapagos . Funny, but since I recently tried the Speed Pro 360+ (I play the Speed MP 360+) I have to say I am surprised.

The feel is VERY similar to me, weight distribution or twistweight, stability, vibrations, SW, or whatever for me super super similar. The launch angle, clear and ok, the control with the nice Speed Pro pattern clearly more, power less, but the rest, I fail to grasp. Both my MP and Pro have a high SW, admittedly with the Pro some more points. I tested them with the same string…

Second thought and more important, the serve. I mean I suck with serve, but in both Speed rackets I suck even more. The best ever serving sticks I had were Angell TC100 or even better with the TC95 16x19 (by the way normally rather high SW), so in both cases of the Speed I have an increased problem. Nevertheless, for me, BOTH super frames, depending on the preference of power, control, specs and launch angle. I think I hit a nicer ball (that I personally for pleasure and beauty contest reasons prefer) with the Speed Pro, but a clearly nastier, heavier ball with the MP.

But my level is not direction 5

 

[StanAO14]

Hi,

Indeed @galapagos has created a super nice page with super reviews. Really appreciated!

Interesting to read your comment. Specially that you also, from all the test, find the least good the one I use, the same as @galapagos . Funny, but since I recently tried the Speed Pro 360+ (I play the Speed MP 360+) I have to say I am surprised.

The feel is VERY similar to me, weight distribution or twistweight, stability, vibrations, SW, or whatever for me super super similar. The launch angle, clear and ok, the control with the nice Speed Pro pattern clearly more, power less, but the rest, I fail to grasp. Both my MP and Pro have a high SW, admittedly with the Pro some more points. I tested them with the same string…

Second thought and more important, the serve. I mean I suck with serve, but in both Speed rackets I suck even more. The best ever serving sticks I had were Angell TC100 or even better with the TC95 16x19 (by the way normally rather high SW), so in both cases of the Speed I have an increased problem. Nevertheless, for me, BOTH super frames, depending on the preference of power, control, specs and launch angle. I think I hit a nicer ball (that I personally for pleasure and beauty contest reasons prefer) with the Speed Pro, but a clearly nastier, heavier ball with the MP.

But my level is not direction 5

Exactly my experience. Impossible to serve with the speed pro (probably because of the thick 23 beam and 100 head), while the tc95 is on the other side of the range (probably best serving stick ever, because of the thin beam and 95 head = speed, while also having plow because of the foam filling..?)

 

[DJTaurus]

Hi everyone, ran over this great reviews lately, @galapagos my respect. My level 4.5 - 5.0 with some good potential , playing with 360+ Speed pro currently with velocity mlt main and tour byte soft crosses 17g both, cause of elbow issues. Coming from blade 2015 18M, tried Gravity pro, tour, Ezone dr 98, speed MP, blade v7 18M, all great racquets, except speed MP probably, loved gravity pro most, but couldn't handle it for long, gravity tour was almost perfect, however a bit sluggish through the air and spin is less than pro model even with thinner gauge for my flat game style. Speed pro amazing, love from the first touch, but my second serve is still quite bad, that's why need your advice @galapagos, what would u recommend to me, I like racquets with higher SW within 325-330 range, need smth stable in stock form, cause my elbow can't stand vibrations, which my speed provides a lot and unfortunately can't handle heavy racquets 310 is my max, the lower better and low powered I guess. Thank u in advance.

A friend of mine coming from Blade V5/V7 18x20, tried literally everything and settled down with RS305 but with 1.20 string. To me the only racquet close to Blade V5 is blade pro 16x19 but you must found one with low sw sth that’s impossible without matching option

 

[tomkowy]

Second thought and more important, the serve. I mean I suck with serve, but in both Speed rackets I suck even more. The best ever serving sticks I had were Angell TC100 or even better with the TC95 16x19 (by the way normally rather high SW), so in both cases of the Speed I have an increased problem. Nevertheless, for me, BOTH super frames, depending on the preference of power, control, specs and launch angle. I think I hit a nicer ball (that I personally for pleasure and beauty contest reasons prefer) with the Speed Pro, but a clearly nastier, heavier ball with the MP.

I've had similar issue with serving with G360+ Speed Pro. No idea, what Head has done with the layup but it makes serving harder. A coach at the local club mentioned, that he plays with Speed Pro because it's great for coaching - easy to play faster rallies but also nice to just feed balls. He can play with it for hours and not get tired too much. But when it comes to point play and serving, he takes out his old racquet

 

[temnik]

I've had similar issue with serving with G360+ Speed Pro. No idea, what Head has done with the layup but it makes serving harder. A coach at the local club mentioned, that he plays with Speed Pro because it's great for coaching - easy to play faster rallies but also nice to just feed balls. He can play with it for hours and not get tired too much. But when it comes to point play and serving, he takes out his old racquet

The best I can answer that, 360+ Speed has two sweet-spots. The one for serving is higher up, and it takes some adjustment to hit with it.

