aimr75
Hall of Fame
I've used the tec315 for a while now. How does the feel compare to it?
Seems like it may shine with a bit of lead
Diary of a Racketaholic
- Thread starter Ross K
- Start date
I've used the tec315 for a while now. How does the feel compare to it?
Seems like it may shine with a bit of lead
Murray_fan1
Professional
Very similar flex to it. The Tec may be a tad crisper due to the box beam, smaller head and tighter pattern. The Prince is a little more plush but with less direct feed back. If you like the tec but want something a little easier to use then the 100tour may be worth a look at.
aimr75
Hall of Fame
nice.. thanks. Sounds like its worth a try. This is the Tour Pro 100 with grommets, not the ported Tour 100 i presume?
Ultimum Rd Ti 80
Nice, very nice. A little inter-generational YY comparison action. Having released it three times already over the past twelve years, Yonex should make the Rdti 80 their C10 Pro and just keep the darn thing on the market already.
Nice, very nice. A little inter-generational YY comparison action. Having released it three times already over the past twelve years, Yonex should make the Rdti 80 their C10 Pro and just keep the darn thing on the market already.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
yep...i like my Ai98 alot but there was no pizzazz and i constantly found myself reaching for my pog100, bc20, tc-95 or the apd. now with the rd ti80, it's the first racquet i reach for.
yeah, it's that good! i'm thinking of adding more lead to bring the static weight up from 11.6 to 11.9-12.0 oz.i hope yonex re-releases this one again so i can stock up.
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MD, have you hit the Tour 97, Tour G or RDS 002 Tour?yep...i like my Ai98 alot but there was no pizzazz and i constantly found myself reaching for my pog100, bc20, tc-95 or the apd. now with the rd ti80, it's the first racquet i reach for.
i hope yonex re-releases this one again so i can stock up.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
corners, i have not since my friend and demo buddy, Gads, is on the DL.
i have my doubts about the tour 97 and the tour g because the rd ti80 is more of a true box beam whereas the tour g and tour 97 have a splined section in the throat. also the tour 97 has a pretty high RA. never did try the rds 002 tour. had an rds001 mp and found it too stiff.
i have my doubts about the tour 97 and the tour g because the rd ti80 is more of a true box beam whereas the tour g and tour 97 have a splined section in the throat. also the tour 97 has a pretty high RA. never did try the rds 002 tour. had an rds001 mp and found it too stiff.
I've got a Tour 97 lite. It's firm but not as stiff as the flex number suggests and not at all jarring. I'm not entirely convinced by its feel, though, which is why I'm picking up a ti80 lite. I'm also getting demos of the 89 and Tour G lite next week and may grab an 002 Tour UL to complete the YY intergenerational roundup. Will try to do a comparative write-up when finished. Wanted to get an Ai98 in there too, but the demos are out. Gads is kindly loaning me the BC20, and it will be interesting to feel whether any of the YY brigade can match it.corners, i have not since my friend and demo buddy, Gads, is on the DL.
i have my doubts about the tour 97 and the tour g because the rd ti80 is more of a true box beam whereas the tour g and tour 97 have a splined section in the throat. also the tour 97 has a pretty high RA. never did try the rds 002 tour. had an rds001 mp and found it too stiff.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
looking forward to reading your write up.
i really enjoyed the feel of the 89, but it was too much of a log for me. interesting to hear that the tour 97 lite doesn't feel as stiff as the measured RA.
BC20...oh boy! will be really interested to see what you think of this frame. i just checked my stringing log. i strung Gads' BC20 w/ TB 16L/Nvy 17. mine has been sitting around awaiting tension to drop from my latest string job of B5E 17/Thunderblast 16. this is one of mikeler's fave hybrid setups he sent me to try when i bought his reel of iontec 1.30. i strung it up but it feels too tight so i'm letting the strings settle down. the RD Ti80 has made me forget about the BC20 which is no easy task.
