Yonex DR98 alternative

Sitting Duck

New User
Hi all,

I am a long time lurker on this forum but never posted anything so this is my first post.
I am a 38 year old male that started tennis 5 years ago, i am still searching for the best racquet-string combination and see a lot of improvement on my game when i am playing with something that suits me wel.
I have started a few years ago with more powerfull racquets but now i am starting to play much better with less powerfull racquets.

I have 3 dr98 and have been testing different strings on it, i have been settled on weiscannon silverstring for a while but i wanted to try some more spinfriendly options so i could hit more confident and hit shorter angles.
I tried tourbite 1.25mm , rpm blast 1.30mm , pros pro black out 1.24mm and 1.28mm and pros pro strategem 1.30mm. With the strategem 1.30 and the blackout 1.28 i am playing much better because they are so low powered, i really like the combination of the dr98 and these strings @ 22.5kg but they hurt my arm.

So i am looking for either a string that is softer and offers the same dead feeling or a racquet that is more comfy so i can use these same strings without pain.
Sometimes i also play with a dr100 or a pure aero 2019 and i benefit from the larger sweetspot of these racquets but i cant control the power and i hate the launch angle of the racquets.

So idealy i would like a racquet with the size sweetspot of a 100inch a lower power level then a dr98 and about the same launch angle. The 310 gr unstrung of the dr98 is also a maximum for me.
Does anyone have got some suggestions for me? Hybriding the dr98 is also not a chose i think because it gets to much power for me that way. ( i tried rpm blast/spiraltec already)
 

weelie

Professional
May I suggest Ashaway "Crossfire ZX" (check the Kevlar zyex praise thread)? My solution was tailweighting (I added a lot of weight under the grip) and using those strings. Currently, sadly, I am back to poly, as my regular stringer is in self-isolation since the spring (arm is fine). Sweetspot in 98 inch vs 100 inch... does not really matter.

Of course technique, being late, hitting with just the arm, overhitting etc can affect your arm. One-handed backhand, to me YMMV, is most prone to tennis elbow.
 

fox

Professional
Maybe Prince 100P? 305 gr, 100 inch2, 18x20 but pretty open one, 62 RA or 65A depending on which version. But if you like dr98 and have 3 of them it is much easier to find a right string than change everything.
 
J

joohan

Guest
Kirschbaum Pro Line 2 for comfort and decent spin, low powered too. Yonex Poly Tour Spin - low powered, a lot of spin and adequate comfort. Both 1.25.

Edit:

I'll add WeissCannon Scorpion - not too low powered but comfy and good spin potential. Not bad as a cross for poly/poly hybrids with something deader and less comfy.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

mike841

Rookie
Kirschbaum Pro Line 2 for comfort and decent spin, low powered too. Yonex Poly Tour Spin - low powered, a lot of spin and adequate comfort. Both 1.25.

Both terrible recommendations for someone who says they are having arm problems with poly.
 

Nick777

Semi-Pro
Yptp at low tension, polyfibre black venon, yptp/cream, velocity/yptp, All option are arm friendly in dr98, i often use hybrid for arm problems without any issues in control, you can abjust your teqnique
 

ron schaap

Hall of Fame
Both terrible recommendations for someone who says they are having arm problems with poly.
i doubt his arm problems have anything to do with the Dr98, because this is such a dampened soft racquet. Strung with a very soft string you would not even know if you hit the ball or not. Yonex poly tour spin is a very durable, tension stable string with not so much pop. excellent choice. Maybe he could try thinner strings that are little softer but still spin friendly like Solinco revelation which is softer than tourbite.
 

mike841

Rookie
i doubt his arm problems have anything to do with the Dr98, because this is such a dampened soft racquet. Strung with a very soft string you would not even know if you hit the ball or not. Yonex poly tour spin is a very durable, tension stable string with not so much pop. excellent choice. Maybe he could try thinner strings that are little softer but still spin friendly like Solinco revelation which is softer than tourbite.

PTS is a terrible choice because a) it's stiff and b) it's shaped and notches easily, locking the strings. Both terrible for anyone with arm problems.
 

