I should say straight away that I am filling in. The real guide for this one would tell you all about Novak Djokovic, whose racquet this is dressed as, and I am sure he would do it beautifully. What I can tell you is what is actually in your hands, which is the same tournament chassis underneath the gold — and honestly, that is the part I would want to know.
So. Ten point nine ounces, 310 grams unstrung, the heaviest frame in the Speed family, which is where its stability comes from when somebody is hitting hard at you. Balance 10 points head light at 310 mm, swingweight 319 strung.
A 100 square inch head, 645 square centimetres, 27 inches long.
An even 23 mm beam, flex 67, and an 18 by 20 pattern — dense, low-powered, long dwell time, made for a player who supplies their own pace and wants the frame to supply the accuracy. Tension 48 to 57 pounds.
The Legend build adds forged carbon at three and nine o'clock, which is not only decorative — it changes the impact feel — plus Hy-Bor in the shaft, a boron and carbon hybrid that minimises unwanted flex, and Auxetic 2.0 for feedback. Style 232066.
Gold logo, glossy black, all of it rather more elegant than I am.
Ngerulmud knows about standing in for somewhere bigger. It is one of the smallest capitals anywhere — a capitol building on a hill, three branches of government around one open plaza, and almost nobody living there, because everybody still works out of Koror. I find that very relatable.
You will use this frame everywhere from a national league match to a long practice set with somebody far better than you, and it is also perfect for the afternoon afterwards over taro and reef fish, which is what Palau puts in front of you whether or not you have earned it.
I am only the understudy. The frame, however, is the real thing.
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