Murray_fan1
Professional
Yes the traditional grommet style frame. Can't do "o" ports
I string pretty soft - 50 with gut/poly or 35 with full poly. So some sticks that seem stiff to others just seem firm to me. I never hit the RDS 001 MP. I wonder if the Tour 97 is stiffer or softer than that one. I'm guessing a bit softer. Anyway, one of the things I'm eager to learn is how a simple, no bones, box beam like the Rdti 80 compares to a newer techy frame like the Tour 97. Yonex and Head have both made some noise about how they are using computers to refine their designs, minimize twisting of the head during impact, etc., etc. OK, sure, awesome, please do improve racquets as much as you possibly can, boys. The world will thank you. But does this stuff make any difference in play? It's one thing to reduce the head twisting on impact, its another thing entirely for that to make any difference to the quality of ball this racquet hits.looking forward to reading your write up.
i really enjoyed the feel of the 89, but it was too much of a log for me. interesting to hear that the tour 97 lite doesn't feel as stiff as the measured RA.
So I think it will be interesting to hit 12 years worth of Yonex players' sticks and see if there is any justification for the existence of any of the racquets that followed after the Rdti 80
And it will also be interesting to compare them to the super-flexible but rapidly recoiling Bastcore.Honored that I'll be swinging a MadDog-strung stick!
Corners licks chops.
Thanks MD. I think I might like it at that tension after three months. We'll see.
BTW, how have you strung your rdti 80?
Hmm, sounds like a setup that I would like in that pattern. How is that string, BTW? I was going to buy a reel of something affordable and then decided to get a bunch of Sidewinder packs when they were on sale. Now that I've got so many sticks lined up for play testing, I wish I had gone the reel route, and maybe still should.
I think I sobered up since writing this post.
And this is what sobered me:
Anyway, an 89 demo is coming, but I think I'll be shankin'.
I've been plotting to get one of these too. Then I compared the Tour 97 and Tour 89 hoops today:
Look at that, it's just like Fed K says, the hitting areas are identical above 3&9. I hit high in the hoop, I can play with this stick, right? But I've been trying to switch from mid to midplus for two years, what am I thinking? "Just get a Ti80," I tell myself, "that thing has a massive, forgiving hoop. Fed went to 98, how you can you go back down to 89, hacker fool?"
And this is what sobered me:
Anyway, an 89 demo is coming, but I think I'll be shankin'.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
The Ti80 looks kind of like a Rdis 200 PJ right? If so, I almost bought one of those bad boys a year or so ago. Real similar to the Tour G, but more open pattern. For me the tour G is basically the 95D updated with better feel. Thats how it plays.
At this point, Im done for a while and did consider buying an 89 down the road though, just for fun. But I really prefer to demo at end of year, buy a new racquet (if needed) before May and then use it all year. It just works better for my game, and doing that with the Tec was a huge benefit for me.
At this point, Im done for a while and did consider buying an 89 down the road though, just for fun. But I really prefer to demo at end of year, buy a new racquet (if needed) before May and then use it all year. It just works better for my game, and doing that with the Tec was a huge benefit for me.
A little:
Yeah, I'm trying to get my stick picked in May
It's kind of turning into the YY brigade versus a handful of others, including the BC 20, C10 Pro and XFeel Tour. From YY there will be:
Rdti80, RDS 002 Tour, Rdis 200, Tour 97, Tour 89 and Tour G
Once I've got things narrowed down to 2, 3 or 4, they will face Blade, PS 95 and 95S, and hopefully the Fed97. If that last is braided graphite/Kevlar it will deserve the byes it gets all the way to the challenge round.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Woah, thats a lot. I'd just go with the Tour G since the rest are going to be tougher to track down. And then put it against the Wilson ProStaff.
Can't speak for the 310 Tour G, but the 330 is just amazing and I'm glad I got it.
