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Hey if you like PTB that much then you may not love the hybrid as much. It does play very nicely, but it does add quite a bit of stiffness to the setup. Here's an alternate: Grapplesnake Tour M8. It's like an in between this hybrid and a full bed of PTB. Hybriding M8 and PTB is also really good. I'm publishing a review of it in 2 weeks time so stay tuned if you want to hear more about it!

Good to hear! This is precisely what I mention in the video for hybriding pairings, including trying to re-create a much cheaper version of Federer's setup. Are there any cross strings you recommend as a good pairing with Monogut ZX?

​@11sweetspot11 one older gentleman is a 4.5 and uses kirschbaum max power 1.25 in the cross. Other guy buys the crossfire zx tour hybrid pack but does the monogut zx main 55 lbs and the monogut copoly at 52. I am going to be trying the ladder as the hybrid pack is 14 dollars. He gets about 16 hours of heavy play out of it.

I tried mine at many tensions: 50 lbs, 48 lbs, 44 lbs, 42 lbs, 35 lbs, 38 lbs and then eventually landed at 40 lbs as my ideal tension for this setup. To get the 40 lbs I initially string at 42/41lbs, and the strings settle in at 40 lbs and maintain it for as much as 20 hours for me.

@@11sweetspot11 i’ve never played that low in any racket and string combination. Currently I use a Yonex vcore tour with Solinco confidential 18 gauge at 50 pounds. It’s a pretty nice combo but I’m tempted to give yours a try. I’ll probably start at 50.

Hey, if that tension is what you're used to then definitely start at that. I tend towards lower tensions anyways, so 40 lbs is really just a preference thing. I think this setup played well at all tensions tbh.

Sorry mate, I haven't played with Poly Plasma before so I can't tell you. I did watch/read reviews on this after I read your comment and just based off that I think Poly Plasma is much stiffer than PTB.

Thanks! Let me know how it goes, hopefully you're experience is positive!

@@11sweetspot11 Thanks. I’ll let you know what I think. This may be a silly question, but can I have two rackets strung with just two packs of strings if they string them hybrid?

Yep, you can. I always do that when testing hybrids too. What stringers likely do is cut the string sets in half and use each half per racket.

@@11sweetspot11 Thanks so much!

Hey, I actually thought it maintained tension very well, much better than polys but not quite as well as natural gut. For me, it's 100% the cost. In Canada, where I'm located, one set of Babolat VS Natural Gut is $80 CAD (including taxes, VAT in Southern Ontario is 13%), and that's if you pick it up at a store and don't ship it for an additional cost to your home. Tennis is already such as expensive sport to play and there is no way I'm shelling out that much money. To me, Ytex ProTour Blue and Grapplesnake M8 get me 90% of the way there and they hold tension remarkably well. Even if I hybrid with Monogut ZX Pro I would pay way less than one set of natural gut.

@@11sweetspot11 wow that’s expensive. I’ve never tried natural gut but hear it’s amazing….but I didn’t realize it was that expensive

NG is definitely amazing, I would love to play with that alone. Definitely worth a try at least once; there's some folks I know who like it enough to remain committed to it despite the cost.

أنا لست لاعب كرة سلة لذا خذ هذا الرد بحذر. إذا كنت عرضة لالتواء الكاحل، فلا، ليس كذلك. ولكن إذا كان لديك حركة قدم جيدة، وإذا كنت خفيفًا على قدميك، وتعتمد على قوتك الخاصة في الحركة بدلاً من الأمل في الحصول على حذاء للمساعدة، عندها فقط أستطيع أن أرى أن هذا ينجح مع كرة السلة. Translation for those reading this comment later: I was asked whether the shoe is good for basketball or not. My reply is this: I'm not a basketball player so take this reply with a grain of salt. If you are prone to ankle sprains then no, it is not. But if you have good footwork, if you are light on your feet, and you rely on your own strength for movement rather than hoping for a shoe to assist, only then I can see this working for basketball.

