Kevin T
Hall of Fame
TripleB! We're paisan! Who'd have ever thunk it? I have got 3 Prince Mids on the way.
Wonder who will play with it longer....
What string/tension are you using?
Volkl to the Prince Mid, Rabbit?! Blasphemy! You're the face of the c10 here.
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, I know. There's another thread where my "journey" is detailed. But, in the face of modern game, I've read that you need a stiffer frame. 
Actually, the thing is as solid as a rock. It has great feel, hits a heavy ball, and is as stable as they come. I played two sets + a tiebreak with a demo the other night and service returns were sweet! Along with groundstrokes and hell just everything.
If you put the 93 sq in Prince up against a 98 sq in Volkl C10, you don't see that much difference. So I don't think I'm trading down. It also weighs about the same, but has more weight in the head. So, it's better off the ground.
My idea here is that I can play with it strung with natural gut at 58. I love gut, but play better with poly in the C10. Only problem is some times (not all) my arm kinda feels it. When I used natural gut in the C10, I never felt anything afterward.
Actually, the thing is as solid as a rock. It has great feel, hits a heavy ball, and is as stable as they come. I played two sets + a tiebreak with a demo the other night and service returns were sweet! Along with groundstrokes and hell just everything.
If you put the 93 sq in Prince up against a 98 sq in Volkl C10, you don't see that much difference. So I don't think I'm trading down. It also weighs about the same, but has more weight in the head. So, it's better off the ground.
My idea here is that I can play with it strung with natural gut at 58. I love gut, but play better with poly in the C10. Only problem is some times (not all) my arm kinda feels it. When I used natural gut in the C10, I never felt anything afterward.
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
I just read that thread, Rabbit. Well, good luck is all I can say. The Prince is a great frame, used it for a spell myself a few years ago. Loved the Favre+Rabbit+Mississippi connnection, by the way. Oh, and along with the need for a stiffer frame in the modern game, don't forget to increase your "batspeed"
Oh, and along with the need for a stiffer frame in the modern game, don't forget to increase your "batspeed"
Rabbit
G.O.A.T.
Dayum! I almost forgot! Thanks KT. That'll be my new mantra...."batspeed" "batspeed"
Holy batspeed, KT, how could I forget?
I am kinda excited about the new frame. It was a ton of fun to play with and I played really well with it considering it was the first time out with it.
BTW, how're things out in the land I used to roam? I see Kentucky has righted the ship somewhat and is on the bubble for the dance. They have a big game, for both schools, versus Florida coming up. The winner could go, but they're saying the loser definitely won't go.
Holy batspeed, KT, how could I forget?
I am kinda excited about the new frame. It was a ton of fun to play with and I played really well with it considering it was the first time out with it.
BTW, how're things out in the land I used to roam? I see Kentucky has righted the ship somewhat and is on the bubble for the dance. They have a big game, for both schools, versus Florida coming up. The winner could go, but they're saying the loser definitely won't go.
N
nikdom
Guest
TripleB
I'm glad to know you were able to settle on the POG; its on my demo list for this week.
BTW what part of NC are you in?
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
The weather has been excellent lately, considering it's been the rainiest winter since I've lived here. It has been nice to see "green" rather than "brown"...almost reminds me of home
UK is an enigma this year. Some of my friends back in KY think Billy G is the savior, some think he's a drunk/womanizer that'll get canned after the season (he still hasn't signed a legal contract, by the way). I think the combo of losing to Gardner Webb, losing to U of San Diego (just up the road from me!) and their best player Patterson hurt and out for the year=NIT. Looks like your Miss St 'Dawgs are having a fine year, though. Again, good luck with the Prince. I've gone back to my PK Redondo 98's but I'm not totally settled. Just can't get the "batspeed" I used to. Maybe I should put a weight on the end and warm up outside the batter's box, a la Barry Bonds, get that "batspeed" up a bit.
