I've always wanted to find out what Victor meant by carbon-wood handle. They're having a inventory sale in Vancouver so I picked up one for $55 (no tax!). These usually go for at least $89+tax when on sale at the stores. People in Vancouver may want to check out the details here http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/spo/936240090.html The first thing I did when I got home was unwrap the handle and see what's up. I don't know if it really makes any difference. I'll see when I play with it. Here's the photos. The photo of the handle shows the grey strip along the wider side of the wood grip. I'm pretty sure this is what they mean by the carbon. (no, it isn't a piece of lead tape). I was expecting more. Something like a carbon weave wrapping it.
I still don't know what Victor mean by carbon-wood handle... It's just a piece of carbon taped to the wooden handle???
That actually looks like a Super Nano 1. See http://www.victorsport.com/productlist_english.asp?id=212&class=1 The "carbon" tape doesn't even cover up the screw hole where a weakening may occur.
I restrung it at 28.0x30.75 with BG66, manual prestretch. 3 U-grommets were placed at the top. The racket seems to be made with a weird string pattern in mind. I strung it with a standard 2-piece top-down. The mains tie-off could have been at 7 and the crosses at 5 but it should be fine. The lower portion of the frame has a strip of "grommets" that resemble those found on the MP99. This is an excellent move on Victor's part as most people string with Yonex and this will reduce their sales. The racket weighs 93g with the strings, original Victor microfibre grip, and Prince Microtac overgrip. Grip finishing tape is the Nitto stuff from MBS (my current favourite). My wife has taken the racket her own but I got a chance to play some rallies and one game with it. The frame feels very solid if you try to flex it around (Oh Pete, did I ever flex it around! ). This is especially true for the torsional rigidity. Maybe the "diamond" profile rim has something to do with it. The shaft is very slim but rigid. Victor rates the racket as medium-high stiffness and I would agree. It is significantly stiffer than recent Yonex AT offerings. There is not much vibration when mishits occur unlike my Woven 8. Although it is only 93 grams, much of it seems to be concentrated around the head because the swingweight feels higher than my W8 that weighs 5 grams more. Smashes seem very strong and the sound it makes is more sharp than with a similar setup of strings on a W8 or Carlton Powerblade SL. It is very easy to do both forehand and backhand clears. Defense seems to suck. Keep in mind these shot observations are usually more a reflection of the player than the racket. Overall, this is a solid feeling racket, good for those who can handle one with a high swingweight. The paint and finishing is excellent. I bought it for $55 but would be willing to pay up to $90 for it. That's the limit I'm willing to pay for any racket.