@@11sweetspot11 شكرا جزيلا

I think a big factor with this string is that it is really old (been on the market for a long time). It's just been forgotten, especially in the wake of the poly trend that has overtaken tennis in the last two decades. Hopefully this video makes more people aware of this string, but I still do genuinely think that most people are not going to like it when they try it. It's a departure from how traditional strings play and that unfortunately is a big hurdle to cross. But you never know, I thought it had enough to offer to seriously consider this as my go-to string, and others may come to the same conclusion. Glad to hear you tried it out too! Give their Dynamite (multifilament version of this string) a try too. That one also plays pretty uniquely, it's more responsive than Monogut ZX!

As I said in the very beginning of the video, PTB is in the main and QT is in the cross.

@@11sweetspot11 spin string should be on the main right?

Not necessarily. It mostly comes down to what you're looking for out of your setup. If it's spin, then sure, that's probably the right way to go. For me, what comes first is getting ball pocketing, feel and control (the directional kind, not the pin-point type that is usually associated with control). This is why folks put natural gut in the mains, just as an example. Spin comes next, and I've always had to sacrifice a bit on this. So this entire string journey has been about not sacrificing on the spin front too much. While putting PTB in the mains and QT in crosses did give me a little less spin than the other way around, there wasn't a noticeable negative impact on my game, at least at the level I play at (3.5-4.0 player). If anything, the real downside is durability: PTB gets notched because QT is noticeably stiffer (that's a good rule of thumb - that the softer material always gets sawed into). But again, I'm mindful of the impact of polys on my arm and I restring my rackets (myself) every 8ish hours, so durability and decrease in spin performance is not much of a concern for me.

LOL, not quite as rich as gut, but fair point that it's not an inexpensive string. In hindsight I think I should've perhaps brought up the cost as a point of discussion in the video too. At the end of the day I don't think Ashaway moves too much of this string - so it might be harder for them to achieve even greater economies of scale in order to start bringing the cost of the string down.

I personally didn't experience a great deal of tension loss, but that also depends on what you consider as tension loss. For me, my tension dropped from 48 lbs to 44 lbs, stabilized there for the rest of my playtest .I didn't experience another tension drop after that.

It's not a poly. This is why it feels/behaves quite different. Personally, I'm not a string breaker and I didn't break this sting either. Do you mind sharing what poly mains you've used with Monogut ZX? Yeah I agree, a full bed of Monogut ZX is not for me either. It's funny you bring up kevlar because that's exactly what I wanted to try next with this string. I mean, there must be a reason why Ashaway sells a prepackaged set of Kevlar/Monogut ZX, right?

I'm not a string breaker, and I didn't break this string either. But I can tell you that the durability is FAR higher than in a multi. Multis are the only things I ever break, which is why I don't use them either (I also have never come across a multi I like the feel of). You do have to be careful when stringing this string though, especially when tying knots - you have to tighten knots very slowly. Everyone has complained about this, and I also snapped off the string when doing this (although I was able to salvage the situation).

Hey, that's great that you found a way to use this string that you're happy with! Do you mind sharing what polys you're using at the moment?

Yeah, it's a disappointing state of affairs. In my view, TW should be an independent verifier of string data, not the source of truth.

Thank you! 🙏 Lots more to come so stay tuned!

Hey, I didn't realize you had hit with this prior! I would've thought that you wouldn't like it because you like stiffer strings lol. I'm curious, what made you like it?

Hey, I actually completely understand why you would say that it's nothing close to natural gut. The sluggish responsiveness can make all the difference here. Most folks that I handed my racket to try landed on the same conclusion as me but had difficulty in describing the feel of Monogut ZX. Wow, ReString Zero flakes on you? I've never had that! I'm always super interested when folks experience things differently to me. What's your style and level of play? I'm curious as to what circumstances this flaking occurs for you. ReString Zero is a really good string; I reviewed it very positively myself, even though its not for me unfortunately.

