Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Wilson Hollow Core Playtest!
OK, I finally got a chance to go out and really run the new string wide open! As I mentioned in my previous post, this string has surprised me in many ways. This trend continued on the court.
Playability/Control:
This is a huge consideration for me. My game, especially when I am playing doubles, relys heavily on touch and feely shots. I was worried that the surprising stiffness of this string would hinder these shots. I was wrong. While not as good as Natural Gut or soft multi-filaments like Wilson NXT, it does perform well on soft shots. I was able to hit drop shots and short soft angles without hesitation. The strings also felt good on my slice backhand, which has an important part in my return of serve game.
Power:
For those of you who have visited Wilson's website (www.wilson.com/newstring) you see that they advertise Hollow Core as "Ultimate Comfort, Control, and Power." I did not find this string to be powerful. I strung my Babolat Pure Storm (98 sq. inches) at 63 pounds, which is a little on the tight side, but in comparison to other strings at the same tension, I did not notice any added power. I would rate the power level as average.
Spin Potential:
This was the aspect I was most curious about after I put the strings in my racquet. Since they measured so high on stiffness, I wondered if they would perform like a poly in this department. As it turns out, they do not. I did not feel like there was an increase in spin when I really whipped through the ball, like there is when I use Luxilon ALU Power for example. Like poly, there was very little to no movement of the strings during play. We will see if this continues as I play more with it. Ball fuzz does stick to the strings like it does with most non poly synthetics. For spin potential I felt they performed well, but not outstanding.
All in all I am pretty impressed with Wilson Hollow Core. It strung and performed completely different than I would have predicted by the technology. What I have found is that when Wilson rolls out a new product in this manner it is usually a good product. For them to be willing to send out free sets to dealers, and then offer up more free sets to customers makes me think they are pretty confident in the technology. I would not be surprised if they roll out some other types of Hollow Core (maybe Hollow Core Spin...) strings in the future. The only thing that would make me nervous about getting too attached to this string before it hits the market is that I imagine that with the manufacturing processes that this string goes through, it will be expensive.
My recommendation is that if you can get a free set from the website go for it! I also feel that it would perform well in a hybrid with a good polyester like Luxilon or Gamma Zo Tour. The added poly in the mains would help with the spin potential. I would also recommend trying it in the mains with a poly for added feel and touch.
There are still some things that we will have to see about this string... Durability and how well it holds tension. So far the tension has held very well. After 24 hours there has been very little tension creep to speak of.
To see how this string holds up, or to ask any questions, come by the Essential Tennis Forums and drop us a line in the Gear Review section. See you there!
Playability/Control:
This is a huge consideration for me. My game, especially when I am playing doubles, relys heavily on touch and feely shots. I was worried that the surprising stiffness of this string would hinder these shots. I was wrong. While not as good as Natural Gut or soft multi-filaments like Wilson NXT, it does perform well on soft shots. I was able to hit drop shots and short soft angles without hesitation. The strings also felt good on my slice backhand, which has an important part in my return of serve game.
Power:
For those of you who have visited Wilson's website (www.wilson.com/newstring) you see that they advertise Hollow Core as "Ultimate Comfort, Control, and Power." I did not find this string to be powerful. I strung my Babolat Pure Storm (98 sq. inches) at 63 pounds, which is a little on the tight side, but in comparison to other strings at the same tension, I did not notice any added power. I would rate the power level as average.
Spin Potential:
This was the aspect I was most curious about after I put the strings in my racquet. Since they measured so high on stiffness, I wondered if they would perform like a poly in this department. As it turns out, they do not. I did not feel like there was an increase in spin when I really whipped through the ball, like there is when I use Luxilon ALU Power for example. Like poly, there was very little to no movement of the strings during play. We will see if this continues as I play more with it. Ball fuzz does stick to the strings like it does with most non poly synthetics. For spin potential I felt they performed well, but not outstanding.
All in all I am pretty impressed with Wilson Hollow Core. It strung and performed completely different than I would have predicted by the technology. What I have found is that when Wilson rolls out a new product in this manner it is usually a good product. For them to be willing to send out free sets to dealers, and then offer up more free sets to customers makes me think they are pretty confident in the technology. I would not be surprised if they roll out some other types of Hollow Core (maybe Hollow Core Spin...) strings in the future. The only thing that would make me nervous about getting too attached to this string before it hits the market is that I imagine that with the manufacturing processes that this string goes through, it will be expensive.
