Yonex Rd-Ti 80 Lite

[Ptrac]

Hello TW,

Just wondering if anyone has tried the Rd-Ti 80 Lite yet (no customer reviews up yet on TW). The specs look sexy and I am considering a demo to see how it plays. Specifically, how the frame does with spin potential and plow thru since the racket is fairly HL with less mass in the hoop compared with the standard ti-80. I'm looking at rdis100mp atm but I would like to see how a flexyier frame would compare to the stiffness of the rdis. Any additional info would be much appreciated. thank you

[basil J]

This frame looks very interesting to me as well. I loved the TI 80 but wished it was lighter. The RDX 500, which I thought was a lighter option was a terrible dissapointment. If the frame retains all of it's qualities in a lighter package, it could be worth a look.

[pepka]

Bump. Anyone hit with it yet?

[JGads]

I just did. Posted about it in the Racquetholic thread. It's an awesome, hidden gem of a frame that a lot of people here would love, I think. Low powered, control-oriented, old-school feeling frame that is great in stock form but would also be a dynamite platform for customization, probably. Here's what I wrote, a kind of comparison of the 80 Lite and the IG Speed 16x19 demo I also had:

Now, onto the Ti 80 Lite, which I am now convinced is a hidden GEM for a certain kind of player. Initially I took to the feel of the IG Speed in a big way (even with the cheap poly), but then the Ti 80 Lite absolutely blew it out of the water in the feel department. It is less powerful than the Speed for sure, but the feel of it is so old school, bare bones, raw. In a great way. Though I had less power, I could feel the ball on the stringbed (NXT) and have that momentary illusion of being able to point and shoot - the light swingweight really made for easy last-second adjustments as to where I was going, and the racquet responded. Serves were solid - my best serves weren't as powerful as the Speed, but the percentage was way up and the kickers were better, as I was able to generate more upward explosion on the kick arm motion. ... And this thing just DRIPS with control. It's like a slightly more powerful version of the Pure Storm Limited with a better serve and the same great feel (feel was slightly better than the Ltd. I think, but it's close). And it doesn't surprise that it acts like the Ltd. because the specs are very similar - good mid-range static weight with a low swingweight, making it very maneuverable and easy to swing, but the actual pop off the stringbed isn't as pronounced as other frames. The combination makes you really swing away at the ball, and the frame responds. And the absolutely stellar ball feel that comes from the thin frame makes for a deadly weapon on touch shots. I found myself getting drop shot-happy because when anywhere close to the net, I could put it on a dime as if I was tossing it just over the tape with my hand.

So to all of those looking for a control-oriented racquet like the Pure Storm Ltd. but are longing for just a bit more pace, try the 80 Lite. If you're tired of new technologies taking away from old school feel, try the Lite. And if you love the feel of the regular Ti 80 but find it a bit too sluggish, try the Lite. Nobody's reviewed this racquet before, and I really, really think it's just the racquet that many people on here would respond well to. It's also a great base for customization, which I didn't get into.

Think I'm giving myself one more demo round (but I've said this before) next week before sticking with something for the new season that starts in mid February. Will take the 80 Lite out again, I think, give the EX03 Tour another spin and then maybe add the BLX Blade 98 (but I'm quite worried about the quality control issues discussed) and either try the Speed 16x19 again or the 18x20 with the multi instead of the poly.

Ratings from this go-around would be something like:

IG Speed 16x19
Power: 9
Control: 8
Forehand: 8
Backhand: 9.5 (two hander)
First Serve: 8.5 (stellar pop at times but sometimes erratic)
Second serve: 7
Feel/Touch: 8.5

TI 80 Lite
Power: 7
Control: 9
Forehand: 8.5
Backhand: 9
First serve: 8 (not hugely powerful, but decent, and very consistent)
Second serve: 8.5
Feel/Touch: 10 (if you like your frames crisp, honest and old school)

[pepka]

Good stuff man, thanks a lot. It sounds as interesting as i thought. If i can only demo one

[JGads]

Originally Posted by pepka

Good stuff man, thanks a lot. It sounds as interesting as i thought. If i can only demo one

Off topic, but where in Poland are you? Luckily I'm located in California so demoing is never an issue for me (unless it's a uniquely European racquet like the AG 200 16x19 or Pure Storm Ltd. Plus or something) but my family is from Poland and I still have a grandmother and relatives there, and will be visiting Warsaw (and some others) again hopefully this summer. That's where I actually learned to play as a kid, on vacations to Poland where there was a tennis center near my grandmother's home. How is the tennis scene where you are? If more appropriate, shoot me an email through my profile. Would love to discuss. Cheers..

