It's really cool to have a back and forth between two people who have played everything. I think it's really informative to see what you agree about, what you argue about, what gets you excited, and so on.
Awesome guys, Luca is spot on from the same way I view and feel on most of these racquets. I play test just about everything stock but with all different tensions and strings. When Luca talks about feel, power and control ect... I have almost the same identical experience. Enjoy both of you guys views and opinions on all of your vids. Keep this going.
Interesting to see that you guys have quite different thoughts on different topics. And it's a very honest review. I really liked that Great channel, great content! 🔥🔥 🔥
I 100% agree with Luca about the Blade. Its dampened, low powered, stable, has a large sweetspot, great ball pocketing, and a consistent stringbed. Its the type of racquet designed to help you get the most balls in play as possible - perfect for counterpunchers. I switched from the Ezone 98 to the Blade 98 and my consistency went way up. And about feel -- feel is very personal -- but i think it has better feel than most of its competitors: Radical, Percept, Ezone, Strike, TF40, Whiteout, etc. I think Beckett is very biased by the fact that his forehand is Western, very wristy, and he brushes up on the ball. I used to coach high level juniors and players who learned with an Aero usually play that way.
Thanks gents. Very entertaining and informative. Another reminder of just how subjective the topic of racquets can be. With the talk of Blades was hoping the chat drifted into the 100. May be for another time.
Lol should I be offended with this channel name 😂 Loved the RF01 pro btw. The control and the feel is amazing and freaking stable. It is not for everyone. Hard to use and it punishes you a lot. But with a alu power rough, head lynx tour or any other string like that this racket is getting better.
The creaking noise in the background was very distracting but overall this was fun to watch as it adds much more depth to certain topics beyond the vanilla reviews we usually see. Keep it up guys!
Love the discussion, my 2 cents on the blade is that theyre not really meant to be played stock. Especially the 18x20 gets so good if you just add a bit of weight on the handle and the tip and then customize it to your liking. There is something to be said for a racket that can be customized to feel super good for a lot of different people.
love how casual this is. it's almost like luca came over early for dinner so y'all decided to finally record that podcast y'all had been talking about while someone else was in the kitchen
Lol I agree with Luca on the Blade. I HATE wilson but I use a Wilson Blade. Im looking to switch but the blade just feels so good. Specially on the Backhand.
Enjoyed this and make sure you both have a few drinks before each show as drunk words are sober thoughts honesty at its best 👍 not calling anyone drunk maybe tipsy..
Lovely chat! From what I can tell, you guys have very different swing mechanics, perhaps your different opinions on the blade and swingweight stem from that.
Wow great video! Love to see more fireside chats like this. I’ve been a blade 98 user, wanting a crisper feel and more free power. Just got a tfight 305 and aero 98 to compare against the blade. Really interesting on your blade conversation. What strings do you recommend for these 3 that bring out the best in them. Using otoro at 48 in the blade, rpm rough at 44 in the aero, and kpop at 48 in the tfight (but looking to swap this to toroline super toro because I feel like kpop while plush mutes the feel too much)
Also a blade user and prefer Toroline strings for my arm. Have you tried Wasabi in the mains and O-Toro in the cross? Been trying this for 2 weeks now and power and spin has been crazy good. People are saying my ball is heavier and has more movement on slices and kick serves
@@ColdBrew_1 I have pure rush and ghostwire in a tf Iga and I really like it. It’s not my normal raquet but really liked that setup. I have demoing the Tfight 305s and I’m now a PA98 user. I think I need to add a little lead or try the 315. For me and my game, the PA98 feels like it saves me whilst the Tfight I feel that if I have a bad technique it’s less forgiving. But I do like the balance, power and feel on it. I think I need more time with it and if it wasn’t a demo adjust the strings / tension. Not a switch for me. Separately I did like the 300 16x19 Tfight. That needs a little customization and I think it would be a good competitor for my PA98 (I know diff head size before someone points that out).
Grisha (Gladiators Tribe) used it as a backup when his Head broke. He won his tournament final. Consequently, he picked it as his top racquet for 2024.
What up bbbboysss. Luca your call on the pure strike 97 absolutely needing lead at 12oclock was key! I also agreed that it is unplayable without it. Btw I use Alu power silver at 56lbs. Also the strike 97 is super low swingweight 321, so needing weight supports Beckett’s point.
