Hey mate, long time viewer here and really appreciate your reviews. I'm an all-round intermediate player with a strong serve and a one-handed backhand (slice a lot). I've used the Blade 98 16x19 v6 w/o countervail and thought it was a really nice racquet with all around playability, but I made the wrong decision and strung it with Kirschbaum Evolution at 55 lbs which caused elbow and wrist problems. The grip size was also smaller than my normal size so i was arming the ball by squeezing the handle a lot, which also gave me hand problems. After feeling a bit better and getting back on court, I used the G360+ Speed MP for a bit strung with Hyper-G Soft at 45 lbs but it still wasn't comfortable enough for me (partially due to the fact that I was not fully recovered). Afterwards I got a Blade 98 18x20 v7 since I liked my older Blade for its performance but v7 is way more comfortable and muted, and also I've used the 6.1 95 before alongside the Blade v6 so I appreciated the denser pattern for slices. Do you have any recommendations for string setups on the v7 Blade? I prefer a soft feel and I always use a rubber band on any racquet I play with. Since I've suffered from arm issues in the past and I don't wanna go through injuries again, I would like to try some other comfortable racquets and see how they play. Based on my playstyle and your experience, are there any recommendations for me to test? I'm thinking something with a low stiffness but also low vibration frequency and decent forgiveness, and also thin to medium beam thickness for 1HBH. They don't have to be the latest models, so something like a Vcore Pro works too. It'll be nice if you could recommend a few options for me. Thanks a lot for the help!
Strings are really difficult to recommend because im not sure what you prefer the most, but in general if you are sticking with poly, i recommend always using poly poly hybrid, with cross string being anything between tru pro ghostwire, head lynx touch, alu power vibe, and newer strings like toroline wasabi x , they are all similar purposes, but a must in my opinion As for another racquet, i would recommend Blade 100 v8 thats likely on sale right now, quite comfortable, light but very stable, good power, not too chunky beam - oh and i hit some killer one handers with it
@@ACTennis Thanks for the suggestions. Yea poly poly hybrid with a soft poly cross seems interesting to try for sure, I also use poly multi hybrids from time to time for the softer feel. As for the Blade 100, it's not available for where I'm located... Are there similar racquets to it?
@@tq6195 Sadly difficult to be comparably good to this, but speed mp 2022 auxetic or pro is much nicer feeling than g360+ - one hander is good if you can make it headlight with weight and that doesnt affect you strength wise
So happy when I see your videos pop up! Speaking of “spin-control”, would love to see a Wilson Shift 99 (300 gram) review! I think it would suit your swing better than the Shift 99 315 you reviewed last year.
I did try it, but the tension drops way too fast for me, was losing alot of control, because i swing out alot, i actually needed the extra tight pattern of the 315 - working on Blade V9 video now 🙂
@@ACTennis Thanks! Yea, I understand. I had to pair the Shift 300 with a thick gauge round poly (usually I use thinner gauge shaped polys) to tame the launch angle and get it back to an adequate amount of control for me. Can’t wait for the blade video! Keep up the great work!
It has been a while man, great review as always. Do you still have that Murray pt57 16x19? Could you do a short review or even a show and tell ? Not many people has seen it. Thanks.
Never owned one, just had access to it previously, was going to buy a non Murray one, but id just never use it, it'd just be cash sitting in the cupboard lol
Even though I don't use bazookas anymore it is always informative to hear your opinions on anything tennis. In the future will you compare the Blade V9, Pure Strike 2024 and Percept in a head to head ?
Your partner is hitting a pretty solid ball with that Vcore, wow. Solid hitting from you too, doesn’t seem like these don’t fit your play style 🤔. Wondering if the Ezone 100 comes anywhere near these?
Do you think you would prefer the Nova tour? They did an interesting thing with a 305 mm balance point unstrung. Similiar "tour" power frames are not this headlight in thier unstrung form. This leaves a lot of room for customization and keeping the frame very menuverable.