Lendl and Federer Fan
Hall of Fame
nCode 90 Tour
Morten, that's pretty low tension...what string do you use?I have tried(and own) these rackets in my unsuccessfull search: Estusa pbb, ps 6.0 95, Fischer pro90, Head flexpoint mid, K90, Vantage90, ps tour90... these are only my mids, answer is.. nothing comes close. I will search for more 85s somewhere on the net to buy more. By the way, the reason i can compete with the ps85 still could be the fact that i use very low tension, 42lbs, the whole 85sq.in is a sweetspotalso i like the china version the best actually(yes i have tried the other ones)
42 isn't that low for a midsize head. I string mine with VS Team 17g/SPPP 17L at 46/48, respectively. After few sets and the inevitable loss of tension, I'm probably playing with mid 30 pound tension.
Wilson synthgut extreme 16g. Gut was too powerful, multis ok, but usually too mushy.. all the polys are simply awful with no feel, this combo works great for me
nickarnold2000
Hall of Fame
I just met a guy who's a 5.5 and he's been using his 85s for 18 years! A lot of the paint has come off and his tension is also low - he strings himself and doesn't know exactly but I figure it's got to be low 40s. Man, he can really pulverize the ball with that thing! I told him about racket fatigue but he just smiled.
replacement of ps85
I have played with the ps85 for 20 years or so and tried pretty much all the control rackets on the market in Europe and the closest I found is the Volkl DNX 10 93...stringing with Technifibre 17 gauge at 23 kg mains and 21kg cross.
Took time to adjust but control is fantastic, weight of the racket does the job for you as long as you leg work is up to scratch...just as unforgivable as the ps85 if you are too slow and off balance...you will then hit a lame shot! if you hit the sweet spot you are in heaven...more flexible than the ps85 and larger sweetspot will also help on long matches.
Great access to slice and better than the ps85 as far as I am concerned, top spin easy to generate, great at the net...I cannot fault the stick so far...
I have played with the ps85 for 20 years or so and tried pretty much all the control rackets on the market in Europe and the closest I found is the Volkl DNX 10 93...stringing with Technifibre 17 gauge at 23 kg mains and 21kg cross.
Took time to adjust but control is fantastic, weight of the racket does the job for you as long as you leg work is up to scratch...just as unforgivable as the ps85 if you are too slow and off balance...you will then hit a lame shot! if you hit the sweet spot you are in heaven...more flexible than the ps85 and larger sweetspot will also help on long matches.
Great access to slice and better than the ps85 as far as I am concerned, top spin easy to generate, great at the net...I cannot fault the stick so far...
N
nikdom
Guest
Ok here are the results of my demo -
(In Short)
Dunlop Aerogel 200
First Impressions - Nice paintwork, cool blue and white colors. The head seemed large for a 95 sq in size. Grip is comfortable, but racquet doesn't feel 8 pts headlight at all, more like 3-4 pts headlight. I confirmed it was about 6.5 pts headlight on the balance board. The demo racquet came strung with a poly string and I had a feeling I would not like it. The racquet felt solid otherwise.
Groundstrokes- It wasn't the easiest of the bunch to pickup and start playing. The feel was muted but controlled when I able to connect to the sweetspot and vague on off-center hits. I wasn't able to get consistency on the forehand side even after 5 minutes of hitting. The backhand side was even worse. I have a one-handed backhand and it felt like I was trying to play with a butterfly-net instead of a racquet. Basically I had no "feel" for the ball on that side. The Dunlop promptly went back into my bag never to return.
Serves/Volleys/Stability - Sorry racquet didn't make it past the ground strokes test. For someone familiar with the line of racquets like the Dunlop 200G Muscleweave, this racquet may be a worthy successor, but I totally did not feel this was a PS85 replacement. What's more, I felt this racquet would give me tennis elbow. I haven't had that feeling in my forearm in a long time.
Overall Score - 6/10
Tecnifibre TFight 335
First Impressions- Again, very nice, black and red paintjob. The racquet feels solid and heavy. This was the heaviest racquet of all the ones I demoed. Swinging it did not feel easy, even though it is pretty headlight. TW had a black overgrip on the red handle, so the look overall was splendid. The racquet face is big at 97 sq in and is in a tear-drop shape.