100% There is nothing scarier in the US than a 5.0 player with a pure drive walking onto the court and nothing more goofy and easy to destroy than a 3.5 player showing p with a pure drive and shooting balls all over the place.
please do the a/b test with the silcone grommets in the vcore. as a vcore 98 user i need to know if i am missing something because otherwise i would never change them. i also use dampeners as a cheezy way to try out more weight at different frame locations, its not a permanent solution but gives me a clue if its actually worth breaking out the lead tape
Over here, so many great players coming up using the Blade 18x20 and 16x19 stock. It is crazy! Like reaaaaallly high level players. Whatever iteration even. People who like more box beam frames just will always have a hard time adapting to frames with aero beams.
This was entirely different from the duo with jonas which was unfortunately something else. Jonas tends to be politeness personified and Becket can seem a little in need of a break. I’m not sure either of them were at their most on but this shows how a little tension and disagreement can go a long way to opening up a conversation. Here you could feel the tension. If I looked at the way each plays that tension feels predictable and inevitable. We probably all feel it when we hit with friends with varying techniques. Luca imo is a much more technical player and strikes the ball very consistently whereas Becket seems very loose instinctive and there to have fun and as a result seems inconsistent and I find his technique slightly bizarre at times. If testing a racket is a purely personal thing then sure becket has his preferences and can be hugely entertaining but I’m not sure that I would trust his analysis entirely as I think it is so dependent on how he plays. I have to say I found myself agreeing with Luca most of the time here. Maybe no surprise as all the rackets he plays with I do too, I am a massive gravity fan and totally get the whole thing about playing with a lighter racket like a pure drive for fun. I have three gravity pros that I string very differently and the frame can take them all. It’s an amazing frame. I think having that as a benchmark helps us understand Lucas perception of rackets and technology in particular. It does everything but be manoeuvrable. Maybe that is why Luca doesn’t play with it?? If anyone is interested..Get a low spec version and it’s a winner. Maybe that’s what the new tour will be. Again I get why Luca is a Fed pro staff can. The gravity as that testers benchmark helps?? Not as much fun on serve as a percept 97 and certainly nothing like an RF97 or pro staff 95 for solidity. Much more modern feel. I know they mentioned this and I would like to have heard more on this but Imo Strings make all the difference and any frame is pretty easy to hit with if you have solid technique. It’s hard not to play well with almost any racket if you have a consistent technique ( ala Luca and his comments about hitting with a Clash made sense) that can add variation when needed. One thing I have found is that newly strung rackets absolutely sing. Again they touched on that. After a day or so most strings fall off a cliff and that is what really makes a massive difference imo to judging a racket. A control racket with new strings is impossible to miss. A control racket and dead strings can be a hard ask. That said a power frame like an ezone 100 with new hyper g is insanely fun. New strings?? It’s like hitting with new balls. It’s a different game. Btw imo the ball makes a massive difference too and some rackets are really sensitive to that. I have seen play tests just checking out balls and there’s a massive difference. I think Control rackets tend to like new balls. No surprise there. I would suggest for most intermediate players to use high quality pressureless balls. Much more consistent. Also who you play against must make all the difference when play testing. Again maybe watch a tester when they play. Are the balls they are receiving of high quality?? If not then it’s not a good test of the racket. The racket is literally not being tested to performance level. Any racket these days can probably just hit the ball back in a low velocity game and thats what the clash and rackets like that are made for. I often see very loopy rallies from many testers on TH-cam when play testing. I would say that Luca is possibly the highest quality player who regularly test rackets on TH-cam though I do think he has quite an idiosyncratic technique on his forehand. AgainBecket can be idiosyncratically very funny and entertaining but I’m not sure he is really being that methodical given the variation in his technique when testing but there is room for all styles and that’s what makes this nice mixing of channels so nice as it’s like the clubs we play at with friends and hitting partners. Btw don’t judge everything by TH-cam. The tennis nerd website is fantastic and Jonas seems a truly lovely guy who is far more than just a TH-camr. All things considered I would encourage the different channels to keep mix and matching as it’s great to see them mix and contrast their styles and differences of opinion especially when stated so firmly. Excellent. Thx so much.
You guys ever tried Wilson Ultra pro v4 with 18x20? I switch from Blade 98 and love the no tech-feeling, low swing weight = max racket acceleration. No weight added for me!