I basically added a bunch of weight to handle and kept swingweight the same, so essentially it became the Tour, and i didn''t think i was needing any extra swingweight increase
I only used Court FF and Gel Res in past, tried the FF2 previously and i felt it was not sturdy enough, seems like FF3 there's a little more stability and sturdiness but maintained its light form, so thought it was worth a try, seems pretty good so far
Easiest is Nova because its just forgiving and powerful, fluid is different story, maybe the Ultra because it felt so light and easy to swing, ,but the stock stability was needing some additional weight, therefore it slows the swing down a bit in that way
@@ACTennis ultra v4 is my favourite ever on clay courts. But in hard courts I didn’t have the needed plow, ease of direction and in the end the desired precession I get from thinner frames. But it was the most control oriented tweener I ve ever used in clay. Very decent connected feel too…..
@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 Quite true, interesting racquet, fun to play with, a bit chunky but didn't put me off as much as i thought it would - and i do like the feel
@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 Yeah gen 1 and gen 2 pj - not sure how i feel about the v9 to be honest lol, fleshing out my thoughts tomorrow, had some good time with it now
Please try to do a non commercial review . Best power racquets of all time or purchasable . Companies tend to create excellent power racquets in one generation and ruin it for more comfort in the next . An example of this is the Dunlop fx 500 and 500 tour of the previous gen vs the current generation .
Not quite sure what you mean, all Diadem racquets for all of their generations have always provided some form factor dedicated to comfort, they look to be just exploring different avenues of it
@@ACTennis All your previous comparison reviews waited until all the racquets for the year came out . Are these the only power racquets for the 2024 season , since it's winter in the northern hemisphere ? The best power / control and spin racquets tend to come from various years and generations . If better in this case power racquets came from 2023 back to 2021 or earlier , then an all time best review could be useful . If pros thought there racquet of choice was better than the one they currently use , then they would think about the switch if not customized to them , string pattern and otherwise . Grip shaving is another issue . Is playable comfort the priority or performace comfort ? Relay this in the videos of all time racquets or those you can still purchase somewhere .
@@derekpappas1556 Timing of previous videos was not intentionally true, it was the video i just wanted to make at the time, so i decided to make it These 3 frames are known direct competitors to the Pure Drive - models are very prevalent on current market in terms of accessibility and generation - well at least i got the Blackout thinking it was, but turned out not so much but i cant be making a summed review on all racquets, simply i dont have the money lol
@@ACTennis All racquets to test are unnecessary . Yet , an historic analysis of racquets that you have previously tested and a survey of racquets that you may not have tested would be useful . This analysis which is fitting certain performance criteria , is useful .
It all depends on how strong you are - it's possible i could get better power from the Nova Team because i'd swing alot faster, but someone who can swing at the same speed using the regular version, then obviously the extra mass is going to help
Best racquet comparison vids on TH-cam. Keep em coming.
Keep good reviews coming your right about these childesh comments
My fav Racquet review chanel 🚀
Nice to see the videos again, welcome back!
Thank you kind sir😁
Ahh, once again, the best racquet review channel is back! And yet again, you deliver ACT! Well done.
Always good to see the Blackout get a little love. Your depth of analysis and synthesis is appreciated as always. Cheers.
I'm curious where the ezone 100 lands between these.
Killer vid! Nova has been a very pleasant surprise for me too! Usually solid feel for something in this class.
Honoured with your presence 🐐
Glad to see you back on TH-cam
that frickin intro.... best thing ever.... i could bop my head to that all day.
Great review and comparison!
Hey mate, long time viewer here and really appreciate your reviews. I'm an all-round intermediate player with a strong serve and a one-handed backhand (slice a lot).
I've used the Blade 98 16x19 v6 w/o countervail and thought it was a really nice racquet with all around playability, but I made the wrong decision and strung it with Kirschbaum Evolution at 55 lbs which caused elbow and wrist problems. The grip size was also smaller than my normal size so i was arming the ball by squeezing the handle a lot, which also gave me hand problems.