Can't speak for the 310 Tour G, but the 330 is just amazing and I'm glad I got it.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah, I'm trying to get my stick picked in May
It's kind of turning into the YY brigade versus a handful of others, including the BC 20, C10 Pro and XFeel Tour. From YY there will be:
Rdti80, RDS 002 Tour, Rdis 200, Tour 97, Tour 89 and Tour G
Once I've got things narrowed down to 2, 3 or 4, they will face Blade, PS 95 and 95S, and hopefully the Fed97. If that last is braided graphite/Kevlar it will deserve the byes it gets all the way to the challenge round.
You sound like me
though my possible choices are far fewer at the moment… (Meaning until the Fed racquet comes out ) I currently am conflicted on whether to play my customized Pro Staffs or the stock IG Prestige Pro during the season, and my first competitive match is this Sunday :lol:Anyways, since you mentioned the Pro Staffs… I hope you have some lead tape to spare. They need it… plenty of it!
Yeah, the Fedstick could be a show stopper. LOL, I've got the lead. 5 grams at noon will be the starting place for the PS 95 pair.You sound like me
Anyways, since you mentioned the Pro Staffs… I hope you have some lead tape to spare. They need it… plenty of it!
BTW, Spin2Win, I never responded to your last post in that other thread. I'm just too busy now. I'll put a little bit here, though, as the 'holics might find this stuff interesting as well. Regarding your observation that depolarized sticks hit flatter and more "powerful," you should probably read the poster Travlerajm's writings on this. He coined the term "depolarized" in regards to racquet weight distribution. Most of what you read on this forum about "polarized" and "depolarized" racquets originated from his posts. He's an engineer, a very smart guy, and a consummate customizer and informal experimenter.
I think this post (#8) gives a very good hypothesis for why polarized frames seem to generate lots of spin and depolarized ones do not: http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?p=4144458&highlight=polarized+normal#post4144458
The post doesn't get into one other factor, though, although Trav has written about this in other posts: When weight is added to the tip or tail, the vibration frequency (dynamic flex) is reduced. This is because mass in those locations moves the two vibration nodes, one located around the center of the strings, the other at the top of the handle, toward the poles. This effectively lengthens the racquet because the center section of the frame between these nodes is now longer. A longer beam is more flexible than a short beam. Thus, moving the nodes toward the poles - further apart - makes the racquet more flexible in dynamic situations. A more flexible racquet, for the reasons Trav outlines in the above post, will tend to generate more spin.
For this reason, Trav advocates mass at 3&9 counterbalanced at the top of the handle if one is looking for a racquet that hits solid and flatter. For more spin, he has suggested mass at the tip and tail.
My objection to mixing the word "power" into this is that "power" to me means speed. It does not mean more or less spin, a higher or lower rebound angle or greater or lesser depth. The reason I'm adamant about this is that people confuse these other things for speed, and mistakenly assume that variations in depth, net clearance and spin mean they are getting more or less pace of shot. Depending on the situation, shot being hit, and player, sure, you may get more or less pace and more or less spin. But step to the service line and crack a flat first serve and the racquet doesn't really matter - any racquet you choose is going to hit a serve within 1-3 miles per hour of each other. I feel that players should be more precise and avoid the use of the word "power." Racquets do not generate power. They have no power source and cannot generate power. They are like springs on sticks. Some racquets are more efficient springs than others, but the differences between them is very small, and this is demonstrated by the TWU Power Potential (ACOR) data. In my opinion, players should instead use the words and phrases speed or velocity or pace, rebound angle, net clearance, depth, spin to speed ratio, etc. when comparing different racquets and string setups. This would be far more meaningful. At present, discussions about raquet power have very little meaning and are really pretty absurd.
Ha, that would simplify things wouldn't it. I like the Tour 97 so the Tour G will most likely be very a strong contender. But I'm also generally an open pattern guy. I never gave the Rdis 200 a fair shake, and it deserves it. The Rdti 80 has a reputation for superb control and feel, despite the open pattern, so I've got to try that one. Plus, it's time to try all the sticks I've been wondering about. Probably a waste of time, but...