Due to modern layups you can dial in the torsional stiffness and weight distribution without the bumps. Graphite that you could get in the 1980's went away as the technology frome aerospace trickled down to consumer goods. Interesting conversation.
Regarding the RF 01. Maybe the dense pattern works better with the old boxy beam and doesn't work in the new spin oriented thin beam? Also, why Roger never endorsed v14? In my mind it made more sense than RF 01. It is easier to use than v13 RFA, has some new technology and preserves all the classic elements like the beam shape and pws.
My only comment on tennis tech is this: Wilson in 2015 created one of the holy grails. Blade v5. One of the best feeling racquets ever with more than enough power for even amateurs and sweet spot on stiffness that never caused arm issues. Another similar example would be yonex dr line. If those racquets would still be available there would be NOT A SINGLE REASON to give money to a modern racquet. You just have to measure a few blade V5s to found a manageable SW and you would be good to go FOR EVER! So companies are pushing all that crazy non essential tech about low stiffens and arm friendliness while they have already created arm friendly racquets in the past without being super low powered like most modern racquets. Also to add: rumours say that companies used better quality of graphite in the past. Just re-release blade v5 or DR and i would instantly stock up and sign out from talk tennis etc :P…. Wilson and Balsat was the best tech ever.
Once again it shows how personal racquet preferences can be: as a huge Roger fan, I have to say that sadly RF01 was one of the least satisfying testing experiences I had this year. I often play with Prestiges (ig mid, pt280 etc) and rarely find them unforgiving. Prostaff 97 for me is really quite powerful and easy to use 😂. RF01, however, didn’t give me stability or forgiveness, I returned terribly with it and then the feel is not my cup of tea at all even though the frame I borrowed was strung with gut/poly hybrid. Weird ‘compressing’ sensation which ends abruptly, uncomfortable, similar to the Shift). Only things that kinda worked for me were slicing & very flat shots. The throat is so chunky (24 mm beam at the widest point!). On top of that, the paint job is very fragile and I can’t stand the overuse of the RF logo. The dislike list can go on …
Beckett was trying so hard to sound like he knows what he is talking about and Luca was trying so hard to not correct him on over half the things he was talking about. Luca is superior in all aspects as a player, and racket technician. You need to hit a big ball to understand and appreciate the feel and flex of some of these players rackets.
I don’t think they got along very well and Beckett doesn’t have a good enough of a stroke to overtake Lucas opinions. The better the stroke the more you understand the racket.
Nice discussion. I have played with RF 01, Blade 100, PS RF, PS97 Shift but i also play super good (for my lvl obv) with the clash. So thats personal but : no control with the clash is absolute non-sense sorry. Painting lines with it boys
Tencom, how do you react on intuïtive tennis Nick who is a very good, and better player that you, who is directed to light rackets and plays best with it?
Come on beck. Blades nowadays are very user friendly. Just put pure rush in it or sth round-ish like alu power. Give it a go one more time. Those extreme tours and whiteout 18x20 you mostly use are A LOT more demanding than V9 :)
I follow you both with attention and interest, but honestly, I wouldn't have published this video in your shoes. Despite containing interesting information, the discomfort and irregular dynamics of the conversation are visible. I hope that next time they will both be more relaxed and in tune.
Now I disagree with you Luca. Tell me 3 modern racquets with better feel than v9. They are few….. v9s feel lacks only to previous blades like v5 and v7….. but still among the best on modern racquets. The reason i switched from v5 to v9 is that free power of v5/v4 is finally back combined with an easier frame to use due to the low SW….. so you loose a little bit on feel but winning overall :)…… and to answer to MY question few modern racquets have better feel than v9….. tf40, gravity line, Volkl c10 evo 97. Come on percept ? It’s just ok for a yonex :P…… I don’t agree that latest pro staff v14 has better feel than v9….. i agree it’s more connected but way too mushy and soft…. I still found blade more responsive. :)
I respect that you enjoy latest speed line but to me their increased SW is a major knock off. I even prefer the more hollow graphenes which were also thinner. Auxetic 1.0 was also very decent. 360 and 360 plus also great. Youteks were the most solid obviously. I ve been emailing to Fabian from head each year that they should finally produce a speed 98. Look at their line….. too many racquets and not a single one 98 with free power like strike 98…. the only powerful 98 in heads line is boom pro but not that fast of a racquet through the air. Let’s see if the new gravity 98 has punch and spin…..and please don’t tell me that extreme pro / tour has enough power after lead….. not even close to a strike 98 / SX tour / shift 300 / tfight 300 / ezone 98 etc…..
if you guys can't agree on any of these racquets, then why the heck are we listening lol. it just proves it's all personal, and that we shouldn't be listening to anyone's opinion on racquets. You can roughly guage what will suit someone, but best to just trial racquets.
