Wilson kPS 88 Review

[Azzurri]

You just dont' get it.....You put the Rubberband wrapped around the above the handle,,NOT below it. thereby keeping moisture from handle reaching the strings. ohhhhh boy, why do i have to explain such things to a childish brain.???:???:

I got it Fedace, believe me. I read your post with extreme shock. Either way you still trap moisture. did you read my idea about the spray?

 

[drakulie]

I got it Fedace, believe me. I read your post with extreme shock. Either way you still trap moisture. did you read my idea about the spray?

I like the spray idea, but like the "Ronco" idea more. I could just picture Fedace pulling out the contraption from his bag after his match, then pulling out a 500 yard extension chord, and asking where the nearest electrical outlet is.

 

[Fedace]

I got it Fedace, believe me. I read your post with extreme shock. Either way you still trap moisture. did you read my idea about the spray?

Either way,,,??? tell me how you trap moisture if you seal the bag from above the handle UP with rubberband. Where is the moisture come from ????????????? YOUR MAGIC fantasy island ??? Sure it isn't a 100 % vacume seal, Everyone knows that but moisture that could get in there is very small.
As you say, Either way your argument doesn't wash.....so to say....:???:

 

[drakulie]

^^^^^ The moisture comes from the strings sweating. You don't think strings get tired when playing???

 

[Sup2Dresq]

I suppose people are out there playing and saying, "oh, I hit the ball 70 mph with 1000 rpms of spin on that shot because I hit it one inch lower in my preferred spot. If I would have hit it one inch higher, I would have hit that shot 71 mph, and with 1001 rpm's of spin."

Blah.

Again>>> BS.

Don't forget 110 mph forehands and easy 115 second topspin serves.

BTW, Drak.. I got a chance to talk to Wilson rep today. Some interesting stuff.

 

[Fedace]

LOL,,of course strings get tired....So does Rafa Nadal,, and that is only reason he loses. so yes, i do agree with you.

 

[Azzurri]

I like the spray idea, but like the "Ronco" idea more. I could just picture Fedace pulling out the contraption from his bag after his match, then pulling out a 500 yard extension chord, and asking where the nearest electrical outlet is.

lol..I think the spray would be more convenient on the court, but since its Fedace I would not be surprsied he would carry around an extension cord. The big orange one.

 

[sureshs]

LOL,,of course strings get tired....So does Rafa Nadal,, and that is only reason he loses. so yes, i do agree with you.

I am not sure whether strings get tired, but they sure get relaxed. Like they lose 10% tension in 24 hrs after a string job, just sitting there. It is called "relaxation" and happens at the molecular level.

 

[Azzurri]

Either way,,,??? tell me how you trap moisture if you seal the bag from above the handle UP with rubberband. Where is the moisture come from ????????????? YOUR MAGIC fantasy island ??? Sure it isn't a 100 % vacume seal, Everyone knows that but moisture that could get in there is very small.
As you say, Either way your argument doesn't wash.....so to say....:???:

there is moisture everywhere. as Drakulie said, YOU TRAP IT! I can't even believe you don't get this 3rd grade scientific concept.

and the spray idea? you do realize it stop moisture. spray some of that stuff on the strings. you don't think that would work?

 

[Azzurri]

Don't forget 110 mph forehands and easy 115 second topspin serves.

BTW, Drak.. I got a chance to talk to Wilson rep today. Some interesting stuff.

willing to share?

 

[drakulie]

lol..I think the spray would be more convenient on the court, but since its Fedace I would not be surprsied he would carry around an extension cord. The big orange one.

LOL. Yes, the spray would be convenient, but we are talking about fedace here.

His tennis bag would weigh about 200 lbs. :evil:

 

[Azzurri]

LOL. Yes, the spray would be convenient, but we are talking about fedace here.

His tennis bag would weigh about 200 lbs. :evil:

he did graduate from Stanford you know. You know, he and John Forbes Nash (circa 1959) would make a great team. Both were dillusional and heard things.

 

[sureshs]

he did graduate from Stanford you know. You know, he and John Forbes Nash (circa 1959) would make a great team. Both were dillusional and heard things.

