Here's a screenshot of the first assessment workout I did with the Adidas micoach. Basically, the idea is to stay inside the color boxes with your heartrate as micoach guides you to speed up or slow down. I really like this system and it seems to be working pretty well. The learning curve isn't too bad and I think I have most of it figured out.
Keep hittin'

Dan

Adidas micoach Training System

I'm posting several days of experience from using the Adidas micoach. I got behind in my posts but stayed current with my running! Always a plus!! I will be posting again as time goes by to report my results.

Here's the first 3 training days:

3/12/2012

I decided to take the plunge and spend the money for the Adidas micoach. Frankly, Andy Murray convinced me with a commercial I saw this weekend. I've been thinking about buying the Nike sensor but it doesn't really do what I want it to do - give me a tennis-specific workout plan. Hopefully, the Adidas micoach will do precisely that. I paid $129.00 (includes a $10 discount when I ordered it online through BestBuy).

I bought the "bundle" with the heart rate monitor, the stride sensor and the pacer. I've set up my first workout for tomorrow (Tuesday) which is the assessment workout. It's supposed to assess my fitness and adjust the original workout I first selected base on the results of the assessment workout. Very cool, if it works.

Actually, it was pretty easy to set up on the computer but I did have to refer to the directions for a few things but most of it is intuitive. It also helped that I watched a setup video on youtube.

I'm going to post my results here as I go through the 6 week cardio plan. What's great is that there are strength and speed plans, too. All 3 of these plans are geared toward tennis. If the cardio plan works, then I'll do the other 2 plans.

Here's to getting in great shape!

3/13/2012

Today was set for the assessment testing. I have to say that it took me about 15 minutes to figure everything out as far as using the pacer. I slid the switch over for the micoach and it indicated that there were no workouts. After reading a little in the manual (yeah, I usually don't read until absolutely necessary!), I realized that the workout did not synch.

So, I synched it and I was off and running.

The workout is well laid out and there's no thinking - just doing. It was completely simple to follow and micoach put me through the paces. After going through the assessment test (only a 12 minute run with increasing speed requirements), I plugged it in, synched everything and read the results.

Basically, micoach uses this session to check your fitness and adjust your planned workouts accordingly.

All-in-all, this is a great device and one where I can actually look forward to my workouts.

Next workout: Thursday, March 15.

3/15/2012

I ran my first "regular" workout today using micoach. It performed flawlessly and lead me through a good workout. micoach told me to speed up or slow down to stay in the target heartrate for this particular workout. I ended up running about 2 1/2 - 3 miles in the 25 minute workout including warmup and warmdown.

This is a great system as it's great having "my coach" there telling me what I need to do. So far, 2 thumbs up - at least for the workout portion. Now, when I went to my computer to synch everything to the micoach website, they were having server problems. After reading the micoach forum, I realize this isn't the first time this has happened. Hopefully, this gets better because it will turn people off real fast if they can't get things to synch properly and in a timely manner.

Otherwise, I'm loving this system and actually look forward to my workouts with micoach.

Next workout: Saturday, March 17

Review of the Wilson BLX Six.One Pro Staff 95

I have played Wilson racquets on and off all my life and thought every model was great. Heck, my very first “real” racquet was the iconic Jack Kramer Auto wood racquet that was played by everyone. I’ve played the original Pro Staff and the Pro Staff Classic in the “old days” and loved them both. I was very excited to play test the latest version of the Pro Staff with BLX and the new Amplifeel technology. The promise is that it you'll "feel" the ball better over previous versions. The graphics have changed somewhat so that it's more white than before. I really like the graphics on this version as this color scheme seems to work nicely. My test racquet was strung with a synthetic gut at middle to upper tension range.

Groundstrokes

I noticed the light feel of this racquet right away. It was fast through the air but I felt it lacked a little weight. I would have loved to have that extra plow though that more weight would have provided. However, it was quick to swing and maneuver and the open string pattern gave plenty of spin. I could generate good power but this is definitely a control stick. If I were to play this racquet, I would experiment with adding a little weight, probably nearer the handle to make it a little more headlight and increase the overall weight. Touch shots were excellent as this is where the Amplifeel came through. It’s a nice feeling stick. The fairly flexible specs provided a pretty soft ride with no arm issues. Groundstrokes were crisp, spiny and the ball went where it was told.

