Favorite YouTek Prestige?
- Thread starter pyrokid
- Start date
GoodSamaritan
Rookie
Whoa I thought you were completely sold on the Radicals
Fedace
Banned
Youtek Prestiges are being used by 80 % of the Stanford men's tennis team guys. They have all switched. Must be the BEST rackets ever made.
http://www.stanfordphoto.com/viewphoto.php?&albumId=127132&imageId=4669080&page=1&imagepos=3
http://www.stanfordphoto.com/viewphoto.php?&albumId=127132&imageId=4669102&page=1&imagepos=23
http://www.stanfordphoto.com/viewphoto.php?&albumId=127132&imageId=4669119&page=1&imagepos=37
http://www.stanfordphoto.com/viewphoto.php?&albumId=127132&imageId=4669080&page=1&imagepos=3
http://www.stanfordphoto.com/viewphoto.php?&albumId=127132&imageId=4669102&page=1&imagepos=23
http://www.stanfordphoto.com/viewphoto.php?&albumId=127132&imageId=4669119&page=1&imagepos=37
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
I kind of am... I'm stuck deciding between them. Before when I'd tried prestige, it must have been strung with something terrible because I hated the lack of pace and spin. But I tried it again recently, and not only was it not under powered, it also swung easier than my rads. I still get more spin with the radicals though, but I'm much more consistent with the prestige.
I'm still deciding if I'll switch. I just needed to put something in my sig, and when I updated it I had last used the prestige, so I went for it.
Also.
Holy crap, the MP is killing. 0-7-0? Wow.
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nvottennis
Semi-Pro
midplus! although I do wish I tried more of the pro when i was demoing
Kenny022593
Professional
I have only tried the Mid and the MP and I much prefer the mid. More control and I actually felt connected when I hit the ball. The MP felt mushy and just wayyyy too soft, and I liked the Redondo.
Fedace
Banned
Sorry. It was this one.
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Head_YOUTEK_Prestige_Mid/descpageRCHEAD-HYTPM.html
You can buy it from TW tomorrow am. and it looks like it is strung with full bed of RPM blast.
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ryushen21
Legend
I thought he meant a TGK 237.1
Doubles
Legend
As far as I know, he's still using a PJ of a FlexPoint Prestige MP...
JGads
G.O.A.T.
Pyro, you have to try the Mid. We've enjoyed the same sticks in the past, and in the last three months I've played extensively with both the Mid and MP after my local tennis shop had a once-a-year sale that got me each frame for $120 brand new, so I thought I'd bite, play around with them both, and then resell either or both for not too much of a loss if they weren't The Ones.
Well, I'm finally ready to put the MP up in the for sale section. It's a very good racquet, but it's just no Mid. And while I still have my concerns about the Mid -- I'm a baseliner with heavy spin and a big serve, so the Mid wouldn't seem to fit me on paper quite as well as some other, more powerful frames -- and yes, these concerns will in fact lead me to check out some new demos in the next couple of months between seasons "just to see" (addiction, hello), I really have nothing bad to say about the frame. Weight and balance is just sweet to swing. Plow is fantastic (far better than the MP). Control is about as good as it gets. Volleys and touch shots are amazing. The serves pop, though they definitely get tougher the longer you go in the match. All in all just an outstanding frame that just seems to have a lot more "guts" than the MP, and one other thing, if you have a two-handed backhand, the longer handle of the Mid is a huge plus compared to the MP.
I really did play remarkably well, though, with the EXO3 Tour MP (18x20) that I got as part of the TW playtest demo, though, and that really got me thinking about the advantages of playing a slightly lighter and more forgiving frame over the long haul. So even though I LOVE the Prestige Mid, I'm not yet SURE it's The One, but I do fancy it quite a bit.
Just thought I'd chime in my experience. For me, Mid>MP>Pro, with the Pro a distant third. Something about the balance and feel (seems to flex in a different spot than the MP) of that one just threw my swing completely off, and I hit frequent fliers.
So be sure to give the Mid and MP a try, but I'd be surprised if you didn't really like the Mid.
