tennisace23
Rookie
I wouldn’t say this car looks like a toy.. and it seems to have a similar design to the bastcore racquets:
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Vantage Bast Core
- Thread starter Meaghan
- Start date
I wouldn’t say this car looks like a toy.. and it seems to have a similar design to the bastcore racquets:
I thought both rackets had power but the bastcore was easier to control
rudester
Professional
Well, just got back from my first hit with my new BC20. The first obvious impression of this frame, which i strung up with Luxilon Ace at 54 pounds, was that the spin potential is awesome, almost too much at first, had to adjust my swing, as the ball was landing short. After awhile i adjusted to the extra spin. There also seemed to be plenty of available power when you just wanted to nail the ball. I definitely was able to feel the low RA. Did not try any serves yet but had the impression that the racquet would really enhance a kick serve. Will try that this weekend. Even though Luxilon Ace is not the stiffest poly, i sensed that a stiff poly with this frame would not aggravate my elbow. Very nice plush feel. I have 2 custom Vantages which have very similar specs to the BC20, they are all keepers. Really, i need to spend more time with the frame, these are just some of the things that jumped out at me initially.
thanks, can you give a more thorough comparison? Compare different strokes, spin, serve, comfort, sweetspot size? and which one are you comparing the Bc20 or Bc30?
Don't Let It Bounce
Hall of Fame
Previous threads have suggested that while the smaller-headed Vantage custom frames are foam-filled throughout, the 105's are not. Assuming that's accurate, does anyone know for sure whether the 105 sq" BC40 is foam-filled throughout?
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
I wouldn’t say this car looks like a toy.. and it seems to have a similar design to the bastcore racquets:
Thats a great find.......very interesting
Drak
read thro the thread, sweetspot, spin etc has already been mentioned. As for power levels with my bc20 Its very difficult to compare but i had a reasonable time with the pstgt, k95, kps 88, opt, custom Vt and they all have comparable power. The bast core materials are unique. They are soft and plush when wanted and the recoil power is there when you want to give it a wallop.
Great spin, big sweetspot, very stable.
galain
Hall of Fame
Yeah guys, I'm only grinding my teeth because I still want one. I've been looking for awhile to replace my PT630 and only recently have all these soft frames started to appear. I was seriously thinking about the new Prince 03 Tour - then I found this thread, and, well, you know how it goes!
I could usually care less what frame looks like - but the difference between these and the custom VT's is pretty stark.
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
o3 tour looks a good stick, I really liked my ozone pro tour, imo better rackets than the baseline Babs about. Gotta say tho baseline bashing with the bc20 is also a dream, really big sweetspot, great with stiff poly. Im just back from another singles league match and I played so well winning 0 & 4. Some small technical things have made a massive difference in my all court game but it is deffo the confidence this racket gives me. I just moved the ball around at will today waiting for the short ball and my S&V game was just on it, god its good when you are playing well
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Its been since Oct 2010. Four months and getting better!
stuff was "mentioned" here and there but there is no thorough review by any one player. Why has Meaghan not provided a typical solid review in one place? he's had the frame 4 months correct? I'm not mad or anything and I did read the entire thread, someone should provide a better overall review in one post, I've done the same many times over the years on many frames.
Drak
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LOL, whatever. Perhaps the longest thread I have ever seen on a new frame and not ONE thorough review. Since I just ordered one (Bc30) I will soon show you how a proper review is done! just havin fun
Drak
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Meaghan
Hall of Fame
I don't really know what you want me to say........I've read these thorough reviews myself and they are quite subjective. Spin 7/10 etc etc is no good to me. I can get top spin with a spade, i know 16x19 will give me more spin than a denser pattern most of it is common sense.
More importantly I've talked about how I've wanted a racket that is like my kps88 for s&v, a baseline beauty like my ozone pro tour and have the touch of my pt600. I also talked about similar feeling older rackets like my Austrian graphite pro or comfort edge.
Its also been mentioned esp bc20 that the flex and feel are unique and the power level is equivalent to say a k95 or the older vt95 etc and the sweetspot is bigger imo than its custom equivalent even at much higher tension.
All this info is how i see it. If i had to give it a rating then id say 10/10 for everything but 5/10 for cosmetics
I don't really know what you want me to say........I've read these thorough reviews myself and they are quite subjective. Spin 7/10 etc etc is no good to me. I can get top spin with a spade, i know 16x19 will give me more spin than a denser pattern most of it is common sense.
