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Grays - Powerflow Elite

Published: 14 Nov 2006 - 20:19 by BizarreCo

Updated: 13 Dec 2009 - 09:10

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When I first read the specs on this racket I knew that it was the one for me. Having used Gray's rackets before, I knew that the quality of the rackets would be great, but it was always the price that was holding me back.

I managed to get hold of a racket to trial and immediately fell in love with it. Having been an avid user of Dunlops for the past 5 years, I had no difficulty with the balanced weight and head size (which are the same as Dunlop Hot Melt Pro rackets), and the overall weight of the racket is 5g lighter.

For the past year I have been using a Dunlop ICE Tour racket which has a fair amount of flex when striking the ball and an overall head-light feel to it. The Gray's racket, in contrast, has a stiff feel to it with an even balance. I found that getting power with this racket came effortlessly (compared to the ICE Tour), and even my girlfriend commented on how well it seemed to strike the ball (she's been playing for 18 months, I've been playing for 19 years!).

Overall, if I had to describe this racket and the way that it plays, I would say:

  1. Even Balance
  2. Stiff feel during striking
  3. Overall light racket (135g)
  4. Factory fitted strings are high quaility (Titanium finish, Gray's branding)
  5. Overall quality is extremely high
  6. 3 piece bumper guard (top and 2 sides)
  7. Carbon LOC construction (kind of like a carbon weave - similar to eSquash James Willstrop mª racket)
  8. Full cover case (with shoulder strap)

 

I would definitely recommend this racket to anyone, but would certainly tell them to try it out before they buy as they are pretty expensive compared to some other makes on the market. Remember the old saying "You get what you pay for", and with this racket you get an absolute gem!

 

For those wondering, I'm 6ft tall, wide shoulders and lots of power in my game when needed. My preferred playing style is slow and tight and I tend to play touch over power. This racket provides the perfect balance of power and touch for my game when strung at approximately 25lbs tension (factory fitted strings are probably around 25-27lbs at an estimate).

Adz

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From Milck - 13 Dec 2009 - 09:10

just before i found out about the powerflow elite i saw one on ebay going for £25! i then found out about it, wanted it but alas it was too late. just to say that all these posts are old but you can still get these rackets on ebay for cheap.

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From BizarreCo - 22 Nov 2006 - 19:57

Well last night I tried a Prince O3Tour that had been restrung with Technifibre Titanium mains and Babolat Hurricane crosses. That gave out very little vibration, and the Gray's raket gives out slightly more.

 

It's tough to tell without having something to comapre against. And what makes it worse is that I always use a Head Smartsorb on my round head rackets. The extender designs always seem to have less vibration though.

 

As for where to buy it from, I guess you could try eBay and hope to get lucky, but there's none on there at the moment. Let me know what you're looking to spend and how many you want, and I'll have a shop around!

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From nickhitter - 22 Nov 2006 - 09:20   -   Updated: 22 Nov 2006 - 09:20

Thanks for all your advice Adz.....

I'm probably gonna go for it and get one online. Just a couple of questions about them that I'd be gratetful if you could answer first.....what's the natural level of vibration like in the grays rackets? bear in mind I like a solid/muted feel if possible without dampeners. And is there anywhere that sells them online at decent prices that you know and trust?

Thanks

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From BizarreCo - 20 Nov 2006 - 20:28

I think my profile flatters me more than my skills on court warrant. But I have tried to be honest. On occasion I can beat a few players who play at county standard, so I guess I'm not too bad a player!

At the moment I'm near Birmingham, so if you're down this way on business then be sure to let me know in advance and I'd be happy to meet up (even if we don't play a full on match!).

Having done some more research on the rackets, the Ultima certainly does feel lighter than the Elite, but only by the smallest of margins. Both of the Gray's rackets are lighter than the O3 Tour and I'd say the quality is around the same. The difficulty comes with the way that the weight is dispersed within the racket. The O3 Tour is slightly head heavy and suits a big hitting player, but I've heard it said that the racket needs a good player to bring out the best in it (e.g if you don't hit the ball sweetly everytime then you'll find this racket hard work).

