ORIGINAL REVIEW - 6/7/2010
It's been 15 years since I played tennis regularly, and I didn't want to shuck out $40+ on a racquet.
This is a decent racquet if you're on a tight budget and want something that plays decent. You can be rough with it since it's metal alloy...throw it on the ground, the net, HECK even your opponent and this thing is tough as nails!
I found the grip to be very flat with little cushion and on the smaller size. I ended up unraveling the stock grip, building it up with masking tape, and re-gripping it using the existing grip with more overlap to provide a "fatter" feel with more cushion. I also added a vibration dampening device which provided a feel closder to a more expensive graphite racquet.
UPDATED 1 Yr Review - 6/5/2011
I've been playing the Tour Slam for about a year since my previous review, and I stand by what I said in my first review. Since then, I bought both my sons (ages 12 & 13) a variety of much more expensive racquets: Prince graphite/titanium, Yonex graphite, and more recently Wilson BLX Pro Open, Wilson K Pro Team FX. I've tried all those racquets, and surprisingly find myself coming back to this $17 Wilson Tour Slam.
WEIGHT. At 11.5 ounces, this is a heavier racquet compared to most of the lighter game improvement and intermediate racquets out there ranging from 9.5 - 10.5 ounces. I love the extra heft as many of the pro-level racquets weigh around 11 - 12 ounces. It feels like a sledgehammer when I connect with the ball in its sweet spot.
COMFORT. I've played with some very light titanium and graphite racquets, and ended up with tennis elbow. The Wilson Tour Slam has NEVER given me any soreness to my elbow. Like I mentioned in my original review, I play with a cheap rubber vibration dampener which adds to the unusually solid feel of this metal alloy racquet. The Stop Shock pads already included on the racquet do their job quite well.
SHAPE/FEEL. The longer mainstrings (Wilson calls them Power Strings) provide some decent power. I believe the combination of the large 110 sq inch head size with these longer mainstrings provides too much power as I sometimes have a tendency to hit long. I wish the head was just a tad bit smaller, perhaps 105 or even 102 sq inches.
NEW STRINGS. So I had a spare set of strings and decided to have the Tour Slam restrung last week. I paid $13 to restring it which is almost the cost of the racquet. Why invest good strings in this cheap racquet? Why not just purchase a new Tour Slam? I felt it was worth restringing because the strings were textured to provide more spin, and I had it strung pretty tight at 62 lbs to tone down the power and provide more control. My forehand has better control, and I can hit decent low shots with good pace and high looping shots that still manage to stay in. I'm still working on controlling my two-handed backhand.
The Tour Slam is great for a beginner or intermediate player who is not embarrassed to play with a cheap racquet. It probably plays as well as many of the $40 - $70 graphite and hybrid racquets out there. Again, this is an extremely durable racquet that can take lots of punishment, and I don't get paranoid if I happen to scrape or tap the ground on shots that I'm stretching for.
The 2011 Tour Slam model is essentially the same design with a white, gray, and black paint scheme. I held the previous blue model (the one I own) against the new model, and I noticed that the Power Strings are slightly longer on the new model.
BEYOND...
So I broke down and purchased a more expensive racquet, a Head Youtek Monster. The Head Monster is a much firmer, solid feeling racquet with more control that allows me to take a full swing. However, when I feel I want to unleash more spin and power, I find myself reaching for the good ol' Wilson Tour Slam. I can hit a wicked two-handed top-spin backhand with the Tour Slam. I need to take more of a half or even quarter forehand swing to keep the ball in the court, but I can get TONS of spin off this thing. I'm going to get it restrung soon at about 68/69 lbs in an attempt to tame this beast! Curious to see what the max string tension this racquet can take. If the dang thing breaks, I'm definitely going to shuck out another $17 at Walmart!
The Wilson Tour Series are excellent, affordable raquets for the
energetic players who need quality in an affordable package. At these
prices, you can outfit yourself with 2 or 3 raquets, and feel like a
real tennis pro. Their playability is impressive for an economy tennis
raquet, and the ever improving technology for lower cost means you will
have a better tennis raquet than professional players were using only a
few years ago.
I haven't played tennis with this racket yet since its still winter, but
i just wanted to buy a new cheap racket while still in my prime trial.
What i think about the racket is that i love the colors! the pic on the
item page is NOT the color you will receive, i'm pretty sure everyone
who orders this will get a black and white one. Looks great nonetheless
even better than the colors on the item pic. Will update more when i
play with this during spring.
