jmacdaununder2
Legend
Great info!! Thanks heaps for reply!!
So, I convinced my wife to let me buy 2 Ultra Tours if I downsized a little by getting rid of 2 other frames and a bit of a bribe in her favor.
Both came in at 305 unstrung and with the same balance. Going to string one up with previous gen. Wilson Natural Gut mains at 58lbs and Wilson Revolve crosses at 54lbs. The other is going to be full bed of Wilson Gut at 62. Will report back on results and lead placement.
Sounds heavy! Mine is around 340 ( was about 345 with two overgrips but took one off).
Are you finding it to still have some decent maneuverability at that high static weight ? I’m finding at 340 that it’s already on the edge of what I’d consider too heavy.
I dunno man, I think a full bed of gut at 62 in this kind of frame is still going to be really, really soft, especially if you're taking good cuts at the ball.Dang seems really stiff - you'll probably find it too boardy and unstable at those tensions.
Just joined the club!!!
Mine when I got it was 335g with a Babolat Leather Grip and Pro Hurricane Tour string @ 46lbs. I've modified it with 2.5g strips of TW Tungsten Tape at 2-4 & 8-10 o'clock respectively, and 1g at 12 o'clock. I then added 6g of Tungsten Tape at 7" from the butt cap and 3g just after the butt cap. I then wrapped the entire grip with a layer of Kevlar Fibre Tape (thin clear sticky tape with 5 or 6 thick strips of Kevlar Fibres embedded) as the grip is L3 and I need L4. The thickness of the tape would not be more than an overgrip. Re-applied the Babolat Leather Grip (wrapping twice around the butt cap to increase the flare) and added a Luxilon Tourna style Overgrip and a thin rubber band. The static weight is now 362g, not sure of the balance but the racquet is quite easy to swing and maneuver. Also not sure of SW, but might check that once I have it restrung. Maybe someone could suggest an estimate if they feel like it. When holding and swinging the UT feels very similar to my Tec T-Fight 315 Limited 18M and my Angell TC97 18M, which are around the same static weight.
Haven't had a hit with it as yet, but can't wait to try it.
UPDATE:
Had a hit with it last night... Excellent racquet!!!
Had no problem with spin or power. The feel is awesome both in the middle and off-center. Feels like the entire stringbed is a sweet spot. Directional control was excellent on groundstrokes and I was able to hit a wide variety of shots with different spins imparted. Felt very comfortable with the racquet (like I've been playing with it for a long time - which is not surprising as I have the old-school Head racquets this may be modeled on).
Despite the 362g static weight, the racquet felt extremely maneuverable and like it was much lighter. I will definitely check out the SW and all other figures with my stringer the next time I re-string my racquet. It doesn't feel as sturdy and solid as the old-school Heads when I'm holding it (those racquets feel to me, even when you're just holding them like they are built from one solid piece of steel or something... just indestructible), and the feels when hitting the ball is different, but it is still very nice and comfortable. The shots that come off the racquet though feel great and seem to have weight (judging by the reactions od my opponents), and depth of shot (both depth control and length), which is ultimately what is most important.
Serves were very accurate (I could pick different spots in the service box and hit them), I could perform a wide variety of serves (flat, kick, and spin), and they had sufficient power (I hit aces on both first and second serves).
All-in-all a very confidence inspiring racquet that with continued use, I could see only getting better and better.
Hope there's some spare bananas in there next time around!! Lol@ 1:40 seconds
Just out of curiosity, what did you string it with, and at what tension?
How did your experiment go? I'm thinking about getting a pair of Ultra ToursSo, I convinced my wife to let me buy 2 Ultra Tours if I downsized a little by getting rid of 2 other frames and a bit of a bribe in her favor.
Both came in at 305 unstrung and with the same balance. Going to string one up with previous gen. Wilson Natural Gut mains at 58lbs and Wilson Revolve crosses at 54lbs. The other is going to be full bed of Wilson Gut at 62. Will report back on results and lead placement.
