Wilson Hollow Core Playtest!

New String From Wilson!

Today I arrived at the club to find a small black box from Wilson waiting in my mailbox. Like a giddy kid on Christmas I grabbed it with great expectations! Upon opening the box I found a set of string in a very unusual package. There was no literature that came with it, only an imprint on the inside of the box that gave a website (www.wilson.com/newstring) to “fill in the hole.”

New Dunlop AeroGel 300 Tour Playtest

This week I will be doing the first of what will probably be several playtest reviews of new racquets that will be hitting the market in the coming months. Today I will be writing about my initial thoughts of the new Dunlop AeroGel 300 Tour.

This is an all new offering from Dunlop. Their 300 series of racquets have been very successful over the last several years, and with the new trend in “player” racquets bing tour models, we knew this on would be coming.

Lets start off with how this frame differs from the current AeroGel 300. First off it is a heavier frame. The current 300 weighs in at about 315 grams strung (10.5 ounces), while the new tour is about 325 grams (almost 11 ounces) strung. More importantly the swingweight of the new racquet remains very close to the standard 300. This is due to the more headlight balance of the new frame. Next is the stiffness or power of the new frame. While the standard 300 has an RA stiffness rating of 64, the tour measured at only 60. The result is a more flexible control oriented racquet, that would suit a more advanced player looking for a little more heft. The tour also features an 18×20 string pattern that gives a stiffer feel at ball contact. Technology wise the only difference seems to be the new 4D braiding in the frame. This is an update to the current M-Fil technology that is in the current line of AeroGel frames. Both frames have a 98 sq. inch headsize. That’s enough of the geeky stuff lets talk about how it plays.

Groundstrokes:
Forehands and Backhands are able to be hit with good power produced by the player, with a good amount of spin potential. Since this racquet swings at about 10 ounces you can really accelerate through the ball, allowing you to hit flat drives or really generate some topspin. I also found that the frame did very well with my slice backhand. I was able to hit the ball deep with great control. I felt that I could be very accurate off both sides.

Volleys:
For me this is where a great racquet seperates itself from the good ones. The headlight balance of this frame shines in front of the service line. It is quick and manuverable, not cumbersome in any way, reflex volleys are no problem at all. Overheads can be hit with confidence, and pace can be taken off the ball for angles with ease. Advanced doubles players will appreciate this racquet!

Serves:
As with the groundstrokes, all options are available to you on the serve. Flat serves explode off of the compact but potent sweetspot, but as I stated before, the player will have to produce the power. Again spin potential is very high with this racquet. It will handle all of the junk you can put on it. It is very quick to accelerate up to the ball.

My thoughts on this racquet is that it is a very welcome addition to the Dunlop line. It gives players looking who want a liile more power and forgiveness than the AeroGel 200. It reminds me of the Wilson [K] Blade Tour in how it hits, but the larger headsize is much more forgiving. To me Dunlop frames tend to have a more muted or soft feel to them, which I have not been a big fan of, but the AeroGel 300 Tour does not suffer from this. I would imagine that this is a result of the new 4D braiding, which gives it a stiffer feel. Overall I am very impressed with the racquet, and I think that while it doesn’t appeal to a broad spectrum of players, it will make some advanced players very happy.

Babolat Racquet Diagnostic Center Measurements:

Frame Stiffness: 60 (out of 100)

Swingweight: 301 g (10.62 ounces)

Strung Weight: 323 g (11.39 ounces)

Balance: 7 pts headlight (12.75 inches)

Update:

After speaking with the Dunlop Rep I have learned that this racquet will be available January 20, 2009

Get ready for Paddle season!

This weeks blog is going to be a little off topic, but I am writing to share with you a great sport that most of you have probably never heard of, much less played. The name of the game is Platform Tennis or as frequent players call it, “paddle.” Platform Tennis is a cold weather sport played mostly in the northeast and midwest from October through March. The sport is mostly played at private clubs, however there are a few public facilities and private courts spread around. For tennis players this is a great game to get out and play when you might not be able to get indoor court time. I started playing about 6 years ago and I quickly fell in love with the game. I’m sure that Ian would say the same about when he started playing.

The game is thought to be first invented by two men in Scarsdale, New York in 1928. James Cogswell and Fessenden Blanchard were looking for an acceptable alternative to playing tennis outdoors in the winter. They constructed a wooden platform that would allow them to play deck tennis on most days. Eventually they decided to build fences around the platform to eliminate ball chasing. Soon after that they began to play the ball off of the fences and modern platform tennis was conceived.

Today platform tennis is played on an elevated aluminum deck that is about 25% the size of a tennis court (60′ x 30′ total). The court itself is about 1/3 the size of a tennis court (44′ x 20′) complete with a lower net. Tennis players will feel like giants on the little court! The deck is elevated and usually enclosed so that a heating system can be installed under the court to melt away snow and ice from the aggregate playing surface. This allows you to play the game in nearly all conditions, except rain which weighs down the ball. Around the playing surface there are 12 foot high fences that are made of a chicken wire like fencing. The fences are pulled taut so the ball can spring off of them. unlike racquetball and squash, the ball must first land inside the court before it is played off the fencing. In most players opinion, this is what makes platform tennis such a fun sport. It is extremely difficult to overpower an opponent, and seasoned players will use more touch and placement to win points.

Now let’s talk equipment, after all this is a gear review… The ball too is different from a standard tennis ball. Unlike a tennis ball a platform ball is smaller (2.5″ diameter), solid, spongy, and is covered in orange or yellow felt. The paddles are about 18″ long and are drilled with holes to make them more aerodynamic. The face of the paddle is rough to help with imparting spin on the ball. The smaller paddle, smaller court, and slower ball makes the game very quick to pick-up for beginners, but it takes years to learn the ropes of high level play.

Game play is similar to tennis but there are different strategies that come into play. Platform tennis is predominantly a doubles game. There are 2 major differences in gameplay in doubles. The first is that you only get one serve rather than two. The second is that serves that hit the top of the net and land in are in play, not a let or re-serve. In singles play you still get two serves, but the net ball rule still applies. Because of the small size of the court, a winning lob is a rarity, thus there is a big emphasis on getting to the net. You also want to be sure to get right on top of the net. Because of the heavier ball, it is very tough to dig out a low ball at your feet, so get the ball before it drops too low. Tennis players will have to train themselves that just because the ball gets past you, the point is not over, you can still play the ball off the screens.

True “paddle” players will be out when it is bone chilling outside. As the temperature drops the level of play rises, as the ball becomes harder, and points become longer. When it is more mild outside the balls will fly all over the place, and points will be lost more often than won. And when you get out there and play you won’t be cold for long because of the perpetual movement required. Most seasoned players will tell you to dress in layers so you can shed clothing as you play. Under Armour is very popular among paddle players because it is very lightweight, keeps you warm, and it is easy to move around in.

I highly recommend that if you are in a place that has platform tennis courts that you give the game a try, especially if you play tennis. Racquetball and squash players will also enjoy it. Even if you are not a racquet sport player this is a great sport to learn, and a great way to get some exercise in the cold.

Check out these platform tennis sites for more information:
www.platformtennis.org
www.paddlepro.com

My Gut Feelings…

The biggest name in natural gut is Babolat. They are also the best. Wilson gut is also good because Babolat makes it for them. Another great brand for natural gut is Bow Brand. They are less known and not as largly distributed, but they make a quality product. There are several other “value” guts out there, but most of them area significant drop off from the big boys.