Volleys/Overheads

Since the Pro Staff 95 has a light overall weight and swing weight, volleys were a cinch but I would have liked a bit more punch. I liked the control I had and when struck on the sweet spot, it felt rock solid. Overheads were solid but not spectacular.

Serves/Returns

Control is the best word to describe this racquet on serves. I could direct the ball easily but I wasn’t able to generate a ton of power. Spin and kick were good but it didn’t jump over the fence. Still, the Pro Staff 95 is an excellent weapon if you’re looking for control and accuracy. My 1^st serve % went up and I kept my opponent guessing. Serve returns were solid and controlled but I didn’t get a lot of oomph on the ball. When blocking the ball, I just needed to make sure to aim a little farther back in my opponent’s court to keep it deep.

This play test took me back to that great Pro Staff feel – almost. If there was a bit more weight to it, I could reminisce back to the old days. Adding weight is easy to do but many players will like it just as it is because it's a fairly light swinging, maneuverable racquet that is easy on the arm and will provide players an excellent tennis experience. This is a very good stock racquet and one that will provide the 4.0+ all court player good spin, control, touch and feel. The excellent thing about this racquet is that it’s easily customizable and it can go from a very good racquet to a great one.

Keep hittin'

Dan

Review of the Head YOUTEK IG Prestige Midplus

The Head Prestige line of racquets has always been known as a solid line with many professionals wielding them. Personally, I haven’t played Head racquets much and have never owned any. My normal preference is for a small head, flexible racquet (I play the 93 sq in Volkl PB10 Mid). Still, these brand new offerings for 2012 have me intrigued mainly due to their outstanding lineage. I took this racquet out for several hits to see why they are so highly touted. This racquet was strung with a poly in the mid-range.

Groundstrokes

I have tested and played many, many racquets and this is the first one that I have picked up and had NO adjustment period. It felt like I had played with this racquet my whole life from the first hit. Balls were going exactly where I asked them to and with nice pace. My strokes flattened out (due from the 18x20 string pattern, I suspect) over my typical semi-looping, topspin groundies. The beautiful thing about it is that I didn’t hit balls long as a result, they just got to their destination sooner. This did feel a tad bit stiffer than my regular racquet (Volkl PB10 Mid, but it’s a very flexible stick). I never felt arm or shoulder pain from using this racquet. The slightly stiffer feel helped in the overall great stability, too. The result is a combination of power, control, spin, touch and comfort. Literally, the Prestige MP had it all. Keep in mind, this is a player’s stick and so a degree of skill is needed to play it. I found that if I babied the ball, it would land short. With the guys I play with, short balls relate to a fuzzball sandwich in a hurry! However, if I hit out on both sides, I could control points and feed my opponents the meal instead. Slice backhands were sick as the ball buried into the court and stayed low. Overall, this is the best groundstroke racquet I have ever tested. The only negative is that it has a bit of a tinny sound coming from the stringbed. A dampener helped, but didn’t cure it. Frankly, I forgot about it quickly when I hit great shots!

Volleys/Overheads

Both of these shots were smooth as silk. Volleys felt controlled, stable and the touch was outstanding. I really felt as though I was directing the shots and not hitting them. I think the weight is perfect for the combination of power, control and stability. Not too light or too heavy. Overheads felt as solid as a rock. This racquet was at home at the net no matter whether I was volleying or putting away an overhead. You could easily feel comfortable with this racquet if you are a serve and volley player.

Serves/Returns

Serves were very controllable but power is not its strong suit. I was able to get plenty of pop when I needed it but I had to rock back and let it rip to do it. You won’t get a lot of help in the power department, for sure. But, power was adequate. On returns, the 98 square inch head allowed me to meet every ball squarely but, just like the serve, you must help generate the power back to your opponent. When you do, returns were solid and dependable.