How did your experiment go? I'm thinking about getting a pair of Ultra Tours
Sorry for the delay. So, I ended up playing around with a number of options in terms of weight. First of all, this frame loves natural gut IMO. The hybrid was good...the full bed was better! I could probably even go up a couple of pounds in the full bed. Not at all boardy and still super plush with lots of control. My preference is the full gut and here are the final mods: 7g tungsten putty in the handle, two 3" strips of 1/4" lead at 3 & 9 and 2" at 12. Luxilon overgrip and Tourna Sampras "O" dampener. This is the prefect set up for me. I like to pound the ball when I am in position and this allowed me to do so. Big full swings were rewarded and now there is enough mass to block something back or flick a defensive shot if needed. When playing against opponents with big topspin shots, I am able to time them, take the ball on the rise and rip them back. Happy and a bit surprised that I could get also get some ugly spin on the slice backhand.
With the hybrid, I felt like I needed to add a little more lead to the head at 1 and 2 and reduce a little at the tip. Found that the Revolve was starting to die and throwing things off a little as I experimented, so I'll continue with full gut in the future. It last a long time for me, so it is cost effective.
So I think that my search for frames is over!
I've heard Revolve dies quickly so I never bothered trying it. Give Pro Supex Big Ace Micro a try as a cross. I've had really good luck with that string. I think it has pretty good feel for a poly, and gives you a little extra pop as well. It also seems to last a long time for a poly, and is durable even though it's a thinner guage. Works perfect in mine!
I guess not. I got a pair recently and I have a paint chip after the first use. I removed some lead tape from one of them and the paint didn't come off though.Anyone know if they solved the paint chip issue with these frames? Thinking about picking up some lightly used ones (too expensive to buy new). Also can they be returned to Wilson if the paint peels?
I love this stick but have never owned a racquet where the paint peels from just removing lead tape!
I guess not. I got a pair recently and I have a paint chip after the first use. I removed some lead tape from one of them and the paint didn't come off though.
I guess not. I got a pair recently and I have a paint chip after the first use. I removed some lead tape from one of them and the paint didn't come off though.
I wouldnt put it all in the handle (plus there isn't enough space for all that) because it would be way too head light. You could probably fit around 10 grams of tungsten putty in there, add the leather grip, and then split 15 grams between 3, 9 and 12.I was lucky with my first Ultra Tour. Had no paint issues. Got rid of it when I was getting beaten silly by a heavy hitter who made me play defence every game.
Just picked up a new one because I missed the great feel this racket offers. There is nothing like it in the market. I want to make it around 350 grams strung. My new frame came in slightly under spec at 300 grams unstrung. That would be a lot of weight that I would need to add.
Just wondering if there is anyone who plays this racket stock, or plays with it almost stock. I think the string adds around 20 grams. I really don't want to add 30 grams of lead. Does anyone play it with only the leather grip added, which the racket will weigh around 330 grams strung? Maybe adding a gram each at 12, 3 & 9, which will bring the racket around 333 grams strung?
Tried adding a lot of weight around the hoop. It made it feel really sluggish to swing. Could I just put all the weight (*to make it a 350 grams racket) in the handle? Would it still make improve the power and plough?
I was lucky with my first Ultra Tour. Had no paint issues. Got rid of it when I was getting beaten silly by a heavy hitter who made me play defence every game.
Just picked up a new one because I missed the great feel this racket offers. There is nothing like it in the market. I want to make it around 350 grams strung. My new frame came in slightly under spec at 300 grams unstrung. That would be a lot of weight that I would need to add.
Just wondering if there is anyone who plays this racket stock, or plays with it almost stock. I think the string adds around 20 grams. I really don't want to add 30 grams of lead. Does anyone play it with only the leather grip added, which the racket will weigh around 330 grams strung? Maybe adding a gram each at 12, 3 & 9, which will bring the racket around 333 grams strung?