After feeling a bit better and getting back on court, I used the G360+ Speed MP for a bit strung with Hyper-G Soft at 45 lbs but it still wasn't comfortable enough for me (partially due to the fact that I was not fully recovered).
Afterwards I got a Blade 98 18x20 v7 since I liked my older Blade for its performance but v7 is way more comfortable and muted, and also I've used the 6.1 95 before alongside the Blade v6 so I appreciated the denser pattern for slices. Do you have any recommendations for string setups on the v7 Blade? I prefer a soft feel and I always use a rubber band on any racquet I play with.
Since I've suffered from arm issues in the past and I don't wanna go through injuries again, I would like to try some other comfortable racquets and see how they play. Based on my playstyle and your experience, are there any recommendations for me to test? I'm thinking something with a low stiffness but also low vibration frequency and decent forgiveness, and also thin to medium beam thickness for 1HBH. They don't have to be the latest models, so something like a Vcore Pro works too. It'll be nice if you could recommend a few options for me.
Thanks a lot for the help!
Strings are really difficult to recommend because im not sure what you prefer the most, but in general if you are sticking with poly, i recommend always using poly poly hybrid, with cross string being anything between tru pro ghostwire, head lynx touch, alu power vibe, and newer strings like toroline wasabi x , they are all similar purposes, but a must in my opinion
As for another racquet, i would recommend Blade 100 v8 thats likely on sale right now, quite comfortable, light but very stable, good power, not too chunky beam - oh and i hit some killer one handers with it
@@ACTennis Thanks for the suggestions. Yea poly poly hybrid with a soft poly cross seems interesting to try for sure, I also use poly multi hybrids from time to time for the softer feel. As for the Blade 100, it's not available for where I'm located... Are there similar racquets to it?
@@tq6195 Sadly difficult to be comparably good to this, but speed mp 2022 auxetic or pro is much nicer feeling than g360+ - one hander is good if you can make it headlight with weight and that doesnt affect you strength wise
@@ACTennis How did you find the Vcore Pro 100 (2021 green and purple)?
@@tq6195 Yeah also a all rounder, very comfortable, would fit your criteria but needs weight
Power up! Lets go!
So happy when I see your videos pop up! Speaking of “spin-control”, would love to see a Wilson Shift 99 (300 gram) review! I think it would suit your swing better than the Shift 99 315 you reviewed last year.
I did try it, but the tension drops way too fast for me, was losing alot of control, because i swing out alot, i actually needed the extra tight pattern of the 315 - working on Blade V9 video now 🙂
@@ACTennis Thanks! Yea, I understand. I had to pair the Shift 300 with a thick gauge round poly (usually I use thinner gauge shaped polys) to tame the launch angle and get it back to an adequate amount of control for me. Can’t wait for the blade video! Keep up the great work!
Which Blade v9 pls? Hope it's the 18x20 🤞@@ACTennis
It has been a while man, great review as always. Do you still have that Murray pt57 16x19? Could you do a short review or even a show and tell ? Not many people has seen it. Thanks.
Never owned one, just had access to it previously, was going to buy a non Murray one, but id just never use it, it'd just be cash sitting in the cupboard lol
Even though I don't use bazookas anymore it is always informative to hear your opinions on anything tennis.
In the future will you compare the Blade V9, Pure Strike 2024 and Percept in a head to head ?
I'll see what i consider competing or comparable racquets, still need to complete my individual blade review first lol
Your partner is hitting a pretty solid ball with that Vcore, wow. Solid hitting from you too, doesn’t seem like these don’t fit your play style 🤔. Wondering if the Ezone 100 comes anywhere near these?
Yeah they dont, but to be honest those days were i filmed were scorching hot and i didnt want to move much lol
Do you think you would prefer the Nova tour? They did an interesting thing with a 305 mm balance point unstrung. Similiar "tour" power frames are not this headlight in thier unstrung form. This leaves a lot of room for customization and keeping the frame very menuverable.
I basically added a bunch of weight to handle and kept swingweight the same, so essentially it became the Tour, and i didn''t think i was needing any extra swingweight increase
@@ACTennis That is true. Your customized specs did become the tour. I enjoyed the video. Great comparison.
