ProKennex Redondo Midsize Review (under construction)
I've been mainly using the Dunlop Revelation Pro Tour for the last
decade and have been mostly happy with it but was intrigued with the
specs of a fairly new racquet in the ProKennex Heritage Type C Redondo
Racquet family. I chose the Midsize (93 sq. in.) over the Midplus (98
sq. in.) as I generally prefer smaller-headed racquets. I bought the
racquet based on specs that you can see at Tennis Warehouse and comments at a poll on wrist, elbow and shoulder pain with flexible racquets at Tennis Warehouse. I discovered that my Dunlops were not in the most flexible racquets category even though they are considered players racquets.
I was interested in heavy, flexible and headlight racquets to minimize
the potential for injury after reading the research at the RACQUET RESEARCH website which details aspects of racquet and how they contribute to injury or help to prevent injury.
Tennis Warehouse gives you the ability to look at the specs of a
racquet and racquets that are similar and I found that the Redondo was
in the category of the most flexible racquets that they sell with an
RDC flex rating of 56. My Dunlops, by comparison have a rating of 64. A
Volkl model also has a flex rating of 56 but for some reason, the
Redondo caught my eye. It might have been the cost difference as the
Volkl is thirty bucks more or that the Redondo is available in a 93 sq.
in. head size.
There's also a Redondo "club" that's a thread at the Tennis Warehouse Forums with the title #1 Redondo Talks Thread. That link links to many other discussion threads about the Redondo that started in January 2006.
Pro Kennex Going Out of Business?
There are rumors that Pro Kennex is going out of business on the Tennis
Warehouse forums that started on January 29, 2007. I checked the online
stores for Redondos and it looks like most online stores have been
cleaned out. I ordered a 4 5/8 Mid when I heard but found out that they
didn't have them in stock but they did have a 4 1/2 in stock so I asked
them for that stick with a shrink-wrap so I have two which should be
enough for the time being. We can then see if they reorganize or if
they go under. If that's the last of these racquets, then I'll look to
pick up another used one or may consider something else. There's
nothing out there like the Redondo unfortunately.
Discussion Threads
I'm going to go through the Tennis Warehouse threads and write short
summaries of them for those that wish to glean information from them
without reading through the entire threads. This will most likely take
some time to do.
- Question on the new PK Type C Redondo Mid:
This thread talks about the new racquets and the two main reviews found
disappointment with the Redondos. One poster liked the concept but felt
that his skill level wasn't high enough to effectively use the racuet.
The other main poster did extensive testing with it and reported that
it felt tinny and rather new-school.
Recommended NTRP Level: 4.5+
The Redondo is a heavy racquet by current standards though
middle-of-the-road to light by wooden racquet standards many years ago
so those used to the light racquets of today may find that it's heavy
to lug around compared to their current racquets. The racquet does have
a high static weight but a low swingweight which may mean that it feels
lighter when you actually play with it.
The racquet also demands good preparation. If you don't have good
preparation, fairly classical strokes and good timing, you will most
likely be disappointed with this racquet. You also need the ability to
generate your own power but this should flow from the previous
requirements. And you need good footwork. Laziness in preparation
results in an unpleasant experience.
I've seen many reactions regarding the issue of power. There are some
that say that these are very low-powered racquets, and others that say
that these are quite powerful if you know how to get the power (I fall
into the latter category) and some that indicate that it is just right.
I do feel that you can swing out with the racquet though I'm going to
try to tame mine a little by using less lively strings in the future.
The Laser
Many players that have tested the Redondo report experiencing the
"laser" effect where you hit the sweetspot with just the right stroke
which results in a ball that feels like it moves in a straight line
with a tremendous amount of power. In general, it can take an
hour or a few times out hitting with the Redondo to experience this
feeling. I'd say that you'll know it when you feel it but that it's
generally hard to describe outside of the word: WOW!
Arm Comfort
I haven't run into anyone that has complained of arm issues with
this racquet which is unusual as I've read of complaints of many other
players racquets including the nCode 6/1, the Dunlop players racquets
and of course, the Babolets. The RDC flex rating indicates that this
racquet is among the most flexible currently sold which is a
confirmation that this racquet should be easy on the arm.
Midsize vs Midplus
I've only hit with the Midsize model so I'm not in a position to
compare the two from experience. But from what I've read from those
that have compared the two, the Midplus is generally more forgiving,
generates more pace and spin and is a little less maneuverable. The
Midsize is firmer on the volley and hits a bit heavier.
I've been a little surprised at the number of people that have bought
both to try them out. This may seem an expensive way to go but if you
go with one and can find someone else that goes with the other, you can
simply swap the racquets that you don't want. Another approach would be
to use one racquet for singles and the other for doubles.
Specifications
It's gotten a little harder to find specifications for these racquets
as some online retailers have removed these racquets from their menus.
So I'm going to reproduce them here. The Midsize is 93 sq in, 27
inches, 12.1 oz strung, 10 pts head light, 320 swingweight, stiffness
56, beam width 20 mm, 100% high modulus graphite. The Midplus is 98 sq
in, 27 inches, 12.1 oz string, 10 pts head light, 324 swingweight,
stiffness 57, beam width 20 mm, 100% high modulus graphite.
March 28, 2007
I've spent some time trying to order a Redondo Mid as ProKennex
deals with its distributor problems and have attempted to have one
drop-shipped via Golfsmith's service. The disadvantage of this approach
is that you can't order it strung. The idea was that they should get a
response from the vendor as to whether or not they can do this in a
short period of time so I should know if this route works. Anirut at
the Tennis Warehouse Forum indicates that he just ordered a Core #1 so
racquets can be ordered in other parts of the world.
Clintspin at the Tennis Warehouse forum indicated that ProKennex is looking for a US distributor and that Don Laing at 973-738-6941
is handling orders and deliveries. I left a message at his number to
see if he will take individual orders and hope to hear back from him
later today.
Tennis Warehous apparently doesn't allow you to name their competitors
in their forums so I will have to post my purchase experiences in this
blog. Other places to purchase ProKennex racquets are Holabird Sports
and www.tennisexpress.com. Hopefully ProKennex gets its distributor
line back up and running soon. I'm disappointed in that Tennis
Warehouse, a full-service provider, hasn't been able to procure these
racquets for their customers.
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Updated March 28, 2007. For comments and questions, send email to
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