@@11sweetspot11 Yeah. it's interesting to hear of other ppl's experiences. So I enjoyed your video. I really wanted a gut replacement that isn't fragile. I'm about NTPR 4, I'm an aggressive baseliner with top spin. Yeah Restring zero flakes like gut interestingly. Maybe ill give it a shot by mixing Monogut with Toroline next time

Hey, I have only tried the GP Challenge One in the store, not on a court. I can't really go by that of course, but my initial impressions were not good mostly because I didn't feel a good heel fit. So I don't think I'll be buying those. I also already have 4 pairs of Zoom NXT lying around and want to go through them before buying anything else. There's another reason I want to avoid Nike shoes altogether now - they've become incredibly unreliable with scrapping and introducing new lines. It doesn't seem like there is a clear strategy, and it shows with most of their newer shoes getting very lukewarm reviews. Personally, I want what Asics does; a reliable shoe that keeps being iterated on instead of some new technology being shoved into a completely redesigned shoe. These are the ones I'm hoping to try once I go through my Zoom NXTs. - ruclips.net/video/4q4GWh2oQgQ/видео.htmlsi=x5yZiI-9kUJ-cEIa - ruclips.net/video/pnUf-JU3HNs/видео.htmlsi=ldLCOq_OEpqdonJE Hopefully this helps!

@@11sweetspot11 I’m from Brazil and here tennis isn’t a very popular sport, so the shops have only few models to try on. I always wanted to try this Mizuno. I play with a Wave Exceed Light (version 1) and I love them for the comfort. I found them to be so cushioned for its weight (it’s the lightest tennis shoe I’ve ever tried). Unfortunately they don’t last much. I didn’t play any sports before tennis and I’ve been playing since start of 2023 and never took lessons, so my level isn’t high and I can’t slide or anything like that. My previous shoe was an adidas game court 2.0 and it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the Mizuno, but I played with it all 2023 and the sole is still ok. This Mizuno wave exceed light I bought in February of this year, and it’s almost unplayable because of the wear of the sole. Hope this enforce tour have a more durable sole. My NXT arrived, but I didn’t play with them yet because I didn’t found it to be as cushioned as this Mizuno I have, and I’m afraid to start feeling pain (I usually have ball of the foot pain on my right feet, the reason why I moved away from my original adidas). Thank you so much for the attention and the response, and please make a video when you try this other ones (I know you aren’t a shoes reviewer haha but your reviews are great in general!) keep the good work!

Thanks for such a nice and encouraging comment! 🙏🙏🙏 Unfortunately, the sole wear or wear of any kind is on a case by case basis. We all play and run differently so it's (usually) really hard to go by the wear pattern for someone else. All I can say is that if you see a lot of wear on your current shoe, then just simply move away from it. There's lot's of options for us casuals players; it's waaay harder for high level players who do have to stick to the shoe that works for them regardless of how fast they go through them. Keep trying shoes though, the right one for you is out there! The NXT is on the firmer side for sure, but at the same time that Air Zoom unit does a lot to cushion when you're actually playing; I can always feel it working. This has the benefit of giving good ground feel without being too harsh. One word of caution; the heel area in the Zoom NXT is unfortunately not cushioned very well. A lot of people have complained about heel pain with this shoe as a result. I luckily don't have any heel problems; I have decent footwork and I stay on my the balls of my feet pretty much all the time when I'm playing, but I do recognize that this can be an issue for those whose footwork tends to have them on their heels. So take the stock insole out, and put a better insole in this shoe instead. It does so much for your feet; I can literally spend twice as long on court because of this. Plus the added benefit is that it adds an extra layer of cushion for the ball of your foot (and heel in the case of the Zoom NXT). This is the one I personally use: move.one/en-ca/products/game-day-insoles-by-move I'll make a video when I try new shoes out, stay tuned! 😄

Thanks mate! A lot more to come so stay tuned!

