Review: Playmate Ace Basic Ball Machine

My tennis game is admittedly a little rusty these days, so I decided what better way to work it out than on a ball machine. So I tried out the Playmate Ace Ball Machine. I won't go into detail about my poor physical conditioning, but suffice its to say its not good. But you want to hear the skinny on the machine, so here you go.

The Playmate Ace is a pretty large machine, it holds 200+ balls depending on how many you want to stuff in there. If you're using this by yourself, which I was, this means about 10-15 minutes of hitting at a steady pace non-stop. I stopped before the hopper ran out.

You can set the spin from flat to topspin to backspin, control the elevation, and you can oscillate the shots. I found the oscillation to be a bit inconsistent, but I suppose if its truly random that's to be expected. I would have personally rather had a more balanced ratio of forehands to backhands, mine seemed to be very heavy on the backhand.

You can also adjust the ball frequency and speed. It took some getting used to to balance the spin, speed and elevation to get it just where I wanted it. Full disclosure: I used this at public courts and the remote control was missing. The remote would have made this much more easily managed. However, overall its quite easy to operate, and its relatively light (a little under 100 lbs).

This is a solid machine for teaching pros and tennis facilities, and it offers nearly all the intervals, directions, elevations, and trajectories you will need. And with a few minor complaints, it worked very well for me.

Playmate Ball Machines
Playmate Ace Ball Machine
Playmate Genie Ball Machine
Playmate Portable Ball Machine
Playmate Serve Lift
Playmate Smash Ball Machine

Tennis Magazine's Best Gear for 2007

Tennis Magazine, the big dog of tennis publications, has put out its best of 2007 list. Here you go:

1. Best Game-Day Shoe: Nike Air Max Breathe Cage. Check off all the important stuff for these kicks -namely stability, cushioning, and support without suffocating your feet.

2. Best Racquet Innovation: Prince Speedport Tuning System - specifically the Prince O3 Speedport Blackand the Prince O3 Speedport Tour.- each comes with string-hole grommets that can be placed in the ports before stringing and give the racquet a stiffer string bed, a traditional feel and enhanced stability.

3. Favorite Shades: Maui Jim Breakwaterand Bolle Score- The Bolles have Competivision lenses which mute all colors except the yellow of the ball, and the Maui Jims have a hingeless frame and lightweight shield for style and comfort while playing.

4. Most Fashionable Attire: Nike Sharapova Day and Evening dresses - simply the right combination of fashion and function - and having a great player to wear them doesn't hurt either.

5. Coolest Collectors' Item: Wilson Federer Limited Edition [K] Pro Tour Super 6-Pack Tennis Bag- this is the bag Fed carried with him in 2007 while he made mincemeat out of his opponents. It has the same color scheme as his [K] Factor 6.1 Tour, and bears a print of his signature.

6. Favorite New Player Frames: Head MicroGel Extreme Proand Dunlop Aerogel 500 Tour- These two racquets look alike and were designed with certain players in mind: aggressive hitters who put a lot of pace and spin on their shots. They'll find plenty to like in either of these impressive new sticks.

7. Hottest Trend: Hybrid strings - one type of string for the mains and another for the crosses. Not new for the pros, but new for the average player, especially in how they have been packaged to be easier to put together - like the Pacific PolyGut ATP Blend Hybrid,Wilson Ultimate Duoand Wilson Champions Choice.

8. Most Innovative Shoes: Prince M Series- The M stands for "maximum" and the three shoes in the M Series all have a special emphasis: C for cushioning, V for ventilation, and S for stability (the last in men's only). With tweaks to the construction, each model offers more help in one of those three categories.

9. Best Sleeper Stick: Dunlop Aerogel 700- the Aerogel 700 has a comfortable feel and offers plenty of power without losing control.

10. Best New Accessory: Tourna Grip II- a classic, but this version is a bit more tacky and resilient than the original.

Read the full reviews at Tennis Magazine

Ame & Lulu tennis racquet bags make a statement on the court

I used to live in Brookline, MA, so I was surprised to hear about this company only since moving to Arizona.

Ame and Lulu has found a very stable niche in the sporting goods market since its inception in 2003. It began when Amye Kurson, the company visionary, was a golfer on the quest to find a trendy, fun, yet sophisticated set of golf headcovers. After searching through boutiques and pro shops, she was surprised by the lack of such sports accessories. Amye sought to put an end to the void and designed her own prototypes for golf headcovers, shoe bags, tennis bags, and yoga bags. The stylish fabric and dulcet colors have become a match for those seeking to make a fashion statement while playing in the great outdoors.

