260.2 Stock replacement?(What plays like an open pattern Radical!)

[Fuji]

Hey all, buddy of mine fell in love with the 260.2 I have and we are now stuck!

Being how difficult and expensive it is to get these frames, we're looking for a cheaper alternative to lead up. Since the 260.2 is a radical with an open pattern (16x19) that's what we are looking to get.

Here are the two options I could think of:

- Dunlop AG300: It's a 16x19, straight 21mm beam, a bit lower powered but at 60 flex it still should be a comfortable ride. It seems like it would be good to lead up, reviews say it plays a bit stiffer then spec which does concern me a little.

Yonex RDiS 200: Also 16x19 which is a huge plus, and it seems to be getting rave reviews around here. It comes in two weights which would be really handy, and the beam is 22mm straight. Might be a bit more clunky, but I'm not sure if the difference of 1mm is huge? The stiffness is 61 so they should respond similarly?

Anywho, looking for some suggestions here. We can't order Head or Babolat hence the search!

Thanks everyone!

-Fuji

[T.P3D0R]

Any reason why you aren't recommending the Radical Pros that you seemed to have good success with?

[Fuji]

Originally Posted by T.P3D0R

Any reason why you aren't recommending the Radical Pros that you seemed to have good success with?

I love my Radical Pro's haha! We just aren't able to get Head Rackets here in Canada from TW, which makes it difficult for him.

(Speaking of: I traded in like 15 rackets for store credit, thinking I would be able to get another pair of them, turns out THAT is when Head decided on it's new shipping policy. How lovely eh?)

-Fuji

[T.P3D0R]

I wasn't aware of that. I've heard plenty of good things aboot Yonex though. Never had a chance to hit with one, but the RDiS 200 certainly seems to have a nice following (as you mentioned). Dunlop AG300 is worth a shot, make sure he's okay with dunlop feel - I wasn't a fan of it.

Alternatively, you could experiment with the Volkl V1 classic - again I've never used it but it seems to have a pretty good following on these boards.

[parasailing]

I take it you don't live close to the US border otherwise you can drive across and just buy a couple of racquets in the US?

I tried the Radical Pro and find that it is not as solid as the Radical MP. It feels a bit more tinny and I also love to get my hands on a 16x19 260.2. Those are probably one of the best racquets out there.

[sansaephanh]

RDiS 200. I can't compare it to your stick, but here is my take on it.

Been using it for maybe around 5-6 weeks. It really does have top notch feel and spin. Control is up to you though. I'm personally having trouble hitting a low flying inside out forehand, but i'm sure thats just my footwork and tennis slump at work.

Pros:
Huge (and I mean HUGE) sweet spot - I tend to hit higher on the string bed for my forehand and this stick seems to have cured those "spotty" string beds where the top has zero power. As this is my first Yonex, I'm not sure if its because the Isometric head shape or not, but it works wonder for when I want to really go for my shot.

Really open pattern - 16x19 in the Yonex head looks like a 107 lol. Spin comes easy.

Feel - It has the kind of feel that I reaaaaallly enjoy. It feels like the hoop is stiff and responsive while flexing nicely everywhere else.

Versatile - Customize away. I have 8 grams on mines and I love it. I might even add more...

Comfort - Good feel + happy arm = happy me.

Cons:
Power - I know this is subjective, because I'm nowhere near as good as you, but I string multi at 60 on a drop weight and sometimes I can't control my more penetrating shots. I use an eastern forehand and love to counterpunch with my 2handed backhand. That means i'm trying to flatten a good amount of balls on the rise to take time away. I've been launching here and there with this racket, but I'm getting closer and closer every session. This racket would be great for a big topspin game. It has given me some depth on my serves though. It also has a nice pop to it.

Control - Its taking me quite a bit of work to really dial in directional control, but I haven't been truly focused on dialing it in since I have other things on my mind, but coming from a mid, I kind of really miss that precise, katana through enemy's butter, pinpoint, bomb smashing prowess.

Paint job - Had to throw this in to give me time to think about what I don't like about it. lol

Summary: This really is an all court racket for the modern game. As others have said, this racket does EVERYTHING well, but nothing outstanding and nothing bad. I really chose this racket for that exact reason. To have a stick I'm so confident in that all I really think about is my game and maybe my strings. I'm not quite 100% with the racket yet, but I'm getting there for sure. I can't give up the feel of this stick. The lead just made it better.

Hope i helped a little.