Just curious why you didn't include the Percept 97, Wawrinka's racquet? I switched to Yonex after trying a friend's (older version) VCORE Pro 97. I was playing with a Head Gravity and having a lot of tennis elbow issues. I'm just a club player 3.5 level but play with a lot of 4.0 guys who are pretty heavy hitters. I have a one handed backhand and it seemed the gravity was transferring a lot of the force of those heavy balls to my elbow. I started playing with the Pro 97 at 330 g weight, I found that the heavier, stiffer frame helped me absorb the contact on my one-hander and I wasn't experiencing the pain anymore. Then one of the pros at my club was a Yonex rep and I tried out some of the new frames. I found the Percept 97H to be my favorite, after playing with the new VCORE and also the EZONE. However, the pro didn't have any of the heavier versions of the VCORE or EZONE for me to try, so maybe I just liked the 330 g weight. I narrowed it down to the Percept 97 and 97H, eventually purchasing 2 of the 97H Percepts. I noticed that you recommend a softer frame for people with elbow issues. I have found exactly the opposite works best for my elbow. The heavier, more solid frame plows through heavily hit balls, not transferring the energy to my elbow on the one-handed backhand. I strung with a softer string, the Yonex Poly Tour Pro, which provides a bit more power and also absorbs impact, but I am finding that I love it on my backhand, but it's harder to dial in on my forehand. I would love a different string recommendation if you have one.
I didn't talk much about Wawrinka because the racquet he uses is a Yonex 95D, which they don't make any more and I hadn't tried at the time (I have one now and its amazing). Still I think most players at all levels will benefit from more power and spin than the standard Percept 97 can offer and the 97D/H are out of the wheelhouse for many. This video was more about producing wide ranging recommendations and while I think the Percept line is awesome, the 100 and 100D are what I would recommend to most players at all levels (even pro's). In the Percept 97, my favourite string was Toroline Wasabi in the pomegranate red colour. Played very comfortable and well rounded, looks sick with the paint job as well!
@@TennCom I appreciate your feedback, thank you. I guess I've always liked the 16x19 string pattern but probably have never tried an 18x20 like the 97D. Thanks for the string recommendation. Coincidentally, this evening I played and went back to the VCORE Pro 97 for a while. I really like it on my forehand and backhand but volleys not as much. I still prefer the Percept 97H overall and went back to it after about 1/2 hour. Any take on why this feels so much better on my tennis elbow?
Polytour Pro blue played really nice for me and I also really like Wasabi red in the Percept line. Both are on the muted side which I think meshes well with the Yonex feel.
Hi, I have ordered a set of the Grapplesnake Tour M8 1.25 for my Wilson Blade v9 18x20, I’ve been reading A LOT about the string…. In terms of tension, what would u recommend for this racket? I’ve played with 4G at 46lbs and loved that, I’m hoping I’ll still get the same playability, control and tension maintenance but with a little extra pop than 4G with Tour M8, would u say I’ll get this? And was thinking of going maybe 48lbs? What u think? Thanks again
Yeah I think you'll get everything you are looking for. Even if you stick at 46lbs I think you'll find enough predictability and spin at the lower tension. Plus, you'll be able to compared apples to apples a little better if you hold tension constant.
@@TennCom the only reason I was thinking of bumping up to 48lbs is because I’ve heard a lot about an initial tension drop but then it’s great, just wondered if it’s maybe a greater drop initially than 4G so that’s why I thought I’d go up to 48 over 46 for that reason? But I’ve heard other people saying the tension drop isn’t bad and it’s brilliant….
Is that Stephens the slice boughton’s bald buddy Beckett? Haven’t seen you in a long time, looks like you hit the big time now 😂 you hit better than before, good job.
Vibration dampeners, from the studies I've seen, only really reduce the sound. VT Advantec strips can help a little bit because they turn the mechanical energy into heat. You can also go for the replacement grip which is nice because it'll also add about 10g which will help reduce the vibration.
Hi Beckett, wondering what you think made the SX300 Tour so unmaneuverable for you. The Whiteout 18x20 and the SX 300 Tour have the same swing weight and head size, similar twist weight and balance according to the TWU Racket Comparison Tool, so I'm curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks! (To preface, currently using Whiteout 18x20 which is amazing, but curious to try a spin racket for a better kick serve).
