Steve Pearson writes:

The handling is very sensitive to the structural properties of the
bottom surface. For example lighter handling with softer Contender cloth, but
the downside is that Contender cloth won't hold tension where I want it. This
latest version has the best of both: handling like Contender, tighter than
Polyant woven.

I don't want to overstate the difference, but they are very nice. The weight
difference is probably part of it