Which Racquet- ProKennex Ki5 or Yonex RDiS 200 MP? (Shoulder pain)

[GongerMD]

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for some advice, especially if you've ever had arm/should issues. I have rotator cuff issues, not torn yet, and it can cause major pain on my 1st serves. I am looking into arm-friendly rackets. Which do you suggest between ProKennex Ki5 or Yonex RDiS 200 MP?

I already have a Volkl Organix 8 (315) as a gift and I recently purchased the ProKennex Ionic Ki5 PSE (heavy racquet). I don't have an issue with heavy rackets, but I want one more racket to pick the best one for my arm over a span of months. One thing to note, I am a power hitter with a little spin because I don't have a consistent full swing. So I tend to not hit balls deep enough with weaker racquets. Are either of these weaker than the other? Is the head shape of the Yonex awkward?

I am also working on changing my serving motion, but a racquet change is a must.

Thanks!

[commish00]

I think both sticks you are debating are arm-friendly sticks. Don't think you could go wrong either way. Gun to my head I'd probably go with the PK, but I've hit with both and don't think you will have problems with either one.

[basil J]

I am a longtime user of the KI5 and just finished a 1 month long stint with the RDIS 200. 2 different sticks, but I found them both comfortable and quite good frames. The KI5 is a muted frame that really protects my shoulder well. It has good plow through the ball and is actually a pretyy good S&V frame. Spin production is good and it is comfy, yet it is a weird feeling frame if you have never used an Ionic PK series frame before. Power level is fairly low and control is very good. A bit dead on the upper hoop, but it has a good sized sweetspot.
RDIS 200-more powerful, more spin friendly a little less stable. Once I added 4" lead tape at 3:00 12:00 & 9:00 and used a poly hybrid with multi at 58#, the frame then played very nicely. It did not give me anything that I was not getting from my KI5 so I moved on from it, but I really did enjoy it. I played and won 2 matches with it and i did not once during either matches think about pulling out my KI5. I would say both are excellent all court, comfy frames and you should demo both to see which plays better for you.

[GongerMD]

Thanks for the reply guys. I might be leaning towards the Yonex for the slightly extra power and swingweight, but I'll demo them to test against my shoulder. I was using a stiff racket for the past year without realizing that it may have been harming my shoulder, so I need to switch asap.

Does anyone know if the Yonex square-type head is a pro or con?

Thanks,

[counterpuncher]

Originally Posted by GongerMD

Does anyone know if the Yonex square-type head is a pro or con?

The pro is that the sweet spot is usually bigger and extended up high and the string bed is more consistent (debateable). The con is that most people don't like it and I have usually found that pop for serves is less due to the shorter mains.

[GongerMD]

Oh that's a really good point to think about b/c I didn't realize it could take some pace off my serve. That's important b/c my power serve is a big part of my game. The Yonex is almost half off, so that makes me curious too.

[counterpuncher]

I only had one session with the RDiS 200 and serves were okay but not outstanding with it. The TW review and the feedback seem to hold these same sentiments. So I don't know if you'd lose any pace, but you probably won't gain any either.

[filphil]

I've thought that arm friendly rackets/strings really help with with tennis elbow while lighter rackets save the shoulder. That is heavy rackets can be toxic to the shoulder. You do say that you don't mind heavy rackets but the pain you feel may well be a direct result of that. Hopefully more experienced members chime in on the matter.

[levy1]

KI 5 and you are done. Dont forget to adjust the strings.

[Power Player]

I can serve rather hard with the 200, which surprised me. The guys who used it for one session simply won't get the frame. It took me 2-3 weeks to mess with it before everything clicked in, and it is a fantastic racquet on serves. You have to give yourself the time to adjust to the frame since it really rewards good timing with free power.

Also the headshape for me is a bonus. I like to hit groundstrokes with spin and serve with spin, and this racquet excels for that. I had shoulder issues coming from lifting weights and using stiff racquets so I had to make some changes, and this stick has delivered big time.

[Kevin T]

I agree with Power Player. I've been a PK man in all racquet sports for years but have been using the 200 for a few weeks now and it's fantastic. Just picked up another one last week (thanks Basil J!). I had been playing around with the 100, so adjusting to the head shape was easy for me. As Power said, it has sneaky power and produces excellent spin. I've been hitting some nasty slice backhands and volleys. The Ki 5 does everything well/ok but nothing great. Either stick is great but the Yonex is also very comfy and for me, volleys better and has a touch more pop. It's also a great deal at $90.