I do find the same, that LP has the best ball pocketing among syn. guts for me, although I can also argue against that. I have a theory that there's many different 'flavors' of ball pocketing. I personally like the kind where the ball sinks deep into the stringbed and then comes out super quickly too (trampoline-like behaviour). So in short, super responsive, like PTB is. I have a friend I play with regularly who like the plush kind of pocketing; he doesn't care for the depth of ball pocketing, he just wants the stringbed to feel like a plush memory foam pillow (he always plays with multi hybrids). I personally don't like this, because to me this makes my stringbed feel 'sluggish'. To me, LP is more like PTB, although not quite as responsive. I still prefer OGSM the most for its versatility and that's why I recommend it the most to others looking for a good syn. gut, but prefer LP for my own personal setups. It's funny you bring up putting the softer strings in the mains because that's exactly what I'm experimenting with these days. I'm not sure I'm fully convinced yet, but I'm finding more spin than I expected for sure. Check out my latest hybrid video (Ytex PTB/QT) where I did the same, put PTB in the mains. I got really good spin with it, no different than when I put QT in the mains and PTB in the crosses (although I don't mention this in the video). And personally, I think slicker strings like Sync work even better for this, so you're probably likely to find even more success here than I did with my PTB/QT setup. Go for it and let me know how it goes! The only consideration is feel. Again, this is just a theory, but I find less feel with setups that have slicker strings that slide easy. Something about the friction between the strings and the tiny vibrations it produces is what adds to the feel of a string setup (I'm assuming rackets here stay constant). I've always wondered whether this is one of the reasons why natural gut gives such good feel.

@@11sweetspot11, I saw your PTB/QT vid, liked it and, yes, I think that setup reminded me of AM Stringer's idea. Am interested that you're experimenting with it. BTW, I too love OGSM's stellar responsiveness (and saw your vid on that too). But it takes a while for the stringbed to soften up. PLP, on the other hand, snaps back right off the stringer. I've played 5 hours with it, and still, it has yet to notch. And I personally like the feel of its 'slidiness,' and too, the way the ball catapults out of the pocket. I don't play poly because it looses tension too fast. But from what you said about PTB, that's not much of a problem. You have me thinking...

I understand what you're trying to say about OGSM. Sounds like LP is definitely the way to go for you. You should definitely give PTB a go. No guarantees of course that it will work for you, but if you like LP then I find it hard to imagine you not liking PTB either. Its tension maintenance is awesome, although it does notch quite easily, even on itself because it's so soft. Try it out, we all play and hit differently so experiences can vary. Come back and let me know about it, I'd love to know!

@@11sweetspot11 , thanks for the heads up about PTB notching. I'm considering a poly cross mainly for its notch resistance. So I'll stick with plan A (Sync) and let you know how it goes.

Hey thanks! I wasn't thinking too much about the racket choices that clay court specialists make, but I guess in hindsight it's applicable because David Ferrer also used a similar stick (I'm not sure about the specifics of what he used). Regardless, I'm glad you found the video helpful!

@@11sweetspot11 Not to mention Pablo Andujar... Btw, do you know a website which I could buy those o3 prince from? Im in EU and o3 are discontinued.Thanks!

Prince are coming out with a new version of the O3 Phantoms soon, and it will add to their current Phantom line (the ones with Zylon instead of Twaron). So you may have to wait just a bit if you're in North America/Europe. My guess is that it's going to be early 2025. The previous generation O3 Phantoms are all sold out now, and you can only get them second hand. Regarding the Japan editions: the new O3 Phantoms with Zylon have already been released there. The one I show in this video is the previous generation (with Twaron instead of Zylon). princetennis.jp/product-category/tennis/tennis-racket/tennis-racket-phantom-2025 I'm not sure how to get the Japanese versions imported here in North America. There are services in Japan that buy things on your behalf and ship them to you but they can cost a pretty penny and moreover, I haven't tried a service like this out myself so I can't recommend one (sorry!).

@@11sweetspot11 tyvm for all the explanations

Thanks mate, I’m still using it too!

That's definitely an interesting way of gripping a racket. Can't say I've heard of this before, but I'm never opposed to trying anything lol. I'm curious: how did you end up at this as a solution for gripping a racket?