Well, I'm finally ready to put the MP up in the for sale section. It's a very good racquet, but it's just no Mid. And while I still have my concerns about the Mid -- I'm a baseliner with heavy spin and a big serve, so the Mid wouldn't seem to fit me on paper quite as well as some other, more powerful frames -- and yes, these concerns will in fact lead me to check out some new demos in the next couple of months between seasons "just to see" (addiction, hello), I really have nothing bad to say about the frame. Weight and balance is just sweet to swing. Plow is fantastic (far better than the MP). Control is about as good as it gets. Volleys and touch shots are amazing. The serves pop, though they definitely get tougher the longer you go in the match. All in all just an outstanding frame that just seems to have a lot more "guts" than the MP, and one other thing, if you have a two-handed backhand, the longer handle of the Mid is a huge plus compared to the MP.
I really did play remarkably well, though, with the EXO3 Tour MP (18x20) that I got as part of the TW playtest demo, though, and that really got me thinking about the advantages of playing a slightly lighter and more forgiving frame over the long haul. So even though I LOVE the Prestige Mid, I'm not yet SURE it's The One, but I do fancy it quite a bit.
Just thought I'd chime in my experience. For me, Mid>MP>Pro, with the Pro a distant third. Something about the balance and feel (seems to flex in a different spot than the MP) of that one just threw my swing completely off, and I hit frequent fliers.
So be sure to give the Mid and MP a try, but I'd be surprised if you didn't really like the Mid.
DeShaun
Banned
Yeah if I had to vote on which YT Prestige I thought was the best, my vote would go to this model. There's something about the control that a midsize racket offers that rackets with larger head sizes don't. The smaller head size combined with the extra weight of the racket translates into shots that punch their way through so long as your stroke is slotted correctly. Personally, I hit just as accurately with my mid sized 80s Wilson graphite stick as I do with my 93 sq. in. Prince graphite, but these sticks tend to get pushed around a little bit when I'm hitting against anyone using, for example, a Pure Drive or Radical Pro. The power difference when I'm hitting against these same guys is less pronounced when I'm using my Prestige Pro, but the PP doesn't give me nearly the same level of accuracy as my other, "smaller" sticks (I'm a flat hitter), and so, the PP coaxes a different style of game from me, excelling from the baseline but requiring more patience.
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spectrablue
New User
I recently demoed the MP and the Pro. I love playing with the MP. The MP had wonderful feel and was very accurate for my game.
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
Augh, oh no!
Very tempting, think I'm gonna have to give this one a go.
I thought the feel of the MP was as good as it gets. Looks like I'm gonna be trying the Mid.
I've heard that the mid swings even easier than the MP too. Did you think this was true? I can't really imagine something swinging easier than the MP. It did lack a bit of plow though. I guess I never considered it for the same reason you stated, I'm a baseliner and it didn't seem to fit. but I found that with the MP I was actually able to finish points at the net I wouldn't otherwise have been able to.
And wow, we really do have an incredibly similar taste for racquets.
I liked the prince too, but disliked the feel. And the same thing that happened to you with the YTPP happened to me. It just never felt quite right. I missed routine shots and just never was able to reign in the control or spin. And I could hit much harder with the MP anyway, and a heavier ball at that.
I'll give the mid a shot. How was the power lever compared to the MP?
After trying the MP I found out the power lever isn't all it's cracked up to be, because different strokes work differently for different racquets, but seeing how similar the racquets are that we both like I'd say it's probably safe to say we'd both get the same feel on the level of power.
stronzzi70
Professional
Im prefer YTK Prestige Mid......More pace, plow and heavy balls in all my shots
Larrysümmers
Hall of Fame
try the mid with a cheap multi...it is tempting for me to go back to that racket, it is hard but i think i will make it...
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
Go for it, you know you want to...
Just think of all the e-rep you'll get on here for switching from 'that goofy oversize' to a nice, classic mid. :twisted:
All of these kind of depend on your strokes if you have them in stock form. But I lead the radical a decent amount, and with the added weight it's considerably more powerful than the prestige, and the spin category completely goes to the radical.
The prestige swings very quickly for it's weight, but the radical is a full ounce lighter and so wins out there too. With lead, it depends where you add it, but there's still a decent margin between the two that you're have to overcome before the Rad got to be heavier.
