These are so sweet! What I was hoping was that they would act a little more like a Rip Cord, so I could go back and forth without making huge adjustments. Why Rip Cord? Of all the fixed tip tops I've tried, the Rip Cord just seems to obey, and now these Hollow Dogs do it too, only better. We're talkin' man's best friend.
I wish I had a stock HP now to compare again, but from memory:
They seem so small now! But they play big. They weigh about 85 grams now (25 grams less), and they are physically smaller than a Rip Cord but still 25 grams heavier. The play is a little faster, like I wanted. The original HP's are kinda "stubborn" for the style of play I'm going for, example - continuous suns were really hard with the HP.
The only drawback is that because it is much thinner where the string winds, it needs a pretty short and thin string. For fixed tip I want all the tops I use to have similar length - your hands get used to a length in regenerations and if you go long to short it can really mess you up. So, I just adjust the size. I don't mind thin string, but too thin and it won't wire walk very well. Grinding down the stock tips helps quite a bit (I spin them in a lathe and use a dremel cut-off tool to make the gap more of a "V" shape - also I grind it at the shelf where the point meets the top so there is no gap). I found that a thickness between what I like for Rip Cords and Sidewinders is the best (2 size 10 and 2 threads). Now they can wirewalk awesome with little tension and great control, but with elevators (up the string) it is difficult to overcome the weight.
Oh, and the only way to MISS a catch is to miss the top completely, instead of landing in any one of the old grooves and burning out your spin. I like that new feature. A lot.
Wish I had a Throwback to compare it too… Make more Go public, Hans!