I'm not sure. I think it feels like there's a lot of throat weight (pretty typical for Dunlops) but my stroke has changed a lot since this time, my movement is a lot better too so i wonder if i would get along better with it these days. I believe the SX will be updated this fall and I'll be curious to give it a shot
Your reviews are all great - thank you! If you don’t mind - I’m debating between CX400 Tour; Precept 97 and Pure Strike 100 16x20 (realize having the 97 in there a bit strange). I’ve demo’d them and it’s a bit hard to tell the difference in a relatively short period of time. I do tend to have elbow and shoulder issues so long term comfort a key driver here. I’m a 4.5 with all court game and feel I could benefit from the 100 size even though the Precept 97 does seem to have a nice soft feel (the Precept 100 I didn’t love). A lot of the reviews I read indicate the Dunlop may be best for arm issues which confuses me given the higher stiffness rating and less headlight. Would love any thoughts - thanks again.
Thanks Ted! Arm issues are always tricky. It's hard to know what about certain racquets really bother the arm. I haven't tried the latest Strike 100 so sadly I can't be of the most help. I personally would chose the 97 for my game. I struggled to really groove with the 400T even though I really think having the extra power is important. Do you know if the Percept 100 you tried was strung differently from the 97? I thought they felt pretty similar and I'm a big fan of the Percept 100.
Hey man, I'm still rocking the old Dunlop 300G tour. Now looking into getting the CX200. Do you recommend going for it as a good successor or would you recommend something else? Cheers!
Thanks for the content. I made a switch about 9mths ago to a more powerful frame to better cope with stronger players. Moved from first gen TF40 to PS 98 Gen3 16x19. I know it’s a polarising frame but I love it’s stability, ability to find depth from defensive positions and of course easy power.
I use stock from an old 2000's ProKennex Jr Ace Pro Power Contour in Red and Blue an Aluminum racquet where stock strings are/were rather stiff when model came out in red and blue where a bonus is since 2000's strings are now stiffer due to age and I like all of this because I do not get enough speed on my own for a lower tension to be worth using. Reason I like strings tight on cheaper Aluminum racquets is the bridge is non connected on bridge/handle section and on older racquets/very cheap Aluminum racquets is a bridge is not like most modern $30 on up racquets. I have one from 2000's and 2 are rom 2023 e-Bay with one new on way from e-Bay. I did redo grip on all 3 in black cloth tape/hockey tape in a wide barely overlapping spiral and on open bottom end of tape, Loctite Ultra Gel Control (waterproof) and did on original racquet in 2020 a mat spray-paint becuse original paint on specific racquet was coming off in tiny pieces. Even if I was not using specific model of racquet I would be as an adult buying a 25 inch or 26 inch racquet model and using becuse of my size.
Hello, I am French and I love your videos! I play Blade V8 100 16x19 and I'm really looking for the best possible combination! whether hybrid or full. Can you help me ? I'm looking for the best of everything in control sensation effect and which remains comfortable. I am waiting for your return and to know which rope I put in the uprights or the crosses and the tension please 🙏
Big part of why the game leaning to power I reckon is fact the current 18-25 cohort grew up on tweener racquets which rewarded/ facilitated belting balls but keeping it in and big Yonex type sweet spots to be forgiving on timing Compare that to the decade before of prestige pro / h22 land being standard “professional” racquets which influences game styles leaning to grinding and placement Which is to your point they are not looking to place that extra ball to force an error they’re looking to add depth and heaviness to the rally ball to force an error You could also go on about athlete physique just like nba guard now being average 6”6 vs 6” etc influencing that play style
My recommendation is generally to use Zero in a full bed for max spin, or use Zero as a cross with your favourite main string for a noticeably bump in spin and durability and a more muted feel
I've also been experimenting with more powerful/spinnier frames and I don't have a solid conclusion yet, but I feel like they almost force me to be more explosive in order to generate topspin, or the ball just flies past the baseline due to the inherent power. This is probably encouraging good technique? I did add a bit of weight in order to be able to get the same result with a slightly slower swing, since I'm not the most explosive mover...
You bring up an interesting idea that I've been thinking a lot about lately. I think there's something to be set with matching your footspeed to your swingspeed. If think players get in trouble when their feet aren't moving fast enough to keep up with their swing. The opposite is fine, having your feet move faster than your swing, but the faster you swing the more precise and active you have to be with your feet because the hitting window effectively shrinks.
heyy after 10 years off im back in tennis and i never thought of my string. i was utr 5.0 as i teenager and i play relaxed with amplitude. In junior years my coach has put me hybrid (multi and mono) and then only rpm blast back in the day. Now i play head speed mpl and dont know what strings. It is a powerful racket which i like, but i lose some control when attacking with head lynx strings. I would like something comfortable with more control than Head Lynx. Should i try luxilon alu power , luxilon tour? rpm blast is a bit too stiff for me in my memories
I think the more important thing would be finding a heavier racquet. The MPL is probably too light and you've got to make up for that lightness by swinging too fast. Adding just a leather grip would add about 10g to the handle which should help the racquet remain stable through the shot so you don't have to rip the felt off the ball when you are attacking. I also find the increased handle weight makes it easier to time your swing.