True… so I think you should find reviewer who likes simmilar racqets and apreciate the same factors as you… I played few racqets and checked opinions on them this way I prefer Luca’s reviews…
The guy saying the Blade is just for attack and doesn't realise how much more spin and counterpuncher friendly it is compared to the first blade models and saying he can't generate spin with it, is CLEARLY a very new inexperienced player of the game. He probably started playing a few years ago, doesn't have a long time knowledge about racquets and he is a very modest player. You can immediately tell how much more educated and better player the guy with the blue sweater is. The white shirt guy is pretending to know what he's talking about but he's just making himself ridiculous
Luca is definitely a better player and understands nuances of rackets better but they are both biased because of their fundamentals and techniques where Luca is more of an old school player with big swings, good kinetic chain strokes and Beckett represents the "new school" (or tries to) with a wristy forehand, more slapping the ball rather than hitting through it. Because of that they will never agree but this is exactly the beauty of this sort of a podcast. I liked it.
NordicDots cause its a light Raquet and has a 325 to 330 SW its a 99 sq and a 16x20 string pattern in my Definition the best of both worlds you can use the windshield whiper you can play flat qnd heavy good slice and good response i think it is not as demanding as a pro staff or a prestige but the control is really outstanding.
It’s a shame we never saw what Beckett could do with that racquet with some customisation but damn did he 💪 on them and kill the hype and talk on that racquet he single handedly destroyed them also shame we didn’t get him to review their strings as to me there’s a few hidden gems in there , oh well it’s a warning to all up and coming brands accept the good and the bad and make people sign NDA’s they’ve only got themselves to blame ..
Not the most pleasant conversation to listen to with Beckett disagreeing with everything Luca said. Beckett, just because your a stronger player does not mean Luca’s opinions are invalid. The kitchen noise throughout the video was annoying as well.
What are their levels? Have they played? What makes you say Beckett is the better player? Not hating just curious as why you say Beckett is the better player 🤷🏻♂
This comment got me thinking so I went back and watched them both hit, they hit completely different it’s like as an example comparing kygrios forehand to Medvedevs forehand they both have heir own mechanics and there’s no such thing as wrong or right it’s whatever works for the player..I totally understand how they disagree with a lot of racquets..Beckett seems like he would be tricky to play against as his mechanics are more unique..Would love to see a ytube influencer tournament it would be so cool..
i actually disagree that Beckett is a stronger player. From my humble perspective, at least from what i see from the screen following both of them, Luca is a more accomplished player. Both great youtubers though with their own style where Beckett is more of a recreational and stylish content creator while Luca is more like a nerdy businessman whose main goal is to run the shop successfully and he understands the importance of marketing.
Hope to see a lot more of this, love both your work individually and it's great to see the two of you together
It's really cool to have a back and forth between two people who have played everything. I think it's really informative to see what you agree about, what you argue about, what gets you excited, and so on.
Awesome guys, Luca is spot on from the same way I view and feel on most of these racquets. I play test just about everything stock but with all different tensions and strings. When Luca talks about feel, power and control ect... I have almost the same identical experience. Enjoy both of you guys views and opinions on all of your vids. Keep this going.
Interesting to see that you guys have quite different thoughts on different topics. And it's a very honest review. I really liked that
Great channel, great content! 🔥🔥 🔥
Can you do a Christmas version where you guys are drinking coco or hot tea by a fire, like a fireside chat?
good idea!
I 100% agree with Luca about the Blade. Its dampened, low powered, stable, has a large sweetspot, great ball pocketing, and a consistent stringbed. Its the type of racquet designed to help you get the most balls in play as possible - perfect for counterpunchers. I switched from the Ezone 98 to the Blade 98 and my consistency went way up. And about feel -- feel is very personal -- but i think it has better feel than most of its competitors: Radical, Percept, Ezone, Strike, TF40, Whiteout, etc.