Dragy

Legend
I enjoyed Tourna Big Hitter Silver 17 (round one) in DR98 - very smooth feel, decent feedback. However, it still notches and locks maybe because of soft coating. My current preference being Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 - one of the most long living poly. Mind some initital tension drop, and it's quite firm, but lower tensions help.
I suppose you don't have need to tame the power too much - so you can use gut/poly hybrid or softer co-poly like Cyclone Tour. You mentioned dead feel preference, but why not go soft and butter?
 

Nick777

Semi-Pro
i doubt his arm problems have anything to do with the Dr98, because this is such a dampened soft racquet. Strung with a very soft string you would not even know if you hit the ball or not. Yonex poly tour spin is a very durable, tension stable string with not so much pop. excellent choice. Maybe he could try thinner strings that are little softer but still spin friendly like Solinco revelation which is softer than tourbite.
You can abjust to anything if needed.. I have played tournament with soft hybrids or even FB velocity in the dr, i am a 4.5 all court player. My stiff limit is yptp FB and besides arm pain dint need to go stiffer to gain more control or anything
 

Sitting Duck

New User
Thanks for al the recommendations, its well appreciated.

May I suggest Ashaway "Crossfire ZX" (check the Kevlar zyex praise thread)? My solution was tailweighting (I added a lot of weight under the grip) and using those strings. Currently, sadly, I am back to poly, as my regular stringer is in self-isolation since the spring (arm is fine). Sweetspot in 98 inch vs 100 inch... does not really matter.

Of course technique, being late, hitting with just the arm, overhitting etc can affect your arm. One-handed backhand, to me YMMV, is most prone to tennis elbow.

I tried the crossfire ZX combination already in another frame about a year ago and i didn,t like it and for me it was less comfy the a stiff poly.

Maybe Prince 100P? 305 gr, 100 inch2, 18x20 but pretty open one, 62 RA or 65A depending on which version. But if you like dr98 and have 3 of them it is much easier to find a right string than change everything.

I was also thinking in the direction of a 100P by only looking at the specs and the reviews. I agree with you that it would be best to find a good low power string instead of changing racquets but i am afraid that all dead/low powered poly's are stiff and all softer comfortable poly's are more powerfull? I havent tried all poly's available but for the for the poly's i have tried this was the case.

Both terrible recommendations for someone who says they are having arm problems with poly.

I dont have pain when i play with weiscannon silverstring or other softer poly's.

Yptp at low tension, polyfibre black venon, yptp/cream, velocity/yptp, All option are arm friendly in dr98, i often use hybrid for arm problems without any issues in control, you can abjust your teqnique

Ok, i will give those a try, when i bought one of my dr98 there was some old yptp in it from the previous owner but is was already strung een year ago so i cut it out. Wich gauge of yptp did you use?
I know that my teqnique is far from perfect and i am working hard on it, have taken a ton of lessons and train regularly with a ball machine. But starting with tennis in your 30s makes it really hard to get proper form and progress goes slowly :)
 

PMF

Semi-Pro
If you really want to transition from the DR98, and need something comfortable with a low static weight, try out the Wilson Blade 98, with a soft poly. And if you want something with a more HL balance, try the Yonex VCore Pro 97 (310), with a gut/poly or multi/ poly hybrid. But I agree with others, if you already have 3 DR's, which I'm assuming are still in decent shape, it would be worthwhile to further experiment with more string. Personally, I really like a Rexis 16L / Poly Tour Strike 17 hybrid setup! :)
 

Nick777

Semi-Pro
Thanks for al the recommendations, its well appreciated.



I tried the crossfire ZX combination already in another frame about a year ago and i didn,t like it and for me it was less comfy the a stiff poly.



I was also thinking in the direction of a 100P by only looking at the specs and the reviews. I agree with you that it would be best to find a good low power string instead of changing racquets but i am afraid that all dead/low powered poly's are stiff and all softer comfortable poly's are more powerfull? I havent tried all poly's available but for the for the poly's i have tried this was the case.



I dont have pain when i play with weiscannon silverstring or other softer poly's.