[hyamanak]

JGads,
have you any experience with the RQiS 1 tour? if so how does it compare with the Ti80 lite in terms of stability/power.

thanks,
H

[Buckethead]

BTW, how come TI 80 Lite is not listed at the Yonex site and nobody else has it by now?

[JGads]

Originally Posted by hyamanak

JGads,
have you any experience with the RQiS 1 tour? if so how does it compare with the Ti80 lite in terms of stability/power.

thanks,
H

Haven't hit with that one, but I know I've heard it's a very low powered, control oriented frame as this one is. But the RQIS has a thick beam, right? The 80 Lite is very thin, so the ball feel is exceptional. Also, the synthetic grip is incredibly thin and feels VERY much like leather - in fact i thought it was leather, but I thought to myself, "This is the only leather I've ever gotten along with/didn't hate," but then looked it up and it's a synthetic, but different feeling than anything else out there.

And it is curious that nobody else carries or even knows about this frame. That's why to me it really is a hidden gem. Fans of Babolat's Pure Drive series or powerful racquets like that would probably hate the Ti 80 Lite, but a lot of the enthusiasts in here of raw, more basic racquets of the past would really like this one, I think. "Raw" and "honest" were the words that just kept coming into my head the more I hit with it. It really is a nice throwback frame. And on my next test test drive I may add a touch of lead to see how it responds.

[pepka]

Originally Posted by JGads

Off topic, but where in Poland are you? Luckily I'm located in California so demoing is never an issue for me (unless it's a uniquely European racquet like the AG 200 16x19 or Pure Storm Ltd. Plus or something) but my family is from Poland and I still have a grandmother and relatives there, and will be visiting Warsaw (and some others) again hopefully this summer. That's where I actually learned to play as a kid, on vacations to Poland where there was a tennis center near my grandmother's home. How is the tennis scene where you are? If more appropriate, shoot me an email through my profile. Would love to discuss. Cheers..

Email sent

[Ptrac]

Thank you JGads excellent review of the racket. It sounds exactly what Im looking for. Im playing with the yt prestige mp and just looking around for a little lighter frame but still maintain the "raw" feel and excellent touch/control and maybe even some more power? Idk, but im convinced to go ahead and give this stick a good demo. Thanks again

[AndrewD]

JGads ,

Thankyou so much for the fantastic review/s of the Ti80 Lite. I've had my eye on it since it was first released but have been waiting for someone to provide a thorough run-down. So your reports (I've read through all your posts dealing with it) are precisely what I've been looking for. I did like your comparison of the Ti to the PS Ltd as I recommended it to Spencer from TW who uses the Ltd, based purely on the specs.

Are you able to draw a comparison between the Ti80 Lite and the RDX-500 MP ? Spencer and Chris felt that the Lite had a bit more pop than the 500 but I'd be interesting in hearing your opinion, if you've played with the RDX.

[sw00sh]

I think the RD Ti 80 lite is basically the UL version of the normal RD Ti 80. There is basically 2 groups of weight corresponding to the gripsize of this Yonex model. UL version is basically for grip size 1-3 and weight range from 300-319gm unstrung.

[JGads]

PTrac: I think the 80 Lite might be just what you're looking for. I had a YT Prestige MP for a bit and liked it everywhere, but my two-handed backhand was always bothered by the short handle on the MP - my top hand would always touch too much of the frame and throw me off a little; others don't report that problem but for me it always was. The TI 80 Lite, like all Yonex frames, has that long handle that's perfect for the two hander and you really feel like you can rip it. The Lite doesn't serve the heaters as well as the Prestige MP, but it's better for spin serves I think. Good luck.

AndrewD: Unfortunately I've never played with the RDX series, even though I've long wanted to and I've long put the Mid on my 'trade request' list when selling frames, because the specs seem so interesting.

I had another demo run with the Lite this week but my affections for it were actually overtaken by the Black Ace 93. I still love the Lite, but the Ace 93 had a FULLER feel on ball impact that was so unbelievably addicting (and unexpected to me), and the heftier swingweight/more even balance just seemed to agree with my strokes, driving through the ball a lot better, particularly on serve. That's where I kind of struggled with the Lite on this demo round: I could bring the flat first serves and slice them well, but I seemed to lose some feel on my kicker that left too many balls clipping the tape short. Every time I switched over to the Ace, I seemed to have a better feel for where the racquet head was and how it would come through and my consistency went way up. ...