I think Beckett is very biased by the fact that his forehand is Western, very wristy, and he brushes up on the ball. I used to coach high level juniors and players who learned with an Aero usually play that way.
THIS! Becketts wristy technique is the reason why he doesnt like the Blade.
Thanks gents. Very entertaining and informative. Another reminder of just how subjective the topic of racquets can be. With the talk of Blades was hoping the chat drifted into the 100. May be for another time.
Lol should I be offended with this channel name 😂 Loved the RF01 pro btw. The control and the feel is amazing and freaking stable. It is not for everyone. Hard to use and it punishes you a lot. But with a alu power rough, head lynx tour or any other string like that this racket is getting better.
Loved it! Keep more coming!
The creaking noise in the background was very distracting but overall this was fun to watch as it adds much more depth to certain topics beyond the vanilla reviews we usually see. Keep it up guys!
Love the discussion, my 2 cents on the blade is that theyre not really meant to be played stock. Especially the 18x20 gets so good if you just add a bit of weight on the handle and the tip and then customize it to your liking. There is something to be said for a racket that can be customized to feel super good for a lot of different people.
love how casual this is. it's almost like luca came over early for dinner so y'all decided to finally record that podcast y'all had been talking about while someone else was in the kitchen
I like the video...Im pretty sure Simons doing the dishes 😆!
Lol I agree with Luca on the Blade. I HATE wilson but I use a Wilson Blade. Im looking to switch but the blade just feels so good. Specially on the Backhand.
Enjoyed this and make sure you both have a few drinks before each show as drunk words are sober thoughts honesty at its best 👍 not calling anyone drunk maybe tipsy..
Lovely chat! From what I can tell, you guys have very different swing mechanics, perhaps your different opinions on the blade and swingweight stem from that.
26:30 gravity pro mentioned
Wow great video! Love to see more fireside chats like this.
I’ve been a blade 98 user, wanting a crisper feel and more free power. Just got a tfight 305 and aero 98 to compare against the blade. Really interesting on your blade conversation.
What strings do you recommend for these 3 that bring out the best in them. Using otoro at 48 in the blade, rpm rough at 44 in the aero, and kpop at 48 in the tfight (but looking to swap this to toroline super toro because I feel like kpop while plush mutes the feel too much)
what, where is the fire!?!?!
Also a blade user and prefer Toroline strings for my arm. Have you tried Wasabi in the mains and O-Toro in the cross? Been trying this for 2 weeks now and power and spin has been crazy good. People are saying my ball is heavier and has more movement on slices and kick serves
try pure strike 98 16x19 gen 4 bro. soft, crisp, more stable, more powerful. using blade before and now switch to PS
Hows the tfight compared to aero 98??
(Yall should try Tru Pro Pure rush / Ghostwire. Better than Toroline tension maintenance and durability wise)
@@ColdBrew_1 I have pure rush and ghostwire in a tf Iga and I really like it. It’s not my normal raquet but really liked that setup.
I have demoing the Tfight 305s and I’m now a PA98 user. I think I need to add a little lead or try the 315. For me and my game, the PA98 feels like it saves me whilst the Tfight I feel that if I have a bad technique it’s less forgiving. But I do like the balance, power and feel on it. I think I need more time with it and if it wasn’t a demo adjust the strings / tension.
Not a switch for me.
Separately I did like the 300 16x19 Tfight. That needs a little customization and I think it would be a good competitor for my PA98 (I know diff head size before someone points that out).
Grisha (Gladiators Tribe) used it as a backup when his Head broke. He won his tournament final. Consequently, he picked it as his top racquet for 2024.
What up bbbboysss. Luca your call on the pure strike 97 absolutely needing lead at 12oclock was key! I also agreed that it is unplayable without it. Btw I use Alu power silver at 56lbs.
Also the strike 97 is super low swingweight 321, so needing weight supports Beckett’s point.
Absolutely love this, but who is doing the dishes in the background?
a hell yes! this reviewer duo is a DREAM!
100% There is nothing scarier in the US than a 5.0 player with a pure drive walking onto the court and nothing more goofy and easy to destroy than a 3.5 player showing p with a pure drive and shooting balls all over the place.
please do the a/b test with the silcone grommets in the vcore. as a vcore 98 user i need to know if i am missing something because otherwise i would never change them. i also use dampeners as a cheezy way to try out more weight at different frame locations, its not a permanent solution but gives me a clue if its actually worth breaking out the lead tape
Luca_vb Is great !! Both but he is my favourite, I agree with him often and I think he has a great sensibility to validation racquet.