EDIT: okay due to a very warm january here in chicago, i found a park to play tennis on. Using this racket at first took time to adjust. It is very powerful and has a big sweet spot. Not very good at net play because its too powerful even with one little touch on the ball. This racket should be priced higher because it plays like one of the pricier rackets. but i did notice they just higher-ed the price after the holiday season. At 30$ i still think its worth buying. It is a very good racket for any intermediate or beginner player. I recommend it very much. The Wilson Tour Series are excellent, affordable raquets for the energetic players who need quality in an affordable package. At these prices, you can outfit yourself with 2 or 3 raquets, and feel like a real tennis pro. Their playability is impressive for an economy tennis raquet, and the ever improving technology for lower cost means you will have a better tennis raquet than professional players were using only a few years ago. ORIGINAL REVIEW - 6/7/2010
It's been 15 years since I played tennis regularly, and I didn't want to shuck out $40+ on a racquet.
This is a decent racquet if you're on a tight budget and want something that plays decent. You can be rough with it since it's metal alloy...throw it on the ground, the net, HECK even your opponent and this thing is tough as nails!
I found the grip to be very flat with little cushion and on the smaller size. I ended up unraveling the stock grip, building it up with masking tape, and re-gripping it using the existing grip with more overlap to provide a "fatter" feel with more cushion. I also added a vibration dampening device which provided a feel closder to a more expensive graphite racquet.
UPDATED 1 Yr Review - 6/5/2011
I've been playing the Tour Slam for about a year since my previous review, and I stand by what I said in my first review. Since then, I bought both my sons (ages 12 & 13) a variety of much more expensive racquets: Prince graphite/titanium, Yonex graphite, and more recently Wilson BLX Pro Open, Wilson K Pro Team FX. I've tried all those racquets, and surprisingly find myself coming back to this $17 Wilson Tour Slam.
WEIGHT. At 11.5 ounces, this is a heavier racquet compared to most of the lighter game improvement and intermediate racquets out there ranging from 9.5 - 10.5 ounces. I love the extra heft as many of the pro-level racquets weigh around 11 - 12 ounces. It feels like a sledgehammer when I connect with the ball in its sweet spot.
COMFORT. I've played with some very light titanium and graphite racquets, and ended up with tennis elbow. The Wilson Tour Slam has NEVER given me any soreness to my elbow. Like I mentioned in my original review, I play with a cheap rubber vibration dampener which adds to the unusually solid feel of this metal alloy racquet. The Stop Shock pads already included on the racquet do their job quite well.
SHAPE/FEEL. The longer mainstrings (Wilson calls them Power Strings) provide some decent power. I believe the combination of the large 110 sq inch head size with these longer mainstrings provides too much power as I sometimes have a tendency to hit long. I wish the head was just a tad bit smaller, perhaps 105 or even 102 sq inches.
NEW STRINGS. So I had a spare set of strings and decided to have the Tour Slam restrung last week. I paid $13 to restring it which is almost the cost of the racquet. Why invest good strings in this cheap racquet? Why not just purchase a new Tour Slam? I felt it was worth restringing because the strings were textured to provide more spin, and I had it strung pretty tight at 62 lbs to tone down the power and provide more control. My forehand has better control, and I can hit decent low shots with good pace and high looping shots that still manage to stay in. I'm still working on controlling my two-handed backhand.
The Tour Slam is great for a beginner or intermediate player who is not embarrassed to play with a cheap racquet. It probably plays as well as many of the $40 - $70 graphite and hybrid racquets out there. Again, this is an extremely durable racquet that can take lots of punishment, and I don't get paranoid if I happen to scrape or tap the ground on shots that I'm stretching for.
The 2011 Tour Slam model is essentially the same design with a white, gray, and black paint scheme. I held the previous blue model (the one I own) against the new model, and I noticed that the Power Strings are slightly longer on the new model.
BEYOND...
So I broke down and purchased a more expensive racquet, a Head Youtek Monster. The Head Monster is a much firmer, solid feeling racquet with more control that allows me to take a full swing. However, when I feel I want to unleash more spin and power, I find myself reaching for the good ol' Wilson Tour Slam. I can hit a wicked two-handed top-spin backhand with the Tour Slam. I need to take more of a half or even quarter forehand swing to keep the ball in the court, but I can get TONS of spin off this thing. I'm going to get it restrung soon at about 68/69 lbs in an attempt to tame this beast! Curious to see what the max string tension this racquet can take. If the dang thing breaks, I'm definitely going to shuck out another $17 at Walmart!
