very interesting! I have both of these raquets...I find my arm gets tired with Pure drive and prince phantom has more precision and better slice to set up my net game.
I noticed that coming from a thin beam racquet and transitioning to a thicker beam that i have difficulty with my kick serve. Im hitting the frame with it. Have anyone experienced that? But when I use my old thin beam racquet, im okay.
Yes, that can be a downside. With a thin beam frame, and especially paired with a round shaped head, it helps to increase the spin window, giving you a bit more forgiveness when brushing up aggressively on the ball. The thicker beam can somewhat get in the way or make it a bit more likely to shank the ball. Troy, TW
@@tenniswarehouse Thank you for the reply Troy! I thought it was just me but the racquet would also cause it. Now I have to change somewhat my kick serve on my thicker beam racquet.
Hi, I use a Pog classic 100, I own 5 of them, and wanted to transition to a more modern raquet, so I thought the Wilson Blade was an excellent choice, everything felt ok and also felt more easy power with the Blade, but kick serves were almost impossible and slice is way easier and better with the POG. Also I feel more connected to the ball with the POG 100, So I'm selling the blades. 😅
What a great video, Michelle and Troy! Really appreciate such insights from you. On that note, I have a request. Many of your strings don't have string scores. I know it takes a lot of time and effort to review strings, but I have found your string scores to be far more accurate (especially for power, control, feel, and spin) than simple string stiffness values. I am sure many viewers and loyal TW fans will appreciate TW reviews with string scores on all strings!
@Harshad Mali, Thanks for your feedback. We definitely try to get through as many string playtests as we can. We are glad that you value our playtest scores, and I will pass it on to our staff that coordinates the reviews. Troy, TW
I learned ro play in the early 90’s and had a pro kennex 90 graphite in jrhigh... then a prince cts Thunderstick 110 in HS. FFD till today i picked up a Prince cts Approach 110, cts Storm Oversize, Thunderstick 110, and 2 pete sampras edition Wilson ProStaff 6.0. The Thunderstick is my favorite as its super wide and stiff as hell. But lately the Pro staffs are a nice addition to my collection. Im looking for a wilson Hammer 2.6-2.7 as those were THE WIDEST bodies I remember seeing with outrageous prices . I have yet to spend over $50 for a racquet!! I also still have my nike Andre agassi court victory and air tech challenge shoes!!! Lol TOTAL 90’s kid!!!
@The Chairman, The Wilson Triad racquets are thick beams, and very flexible due to the technology. The new 360 Extreme MP is relatively flexible for having a thick beam in the hoop, although the throat is thinner. Troy, TW
Hi TW fam, For the prince phantom pro 100, is it okay to put soft type strings on this one even if the RA is low already? I was thinking of volkl v blast. What tension would you recommend for it? Or what would be the best string setup for this to provide more power but still keep the control. Thank you
@Jan Ivanrei Liceralde, Yes, a softer string type would work fine in that racquet. I recommend a tension around 54 pounds with a syn gut or multi. Troy, TW
But the most powerful players on both WTA ATP use thin beam tho ? Serena Williams, ostapenko, sabalenka, Marat safin, Goran( Novak coach) , theim, Stan, etc. so does thin or thick has really anything to do with power ?
The power essentially comes down to racquet speed, and the swingweight of the racquet, the two biggest factors. The thickness of the beam, and relative stiffness have more to do with the percieved power, with thicker/stiffer beams feeling more "lively", and thinner/flexible beams feeling a bit deader, and control oriented. Hope that helps. Troy, TW
Is it possible for a racket to have a thin but stiff beam, sort of like the Babolat Pure Strike, but with an even thinner beam width, preferably sub 20mm straight beam?
It is not very common but it is possible. As far as sub-20mm, there aren't many of those on the market, more less in the higher stiffness ranges. One example might be something like the current Volkl V-Cell 10 300g racquet, which has a stiffness of 69, beam goes from a 21/22.5/20.5mm tapered beam. The ProKennex Ki Q+ 5 Pro racquet has a 67 stiffness rating, with a 21.5mm straight beam. Some of the older Wilson Pro Staff racquets had relatively thin beams and stiffness ratings in the mid to upper 60s, and I believe some of the old Donnay racquets we used to carry were similar. Troy, TW
Hello TW, I’ve been looking for a new racket recently. Currently I have the Pro Staff LS, and am looking for something that will help me hit with more power but is still easy to control. I have an aggressive base like game, and have tried the Yonex E Zone 100 300g (Seemed like it had decent power at the back but overwhelming power on approach shots) and the Yonex VCORE Pro 97 310g (Not super spin friendly and hard to pick up speed on serve). What would you recommend I try? I Vokl Cyclone 18g at 58 lbs if that helps.
@Aidan Robinson, I recommend you try the Yonex EZONE 98, Babolat Pure Strike 98 16x19, Head Graphene Touch Radical MP, Tecnifibre ATP TFight 305 XTC, and Yonex VCORE 98. If you can demo, that would be ideal. Troy, TW
Hi I’m using an aero pro team right now - looking to buy a new racket. I like to generate a lot of top spin and am more of a baseline player. The aero pro team tends to get a bit bullied on hard volleys (my experience). The easy choice (I think so) would be the pure aero team. However I was intrigued by the Wilson clash too. I live in india and we don’t have the choice to demo a racket before buying one. What do you suggest? Thanks!
