Comments: Very nice racquet. It felt good right away, without any weight adjustments. It has a very, very smooth feeling, sort of old school, that I like. It compares well to my Volkl Powerbridge 10 mid, which I usually play with. It was super easy to mix flat shots with aggressive topspin, and slices were actually easier than with the Volkl. Overall I'm very impressed and would definitely recommend it.
From: Bengt, 6/12
String type and tension: Babolat Pro Hurricane 53lbs
Headsize: 99
NTRP Rating: 4.5

Comments: This is an incredible racquet! For the first few times I hit with it, the racquet felt like it had less power than the Wilson Pro Staff 85. Now that I have adjusted, it's easy to generate power. The thin beam and solid, wood-like feel are unmatched by other modern racquets. It is the best volleying racquet I have hit with. My slices are excellent. It feels much more flexible in the upper hoop than the rest of the racquet. If you tend to hit in the upper part of the string bed, you can lose a ton of power. (Much in the same way a wood racquet feels softer and more flexible in the upper hoop than the rest of the racquet.
From: Anon, 4/12

Comments: Felt very solid, could hit flat shots through and slices were very good. Downside is that it has very small sweet spot just like K6.1 tour 90 and could not produce top spin as expected. Touch shots were not good either. I like k6.1 tour 90 better. This racquet is not my choice.
From: Ekan, 4/12

Comments: I really liked this racquet. I switched from Wilson Kfactor 90, and I can say that the X-Blue is easier to cut the air and lighter, making it more friendly to the player. I found it a little vibration, but nothing that does not work using a dampener. In all, an excellent choice for advanced players seeking a racquet a little less demanding than Roger Federer's racket.
From: Carlos, 2/12

Comments: Well, what a let down. I had high hopes. Like players on TW who've tried many different frames, I've settled on the Head Pro Tour 630/PT57A. (But if I was going to buy a new of the shelf frame, the Youtek Prestiges are pretty nice too). When I heard about the Donnays I was told they would be as close to pro stock as you can buy off the shelf. I thought great, I always liked Donnay, and it was nice to have them back and the specs of the frames seemed fairly impressive. Since they would be much more readily available than the PT57, I was definitely interested. SO, heres my review: it just feels off. I like the PT57 because its a bit on the flexier side, but it feels right, or it flexes in the right places. The Donnay just feels soft. The PT57 has plenty of power while the Donnay is quite a bit underpowered. Now in your basic easy rallying you may not notice much difference, but when you really go to crack the ball, I was disappointed. Now when I say it feels soft, well I mean it felt like I was hitting with a flat ball or had a broken string. Of course I let others try it and they all did agree it felt different. I will agree it felt great on volleys, but thats about it. The other weird thing was that, when hitting, the swing weight felt weird, not sure how to describe is as I had weighted and balanced it, similar to my other rackets, but it felt head heavy when hitting. I couldn't accelerate the racquet as fast, it was like I was swinging through water. So that, coupled with the way the racquet flexed and the way the ball felt off the strings, just not right. I think its the Xenecore, like there's just too much mass in the head. Oh and of course the tiny sweetspot, it's no bigger than the size of a ball. Normally your have to hit near the frame to notice a significant difference. this frame was almost the complete opposite. I would notice when I WOULD hit the dead center of the sweet spot. Also I felt a lack of spin. I know this is an 18x20 which I prefer, but I can usually generate enough spin with 18x20, here somehow it managed to counter that. I like the thin beam, and the way the racket feels in the hand,but it lacks too much power for me. I was losing about 15mph on my serve. I could get use to the feel but I'd like a crisper feel. Tuning was cool, but I tune my rackets anyway, so it didn't really matter much to me. I was a little dismayed that I HAD to use the 10gm butt cap weight just to get the correct weight and balance. It seems kind of stupid to HAVE to use a "tuning" item to in fact "FIX" the weight and balance. Just a bummer, looked to have promise, I think they'd have been better off just making Pro-Ones. So close.... yet So very far.
From: Dan, Seattle, WA, USA. 4/11
String type and tension: Big hitter Silver @ 58lbs
NTRP Rating: 5.0

Comments: I demoed this racquet extensively this past week, and here are some thoughts regarding this cool new stick.My reference racquet: Wilson KBlade Tour 93, full 17 gauge Babolat RPM Blast 17 bed at 53lbs. My playing style: Baseliner with heavy topspin and one-handed backhand.