Ok, i will give those a try, when i bought one of my dr98 there was some old yptp in it from the previous owner but is was already strung een year ago so i cut it out. Wich gauge of yptp did you use?
I know that my teqnique is far from perfect and i am working hard on it, have taken a ton of lessons and train regularly with a ball machine. But starting with tennis in your 30s makes it really hard to get proper form and progress goes slowly :)
You can try both, 1.20 a little bit more spin, power and touch, don't go over 23kg,for me yptp is the perfect combination of dead low power poly and arm friendly as much as it gets for that characteristics and suits dr well
 

Sitting Duck

New User
I enjoyed Tourna Big Hitter Silver 17 (round one) in DR98 - very smooth feel, decent feedback. However, it still notches and locks maybe because of soft coating. My current preference being Babolat Pro Hurricane Tour 17 - one of the most long living poly. Mind some initital tension drop, and it's quite firm, but lower tensions help.
I suppose you don't have need to tame the power too much - so you can use gut/poly hybrid or softer co-poly like Cyclone Tour. You mentioned dead feel preference, but why not go soft and butter?

Switching back and fort between my pure aero 2019 and dr98 the latest months i also found that the dr98 wasn't powerfull. I played a few time using the pure aero liking the spin potential but but hating the loopy shots it made and the fact that my arm started to hurt from it, everytime i played my dr again with silverstring 1.20mm i realy liked the lower trajectory and the buttery feel i got with it but i hated the fact that i lost spin potential. So i started experimenting with other strings to find some more spin potential.
What i found was that with deader feeling string i could hit more thru the ball without overhitting and i would start to play a lot more consistent, finally for the forst time have a little bit of dept control.
When i use soft and buttery strings then they are also more lively and i have the feeling that i can only brush te ball to make sure there is enough spin to keep it in, the moment i start hitting thru the ball i am overhitting.
Offcourse i would like a soft and buttery string with very low power, but i dont know if that exist ( some say yptp so wil try that one first)
 

Sitting Duck

New User
You can try both, 1.20 a little bit more spin, power and touch, don't go over 23kg,for me yptp is the perfect combination of dead low power poly and arm friendly as much as it gets for that characteristics and suits dr well

Thanks,

Will definitely try both gauges!
 
J

joohan

Guest
Both terrible recommendations for someone who says they are having arm problems with poly.

Thanks for your feedback, I always enjoy your courteous tone.

I, too, have sensitive arm and don't find those two particularly/at all harsh in much more direct feeling V Core Tour G330 (compared to DR98). The OP is specifically asking for lower powered/deader poly on the softer side, hence the suggestion. I don't find the PL2 to be less comfy compared to Silverstring for instance.
 

Dragy

Legend
Switching back and fort between my pure aero 2019 and dr98 the latest months i also found that the dr98 wasn't powerfull. I played a few time using the pure aero liking the spin potential but but hating the loopy shots it made and the fact that my arm started to hurt from it, everytime i played my dr again with silverstring 1.20mm i realy liked the lower trajectory and the buttery feel i got with it but i hated the fact that i lost spin potential. So i started experimenting with other strings to find some more spin potential.
What i found was that with deader feeling string i could hit more thru the ball without overhitting and i would start to play a lot more consistent, finally for the forst time have a little bit of dept control.
When i use soft and buttery strings then they are also more lively and i have the feeling that i can only brush te ball to make sure there is enough spin to keep it in, the moment i start hitting thru the ball i am overhitting.
Offcourse i would like a soft and buttery string with very low power, but i dont know if that exist ( some say yptp so wil try that one first)
Understood. To you play it stock?
I’ve got good natural shape with some firmer strings like Poly Tour Fire. Got big air under the ball with Völkl Cyclone 18 (shaped and thin). Most “good” firm options played great fresh, but either hurt my otherwise not that sensitive arm, or got too catapultive several hours in.
I think you could try racquets like 18x20 Gravity or VCORE Pro 97, if you are ok with the SW. Those frames will both be softer and allow for softer strings due to lower power level.
 

mike841

Rookie
Thanks for your feedback, I always enjoy your courteous tone.