Fedace is a game theorist and Nobel laureate? I learn something new here ever day.

 

[Fedace]

I am not sure whether strings get tired, but they sure get relaxed. Like they lose 10% tension in 24 hrs after a string job, just sitting there. It is called "relaxation" and happens at the molecular level.

This is FIRST sensible and Intelligent post i have seen today.. Thank you, Suresh.

 

[Fedace]

LOL. Yes, the spray would be convenient, but we are talking about fedace here.

His tennis bag would weigh about 200 lbs. :evil:

That is funny. although you argue with 99 % of the things i say, you are OK in my book. Not as much malice as others...

 

[drakulie]

That is funny. although you argue with 99 % of the things i say, you are OK in my book. Not as much malice as others...

You know we all love you.

 

[vkartikv]

Is that Antony Bourdain in your pic?

yes, it's my fav. show.

 

[sureshs]

yes, it's my fav. show.

I bet you can't eat anything that he eats

 

[VGP]

Thanks alu16L for you your review.

I'm curious to hear a direct comparison to the recent Chinese PS85 and the k90 in a direct playtest.

I'm still looking forward to the TW review since that's what they said they're gonna do in their vlog.

 

[Kevo]

I don't think it's all that difficult to tell where a sweet spot is on a frame. It didn't take me all that long to find that the sweetspot on the PSL is lower in the head than usual. I never thought to measure it in terms of inches, but I wouldn't find it surprising if the new kPS 88 had a low sweet spot. The PS85 had a low sweet spot as well.

As for string tension affecting power, well it does. Maybe not a lot, but it does. I have yet to see any comprehensive research on the subject, but what I have seen shows a difference of maybe a few mph between 40-70lbs. tension. I've also seen some numbers that show the difference varies over a range such that the power can go up and come back down again meaning the results of tension change are not linear.

In any case, I think it will vary by more factors than just tension. It's likely that the same tension change on two different frames will produce differing amounts of power gain or loss. Also keep in mind that in tennis, power is not simply mph. There is a component of spin involved and IMO that should be taken into account as well.

 

[AJK1]

Haven't been around here for a while, but not much has changed.
Still enormous amounts of BS being bandied about regarding sweetspots, tensions etc. I'm with Drakulie on this one.
The KPS88 might be well anticipated and a cult type of stick, but truly, only a select few on these boards would even come close to being able to use it with any success.

 

[sureshs]

Haven't been around here for a while, but not much has changed.
Still enormous amounts of BS being bandied about regarding sweetspots, tensions etc. I'm with Drakulie on this one.
The KPS88 might be well anticipated and a cult type of stick, but truly, only a select few on these boards would even come close to being able to use it with any success. I'm not with Drakulie on this one.

Edited ....

 

[jetlee2k]

I

Power - 7/10
Control - 10/10
Topspin Groundstrokes - 8/10
Flat Groundstrokes - 8/10
Transition Shots - 8/10
Sliced Backhand - 10/10
Volleys - 10/10
Half Volleys - 10/10
Serve Power - 8/10
Serve Placement - 10/10
Overheads - 9/10

thank you for a nice review.. in term of power you felt like 7/10.. how do you feel it compare to K90 (if you tried with it already)?? I felt it gives more power and spin compare to the K90..

I've tried the Sampras setup (which lead the racquet @3, 9).. to my surprise kps88 even felt better.. I thought it's hard to swing but in fact it's opposite.. I don't know why ..

 

[Azzurri]

You know we all love you.

please don't encourage him.

 

[sureshs]

A 10 lb decrease in tension might increase power potential by about 1% which in turn might increase a 100 mph serve to 101 mph. This might add 6 inches to a foot in distance. So is the combination of 1 mph and 1 foot significant? Perhaps.

I have to admit that the studies were for rebound speed (ball was thrown at the strings, which is the standard methodology of determining power used by manufacturers, RSI and TWU). Serve is obviously different.

I don't know, but you have to ask yourself if the power was more or the depth was more. In groundstrokes, lower tensions produce more depth, which is mistaken for more power.