The Good:

• This racquet is gorgeous, love at first sight. The paint job is simple but classy; it exudes an air of confident and seriousness -- very fitting for a player racquet.
• The thin beam and the head-light balance make this one of the most maneuverable racquets I've ever played with. It seems that I can generate more racquet head speed with ease.
• It is much easier to access pace and spin, both topspin and backspin, with this racquet than with any other players racquets, which is a tremendous help for my one-handed backhand. Volleys are crisp and penetrating. Flat serves are powerful and while the racquet produces more spins on groundstrokes, I could not access spins on the kick or slice serves, surprisingly.
• The grommet and butt cap weight insert system is unique idea.

The bad:

• Stability and feel are the biggest issues with this racquet. Without a dampener, this racquet can kill your elbow. With a dampener the racquet feels dull and too muted.
• While the generous power help my one-handed backhand at times, it comes at a price for control during extended rallies. This racquet is a bit too wild for my taste.
• The grommet weighting system is a good idea but it needs better implementation. With the grommet insert in place, the racquet sometimes makes uncomfortable rattling noise and feel. I had to remove the insert because the rattle was too distracting. I have not tried the butt cap insert, but generally, if I wanted to add weight to the handle, I prefer the weight being inserted deep inside the handle rather than at the butt cap.
Bottom line: I really wanted to like this racquet and to support a resurgence company with cool, unique ideas and technologies. I will be one of the first to try out their next generation of racquets, but for now, Wilson KBlade Tour 93 continues to be my racquet of choice.
From: Steven, 12/10

Comments: Just demoed this racket last week - I LIKE IT!! Seemed a little hefty at first, but after a few hits, felt great! I am used to "heavier" rackets, so if you don't like some heft skip this one. I found it to be very maneuverable with lots of control and placement. I also loved the serving with it. I think it's because the large sweet spot on these rackets allow you to hit higher on the string bed. I usually play with the "Nadal" racket. I was immediately hitting better, harder and more solid serves with this racket, and of course it's very solid at net. The hybrid mix string job is weird and the strings felt kind of boardy. I would put RPM Blast or Babolat Hurricane Pro on this at midweight to start. Sweet racket, I may have to buy one - and I probably will, except I'm waiting to try the "Dark Red" although it seems a little light. The X-Black is similar to this one, but a little too heavy for me. And, the fit and finish are fantastic - beautiful sticks, just terribly expensive!!
From: Terry, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 12/10
String type and tension: Babolat Hurricane Pro Tour
Headsize: 100 (AeroPro GT - latest Rafa racket)

Comments: I really wanted to love this racquet given its hype and the price, but the only thing I love is the cosmetic. I don't like playing with a dampener and without one the racquet is murder on the arm. With a dampener I am still not impressed. The frame is thin and I believe that it may swing faster than the thicker frames, but it feels too unstable especially on serve if the ball hits the strings just below the top of the frame. The xenecore material is too powerful for my taste. My groundstrokes, usually reliable, are not so when I use this stick. The volleys are a little better. It does have the feel of an old school racquet based on the opinion of some of my friends who are old enough to have played with wood racquets. Your experience may vary but I think for more than $250.00 a racquet should offer a lot more and feel a lot better. I hope it grows on me over the next few weeks.
From: Steve, Chicago, IL, USA. 11/10
String type and tension: Babolat RPM Blast 17, 55-60
Headsize: 94
NTRP Rating: 4.5-5

Comments: This is my new racket of choice; my main stick prior was the Head PT57/Pro Tour 630 (among others such as the Prestige 600/trysis 300, Tkg 237.2, Donnay Pro one, head radical Twintube MP) this Racket is the perfect blend, just right amount of flex (black 94 had too much for me) good plow through, it has a really solid feel, in some ways kind of like a wooden racket, it's like that old school feel to a certain degree in a modern package, with more power for the modern game (try stringing a poly in a wooden racket and you'll know what I mean!) I use a western grip and a get plenty of spin but even better slice/drop shots!! I give it a 9.5/10, if they make a 90" I'd give THAT a 10!!
From: Jim, San Jose, CA, USA, 11/10
Solinco Tour Bite 17: 61lbs