I'd say the radical is much more of a baseline basher's frame than the prestige, which would be more for all-courters. The prestige wins out on volleys, slices, and serves, though. I can get more action on my serve with the radical, but prestige places it better. Power is about the same. Volleys are just amazing with the prestige, and if I came in more this would be a bigger factor. But I generally only come in after hitting a forcing shot, so usually only end up volleying away floaters, and I could do that with a frying pan if I had to.
Tmano
Hall of Fame
finally last night I was able to hit for a while with my new (used)YPrestige mp strung with Luxilon adrenaline 17 at 62lbs(came like that) and I got to say that I really like it....nice control good power flats the shot out pretty nicely, decent spin, nice and very easy on the serve...the only think I was struggling with for the first 10 minutes was my double hand backhands....I guess because of the string tension a little too high. Overall very nice racquet but I kind prefer my pure strom gt.
chrischris
G.O.A.T.
The mid is the best one IMO. Very good ball pocketing feel to it and stable like a rock. I liked the other 2 but i LOVE the mids.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
I don't know if I'd say it swings "easier" than the MP, as I find the MP to be incredibly whippy -- more so than the Mid and noticeable on reaching flick shots and such -- but I prefer the weight and balance of it more in that it really plows through the zone in a much heavier way. I think the Mid affords you to let the racquet do a little more of the work rather than your arm, which is a nice feeling. The MP swung so light to me and I found myself brushing up on the ball a little more to spin it deep rather than hit THROUGH the ball like I do with the Mid. And the difference in plow/court depth is huge between the two sticks. Where it's most noticeable is on serve returns. That's my favorite aspect of the Mid -- it's effortless to block back deep or redirect a crushing serve to the open court, leaving the server then scrambling a bit. I'm far more offensive returning serve with the Mid than I've been with any other racquet. With the MP I found myself being pushed back by the serve a little more and unable to get quite as deep of a ball back to get the point going. ...
As for power level, tough to say. The MP does have a little more juice on hard flat first serves, but some of that can certainly be attributed to the whippiness of it. In every other department the Mid just feels more "right" to me power wise; i.e. with the MP, I find that I'm really going after the ball to get it deep, but with the Mid I can get it deep on a more consistent basis without thinking about it, and the flatter trajectory and heavier ball in a way makes the opponent scramble a little more so than the MP.
The other thing I noticed on a consistent basis in comparing the two frames: I'd often think I was hitting better with the MP when I was just rallying with an opponent for fun. But time and time again, when we switched over to match play I'd then become more errant with the MP in my hand and far more effective with the Mid. It's just easier for me to control during match play, shorter points, and I think most of my success in match play with the Mid came from the return of serve, which I described above. I remember facing one guy in league who had this absolute monster serve, one of the best I'd seen (and I'll admit it made me a little nervous in warmups), and then we started up and I proceeded to just crush it back with such ease en route to an easy straight setter. So I think that serve return -- with the combination of the frame's stability, comfortable balance and controlled power behind the shot -- is without a doubt the greatest strength of the Mid.
So anyway, that's my take. If I remember correctly, you and I have both had crushes at one time or another on the K90, PSL and Radical MP, so I have to think you'll enjoy the Prestige Mid as much as I have. Will be curious to see how it swings for you.
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
So it's just more solid, basically?
Return of serve is my major weak point. I guess that would be a nice bump up.
But one of the things I loved about the MP was the ability to hit on the run short angle passers and stuff I normally can't, and tee off on serves that I normally wouldn't because the racquet is just so fast.
Guess I'll just have to try it, haha. I'm still with the radical for the record. Love it. It probably is some version of 'The One'.
On the plus side, after the radical, the prestige MP (And now maybe Mid...?) are the only two racquets I've ever considered switching to...
I seem to be settling down.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
The Radical is awesome. No question. Does everything well and with relative ease, and really has no weakness, other than the fact that I noticed that it does get pushed around a little in heavy hitting (for the record, I always thought the 'pushed around against heavy hitters' bit was more of a myth and had to do with the player holding the stick; but then when I tried the Prestiges coming off the Radical, that's when I really did see a difference) ...