I, too, have sensitive arm and don't find those two particularly/at all harsh in much more direct feeling V Core Tour G330 (compared to DR98). The OP is specifically asking for lower powered/deader poly on the softer side, hence the suggestion. I don't find the PL2 to be less comfy compared to Silverstring for instance.

Some people find the Aero Pro not particularly stiff or harsh on the arm. Doesn't mean that it isn't for 99% of people. Like I said, PTS is a terrible choice because a) it's stiff and b) it's shaped and notches easily, locking the strings. Terrible for anyone with arm problems. PL2 is prestretched and goes dead and stiff quickly. Again, a terrible choice for anyone with arm problems.
 
J

joohan

Guest
Some people find the Aero Pro not particularly stiff or harsh on the arm. Doesn't mean that it isn't for 99% of people. Like I said, PTS is a terrible choice because a) it's stiff and b) it's shaped and notches easily, locking the strings. Terrible for anyone with arm problems. PL2 is prestretched and goes dead and stiff quickly. Again, a terrible choice for anyone with arm problems.

I also stated I have sensitive arm so your Aero comparison is off. I like the way you use statistics, though.

Regarding the rest, I understood it's just a "terrible" choice the first time you wrote it. Poly Tour Spin slides well despite being shaped plus it holds tension really well and maintains good spin even after edges wear off (once clocked some 15 hours with it in 16x20 Tour G330 without feeling too dull or whatever). One of the lowest powered poly I've tried. I agree to disagree regarding PL2. It's my go-to, I use it from Vantage 90 (even in Fischer Vacuum Mid as a cross in gut/poly) to Angell TC100 with DR98, Tour G330 or Dunlop Biomimetic 300Tour in between and I like how it plays in each and every one of those frames. No accounting for taste, I suppose.
 

PD1978

Semi-Pro
Try Luxilon Smart.
I’m a DR98 user as well with history of arm problems so I string mine with gut/poly to save my arm as I love the DR98. Don’t want to change it. I do use a VCP HD as well when I play doubles.
 

mike841

Rookie
Poly Tour Spin slides well despite being shaped

Not really. It's decent enough when fresh, but the edges are sharp and dig in each other at the intersections, so you end up with the strings notching very quickly at the intersections with the result that the string 'sits' in the notches rather than sliding immediately. Results in inconsistency from the string bed and short lived performance.

Stiff shaped polys that notch are the worst type of string for anyone with arm problems.
 

PD1978

Semi-Pro
Isn’t Poly Tour Pro soft?

Try a hybrid if you having arm issues. It’s not worth trying to make a poly work if you hurting your arm.
 

soulfree914

Rookie
My experience with the DR98 was that it can be a bit harsh on the arm/wrist off-center even though the racquet is very plush overall. I had to move away from it, play with an arguably more evenly-comfortable TT310, and it was great comfort-wise but I didn't get the same control and precise touch that I used to get with the DR98. Later during a racquet demo, it caught me by surprise that the Blade v7 16x19 reminded me of the feel of DR98 (not as buttery, but close, and slightly less buttery feel was good for me), gave me no comfort issues off-center, and provided better control than the more open patterned TT310. More recently, I have found that I can knife slices better with the blade than the other two as well. It's still a bit head-heavier than the DR98 so it may require an adjustment period. Put a low-powered shaped poly in it and it should give you short angles as well. I would also second the Tour 100p as another option and it may give you a bit more pop than the blade.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 

PD1978

Semi-Pro
I always come back to the DR98, perfect weight, balance and feel. I could go with a touch less power but that can be fixed with string tension.
 

pow

Hall of Fame
My experience with the DR98 was that it can be a bit harsh on the arm/wrist off-center even though the racquet is very plush overall. I had to move away from it, play with an arguably more evenly-comfortable TT310, and it was great comfort-wise but I didn't get the same control and precise touch that I used to get with the DR98. Later during a racquet demo, it caught me by surprise that the Blade v7 16x19 reminded me of the feel of DR98 (not as buttery, but close, and slightly less buttery feel was good for me), gave me no comfort issues off-center, and provided better control than the more open patterned TT310. More recently, I have found that I can knife slices better with the blade than the other two as well. It's still a bit head-heavier than the DR98 so it may require an adjustment period. Put a low-powered shaped poly in it and it should give you short angles as well. I would also second the Tour 100p as another option and it may give you a bit more pop than the blade.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
Thanks for your comments. Could you compare which had more power and spin between dr98 and tt310?
 