Over here, so many great players coming up using the Blade 18x20 and 16x19 stock. It is crazy! Like reaaaaallly high level players. Whatever iteration even. People who like more box beam frames just will always have a hard time adapting to frames with aero beams.
This was entirely different from the duo with jonas which was unfortunately something else. Jonas tends to be politeness personified and Becket can seem a little in need of a break. I’m not sure either of them were at their most on but this shows how a little tension and disagreement can go a long way to opening up a conversation. Here you could feel the tension. If I looked at the way each plays that tension feels predictable and inevitable. We probably all feel it when we hit with friends with varying techniques. Luca imo is a much more technical player and strikes the ball very consistently whereas Becket seems very loose instinctive and there to have fun and as a result seems inconsistent and I find his technique slightly bizarre at times. If testing a racket is a purely personal thing then sure becket has his preferences and can be hugely entertaining but I’m not sure that I would trust his analysis entirely as I think it is so dependent on how he plays. I have to say I found myself agreeing with Luca most of the time here. Maybe no surprise as all the rackets he plays with I do too, I am a massive gravity fan and totally get the whole thing about playing with a lighter racket like a pure drive for fun. I have three gravity pros that I string very differently and the frame can take them all. It’s an amazing frame. I think having that as a benchmark helps us understand Lucas perception of rackets and technology in particular. It does everything but be manoeuvrable. Maybe that is why Luca doesn’t play with it?? If anyone is interested..Get a low spec version and it’s a winner. Maybe that’s what the new tour will be. Again I get why Luca is a Fed pro staff can. The gravity as that testers benchmark helps?? Not as much fun on serve as a percept 97 and certainly nothing like an RF97 or pro staff 95 for solidity. Much more modern feel. I know they mentioned this and I would like to have heard more on this but Imo Strings make all the difference and any frame is pretty easy to hit with if you have solid technique. It’s hard not to play well with almost any racket if you have a consistent technique ( ala Luca and his comments about hitting with a Clash made sense) that can add variation when needed. One thing I have found is that newly strung rackets absolutely sing. Again they touched on that. After a day or so most strings fall off a cliff and that is what really makes a massive difference imo to judging a racket. A control racket with new strings is impossible to miss. A control racket and dead strings can be a hard ask. That said a power frame like an ezone 100 with new hyper g is insanely fun. New strings?? It’s like hitting with new balls. It’s a different game. Btw imo the ball makes a massive difference too and some rackets are really sensitive to that. I have seen play tests just checking out balls and there’s a massive difference. I think Control rackets tend to like new balls. No surprise there. I would suggest for most intermediate players to use high quality pressureless balls. Much more consistent. Also who you play against must make all the difference when play testing. Again maybe watch a tester when they play. Are the balls they are receiving of high quality?? If not then it’s not a good test of the racket. The racket is literally not being tested to performance level. Any racket these days can probably just hit the ball back in a low velocity game and thats what the clash and rackets like that are made for. I often see very loopy rallies from many testers on TH-cam when play testing. I would say that Luca is possibly the highest quality player who regularly test rackets on TH-cam though I do think he has quite an idiosyncratic technique on his forehand. AgainBecket can be idiosyncratically very funny and entertaining but I’m not sure he is really being that methodical given the variation in his technique when testing but there is room for all styles and that’s what makes this nice mixing of channels so nice as it’s like the clubs we play at with friends and hitting partners. Btw don’t judge everything by TH-cam. The tennis nerd website is fantastic and Jonas seems a truly lovely guy who is far more than just a TH-camr. All things considered I would encourage the different channels to keep mix and matching as it’s great to see them mix and contrast their styles and differences of opinion especially when stated so firmly. Excellent. Thx so much.
Thank you
Like to read yours opinions and agree with lots of yours ideas
“Like, I don’t even know why you guys watch his videos” 😂😂😂
You guys ever tried Wilson Ultra pro v4 with 18x20? I switch from Blade 98 and love the no tech-feeling, low swing weight = max racket acceleration. No weight added for me!
Legendary
Due to modern layups you can dial in the torsional stiffness and weight distribution without the bumps. Graphite that you could get in the 1980's went away as the technology frome aerospace trickled down to consumer goods.
