Racquet Playtest Comparison:

About the play testerAbout the racquets

Name: TripleB on the Talk Tennis message boards

Playing Level: 4.5

Regular racquet, string & tension: Prince Original Graphite Mid; Luxilon Big Banger ALU Power 16L mains at 57 pounds and Prince Synthetic Gut 16 with Duraflex crosses at 56 pounds.

Tell us about your game: All court player; full western forehand grip; two-handed backhand; heavy topspin and slice from both sides; medium length strokes; fast swing speed.

Power

Babolat Drive Z-Tour: The power of the Drive Z-Tour was a little more than I was expecting from such a light racquet. The Drive Z plays a little heavier than the specs indicate which makes it feel as if there is more mass coming through the hitting zone than one would anticipate. I was able to take short balls and really rip through them, putting groundstrokes, especially backhands, away with great confidence. At net, the power was almost perfect which allowed me to put volleys away with authority into any corner I wished. When it came to serves I felt like I could really go after my serves without sacrificing much control. However, if I wanted to serve bombs like I got with the Pro Kennex, I had to do more of the work with this racquet. I felt as though the power level allowed me to do a lot with my returns. I could slice the ball deep, hit topspins down the line or crosscourt, and really drive the ball with good pace because of the power level of this racquet. Overall, this racquet is a good compromise between the overly powerful Pro Kennex and the slightly underpowered (for the control offered) Fischer.

Fischer Pro Impact FT: The power of the Fischer is about what I was expecting when I first looked at the weight and balance of this racquet. There didn't seem to be a lot of mass behind the ball to really plough through groundstrokes, but the racquet was light enough so I could really get the racquet head moving. Control and power on groundstrokes were about equal with this racquet but unfortunately neither was very high. Although the specs would tell you different, this racquet seemed very stiff compared to the other two racquets in this playtest and this stiff feel seemed to rob it of any extra power that I was hoping to get. This was extremely noticeable on service returns in which I didn't have a lot of time to prepare because I couldn't just stick the racquet out, as with the Babolat, and expect to get a deep return. Power on serves was fair but it was the least of the group and again the stiffness of the racquet really made it seem like I was working hard for every mph I could get on my serve. At the net I felt like I had to use accuracy to win points instead of overpowering the volleys. Once again, though, the stiffness of the racquet made touch shots at net almost impossible.

Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15: I would describe the power of this racquet as the "Pure Drive Plus on steroids." The way the ball came off the face of the racquet seemed eerily similar to the Pure Drive Plus in two ways: 1) when I went for topspin I had to swing all out just to get the ball deep in the court, and 2) when I went for the flat ball winner, I had to let up and almost baby the ball into the court or else I would find the ball landing 6 feet out. This racquet just had an overabundance of power when trying to take the ball on the rise or trying to hit winners off short balls. However, when I was serving, I absolutely loved this racquet. I was hitting some of the biggest bombs I've ever hit, to all areas of the service box, by just using a simple and controlled motion. If I could serve with this racquet and then switch over to my POG mid after I served I might actually win a match or two at the 5.0 level. Returning serve was not quite as enjoyable since the racquet was just too powerful to be real aggressive, even when given plenty of time to take a good rip at the ball. At the net the power was just too overwhelming to feel any confidence trying to put balls away into the corners. Drop volleys only dropped once they were about 2 feet wide.

Control

Babolat Drive Z-Tour: The control I had with the Babolat frame seemed to be very inconsistent when it came to groundstrokes. I found that my control when moving the ball from side to side was very good but I was never comfortable with the depth I was getting. I would feel as though I made the exact same swing on two balls and one would land right at the baseline and the other would land 5 feet short. With the racquets I'm currently using (POG Mid, Rossignol F-200 Carbon, and ProStaff Original 85) I'm used to having pinpoint depth control but with the Z-Tour the consistency was just never there. Control on serves was above average and with the pop I was getting I was able to hit some nice service winners. I seemed to have the most success with the Z-Tour when serving up the T as opposed to out wide. When returning I loved the power and control combination I got when trying to hit deep and crosscourt. It seemed to be a perfect power/control match for this type of return. Control on volleys seemed above average when I had time to prepare but on quick exchanges at the net in doubles I had problems getting the racquet into position fast enough. In singles I could effectively aim the ball to the deep corners of the court very well and have the ball land exactly where I wanted most of the time.