Tried adding a lot of weight around the hoop. It made it feel really sluggish to swing. Could I just put all the weight (*to make it a 350 grams racket) in the handle? Would it still make improve the power and plough?
thats what she said (paradoxically)there isn't enough space for all that
You could probably fit
I now have three of them. The first one came at 302gr and 31.6cm balance. For the other two I asked the shop to weigh their stock and got both at 302gr and 31.5cm balance. I have added 2.5gr each at 3 and 9 and 1gr of lead under the grommets at 12. I also added 3 gr of blu tac in the butt cap, a Wilson pro over grip which I wrap around the butt cap three times before moving down toward the throat (I wrap the whole length and don’t cut it, it weighs 6gr), and a rubber band dampener (2gr). It all comes to 333-336 gr static weight and 31.25-31.4cm balance depending on strings and a sw of around 333-337 (sw may not be very accurate).I was lucky with my first Ultra Tour. Had no paint issues. Got rid of it when I was getting beaten silly by a heavy hitter who made me play defence every game.
Just picked up a new one because I missed the great feel this racket offers. There is nothing like it in the market. I want to make it around 350 grams strung. My new frame came in slightly under spec at 300 grams unstrung. That would be a lot of weight that I would need to add.
Just wondering if there is anyone who plays this racket stock, or plays with it almost stock. I think the string adds around 20 grams. I really don't want to add 30 grams of lead. Does anyone play it with only the leather grip added, which the racket will weigh around 330 grams strung? Maybe adding a gram each at 12, 3 & 9, which will bring the racket around 333 grams strung?
Tried adding a lot of weight around the hoop. It made it feel really sluggish to swing. Could I just put all the weight (*to make it a 350 grams racket) in the handle? Would it still make improve the power and plough?
If I had an Ultra Tour, I'd slather 5-6g at 3/9 and then lead at 12 till the upper hoop is lively enough.
But lately I like head heavy frames with good twistweight, so what do I know
This question is for the people that have added weight in the hoop of these racquets.
Obviously adding weight in the hoop will increase power and decrease control but how much of the control is affected. I personally absolutely love the control the stick provides and wouldn't want to sacrifice that too much. My pt280s have slightly more pop and great control but the UTs seems to have slight more control without the added weights.
Trust me I'd love to add weights for the extra pop n the UTs, just seeing how drastic it alters control.
I don't think it would affect control that much if your technique is solid. If your racquet head speed stays the same, there should be no loss of control. The Pros have lots of weight added and their control is stellar. Due to the increase in power, you may need to string the racquet a pound or 2 tighter (if you feel that you're overheating a bit). Accuracy and precision shouldn't suffer as a result of added weight.
I got mine secondhand, so the strings were already in place and therefore not sure of the tension (feels pretty loose though). I added 2.5-3g (not sure now) at 3 & 9 respectively, 1g at 12 o'clock, and then 6g at 7" above the butt cap and 3g at the bottom of the butt cap. Since the grip is L3, I added two overgrips to make it closer to my L4 grip size. Plays perfect and there is no loss of control. The strings are a bit too loose for my liking, so when I restring the racquet I will go 50 lbs Mains and 48 lbs Crosses with an 18 gauge Poly (or a Poly Hybrid).
I'd like to know this as well!What does adding weight at 7” above the buttcap do? Does it have a different effect than adding leather grip? Does it also have a different effect than adding weight in the buttcap?
What does adding weight at 7” above the buttcap do? Does it have a different effect than adding leather grip? Does it also have a different effect than adding weight in the buttcap?
Yes to both of the latter questions. Hope the answer also helps you @DanS
Firstly, it depends on what you're trying to achieve when adding weight. Polarised or depolarised set up. I believe that in order to keep the balance the same when weight is added to the hoop, the most effective spot on the handle if you want to increase stability is 7" above the butt cap. Now depending on where you have added weight on the hoop, different amounts of weight need to be added at the 7" mark.
I think I read somewhere on TT (where they were discussing racquet modification and the theory behind it) that if you are trying to achieve a depolarised setup, you add the same amount at 7" above butt cap as you do at 3 & 9 combined. I think @zalive (and possibly @travlerajm) also said that if you add an amount at 12 o'clock (say 2g) then you need to add ruffly 2-2.5 times that amount at 7" above the butt cap to maintain the balance and make the racquet swing very well and easily (to do with achieving certain MgR/I values).
