The 2U and 3U are more powerful for smashes than the 4U. The 4U has greater all round repulsion power. Despite being designated the same model number as the 2U and 3U, the 4U is in reality a different racquet. It has a shorter and slimmer shaft. I believe the 4U frame has a higher stronger material composite mix than the 2U and 3U. Stringing the 4U to 23/25lbs gives a more solid hit than stringing a 2U or 3U at 25/27lbs. The 2U and 3U have a softer feel than the 4U.
The new 4U has been in the market for sometime. However, if you mean the new 4U with the revised grommet 6 and 7, then you may have to wait. Alternatively, you can do what I am doing for my friends, and that is to use a very slim fine file to enlarge the hole in grommet 6 at the throat and then fit a larger grommet. You can easily get such fine files. They are as fine and in fact finer than the awls that come with stringing machines.
Pfffs, you trust a 15 year old to play around with sharp pointy things with a spanking new hundred dollar racket?!?! I dont!! It already took me so much courage to unwrap the original grip, take out the staples form the butt cap and take out the weight from the handle!!
Well, you have at least ventured to where few others dare by stripping your grip. There is another safer and easier way than drilling the racquet handle hollow to reduce weight. Use a small screw driver and just start digging, starting at the sides of the hollow. The wood is very soft, and you can take out 1g at a time.
Sorry Taneepak, I missed this one until now. As I've posted before, I've problems with my message notifications. How kind of you to let me try and how thoughtful! I must take on your nice gesture and will PM you on details of my address today. I should have taken a trip to HK instead of Hanoi during the CNY. It's a bit late now. Maybe at the next opportunity and with a group of Singapore BF'ers perhaps. Thanks again! And do take your time. I want to personally experience the handiwork of the master craftsman and get the kick out of the "pow" sound which some of our young friends have enjoyed.
You won't be able to see most of the changes, as most of them are underground! Only when I have overstepped in one direction do you see some telltale signs on the racquet. I have responded to your pm.
Just order it! After reading through this thread, I'm just order Ti 500 4U one form Luxis pay HK$100 more for 4U. They will ship out on Sat 12 Feb. (9-11 is CN new year holiday) I would like to know how I can make sure it will be the new one with bumpers. I try to ask them about it, but they are not quite understand what I mean. Can anyone in HK please help me.. Is Luxis still sell the old 4U prototype one (the one without bumpers) now? (Read that Outla got one from them without bumpers) So, scare to get the wrong one. Anything to be carefull with my order. They did ask me about bag (let me choose the color), I thought it for free. Don't know whether they will charge for it or not. Thank you. Duke
If they don't understand what you mean by the black bumpers, then I am sorry to say they probably don't have the new model. In other words, you stand a very good chance of getting what Outlah got.
Thanks god that my order was not ship out on Tuesday due to the credit card link problem. (They can not link to VISA to charge my card) I'm just sending an e-mail to them today with two pictures attached the one is the Ti500 4U with the black bumpers and the other one without. I'll call them again in the early Sat. morning (or as soon as possible) to make sure that they saw this e-mail before they ship out my stuff. If they have the one with bumpers, I would go for 4U. But If they still have the old one (prototype?) I would better go with original 3U. I know that new 4U is better than 3U, but original 3U should be better than prototype 4U. right? ------------------ Taneepak, Thanks for your warning. Hope to get the right one. Oh! you said Ti500 is good for high tension string right? I'm usually use 22x24 on my other rackets. Should I put a bit more tension with Ti500 like 24x26 or 25x27. 1. Which tension would you suggest for Ti500 4U and for Ti500 3U? (not sure which model I'll finally get) 2. Which string would be better for it BG66 or BG88ti? Thank you very much Duke
Please make sure the black bumpers that come with the 4U are original. You might not know, but it is possible to replace the 4U prototype without black bumpers with bumpers, if they want to do so. The real 4U has a shorter and slimmer shaft than the 2U, 3U and 4U prototype. Tension is a personal thing. All my friends' LF Ti500 2U and 3U are tensioned at 24/26lbs to 25.5/28lbs, and 4U at 23/25lbs to 24/26lbs, and they all seem to like it. However some other forum members prefer lower tension. Both BG66 and BG68Ti are fine.