 

[BallBasher247]

@galapagos which one you prefer ? Iga or rs300 as the better blade in an easier package ? Personally i found iga to hit a heavier ball…. more direct power and less vibrations.

Just wanted to chime in; for me RS300 was good for its wt but meant to be played in stock form; became unplayable when I added wt.

Best Blade-like stick IMO is between TF40 & Elevate, but Elevate’s 16x20 & TF40 dense 16x19 aren’t as spin friendly as your Blade 98S. Plus Tec’s QC isn’t good.

Interesting, I haven't hit with RS300 yet. So I was told that IGA offers a bit more power but it's very small difference from what I've heard.
I am very surprised with what IGA can offer especially for it's weight and swing weight. It's the easiest blade alternative but someone coming to it from a blade would make his change too drastic probably.

Wilson Blade (most demanding)->Head Radical / Tecnifibre TF40 -> Yonex Ezone / Diadem Elevate -> Tecnifibre Iga (easiest to play)
something like that...
problem with Ezone and Elevate is that they are easier to move around but are also still control oriented so some players might find them anemic ? Too low powered? Not enough plow/ stability? While Iga is slightly stiffer to kinda balance things out and get back the stability and power while you get that control from the low weight and maneuverability anyway.

IGA’s more control tweener than player’s frame; w/ its 23mm beam & ~70RA it’s a diff. pwr class from Blade/TF40/Elevate/Radical. EZ’s close w/ wt added but not as crisp or direct. Both would be a big adjustment for a Blade user IMO even w/ DJ using 18x16. Guessing IGA would have more linear power but less control, spin or both. Not optimistic about it either since my RS300 wasn’t spin-friendly for open 16x19; much better on flat shots.

RS300 couldn’t take wt when I had it & it’s too light for me but maybe IGA w/ its more normal beam shape can take wt better.

My problem with RS300 was quality control. I had one of my best playtest experiences with the demo. I was almost ready to switch. Demo was so solid almost like 305 version. The one I bought had a SW of 303 strung. Even with lead it was a hollow uncontrollable plastic toy. I couldn’t believe it. One week ago i did another playtest with another demo and feel was different and harsh…. very crisp with lots of vibrations. Seriously what’s going on.

My second playtest with iga: i believe it has the most muted feel among all tecnis i ve tried. I got pain on the shoulder after only 2-3 games. 1HB was smoking like my experience with new TF40. I wished only this frame was 22mm instead of 23…. I need more freedom on my wrist. Power wise it’s exactly what i want from a racquet (ripping the ball on sweet spot hits and on flat serves)…. easy pop for defensive shots. If you can handle its stiffness then this stick is my new favourite proposal instead speed mp as the easiest players racquet Tweener.

Now i will test again 305RS and TF40 16x19 with thinner (1.20) polys for more extra spin / easy power if possible.

You’ll like both of these, but good luck w/ the QC. Tried a friend’s 305RS demo; his stick was almost 12oz & ~340SW. Had 2 OG’s but rlly thin ones. Racket was 330+g strung w/o ‘em. He’s used to lighter rackets and even the TFight’s fast beam didn’t make up for his timing issues. I liked it but not enough to use in matches…very spin-friendly for 18m tho & more than 300RS for me; idk why.

Thinner string helps. Durability goes down but feel and spin get better. If you’re a string breaker or comfortable w a certain setup switching might not be the move…

TWE/TO gotta hurry up & bring Solinco’s stick over…the Whiteout looks almost perfect for you. QC looking good so far in the Solinco thread.

Kudos to your amazing topic. I didn’t even notice it until today…. maybe you should change your topic title to sth less ?

I just read all of the pages. I have to agree that i can compete with all tecnifibres and like you i believe it has to be the foam. Very connected frames in terms of feel…. simplicity and to the point. I also enjoy most of Head frames…. plug n play situation but they have too many lines and confuse me.