Interesting conversation.
This segment should be called agree to disagree
bros layin low drinkin wine wearin socks bein chill talkin sticks
Regarding the RF 01. Maybe the dense pattern works better with the old boxy beam and doesn't work in the new spin oriented thin beam? Also, why Roger never endorsed v14? In my mind it made more sense than RF 01. It is easier to use than v13 RFA, has some new technology and preserves all the classic elements like the beam shape and pws.
My only comment on tennis tech is this: Wilson in 2015 created one of the holy grails. Blade v5. One of the best feeling racquets ever with more than enough power for even amateurs and sweet spot on stiffness that never caused arm issues. Another similar example would be yonex dr line. If those racquets would still be available there would be NOT A SINGLE REASON to give money to a modern racquet. You just have to measure a few blade V5s to found a manageable SW and you would be good to go FOR EVER! So companies are pushing all that crazy non essential tech about low stiffens and arm friendliness while they have already created arm friendly racquets in the past without being super low powered like most modern racquets. Also to add: rumours say that companies used better quality of graphite in the past. Just re-release blade v5 or DR and i would instantly stock up and sign out from talk tennis etc :P…. Wilson and Balsat was the best tech ever.
THIS IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF CANT WAIT TO SEE THIS TAKEOFF KINGS
Oh hell yea more tenncom content
Once again it shows how personal racquet preferences can be: as a huge Roger fan, I have to say that sadly RF01 was one of the least satisfying testing experiences I had this year. I often play with Prestiges (ig mid, pt280 etc) and rarely find them unforgiving. Prostaff 97 for me is really quite powerful and easy to use 😂. RF01, however, didn’t give me stability or forgiveness, I returned terribly with it and then the feel is not my cup of tea at all even though the frame I borrowed was strung with gut/poly hybrid. Weird ‘compressing’ sensation which ends abruptly, uncomfortable, similar to the Shift). Only things that kinda worked for me were slicing & very flat shots. The throat is so chunky (24 mm beam at the widest point!). On top of that, the paint job is very fragile and I can’t stand the overuse of the RF logo. The dislike list can go on …
Cool
Beckett was trying so hard to sound like he knows what he is talking about and Luca was trying so hard to not correct him on over half the things he was talking about. Luca is superior in all aspects as a player, and racket technician. You need to hit a big ball to understand and appreciate the feel and flex of some of these players rackets.
Much more powerful combo than Shapo-FAA
I don’t think they got along very well and Beckett doesn’t have a good enough of a stroke to overtake Lucas opinions. The better the stroke the more you understand the racket.
Nice
Bottom line from this video for me is that I have a skill issue
Nice discussion. I have played with RF 01, Blade 100, PS RF, PS97 Shift but i also play super good (for my lvl obv) with the clash. So thats personal but : no control with the clash is absolute non-sense sorry. Painting lines with it boys
Tencom, how do you react on intuïtive tennis Nick who is a very good, and better player that you, who is directed to light rackets and plays best with it?
Different stokes for different folks. Also he does a lot of coaching so I can see the appeal of lighter racquets helping there as well.
Come on beck. Blades nowadays are very user friendly. Just put pure rush in it or sth round-ish like alu power. Give it a go one more time. Those extreme tours and whiteout 18x20 you mostly use are A LOT more demanding than V9 :)
Beckett sholudnt drink alkohol its definetly afects his performance and manners the bad way.
correct this was my 4th bottle of the night
background noise?
I suggest you also creating a discord channel. With specific tennis categories and zero about other stuff :P
Nahh why Luca looking unbelievably faded
Also real ones know that the greatest tech of all time is the O-port
Finally a dedicated equipment podcast ❤
I follow you both with attention and interest, but honestly, I wouldn't have published this video in your shoes. Despite containing interesting information, the discomfort and irregular dynamics of the conversation are visible. I hope that next time they will both be more relaxed and in tune.