Nope. Never hear from him. He could have got a few orders from us. I already used the holiday-season money for a digital camera, shoes, new glasses (the middle-age Chinese female owner described it as a current "cool and fashionable" glasses $$$), & memory cards.
After some extensive playing with both my 3U and 4U, the clear over coat is starting to crack on the cone where it meets the shaft. Because it is only the clear coat, the cracks only shows up when you bend the shaft, like when you hit the shuttle. I didn't notice it until I was doing short drives during warm up that I heard the creaking noise. I thought the glue was loose or something, but upon closer inspection, I notice that the clear coat was cracking under the pressure of the shaft pushing against the tip of the cone. All this just means that eventually the clear coat will peel off over time. Just a cosmetic problem, will not affect the racquet itself. Its nice that they applied such a thick coat of clear finish to give the racquet such a glossy shine, but it might be a bit too much at the cone. I've gotten used to both racquets now, I use the 3U at the beginning and switch to the 4U when I get tired. Although I am still having a little bit of a problem with the 4U on my backhand clears. Just don't seem to be able to clear with it. I'm still thinking if I should get a "production" 4U. Would be nice to get one to compare the prototype with.
I've talk to them on Sat. they said the 4U they have is the one that I want. (They saw attach pics from my e-mail) It comes with bumpers (from the manufacturer). After thinking for a wile, I call them back to order both 4U and 3U. Then I can compare the shaft of both racket to make sure that the 4U is the new one not the prototype. Otherwise, I'll return the 4U (they have return policy in their web in case that the product they sent is not the one you order in this case I did mention that I don't want the prototype one before I make an order) I can also have a chance to try both models to see which one it suit for me. I can sell the other one to my friend. I'll post the result again after I got it. Taneepak, Thanks a lot for your advice.
The real 4U with the black bumpers measures exactly 22.8cm from the throat edge (the inner edge of the frame) to the shaft/cone point. Your prototype 4U shaft is longer than this, and has its sweetspot in the wrong place. Hence the lack of effortless repulsion power in clears. I have an even shorter shaft LF Ti500 (Red), with a 22.4cm throat edge to shaft/cone point, which I can convert from a 2U to a 4U and back again. It plays like the longer shaft standard 2U or 3U but has better recovery.
I have just restrung a La Flech Ti 500 3U at 26/28.5lbs for a friend. At this tension it plays much better than at 23/25lbs. However, not everyone likes this higher tension, as only 4 out of 7 people who tested it like it. Not surprisingly, the three players who did not like it say the racquet felt like a brickwall. I am going to try 28/31lbs on my 4U and see how it goes. I think I am going to like it, as I find it quite easy to handle the 26/28.5lbs. I also strung my MP99 at 26/28.5lbs, and notice the improvement in crisper shots, but the improvement was not to the extent of the LF.
I am a left hand player, I dont know doesnt matter but, I wasnt capable of releasing another extreme power. Eventually, the racket wasnt as good as it sad. I bought a 2U at Inskysport and strung it at 25. I strunged with 68ti. when i smashed, it went to the back line. Eventually, i can clear VERY FAR with this but the smash wasnt strong. Can someone tell whats the problem
The shaft doesn't seem to be as stiff as other power racquets like the Ti10. So you'll have to adjust your swing to make sure you get the shaft to kick back at the right moment.
I found out one major flaw about this racket, and that is there are major vibrations if you do an off center hit. It does not happen quite often, but once it does, you will suffer =P. Also, I am used to a TSIP SX, so I am still a bit cautious about swinging too hard witht his racket. I feel like I am goign to break it or soemthing if I swing too hard. All in all, this is a good racket. Probably not up to the level of AT 800, but somewhere betweenTi 10 and AT800 OF. I think a 2U might feel better, as the heft of it would generate more power and be more stable?
Hmm.. not sure is it only me. But I found the ti500 ( I have the 4U) , to be extremely stiff. I would say it is even stiffer than a ti10. Unless it is just me.
it is? maybe It s time I get a production 4U and check for myself. The question is, whats the cheapest and safest way to go?
