My Adidas	03/27/2009 - 6:35 PM

Whenever we run shoe reviews, we try to impress upon readers that appearance should not be a factor. A smart player looks at a shoe as a piece of equipment, not a fashion statement. Fit and performance should trump any style concerns. A shoe can look great, but if it lacks adequate support or has a poor cushioning, it’s best saved for casual wear.

But if clothes make the man, or woman, it’s hard not to be swayed somewhat by style. When we do racquet reviews, we have the manufacturers send us blacked-out frames so playtesters aren’t influenced by the cosmetics. Unfortunately, that’s not possible when we evaluate shoes. I always wonder whether our weartesters can stay totally objective. It’s pretty rare to see somebody in a sporting goods store admiring a shoe’s flexpoint. Buyers tend to gravitate towards a particular model because of the way it looks. Once it satisfies the eyeball test, then they move on to whether they could actually play in them. 

That’s why the most finicky shoe aficionados will go so far as to actually design their own styles. Nike was the first company I noticed with this practice, offering it on its website for their running and basketball shoes. Adidas has followed suit with the aptly titled miadidas.com. Not to be confused with Run-DMC song, it’s a website where you can take a base model of various Adidas shoes and basically go crazy.

One of the lines you can create with is the Barricade. For years it has been one of the more dependable high-performance tennis shoes, a staple on the pro tours (the Barricade II is still my favorite). As long as you can manage the weight, the Barricade is a definite asset for your feet. I’ve usually been satisfied with the color schemes, although it’s nice to have complete control. It’s not cheap ($140), but it does let you customize your shoe beyond just the appearance. You can choose the width, type of a sockliner, a hard court or all-court outsole, and even get different sizes for each foot, something many players struggle with. 

Another shoe with a rich tennis history you can design is the Stan Smith. Now I would never advise playing competitively with “Stans” anymore, because it has basically no support features. But they’re pretty cool. And when you’re off the court, that’s something to consider. 

Mail's In	03/19/2009 - 5:20 PM

Hi Jon. Currently hitting with Pro Kennex's Redondo mid racquet and quite happy with it. But I can't stop looking at new frames anyway. Played for many years with the old Prince graphite and I'm considering a demo of the EXO3 version for that reason. Prefer the "old fashioned" traditional softness of graphite and control over power.

Regards,

Ken

Ken,

You’ll definitely want to take the EXO3 Graphite out for a spin. It’s not exactly like the original, but it plays closer to it than most of the recent Graphite updates. The racquet comes standard with the Port inserts, which gives it that forgiving and deadened O3 response. But if you really like a traditional feeling stick, try it out with the Hole inserts, which your pro shop should have available. It’s essentially like playing with standard grommets so there’s more feedback at contact.

Another frame to consider is the Babolat Pure Storm Limited. It definitely has the soft, old-fashioned feel you’re looking for, with a heavy emphasis on control over power. If you’re an adept shot-maker, and like to play with touch and angles, you’ll have a lot of fun with this racquet. It has a dense 18-by-20 string pattern in a 95 square-inch head, which won’t give you the spin potential of the more open Graphite models. But if you don’t need help in that department, or it’s not a priority, the racquet is worth checking out. 

I play with a Wilson [K] Blade 98. I'm looking to string it with a Luxilon Alu Power and Tecnifibre X-One Biphase hybrid. Any recommendations on which to string in the mains and which in the crosses?

Drazen

Drazen,

Have you been talking with my stringer? That’s a combination I use frequently, although in a [K] Blade Tour, which is heavier than your frame and has 93 square-inch head. With it’s small face and 18-by-20 string pattern, I prefer to put the much more forgiving Biphase in the mains to soften the stringbed and increase comfort. Since the mains are generally the ones that break, it’s not as durable with the Luxilon in the crosses. But the string job has a decent lifespan and I’m forced to re-string before the racquet loses too much tension.

With your slightly bigger head size, your strings will have more room to move and therefore can break quicker with my setup. So using Luxilon in the mains might be a better choice if you’re a frequent string breaker. Also, it feels a little stiffer with this configuration, which some players prefer. (From what I hear, it’s the more popular hybrid arrangement on the pro tours). In either case, it’s usually a good idea to string the Luxilon several pounds looser than the Biphase since it’s a much more rigid string.

Hi, I've seen that the new Adidas racquets now are available. I'm curious if any pros are about to start using these. Do you have any info? Best regards

Erik

Erik,

When I last spoke to an Adidas representative about a month ago, the company had yet to sign a pro to use one of its new racquets. But it’s definitely something they want to do soon as it adds to the credibility of the line. When it was first announced that the trefoil was making a comeback, it was widely speculated that Novak Djokovic was going to become the signature endorser. His contract was up with Wilson and he was already wearing Adidas clothes. It may not have been anything more than a rumor, since Djokovic signed a lucrative deal with Head, which was his racquet of choice as a junior.

