APACS Virtuoso Performance

M

Mark Winston

Regular Member
Hey guys, anyone here uses the APACS Virtuoso Perfomance? How is the racket? How does the racket compare to the Tantrum 200 / 300 / 500 and Lethal 70 / 90? Looked all over and got nothing about the Virtuoso Performance... thanks in advance guys!
 
This has been a revelation....went to the shop to buy either one of the following...victor bs lyd or bravesword 12...tried arc 11, voltric zforce, virtuoso performance, stern 800 power, bslyd, and some other rackets which due to "fatigue" I cannot remember :) (have just returned from the courts)...
ended up buying the virtuoso performance and the stern 800 power. The virtuoso performance was a HUGE surprise...I mean here is a person who has gone to a shop expecting one of the "üsual" brands to deliver and has come out with something unexpected...was COMPLETELY blown away with the power that the power this racket generates...the clears and the smashes are amazing...the "feel"of the shuttle while hitting and the control during drop shots was too good to be true...I remember going back to the shop and asking the shopkeeper...."how is this possible ?"...and this guy politely smiled and said "he too had experienced the same thing when his friend had introduced him to this brand. Highly recommended racket. Have not even strung it high...currently strung at 23 cross /25 main on nbg98....imagine what will happen on higher tensions...WOW..
 
Nice review. It is always good to hear about good finds! :)
Since first impressions can be misleading, please give us an update in a week or two, if you don't mind.
 
Since first impressions can be misleading, please give us an update in a week or two, if you don't mind.
k58e3pt
 
I bought this racket 2 weeks ago too and at 295mm bp, I found it was a little head heavy for me... so what I did was wrap 2 Karakal PU grips around it and that changed things! A lot! Clears and smashes were not as strong as Hawk2412 described mainly because I changed the bp point with 2 grips but smashes were very precise, very little vibration and the most surprising thing was net shots were dead accurate! I didnt know I had so much control at the net! This is also one very aerodynamic racket, swings came thru with a very sharp swooshes, I had to get use to the timing because the racket head was reaching the shuttle faster than usual! I believe this racket is some sort of a head heavy version of the Tantrum 200 / 300, and it's a real gem. Initially I strung this racket with BG66 Ultimax at 25/27 and Im trying the BG66 at 25/27 now as there is a promotion on this string now near my area. I thought the BG66 would be worse than the Ultimax on this racket in the control department but I was wrong. I still had full control at the net, although smashes were not as powerful as the Ultimax. It has a small sweet spot but if you get it right, BAMMMMM! (Maybe it's my timing issue because it's hard to get the timing right after years of playing with a different timing, though Im getting closer...) Virtuoso range rackets were so-so but this top of the range Virtuoso really is a hidden gem! BTW, Robert Blair of Scotland uses this racket and strings it at 34lbs... :) I wish I could get my hands on a Tantrum 200/300 / Lethal 70/90 racket for a side by side comparison... one down side though, I don't like the colour of the racket. Too darn striking for me... lol! All in all, this is one of the best rackets I've used so far in my 21 years of playing. And that says a lot! Anyone else has anything to say about the Virtuoso Performance? :)
 
Hi Mark,
Virtuoso Performace is a head heavy racket which is why the clears are as good as they are. The more grips you add, the more weight you shift towards the handle (which means it stops being as head heavy as what it used to be). Hence you would have to exert more power to get the same amount of clearance. Also the higher the tension the SMALLER the sweet spot. This is one of the down sides of stringing at higher tensions. I've ordered another one of these and will be experimenting with string tensions on both to check which suits my playing style. Sometimes we make the mistake of sticking to one tension because we have playing with that for a long time. This does not ALWAYS result in the same expected performance since each racket responds differently to different tensions. You said the net shots were dead accurate at the same time the clears and smashes not being too powerful. This could mean 2 things:
1: either the 2 added grips has made the racket "head light". This means you will have to use MORE power for clears and smashes but drops and net control should be enhanced.
2: the string configuration that you are using is done more for CONTROL than for ATTACK
either ways it's great if you are happy with how things are, but if not, the easiest way is to play around with the weight (atleast until you break the strings). Then you can experiment with different tensions :). Either change the string type or the string tension to give you a bigger sweet spot.
Regards,
 