KYHacker

Professional
I really liked the DR98, but it didn’t wow me. It wasn’t the most plush frame I’ve ever hit with, though.

I have always played with flexible, heavy frames, but the past two years I have been playing with RF97A. I was having a little bit of arm pain, and I have been experimenting with a lot of different string setups.

I just switched to Prince O3 Beast 98. I love my RF97A, still, but I’ll stick with the Beast for now. It’s a stiff frame but it’s super comfortable and it has good power and control. That might be one to try.

Before you do that, though, try the Prince Warrior Response string. It has an interesting construction. I found it to be very soft for a poly, but still more low powered and control oriented than I expected. It’s my third favorite string. My favorite is ProLine X, but it’s too stiff for your needs. I also like Black Shark, it plays relatively soft and it is super low powered, so it might also be a good choice.
 

Sitting Duck

New User
Understood. To you play it stock?
I’ve got good natural shape with some firmer strings like Poly Tour Fire. Got big air under the ball with Völkl Cyclone 18 (shaped and thin). Most “good” firm options played great fresh, but either hurt my otherwise not that sensitive arm, or got too catapultive several hours in.
I think you could try racquets like 18x20 Gravity or VCORE Pro 97, if you are ok with the SW. Those frames will both be softer and allow for softer strings due to lower power level.

Hi Dragy,

I play the dr98 stock and the pure aero with weight in the butcapp to match the weight a d balance of the dr98.
The dr98 is the maximum wheight i can take while still swinging fast.
 

Dragy

Legend
Hi Dragy,

I play the dr98 stock and the pure aero with weight in the butcapp to match the weight a d balance of the dr98.
The dr98 is the maximum wheight i can take while still swinging fast.
To wrap up my thoughts, I believe stock DR98, unless overspec in terms of SW, plays in quite controlled manner with variety of strings. Generates decent spin with softer options at not-so-high tensions. So I suggest to tinker a bit more with thinner/softer/shaped options rather than stiff dead-feel ones - and focus on smooth fast swings rather than all-out fast swings. The balls should get very healthy shape.
 

LoanStar

Rookie
I play with the DR98, but am thinking about demoing the Volkl C10 Pro for increased stability and plow thru. I like the DR98 for arm comfort and the plush feel. Does anyone have experience playing these two sticks?
 

Tmano

Hall of Fame
Hi all,

I am a long time lurker on this forum but never posted anything so this is my first post.
I am a 38 year old male that started tennis 5 years ago, i am still searching for the best racquet-string combination and see a lot of improvement on my game when i am playing with something that suits me wel.
I have started a few years ago with more powerfull racquets but now i am starting to play much better with less powerfull racquets.

I have 3 dr98 and have been testing different strings on it, i have been settled on weiscannon silverstring for a while but i wanted to try some more spinfriendly options so i could hit more confident and hit shorter angles.
I tried tourbite 1.25mm , rpm blast 1.30mm , pros pro black out 1.24mm and 1.28mm and pros pro strategem 1.30mm. With the strategem 1.30 and the blackout 1.28 i am playing much better because they are so low powered, i really like the combination of the dr98 and these strings @ 22.5kg but they hurt my arm.

So i am looking for either a string that is softer and offers the same dead feeling or a racquet that is more comfy so i can use these same strings without pain.
Sometimes i also play with a dr100 or a pure aero 2019 and i benefit from the larger sweetspot of these racquets but i cant control the power and i hate the launch angle of the racquets.