If a pro is going to use an Adidas racquet, it will most likely be the Barricade Tour. And just because you don’t see it on the tour yet, doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. After not producing racquets for nearly two decades, it’s a pretty good comeback effort. The racquet is holds its own from all parts of the court and has a nice level of stability. I felt the Tour played a bit like a heavier, more controllable Pure Drive. 

What A Croc	03/13/2009 - 9:00 AM

From time to time at The Pro Shop we’ve had guest bloggers stop by to offer their assessments of some of the newest gear on the market. Ed McGrogan is no stranger to frequent visitors of this website, but this is his first time contributing to this space. Welcome, Ed. Besides being well-versed in the pro game, Ed is an avid recreational player. Recently, he took the Lacoste Repel shoes out for a test run and came back with the following review:

For nearly a century now, French clothing company Lacoste has been closely linked to tennis. The company’s founder, Rene Lacoste, won 10 major singles titles, and was part of the “Four Musketeers,” a French foursome that dominated the sport during the 1920s. Lacoste-branded shirts, identifiable by their green crocodile logo, have been worn by some of the world’s most famous tennis players, including Guy Forget, Henri Leconte, and Andy Roddick. And the company has created two of the most unique tennis racquets of their time: In 1963, Lacoste designed the first steel racquet (which was distributed in the U.S. by Wilson); 25 years later, Lacoste patented the “Equijet” racquet, whose head resembles the look of a guitar.

Lacoste’s history of tennis shoes isn’t quite as memorable. Footwear is scarcely mentioned in the company’s exhaustive timeline, and many of today’s prominent Lacoste’s athletes – Roddick, Richard Gasquet, Alize Cornet, to name a few – wear other brands of shoes. That may be why I was struck when I saw Michael Llodra, a fine serve-and-volleyer consistently ranked in the ATP’s Top 40, wearing a pair of Lacoste Repels at a French Davis Cup tie last year.

Visually, I liked what I saw. The Repel has honeycomb-shaped sidewalls on its upper, similar to the Nike Air Max Breathe Cage II, and an oversized croc stamped on the lower part of the shoe. No doubt, it is an attractive piece of footwear. But from a practical point of view, I had some questions. Foremost was the shoe’s support. The Repel appeared very low to the ground without much cushioning, and looked more like a casual, walking shoe. Was it truly fit for tennis?

I’d needed a new pair of tennis shoes for some time, so I decided to give the Repel a try, especially when I saw their newest color schemes for 2009. (Call me crazy, but I really liked how the green and black pair looked.) They looked even sharper in person.

Before I took the shoes for a ride on my local clay court, Jon Levey, TENNIS Senior Editor and shoe savant, got his hands on them. He immediately raised an eyebrow when checking their flex point. The Repel folds right in half, confirming my earlier suspicions about their arch support.

While arch support is not ideal, there is ample support throughout the rest of the Repel. The midfoot is adequately cushioned (note the French “Absorption de Shock” on the heel), and the forefoot benefits from even weight distribution. This made for a shoe that felt both secure on the court and light on my feet.

The Repel is also a very breathable shoe, with vents near the toe and aerated sides (which are supported by the honeycomb-shaped cage). It’s also very true to its size – after playing just one match, the shoes were completely broken-in. These features made for a very comfortable shoe that I’ve enjoyed playing with.

Of great importance to tennis shoes is their stability on the court. In my case, I tested the Repels on an indoor clay court, which can bog down some shoes. But the Repel did a nice job on quick turns and slides – I never felt like I lost control with them at any point. If I could only say the same about my racquet.

So is the Repel truly fit for tennis? I’m still holding out on a long-term answer, because of the Repel’s minimal arch support. Time will tell. But in the short term, I’ve been pleased with Lacoste’s newest offering. The Repel is one of the more comfortable shoes I’ve played in, and performance hasn’t been sacrificed for appearance, despite its stylish look. And I’m not just saying that: On my second go-around with the Repel, my league opponent stopped to ask me where he could get a pair of his own.

Racquet Attack	03/06/2009 - 3:46 PM

It’s that time of year again. For those of us in the colder climes there’s a gradual thawing in the air bringing the promise of warmer temperatures. The clocks get pushed forward, a crippling evening for those short on sleep, but the extra sunlight is a welcome result. Yes, we’re creeping ever closer to Spring. Soon we’ll be able to take our games out from under the harsh, flickering fluorescent bulbs of indoor venues and relocate them to the more pleasant confines of natural light. Perhaps the move is purely symbolic, but for many it’s the start of a new tennis season.