Yeah, it definitely sounds like a winner. I wish the TW demo of the Ai98 wasn't out, as I'd like to add that one too. My demo list is pretty heavy with 20mm sticks and I should probably have some other types in there too, lest the whole test become too apples vs. apples.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Simple question that may help. How high do you prioritize feel? And what are your other must haves in a stick?
Feel is probably the top priority. Either feel or forgiveness. I'm coming from playing Wilson 90s for many years, and finding a midplus with feel that can match those frames has so far been tough. The K90 was my favorite as I like crispness. "Power" would be my third priority as I'm working on hitting with less effort and don't want to lose any pace. Basically, I'm looking for a midplus K90 with more power, LOL. Should just wait for the F97.
At the same time, I haven't hit a ton of different racquets and am open to the possibility that something that feels very different than a Wilson box beam might tickle my fancy. I think the Yonex headshape is the most forgiving out there, square inch for square inch, and that's why I'm focusing on the YYs. I also hit a RDS 001 mid and like the feel of that; people say the RDS 002 Tour has very similar feel; other people say the Rdti 80 has better feel than both of those. Another guy says the BC20 is even better. LOL.
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SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
I agree with you in every regard, especially the communication in racquet performance part
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Feel is probably the top priority. Either feel or forgiveness. I'm coming from playing Wilson 90s for many years, and finding a midplus with feel that can match those frames has so far been tough. The K90 was my favorite as I like crispness. "Power" would be my third priority as I'm working on hitting with less effort and don't want to lose any pace. Basically, I'm looking for a midplus K90 with more power, LOL. Should just wait for the F97.
At the same time, I haven't hit a ton of different racquets and am open to the possibility that something that feels very different than a Wilson box beam might tickle my fancy. I think the Yonex headshape is the most forgiving out there, square inch for square inch, and that's why I'm focusing on the YYs. I also hit a RDS 001 mid and like the feel of that; people say the RDS 002 Tour has very similar feel; other people say the Rdti 80 has better feel than both of those. Another guy says the BC20 is even better. LOL.
If you can handle the weight. the tour g is the best feel i have had in a long while. that or the tec 315. Nothing has touched those 2.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
i like iontec hexa 1.24 in a full bed. iontec hexa 1.20 works better as a cross to soften stiffer polys. honestly i prefer regular round iontec 1.25 and 1.30 over the shaped string. if you want to pick up an affordable reel, i recommend iontec 1.25 as it works really well in so many of my sticks and is only $70/reel. i've got it in my APD 2013 now in the low 40s and this is the best the APD has ever played and felt. love it in the Storms, BC20, TC95 and POG100. 1.30 lasts longer in the super open patterned POG100. since hexa works so well in rd ti, i'm sure regular iontec 1.25 will be perfect. yonex PTP 1.25 is a great string but it can be a bit too muted for some frames. YPTP is pretty affordable if you know where to get it. PM me.
i thought it would be a waste of time, too. so glad i decided to give it a go because i didn't expect it to be this awesome.
I'm definitely prepared to fall in love with the G. Like I said before, I really like the Tour 97. Gigantic sweetspot; huge spin window. The only thing really lacking is that it's a bit muted for my tastes. That said, I could commit to it for sure if something didn't blow me away. That might be the G, might be Rdti80, might be BC20, might be RDS 002, LOL. Might even be the Rdis 200 once I get some good strings in the thing. Then there's the legendary C10.
Due to time constraints there will probably a pretty quick weed out, hopefully, based on feel. Might get narrowed down to 2 or 3 quite quickly since all those sticks should be pretty similar in terms of forgiveness and pop.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Hmm, sounds like I should have gone with a reel of Iontec. Might still do. Thanks MD. I've heard lots of good things about YPTP, but muted might not be for me.