It's been 15 years since I played tennis regularly, and I didn't want to shuck out $40+ on a racquet.
This is a decent racquet if you're on a tight budget and want something that plays decent. You can be rough with it since it's metal alloy...throw it on the ground, the net, HECK even your opponent and this thing is tough as nails!
I found the grip to be very flat with little cushion and on the smaller size. I ended up unraveling the stock grip, building it up with masking tape, and re-gripping it using the existing grip with more overlap to provide a "fatter" feel with more cushion. I also added a vibration dampening device which provided a feel closder to a more expensive graphite racquet.
UPDATED 1 Yr Review - 6/5/2011
I've been playing the Tour Slam for about a year since my previous review, and I stand by what I said in my first review. Since then, I bought both my sons (ages 12 & 13) a variety of much more expensive racquets: Prince graphite/titanium, Yonex graphite, and more recently Wilson BLX Pro Open, Wilson K Pro Team FX. I've tried all those racquets, and surprisingly find myself coming back to this $17 Wilson Tour Slam.
WEIGHT. At 11.5 ounces, this is a heavier racquet compared to most of the lighter game improvement and intermediate racquets out there ranging from 9.5 - 10.5 ounces. I love the extra heft as many of the pro-level racquets weigh around 11 - 12 ounces. It feels like a sledgehammer when I connect with the ball in its sweet spot.
COMFORT. I've played with some very light titanium and graphite racquets, and ended up with tennis elbow. The Wilson Tour Slam has NEVER given me any soreness to my elbow. Like I mentioned in my original review, I play with a cheap rubber vibration dampener which adds to the unusually solid feel of this metal alloy racquet. The Stop Shock pads already included on the racquet do their job quite well.
SHAPE/FEEL. The longer mainstrings (Wilson calls them Power Strings) provide some decent power. I believe the combination of the large 110 sq inch head size with these longer mainstrings provides too much power as I sometimes have a tendency to hit long. I wish the head was just a tad bit smaller, perhaps 105 or even 102 sq inches.
NEW STRINGS. So I had a spare set of strings and decided to have the Tour Slam restrung last week. I paid $13 to restring it which is almost the cost of the racquet. Why invest good strings in this cheap racquet? Why not just purchase a new Tour Slam? I felt it was worth restringing because the strings were textured to provide more spin, and I had it strung pretty tight at 62 lbs to tone down the power and provide more control. My forehand has better control, and I can hit decent low shots with good pace and high looping shots that still manage to stay in. I'm still working on controlling my two-handed backhand.
The Tour Slam is great for a beginner or intermediate player who is not embarrassed to play with a cheap racquet. It probably plays as well as many of the $40 - $70 graphite and hybrid racquets out there. Again, this is an extremely durable racquet that can take lots of punishment, and I don't get paranoid if I happen to scrape or tap the ground on shots that I'm stretching for.
The 2011 Tour Slam model is essentially the same design with a white, gray, and black paint scheme. I held the previous blue model (the one I own) against the new model, and I noticed that the Power Strings are slightly longer on the new model.
BEYOND...
So I broke down and purchased a more expensive racquet, a Head Youtek Monster. The Head Monster is a much firmer, solid feeling racquet with more control that allows me to take a full swing. However, when I feel I want to unleash more spin and power, I find myself reaching for the good ol' Wilson Tour Slam. I can hit a wicked two-handed top-spin backhand with the Tour Slam. I need to take more of a half or even quarter forehand swing to keep the ball in the court, but I can get TONS of spin off this thing. I'm going to get it restrung soon at about 68/69 lbs in an attempt to tame this beast! Curious to see what the max string tension this racquet can take. If the dang thing breaks, I'm definitely going to shuck out another $17 at Walmart!
The price was great for a racket of brand name, Wilson. The colors may
vary from the picture shown because my racket is black and white.
Played a few games with it so far and its worked out fine. Its pretty
light compared to my other Wilson racket, but overall great racket for
the price! Love it! =) It doesn't come with a case, but I use an average
sized nylon sports bag to cover it up and it fits nicely into it.