My recommendation is that if you can get a free set from the website go for it! I also feel that it would perform well in a hybrid with a good polyester like Luxilon or Gamma Zo Tour. The added poly in the mains would help with the spin potential. I would also recommend trying it in the mains with a poly for added feel and touch.
There are still some things that we will have to see about this string... Durability and how well it holds tension. So far the tension has held very well. After 24 hours there has been very little tension creep to speak of.
To see how this string holds up, or to ask any questions, come by the Essential Tennis Forums and drop us a line in the Gear Review section. See you there!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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."After visiting the site I learned that the new string was called Hollow Core, and it offered the ultimate in Control, Power and Playability. Wilson has p[roduced a string that is in fact hollow on the inside. The core appears to be triangular, and it is wrapped with several multi-filaments, then it is coated to protect the fibers. Interesting... I saw that you could also register for a free set of the string while supplies last, so I had one sent to my house for further testing. Completely intrigued by this new string, I cut the strings out of my Babolat Pure Storm and replaced them with the new Hollow Core.
First Impressions:
The string is crystal colored and felt stiffer to the touch than I thought it would be. With a hollow core I figured it would be very elastic, and soft. This thought was quickly put aside when I made the first pull. The string did not strech nearly as far as I thought it would. It pulled about as far as a normal solid core synthetic would, and it felt stiffer than I thought it would.
Ease of Stringing:
The coating on the outside of the strings made the string smooth but not slippery. There was good grip and the strings slid through the grommetts and main strings with ease. There was no friction burn to make mention of. I also thought that a hollow core string would be more fragile. There was very little marking from the clamps, and no indentions were made.
After stringing the Pure Storm at 63 pounds, I put the racquet on the Diagnostic Center to check what the stringbed stiffness would be measured at. I was amazed when the result was 69/100. This is the kind of stringbed stiffness that you would expect from a polyester stringjob, not what appears to be a basic synthetic gut, much less with a hollow core! Wondering whet type of tension creep there would be I set the racquet aside for an hour and checked the stringbed stiffness again... 65/100 a slight drop, but we'll keep an eye on it throughout the day.
Thusfar these strings have defied my initial thoughts... I am really looking forward to getting out on the court this afternoon to give them a good playtest!
More to come soon!
Friday, October 24, 2008
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 18x20 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
Friday, October 10, 2008
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.
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
www.platformtennis.org
www.paddlepro.com
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
My Gut Feelings...
Over on the Essential Tennis Forums there have been several questions concerning Natural Gut. I thought that I would answer some of them here. Thanks to Phil C. in So Cal for a lot of these questions!
1) What are the most popular brands of natural gut?
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.
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. 2) What is natural gut made from?
One of the biggest myths out there is that natural gut is cat gut. The truth is that most natural gut comes from cow intestines, and some from sheep. The myth of cat gut came from the large number of cats that would hang around the string factories looking for the production leftovers.
3) Should I string higher or lower compared to my previous set of XXXX?
Natural gut is a very powerful string, so I normally recommend that people string it a couple pounds higher if they are switching from a synthetic. Most players usually find that natural gut has a softer more elastic feel to it, so we string it a little tighter to give it a stiffer feel.
4) What about playing in damp conditions?
Most of the better natural guts come with a weather coating that will protect the strings from such conditions. If you happen to get caught in a biblical rain storm you will want to keep your strings out of the rain, but this is an extreme situation.
5) How does natural gut hold its tension compared to polys and syn guts?
Natural gut holds its tension remarkably well compared to synthetic strings and much better than polys. All strings experience "tension creep" after stringing. Most synthetics will lose up to 15% of their tension within 24 hours of being strung, and they will continue to lose tension at a much slower rate. Natural gut will only lose 5-8% of its tension in the first 24 hours after stringing, but that is it. Many gut players will tell you that their gut was playing its best right before it broke.
Those are just a few of the popular questions I recieve about natural gut, by no means an exhaustive list. If you have any questions come by the forums and post a message. Ian and I are also working up a contest where you can win a set of natural gut! Stay tuned for more information on that!