The tennis racquet bags fit two oversize racquets, have zippered pockets for your keys and a comfortable strap to throw over your shoulder. The tennis tote bags tote havce 5 compartments for all your tennis necessities plus a large Velcro compartment inside to hold your tennis racket. The totes measure 22 inches wide and 16 inches high. Plus all products are made in the USA.

They have 12 racquet bags in their collection. Shown here are two of our favorites, the Cabana Stripe and the Snorkel. They run $100, which is not inexpensive. But I think the question is whether its TOO expensive to have a truly well-made, truly stylish, truly unique racquet bag. If you're a regular club player, we say its a bargain.

In addition to tennis bags, they also have a line for golf and yoga, plus a small line of Ame and Lulu branded apparel.

Check out the full collection at AmeAndLulu.com

Wilson K-Zen

Last spring, Wilson came out with a pretty funky racket called the K-Zen. It took 3 years of R&D, and it shows. The big highlights:

1) A nanotech-engineered frame to boost strength
2) Small wings on each side of the head to add comfort
3) A new yoke adds stiffness
4) A compact center improves handling

OK...so if you ready don't care if nanotech was involved...here's the bottom line. All of these enhancements give the racket really good control and decent forgiveness - which is good for the player who might not hit it dead center every time...hmmm...who does that?...:). It runs about $190, which somewhere in the middle these days, so I think its a pretty decent deal.

BTW, it weighs 11.1 ounces and has a 103 sq inch head.

Wilson K Zen Team K Factor Tennis Racquet

Check out Wilson Sporting Goods

Thanks to Best Life for some of the details.

The Adidas Barricade

If you've checked out the kicks of Novak Djokovic, Marat Safin, Tim Henman or Fernando Verdasco, just to name a few, then you've no doubt seen the adidas Barricade.

This line is growing in prestige and popularity with each new line. The Barricade line has been an Editor's Choice from Tennis Magazine multiple times, and for good reason. The shoes have built upon one another, taking the best from one generation and adding new features. The new adidas Barricade IV is lightweight and form-fitting, like the Barricade 2; and is stable and durable like the Barricade 3. It has the adiWEAR 6 outsole, which makes it a good call for any playing surface.

If you want to learn more about the Barricade, there is a terrific slideshow about this great shoe that Tennis Warehouse has put together. It shows early product sketches and walks through the history and evolution of this popular line from adidas. Whether you're someone who is interested in trying the adidas Barricade, or a die-hard adidas Barricadefan, you'll get a lot out of this slideshow. Click here to see it.

And the Jack-O-Lantern Award Goes To...

adidas!

I love orange...and I love black...but when you put them together you look like a Halloween decoration. I don't even mind the design of the outfit, its actually quite nice. But the colors have to be rethought.

Maybe its a tie-in to Rob Zombie's remake of Halloween?

If you're interested in this outfit (they come in a bunch of colors, btw), you can get them at Tennis Warehouse.

Review of MeshTennis.com

I live in the greater Phoenix, AZ area, have for the last year. Before that I lived in Boston for 6 years, and before that I lived in PA for 25+ years. The one problem I have had once moving out of PA, and a major factor in my not playing as much as I would have liked, is not having someone to play with. Occasionally I would find someone random, usually co-workers, but with them you're not sure whether you're going to be playing a terrible player, or someone who can kick your butt - neither is too appealing. And I don't think I'll get my money's worth from joining a club right now being pretty busy with work and family.

Enter MeshTennis.com. Social networking meets local tennis. Think MySpace meets LinkedIn meets the bulletin board at your club or local courts. A very nice looking site, well-designed and easy to use and navigate. You load up your profile with your playing level, what gear you like, where you're located, etc. You can build groups or just use it to find other players, in your area, who are around your playing level. I just got a message recently, actually, to play. And as soon as the temperature dips below triple digits...I'm there!

Social networking sites like MeshTennis.com are only as strong as the number of people who are involved, and how much they engage with the system. So I encourage you to go there now, sign-up, and start playing and meeting new people!

www.meshtennis.com

Review of WorkInTennis.com

A new website has launched, sponsored by TIA (Tennis Industry Assoc.), for tennis job seekers. Its called WorkInTennis.com. Not the most inspired name, but damn clear. I'm not really looking for a job in tennis, I was curious...plus you never know what you may see of interest. The minute I got there I went into website product manager mode, a role I've played many times. The navigation is a little clunky and the UI isn't designed particularly well, its not clear the path they're looking for you to take. Examples:

- The top nav bar has the Home button second from the left. That's just weird. I've seen it to the far left, the far right, and the very top right corner. But why two in?