@@11sweetspot11 I was needing an over grip in 2021 on my original racquet one from because the vinyl was peeling and I likes the size of the grip as is so as close as I could find was this tape I had. I also remembered that the end of the grip was not secured by anything so I used a waterproof glue I had on hand for a few other projects on the open end, having seen a few tennis pros in video in 1970's who used some kind of athletic tape for an over grip/replacement grip as modern rubber over grips besides leather/fake leathers were not available and having to between sets or matches add a little more tape for holding the grip down. I remembered some baseball players using soil/dirt on the tape becuse of sticky grip issues pre glove so I did the same and used some water for the speeding up process of feeling worked in (sweat) right after first initial bush off.

I tend towards softer strings at pretty low tensions. You can watch this video for a bit more context: ruclips.net/video/4h4-k8UmdIQ/видео.html Bear in mind that we're all different with different preferences so opinions can vary. This is one of the reasons I created this channel, as a home for folks who find themselves on the softer and lower tension side of things. This doesn't invalidate your experience of QT 😊, I'm always happy to hear how someone else perceives a string, especially if it's different to my own. What are you playing with these days? Any personal fav. string that you keep coming back to?

@@11sweetspot11 Thx for the reply. Ytex claim to have the very softest poly strings on the market. For that reason I was asking myself what should be any softer if QT is considered stiffish. And what a really stiff string would feel like If you tested it. My current string setup is ReString Zero / Sync. Not sure if it's any better than Zero full bed which I used before. Both Zero and Sync are stiffer than QT by quite some margin but not really on the stiff side of strings. That honor goes to things like Tour Bite or ALU Power after an hour of hitting (AP becomes a true arm breaker after some hitting). It is just that tad stiffer that I need to keep my shots inside the line after dropping the Blade 18/20. In a softer frame like the Phantom (which can absorb a lot of power from your swing) soft and elastic strings make sense. My current racquet is at 63 RA, Phantom is below 60, so my stiffer frame and the stiffer strings both equal out and vice versa. I tend to have too much power in my strokes and seek to tame that without breaking my arm. Others search for a little more power. And maybe they hesitate to test QT when it's advertised as stiffish. But if its power level suits you it is an excellent string. Just not for me any longer.

Yes, I know Ytex is supposedly the home of the softest polys, and personally I believe it is. But that doesn't mean every string is soft. QT falls in that camp where it's not quite soft but not quite stiff either. To be it's just a firm string that leans towards the traits that stiff strings exhibit. There are other strings in Ytex's lineup that are MUCH softer. My fav string, Ytex ProTour Blue, in one of them. Ytex Octo Twist is also decently soft. I've reviewed both of these strings on my channel, you can check them out if you're curious. I understand where you're coming from though. Your gear choice has to make sense for your game, and I believe you've found good options 👍 ReString Zero and Sync are really decent strings!

@@11sweetspot11 As you tested the Pro Tour and I haven't, I still have a question. Would you consider PT as livid as QT: I only know QT and it's too powerful for me. And a clubmate of mine needs a soft (arm issues) AND dead string both at the same time (his shots all sail long, he as well has way too much power in his arm). He accidentally got himself Yonex Poly Tour comfort and it's just impossible to tame.

If you think QT is too powerful then PT is going to be even more powerful. It is much, much softer than QT; almost syn. gut like, which is exactly how I describe it in my review: a poly version of syn gut that that gets better durability and snapback. Personally I think that anyone who loves hybriding with gut should give PT a very serious look. It's very hard to find a soft AND dead string. I have three suggestions for achieving this setup that I've personally tried, and they all revolve around using soft strings at higher tensions: 1. Solinco X-Natural - it is a multifilament that is incredibly soft and muted but has much better durability than other multifilaments I've tried by a wide margin. I think if you string it at a higher tension then you might get that soft, muted and controlled combo that will help you keep your balls inside the court. Bear in mind that some folks have complained about the string snapping while stringing at higher tensions so use the thicker gauge and tension the string slowly as you're stringing it. I didn't face this issue, but I could see why this complaint arose as I was handling the string while stringing this myself. 2. Solinco X Natural crossed with Prince Lighting Pro - In my opinion, LP is the best controlled syn. gut out there because it's stiffer than the average syn. gut while yet retaining the softeness that syn. guts are known for. If your friend finds a full bed of X Natural too soft then this might a way to remedy that. 3. Ytex Pro Tour Blue crossed with Gosen OG Sheep Micro - You already know my thoughts on PT. OGSM is the most versatile string I've ever come across. You can make it play any way you want if you just string it at the right tension. So if you put these soft strings together at a higher tension you'll get that control you're looking for. These strings also pair together in a way that makes them play more muted than you would expect. So for that an added benefit for folks with arm issues. Hopefully at least one of these works out for your friend. Let me know how it goes!