Groundstrokes- I was able to pickup this racquet and start swinging pretty easily on the court, despite the overall weight. My earlier reservations about swingweight were put to rest. I settled into a rhythm soon on the forehand side and it took a little while to adjust on the backhand side. I was able to keep the ball deep in a controlled fashion as long as I was able to keep it on the sweetspot. Off-center hits were not very jarring but enough for me to be aware of them. My biggest problem was perhaps just a perception and nothing that really mattered, but the sound from the racquet when hitting the ball was not a nice solid "thock" but more of a pingy sound. I think this is because of the large head size. (This was with dampener). The second issue was more real - on backhand slices, the ball just sat up. I'm used to slicing the ball deep floating just above the net cord, but I just wasn't able to do that with the TFight.
Serves and Overheads - I had no issues putting pace on my first serve and generating spin on the seconds. The weight of the racquet helps in generating pace, although I can see tiring one's arm over a long match due to the overall weight. On overheads, I struggled just a tad bit more to time it properly, but it wasn't too bad.
Volleys and Stability- This is a nice and heavy racquet that has plenty of room for absorbing the impact of a well-hit ball. Like on the overheads, when I was able to bring up the racquet head in time and connect with the racquet center, volleys felt solid. Backhand slice volleys were no good again because the ball sat up. I had to punch the ball in, instead of sliding into the net with a slice on the backhand side.
Overall Score - 8/10
Prince Original Graphite
First Impressions- Racquet felt much lighter than the specs suggested. I measured the weight and sure enough, strung weight was 335 gms instead of 346 gms as advertised (thats 11.8 oz instead of 12.2 oz). Even accounting for differences in string weight, I don't know how that much of a difference can creep in unless manufacturing Q.C is bad. The finish is a nice dark green with gold stenciling on the letters. The material sounded hollow and stiff on tapping. This was the most head light of all racquets and I was able to swing it through the air with little resistance. I looked forward to generating high head speeds on court.
Groundstrokes- Like I alluded, the racquet is very maneuverable on court due to the extreme head light balance. I was able to take the racquet back and really swing it forward with pace which helped me with directional control and putting some very nice topspin on the ball. Unfortunately, depth and power was a concern because there is not much weight in the head and stability in the stock form is an issue. Added to that, flexibility seems stiffer than the specs suggest (66). But the good news is that this is a racquet that begs to be customized with lead tape. There is room for weight in the head without sacrificing too much on balance, since its so head light.
Serves/Overheads- Really easy to snap wrist on serves and to bring it up on overheads. Like I said earlier, adding a little weight in the head would definitely improve power on serves. Top spin kick serves went in just about perfect.
Overall Score - 8.5/10
Head Microgel Prestige Mid
First Impressions- I had to get a 4 1/2 grip on the demo because they were out of the 4 3/8s but boy is that grip different or what. I have a Volkl and even that does not have such a pronounced, rectangular grip shape. I wasn't too taken with the color scheme or anything, but suffice to say that the racquet does not look cheap or out of place. Swinging the racquet felt maneuverable enough but not like the POG or TFight. I was pretty even-handed on expectations going onto the courts.
Groundstrokes- I will be honest and say I wasn't impressed on the very first try, but one round of trying all the racquets, when I went back to this one, the Prestige had the best feel and control of all the ones I demoed. Connecting with the racquet center produces a nice solid "thwock" sound and a very consistent, deep ball. The handle shape helped me keep the grip a full semi-western on forehands (I usually play somewhere between Eastern and Semi-Western), placing my palm on the pronounced flat side of the handle parallel to the racquet face. I had to get used to the grip on my backhand though, but after a little practice, the racquet was as sweet and consistent on that side as my forehand. Even better, slices behaved exactly the way I'm used to, going deep and keeping inches off the net. I think Head distributed weight/material pretty well in the hoop section which helps in stability and response. I did feel a little inconsistent feel on the odd off-center hit, but it was not as pronounced as the other ones.
Serves/Overheads- No problems here. Was able to ease into the service motion without hitches and generated decent spin and pace. I think just a tad bit of lead in the upper hoop might help with power, but again that's a personal call.