If you have an aggressive game and like to take big cuts at the ball, this is your racquet. At times, I felt like I could swing as hard as I wanted and the ball would stay in. That is a great feeling because it builds confidence. On the flipside, if you don’t take full strokes, the ball can land short and your lunch will be served back to you! This is a versatile racquet in that you can play baseline, serve/volley or an all-court game and not have to sacrifice anything. I love this racquet so much that that this is going to be my racquet of choice going forward. The Head YOUTEK IG Prestige Midplus is a low-powered, control racquet that is best suited for aggressive, 4.0+ baseline, serve and volleyers and all-court players.

Keep hittin!

Dan

Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution Review

Today, I have a guest reviewer reviewing a brand new string from Kirschbaum called the Pro Line Evolution. Thanks to one of my customers, Eric Berner (college player), for his insight on this test. Kirschbaum has several excellent strings and one that I actually played for several months was the Pro Line II.

The Evolution's claim to fame is that it is pre-stretched (as are all Kirschbaum's poly strings) and that it is 10% lighter than typical poly strings. However, the real test is how it performs. That's where our playtest comes in.

The playtest:

Kirschbaum Pro Line Evolution is the newest offering from Kirschbaum. This new string is an update to their popular Pro Line II string. Bring a huge fan of Pro Line II, I couldn’t wait to try this new string out. Coming in a bright blue color and a new technology that reduces the mass of the string by 10% to enhance spin and power, this string is a must try. I strung this up in my Dunlop Biomimetic 200 at 58 lbs. I must say, the string looks great in this racquet.

My first hit with the Evolution was less than pleasing. My serves were flying long, my groundstrokes had very little spin and lacked pace and depth, and my volleys would sit up for my opponent to easily put away. After the first few hours with these strings I was ready to cut them out. There was hardly any feel, power, or spin potential to be found.

The second day I went to hit with these, my mind was changed. The strings seemed to soften up a bit which allowed from great ball pocketing. I could take huge cuts at the ball with confidence that they would drop in. I felt like my serves had more kick and slice when needed, but I could hit a strong flat serve with ease, too. The power was an added bonus once these got broken in.

Volleying with these strings is probably one of my favorite aspects about them. They feel soft like a multi, but allow me to have the control of a poly. When hitting drop volleys it feels like the strings just catch the ball and allow you to do as you please with it.

There was a little drop in tension after the first few hours that I played with these strings. That sort of softening of the string bed allowed me to feel the ball pocketing characteristic in which I enjoy in my strings. I felt that on the second day of hitting the spin, power, and feel of the string were all as advertised and even better.

I have been playing with this same set for two weeks now and there is minimal notching and absolutely no string movement at all. This string has felt the exact same as the second time I stepped on court with it. This is definitely one of my favorite poly strings that I have ever hit with.

Thanks again Eric for your review!

Keep hittin'

Dan

Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough 16ga Review

This is an "older" string and not one of the latest strings to come out but I thought it was time to report on this poly string. After all, it got a ton of hype (to us nerd string aficionados!) when it came out a year or so ago. After the Racquet Sports Industry had tested it, they said it was the 2nd best string they tested, losing out only to a premium natural gut. With this in mind, it was way past time to try this string out.

My test racquet and setup are as follows: Volkl PB 10 Mid, Tourna Big Hitter Blue Rough string (BHBR) 16 ga @ 58#. I usually string poly at a little lower than this but I have read that this is a softer string and produces more power than usual polys so I decided to string it up for more control. I had about 1 1/2 hours on court playing indoors on a medium fast hard court.

The Test:

For serves, there's one word, WOW! I felt complete control over every shot (sure, they didn't all go in but it felt like they were going to!). On the deuce and ad sides, I could hit the outside corners better than my beloved Genesis Twisted Razor setup that I have played for 8 months. Spin was better than average and I could kick it with ease.

Running crosscourt forehands were remarkably successful with 2 or 3 outright winners on shots that are usually just "keep 'em in play" shots. I left my opponent looking at me with a "did you really just hit that shot?" look that was completely satisfying. Shots that usually would have been a few inches out landed inside the lines. The feel was excellent and there is absolutely no jarring or shock to my arm, even on mishits. This really IS a soft playing poly. Lots of strings claim softness - BHBR delivered. Power was equally impressive as I hit several balls past my opponent on forehands and backhands. Touch is better than most polys but still not as good as a natural gut or even some synthetics. I dropped a ball over the net that my opponent had no chance in retrieving. I could generate lots of spin and really pin my opponent back with a high spin, looping shot that was difficult to handle. This is definitely in the "spin string" category.