EDIT: okay due to a very warm january here in chicago, i found a park to play tennis on. Using this racket at first took time to adjust. It is very powerful and has a big sweet spot. Not very good at net play because its too powerful even with one little touch on the ball. This racket should be priced higher because it plays like one of the pricier rackets. but i did notice they just higher-ed the price after the holiday season. At 30$ i still think its worth buying. It is a very good racket for any intermediate or beginner player. I recommend it very much. The Wilson Tour Series are excellent, affordable raquets for the energetic players who need quality in an affordable package. At these prices, you can outfit yourself with 2 or 3 raquets, and feel like a real tennis pro. Their playability is impressive for an economy tennis raquet, and the ever improving technology for lower cost means you will have a better tennis raquet than professional players were using only a few years ago. ORIGINAL REVIEW - 6/7/2010
It's been 15 years since I played tennis regularly, and I didn't want to shuck out $40+ on a racquet.
This is a decent racquet if you're on a tight budget and want something that plays decent. You can be rough with it since it's metal alloy...throw it on the ground, the net, HECK even your opponent and this thing is tough as nails!
I found the grip to be very flat with little cushion and on the smaller size. I ended up unraveling the stock grip, building it up with masking tape, and re-gripping it using the existing grip with more overlap to provide a "fatter" feel with more cushion. I also added a vibration dampening device which provided a feel closder to a more expensive graphite racquet.
UPDATED 1 Yr Review - 6/5/2011
I've been playing the Tour Slam for about a year since my previous review, and I stand by what I said in my first review. Since then, I bought both my sons (ages 12 & 13) a variety of much more expensive racquets: Prince graphite/titanium, Yonex graphite, and more recently Wilson BLX Pro Open, Wilson K Pro Team FX. I've tried all those racquets, and surprisingly find myself coming back to this $17 Wilson Tour Slam.
WEIGHT. At 11.5 ounces, this is a heavier racquet compared to most of the lighter game improvement and intermediate racquets out there ranging from 9.5 - 10.5 ounces. I love the extra heft as many of the pro-level racquets weigh around 11 - 12 ounces. It feels like a sledgehammer when I connect with the ball in its sweet spot.
COMFORT. I've played with some very light titanium and graphite racquets, and ended up with tennis elbow. The Wilson Tour Slam has NEVER given me any soreness to my elbow. Like I mentioned in my original review, I play with a cheap rubber vibration dampener which adds to the unusually solid feel of this metal alloy racquet. The Stop Shock pads already included on the racquet do their job quite well.
SHAPE/FEEL. The longer mainstrings (Wilson calls them Power Strings) provide some decent power. I believe the combination of the large 110 sq inch head size with these longer mainstrings provides too much power as I sometimes have a tendency to hit long. I wish the head was just a tad bit smaller, perhaps 105 or even 102 sq inches.
NEW STRINGS. So I had a spare set of strings and decided to have the Tour Slam restrung last week. I paid $13 to restring it which is almost the cost of the racquet. Why invest good strings in this cheap racquet? Why not just purchase a new Tour Slam? I felt it was worth restringing because the strings were textured to provide more spin, and I had it strung pretty tight at 62 lbs to tone down the power and provide more control. My forehand has better control, and I can hit decent low shots with good pace and high looping shots that still manage to stay in. I'm still working on controlling my two-handed backhand.
The Tour Slam is great for a beginner or intermediate player who is not embarrassed to play with a cheap racquet. It probably plays as well as many of the $40 - $70 graphite and hybrid racquets out there. Again, this is an extremely durable racquet that can take lots of punishment, and I don't get paranoid if I happen to scrape or tap the ground on shots that I'm stretching for.
The 2011 Tour Slam model is essentially the same design with a white, gray, and black paint scheme. I held the previous blue model (the one I own) against the new model, and I noticed that the Power Strings are slightly longer on the new model.
BEYOND...
So I broke down and purchased a more expensive racquet, a Head Youtek Monster. The Head Monster is a much firmer, solid feeling racquet with more control that allows me to take a full swing. However, when I feel I want to unleash more spin and power, I find myself reaching for the good ol' Wilson Tour Slam. I can hit a wicked two-handed top-spin backhand with the Tour Slam. I need to take more of a half or even quarter forehand swing to keep the ball in the court, but I can get TONS of spin off this thing. I'm going to get it restrung soon at about 68/69 lbs in an attempt to tame this beast! Curious to see what the max string tension this racquet can take. If the dang thing breaks, I'm definitely going to shuck out another $17 at Walmart!
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