So idealy i would like a racquet with the size sweetspot of a 100inch a lower power level then a dr98 and about the same launch angle. The 310 gr unstrung of the dr98 is also a maximum for me.
Does anyone have got some suggestions for me? Hybriding the dr98 is also not a chose i think because it gets to much power for me that way. ( i tried rpm blast/spiraltec already)
I use the DR 98 as well and I'm not having any issues arm or wrist issues i can tell but i would say the DR is not that buttery racquet as a lot of people think. It's a comfy racquet but it can cause issue at some people.
Yptp is a nice string but the 1.20 gauge is more comfy. I like head lynx but you might find it too powerful which is actually not so much, but if you hybrid it you would get less power for sure. I'm thinking about head hawk touch and the new head lynx tour as well.
 

Tmano

Hall of Fame
I'm not sure of the new racquets.
I personally did not have any elbow, wrist issues with any racquets. Even the first graphene radical pro that was stiff for a lot of people for me worked fine without causing me problem and I used it for two years.
Maybe Dunlop offers a even more softer racquets nowdays.
Of the old ones the pure storm gt and gt tour were really soft racquets or the microgel prestige mp, however I don't think it's what you are looking for.
Try to use the Yptp 1.20 around 46 lbs. I found it very soft when i used it, almost too soft of a string and that could solve your trouble with the racquet. The DR is a good racquet.
 

soulfree914

Rookie
After reading through the OP again, just thought of what might work. Prince Phantom 100x 305. 100-inch head size, arguably better comfort on off-center shots, similar buttery feel, lower-powered than DR98. The phantom has a slightly higher launch angle, but it shouldn't be too bad.
 

Anton

Legend
Hi all,

I am a long time lurker on this forum but never posted anything so this is my first post.
I am a 38 year old male that started tennis 5 years ago, i am still searching for the best racquet-string combination and see a lot of improvement on my game when i am playing with something that suits me wel.
I have started a few years ago with more powerfull racquets but now i am starting to play much better with less powerfull racquets.

I have 3 dr98 and have been testing different strings on it, i have been settled on weiscannon silverstring for a while but i wanted to try some more spinfriendly options so i could hit more confident and hit shorter angles.
I tried tourbite 1.25mm , rpm blast 1.30mm , pros pro black out 1.24mm and 1.28mm and pros pro strategem 1.30mm. With the strategem 1.30 and the blackout 1.28 i am playing much better because they are so low powered, i really like the combination of the dr98 and these strings @ 22.5kg but they hurt my arm.

So i am looking for either a string that is softer and offers the same dead feeling or a racquet that is more comfy so i can use these same strings without pain.
Sometimes i also play with a dr100 or a pure aero 2019 and i benefit from the larger sweetspot of these racquets but i cant control the power and i hate the launch angle of the racquets.

So idealy i would like a racquet with the size sweetspot of a 100inch a lower power level then a dr98 and about the same launch angle. The 310 gr unstrung of the dr98 is also a maximum for me.
Does anyone have got some suggestions for me? Hybriding the dr98 is also not a chose i think because it gets to much power for me that way. ( i tried rpm blast/spiraltec already)

Clash should be softer.

Blade 98 V7 or HEAD PT2.0 should be lower powered.
 

Sitting Duck

New User
Hi guys,

Thanks for all the reply's and good tips, I have researched a lot of the poly's suggested here and looked at the the TW reviews. I looked at the playtesters scores and selected the strings that have a low power rating with a high comfort rating according to the playtesters and yptp really came out as a winner in this regard(45 power rating with 72 comfort rating) so i ordered a set of 1.20 mm and 1.25mm to try.

While waiting for the strings to arrive i have strung one of my dr's with pro's pro black out 1.28mm on a very low tension (42 lbs) to try out because i had one set left to try out. I dont have really bad arm pain,my wrist and elbow are just a little bit sore the day after so i can play with it but i have to be careful.
With this setup i played a match and it was the best i ever played, it was low powered, good control, and good launch angle, could hit sharp angles, everything worked like it should. Had no pain while playing but a little bit sore in the wrist the day after so sadly its no option to keep playing like this.

Since i really liked the low powered response of this setup i pulled the trigger and ordered a vcore pro 310 and i will be testing different strings in both my dr's and vcore pro to see what suits me best.
I hope the transition from the dr to the vcore will be easy because of the same wheight, balance and grip shape.

I will update when i have tried all the stuff out.
 
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