ProKennex Core1 No. 6

ProKennex Core1 No. 6 Review

By introducing its Core line-up of racquets in the spring of 2001, ProKennex blended the old - the natural flex and spring qualities of wood - with the modern - lightweight racquet design and construction. ProKennex is the only current racquet manufacturer to produce a graphite/wood composite racquet line. While not a new concept - graphite/wood composite racquets were first seen during the switch from wood to graphite and aluminum racquet construction in the 1980s - most major manufacturers had ceased to use wood in racquet construction by the 1990s.
The first player's racquet to the ProKennex Core line-up, the Core1 #6 (we shall refer to it simply as the Core 6 from here on out) continues the blend of a traditional wood core within a graphite frame, but comes without the hefty 13-14 ounce weight. If being the only mass-produced player's racquet to utilize wood in its construction wasn't enough, to further separate the Core 6 from its competition, ProKennex has included a removable (prior to stringing) bumper guard system. By removing the bumper guard (8 grams), the swingweight of the Core 6 drops 25 swingweight units from 335 to 310 (RDC). Balance is also changed from 8 points head light to 11 points head light, with and without the bumper guard, respectively. The obvious disadvantage of removing the bumper is no head protection, especially when playing on hard courts. This is less of an issue when playing on clay courts.

We hit the courts for a three-week playtest with the Core 6 to see if the inclusion of a wood core would help us capture some of the glory of when names like Laver, Smith and Borg graced the scoreboards. Here's what we found out.

With such a broad recommended tension range for the Core 6 (52-68lbs), we strung two racquets with the same 17 gauge multifilament string at different tensions. One racquet was strung at 64lbs and the other at 56lbs. For the last week of hitting, we removed the bumper guard from one of the racquets and had both racquets strung at 58lbs for a bumper/no-bumper comparison.

Groundstrokes

With its substantial static weight and swingweight measurements with and without bumper guard, the Core 6 gave our team a solid taste of what a player's stick is all about off the ground. Enjoying the feel and spin he was getting with the Core 6 was Mark. (Note: Mark did not get a chance to playtest the bumperless version of the Core 6) "The Core 6 had good control and a nice feel from the baseline," said Mark. "I was able to hit good topspin from both sides, but I hit my backhand especially well. The Core 6 doesn't have a lot of power, so I found myself going for too much and over-hitting my forehand on slower hit balls. Hard hit balls were easy to keep in play, even with an aggressive swing. I didn't slice the ball as well as I hit topspin. The racquet head seemed to go through the air too fast, and I had trouble controlling the stroke. I was able to generate a lot of spin, and when I timed my swing right, I hit some good shots."
Josh had different results with each racquet due to the differences in string tension, he said, "the first time out I hit with the racquet strung at a lower tension. The ball felt like it was bouncing off a trampoline - but not in a bad way. I was able to hit heavier balls with ease, as well as those with a significant amount of pace. I struggled when I had an opportunity to hit a sitter. The spring-like effect sent the ball well behind the baseline. With the tighter strung racquet, I was able to generate more topspin and found more control with each stroke. My shots weren't as deep compared to those hit with the looser strung racquet, but everything was more consistent. I thought the Core 6 technology was also more evident when strung at a higher tension. I definitely noticed every off-center hit in the stringbed, but never felt the resulting shock in my arm. I was comfortable hitting both forehands and backhands and had no problem swinging away with the tighter strung racquet. When hitting with the bumperless racquet, I had to work harder to get any depth on my groundstrokes. The racquet felt much more flexible without the bumper guard, and I felt like I lost some control and pace.

