Specs Before Upgrade: TEP Select E-1000 4UG4 Balance: Headlight B/P: 31.2cm Length:675mm Weight:86.2 with string String: BG-65 @ 22/23lbs After Upgrade: TEP Select E-1000 2UG4 Balance: Headlight B/P: 30.6cm Length:675mm Weight:93.6 with string String: BG-65 @ 22/23lbs (same as before upgarded one) A brief background: I am a intermediate beginner (I dare not to call myself an intermediate player since I don't know how B graders in Wellington, New Zealand compared to the others.) and play mainly double and mixed. I bought this racket directly from Taneepak in May last year. My first impression to this racket is that this is a very good looking and light weight racket. However, due to it's light weight it seems as if i couldn't get the timing right as i used only 3U, Victor Zhao Jian Hua & MP28 control and 2U Cab30ms, rackets before. Before the upgrade When I first used it, I felt my clear and defense were easier, net play was precise and my smash power was decent. The only trade off was my smash angle, I just kept hitting some flat powerful smashes where I always set myself up for the opponent to counter me easily. I know I should put my blame on the racket but I did. I always think that I am more of an arm player and I only play better with a 2U racket like Cab30ms. Thus, my main racket was always the Cab30ms before I got my upgraded E-1000 back from Taneepak. Sometime in November, I got an offer from Eepak that he will give me a free upgrade if I can send the racket to Hong Kong. As my GF was going back to HK for 3 weeks, I got her to hand my E-1000 to Eepak. And I requested the Racket to be change from 4U to a 2U which I think Eepak has done a really good job. In addition, it is by far the heaviest E-1000 he has ever produced according to him After the upgrade I held the racket when I first got it from my GF. It feels more solid, and of course heavier. I swing with it, and it feels really different. A week after that, I got a chance to test my new racket (it's just different, it's not the E-1000 I know. It's an improved version). During warm up, clears and drops seem easy without too much effort. Net play feels great and I can feel the birdie. I am stringing it at 22/23lbs since the cold weather here won't allow me to string it over 25lbs (done it and broke it and cost too much then stop it), but I don't mind getting it restring at 25/27lbs again just to try how it feel at that tension. I forgot to mention I played with the default string BG-66 @ 25/27lbs when I first bought it off from Eepak and played extremely fine til the string broken due to mishitting. Anyway, let's go back to the game. My game play improve greatly. My opponents just won't stop wondering why their smashes won't stop going back to them. They don't understand why they can't kill me with the fast drive shot like they did when I was using my Cab30ms. They told me my smashes are less angled, less powerful but much faster now. I am not sure if Power = Speed, but my E-1000ed smash is definitely faster than the Cab30msed Smash!! And I like the whippy sound when I execute a wrist smash, it surely sounds sexy!! However, I do have difficulties adjusting my smash timing and angle at the mean time where I learnt not to put all the blame on the racket and I think I need to spend more time with it and adjust the timing. Because not all racket are forgiving enough for you to adapt to it within a few shots or a few hours. At last, I just wanna clarify that I am not trying to promote the E-1000. I just think I should share this might be good for some ppl to know about the upgraded E-1000. And, of course I like it. Kent
Oh, it's exactly the same one but Eepak made some adjustments on the racket which makes it heavier. Pretty cool huh, I couldn't tell the difference until i held it on my hands. The changes are significant, it's just a completely different racket. Kent
I don't really know how to add extra weight on a racket. adding an overgrip seems to be one of the most common ways to do so. However, you can put some lead tape on the racket head to make one headlight racket become a headheavy one. But I won't recommend unless you feel comfortable with it. I think adding extra weight on a racket will change one racket to another, like all others said unless you are changing it to your liking. If you wanna change a 3U MP99 to a 2U, then you might as well get a 2U one. Kent
Haha... I tried not to use that word since some people might make fun of it. But the power is there, it's all depend on the player weather or not it's effortless. Since I have been using the Cab30ms, i would say it is much more effortless to do all kinds of shots with my new buddy (E-1000). Kent
i'm a bit curious about this. the balance points you've quoted are around 31cm, which by most standards would mean a head heavy balance. how is this racquet (before and after modification) considered headlight?
HI Dreamzz, I don't actually know about it. Eepak told me it's a headlight racket even after the upgrade. I personally don't know much about this balance point thing, but I can be sure that it feels headlight when I am holding it. Compared to all other rackets I used before, AT700, MP99, MP28, Carlton Powerblade Elite, Cab30ms and the Victor, most of them are head heavy or even balanced. And when I hold the E-1000 for the first time, I feel its head is obviously lighter than all others i have mentioned above. For Ming Paris, if you are really interested, you can PM Taneepak. I am sure he will be happy to provide some info. Kent
it seems to me the modification involved the adding of balast to the handle and the shaft perhaps, which would explain the static balance shifting towards the handle, and the increase in weight.