That's actually a really good point about the temperature of the squash ball. Every time I've introduced someone that already plays a racket sport to squash they're always taken aback by the difference in bounce between a cold and a hot ball. This difference is even more pronounced in places like Canada where temps on court tend to be on the cooler side (especially in the winter months). Tbh, I do think my preference is on the lower side of "normal" to begin with. I out this video out there because I wanted someone else who might find themselves in this same camp to get some validation that it's ok to have such preferences. I myself played with what didn't feel right to me for so long just because everytime I asked for lower tensions I got talked out of it.

I’m so sorry mate! Life/work has been much busier than normal (in a good way, no worries) and I put a lot of time and effort into my videos so that they are detailed, say something unique, don’t waste viewers’ time and are something I can be proud of when I post. I promise it won’t disappoint when I do finally finish working on it. It’s VERY through! Thanks for interest in my thoughts and the encouragement so far mate, really! I’m super grateful 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

@@11sweetspot11 Man I completely understand, from a fellow stranger in the web, writing to you from Samborondon, Ecuador. I really appreciate how much attention you give to detail, and the esence, and how complete your videos are. It is such a difference when we talk about something that we really love. Hope you sort everything together. And bet I will really enjoy your vid when it comes out. On the other hand, I think you are going towards strategy and mentality during the game. Which is something I have seen little here in youtube. And what is the main thing of the tennis game. Am I right? God and the Holy Family bless you and your loved ones.

You're spot on about my interest in the strategy and mentality aspect of the game! My take is a bit out there but I hope it resonates; tbh I'm unsure of how these videos will be received. I do think I have some points worth considering. This is a series I'm working on, the first 2 videos in this series are 70% complete and I think there will be 12-14 more. I'm not abandoning my usual style of videos; there's lot's of things in the equipment review pipeline - it's just that I don't see any reason/value-add in doing stuff that: a - doesn't interest me b - others are already doing to a high standard c - doesn't make points that are different and insightful for the viewer d - does not make the best use of my limited time. So hold tight mate, I'll try and come out with the syn gut vid. as soon as I can. I appreciate the support and encouragement! 🙏✌️

@jorgeandrescoppiano.5715 Hey my guy! I just posted a video yesterday on a string that you would be interested in. It's the first in the series on synthetic guts. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/bblH_-29C4o/видео.html It's not a syn gut but should basically be treated as one IMO.

Whoa! I've actually never thought about giving racquetball strings a try! I'd never heard of Python Atlas until you mentioned it. It seems like it's similar to Tecnifibre 305 (in the sense that it frays), especially since you compared it to Dynamix? I like that they advertised a soft, trampoline effect; it's definitely up my alley! I'll give it a go some time. Your experiment just lends credence to what I want to do, which is to hybrid this with my string of choice: Ashaway SuperNick ZX Micro. I'll report back soon. 🫡 I just tried ~15 lbs with Hyper-G, which I thought played way better that at 20 lbs. I'll add a lot more detail in the final review. Yeah the sound is a bit weird for sure, to me it sounded like my frame had cracked. 🤣 Let me know if you've done some other interesting experiments! Always curious to hear about 'em!