Wendi was very happy with the Core 6 off the ground, saying, "I don't think my forehand game has ever been better. My shots were very consistent and controlled. I was able to generate good swing speed with the heavier, bumper guard included, racquet. I think this helped me generate some of my own power. I noticed that this racquet responded well to my off-center hits, helping me stay in the rally longer and I was able to get the low shots I normally miss. The Core 6 seemed to give me good topspin on my shots. On my two-handed backhand, I experienced most of the same results except that I had to work a little harder to get the power. Without the bumper on the Core 6, I didn't experience the same success. The head was so light that it didn't feel solid or stable on my groundstrokes. It seemed almost too flexible and I lost some of the control that I really liked with the bumper."
Chris said, "after the very first rally with the Core 6, I immediately removed the string dampener that was left in the racquet by a previous playtester. The racquet feels nice and dampened as is, and with a dampener in the strings, I felt a little alienated from the ball. Without the dampener, I was getting plenty of feel with no nasty feedback. Like most of the recent Pro Kennex racquets I've hit with, the Core 6 offers a good level of comfort and gave the impression it was very arm friendly. I really liked the weight of the Core 6 with the bumper guard for groundstrokes and this definitely upped the comfort level for me. When playing against heavy hitting opponents, I was able to swing through the ball with the Core 6 without any wobble or racquet shock. I really appreciated the weight of the Core 6 when balls were hit hard and deep to my backhand. When in this situation I found I could hit a heavy slice backhand return with only a short backswing. In fact, slice backhands were a pleasure to hit with this racquet. I found good direction, weight and spin with little effort required when hitting my backhand slice. While I don't think the Core 6 did anything to improve the feel or success of my topspin groundstrokes, it didn't seem to take anything away from them, either. I felt comfortable hitting aggressively with this racquet and was never worried about a shot flying out. The Core 6 is not a powerful racquet, and I definitely felt like I was getting more out of it during the second week of the test when the strings had time to settle and drop a few pounds in tension. One of the racquets was strung a few pounds looser, and with the looser tension, the stringbed seemed to come alive and be more responsive. This is a racquet I would definitely string below mid tension range. When hitting with the Core 6 without the bumper, I really liked the balance of the racquet. The balance felt very similar to the set-up I have with my current racquets, although the Core 6 is quite a bit lighter. I think my ideal set-up for the Core 6 for groundstrokes would be to have the weight of the racquet with bumper, with the balance of the bumperless racquet."
Don immediately felt comfortable swinging the Core 6. "I liked the feel of this racquet (with bumper) from the first groundy," he said, adding, "it was heavy enough to provide stability and a solid feel, yet still retained the maneuverability I need. It has a nice, flexy upper hoop, which I like in a player's racquet. After about 30 minutes, though, I started noticing the racquet's heft and found myself struggling a bit to generate the pace and depth I needed to be competitive. Over the long haul, I preferred the non-bumper version when hitting groundstrokes. Although there was a slight drop-off in power and comfort, the increased mobility was worth it. I noticed my slice backhands didn't have as much 'stick' with the non-bumper racquet, requiring I hit through these shots more. There really wasn't a noticeable change in stability."
Score with bumper 74 Score without bumper 75

Volleys

Our team managed to put up an impressive performance with the Core 6 at net. We found the Core 6 had a lot to offer in the control department, with Wendi enjoying her volleys so much she didn't want to leave the net. Wendi said, "I found the Core 6 to offer tremendous touch and flexibility at the net. I didn't want to return to the baseline. The racquet had good stability and maneuverability. My volleys were deep, with good pace. My drop volleys were very effective and controlled. I was very confident at the net with this racquet. When I was at the net the lighter, more head light racquet proved to be a real advantage. There was great pop off the racquet, and I felt like I was getting even more feel on touch shots. I found I could play more offensively with the lighter racquet due to my ability to hit some sharper angles."
Mark would have liked a little more mass in the bumpered racquet while volleying, saying, "I thought the Core 6 lacked some stability on volleys. It felt like the ball overpowered the racquet on more than one occasion. However, I did volley effectively with the Core 6. It provided a lot of control and was very maneuverable. I could be aggressive on low balls and still keep them in the court. I was also able to hit some nice drop shots and angle volleys."
Don preferred the bumperless version of the Core 6 for volleying, saying, "like groundstrokes, the Core 6 with bumper was solid and had good pop on volleys. However, I quickly found myself late on hard hit passing shots, or when trying to maintain a rally. The non-bumper version allowed me much greater maneuverability without sacrificing much power. Control was superb, and I could hit the dropper or short angle volley at will."
Chris found a combination of stability and maneuverability at net with the Core 6. "While not the lightest of racquets, the Core 6 with bumper felt maneuverable and well balanced for volleying," said Chris, adding, "volleys felt both comfortable and stable. I found good feel on my touch volleys and managed to hit some nice angles and placement shots. Although the racquet is not powerful, the weight went a long way in helping to keep volleys deep, especially when forced to hit defensive volleys. I managed to get in plenty of doubles play during the Core 6 playtest, and I'm of the opinion that this racquet makes a fine choice for the accomplished doubles player. The bumperless racquet felt even more maneuverable at net and was a little more serve and volley friendly. The racquet still had enough mass for stability, and it was on the quick reaction and pick-up volleys that I really noticed the difference. Whenever I was rushed or stretched at the net, I felt more at home with the bumperless version. Josh really enjoyed the feel of the Core 6 at net, saying, "it was easy to maneuver, and offered a nice punch on half-volleys. The head shape felt a bit awkward at first, but deep volley winners cured the feel very quickly. I felt even more comfortable with my net game once we removed the bumper. The Core 6 was easier to maneuver and with the lighter head, and the "feel" of the ball was even more noticeable than before. While I lost depth on my grondstrokes, my volleys remained crisp, controlled and deep."
Score with bumper 77 Score without bumper 80

