This racquet has never been hit. Notice the picture of the strings, no grooves. This was its first stringing, standard nylon at 58 - I string my racquets. I bought this before changing paces and selling my car; now that I use public transit, I can't play as much tennis, so I am downsizing to two racquets. This was to be my third in the rotation, notice the '3' written on the neck. The gripwas wrapped with an overgrip, which I took off.I'd say this racquet is awesome. I can't say enough about it, even if you're simply a strong player with a solid stroke and strike. It demands cognizance, but who wants a racquet that makes it easy to get the ball in and hard to knock your opponent out? This is the sort of racquet that knows its english. Shots on lesser racquets that might not drop soon enough with the BLX suddenly dip just before the baseline. Hitting partners start to ask about your investments ratherthan your kids. Adversaries begin to pick up the tabs at the cafe after they lose the tie-breaker. One begins to understand what it's like to be limited by one's ability rather than the racquet. I highly suggest winning this auction.