And yes, it's a little bit of a give and take with the Mid and MP Prestiges. The first serve and the on-the-run short angles are easier on a more consistent basis with the MP (but the drop off to the Mid is very small). But the ************ kicker is a lot better with the Mid (this seems to defy physics, but it's true), and on your average rally groundstroke, the Mid has much more of a shotgun-in-the-hand feel compared to the MP. It's like the MP on steroids in terms of ball heaviness, and sort of shares that K90 quality of being a racquet where you feel like you're crushing/flattening the ball on groundies, rather than the ball playing you or you just kind of redirecting it. And that feeling of control can be a little addicting. I also notice that when I am scrambling to stay in a point, that while the MP may allow for just a few more balls to get back over the net, the quality of the same scrambling shot from the Mid is much, much better when it does go. For example, I can't tell you how many times I've had to lunge for a far backhand when pushed wide, and my return slice still manages to be driven hard and low, surprising the other guy by making him really work harder for that next put-away shot. The Mid just has much more drive, allowing for that quality of shot.
So as you can see, I'm a lover of the Mid. Curiosity and my racquet-junkie tendency has me playing around with the Donnay line (still undecided, but I do love many qualities of the Dark Red) and will have me checking out a few others over the next month, but the Mid is most certainly my Stick To Beat at the moment. Just does so many things very well. The more I've played with it and the MP, the more shocked I am at the relatively poor review the Mid got from the TW crew in comparison. I think a few other Mid users in here have echoed the same sentiment. Anyway, ramble over.
And yes, it's a little bit of a give and take with the Mid and MP Prestiges. The first serve and the on-the-run short angles are easier on a more consistent basis with the MP (but the drop off to the Mid is very small). But the ************ kicker is a lot better with the Mid (this seems to defy physics, but it's true), and on your average rally groundstroke, the Mid has much more of a shotgun-in-the-hand feel compared to the MP. It's like the MP on steroids in terms of ball heaviness, and sort of shares that K90 quality of being a racquet where you feel like you're crushing/flattening the ball on groundies, rather than the ball playing you or you just kind of redirecting it. And that feeling of control can be a little addicting. I also notice that when I am scrambling to stay in a point, that while the MP may allow for just a few more balls to get back over the net, the quality of the same scrambling shot from the Mid is much, much better when it does go. For example, I can't tell you how many times I've had to lunge for a far backhand when pushed wide, and my return slice still manages to be driven hard and low, surprising the other guy by making him really work harder for that next put-away shot. The Mid just has much more drive, allowing for that quality of shot.
So as you can see, I'm a lover of the Mid. Curiosity and my racquet-junkie tendency has me playing around with the Donnay line (still undecided, but I do love many qualities of the Dark Red) and will have me checking out a few others over the next month, but the Mid is most certainly my Stick To Beat at the moment. Just does so many things very well. The more I've played with it and the MP, the more shocked I am at the relatively poor review the Mid got from the TW crew in comparison. I think a few other Mid users in here have echoed the same sentiment. Anyway, ramble over.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
I know none of us in here like "second serves", but is that really a bad word? Funny site edit.
ryushen21
Legend
I could not agree more sir. Though I found that I get a lot more oomph on my 1st serves (I've increased about 5-10 mph) with the mid. The kicker and the slices serves are un-f'ing-believable and I'm talking 5-6' kickers.
It just has an incredibly sweet swing to it and absolutely rock solid stability.
GoodSamaritan
Rookie
I'm with JGads here although I've only tried the Youtek Prestige MP and the PC600 but I much preferred the PC600. Even though the MP has a lower SW, the mid just felt more natural to swing. I feel the MP felt a bit clumsy through the air.
TheBoom
Hall of Fame
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
..........
ryushen21
Legend
^^Re the mid's TW review....
I don't think it really got a fair review from TW. Chris and Granville were the only ones who seemed to really give any positives. Everyone else seemed to just throw out a bunch of complaints that IMHO were based on them trying to make the frame something it wasn't.
It's a beautifully sweet swinging frame that is absolutely mental to use and is just a joy to play with.