Yeah that Python string is very similar to something else... lol have you ever tried Ashaway Multi Nick 18? It's literally almost a carbon copy for a fraction of the price 😂 I'll be looking forward to seeing your video/thoughts when you do try that hybrid out with SNZX M - that should also work out nicely if you're going to keep using the 1.25 Hyper-G in the mains with it- because I have heard of this somewhere, and since then, it just makes sense to me, and I'm a firm believer: Having a thicker gauge main string, and a thinner gauge cross string, will help boost spin potential due to the fact that the mains will stick up higher out of the string bed slightly than the crosses, it will provide a nice little pocket between the strings for the ball so when you hit any top spin, or in the case for Squash when we want to slice and cut the ball a lot, I think it will really help accentuate the spin potential 😁

I have never tried Multi Nick; I know, shocker seeing how much I like soft strings and how much I identify with Diego Elias' playing style! I have a set of it that I will make a review on soon, probably in the Sept/Oct timeframe. I'm planning a deep dive in to hybrids with squash, since that's not really a thing there for some reason. Hopefully I can start a trend! 🤣 I've heard that thicker main theory before; I'm not sure if I'm convinced yet, but I just tried this out in a tennis racket and got more spin than I expected so I guess maybe there is something to it! I'll try this out in a squash racket and report back! Sorry for the slower pace on videos, I only have so much time and I play six different racket sports lol!

haha fair enough!

Hey, thanks! 🙏🏽 I’m glad you enjoyed the metaphor! Yes I did spend a lot of time with physicists in grad school. It was a fun time!

Thanks mate! 🙏 I really appreciate you coming back to leave this comment; it's good to hear positive feedback. I'm glad my recommendation worked out for ya! 🍻

Yeah that seems to be the case! I like the paint jobs on the Japanese 2024/2025 Phantoms!

That's some interesting information, I'll pick up some Poly Plasma to try it out!

This can be purchased in Japan. I got this from Windsor Racket Shop in Shibuya, Tokyo

They were around $100 USD. Bear in mind that this was the first half of the first week and seats are MUCH cheaper then. This is when I like to go visit tournaments because you get more bang for your buck.

Hey, it’s called Slinger Ball Machine. It’s probably one of the cheapest you can get. It’s not great, but it does the job. There’s another one that called Titan One which I would choose over the Slinger if I were in the market for a ball machine. But I haven’t used it so take it for what it’s worth 🤷🏽‍♂️

Yeah, for me the time required to get used to them was pretty minimal too, but I've also heard the exact opposite. One just has to try and see how it goes. I do feel, as you do, that this technology is not very popular. I'm really curious as to why this is the case. I've heard it's because the longer stringing time is unpopular, but I'd love to know if it's actually true. It''s a shame, because the less variety in technology out there (especially the kind that is visible to the naked eye), the less innovation that will happen in this space.

Yeah, I've wanted to try that racket for a long time. But it’s just that: to try it. I would not enjoy actually playing with it, even though it probably has great feel. It's because its small sweet spot and headsize would get in the way of my game (and what I actually prefer in a racket).

Yes, it would be a stretch for most players today. Today’s 98s and 100s are much easier to use but using some of the older frames are just fun to hit with because of their limitations and graceful aesthetics. They are also great practice tools because you have to be more aware of your footwork, timing, and swing length or you will constantly frame shots, miss the sweetspot, or send balls flying out of control. What’s funny is how these racquets were considered easy to use, powerful, and light when they first came out. But the standard of comparison were usually wood and aluminum frames.

Yeah, I agree with using them as practice tools! I'm actually working on a video about this with a really interesting twist. Hopefully it's well received and people can see my point of view on this. It's crazy to think that those rackets were considered easy to use! I feel we're all a product of our environment and what we get exposed/used to. Do you have any old frames you recommend as good training tools? I know the Saber is really popular but I've always wondered if there is an equivalent.