Now I disagree with you Luca. Tell me 3 modern racquets with better feel than v9. They are few….. v9s feel lacks only to previous blades like v5 and v7….. but still among the best on modern racquets. The reason i switched from v5 to v9 is that free power of v5/v4 is finally back combined with an easier frame to use due to the low SW….. so you loose a little bit on feel but winning overall :)…… and to answer to MY question few modern racquets have better feel than v9….. tf40, gravity line, Volkl c10 evo 97. Come on percept ? It’s just ok for a yonex :P…… I don’t agree that latest pro staff v14 has better feel than v9….. i agree it’s more connected but way too mushy and soft…. I still found blade more responsive. :)
Ayer seeing this you know better who sells raquets and cant talk with more freedom
First
I respect that you enjoy latest speed line but to me their increased SW is a major knock off. I even prefer the more hollow graphenes which were also thinner. Auxetic 1.0 was also very decent. 360 and 360 plus also great. Youteks were the most solid obviously. I ve been emailing to Fabian from head each year that they should finally produce a speed 98. Look at their line….. too many racquets and not a single one 98 with free power like strike 98…. the only powerful 98 in heads line is boom pro but not that fast of a racquet through the air. Let’s see if the new gravity 98 has punch and spin…..and please don’t tell me that extreme pro / tour has enough power after lead….. not even close to a strike 98 / SX tour / shift 300 / tfight 300 / ezone 98 etc…..
if you guys can't agree on any of these racquets, then why the heck are we listening lol. it just proves it's all personal, and that we shouldn't be listening to anyone's opinion on racquets. You can roughly guage what will suit someone, but best to just trial racquets.
True… so I think you should find reviewer who likes simmilar racqets and apreciate the same factors as you… I played few racqets and checked opinions on them this way I prefer Luca’s reviews…
Isn't this the point? The discussions just prove this point, and perhaps, all the reviewers advise for testing before buying :)
Horrible can’t watch you too politely argue argue anymore
The guy saying the Blade is just for attack and doesn't realise how much more spin and counterpuncher friendly it is compared to the first blade models and saying he can't generate spin with it, is CLEARLY a very new inexperienced player of the game. He probably started playing a few years ago, doesn't have a long time knowledge about racquets and he is a very modest player. You can immediately tell how much more educated and better player the guy with the blue sweater is. The white shirt guy is pretending to know what he's talking about but he's just making himself ridiculous
This is another opinion on the internet
Cool!
Luca is definitely a better player and understands nuances of rackets better but they are both biased because of their fundamentals and techniques where Luca is more of an old school player with big swings, good kinetic chain strokes and Beckett represents the "new school" (or tries to) with a wristy forehand, more slapping the ball rather than hitting through it. Because of that they will never agree but this is exactly the beauty of this sort of a podcast. I liked it.
Worst tech is easily VDM. Yonex make your racquets great again. Not only paintjob quality. Precepts are good but over-hyped!
NordicDots cause its a light Raquet and has a 325 to 330 SW its a 99 sq and a 16x20 string pattern in my Definition the best of both worlds you can use the windshield whiper you can play flat qnd heavy good slice and good response i think it is not as demanding as a pro staff or a prestige but the control is really outstanding.
It’s a shame we never saw what Beckett could do with that racquet with some customisation but damn did he 💪 on them and kill the hype and talk on that racquet he single handedly destroyed them also shame we didn’t get him to review their strings as to me there’s a few hidden gems in there , oh well it’s a warning to all up and coming brands accept the good and the bad and make people sign NDA’s they’ve only got themselves to blame ..
Not the most pleasant conversation to listen to with Beckett disagreeing with everything Luca said. Beckett, just because your a stronger player does not mean Luca’s opinions are invalid. The kitchen noise throughout the video was annoying as well.
I disagree -Beckett
What are their levels? Have they played? What makes you say Beckett is the better player? Not hating just curious as why you say Beckett is the better player 🤷🏻♂
@@ReturningAces so do I discussion is good
This comment got me thinking so I went back and watched them both hit, they hit completely different it’s like as an example comparing kygrios forehand to Medvedevs forehand they both have heir own mechanics and there’s no such thing as wrong or right it’s whatever works for the player..I totally understand how they disagree with a lot of racquets..Beckett seems like he would be tricky to play against as his mechanics are more unique..Would love to see a ytube influencer tournament it would be so cool..
i actually disagree that Beckett is a stronger player. From my humble perspective, at least from what i see from the screen following both of them, Luca is a more accomplished player. Both great youtubers though with their own style where Beckett is more of a recreational and stylish content creator while Luca is more like a nerdy businessman whose main goal is to run the shop successfully and he understands the importance of marketing.
More of this 🫶