I don't think it really got a fair review from TW. Chris and Granville were the only ones who seemed to really give any positives. Everyone else seemed to just throw out a bunch of complaints that IMHO were based on them trying to make the frame something it wasn't.
It's a beautifully sweet swinging frame that is absolutely mental to use and is just a joy to play with.
Cheers pyro... the way you describe it kind of tallies with what I thought... basically, the Rad sounds a lot more appealing for me... the mid I'd discount because whilst I know I'd 100 per cent prefer it over the rest in terms of how it swings, balance/weighting, etc, I've learnt I prosper better with a more forgiving, open pattern, more poweful frame. As I said though, I'll probably avoid the temptation, what with 3 frames (inc. the YTPP of course) to look at in the new year, etc.
No idea why the reviews were so poor. Could be the players. The most negative reviews came from players who enjoy mushy more powerful racquets. The most accurate review came from a player who seems more of the target audience. Obviously different people have different tastes, but the selection of players should probably be more representative of the sort of people who would consider this racquet. I think TW dropped the ball on this, big time.
I spent an hour and a half with this racquet after quickly dismissing 6 other options, including the Youtek Prestige MP. The stiffness, control and plow on this stick prompted me to make a purchase immediately upon returning home. A racquet hasn't clicked this quickly for me in a long time.
pyrokid
Hall of Fame
klementine
Hall of Fame
I really have to find the chance to demo these YouTeks....
I naturally will gravitate towards the Mid, but the MP could just 'feel' right to me... the MG version felt very lacking.
NOTE: To anyone looking to demo a PresMid, my opinion is that an 18g string really fits well with it's specs. It's a 90sq.in. head with an 18x20 string pattern... dense... but the pattern is well distributed... String choice is very important... which is the only drawback I find as a PresMid user... and if I ever change racquets, it will be for that reason... to broaden my string choices.
I naturally will gravitate towards the Mid, but the MP could just 'feel' right to me... the MG version felt very lacking.
NOTE: To anyone looking to demo a PresMid, my opinion is that an 18g string really fits well with it's specs. It's a 90sq.in. head with an 18x20 string pattern... dense... but the pattern is well distributed... String choice is very important... which is the only drawback I find as a PresMid user... and if I ever change racquets, it will be for that reason... to broaden my string choices.
ryushen21
Legend
In defense of TW, I think that they were trying to assemble a well rounded group of players to review the frame to create a balanced opinion which is exactly what I would want to see in a playtest.
Chris and Gran gave it the best reviews out of the lot and that's understandable as they are used to classic style player's frames and can appreciate the characteristics. The rest of the group didn't really seem to find anything positive about the frame but instead harped on how it didn't do anything as well as their chosen frames which were, for the most part, completely different from the YT Mid.
I enjoy watching the video reviews but Chris and Granville have come to be the ones that I trust for good reviews. They could both play with anything and be relatively impartial.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
I don't know. I don't think I've ever seen Granville meet a racquet he didn't like. "It's a scalpel," he says, about everything. Of course, it seems like he generally reviews the more advanced sticks out there, which matches his game. And while I used to be annoyed that just about everything on TW got solid reviews by playtesters with so few bad ones, I've come to realize in my own extensive demoing that the frames reviewed usually do tend to be the best of the bunch, and even I find it hard to find a frame now that I truly 'hate.' Can probably count on one hand the amount of frames where I haven't found at least a couple charms about it, things I really like and appreciate about it. Which is why finding 'The One' is sometimes a bit maddening.
klementine
Hall of Fame
Of all the TW testers.... I tend to enjoy Chris and Sean's assessments.
Chris because he usually has done his research and is very descriptive.
Sean because he's got the cleanest strokes (out of the 'team') and is very biased.
Chris because he usually has done his research and is very descriptive.
Sean because he's got the cleanest strokes (out of the 'team') and is very biased.
ryushen21
Legend
I think it's probably because he has been around forever and has experienced a lot of frames. He does seem to get chosen for the more control oriented frames.
I think that Chris has played with everything ever made so he can make a fair comparison and provide an unbiased review.
The man is a walking tennis database.