I find the Toroline strings to add to the discomfort, but I like them the most for control and power and durability, might have to string lower then 25/24 kgs
I thought spin is due to 1. Wide string patterns (aka Aero) not dense (Strike = control) 2. Aero dynamic frame on the vertical side of the frame (Aero) vs thinner frame (Strike = drive)
1. Is true, holding all else equal, as you can generate more string movement with the open pattern. 2. I have not seen any tests that actually prove this. Hard to say if its marketing or real. At the end of the day, technique dominates spin. For me, its more about which racquets facilitate the brushing motion. The Aero has a very high twistweight (1.5kgcm^2 higher than the Strike) which is awesome for stability but tough on maneuverability. My personal experience is that higher twistweight racquets are better for flat shots and lower are better for spin. At the pro level, you'll see flatter hitters are more likely to have visible lead tape at 3 and 9 (Djoker, Murray, Wawa, Sinner) and spin players are less likely to have this (Rafa, Shapo, Berretini, Fed).
I dig your 'Power Stats' at 4:00: swingweight, flex, and beam width TOGETHER tell you more about a frame's power potential than anything else (but maybe string pattern). That's good intel you're spreading. (And ain't you the heavy stick magnet; first the Pure Strike 98, now the TF-1X!)
Came upon this post recently. I would like to add my 2 cents and put in a vote for the Diadem Elevate Tour which I think will appeal to 3.5+ players more on the serve and volley side of the all court player.
But the real question is... Does the TF-X1 have small grommets and parallel drilling? A la; @Time410s This racquet is on my list to try, so the review is appreciated. I do love how open the string pattern is for a 98 with a 16x19, where I find my Yonex's to be insanely dense, similar to a 18x20. I hope the feel and pallet shape isn't a deal-breaker.
Holes look pretty small and the drilling is mostly pretty parallel. I don't quite have the eye of our man T410s though. Pattern is along the lines of an Aero but the response is less consistent for me
I'd really enjoyed ReString Sync in this one. I think smooth, round or 8 sided, with good snapback is the way to go for this frame. Tour M8 would be awesome, Blast plays well, though for a short time, even I bet like Polytour Rev would work nicely.
Love both setups. I think 18x20 is one the better feeling rackets on the market, but 16x19 is more consistently playable in all cases. Most people will play much better with the spin and forgiveness. Kind of wish it came in a 16x20 or 18x19 for more best of both worlds.
Just picked up a Pure Drive VS for cheap and love it, feels like my perfect ratio of "power/control". Ive tested a ton of rackets and Ive come to find that power sticks can help you win, sure, but only if you can tame it. I think for a lot of intermediate players, a stick that sits somewhere between absolute control and absolute power (figuring out what ratio of that you even want for your game) is the go to.
@@TennCom yeah. Feel like I can spin it slightly better than an ezone 98 so it feels way more usable to me. Point is though is I think its just as hard to use a regular ass Pure Drive as a pure control stick without having good mechanics to spin everything in. Its nice to find whats JUST right
this is why I use an old ProKennex Jr Ace pro Power Contour in red and blue a 98--100 square inch racquet and in 2023 got 2 more and have now in 2024 another of same model & color on the way off e-Bay because I love how stiff 95% Aluminum model is for being as light of a racquet as one can find and having stiff nylon strings is a bonus so I have a stiff racquet for as one can get. Only part I do not like in model I use is the plastic bridge as I feel part robs me of power but it serves as dampening, so I do not need. Oh all of mine needed a new grip so I used black cloth athletic tape/black hockey tape on worn out grip in a single layer wide spiral after going over first tape loop on top taped bottom end using Loctite Ultra Gel Control for a waterproof glue for holding wrap on, needed since original stock grip was failing and wanted as thin as I could get, black cloth athletic/hocky tape is fine for a grip if you wrap it right and use a waterproof glue on open tape end. So, on new incoming racquet o same model, I will have to remove over-grip because grip is some thicker puffy synthetic rubber Head grip I do not like as how rounded grip looks, I have a feeling grip is going to be too soft.
I tried to switch to the Vcore 100 to get more power. I never felt confident with it and much prefer a racket I can really hit out with. I'm still going to give the Vcore more time though
The problem i have with my 2023 vcore 98 is the launch angle is a lot different than other racquets, the trajectory you expect, especially on half volleys and stuff is not the same as conventional frames
