Jayce
What I’ve discovered by using this racquet is that the homogenization of the low end of the green factory is severe, at least after using so many low-priced 4U5U outfits that don’t have any more keywords than lightness and high forgiveness.
Gripped from a female golfer, only dabbed two games, less credible, discretionary.
Parameters: 4UG5, de-bottomed, total weight 87.2g in used condition, balance point 295mm, center shaft length 215mm, low stiffness, double sided anisotropic frame, 76 holes string bed, 9-3 point string slot, warranty 24lbs, stringing 24lbs bg65.
It’s been a long time since I’ve used the DUORA series, so we might as well go back to that most far-flung controversy, is there any hitting difference between the two sides of the racket? So after getting it in my hands, the first thing I looked at was not its lacquer, but its frame construction. At least compared to the top end of the DUORA series, the windbreak treatment on the reverse side is more conservative, and the difference in thickness has dropped, bringing it closer to the performance of a box frame.
The color scheme is an extension of the DUORA10 orange and green hues, but both the quality of the paint and the level of decoration reflect a very harsh class difference, and the 55’s appearance can be described as spartan, with no more striking elements than the contrasting blocks of color that flare out from the 3 and 9 o’clock and 4 and 8 o’clock frames.
The 55 comes in two sizes, the 4U version is very lightweight and this balanced feel really fits the tone of the DUORA series, however the current deadweight and swingweight are both just too light, and even though the mid-range isn’t too soft, it still lacks the vast majority of the power it feels on the way out.
Perhaps because of the lack of DR carbon, perhaps because of the nature of the 65 line itself, or perhaps because the low poundage line has been on the racket for so long, the current 55 doesn’t feel like it’s holding the ball as much as it is provided by the toughness of the frame. I have to say that while the less crisp ball response of the Double Edge line isn’t something that all golfers like, it’s certainly a great feature, and the 55 loses that. To be honest, it’s the later mid-low range racquets under the tour/game/play system that retain more of the original high-end flavor and are even slightly more conscientious in this comparison.
So, with all the high end tech stripped away, the 55 front and back had little to no difference in hitting performance and became completely gimmicky, or the slightly stronger, point-to-point hold on the forehand side became an excuse for my misses after I got a high shot of power down the line and hit it off the net.
The offensive feel of the racquet, even though the DUORA 10 is not a kill shot device, is a step down from the 55. The lack of downward pressure and the discounted elasticity of the whole racket after the castration of the material make the Double Edge 55’s strong attacking effect quite average.
Once the high handicap ensures that the DUORA55 handles passive shots and kills well, there is not much more to say about the racquet’s performance. Though light and flexible, the ball feels sluggish, and it can only “catch” the ball on flat blocks, not push it further. The current cassette is too low in swingweight to be very directional, and the 24-pound warranty doesn’t help to increase the ceiling, even with 80 strings in the top frame. Especially on small balls at the net and slingshots from the backcourt, there was no confidence in the shot.
I didn’t dare ask the owner how much he paid for this one.