How are you liking the SSFF3? Currently using the FF2 and considering going to the newer model next.
I only used Court FF and Gel Res in past, tried the FF2 previously and i felt it was not sturdy enough, seems like FF3 there's a little more stability and sturdiness but maintained its light form, so thought it was worth a try, seems pretty good so far
Great video!
What is the surface you are hitting on?
Thanks! synthetic / artificial grass
Which was the easiest and more fluid on your one hand backhand ?
Easiest is Nova because its just forgiving and powerful, fluid is different story, maybe the Ultra because it felt so light and easy to swing, ,but the stock stability was needing some additional weight, therefore it slows the swing down a bit in that way
@@ACTennis ultra v4 is my favourite ever on clay courts. But in hard courts I didn’t have the needed plow, ease of direction and in the end the desired precession I get from thinner frames. But it was the most control oriented tweener I ve ever used in clay. Very decent connected feel too…..
@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 Quite true, interesting racquet, fun to play with, a bit chunky but didn't put me off as much as i thought it would - and i do like the feel
@@ACTennis are you still on gravity pro gen 1 ? I tested V9….. a better V8 actually.
@@TheodorosKolokotronis799 Yeah gen 1 and gen 2 pj - not sure how i feel about the v9 to be honest lol, fleshing out my thoughts tomorrow, had some good time with it now
Please try to do a non commercial review . Best power racquets of all time or purchasable . Companies tend to create excellent power racquets in one generation and ruin it for more comfort in the next . An example of this is the Dunlop fx 500 and 500 tour of the previous gen vs the current generation .
Not quite sure what you mean, all Diadem racquets for all of their generations have always provided some form factor dedicated to comfort, they look to be just exploring different avenues of it
@@ACTennis All your previous comparison reviews waited until all the racquets for the year came out . Are these the only power racquets for the 2024 season , since it's winter in the northern hemisphere ? The best power / control and spin racquets tend to come from various years and generations . If better in this case power racquets came from 2023 back to 2021 or earlier , then an all time best review could be useful . If pros thought there racquet of choice was better than the one they currently use , then they would think about the switch if not customized to them , string pattern and otherwise . Grip shaving is another issue . Is playable comfort the priority or performace comfort ? Relay this in the videos of all time racquets or those you can still purchase somewhere .
@@derekpappas1556 Timing of previous videos was not intentionally true, it was the video i just wanted to make at the time, so i decided to make it
These 3 frames are known direct competitors to the Pure Drive - models are very prevalent on current market in terms of accessibility and generation - well at least i got the Blackout thinking it was, but turned out not so much
but i cant be making a summed review on all racquets, simply i dont have the money lol
@@ACTennis All racquets to test are unnecessary . Yet , an historic analysis of racquets that you have previously tested and a survey of racquets that you may not have tested would be useful .
This analysis which is fitting certain performance criteria , is useful .
🔥🔥🔥
Why the infrequent uploads?
Only interested in trying things that are different, nothing was released last year that was actually that good, mostly partial updates and paint jobs
"I usually favor thinner beamed, low stiffness racquets" What racquets are you playing with now, king
Like if you had to take 1-2 into a match
Following-gravity still number 1? Or has the iso made its way back into the bag? Depending on power and stability Blade v9 could maybe work too.
Still have Gpro as my main, my backup could be anything from ISO 305, Aero 98 or Regna 98 in recent months
@@BlackbirdVizion Yeahh, don't think i can find something to replace my Gpro
What are your GPro specs again? String setup?
@@briandmello1981 328g strung, 330 sw, 6pts HL
wouldn't the nova team get more power
It all depends on how strong you are - it's possible i could get better power from the Nova Team because i'd swing alot faster, but someone who can swing at the same speed using the regular version, then obviously the extra mass is going to help
Reviews should be done without modifications.
Otherwise it is totally pointless.
My reviews are done in the closest to intended spec and customized to point out how a change may affect playability - cheers
Head instinct way better