Fischer Pro Impact FT: I found that the control was slightly below average from all areas of the court except when serving. The stiff feel from the racquet made control on groundstrokes and volleys feel slightly less than adequate for my type of game. Since I couldn't really feel the ball on the strings to know how it was going to come off, I felt like I had to try and guide the ball to the direction of the court I wanted. I couldn't swing all out and still expect to have the ball land within two feet of the line I was aiming. As strange as it sounds, I felt like I was punished for preparing early. If I tried going crosscourt for a sharp angle I was usually way out in front and pulled the ball wide. If I went down the line I seemed to hold the shot too long and the ball would sail wide by a foot or so. This was definitely the case when trying to hit offensive return of serves where I eventually had to be content with slicing the ball down the line or angling it crosscourt. The stiff feel, little power, poor touch, and below average control at the net made me refuse to move forward to try and finish off points.

Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15: The control with the Ionic Ki-15 was the worse I've found in a racquet since I tried an oversized longbody Prince racquet back in the early Ô90s. I think I could have more control with my Prince Original Graphite Mid strung at 25 pounds than I did with this racquet. The overabundance of power came into play again when I started looking at the control I was able to achieve with this racquet. I was never able to control the power of this racquet enough to think anything on my groundstrokes other than, "get the ball to left side of the court" or "get the ball to the right side of the court." As funny as that sounds, that was my thought process using this racquet. I was able to use the spin potential of this racquet to create topspin to bring the ball down but when trying to guide the ball from side to side I found it almost impossible. Again, the power was too much for me to ever get comfortable up at the net so I usually stayed glued to the baseline. I felt like I played extremely defensive with this racquet.

Maneuverability

Babolat Drive Z-Tour: Overall the Babolat had decent maneuverability. I found the best maneuverability coming at the baseline where I never felt out of position because I always knew I could whip my forehand at the last second if I needed to do so. On the serve I had a little trouble "snapping" the racquet to get that extreme pop I had with the Pro Kennex. When venturing to the net, I found maneuverability similar to what I get with my POG midÉa little slow on quick exchanges. Picking up balls at my feet or returning serves that were out wide were a little difficult and at times I had problems really getting the racquet head moving through the ball on my serve. I believe this is one of the effects of having the Babolat being evenly balanced.

Fischer Pro Impact FT: The Fischer was really the only one of the three that felt heavier than the indicated weight. I would say that this racquet plays like it has a swingweight of around 325 as opposed to the 305 shown in the specs. It seemed pretty slow on both sides when hitting groundstrokes and extremely slow once I ventured to the net. The maneuverability of the racquet on serves was not quite as noticeable, and in fact, it was welcomed because it seemed as though I was getting more weight moving through the ball. On returns I felt as though I could really be aggressive off the backhand side (my stronger side) but I still found myself having problems getting the racquet around on the forehand side.

Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15: I know the phrase "light as a feather" is overused but that's exactly how this racquet feels. The maneuverability of this racquet is probably the best of any racquet I've tried in many, many years. It doesn't matter if you are at the net or pounding out groundstrokes from the baseline, you can get this racquet in the proper position with very little effort or time. Returning wide serves was not a problem since I was able to whip the racquet with such ease. If you are looking for a racquet to be lazy with then this might just be perfect for you. Unfortunately I found myself becoming more and more lazy with my groundstrokes because I knew that I didn't have get the racquet back as quickly as with my Prince Original Graphite Mid or any of the other racquets in this playtest. Because of the lightness of the racquet I frequently miss-hit many returns because I was swinging the racquet through the hitting zone too quickly.

Stability

Babolat Drive Z-Tour: The stability the Babolat offered is very comparable to the stability offered in the rest of Babolat's line of "control" oriented racquets. A very solid feeling racquet that reminds me of the stability that the Pure Control offers and feels almost exactly like the Pure Control Zylon. There isn't much twisting with the serve, very little off the ground, and absolutely none at the net. Stability is somewhat lessoned on balls hit towards the top of the stringbed but no more than other racquets I've tested in the past. I think that the Drive Z-Tour is basically the Pure Control Zylon in a beefier package.

Fischer Pro Impact FT: When it comes to the stability of the Fischer, it's as if it is two racquets in one. If you hit the sweetspot then the stability is quite good and gives a solid feel. If you miss the sweetspot, the racquet is twisting out of control. For me I seemed to get the later more often therefore the stability score reflects that. I found the lack of stability most noticeable at the net when I had to react quickly to a volley or when I was stretched wide from a powerful serve on my returns. Being late on the volley caused me to miss the sweetspot, which lead to very little control, causing either an easy sitter for my opponent or a wide ball on my part.

Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15: As far as stability goes, this has to be the worst racquet I have ever tried. It seemed as though the racquet had a sweetspot the size of a quarter and if you missed it, the racquet was so light that it had no mass to keep it stable. The stability was poor on serves, lousy on returns, horrible on volleys, and atrocious on groundstrokes. Other than that it wasn't too bad.

Comfort

Babolat Drive Z-Tour: Comfort with the Z-Tour seemed to be at a level quite a bit above the other two racquets in this playtest. It was the only racquet that seemed to "pocket" the ball and absorb most of the shock. I'm not sure if it is because of the Woofer system but it's a feel that is common throughout the Pure Control line of racquets. At times, especially with balls hit near the top of the frame, the response feels a little on the dead side but the comfort is not sacrificed a great deal. The higher comfort level really came through on volleys where the ball seemed to dwell on the strings just that extra split second so I could guide the ball to the open court.

Fischer Pro Impact FT: Due to the "stiffer than the 66 rating would indicate" flex of this racquet, comfort for the FT was miserable. Every shot, whether I was at the net or at the baseline, felt as though I was trying to hit the ball with a piece of wood that sent shock waves all the way up my arm. On a positive note, the comfort of the Impact FT was consistent whether serving, at the net, or returning serves. I always knew how the ball was going to feel when it came off the strings Ð horrible.

Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15: When I hit the sweetspot (remember it's the size of a quarter) the ride was pretty comfortable but once you moved out of that sweetspot the comfort was unbearable. At least with the Fischer you always knew how the ball was going to feel. With the Pro Kennex I was surprised at how much difference there was from when I found the sweetspot to when I missed that spot by a small margin. At net I had the same results but interestingly enough, when serving (usually my weakest area) the racquet felt pretty good. Maybe it was just because I was serving the ball so much harder than I'm used to that the bombs I hit are all that I remember.

Spin

Babolat Drive Z-Tour: Maybe it is being accustomed to the spin I get with my Prince but none of these racquets really impressed me with their spin potential. The Babolat gave me slightly above average slice but topspin was tough to come by. I really had problems when I was trying to hit a "big dipper" at the feet of my opponent or trying to gently roll the ball cross court off my backhand side. I just couldn't find a swing with the Babolat that would allow me to hit either shot consistently. Slice stayed low as long as I stayed low. Being 6'3" I love racquets that allow me to be a little upright but still have a slice that stays low. The Babolat made me really get down and drive through the ball to get the results I wanted when hitting my slice. The movement I was able to get on serves was fair, but the balls didn't have much kick on them once they hit the court.

Fischer Pro Impact FT: As with the Babolat, I had a real problem hitting balls with penetrating topspin. Seeing that this is a major part of my game plan each time I hit the court, I was not very impressed with the Fischer. Slice with the Fischer was equal to that of the Babolat but topspin was just a slightly tougher task. When I tried to hit a high kicker it seemed as though the string pattern was 20x24. I was just not able to get any kick on my second serves so basically I resorted to hitting a slower first serve which put me on the defensive to start each point.

Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15: Topspin is the one area where the Pro Kennex excelled above the other two racquets. Slice wasn't as good as with the Babolat or Fischer but I was finally able to get the tremendous topspin I'm used to getting and the kind I have to have to be successful with my game. Controlling each shot was still a problem but at least I felt like I could use the topspin that the racquet provided to stay on the offense. I finally found a racquet that offers the kind of kick I've always wanted on my serve. I was getting my serves to kick up above the shoulder of my opponent and really loved the way I was able to pull him out wide on both sides to give me an easy put away into the open court. Unfortunately, because of the lack of control with this racquet, I still had problems putting away even the weakest of returns from my opponent.

Comfort
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 76
Fischer Pro Impact FT 68
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 65
Control
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 74
Fischer Pro Impact FT 73
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 67
Groundstrokes
Fischer Pro Impact FT 73
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 72
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 68
Maneuverability
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 82
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 75
Fischer Pro Impact FT 72
Power
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 78
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 74
Fischer Pro Impact FT 71
Serve Returns
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 76
Fischer Pro Impact FT 72
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 68
Serves and Overheads
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 79
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 78
Fischer Pro Impact FT 76
Slice
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 75
Fischer Pro Impact FT 75
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 72
Stability
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 77
Fischer Pro Impact FT 68
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 62
Topspin
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 78
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 72
Fischer Pro Impact FT 71
Touch/Feel
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 71
Fischer Pro Impact FT 70
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 65
Volleys
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 78
Fischer Pro Impact FT 70
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 69
Overall
Babolat Drive Z-Tour 73
Fischer Pro Impact FT 70
Pro Kennex Ionic Ki-15 65


Playtest date: December, 2004.
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