So that's my updated take. Interestingly enough, in regards to the UL/SL topic, I had a 1/4 grip in my initial demo and a 3/8 this time around, and to me the 1/4 seemed to produce slightly better results for me: I didn't realize until just now, per this thread, that there might be a weight difference between the two? Interesting. My only hypothesis is that if that's true, perhaps I got along better with the 1/4 UL version because a lighter handle made for a more even-balanced frame, which perhaps gave me a slightly better feel of where the head was in my stroke, which is what I've noticed about Black Ace's more even balance. But that's just a theory.

Still, I'll be touting the TI80 Lite from here on, and would certainly be interested in picking one up down the line to tinker with, if I ever found it used at a good price. Very simple, raw, cool frame.

[pepka]

This realy sounds like an awesome stick. Can't find one in Europe, looks like TW is the only place to get them.

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by JGads

PTrac: I think the 80 Lite might be just what you're looking for. I had a YT Prestige MP for a bit and liked it everywhere, but my two-handed backhand was always bothered by the short handle on the MP - my top hand would always touch too much of the frame and throw me off a little; others don't report that problem but for me it always was. The TI 80 Lite, like all Yonex frames, has that long handle that's perfect for the two hander and you really feel like you can rip it. The Lite doesn't serve the heaters as well as the Prestige MP, but it's better for spin serves I think. Good luck.

AndrewD: Unfortunately I've never played with the RDX series, even though I've long wanted to and I've long put the Mid on my 'trade request' list when selling frames, because the specs seem so interesting.

I had another demo run with the Lite this week but my affections for it were actually overtaken by the Black Ace 93. I still love the Lite, but the Ace 93 had a FULLER feel on ball impact that was so unbelievably addicting (and unexpected to me), and the heftier swingweight/more even balance just seemed to agree with my strokes, driving through the ball a lot better, particularly on serve. That's where I kind of struggled with the Lite on this demo round: I could bring the flat first serves and slice them well, but I seemed to lose some feel on my kicker that left too many balls clipping the tape short. Every time I switched over to the Ace, I seemed to have a better feel for where the racquet head was and how it would come through and my consistency went way up. ...

So that's my updated take. Interestingly enough, in regards to the UL/SL topic, I had a 1/4 grip in my initial demo and a 3/8 this time around, and to me the 1/4 seemed to produce slightly better results for me: I didn't realize until just now, per this thread, that there might be a weight difference between the two? Interesting. My only hypothesis is that if that's true, perhaps I got along better with the 1/4 UL version because a lighter handle made for a more even-balanced frame, which perhaps gave me a slightly better feel of where the head was in my stroke, which is what I've noticed about Black Ace's more even balance. But that's just a theory.

Still, I'll be touting the TI80 Lite from here on, and would certainly be interested in picking one up down the line to tinker with, if I ever found it used at a good price. Very simple, raw, cool frame.

JGads,

Not to worry. As I mentioned, Chris from TW had chimed in with his opinion; that the Ti80 Lite is crisper and livelier than the RDX500 MP, so that do.

One area I didn't recall you discussing (apologies if you did) was volleying/net play. I can imagine the Ti80 Lite would be highly mobile but is it still solid and stable on hard hit shots at the net ?

I'm in the tough spot of having played my best tennis with a racquet that I just never enjoyed using - the RDS001 MP. Power and control were spot on but the harsh feel was something I could never adjust to. No other Yonex frame (RDiS-100 MP, RDS002, 002 Tour, etc) has been able to fit the bill.

[JGads]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

JGads,

Not to worry. As I mentioned, Chris from TW had chimed in with his opinion; that the Ti80 Lite is crisper and livelier than the RDX500 MP, so that do.

One area I didn't recall you discussing (apologies if you did) was volleying/net play. I can imagine the Ti80 Lite would be highly mobile but is it still solid and stable on hard hit shots at the net ?

I'm in the tough spot of having played my best tennis with a racquet that I just never enjoyed using - the RDS001 MP. Power and control were spot on but the harsh feel was something I could never adjust to. No other Yonex frame (RDiS-100 MP, RDS002, 002 Tour, etc) has been able to fit the bill.