- On the homepage I clicked the "Make a Profile" link, taking me to another page which (1) wasn't a registration form, (2) didn't tell me what to do, and (3) had the second link to "Get Started" buried at the bottom of the page and didn't do anything to make the link stand out. During the regis. process, I went through three pages of forms...and then it went looney...errors everywhere...told me to contact the website administrator. I got the announcement for this new site from the TennisWire.org newsletter. My advice, having been burned by this many times...especially if you're not a web company...work the bugs our first. I look forward to it being fixed so I can check it out more.

Check it out here

Review of the Volkl Catapult 8 V-Engine

The Germans do several things very well: they build amazing cars, their beer is ridiculous, and apparently, they build a pretty sweet frame. This must be why Boris Becker is a vested partner and Johnny Mac swears by them.

The Catapult 8 V-Engine is not a racquet for the touring pro who has enough muscle to generate plenty of power. But, for strong women and juniors looking for a head-light racquet...this is it. It feels extremely solid and almost heavy through the shot. This is due to great balance and comfort on impact. This frame has graphite springs at the 9 and 12 head positions that compress when the ball hits. This cushions the blow and trampolines for extra power. It is a great racquet for the long, fast swing. You will be pleasantly surprised at the depth and control on your groundies. Mikey likes!!! But BEWARE!!! If you are not a smooth swing, any hiccup in the stoke will drain the power out of your shot faster than a hole in your beer stein!!

Watch for future reviews on Volkl's new DNX Genetic Power!!!

Whatsalltheracquet.com Ratings: (from 1 to 5 best)

Playability 4.5
Power 4.0
Control 4.5
Touch/Feel 4.0
Spin control 4.0
Overall 4.2

Review by Mike Wallace

Review of the PRINCE DIABLO XP Mid Plus / Oversize

For those of you who jumped off the 27+-inch player’s racquet bandwagon several years back, may be looking to jump back on after hitting this 27 ½ inch boomer. When you first pick this racquet, you can feel the extra length, but when you swing into that first groundie, your apprehension melts away. Being a player’s frame, you have to supply the pop, and if you have it, this racquet will enhance it a great deal! Looking at the frame, PRINCE is using a new version of its MORPH frame technology it brought out in the mid 90’s, squared throat to add stiffness and power and kidney shaped head to cup the ball with control. As with any extra long, groundies and serves go from big to bombs, but with more precision than earlier models. Volleys are solid, but you had better have a quiet volley motion because this will let you know when you have missed the sweetspot. Its head lightness gives it much more mobility than its ancestors. Yes, some may feel the need to choke up for a while, but if the adjustment can be made, that is when this racquet will really show its colors. Will you have to move a little more to avoid being jammed? Yes, but when has a little movement hurt a tennis player! Touch… well, not so much. The stiffness in the throat makes the drop volley pop. You had better have VERY soft hands. But this is not what this racquet is going to be known for. This is a hitter’s frame, pure and simple. If you like to punish the ball from all spots on the court, then this is your weapon.

WhatsAllTheRacquet.com Ratings: (1 – 5 best)

Playability 4.0
Power 3.5
Control 4.0
Touch/Feel 2.5
Spin control 3.0
Overall 3.5

The 28in Oversize is a great frame if you are modeling yourself after Capriati or Seles. Huge off of both sides, the Oversize packs a huge wallop, with more feel that the older extra-longs. This serve can make the Henin-Hardenne’s of the world fire like Williams, with the extra inch. This model though will not transfer over to many different styles of play, like a Babalot Pure Drive or Prince Graphite Original. If you are going to hammer from the baseline and visit the net just to shake hands with your opponent, than this is your stick. Emphasis on HAMMER!. This frame will give you enough spin to keep it in. Volleys and touch, are you kidding? If you are at net with frame, you are most likely lost. Not a “feel” frame at all. Any other game style, all-court, serve and volley, etc, you might want to look for another model to give you the help you need.

WhatsAllTheRacquet.com Ratings: (1 – 5 best)

Playability 3.5
Power 3.5
Control 4.0
Touch/Feel 2.0
Spin control 3.0
Overall 3.5

Review Contributed by Mike O'Keefe, Tennis Director, South Carolina Yacht Club

Review of the Dunlop M-Fil Series

Remember, how we talked about Babolat changing the shape of their frames. Wee, Dunlop is using softer materials in theirs to make them more forgiving. That means, we can do more stupid things and make more mistakes and it doesn’t feel like we just grabbed a live electrical wire.