I am not the expert and the discussion was very long (started by @travlerajm), but part of it is in the thread below (there is also a Part 1 as well and some other links to other threads towards the beginning):
Optimum Racquet Balance for Performance II - MgR/I Data for ATP Pros
I think @zalive also discusses some of the theory behind all this in an earlier part of this "Ultra Tour" thread (but I could be wrong...)
Putting on a leather grip adds weight across the whole handle but is not as concentrated as a specific amount of weight at the 7" mark.
Hope that helps some.
The S is strangely lively as is the pro. Must be due to the beam I’m guessing, but both feel considerably more modern than the Ultra TourDid anyone compare it to the prestige S (graphene XT version)? the specs are quite close (the prestige is 16x19 but with a smaller headsize of 95).
I'm interested mostly in a power comparison between the two, at stock specs.
Anyone had any experience switching from the DR 98 to the Ultra tour? Any noticeable differences? pros cons?
The S is strangely lively as is the pro. Must be due to the beam I’m guessing, but both feel considerably more modern than the Ultra Tour
- wilson ultra tour (demo stock 325gr with tour bite 1.25+overgrip): the UT feels much better but it’s otherwise quite similar to the GXT prestige S. Spin is not worse with the UT actually - could have been due to strings. If I was choosing a lighter racquet on feel alone I would definitely get and UT. Directional control was better with the prestige and I enjoyed the UT more at net. Serve was very similar I liked both. The sweetspot was also similar (I was expecting better from the UT in terms of forgiveness) although I was hitting very well today, better than usually. BH slice was similar with both racquets, not bad but not amazing. Net play very similar.
- graphene XT prestige S (stock, 324gr with overgrip and dampener, dead-ish babolat rpm rough): I literally only hit two balls before having to stop to borrow a dampener. Probably the dead poly string didn’t help but I’ve never hit with any racquet that felt so tinny (of course I haven’t played with any modern racquets as you can tell). With the dampener the feeling was actually not awful. I’m convinced that if I string it with a multi it will likely have an ok feeling (always with the dampener, that is). In term of control it was good, I usually struggle with running shots and with the prestige S I could actually hit cross court or parallel with apparent ease. Directional control was also excellent, probably what I liked the most about the racquet. It felt underpowered (my racquet is also a bit underspec) but I’m thinking it may be partly due to the dead poly (I’m not familiar with rpm rough). I’m compelled to try multi+syn gut in the future. Spin: it’s better than my dunlop mw 200g bit it didn’t struck me as a spinny racquet, but i hit with an eastern grip so I’m usually not expecting much anyway. BH slices: it lacks weight to excel in this category but having said that I felt I hit a couple decent slices and felt I could probably adjust. Forgiveness: definitely better than my dunlop mw 200g. I was finding the sweet spot with ease to be honest. Stability: it was stable enough but I’m thinking the puffy court probably helped as the pace was substantially slower than what it would have otherwise been, I must try it in hardcourt next before deciding. Serving was ok, compared to my dunlop mw 200g I felt this had more bite on the ball and I found myself hitting a lot of kick serves.
World's apart in a good way, or a bad way for the UT?Thanks. Today I managed to hit with the GXTPS and UT side by side (along with a dunlop mw 200g, pro staff 95, prince diablo mid, etc). The feel is as you say worlds apart, here’s an excerpt of my original post in case anyone is interested:
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World's apart in a good way, or a bad way for the UT?
That's what I thought you meant but I wasn't sure. I was just hoping I didn't need to add any more racquets to the "Try" pile! lolIn a good way for the UT. The GTX prestige S feels tinny and had a ping sound. I had to stop hitting to borrow a dampener and I honestly would have put it aside if I hadn’t managed to borrow one.
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I'm interested to demo Wilson Ultra Tour. TTW racket review says this Ultra Tour is underpowered, i need power for my forehand. What should i do Ultra tour to get more power for it or should i demo other racket?