Volleys/Stability - Like I noted earlier, the racquet is pretty stable but I had to make sure I connected with the racquet head center to punch in my volleys. Bringing the racquet head up in time was no problem. Once you get used to it, I'm sure net play will not be a negative with this racquet
Overall Score - 9/10
All this said, you will be surprised to hear my final judgment. I'm sticking with my PS85 and have determined that the K90 is the closest enough relative to it out there so I'm keeping that too. I liked the Head Prestige Mid very much and I'm sure if I used it regularly, I would be very happy with it given its feel and consistent response. But out of these tests, I've determined two things I like about the Wilson racquets, which I was never consciously aware of before - one, the design of the racquet head places some weight/stability in the 3oclock and 9 oclock area which I use on plow-through and which also gives me a very consistent feel across the whole racquet face. Even when I frame balls with them, many I time I get the ball across the net. Two, despite the weight and stability of the head section, these racquets manage to remain extremely maneuverable because of their head light balance. Simply put, they designed the perfect package for my game in the PS 85. I did discover I hit my shots a little flatter with the PS85. But I'm willing to work on that just given the feel and excellence of this racquet. Never once have I had to think with this racquet.
I think that is the ultimate compliment I can pay to any racquet, in as far as equipment can help, and it is that I don't give it a second thought
I concentrate on my game and strategy and if the PS85/K90 help me keep my focus there, then so be it!
(In Short)
Dunlop Aerogel 200
First Impressions - Nice paintwork, cool blue and white colors. The head seemed large for a 95 sq in size. Grip is comfortable, but racquet doesn't feel 8 pts headlight at all, more like 3-4 pts headlight. I confirmed it was about 6.5 pts headlight on the balance board. The demo racquet came strung with a poly string and I had a feeling I would not like it. The racquet felt solid otherwise.
Groundstrokes- It wasn't the easiest of the bunch to pickup and start playing. The feel was muted but controlled when I able to connect to the sweetspot and vague on off-center hits. I wasn't able to get consistency on the forehand side even after 5 minutes of hitting. The backhand side was even worse. I have a one-handed backhand and it felt like I was trying to play with a butterfly-net instead of a racquet. Basically I had no "feel" for the ball on that side. The Dunlop promptly went back into my bag never to return.
Serves/Volleys/Stability - Sorry racquet didn't make it past the ground strokes test. For someone familiar with the line of racquets like the Dunlop 200G Muscleweave, this racquet may be a worthy successor, but I totally did not feel this was a PS85 replacement. What's more, I felt this racquet would give me tennis elbow. I haven't had that feeling in my forearm in a long time.
Overall Score - 6/10
Tecnifibre TFight 335
First Impressions- Again, very nice, black and red paintjob. The racquet feels solid and heavy. This was the heaviest racquet of all the ones I demoed. Swinging it did not feel easy, even though it is pretty headlight. TW had a black overgrip on the red handle, so the look overall was splendid. The racquet face is big at 97 sq in and is in a tear-drop shape.
Groundstrokes- I was able to pickup this racquet and start swinging pretty easily on the court, despite the overall weight. My earlier reservations about swingweight were put to rest. I settled into a rhythm soon on the forehand side and it took a little while to adjust on the backhand side. I was able to keep the ball deep in a controlled fashion as long as I was able to keep it on the sweetspot. Off-center hits were not very jarring but enough for me to be aware of them. My biggest problem was perhaps just a perception and nothing that really mattered, but the sound from the racquet when hitting the ball was not a nice solid "thock" but more of a pingy sound. I think this is because of the large head size. (This was with dampener). The second issue was more real - on backhand slices, the ball just sat up. I'm used to slicing the ball deep floating just above the net cord, but I just wasn't able to do that with the TFight.
Serves and Overheads - I had no issues putting pace on my first serve and generating spin on the seconds. The weight of the racquet helps in generating pace, although I can see tiring one's arm over a long match due to the overall weight. On overheads, I struggled just a tad bit more to time it properly, but it wasn't too bad.
Volleys and Stability- This is a nice and heavy racquet that has plenty of room for absorbing the impact of a well-hit ball. Like on the overheads, when I was able to bring up the racquet head in time and connect with the racquet center, volleys felt solid. Backhand slice volleys were no good again because the ball sat up. I had to punch the ball in, instead of sliding into the net with a slice on the backhand side.