This is also the occasion when we make our tennis resolutions. We’ll cut down on unforced errors, attack net more, incorporate a slice backhand, or finally master that kick serve. Those looking for an entirely fresh start may even decide now is the time to get a new racquet. If you need help deciding, in the April issue of TENNIS we reviewed 15 of the latest models in our Spring Racquet Guide, which you can also find here. Below are evaluations of three racquets you’ll only see on this website.

I’m curious, are many of you in the market for a new racquet? If yes, let me know which of this season’s sticks are you’re excited to read about it and potentially take for a test drive.

Dunlop 4D 5Hundred

Price: $179
Head Size: 100 sq. in.
Length: 27 in.
Weight: 10.3 oz. (standard); 11.1 oz. (Tour)
Flexibility: Stiff (standard); Very stiff (Tour)
Balance: 1/10 in. head heavy (standard); 2/5 in. head light (Tour)
Swingweight: 285 (standard); 315 (Tour)
Ideal swing: Medium to long (standard); Long (Tour)
NTRP: 3.0-4.5 (standard); 4.0-7.0
Compare to: Dunlop Aerogel 5Hundred

How It Tested: There’s nothing overly subtle about the 4D 5Hundred. If you really like to crack your serves and go after your ground strokes, it has a lot to offer. The low swingweight on the standard model makes it easy to generate a lot of racquet head speed, and when combined with the open string pattern (16-by-18) it’s very inviting for putting spin on the ball. The racquet has a touch more weight in the head than it’s predecessor giving it a bit more juice, while still maintaining a reasonable level of control. The balance also helps with stability as does the 4D Braiding, strong aluminum pieces placed at four strategic spots on the face to prevent twisting. With almost an ounce more in weight, the Tour version provides more stability and absorbs more shock than the standard, something that appealed to the more advanced playtesters. Some felt, though, that the stiffness and power of the frame took away from their ability to hit touch shots.

Playtester Comments: “Could hit deep without a ton of effort”; “Able to get more pop off my serve”; “Struggled to control angled shots.”

Bottom Line: If your style is to stand at the baseline and let it rip, you’ll want to take this racquet for a spin.

Prince EXO3 Rebel Team

Price: $180
Head Size: 95 sq. in.
Length: 27 in.
Weight: 10.6 oz
Flexibility: Flexible
Balance: 1/10 in. head light
Swingweight: 315
Ideal swing: Medium to long
NTRP: 3.5-5.0
Compare to: N/A

How it tested: The Rebel Team is a much lighter, more user-friendly version of the new standard Rebel. In fact many of our playtesters, even highly skilled ones, found it to be more to their liking than its heavier namesake. It has the same midsize head and dense (18-by-20) string pattern for a nice measure of control, but the more manageable weight allowed for greater swing speed, giving it a good deal of pop on ground strokes and serves. With the tight pattern, though, it can be a little challenging to put spin on the ball, so players won’t get much help in that department. The nearly even balance gives the frame more substance at contact than you would expect from a relatively lightweight racquet with a smallish head size. That comes in handy at net where playtesters found a solid response, making the Rebel Team an all-court performer.

Playtester comments: “When needed, you can really generate an awesome amount of power”; “Minimal loss of stability on off-center shots”; “Good base for customizing”; “Difficult to generate spin on serves.”

Bottom line: Has everything for the talented junior who’s not quite ready for the demands of a heavy player’s frame.

Yonex RQiS 1 Tour XL 100

Price: $230
Head Size: 100 sq. in.
Length: 27 in.
Weight: 10 oz.
Flexibility: Firm
Balance: 3/10 in. head heavy
Swingweight: 295
Ideal swing: Medium to long
NTRP: 3.0-4.0
Compare to: RQiS 2 Tour

How it tested: The Aero Shape technology in the RQiS 1 Tour XL 100 gives the frame a thicker profile in the head and a thinner, more flexible shaft to promote better power without sacrificing any spin or control. Playtesters certainly found a high level of power with this racquet, and a comfortable response on shots hit in the sweet spot. Serving was particularly noteworthy as many testers felt they could crack huge bombs with this stick. Putting a decent amount of spin on your shots was also not a problem, but control from the baseline wasn’t quite as reliable. Volleys, on the other hand, were much more dependable and drew the highest praise. At exactly 10 ounces it’s lightweight and easy to handle, yet the head heavy balance gives the racquet plenty of backbone. If you make contact off-center there can be a bit of twisting, but otherwise it’s not a problem.

Playtester comments: “Easy to play with”; “Large sweet spot with a comfy feel”; “More stability at net than the baseline”; “Couldn’t anticipate what my shots were going to do at the baseline.”

Bottom line: Control could be better, but intermediate doubles players will really like serving and volleying with this frame.