But your question is a great one for TW Professor if he is reading this (maybe TW staff can point it to him).

Hey Fedache, here is the answer to your question

 

[alu16L]

I've hit the frame some more and have to tell you that it is absolutely rock solid. Here are a couple of other observations that I didn't mention before:

1. The dense part of the string pattern is a bit higher than PS85, pretty much like k6.1 Tour. I guess that Sampras like the feel of Fed's sticks and asked the folks at Wilson innovation center to incorporate it into this racket.

2. Wilson used egronomic butt cap instead of the conventional flared-end butt cap that is still used on k6.1 family rackets. The egronomic butt cap has rounded edges and feels a bit bigger vs. flared-end one. It a personal choice, but I bet that Pete's real stick has the old-school but cap. I'm not a big fan of Wilson's chocie on this one.

3. Its much easier to play with this frame vs. PS85. I would attribiute this to the frame's high power potential due to these figures - sw 350, 371.5 g.

 

[Azzurri]

I've hit the frame some more and have to tell you that it is absolutely rock solid. Here are a couple of other observations that I didn't mention before:

1. The dense part of the string pattern is a bit higher than PS85, pretty much like k6.1 Tour. I guess that Sampras like the feel of Fed's sticks and asked the folks at Wilson innovation center to incorporate it into this racket.

2. Wilson used egronomic butt cap instead of the conventional flared-end butt cap that is still used on k6.1 family rackets. The egronomic butt cap has rounded edges and feels a bit bigger vs. flared-end one. It a personal choice, but I bet that Pete's real stick has the old-school but cap. I'm not a big fan of Wilson's chocie on this one.

3. Its much easier to play with this frame vs. PS85. I would attribiute this to the frame's high power potential due to these figures - sw 350, 371.5 g.

I don't understand your #3. It's heavier static weight and heavier to swing(SW), but its easier to play? Would you elaborate? Thanks.

 

[gymrat76]

thank you for a nice review.. in term of power you felt like 7/10.. how do you feel it compare to K90 (if you tried with it already)?? I felt it gives more power and spin compare to the K90..

I've tried the Sampras setup (which lead the racquet @3, 9).. to my surprise kps88 even felt better.. I thought it's hard to swing but in fact it's opposite.. I don't know why ..

jetlee2k, you mentioned that you tried the sampras setup. I also did try it on a san vincent -with exact layers of lead as in a pic of his racquet. It was very stable and solid. But also very powerful! My racquet was strung w/ a synethetic gut at 58lbs. I need to go significantly higher to tame the power.

What string and tension did you use to try sampras setup? Did you string it at VS16 nat. gut at 75lbs? (same as his?) If you did not, what string at tension did you use?

I really would like to try his setup at 70 or low 70's, but do not know what string I should use. (I do not want poly as it will feel boardy and super stiff, and do not want gut as it will run expensive just for a little experiment)

Any string suggestions? (tried it with a wilson synethetic gut, but the string snapped right in the middle of the string bed while being strung at 75lbs) Need a very durable non-poly non-gut string....

 

[jetlee2k]

jetlee2k, you mentioned that you tried the sampras setup. I also did try it on a san vincent -with exact layers of lead as in a pic of his racquet. It was very stable and solid. But also very powerful! My racquet was strung w/ a synethetic gut at 58lbs. I need to go significantly higher to tame the power.

What string and tension did you use to try sampras setup? Did you string it at VS16 nat. gut at 75lbs? (same as his?) If you did not, what string at tension did you use?

I really would like to try his setup at 70 or low 70's, but do not know what string I should use. (I do not want poly as it will feel boardy and super stiff, and do not want gut as it will run expensive just for a little experiment)

Any string suggestions? (tried it with a wilson synethetic gut, but the string snapped right in the middle of the string bed while being strung at 75lbs) Need a very durable non-poly non-gut string....

The Sampras setup meant the lead @3,9 which I saw on the new KPS88 ad.. I do have one actual Sampras St. Vincent with a thick lead on it but on the KPS88 I just added 1 strip of 1/4" lead on each PWS as in the picture.

