Yet another Kinetic 5g experience

[LPShanet]

There are many folks on this board that break frames while not abusing them. I guess I can't swing that fast.. and have never broken one. All of the PK frames that I have owned seem very solid. While I know the handle system on 5g can be a source of concern as Steve Huff can verify. Stringing the 1st few crosses a few pounds less can't be much for a big concern since folks employ the proportional string system. I am going to give it a try..

It seems to me that there are many folks on this board that SAY they break frames on a consistent basis while not abusing them. I remain skeptical. In many years of interaction with tennis players at every level of the game, I've yet to see frequency of breakage by anyone at any level that matches up with what so many say about it on these boards. The smart money is on racquet abuse that "doesn't count" in their minds...kind of like when post grad girls don't count the Italian guys they slept with on their year abroad as part of their total.

 

[Zverev]

I just read again some reviews of 5g and noticed that many folks that are raving about 5g arm-friendliness call 5g "heavy" or they hit before with Babolat. Different point of reference compared if you go from true player stick.
Some folks put an ounce of lead or string 5g with gut at 40.
I mean they go to great length to make 5g arm friendly.
This kind of supports my first impression that 5g is not really arm friendly in stock form. Well, unless one hit before with stiff and light granny stick strung with kevlar at 70.

I had another hit with 5g, for a few sets this time.
My elbow inflamed, which didn't happen for long time.
The racket is still too light I think. It's damn stiff too.
That dead upper hoop people notice sometime - I don't think it's dead. I would say it's a sensation of stiff frame when you hit near it as strings don't give much closer to the frame.
On the positive side - I am playing better with it than with 200g.
First serve is same, second serve is better, better ground strokes, with more spin. And not as tiring. So it's doing exactly what I thought it would do - make my life a bit easier on the court in my twilight years. But I have to tweak it a bit more.
What else.....here...kinetic technology is a gimmick, no doubt in my mind.

 

[Don S]

I've used the 5G off and on for over 10 years. All 3 of my frames were made no later than 2002. There was a time a few years ago when PK went through a difficult financial period and you couldn't get 5Gs for many many months.
I don't know if the newer batch of 5Gs are the same comfort wise as my old ones. Some people claim that that the newer Volkl C10 pros do not play the same as the older ones either. I can't comment on either because I haven't played a new 5G or C10 pro.
But here are some of my observations.

I'm pretty sure that Pro Kennex never designed the Kinetic series of frames specifically to be "Arm Friendly". The Idea was to produce more power by using movable mass in the frame to convert potential energy to Kinetic energy.
The Armfriendliness is a by product of that technology - a side effect if you will - not the primary reason PK developed Kinetic Technology. Does it work? It does for me and many many other TE sufferers have found that the 5G allows them to continue playing. I've got a history of TE and the 5G along with the Volkl C10 pro are the frames that keep me free from it. So does the technology work? Yes it does, for many of us.

Does it work for everyone? No it doesn't. No racquet, no matter how heavy or flexible, can guarantee that anyone using it will not experience TE. It's been reported here on TW that some people got TE from the C10 Pro, some people get no relief by using the 5G.

2 years ago, I got a Prince TT Warrior Midplus and I loved it...... until I started feeling that old familiar pain in my forearm. This happened after using 5G's and C10 pros for years and never having a problem. The Warrior is not widely regarded as being harsh on the arm. If it was, it would have been reported here with quite a bit of regularity since it was and still is a very popular frame. But for me, the Warrior is not an arm friendly racquet. All racquet technology is very much a YMMV type thing.

I firmly believe that the root cause of TE is in poor technique. Specifically, the OHBH is a major culprit when it comes to TE. Hit a OHBH with a bent elbow and you're almost guaranteed to get TE. Certain racquets allow you to get away with poor technique better than others and those that do aquire the label "Arm Friendly".

 

[Zverev]

Yes I have seen other posts where people have noticed that feel of newer 5g has changed. Though I haven't tried older versions, I tend to think now that it's true.

I always believed that weight and flex are major contributors to arm friendliness of particular frame. As well as small contribution from frame material. But I always wanted to try Kinetic. Unfortunately I have to buy to try. And no one in vicinity hits with it.

