Okay, so this is just me thinking out loud here. Now....I love the Victor Braveswords, and I know a lot of you out there in BC land do too....but I've often wondered what a Bravesword would be like with the added torsional stability of a WOVEN carbon fiber head. While I was daydreaming, I thought "Why not make it a proper head-heavy one, too"? As you might know, our good friend Eric Chiu of RKEP fame has his own brand of rackets but is also tight with the OEM that makes a lot of high end rackets. I'm confident that he would be a great facilitator were this nutty idea to go any further. So what does everyone think of such a design. Holy Grail? Stupid idea? This is the spec and design I was thinking.... - Gross Balance Point 300-305mm - Weight 84-87g, dry - 80 hole stringing pattern - Finish : Matte clear coated raw carbon fiber, simple super-minimalist graphics - Options : You can pick your own BP and Weight when you order.
God no. This design would have a finished BP of 305-310, would be faster than the Meteors because the Sword head shape is just faster, period, and it would have an improved head stability thanks to the woven head.
Let me take some feathers out first by discussing this so called customizability others were raving about in the RKEP thread: what customizability? There are no rackets made on your given specs? There just happen to be some around specs you like and having each racket weighed and bp'd individually is no different from the Panda Power and SOTX (last time I checked), so at best a good business model copied . That said, there is probably a reason there are no(?)/few headheavy+ models out there with aero frame? Maybe it will make controlling the followthrough/(swing period) extra hard ?
isnt the PRO6000 based on BS09? you should try that first plus the meteor would need to have the octogonal frame. either way, i'd hit that depends on the flex though the more minimilistic the better, after reading todays threads we might have discovered a new niche market of "generic designs so that the wife doesnt find out"
What? I thought Maklike's whole point was that it's going to be head heavy and woven, making it different from any BS out there right now.
If Victor don't have the nuts to make tall rackets (MX80 and SW35... they need a LOT more), then it's up to everybody else. I say go for it - Victor might even learn something. I've never been a particular fan of the the BS frame - feels and sounds tinny at my tension, despite stringing very well - so it'd be extremely interesting to see if/how much woven carbon would beef it up. If Eric needs a tester....
Okay, first up I didn't say this would be a custom racket. I just think small manufacturers can value add by simply weighing and balancing every example they have. It's a nice service.Secondly, and more importantly, a woven 'Bravesword' is just itching to be made! Imagine an actual real head heavy design with the speed of the sword shape, the stability of the Meteor, and the inertia of something like a VT80. The thing would kill. Oh and yeah, it would be stealthy black so your missus wouldn't notice!
Personally, and a few of us, we were expecting to get from DC a Panda similar to your desired specs with the so-called Titan, it has disappeared for a while in favor of the coming Precision which does appeal more all-rounders……, I gave up ! Personally I do play quite a close Victor racquet in specs with Inside Waves, Ti-Magan head, with a 310mm BP, slim shaft and a flex similar to a BS10: Victor TIW Slim, and it delivers everywhere for such a low price. Before you had also the TIW 6500, even lighter, too light for singles but such a gem in doubles.
*Puts hand up* but has to be 88-89g I like the sound of it, in fact I had thought of similar specs (minus the woven parts which I didn't think of) Would interest me, I also volunteer to be one of the testers as long as it doesn't have the VT80 feel when it contacts the shuttle, VT80 feels really weak and hollow on impact... Must be like SW35 or MX80 So when does production start? Edit: Flexibility must be at least that of SW35 or AT900T, to compensate for the head heavy balance, and weight.
yeah it was more a comment on some remarks in the 6000/9000 thread. As for this one it's probably more out of personal preference that I don't like it when there is a certain almost weightlessness like feeling to the swing at a certain stage of it which is what I was picturing at first with this combo but nothing a prototype couldn't answer ... But this should probably be disregarded, it it was an Ant's style review it'd probably occur in the warmup stage impression with a bit too much relaxation ... As for the TIW Slim and PP "Titan", neither have an aero profile like this diamond shape for the BS series. Titan bp range was stated as 295-305 even and since it hasn't come out after two years it would be interesting to know what part of that combo isn't quite right yet ... But this combo of low weight and high bp + diamond shape might very well work ... then again I recall seeing diamond shaped frame as an option on the website of one of the early PP oem factories but have yet to see it included in any PP design(?).
head heavy rackets benefit less from being aerodynamic. It's like trying to make an aerodynamic hammer, wind resistance won't affect how fast it swings. It'll sell well though, just like a racket with prettier colours will sell well.
A little off topic Does the Sword head shape really works, if it really works Arc Z slash wouldn't be round shape frame right? *2 hands up*
Oooh, Maklike is now a racket designer. . But definitely count me in! But has to be as stiff as BS10 and MX70! No limp noodle like BS11 or MX60...
I'd really want the stiffness in the BS10 range. On court it would perhaps feel a little less stiff than a BS10, but only because of the extra head weight. The woven head would make it more torsionally stiff than any current Bravesword making for that nice direct feel you get with the Meteors, but in an overall faster design. ps: An aerodynamic hammer is faster than a non-aerodynamic hammer