Ah, volleys. I probably never mentioned it because I'm primarily a baseliner and rarely ever play doubles, so I'm not up at the net often so I don't feel my feedback is the best in that department... BUT, I've been working lately on mixing it up with occasional serve-volley combos rather than just staying back and I was working on that extensively with the TI80 Lite and it never let me down. On my way in it usually did the trick - it's not the best volleying racquet because the lightness of it won't put away screamers coming at you quite like a heavier frame would, but for its weight it seemed very adequate. The one area that I was quite impressed with, probably most impressed with - even as much as the Black Ace - was the touch shots, specifically droppers. On shots where I was middle-in, I never feared dropping one over the net because I felt the ball so well with the TI80 that I could backspin it or simply dink it over the tape with ease. So if you're a touch-shot kind of guy that likes to mix that into your game to keep the other guy jumpy, this one will please in that regard.

Oh, and I should mention regarding the RDS 001 MP, that's the racquet of my usual hitting partner so I have a lot of experience hitting with that as well and it was, until this Lite, my favorite Yonex. Not PERFECT - the stiffness of it was noticeable on high, spinny balls that I struggled to get back, and the serve left a lot to be desired - but I do really like that frame overall. I like the TI80 Lite better. It's my New Favorite Yonex, no doubt, from my limited Yonex experience (brief hits with RDS, RDIS, VCore).

[AndrewD]

Originally Posted by JGads

Ah, volleys. I probably never mentioned it because I'm primarily a baseliner and rarely ever play doubles, so I'm not up at the net often so I don't feel my feedback is the best in that department... BUT, I've been working lately on mixing it up with occasional serve-volley combos rather than just staying back and I was working on that extensively with the TI80 Lite and it never let me down. On my way in it usually did the trick - it's not the best volleying racquet because the lightness of it won't put away screamers coming at you quite like a heavier frame would, but for its weight it seemed very adequate. The one area that I was quite impressed with, probably most impressed with - even as much as the Black Ace - was the touch shots, specifically droppers. On shots where I was middle-in, I never feared dropping one over the net because I felt the ball so well with the TI80 that I could backspin it or simply dink it over the tape with ease. So if you're a touch-shot kind of guy that likes to mix that into your game to keep the other guy jumpy, this one will please in that regard.

Oh, and I should mention regarding the RDS 001 MP, that's the racquet of my usual hitting partner so I have a lot of experience hitting with that as well and it was, until this Lite, my favorite Yonex. Not PERFECT - the stiffness of it was noticeable on high, spinny balls that I struggled to get back, and the serve left a lot to be desired - but I do really like that frame overall. I like the TI80 Lite better. It's my New Favorite Yonex, no doubt, from my limited Yonex experience (brief hits with RDS, RDIS, VCore).

JGads,
Again, thanks so much for the information and opinions; especially your ability to discuss the Ti80 Lite in relation to the RDS001 MP. Your experience of the RDS seems to be very similar to mine. I love it on groundstrokes where I got all the power I needed and more control than I expected. However, the stiffness was always a problem (I stopped using it twice because of the harsh feel) and I never felt really connected to it on serve.

I think you might have sold me on the Ti80 Lite or, at least, given me incentive enough to take a chance on it.

[Herve]

I've only tested the non-Lite version, and I must agree on all accounts:
- old-school feel
- impressive manoeuverability despite static weight
- Impressive ability to "point and shoot"
- No Frills, no-nonsense classic player's frame
BUT
in my experience only, too much work is needed to generate your own power, sucks the life out of you in no time.

That's why I was very keen on the Lite version, where one could generate headspeed more easily and therefore generate more power with less effort.

I'm sticking to my RDiS 100MP for now, as for an old Yonex "Spaghetti" frame lover, these stiffer frames came as a revelation.

[JGads]

Originally Posted by AndrewD

JGads,
Again, thanks so much for the information and opinions; especially your ability to discuss the Ti80 Lite in relation to the RDS001 MP. Your experience of the RDS seems to be very similar to mine. I love it on groundstrokes where I got all the power I needed and more control than I expected. However, the stiffness was always a problem (I stopped using it twice because of the harsh feel) and I never felt really connected to it on serve.

I think you might have sold me on the Ti80 Lite or, at least, given me incentive enough to take a chance on it.

Pretty confident from our shared thoughts on the RDS MP that you'll like the 80L. Certainly I hope to have led you to racquet bliss rather than regret. If you make the leap or get a demo, update this thread as I'll be curious as to how it works out... If you can demo it with the Black Ace series, the new apple of my eye, I'd recommend giving that a shot as well.