Ah, yes, poor technique...it is a contributor. But who's got good one? The trick is I guess to mitigate the one you've got and try to improve.
There are other major and minor causes as well, say, poor conditioning, mishits, light stiff frame strung with stiff string.
Sometimes not poor technique, but just technique can facilitate specific injury, say extreme top spin can lead to ulnar tendon problems, which flat hitters never hear about.

Regarding the kinetic technology.. I wonder what is the mass of that sand that its inertia can contribute to the way impact with the ball happens? Then maybe someone with degree in mechanics can enlighten us what it can actually do.

 

[Don S]

I had an old 10 G SMI break while I was stringing it about a year and a half ago so I pulled out the strip of plastic that the "Sand" is housed in. I didn't seem like much in the way of mass but I guess the only way to really know how it reacts on a typical tennis shot is to play one without that sand in it and compare. And that's probably not possible.

I do have one 5G that feels a little softer than the other two and it's the one I prefer. The difference in feel is extremely small but still there nontheless. All 3 of my 5Gs are matched but one just stands out.

 

[topspinlob]

so like the OP.. I bought the two of the 5g as a blind buy...(the bay and the TW forums... couldn't pass up on the deals).. I hadn't seriously been playing since 2004 and started up again summer last year. anyways I bought this racket because I started having TE and GE.. TE has gone away but the GE is there.. but not as bad....So I wanted to give the 5g a try

I want to install a leather grip on the rackets. I love the feel with OG and leather ( been playing with POG lately.. yeah.. I know it's an arm friendly racket). Does anyone have experience with leather grips on this racket? Will it negate the shock absorption with the racket? I know the racket will more headlight but I will have to play with the racket first to see how i like it... thanks!

 

[LPShanet]

Yes I have seen other posts where people have noticed that feel of newer 5g has changed. Though I haven't tried older versions, I tend to think now that it's true.

I always believed that weight and flex are major contributors to arm friendliness of particular frame. As well as small contribution from frame material. But I always wanted to try Kinetic. Unfortunately I have to buy to try. And no one in vicinity hits with it.

Ah, yes, poor technique...it is a contributor. But who's got good one? The trick is I guess to mitigate the one you've got and try to improve.
There are other major and minor causes as well, say, poor conditioning, mishits, light stiff frame strung with stiff string.
Sometimes not poor technique, but just technique can facilitate specific injury, say extreme top spin can lead to ulnar tendon problems, which flat hitters never hear about.

Regarding the kinetic technology.. I wonder what is the mass of that sand that its inertia can contribute to the way impact with the ball happens? Then maybe someone with degree in mechanics can enlighten us what it can actually do.

I hate to break it to the various posters on this forum seeking arm relief but one of the major causes of TE, GE and other arm pain is switching racquets. Regardless of how "arm friendly" a particular frame may be, the actual process of switching frames (or even the weight/balance of your current frame) can cause arm problems in itself, due to the subtle changes in timing that occur (among other factors).

Be careful with frequent switching (more than once or so a year), demoing and other things that cause you to change what you're swinging.

 

[Zverev]

I hate to break it to the various posters on this forum seeking arm relief but one of the major causes of TE, GE and other arm pain is switching racquets. Regardless of how "arm friendly" a particular frame may be, the actual process of switching frames (or even the weight/balance of your current frame) can cause arm problems in itself, due to the subtle changes in timing that occur (among other factors).

Be careful with frequent switching (more than once or so a year), demoing and other things that cause you to change what you're swinging.

Absolutely. That's the only thought that keeps me persevering with 5g despite it is really hurting my wrist. I just keep piling up that lead and lowering tension. It weighs 350 grams now, strung with Wilson Enduro poly in mains at 50 and Gosen OG Sheep Micro in crosses at 48.
It still feels stiff. I don't think it will take this poly.
It felt OK with full multi, but multi doesn't last long for me and I hate stringing.

 

[li0scc0]

It seems to me that there are many folks on this board that SAY they break frames on a consistent basis while not abusing them. I remain skeptical. In many years of interaction with tennis players at every level of the game, I've yet to see frequency of breakage by anyone at any level that matches up with what so many say about it on these boards. The smart money is on racquet abuse that "doesn't count" in their minds...

James Blake hits harder than anybody on the boards, and he doesn't break his frames.