I also agree on your extreme tour take. It’s a very low powered stick. People got carried away from tennis nerd and then it was full of "for sale". I love the feel of this frame but it needs full swing and extra weight to shine. Not for everyone. I should have heard Kareu who also mentioned that this stick needs a full followthrough to add heaviness on the ball. Definitely not a stick with lots of easy power as it was reviewed by many. For example to me Radical MP provides at least 20% more free power. If i had to choose my favourite head it would be the feel of gravity tour, the power of speed mp, the solidness of radical mp in an 98 inch mold. That racquet doesn’t exists and i don’t believe the answer is boom pro….. is it ? Haven’t played with it yet. I also agree with you on the shape of gravity line…. imagine this stick at 98inch….. it would solve our one hand issues with its manoeuvrability.

At last i believe the best tecnifibre stick is RS305. If you can found one with proper balance and a logical SW. What lead placement do you propose to someone that needs to make this baby swing faster ? Obv only lead on the handle cause it’s super stable on the head area. Have you tried it with 1.20 string ? A friend of mine loved it with hyper 1.20 and hated with every 1.25 he tried on it. And he made the switch.

I still play with blade V5. I hate modern blades like V7 and V8 with their low flex….

Yeah @galapagos these reviews are great; v real honest stuff

100% agree about foam filled stuff; love that Tec does this across most lines. Best blend of comfort & feel IMO. If only Tec could do 3 things….Buttcaps, QC, & more 18x19/16x20 I’d prolly use one. RS300 wasn’t for me but great stick for its market, & the TF40s are amazing all round. Don’t wanna buy any for the same reason I’m easing my head out the Wilson lion’s mouth so to speak; I don’t wanna deal w/ their drawbacks across the board. The QC lottery on high SW sticks is esp. brutal

I think my ET demo some mos. ago was over spec but it played nice. Good spin, not a lot of power (more than Elevate tho) & decent feel. Felt clunky on 1HBH w/ the wide throat tho & slice was floating. Would be good modded to specs…but prolly the best Head all round for me is the Radical Pro. Liked the feel from the GPro more but it did everything well.

I gotta respectfully disagree about the best Tec…for me hands down it’s TF40. Haven’t tried the 16x19 (I bet it’s good) but the 18x20’s amazing. Hands down my fav 18x20 stick for all serves & my fav stick period for volleys & smashes. Wouldn’t be able to put it down if I were a S&Ver.

With Tecs making em swing faster is tough w/o a buttcap, & not everybody wants a thick leather grip for xtra grams. Lead under the grip along the upper/mid handle just screws up wt distribution & makes em unplayable so best way to do it is buy a grip size smaller & wrap lead around the bottom of the handle (as if you’re trying to make the bevel bigger). Or if you don’t mind, put lead over the TF butt logo.

Hi everyone, ran over this great reviews lately, @galapagos my respect. My level 4.5 - 5.0 with some good potential , playing with 360+ Speed pro currently with velocity mlt main and tour byte soft crosses 17g both, cause of elbow issues. Coming from blade 2015 18M, tried Gravity pro, tour, Ezone dr 98, speed MP, blade v7 18M, all great racquets, except speed MP probably, loved gravity pro most, but couldn't handle it for long, gravity tour was almost perfect, however a bit sluggish through the air and spin is less than pro model even with thinner gauge for my flat game style. Speed pro amazing, love from the first touch, but my second serve is still quite bad, that's why need your advice @galapagos, what would u recommend to me, I like racquets with higher SW within 325-330 range, need smth stable in stock form, cause my elbow can't stand vibrations, which my speed provides a lot and unfortunately can't handle heavy racquets 310 is my max, the lower better and low powered I guess. Thank u in advance.

Prince Phantom 100X 305. Great option for someone wanting a 100” control/feel frame that’s maneuverable & comfortable (58 RA). SW is ~320 but w/ ~2-3g wt. split btwn 10 & 2 in the hoop you’ll be set.

 

[galapagos]

While you mention it I added weight on RS300 but it didn’t change the hollow feel of the one i got…. 15 points of lower SW. The demo was so solid. The one i bought so hollow i couldn’t believe it…. I was over swinging and on clay i had literally no control and feel. Ball could fly without a reason. Worse than a pure aero…..

Red code is a great sweet feeling string but not solid for my taste. It plays light on impact. Tomorrow i ll test TF40 16x19 305 again with a thinner (1.20 ice code) to see if i ll get more spin and power. Did you try new TF40s ? What’s your verdict ?

Your go to go string ?