More importantly I've talked about how I've wanted a racket that is like my kps88 for s&v, a baseline beauty like my ozone pro tour and have the touch of my pt600. I also talked about similar feeling older rackets like my Austrian graphite pro or comfort edge.
Its also been mentioned esp bc20 that the flex and feel are unique and the power level is equivalent to say a k95 or the older vt95 etc and the sweetspot is bigger imo than its custom equivalent even at much higher tension.
All this info is how i see it. If i had to give it a rating then id say 10/10 for everything but 5/10 for cosmetics
No big deal, but I think many know what I mean. I would be nice to have a review of the racket on one post, it's very scattered IMO. Talk about all the strokes, how they might relate to other frames you've played with. Spin potential and power, comfort and stability/plow thru. How does it serve - spin and power? Control. Perhaps where it's helped you most or what you like most and the hardest thing to adjust to? Stuff like that in ONE post. I'll do in several days.
I'll add this, the fact you modified the frame and made it longer may actually make a review full review by you a waste of your time and it's going to play perhaps significantly different from stock.
Drak
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rudester
Professional
This for the custom vantage, more testing to go on BC20, initial impressions are very favorable.I don't really know what you want me to say........I've read these thorough reviews myself and they are quite subjective. Spin 7/10 etc etc is no good to me. I can get top spin with a spade, i know 16x19 will give me more spin than a denser pattern most of it is common sense.
More importantly I've talked about how I've wanted a racket that is like my kps88 for s&v, a baseline beauty like my ozone pro tour and have the touch of my pt600. I also talked about similar feeling older rackets like my Austrian graphite pro or comfort edge.
Its also been mentioned esp bc20 that the flex and feel are unique and the power level is equivalent to say a k95 or the older vt95 etc and the sweetspot is bigger imo than its custom equivalent even at much higher tension.
All this info is how i see it. If i had to give it a rating then id say 10/10 for everything but 5/10 for cosmetics
Interesting to me that you were looking for something to replace your k88, as i was looking for 6 years for something to replace my PS85, which is of the same lineage. Tried about 60 other racquets, Vantage filled the bill better than all others.
I thought Vantage was pretty much at least 9/10 in all categories, and heck, i happen to like the paint job too, 7.5/10
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Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Drak if you are the man with the time and patience to do it then cool sir.
Personally i like reading between the lines, take Levy for instance, 65 with not much power....I can see him in my minds eye, I can relate to how he plays his shots from just a few words.
If someone who played a big s&v game with a kps88 but struggled on his fh with the size of the head and his full western grip but loved the OPT from the baseline but couldnt serve with it, had a custom VT that was perfect but always missed the x factor of his older Austrian Heads. Loves his bc20 !!
What else have I mentioned....Im a 6ft4 and 170+ lbs all courter, im being coached by a former world ranked player, Im at the top of my singles league, i like stiff strings/high tensions.....you kinda get the idea of how i play.
Thats the info i would use to get the gist on the racket being reviewed it says so much more than the fact that i can get more pop on serve than penelope pitstop with a hairnet!
ok ok ok.....if there is one major difference than anything ive used then the racket is great at digging you out of difficult points and thats all to do with the recoil, its amazing how much this has helped me and this includes return of serve. Everything else is just as good as more or less every players racket of good quality thats been made.
The "recoil" it gives the racket a unique feel and is the difference between this racket and its competitors.
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Thx for that, what is your current USTA level? How a 3.0 vs 4.0 vs 5.0 or higher views a frame can also be of great benefit from someone who plays at a similar level.
Drak
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Its difficult to say as our ratings in UK mean s**t!
Ive beaten my coach (former world ranked 500 or something), Ive beaten a couuple of Regional Div1 players of late and will hopefully be playing in that division this coming year. Ive just started playing tourneys and Im very happy to have a national ranking. I started playing again 4yrs ago and Im a young 40 and very fit despite the drugs and alcohol abuse from 18-35
I would put myself around the 5.0 mark (+/- 0.5).
got it, thanks again. I did go for the Bc30 as that type of frame is where I gravitate (current frame is BB London delta core) and a hopefully gracefully aging 4.5! I took some time off due to a wrist issue, have played with Vantage before, and the sub 50 stiffness RA was of interest because of that wrist.