Serves and Overheads

Our team enjoyed serving with the Core 6, for the most part finding good placement and consistency.
Chris felt that the Core 6 was well balanced for serving, he said, "I was able to generate good wrist snap for a little extra pop on first and second serves with the bumpered Core 6. I got some nice topspin and slice, which helped me move the ball around the service box and keep my opponent honest. I felt like my serves had good weight, too. Although I wouldn't go as far as saying this racquet is a spin monster, the stringbed does grip the ball well, and spin comes easy with good stroke mechanics. On the rare occasions when I hit a flat serve, the Core 6 offered the kind of weight and feel I look for in a racquet. I found a little more racquet head speed when using the bumperless version of the Core 6. With a faster swing, I was able to generate a little more zip and spin on my serves. I was also a little more consistent on my second serves with the bumperless racquet."
Josh also enjoyed serving with the Core 6. Josh said, "this racquet felt good for serving. For the most part, I was able to move my serves successfully around the service box without sacrificing pace. I also hit consistent winners up the T, forcing my opponent to consider moving closer to the middle of the court. My second serves had a nice kick, giving me more confidence to attack with the first. This confidence also rolled over to my overheads. I didn't notice much difference on my serves. I was able to whip the racquet through much faster on my serve - due to the lighter swingweight - but the pace wasn't any better. My second serve suffered a bit without the bumper. I didn't get the same kick to the backhand side as before."
Don got plenty of hitting in with both the bumper and bumperless versions of the Core 6, he said, "I enjoyed serving with both Core 6's, but ultimately chose the bumperless version as my favorite. I found I could swing it faster, and my arm didn't fatigue as it did with the heavier, bumper-included version. Both provided excellent control and spin, while power was about the same."
Mark said he "would have liked a little more power on serves," with the bumpered version of the Core 6. Mark added, "but the control was excellent and the spin on kick serves was good. I was able to move the ball around effectively and I hit my spots with regularity. My kick serves were effective as long as I stayed aggressive."
Our 3.5 playtester, Wendi, was pleasantly surprised with the Core 6 when serving. Wendi said, "I usually lean towards a powerful serving racquet, but the bumpered version of the Core 6 was a good match for me. I think I am still trying to figure out my game and this racquet gives me the control I need to stay in it. My serves were much more consistent and controlled. I was able to serve wide as well as up the T. I did feel a little strain in my shoulder when I went for a big serve. The Core 6 (no bumper) felt lighter. I had better swing speed, which helped me get some more pace on my serves. Otherwise I felt no differences."
Score with bumper 78 Score without bumper 80

Returns of Serve

Our team found good control and feel from the Core 6 when returning serve. Josh said, "aside from feeling every off-center return, I had some success returning with the Core 6. I was able to keep backhand-slice returns low and felt comfortable when I had to block a serve as opposed to attack it. The racquet strung at a lower tension was much easier to return with, but as with my groundstrokes, I couldn't take advantage of the second serve. Depending on your opponent, changing string tension in this particular racquet may be a surprising advantage. With the bumperless racquet, control was a bit lacking with my serve returns. However, I was able to play more aggressive tennis. I even had confidence jumping on my opponent's first serve without keeping my stroke as compact as usual."
Mark also found he could be aggressive returning with the Core 6, saying, "the Core 6 let me swing away on returns with good results. It was maneuverable enough to catch up to hard serves and the low power level meant I didn't have to slow my swing down. I could also slice back serves into my body. The only time I had problems was when I became too passive and didn't swing hard enough."

"This may be the one area where I didn't experience the best results with the bumper-included racquet," said Wendi. "When I was faced with big serves, I couldn't take a full swing. I was able to block back the serves, but I didn't have as much control. I also had some difficulty returning with much pace. I had quite a few off-center hits, but they continued to stay in the court. When faced with 2nd serves my results were much better. My serve returns improved greatly without the bumper on the Core 6. I had time to take more of a full swing and actually was returning well on big serves. I felt that I could generate more power and really attack second serves."
Chris really liked the feel of the heavier, bumpered version of the Core 6 when returning, saying, "this is a solid racquet that felt good in the hand no matter what shot I went for on the return. There is enough weight for solid block and chip returns, and enough control and feel to keep drive returns from going awry. I found the weight of the Core 6 beneficial when up against a heavy hitting server, and the racquet remained stable with no harsh vibrations or racquet shock. I preferred the Core 6 with bumper here, as I found it gave me more of everything, with less effort required. Even with the bumper, the Core 6 is still 8 points head light, and I found I had plenty of time to get this racquet around on the return."
Having the opposite experience to Chris on the return was Don. Don said, "no question, the lighter (non-bumper) Core 6 was my choice when returning serves. The bumpered version proved too weighty, and I found myself late on most first serve returns."
Score with bumper 73 Score without bumper 74

Overall

Hitting with a racquet in the 12-ounce range was a refreshing change for our team. With the addition of a wood core, the Core 6 definitely had some old-school feel and we found it to be very much a control-oriented racquet. The Core 6 should really strike a cord with players who were around for the early version of graphite/wood composite racquets, many of which will now be at the point in their tennis game where they will appreciate the lighter, modern frame construction of the Core 6. However, the Core 6 is not just a racquet for classic players. Our team members with modern stroke styles (semi-western and western grips) also found the Core 6 had plenty to offer. Perhaps the biggest strength of the Core 6 is flexibility to suit a variety of playing styles. By utilizing the racquet's broad string tension range and removable bumper system, the Core 6 can be tailored to suit anyone from a serve and volley player to a baseline power player.
Score with bumper 76 Score without bumper 78