I only hit 1 overhead but it was solid and penetrating. If serves are any indication of how the overheads would go, then I see no reason why this string wouldn't be just as good. This is a soft string with good power and so the ball felt nice on the strings. I felt in complete control and could slice and dice the volleys as well. I'm no longer play a serve and volley game but the time I spent there was pleasant.

I experienced no arm pain but to be fair, I only played less than 2 hours with it. Also, I don't know how long this string will last or how long it will play this well. That's a question to be answered in the days and weeks to come.

But for now...

I loved this string test. It's a soft, powerful poly that gives excellent control, too. Lots of strings claim power and control as their attributes but few deliver. I would rank these in my top 3 polys I have ever played. They would be (in no particular order), Luxilon ALU Power, Genesis Twisted Razor and this string, BHBR. If you want spin, BHBR delivered. If you want power, BHBR delivered. If you want control, BHBR delivered again!

I tried BHBR when it originally came out and liked it but I strung it too low for maximum benefit. This time, I strung it at the proper tension and the result is fantastic. Now I see why this string was rated so high when it first came out. I think that I will be keeping this string in my racquet for a while. At least until something better comes along. However, it's going to take quite a lot to get Big Hitter Blue Rough out of my stick.

Keep hittin'
Dan

Review of the Volkl Organix 10 325

Since my current frame is the Volkl PB10 Mid, I was eager to try this racquet. I feel that my Volkl is probably the best racquet I have ever hit with and one that would be tough to match, much less beat. With the new Volkl Organix 10 325, Volkl promises that racquets with Organix materials “will be loaded up with kinetic energy during ball impact and release it back again immediately and better handling, due to extraordinary vibration-absorbing properties”. They also say that there is “up to 30% more dynamic power”. Lots of information to digest but I just wanted to see how it plays. This test model is 98 sq in and has a 16x19 string pattern. The stiffness rating is in the mid 60’s and around 12 oz strung.

Groundstrokes

When I began hitting with this racquet, it felt like I was hitting with an old friend and the larger head size (98 sq in) allowed my confidence soar. This is a heavier racquet but it didn’t feel too heavy as the weight seems to be distributed just right. My arm felt all warm and fuzzy as I felt no arm discomfort. The string in this racquet was a synthetic gut and is not known for explosive spin. However, I was still able to get excellent spin. I was impressed with it on both sides as I was able to come over the ball or slice and dice very well. I love to move my opponents back and forth on my groundstrokes and this racquet delivered. I controlled it nicely and spin it as needed. I had good, solid power on both sides. When given short balls, it was point over!

Volleys/Overheads

With the 98 sq in head, I felt very comfortable at net and I was able to power through both sides equally. Control was there whether I was trying to punch it hard or just feather it. Solid as a rock! Overheads were consistent and powerful as I had no issues. The head size provided all the confidence I needed to put the ball away every time.

Serves/Returns

Serving is the only area where I felt it was a bit lacking. However, it’s not a bad serving racquet. It just didn’t have the power I wanted when called upon. Spin and control wasn’t an issue, only power. When I really leaned on it to crank an ace (hopefully!), it just didn’t deliver. I would like to experiment with different strings such as a co-poly or even natural gut. A different string might change up the playing characteristics offering more power. Returns, however, were great. I think the size of the head along with how solid the racquet is combined for an excellent returning stick. I could block it with ease on a rocket serve or return it with pace on a floater.

Overall, this is an excellent racquet for a 4.5 and above player. Singles or doubles players will find this racquet solid, comfortable and reliable. Keep in mind that this is a heavier racquet and the faint of heart need not apply. Also, the handle shape is different than other brands as Volkls are more angular so there’s a brief adjustment period. For better players, you’ll see excellent results on groundstrokes, volleys, returns and overhead. Be willing to sacrifice a small amount

on power serves. The upside to that is that you’ll gain a bit of control, so it’s still good news! I don’t know if Organix is responsible for the excellent results I had, but it certainly didn’t hurt! I’m staying with my Volkl PB10 Mid’s but I could play with this racquet with very little adjustment.

Keep hittin!,

Dan