 

The Gray's rackets are similar under a higher tension strings (as I found out yesterday after having my Elite strung too tightly!). Hit them sweetly and the ball really does fly (an admission from a player who plays with an O3 Tour). He was impressed with the Gray's rackets.

 

I'm not sure what else I can tell you other than to find one and try it out!

Adz

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From nickhitter - 20 Nov 2006 - 03:31

I'm back...

I'm up north in yorkshire usually but move about quite a bit with work (unfortunately!)

As for having a game I don't really think I could give you one! haha having read your profile. I class myself as an intermediate player although I've never been graded as such. Most clubs I've ever played in I always play around the middle in the internal leagues. I still want a decent racket though!

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From rippa rit - 19 Nov 2006 - 09:52

BizzareCo - did you guys ever make contact and get to have a hit?
I could not see iamspartacus' name in the playing partners, and I wonder if he actually read your reply.
As well I am curious to see how the Playing Partners grading system compares?

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From BizarreCo - 17 Nov 2006 - 22:13

Yeah I'm in the UK, and was quite surprised at how difficult these things are to get hold of. I've now got 3 people at my club who play with the O3 Tour, two of which have tried out the Grays rackets. One preferred the Lite and qone preferred the Ultima. Similarly, both have applied to Prince for sponsorship (hense the reason they don't change to the Gray's rackets!)

 

So where in the world are you? I guess UK by the times of your posts. If you live near enough I'm happy to meet up for a game one weekend and bring along a sample Ultima with me!

 

Adz

 

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From nickhitter - 17 Nov 2006 - 01:29

Well actually I was thinking of maybe trying a lighter racket. I've never played with anything lighter than 145g, but what I'm after I suppose is to replicate the quickness of the O3, but with a more stable construction and a low vibration level so I don't have to mess about with dampeners. So I was thinking maybe a very light racket would feel similarly quick.....

To be honest I have difficult finding any at all, never mind at a good price! So chances of me getting to test drive one are pretty slim. Are you in the UK? I actually thought Grays as a brand had died years ago......

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From BizarreCo - 16 Nov 2006 - 01:52

I should also mention that the quality of all four of these rackets is amazing. They all rack up there alongside the top of the range Prince and Dunlop rackets for finishings and build quality. The subtle attention to detail stands out quite clearly with a 3 piece bumper strip, a full length cover and great quality factory fitted strings.

The stringing pattern of the two tear-drop rackets (Ultima and Lite) seems a little strange when you first look closely at it. The strings enter the throat of the racket at different angles to the normal vertical-drop pattern. Not sure of the technical reason for this as of yet, but I can certainly try to find out.

Whilst I'm at the club tonight I'll check on the balance of the two different rackets for you, and try to get a taste for how they feel to play with.

If you have any difficulty finding some at sensible prices then let me know!

Adz

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From BizarreCo - 16 Nov 2006 - 01:47

I've actually tried all four of their top rackets on offer....

 

The Powerflow Elite

The Powerflow Ultima

The Powerflow Lite

& The Powerflow Superlite

 

The Ultima is a really nice racket, but everyone I know who plays with Prince rackets seems to prefer the Powerflow Lite (the red one!). It is a bit heavier than the Ultima, so it matches the mid-weighted range of Prince rackets (like the 03 Tour). It has to be said, both feel VERY nice to play with and I was tempted away from my normal oval head-shaped rackets, but the Elite won out the day in my heart.

I'd seriously try them both before you buy, just to make sure that you're not spending out an extra 50% for no reason!

Adz

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From nickhitter - 15 Nov 2006 - 01:58

Sounds like a awesome racket! Have you tried the powerflow ultima? I was looking at that as a possible alternative to my dying o3 tour....

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