I string it very low.. VSTouch 16 main @49 & Luxilon cross at 46.. one of my KPS88 I strung 47/44lb hybrid.. It depends on the weather if it's too cold I use a little looser tension..

KPS88 string hybrid @75lb is insane.. that's why Sampras is the legend.. My shoulder can't handle that high tension ..

yeah.. I use almost a full set of string savers on my racquets.. it save me at least a few weeks.. No string savers the racquet last me 2 days the most.. With string savers it last me more than 2-3 weeks or so..

 

[gymrat76]

Imo, 75 lbs is not really any insane. I did not try it yet but dont think it is going to be any super harmful to arms.. I think it is a known fact that, back in the 80's -when they made these old school racquets- people used to string their racquets in much higher tensions -players as well as amateurs. 60 lbs-70lbs even 80's was the norm. (Early SV sticks come with a 65-70 lbs recomm. string tension)

But over the decades, gradually string tension came down, especially after polyester strings got into the game...

 

[Lendl and Federer Fan]

I've had this racket for the past couple of days and have spent about 4 hours playing with it so here is my review of this highly anticipated stick.

My Background - I'm a teaching pro and get to play test many rackets ranging from Yonex RQiS 1 XL UL to Wilson Kobra Tour. My regular racket is Wilson kBlade 98 (sw 340, 338.5 g, 329 mm) with some customizations, strung with Luxilon Alu 16L at 50 pounds.

First Impression - Since I caught the first glimpse of this new arrival on the forums, I couldn’t wait to try it out and compare it to PS85 and its other versions, including k6.1 Tour 90 US and Asian additions. This frame’s cosmetics are a clever combo of old school red and yellow stripes and the kFactor signature outline patterns. At first look I was very impressed, but after having it around for the past couple of days it just doesn't stand up to the original classic. Another cool retro reference is the white butt cap with a red Wilson logo. Once you have the frame in your hand, two things will stand out right away - the heavy, but comfortable swing weight and a very substantial pick up weight of 371.5 grams! The Wilson leather grip and Pro Overgrip provide lots of feed back on all shots and allow for very precise racket control. Overall I would rate this frame's at 9/10 in this department.

Test Drive - Once the racket was examined and its specs measured (sw 350, 371.5 g, 322 mm) it was time to hit! This racket was strung with Wilson's new hollow core string at 56 pounds, which turned out to be surprisingly comfortable and controllable. Starting with some light hitting at the baseline it will take you a few shots to figure out that the sweet spot is about 1.5 inches lower than most of the rackets out today, but once you figure this out you will find this frame to be pretty playable. It feels very stable on all shots, but most notably on half volleys and volleys and my personal favorite - delicate drop shots from all areas of the court. Ground strokes and returns felt very controllable and pretty consistent, but because of its weight I did lose some racket head speed and spin. Overall, I hit the ball harder than my kBlade 98, but not quite as consistent and with less movement. Serves felt great with lots of precision and pretty good power. I did lose about 5 mps of my usual speed, but its control makes up for less power with superb placement. The only down side to this frame is that most recreational players are not conditioned to handling such heavy stick over two or three sets of tennis. In this category, here is how it scored:

Power - 7/10
Control - 10/10
Topspin Groundstrokes - 8/10
Flat Groundstrokes - 8/10
Transition Shots - 8/10
Sliced Backhand - 10/10
Volleys - 10/10
Half Volleys - 10/10
Serve Power - 8/10
Serve Placement - 10/10
Overheads - 9/10

Conclusion - in order to compete well with this stick you'll have to be a very good attacking player in fit shape and great hand-eye coordination. On another hand, it is stable enough to bring some good results to players with NTRP of 4.5 and above. To truly understand this racket, you have to experience it for yourself. The official release is scheduled around 1/25/09, but to those of you who are interested enough in trying it out and won't mind spending a couple of minutes to research which local authorized Wilson dealers and clubs have gotten the already released early demos. If you ask them the right way, I'm sure they will grant your request and you will be able to appreciate it for yourself. It's final overall grade - 9/10.

Nice review, will try it.