Yeah, gotta give the Rdti80 a shot!
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Murray_fan1
Professional
Question in regards to Iontec. Which version are you using? Salmon or black?
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Salmon. i prefer the feel of it over black.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
You can follow the path of Fedk, get an 89, a C10 and then a new 330 gram Tour G.
The RDIs 200 is awesome - here is the thing, it is very pillowy and not a put away racquet. It is a massage the ball racquet. The pattern is really open, so string life is poor and it requires full poly. That was why I finally switched, as I loved those sticks. The Tour G is every yonex I have loved combined into one. Better feel than the Rdis, more comfort than the 95d, easier to use than an 89, more solid and powerful than the ai98. It is the pinnacle of Yonex for me so far.
It does not have the pop of say, a graphene radical mp, or stiffer racquet. But it does have brutal power to push someone back with line drive topspin, and the feel to immediately slide in a drop shot.
I think the Tour G is a no brainer if you like to dictate with aggressive play. If you prefer to massage the ball more then try the RDIS 200.
Tour G and 315 are rather similar to me, but the tour g feels like the biggest frame width ever. I have shanked less than 10 times using this stick over 6 weeks. Im not sure if anything else is as truly classic in feel but encourages you to play a modern, aggressive game due to it's frame shape.
I am an aggressive player, but don't know how much longer I'll be able to dictate play.
Looking forward to the Tour G for sure. I would definitely get the lighter version. I like to tinker.They will use the 2014 Fed97 until they are 32 or so, at which point they will switch to K90s.
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Power Player
Bionic Poster
I am an aggressive player, but don't know how much longer I'll be able to dictate play.
I hope it has the same magic. I suspect the added weight is what takes this stick to another level of GOAT.
But since you know how to mod, and plan to add lead, it should not be a problem. Seems like 2 and 10 is the spot to add some weight according to the Tour G thread.
JGads
G.O.A.T.
I like it. "Dad, this 90 is AMAZING. Breakpoint was right!"
I do know this: those kids should be set for life when it comes to Gillette razors and Nike swag.
I usually veer towards lighter with room for modding myself but my extremely unscientific 10 minutes worth of hitting at the TW demo court scared me away from the G310, felt very far away from the goodness of my frames, while the 330 did seem more like, 'ok, this is a plug-and-play, ready to go frame,' which is also very nice. Either you can rock it or you can't. No rabbit hole of lead experiments and such to fall into.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Yeah it is really nice to just go play tennis and not worry about lead and the like. This thing just feels so good if you just play loose and go big. I played very tight tonight and dropped a 5-2 lead, which is pretty pathetic. I just have not been able to play as much tennis lately and so the mind gets antsy out there.
Good news is even without a lot of court time, the 330 plays fantastic. No weight issues.
Good news is even without a lot of court time, the 330 plays fantastic. No weight issues.
klementine
Hall of Fame
Great to catch up after weeks of non-activity.
While on vacation, I searched the streets of Athens,Greece for Djoko and his pregnant partner. No luck.
Then I get back and baby fed boys on the way. Wife is starting to get jealous.
I dropped the V89, just couldn't gel with it. The misses picked it up and LOVES it. Eerily similar to the PresMid situation, which I am playing with regularly now.
'Holics 1 - Haters 0
While on vacation, I searched the streets of Athens,Greece for Djoko and his pregnant partner. No luck.
Then I get back and baby fed boys on the way. Wife is starting to get jealous.
I dropped the V89, just couldn't gel with it. The misses picked it up and LOVES it. Eerily similar to the PresMid situation, which I am playing with regularly now.
'Holics 1 - Haters 0
aimr75
Hall of Fame
Nice. I've got one coming in tomorrow. I have a set of cyclone laying around too. What tension did you string at?