The new M-Fil series is the newest version of Johnny Mac’s Max 200G. This was obviously a 20 lb. war club used only by the top players. However, when I used it, it had remarkable touch. My arm was 3 inches longer at the end of the match, but great touch. They have added fiberglass and magnesium at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions to make the frame more flexible. Along with the multi-filament technology, they have made a frame that is really easy on the arm. This tends to give the player the feel of the older wood racquets.

The series has something for everyone in either the M-Fil 2 Hundred, M-Fil 3 Hundred, or M-Fil 7 Hundred. Knock it around for a few sets. For that person that is starting to feel that slight twinge in the elbow, only a few things you can do:

1.Take some time off.
2.Stretch, exercise, and ice.
3.Try this racquet plus 1 & 2

Whatsalltheracquet.com Ratings: (from 1 to 5 best)

Playability 4.5
Power 3.5
Control 4.0
Touch/Feel 3.5
Spin control 3.5
Overall 4.0

Product Review by Mike Wallace

Review of the BABOLAT Aeropro Drive 100 and Aeropro Control 98

Over the last few years, one of the most popular frames around, both on tour and at the club has been Babolat. They have not been as mainstream as Wilson or Head. This is mainly because they don’t make racquets for the weekend warrior or Joe Country Club that you can find on a hook at Wal-Mart. They make frames for those who intend to use them in battle and for those who can sense the difference between a Wilson and a Penn ball upon contact.

These frames are no different. As the name suggests, the Aeropro series has an aerodynamic beam and throat that looks a lot like the wing of an airplane. For tournament players, this means that they can swing faster to generate more racquet head speed for more slugging power. This new throat has been added to the widebody head of the Pure Drive Team (Andy Roddick’s frame). The head on these frames has the Babolat “Woofer” system. The grommets are really wide. For the player, this increases both power and control by enhancing the trampoline effect. For your local pro, it makes the racquet much easier to string. You will notice that you might have more breaks and in weird places. This is because strings rub against each other and burn and cut through. If the strings are moving more along the trampoline’s surface, you may need to go to a more durable string. Unless of course, you don’t mind having your stick in the shop all the time!

Like I said…this racquet is not for everyone. But if you have played some competitive tennis like I have, you will appreciate the subtle power differences. The touch and spin in this frame is more due to the string tension. Do yourself a favor. Watch a lot of pros play; not just your favorites players, but everyone. Try to find the swing style that matches yours and then check out what racquet they use. If you have a swing like Roddick (if you do, I am available for coaching jobs), then a frame like this is for you, too.

BABOLAT Aeropro Drive 100 and Aeropro Control 98 $179

WhatsAllTheRacquet.com Ratings: (from 1 to 5 best)
Playability 3.5
Power 4.5
Control 4.0
Touch/Feel 3.0
Spin control 3.0
Overall 4.0

Product review by Mike Wallace

REVIEW OF WILSON nVision FRAME

In today’s tennis world, the search for the Holy Grail of racquets has been a quest for more power without losing control. Up until now, when we found a racquet with the “juice”, we usually couldn’t keep the ball inside the lines. And when we found a frame we could control, we had to swing so hard, our arm almost popped out of the socket.

This season, that's all gonna change!!

Most manufacturers have gone back to the drawing board and altering the materials and the construction process to make frames more powerful and easier to control.

Frames for those “tweeners” – those players that get caught in the middle of the traditional levels that are looking for a springboard to the next level – are now within reach. With all of these new changes, these sticks are better in power and control than even those of just a few, short years ago. Many racquet companies will be releasing their versions of these new frames over the next few months and you will be able to hear about them all right here. Here’s one now…

WILSON nVision ($180-200)
You won’t see much difference on the outside of Wilson’s new nCode frames. But wait until you swing it. Without getting too technical, Wilson has filled the spaces between the thousands of graphite fibers with silicone dioxide crystals. This is to give the racquet a more solid feel and greater stability on mis-hits. The nVision (formerly Lindsay Davenport’s popular H Tour frame) is a head-heavy stick that adds juice to your shots, especially on the serve and off the ground. And if you are an advanced all-courter, serve-and-volleyer, or doubles player, Wilson has the head-light version called the nPro.

I have hit these sticks and they were not kidding when they said they have juice. If you have a shorter, compact swing, the control and power is not an issue. I have a longer swing, so it would be necessary for me to string up a few pounds to keep my shots in the court. But from a serve-and-volley standpoint, big advantage!! Very crisp, deliberate, and stable. This racquet will perform best with a multi-filament string and will add to the feel. Have fun with this one!

WhatsAllTheRacquet.com Ratings: (from 1 to 5 best)

Playability 4.0
Power 4.5
Control 4.0
Touch/Feel 3.0
Spin control 3.5
Overall 4.0

Product review by Mike Wallace