Hi Hawk,
I can't really handle such a head heavy racket, that was why I put on 2 grips to shift the bp point in the first place... :) And a bp of 295mm is even higher than the Lethal 70/90 which many already consider head heavy. :) You are right on my strings though, the BG66 and Ultimax are known for it's control... so do you think the Virtuoso Performance responds better to higher or lower string tensions? What strings give you a bigger sweet spot? I so used to the Ultimax, which I consider is the ultimate string... just love thin strings! :)
 
There's lots of posts on whether or not adding grips changes changes a racket's characteristics.

Short explanation, BP doesn't affect the "swing weight", but what's happening is that you're finding that the difference in grip size is affecting the way you play.
 
As posted earlier, my second virtuoso performance has arrived today along with mx60 and bs lyd....can't wait to try them out.

Like bellaliyu suggested, will keep you all posted how things go since the rackets are strung at diff tensions and with diff strings.
 
Hi Rimano, I dont really understand why the bp point doesn't affect swing weight... mind explaining it to me in detail? Thanks...
 
Just ordered the Virtuoso Performance but unfortunately I'll have to wait 3-4 weeks to get it. Anyways I currently play with a Tantrum 300 and Lethal 70 but I wanted a less stiff racket (Tantrum 300 is great all around but just cannot generate the power that I want from rear-court shots)
 
Thanks Rimano...! :) Eckonovember, can't wait to see your take on the Virtuoso Performance when compared to the Tantrum 300 and the Lethal 70... :)
 
This racket is one racket that will really surprise all of you out there... one of the best Apacs racket out there now. :) With new tech, it surpasses the Tantrum 300 and even the Lethal 90... :) Im falling in love with it more and more after each session. Apacs really do know how to create a racket! I just find it funny why it's in the Virtuoso range... lol!
 
I've used this for around 4 hrs now.

It is certainly way faster than any of my other rackets (tantrum 300, lethal 70, voltric 80), I guess because it's 4u. In fact it doesn't even feel very head heavy.

It feels very flexible, easy to use, very easy to backhand with.

But I find it hard to get a good booming smash out of, even compared to my "less head heavy tantrum 300". Smashes are good but feels lacking that extra bit of oomph
The light 4u weight makes it feel the racket doesn't have enough beef in it for me.

But overall, a good racket, very quick, easy to use
 
Wow, you have the 4U version? I racket states it is 87g (+-2g), making it 3U. And my smashes are booming more and more each day! :) Hawk, which version do you have?
 
Mark Winston said:
Wow, you have the 4U version? I racket states it is 87g (+-2g), making it 3U. And my smashes are booming more and more each day! :) Hawk, which version do you have?
Click to expand...

Does it say 4U on your racket? I've received mine last week and its 87g +/-2g but it shows 4U...

Anyways, to my surprise the racket arrived last week. I had it strung with Zymax 62 @ 23 pounds. I didn't want to jump on here making conclusions before I've had some considerable playing time with it. It's the lightest racket that I've played so far which makes it a lot quicker especially playing the front in doubles. I find that its a solid all-around racket but what makes it work for me is the flex. Both of my other rackets are stiff so I find that I swing much harder to get the performance out of the racket. Not sure how much of a difference the flex rating is from mid-stiff to stiff in an Apacs racket but I can definitely feel the difference in weight and flexibility.

I'm slowly getting a better feel for the racket since I'm able to get away with a much smoother swing with the results that I'm looking for. I also have a bunch of Zymax 62,65,67, and 70 to mess around with @ different tensions.

On another note, I know that Robert Blair uses this racket but I believe that Ruud Bosch from the Netherlands also plays with the Virtuoso Performance...(To the left is Ruud Bosch holding the Virtuoso Performance and Koen Ridder with the Virtuoso Pro Gold) I noticed this during their Sudirman Cup highlights against the Canadians. Can someone confirm or are my eyes playing tricks on me??

BPl7Fz_CUAATmA2.jpg
 
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