@Dhaval Baxi, The Clash 100 seems like a great choice, and it is pretty stable given its weight. It is hard to say if it is a perfect fit without you actually getting to play with it, but it sounds like a good choice based on your previous racquet. If you stick with Babolat, I would consider going with the Pure Aero 2019 (300 gram version), as it will be more stable on contact, compared to the Team version. Troy, TW
Thanks Troy one more question...Overall what do you feel would play better in it Hyper G or the pro line? Hard to beat the pro line deals you guys have going on right now haha.
@Austin Stark, The Pro Line II has a very nice, and soft feel to it. The Hyper-G will help maximize the spin, and hold its tension longer. When we playtested the 93P, I initially strung it with Hyper-G 18, and it felt pretty sweet. Troy, TW
Michelle, Troy!! How could you forget the biggest impact after stiffness? lol :wags finger: How the geometry of the frame allows you for different swingstyles! -Thinner width frames cut through the air faster, and much more maneuverable and thus they are easier to swing fast in control, so you can generate your own power through technique, and the higher swingspeed means more spin! -Going lower in width u wont notice at first until one goes back to thicker widths and now your swing is "dragged" and slower by the wider one, though the thicker beam helps in compact swinging (short and slower) as the rigidity of the construction is stronger when contacting the ball (bends less), and this is how the racquet gives you easy power.
Can one safely assume that for the longevity of a club level / recreational player who wants to play tennis for the passion of the game and not for competing in tournament, a thin / straight beam with moderate power to low power is the way to go? One might get tempted to try thick , stiff beams but hey arm health would wear one down if not now but ten years from now.
@Balaji Ramani, When someone is trying to pick a new racquet, I always consider comfort as a major factor. I feel that it will help with longevity, and arm health, for a tennis player. That said, stiffer frames are not necessarily a bad thing, as long as they are paired with comfortable string options. Troy, TW
@@balaji21121109 , The Prince Phantom Pro 93P tapers from the tip to the throat, 20/18/16mm, but is very thin overall. The Volkl V-Feel 4 is relatively thick, and is 25mm, with no taper form tip to throat. Troy, TW
Which one of these is more arm friendly? Yonex ezone dr 100, 100+ and blade 98 cv 16x19? Also whats the difference between them? Im more control oriented but i still do want a nice amount of power. People have said that the blade offers more control but it offers no power whatsoever. Some say that the the ezone dr lineup is not as arm friendly? Just wanna get you guys’ thoughts on this. I have also been told to take a look at the pure strike and pure drive. However here in tennisonly, the pure strike and pure drive do not have a discount, whereas the the blade and the ezone dr currently has a great deal. Thanks
@Mek Mek, The Blade CV racquets have pretty good comfort, a bit more than the DR 100, and 100+. The DR 98 would be a bit more comfortable than the Blade CV. Troy, TW
Would love to get insight (and tw experience) on making thin beam frames more powerful (lead, string type, low string tension). Making comfortable, stable thinner beamed frames more powerful for the modern game seems to be the holy grail.
@Bobby Dornbos, That has definitely been my preference over the years, a thinner beam, swingweight in the 330 to 340 range, and a lower tension string. We have made some videos on adding weight to a racquet. Here is one specifically for adding weight to the 12 o'clock spot on the racquet, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rlsrn7e_uro.html, and another one for 3 and 9 o'clock, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lXdqz3SI5Iw.html. As far as strings go, I typically go with a low tension co-poly, 17 gauge, at about 45 pounds. If you really want to add power, you can go full multi like Tecnifibre NRG2. If you don't mind spending some extra bucks on a really nice string, I would go natural gut mains, and co-poly crosses. Volkl has the V-Fuse Hybrid, which is reasonably priced for a gut hybrid. Troy, TW
Making thin beam powerful and stable? My suggestion is adding just a little bit of lead on the throat right under the racquet head. Tried this on some of my thin beam racquets (yonex 95 d, pure strike tour) accompanied with any poly string would be great!
@@bobby7459 pros add lead at 12 until they reach about 350-360 Swingweight on thin beamed frames, while simultaneously making the frame head heavier than stock. Provides a great feel with ample pop, especially on the Prince frames.
so in conclusion and applying common sense Thick beams are designed for more players who cannot generate their own power like older folks and women whereas thin beam are designed for strong men like fed karlovic djokovic ishner anderson verdasco I think thats conclude that
@jeff Jeffersons, I wouldn't say that...it's really a matter of personal preference. I can generate more than enough of my own power (and actually really like the Phantom Pro 93P as well as the Anderson racquet and play with the RF97, although I don't consider that too thin of a beam), but also really love playing with a Pure Drive somedays. Also, last time I checked, Isner plays with a relatively thick beam and is one of the biggest servers on tour. Really just personal preference and what you like! Michelle, TW
you gotta have technique and swing speed to use the player's sticks take in mind you gotta generate your own power too, the racquet will help you in stable control
The thin beams very unstable and doesn’t have that easy plow through power like the Wilson pro staff autograph. Also Michelle , I would definitely prefer the prince beast over the phantom frame is much better and heavier