@@11sweetspot11 I started with a junior version of the Donnay Allwood which Borg made popular. If you want to talk about difficult to use imagine being 7 years old with a standard head size racquet of 65 to 70 sq inches and made of wood. And that was considered to be easy to swing. Back then the one-handed backhand was considered the proper stroke to learn versus the bastardized two-hander. That was tough. I then graduated to a Prince Junior aluminum racquet. Though it was said to be an oversize 110 head, back then racquets were not as precisely specified as rhe are today where frames are made in 95, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 105, 107, etc. and everyone claims that they can tell the difference. In the 80s the oversize Prince and Wilson frames came first at supposedly 110 but in reality didn’t look or feel that big, especially when I compare them to some of the 100+ racquets today. Of course, Prince later labeled them 107s and kind of admitted that the headsize tolerances were a little loose and not consistently done the same way throughout the industry. Wilson and Head did the same so that actual headsizes were more or less approximations. A midsize could be anything from the 80 sq inch Head Edge to the 90 sq inch Prince Spectrum. 95s came later and were considered midpluses. Head and Dunlop always seemed to have the smallest headsizes for a given category. My Dunlop Max 200G which McEnroe and Graf made famous was an 84. Most of the Head frames on tour like the turquoise Graphite Pro and the original Prestige were 89.5. The original Wilson Pro Staff and the Ultra 2 were 85s. Only later did Wilson start embracing the 95s. Back then even the so-called oversize frames were mainly players frames. Yamaha was the first manufacturer that I remember making a 100 with the Secret-04. Yonex had 88 sq inch R-22 which Navratilova and Andres Gomez played. Becker played the Puma Boris Becker Super, which was an 88 or so. Mats Wilander played the Rossignal F200 which was like an 85. Brad Gilbert played something called a Fox which had like 85 sq inch 8-sided head shape. There was more design experimentation then and you can see it in head shapes. And the toughest frame to play with was Lendl’s Adidas GTX Pro which was supposedly super stiff, sported an old-style reverse tear drop head shape from the wooden racquet days that wasn’t even a midsize but was like 75 square inches and it weighed over 13.5 ounces. Yeah, so most of the frames back then had much smaller headsizes, 12-13 oz weight, and were either extremely flexible or very stiff (Wilson Ultra 2, Prince Boron, etc). Comparatively speaking, players today have it easy.

Solinco Confidential would be an interesting try in this 👍 I've been thinking trying about natural gut in this personally (or maybe even a gut hyrbid).

Hey, thanks, I'm glad you liked how I approached this video. I completely agree with you, for me this racket doesn't hold up if I come up against much better players. So far I've put it down to a skill issue (which is the most likely culprit in my case haha), but against the really good players that hit heavy balls you absolutely need help from the racket. If I ever get to that kind of a level I'll definitely think about switching frames!

Join the club! Unfortunately, only in Japan for now.

Hey, yeah I'm aware that left arm is an issue. I'm currently working with a coach to correct it, but it's in the context of a prior injury from when I was younger so it'll be a super slow and careful correction. Hopefully in a year I'll be much better!

Hey, thanks mate! 🙏 I would love to try a Graphite Comp someday too! This syn gut video is turning out to be a bigger (and more holistic) project so it'll be a little while before it comes out, sorry! I'll try and get it out as fast as I possibly can. If there's something you want me to explore or give thoughts on then let me know! 👍

@@11sweetspot11 Thanks man, sounds good! Would love to hear your thoughts on different tensions, and how the sensations vary. That's the main thing. And that not many, go deep into. Instead most testers barely touch instead. I say that is the main thing because of that aspect, and because we can't feel what you have tested, but the most real the explanation is, the most we can trust it and have the same experience later.

Alrighty, I'll make sure to include these details 👍 "Feel" and "performance" is my main lens for this video. P.S. I have a video coming out in over a month from now, in the last half of July, that talks about a string that you'll definitely want to try seeing your interest in gut/syn guts. I've been testing it for a loooong time, it plays just so damn unique. Stay tuned! 👍 And thanks so much for all the positive comments, I'm really glad that my videos help you out! 🙏

LMAO

I can tell it's a flexy frame, but personally I'm definitely not sensitive enough to label it a noodle. Any other racket you've come across that feels similar to this?

They have USA version

It's a 16x18. I've played with the Blade 98S before, it's a nice stick!

Your reasoning makes sense! I have no experience with K-Swiss, perhaps my next shoe. If you got a model to recommend that has a wide toe box but narrow heel fit let me know!

Haha really? That’s awesome! It is hard to give up these nicely broken in pair…