Overall Score - 8/10
Prince Original Graphite
First Impressions- Racquet felt much lighter than the specs suggested. I measured the weight and sure enough, strung weight was 335 gms instead of 346 gms as advertised (thats 11.8 oz instead of 12.2 oz). Even accounting for differences in string weight, I don't know how that much of a difference can creep in unless manufacturing Q.C is bad. The finish is a nice dark green with gold stenciling on the letters. The material sounded hollow and stiff on tapping. This was the most head light of all racquets and I was able to swing it through the air with little resistance. I looked forward to generating high head speeds on court.
Groundstrokes- Like I alluded, the racquet is very maneuverable on court due to the extreme head light balance. I was able to take the racquet back and really swing it forward with pace which helped me with directional control and putting some very nice topspin on the ball. Unfortunately, depth and power was a concern because there is not much weight in the head and stability in the stock form is an issue. Added to that, flexibility seems stiffer than the specs suggest (66). But the good news is that this is a racquet that begs to be customized with lead tape. There is room for weight in the head without sacrificing too much on balance, since its so head light.
Serves/Overheads- Really easy to snap wrist on serves and to bring it up on overheads. Like I said earlier, adding a little weight in the head would definitely improve power on serves. Top spin kick serves went in just about perfect.
Overall Score - 8.5/10
Head Microgel Prestige Mid
First Impressions- I had to get a 4 1/2 grip on the demo because they were out of the 4 3/8s but boy is that grip different or what. I have a Volkl and even that does not have such a pronounced, rectangular grip shape. I wasn't too taken with the color scheme or anything, but suffice to say that the racquet does not look cheap or out of place. Swinging the racquet felt maneuverable enough but not like the POG or TFight. I was pretty even-handed on expectations going onto the courts.
Groundstrokes- I will be honest and say I wasn't impressed on the very first try, but one round of trying all the racquets, when I went back to this one, the Prestige had the best feel and control of all the ones I demoed. Connecting with the racquet center produces a nice solid "thwock" sound and a very consistent, deep ball. The handle shape helped me keep the grip a full semi-western on forehands (I usually play somewhere between Eastern and Semi-Western), placing my palm on the pronounced flat side of the handle parallel to the racquet face. I had to get used to the grip on my backhand though, but after a little practice, the racquet was as sweet and consistent on that side as my forehand. Even better, slices behaved exactly the way I'm used to, going deep and keeping inches off the net. I think Head distributed weight/material pretty well in the hoop section which helps in stability and response. I did feel a little inconsistent feel on the odd off-center hit, but it was not as pronounced as the other ones.
Serves/Overheads- No problems here. Was able to ease into the service motion without hitches and generated decent spin and pace. I think just a tad bit of lead in the upper hoop might help with power, but again that's a personal call.
Volleys/Stability - Like I noted earlier, the racquet is pretty stable but I had to make sure I connected with the racquet head center to punch in my volleys. Bringing the racquet head up in time was no problem. Once you get used to it, I'm sure net play will not be a negative with this racquet
Overall Score - 9/10
All this said, you will be surprised to hear my final judgment. I'm sticking with my PS85 and have determined that the K90 is the closest enough relative to it out there so I'm keeping that too. I liked the Head Prestige Mid very much and I'm sure if I used it regularly, I would be very happy with it given its feel and consistent response. But out of these tests, I've determined two things I like about the Wilson racquets, which I was never consciously aware of before - one, the design of the racquet head places some weight/stability in the 3oclock and 9 oclock area which I use on plow-through and which also gives me a very consistent feel across the whole racquet face. Even when I frame balls with them, many I time I get the ball across the net. Two, despite the weight and stability of the head section, these racquets manage to remain extremely maneuverable because of their head light balance. Simply put, they designed the perfect package for my game in the PS 85. I did discover I hit my shots a little flatter with the PS85. But I'm willing to work on that just given the feel and excellence of this racquet. Never once have I had to think with this racquet.
I think that is the ultimate compliment I can pay to any racquet, in as far as equipment can help, and it is that I don't give it a second thought
I concentrate on my game and strategy and if the PS85/K90 help me keep my focus there, then so be it!
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