Drak
Recoil, a perfect word to describe the racket. I am 63 not 65, probably not much difference. USTA 3.5
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the 30. Its flex is lower but it doesnt feel as flexy as the 20 imo I think due to the larger head at the throat and the shorter throat compared to the bc20.
It feels compact and the control is great and for me it suited the softer poly much more than the 20.
I'll try the stock string it comes with but I have a nice Poly I like (Turbotwist) as it seems Poly's may play well in this frame, although with my wrist issue I may just use a syn for now.
ced
Professional
My BC20 and my subjective assessment
Both Drak and Meags make good and valid points .... Based on the Meags items in this thread I decided on the BC20 over the BC30 ... I felt his descriptions of the BC20 to be 'right on' ....I think most of us (with the exception of Meags) have not had much time to evaluate the BC's.
Drak is right in that knowing something about the evaluator is a help in assessing the value of the evaluation, so here goes :
Not many of you here will match me.. not because of skill, but because of age ! I got my 1st racket (a H. C. Lee woodie ) when I was 10 (over 65 years ago) and having played since that time (except for my golf years in the mid 50's to mid 60's) and from the late 60's until I retired in 1989 I played either singles or doubles at least 3 times a week.... since 1990 I've played every week day that weather permitted.
That's out of the way .... during that time I've used a huge number of racquets, usually player type racquets... my own particular favorites have been Fischer's, Gamma's, Kneissl's and Volkl's .... I've played with enough of the more main stream brands to know what I like and what I don't.
I've not had much time with this BC20, but i can say it is a different animal ... and that is different in a good way. The only downside I've encountered is the factory strings .... and that was the tension more than the string itself. I ripped those out and now have strung mine with Ashaway Soft 17 mains and Gosen Micro sheep 17 crosses @ 46/50 (low tension is something the use of Fischer's taught me)... the 'feel with this is outstanding.
The BC20 is a confidence builder if there ever was one ... power is more than adequate, especially on serve, and control is 'spot-on'. The racquets mobility , especially at net, is as good as any I have ever used.
I was zeroing in on the BC30 until Meags accounts of his use of the BC20 appeared here. Tho I've not used the 30 I don't think you can go wrong with either ... just wish they were a few bucks cheaper ! I will be glad when TW publishes its test results, I would like to know what they measure the flex at.
Admittedly the 49RA intrigued me, but the BC20 while very comfortable is no 'noodle' and it hits rather crisply. The sweetspot is large and easy to find.
Enough of the ramblings of an old man ..... I have another racquet to string !
Both Drak and Meags make good and valid points .... Based on the Meags items in this thread I decided on the BC20 over the BC30 ... I felt his descriptions of the BC20 to be 'right on' ....I think most of us (with the exception of Meags) have not had much time to evaluate the BC's.
Drak is right in that knowing something about the evaluator is a help in assessing the value of the evaluation, so here goes :
Not many of you here will match me.. not because of skill, but because of age ! I got my 1st racket (a H. C. Lee woodie ) when I was 10 (over 65 years ago) and having played since that time (except for my golf years in the mid 50's to mid 60's) and from the late 60's until I retired in 1989 I played either singles or doubles at least 3 times a week.... since 1990 I've played every week day that weather permitted.
That's out of the way .... during that time I've used a huge number of racquets, usually player type racquets... my own particular favorites have been Fischer's, Gamma's, Kneissl's and Volkl's .... I've played with enough of the more main stream brands to know what I like and what I don't.
I've not had much time with this BC20, but i can say it is a different animal ... and that is different in a good way. The only downside I've encountered is the factory strings .... and that was the tension more than the string itself. I ripped those out and now have strung mine with Ashaway Soft 17 mains and Gosen Micro sheep 17 crosses @ 46/50 (low tension is something the use of Fischer's taught me)... the 'feel with this is outstanding.
The BC20 is a confidence builder if there ever was one ... power is more than adequate, especially on serve, and control is 'spot-on'. The racquets mobility , especially at net, is as good as any I have ever used.
I was zeroing in on the BC30 until Meags accounts of his use of the BC20 appeared here. Tho I've not used the 30 I don't think you can go wrong with either ... just wish they were a few bucks cheaper ! I will be glad when TW publishes its test results, I would like to know what they measure the flex at.
