I strung one of my 2008 C10 Pros with 16g Lux Nat Gut x 17g Wilson Revolve (white) at 58/56lb, stock with synthetic grip. I bagged my RF97As strung the same and won't be playing those any longer.
@kvan , I also have recently acquired a TF 315 Ltd that is weighted up to 342g, so will be restringing that with Lux Nat Gut x Revolve just like the 340g C10 Pro to see how it swings.
I have both... they both feel great, but I find that for me at least, the C10 Pro has more control, more power, and is more predictable. I find that the Tec TFight 315 Limited 16M (2013) is sometimes a little erratic and the ball will fly long on me when I don't expect it to. I don't have the same problem with the TFight 315 Limited (2013) 18M version, which is superb.
The C10 Pro though has more easy power and a greater weight of shot than either of the TFight 315 Limited versions (all of mine are weight modified to about 350g). If I want to enjoy my tennis, I could pull out either racquet (although I prefer the 18M version out of the two 315 Limiteds). However, if I want to boss my opponent and take control of the point (or I'm playing an opponent that produces lots of power), I will pull out the C10 Pro out every time. It absorbs pace effortlessly but seems to trouble my opponents more.
Can’t believe this was nearly 7 years ago. Anyway, just an update on my racquet progression and my thoughts on the C10 after all these years...
Prince Spectrum Comp 90 > Volkl C10 Pro > Babolat Pure Strike 2014 16x19 > TFight 315 LTD 16M (2013) > Volkl C10 Pro > RF97A (2017)
I’ve always played with fairly heavy sticks and the lighter ones (the Pure Strike and TFight LTD) were leaded up and had leather grips to get them to a spec I liked. Not sure why or how I played with the 2014 Strikes for so long. They were super brassy and pretty flimsy in the hoop even with a considerable amount of lead. I had a short stint with the Technifibre—I enjoyed it but never gelled with it like I did with my old prince or C10 pro. I felt inconsistencies in feel and wanted to stop customizing my frames so much and focus more on playing.
I ended up on the TW playtest for the RF97 2017 and half of me wanted to dismiss the frame along with the hype it carried with it. The other half wanted to really want to like the stick. Fortunately, my aggressive game and familiarity with hefty frames allowed that other half win out. Although the feel of the RF97 and C10 are miles apart, it shares a few of the things I loved most about the Volkl. A knifing slice and smooth transfer for the OHBH, relatively open string pattern, stable and offered plenty of feel on drops, lobs, and volleys. The Wilson served better for me than the C10 could (which I feel is one of the only larger downsides of the frame) and offered a crisper “thwack” at contact, which reminded me more of my Spectrum Comp. I’ve played with it for the last 3 years and even after college, don’t find myself craving to hit with many other frames. The one exception is the Yonex Vcore Pro 97 HD...
I’ve since sold all my other frames, but man, if you’ve never tried the C10 pro before, you need to. It’s a special frame with a special feel and checks a LOT of the right boxes. It won’t give you much for free (other than that buttery contact), but it does many things right if your game is up to par.
Oh, I miss that gel butt cap, too. That said, I won’t be switching back... at least for a little while longer.