I strung it at 50
aimr75
Hall of Fame
That's my typical tension actually.. 50/48
aimr75
Hall of Fame
Prince Tour Pro 100 came in yesterday and will be trying it out tonight. Strung with overgrip came in at 324g.. felt very light.. not surprised the TW playtesters commented on some lack of plow and stability problems. Brought it up to my typical spec at 342g and 33cm. The 18g makes it feel more substantial but is swinging very easy still.. 3g @ 12, 10g @ 3/9 and 5g in the throat.. see how it fairs on court
side note, interesting thing with the paint job, the lead tape doesnt adhere too well to it.. seems to slide around a bit (TW lead). Ended up putting black finishing tape over the lead around the hoop in the hope that it wont fly off on a framed shot
side note, interesting thing with the paint job, the lead tape doesnt adhere too well to it.. seems to slide around a bit (TW lead). Ended up putting black finishing tape over the lead around the hoop in the hope that it wont fly off on a framed shot
So, I posted this last week. Below you see a Tour G 97 overlaid with an image of a Tour 89. Both are TW photos. This overlaid image was revelation to me, as it seemed to show that the 89 was darn near as big as the Tour 97. Today I got my hands on a Tour 89 and did a real-world comparison. Verdit: Nothing like what you see in the picture The 89 is much smaller. I'll post a photo of the Tour 89 on top of the Tour 97 in the next couple days, but just wanted to post now so as to forestall anyone who might be thinking of buying an 89 based on the deceptive image I posted.
The 89 is much smaller. I'll post a photo of the Tour 89 on top of the Tour 97 in the next couple days, but just wanted to post now so as to forestall anyone who might be thinking of buying an 89 based on the deceptive image I posted.
I've been plotting to get one of these too. Then I compared the Tour 97 and Tour 89 hoops today:
Look at that, it's just like Fed K says, the hitting areas are identical above 3&9. I hit high in the hoop, I can play with this stick, right? But I've been trying to switch from mid to midplus for two years, what am I thinking? "Just get a Ti80," I tell myself, "that thing has a massive, forgiving hoop. Fed went to 98, how you can you go back down to 89, hacker fool?"
maruzo
Semi-Pro
My 2 cents: Prince O3 White, with the original endcap made in china. If you can still find it.
It's just so right. Weight, swing speed, frame flexibility, manuverbility, and power.
I use it with Wilson Spin Cycle and RipSpin strung at 59lbs. So reliable and easy to hit.
Finding more and more to love about this stick using different strings.
It's just so right. Weight, swing speed, frame flexibility, manuverbility, and power.
I use it with Wilson Spin Cycle and RipSpin strung at 59lbs. So reliable and easy to hit.
Finding more and more to love about this stick using different strings.
Power Player
Bionic Poster
Hey corners, no problem. Glad you got the 89. Honestly can't go wrong with any of these frames. I think Yonex got the memo that the 89 was the best Vcore players frame they released in terms of feel and they just took that and transferred it to the Tour G.
Im freaking hooked on the Tour G and I finally can pull out Yoko and not want to switch back to it like I felt with prior sticks. I will never sell yoko but my love for the Tour G has increased every match.
Im freaking hooked on the Tour G and I finally can pull out Yoko and not want to switch back to it like I felt with prior sticks. I will never sell yoko but my love for the Tour G has increased every match.
Actually, the 89 is small, but not quite as small as when i first compared it to the 97 last night. In other words, the above picture makes the 89 look larger in the head than it really is, but not by so much that it would be a deal-breaker. Buttom line for me, though, is that the 89 is really no bigger or more forgiving than a Tour 90. It would be a totally lateral move for me.
I will post a proper comparative pick but am separated from my camera at the moment.
Tour G and Tour 97 310s that I have are within a gram of each other. They also swing more or less the same. Tour G maybe a tad swifter. I reckon they are about 4 units apart in swingweight. Looking forward to hitting the G on the weekend. Got an Rdti 80 on the way so round 1 will really be: Tour G vs. Tour 97 vs. Rdti 80.