Admittedly the 49RA intrigued me, but the BC20 while very comfortable is no 'noodle' and it hits rather crisply. The sweetspot is large and easy to find.
Enough of the ramblings of an old man ..... I have another racquet to string !
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Don't Let It Bounce
Hall of Fame
^^^ Off topic, but... Wow. Thread seniority is clearly established. Rock on, CED. I hope your 5x/wk tennis continues for many years.
tennisace23
Rookie
Yes, the Bastcore 105's (bc40) are foam filled.
ced
Professional
A long tennis life is luck more than anything , my knees have just held up better than most ! ... My point was that I have played with a lot (a whole lot) of racquets over the years and I do recognize the virtues of a good racquet ...the Vantage BC20 is definitely in the 'A' Group .
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Marcus had an email from Paul saying the bc frames will be available from UK but custim rackets US
I haven't heard back, keep forgetting to call when it's a reasonable time of the day to do so but as ever unanswered emails!Should kknow it's not worth the time typing them really.
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
I know what you mean. Im waiting on an answer myself. Last week i had enough spare cash for two bc20s now sadly its been needed elsewhere so im disappointed i haven't got at least one more. Will have to wait til i have cash spare again.
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
Paul just sent an email stating "For a number of reasons, currently all orders are running through the international site. The UK site should be back in operation shortly"
So that should mean we can pick up our bc frames from the UK soon hopefully.
Automatix
Legend
Ufff... that's a relief. Hope Vantage is doing good.
joe sch
Legend
Ced, I agree luck and good genes are important but working out correctly is also important to helping this luck. I have played since the woody era and still play competitive tennis. Aside from tennis, I try to minimize running on hard surfaces and cross train with cycling, skating, skiing, and weekly weight training. BTW, Im also a racket lover and have tried most of the good ones. I like flex and weight. Im overdue on trying these vantage BCs and the new stock donnays. Just that I have many of the older versions of each and they play great and are much better deal$ currently
Ced, I agree luck and good genes are important but working out correctly is also important to helping this luck. I have played since the woody era and still play competitive tennis. Aside from tennis, I try to minimize running on hard surfaces and cross train with cycling, skating, skiing, and weekly weight training. BTW, Im also a racket lover and have tried most of the good ones. I like flex and weight. Im overdue on trying these vantage BCs and the new stock donnays. Just that I have many of the older versions of each and they play great and are much better deal$ currently
Spot on. At 63 I do 23 stretches before tennis in a steam or Sauna. Playing three to four times a week. I am starting resistance training as I need to get some muscle back I have lost. I also play out of a place here in Columbus that has over 65, 70, 80 leagues. All of these senior players have one thing in common: They are all THIN! I recently lost about 25 lbs and it made all the difference in my game. Where I used to slowly walk to pick up the ball behind me so I could catch my breath I can now go three sets with no problem.
ced
Professional
Reduces the string movement for one, balances the string bed for two (friction on the crosses reduces the tension on them).
I choose a 'target' tension (say : 48) and string the mains -2 of the target (46), and the crosses +2 of the target (50), averaging the target of 48.
#excellent news,i do not want to buy one and get hit with inport duty etc as well as the prices, maybe a group buy?
forthegame
Hall of Fame
OMG! You put me to shame. I don't do anything to prepare for tennis. I warm up as I play - ashamed
Not nearly as fit as you.
Meaghan
Hall of Fame
OMG! You put me to shame. I don't do anything to prepare for tennis. I warm up as I play - ashamed
Not nearly as fit as you.
I remember some long discussions on our old deleted racketaholic thread were we discussed the merits of lager, crisp and 10 Benson & Hedges as a pre match warm up. Seemed a lot of us partook in very little physical exercise at all other than the arm. Ross with his cider and pasty, me Rioja and pork pie....how ive kept this gorgeous figure is beyond the relms of science
forthegame
Hall of Fame
string job just sorted for tmoro doubles match. Solinco Barb Wire @ 62lbs is getting a run out again after a disasterous outing @ 56lbs......
I deffo think the racket looks great
Does grow on you...
TaihtDuhShaat
Semi-Pro
I was able to see one of these in person today and just bounce ball on the ground with one, and it definitely has the 'dampened but crisp' feel akin the PT280. Maybe more crisp than it but I can't judge with just a few bounces. Very interesting
