Teaching pros frequently use whatever giddy-up deal their orgie has secured for them. Be that Prince, Wilson, and Head, what have you. The major benefit of this is that it shows orgie solidarity from top to bottom, and cuts out the middle man when it comes to hawking the latest and greatest rackets onto your clients. Because your orgie has secured a deal, you can pass on the savings from teaching-pro direct to you, son. But this racket from me, and you'll grow up to be a champ someday like me son. And of course, they just know it better. Seeing as how they get a better deal, a nice bag, and spiffy clothes, sometimes even shoes, to go with it...it all begins to make a lot of sense. There's a lot of great rackets to be played with, adjusted to, all relatively close enough to one another...in particular, when you're living is not dependent on a sneeze-in, or out. If you don't have to bank on feeding it on a dime, under the immensest of pressure *right now*...then it makes sense. It becomes in essence, the "practical" choice, a no-brainer. And since many teaching pros grew up playing with oval heads, they say, why refrain now? Lilipops are good, and I don't want to be hitting with a high-definition televsion now (a Yonex), do I?
If you were a male slice of heaven teaching pro, would you want to be seen using a chic stick?
Yeah, I think not.
The RD-7s are immensely durable, if I still had them; I'd verify that for you. I wish I did. They're the bomb in terms of feel, nothing quite like, when you crush-sink your teeth into them, brother.
Never had durability issues with them, but one time a new Made in China Yonex RD-Power 6 literally snapped in half after warming up, during warm-up, what the he?ck? Couldn't believe it. Was brand new, 1st time strung for a ride...but that was a made in China model, where anything's possible when Oprah's on.
Was repalced under warranty, but in a different color which kind of made it a moot point; sold it on R****, pocketed the change, and bought some ice cream, thinking of...distant places through the rain, and things.
I think the Yonex head shape was more conducive to inside point mounting like on my Zingray of Nether-wicky-Dutch origins. Mount from the side, who knows? But never had any problems with. They were bullet-proof malleable rackets as far as I'm concerned, they've neved made any that felt soo right when connecting just right. The ball felt like it literally sunk into your palm, and became an extension of.
If they made a really cool Japanese style, a little bit...craaazzzy, yeahhh; then' it'd! sell, yeah!!!
But their approach to US marketing, is too bland and uninspired. I fear their leaders come from the old school, that never learned how to dance disco on the slip n' slide...just studied. Had they, then they would see the possibilies, I have neon hearts all aglow...
If Yonex made a racket named Neo, w. snazzy music and dancing cars to back it up, I would buy it, and Carlos Moya would too, and maybe even a teaching pro with an emerging bald spot, who is NOT happy about the way that hairline is going these days. Yonex, do something! You're rackets are too good, everyone knows they're good, but no one thinks their cool...only metro-inspired, zealots, like me. Once you use Yonex, you feel confident in your ability to swat flies...just like Andre Agassi would have.
Had Yonex decided to pay Agassi anything he wanted, history would have changed forever. Yonex's problem is that they've always been too in love with their own brand, and unique philosophies. Won't bring the classics back, not even once; refuse to cater or bend to the nobody man's of the world. Perhaps, they think they're better than us? That's been their problem, to think their philosophies dope, but Agassi's whack, would take away from. Agassi had the name and the game, that would have been worth catering to. Babolat has vision. Their rackets stunk (to me), but they made you feel like you could surf. And because the chics dug that, and wanted to feel like Gidget, then so too did the guys.
The problem with Yonex is that they make it seem like the brand is above the player. Wheras, the other companies breed *player* loyalty. I can't tell you how many RafaSamprasGoranChangFed ****'s I've seen through the years. All trying to look like their hero. The difference is they BREED and indeed EMBRACE this spirt of *continued* fellowship. Even if they replace a "signature" racket, they KEEP THE MEMORY and *good feelings* alive, by keeping the NAME in the line...this *means* everything.
Prestige, Pro Staff, memories swirl to mine. The gladiators runneth through your head, make you want to STICK with a brand. With Yonex, they brush you under the rug, once they're done with you, and pretend you never existed, or were a part of. So, thus there is no signature "look" & feel, to the brand, just the brand. Other companies want to TRICK you into believing that this player's *certain* stylish appeal, is *unmistakbly* linked and tied to them. Yonex feels like scientists behind to me, not family, not tradition; merely, "forward-moving." And, where's the enthusiasm in that? Answer, it's been curved. When ti could have been so much more, if they made you feel like when you play Yoenx, you feel like you're playing a part of history all over again. *Relive* that Rios "magic moment," if you will. Know what I mean? You could have, but they *did not emphasize* it enough, and that's always been their problem that they don't feel worthy of acknowledging. Just because Head and everyone else brings back old favorites as a good will gesture to "loyal" fans...why should I? Their answer? Always the same, they cannot be bothered; when you are Yonex, you do not cater, when your brand is *better than,* or at least, that's the impression that I get. Never given any other choice to belive otherwise, nope, not even once. As a fan, how would that make you feel? Ever wonder why, Yonex pros in their hey day, *never* seem to stay that way? It's not that they did not like or even love their "signature" sticks...it's just that Yonex didn't think they were important enough to make them feel that way anymore. Again, Yonex believes they are bigger than the brand and the player, and so they stay where they are. Content with being the boutique brand, not the newly reinvinted Babolat on the block, smashing sales records with little spoiled kids, into (that two, or is three finger rock salute, with my hand, out baby, I'm out...yeah!!!).
....but I don't use them anymore lol. I'm pretty brutal with my racquets and do try to get the most out of them before they are completely trashed. Just from experience over a decade ago I had the RD-7, which I loved, but even if I just dropped the racquet I had to check for cracks. A lot of friends at the time said it was due to the head shape and it just can't take the abuse from hard play or even the occasional racquet flinging lol, and they were avid Yonex users at the time. I don't really know if that was true but I had 4 RD-7's and they barely made it through 1.5 years of high school tennis, tournaments, and lessons. Head's on the other hand lasted a while for me. I still have 5 frames that I used in the 90's and they're still very playable. For me it was a durability issue with Yonex is why I hesitate to buy them again.