I did try TF40 16x19 and it's staying with me for a longer period to see how far it can go Diadem Elevate kicked out Prestige MP from my bag and TF40 16x19 kicked out the Elevate. Actually Elevate and TF40 are VERY similar. They both feel good, they both need lead tape to compete with my modded RS305 or TC95. So many similarities stock to stock but I see a bit more potential in TF40 because it has tight 16x19 where with Diadem 1 more cross string is taking away some of spin on my serves. Stock to stock Elevate feels better (and is actually more stable) while TF40 performs a bit better (easier spin)

Eventually I decided to "invest" more time and money into TF40 especially that it's much easier to customize. 315g/310mm I will just bump up the SW to my preference and adjust the balance while with Elevate I would have to add crazy amounts of lead to the head and handle (where for example with RS305 I just needed to add weight to the handle since stock plow and stability were actually great and I just prefer HL setups)

I am also doing an ultimate string of choice lol (https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/ultimate-string-of-choice.689948/)
but to summarize my favourites so far were (random order):
Luxilon Original, Luxilon Alu Power, Mayami Hit Pro, Signum Pro Firestorm, Tecnifibre Razor Code, Head Lynx Tour, Mayami Tour Hex, Diadem Solstice Power, Volkl Cyclone, Tourna Silver 7 Tour
(hehehe)
currently testing Tecnifibre Black Code 1.24 (in my TF40) and 1.28 (in my TC95)

I am looking at the 4g (1.25 and 1.30), 4g rough (1.25) and element (1.30) but the prices are very scary (I question myself, even If I love the string, will I want to buy a reel of this???) When I started string related thread I was doing some notes how much this journey costs me and the numbers are near 1300 USD lol (I stopped registering my tennis gear expenses since then)

 

[DJTaurus]

Just wanted to chime in; for me RS300 was good for its wt but meant to be played in stock form; became unplayable when I added wt.

Best Blade-like stick IMO is between TF40 & Elevate, but Elevate’s 16x20 & TF40 dense 16x19 aren’t as spin friendly as your Blade 98S. Plus Tec’s QC isn’t good.

IGA’s more control tweener than player’s frame; w/ its 23mm beam & ~70RA it’s a diff. pwr class from Blade/TF40/Elevate/Radical. EZ’s close w/ wt added but not as crisp or direct. Both would be a big adjustment for a Blade user IMO even w/ DJ using 18x16. Guessing IGA would have more linear power but less control, spin or both. Not optimistic about it either since my RS300 wasn’t spin-friendly for open 16x19; much better on flat shots.

RS300 couldn’t take wt when I had it & it’s too light for me but maybe IGA w/ its more normal beam shape can take wt better.

You’ll like both of these, but good luck w/ the QC. Tried a friend’s 305RS demo; his stick was almost 12oz & ~340SW. Had 2 OG’s but rlly thin ones. Racket was 330+g strung w/o ‘em. He’s used to lighter rackets and even the TFight’s fast beam didn’t make up for his timing issues. I liked it but not enough to use in matches…very spin-friendly for 18m tho & more than 300RS for me; idk why.

Thinner string helps. Durability goes down but feel and spin get better. If you’re a string breaker or comfortable w a certain setup switching might not be the move…

TWE/TO gotta hurry up & bring Solinco’s stick over…the Whiteout looks almost perfect for you. QC looking good so far in the Solinco thread.

Yeah @galapagos these reviews are great; v real honest stuff

100% agree about foam filled stuff; love that Tec does this across most lines. Best blend of comfort & feel IMO. If only Tec could do 3 things….Buttcaps, QC, & more 18x19/16x20 I’d prolly use one. RS300 wasn’t for me but great stick for its market, & the TF40s are amazing all round. Don’t wanna buy any for the same reason I’m easing my head out the Wilson lion’s mouth so to speak; I don’t wanna deal w/ their drawbacks across the board. The QC lottery on high SW sticks is esp. brutal

I think my ET demo some mos. ago was over spec but it played nice. Good spin, not a lot of power (more than Elevate tho) & decent feel. Felt clunky on 1HBH w/ the wide throat tho & slice was floating. Would be good modded to specs…but prolly the best Head all round for me is the Radical Pro. Liked the feel from the GPro more but it did everything well.

I gotta respectfully disagree about the best Tec…for me hands down it’s TF40. Haven’t tried the 16x19 (I bet it’s good) but the 18x20’s amazing. Hands down my fav 18x20 stick for all serves & my fav stick period for volleys & smashes. Wouldn’t be able to put it down if I were a S&Ver.

With Tecs making em swing faster is tough w/o a buttcap, & not everybody wants a thick leather grip for xtra grams. Lead under the grip along the upper/mid handle just screws up wt distribution & makes em unplayable so best way to do it is buy a grip size smaller & wrap lead around the bottom of the handle (as if you’re trying to make the bevel bigger). Or if you don’t mind, put lead over the TF butt logo.

Prince Phantom 100X 305. Great option for someone wanting a 100” control/feel frame that’s maneuverable & comfortable (58 RA). SW is ~320 but w/ ~2-3g wt. split btwn 10 & 2 in the hoop you’ll be set.

Thanks for the great post and suggestions. Top quality stuff

1)Extreme Tour was very low powered for my style even with lead. Not forgiving outside sweet spot. A demanding control oriented stick with amazing spin potential IF you have proper technique.
2)I have tested all head racquets except boom which i don’t care to test it. As a blader my favourite head stick is Radical MP. Direct power (20% more than ET), the most solid head frame, but way too HH. I had trouble to manoeuvre it on clay courts despite SW at around 326 with cyclone tour. I also needed more free spin. Feel is like pro staff in a harsh/gentle way. Pro version not forgiving outside sweet spot. Even better solid feel but the SW dragged me down. My favourite feeling head is gravity tour but the head shape even if you found a lower SW is weird for the one hand backhand. I am thinking if it’s worth searching for a radical mp with low SW at 315-320 and make it a little bit more HL and see how it goes….? But TF40 16x19 has even better feel. Better to found way to extract more power from it and make it more forgiving.
3)Radical Pro is your main stick now ? Also to add that blade 98s is not only generous in free spin but has the heft/solid punch and similar control with the 16x19 blade and the free power of pure aero. As you see it’s very difficult to found sth else to switch. Nearly impossible. It’s an amazing overall stick.
4)Solinco has no demos in my country so I won’t take the risk to purchase it. I also heard that it’s muted and low powered. Have you tried it ?
5)Previous TF40 and new TF40 have the most connected feel among tecnifibres. I tell my friends how a difference can make a 22m mold to my 1HB compared to 23mm and think i am crazy. I mean the way a 22mm mold unlocks your wrist on take back and after contact is unmatched…. New TF40 is perfectly fine on that matter. RS300 despite similar SW doesn’t give you the same unlock/freedom for example when you go 1HB down the line. I feel the more mass on the throat of RS300 compared to TF40.
6)Look below TF40 16x19 with 1.20 ice code how more dense is on the middle compared to RS300 with 1.25 red code. Let’s see how the playtest goes today.

 

[DJTaurus]

I did try TF40 16x19 and it's staying with me for a longer period to see how far it can go Diadem Elevate kicked out Prestige MP from my bag and TF40 16x19 kicked out the Elevate. Actually Elevate and TF40 are VERY similar. They both feel good, they both need lead tape to compete with my modded RS305 or TC95. So many similarities stock to stock but I see a bit more potential in TF40 because it has tight 16x19 where with Diadem 1 more cross string is taking away some of spin on my serves. Stock to stock Elevate feels better (and is actually more stable) while TF40 performs a bit better (easier spin)

Eventually I decided to "invest" more time and money into TF40 especially that it's much easier to customize. 315g/310mm I will just bump up the SW to my preference and adjust the balance while with Elevate I would have to add crazy amounts of lead to the head and handle (where for example with RS305 I just needed to add weight to the handle since stock plow and stability were actually great and I just prefer HL setups)

I am also doing an ultimate string of choice lol (https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/ultimate-string-of-choice.689948/)
but to summarize my favourites so far were (random order):
Luxilon Original, Luxilon Alu Power, Mayami Hit Pro, Signum Pro Firestorm, Tecnifibre Razor Code, Head Lynx Tour, Mayami Tour Hex, Diadem Solstice Power, Volkl Cyclone, Tourna Silver 7 Tour
(hehehe)
currently testing Tecnifibre Black Code 1.24 (in my TF40) and 1.28 (in my TC95)

I am looking at the 4g (1.25 and 1.30), 4g rough (1.25) and element (1.30) but the prices are very scary (I question myself, even If I love the string, will I want to buy a reel of this???) When I started string related thread I was doing some notes how much this journey costs me and the numbers are near 1300 USD lol (I stopped registering my tennis gear expenses since then)

Exactly. As you see on my photo new 16x19 TF40 is very dense. But it doesn’t play dense. I found enough spin and power. My main issue with 305 version is that i needed more forgiveness, more free power outside sweet spot. Because on sweet spot power is more than enough. And it’s not that it needs lead at 3/9 I found it pretty stable. Maybe I should found the solution through stirngs and tension. Where did you add lead at your 315 TF40 ??

Af for 4G that string has one main issue. It’s soooo solid that you cannot understand if any racquet has stability issues and needs lead placement