3 Choices to go: K95, Prestige Mid+, or RDS 002 Tour?

R

RelentlessAttack

Hall of Fame
Hey guys, I've been demoing all the frames I can lately, and most recently I demoed the K6.1 95 16x18 and I LOVED it. It was the first time I've played with a 12+ oz racquet, and I felt like had more control yet at the same time my shots seemed a lot heavier and more powerful. However, I do find it a little bit demanding the arm so heres my question:

I'm basically looking for a less demanding racquet that plays like the K95 (id like a little more flex and perhaps something just a tiny bit lighter). Will either the Head MG Prestige Mid+ or Yonex RDS 002 Tour fit this bill?

I can't demo these 2 frames in my town, so I need to rely on you guys' opinions. If it helps, what I liked about the K95 was the ability to absolutely crush the ball while maintaining control, good stability, and solid performer on serves & volleys.

If anyone could share there experiences with those two racquets, or recommend another racquet to fit this arm friendly K95 criteria, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys
 
1. K95
2. RDS 002 Tour

What kind of game do you play(S&V, Baseline?)

I never tried the Microgel Prestige Mid+
 
RelentlessAttack said:
Hey guys, I've been demoing all the frames I can lately, and most recently I demoed the K6.1 95 16x18 and I LOVED it. It was the first time I've played with a 12+ oz racquet, and I felt like had more control yet at the same time my shots seemed a lot heavier and more powerful. However, I do find it a little bit demanding the arm so heres my question:

I'm basically looking for a less demanding racquet that plays like the K95 (id like a little more flex and perhaps something just a tiny bit lighter). Will either the Head MG Prestige Mid+ or Yonex RDS 002 Tour fit this bill?

I can't demo these 2 frames in my town, so I need to rely on you guys' opinions. If it helps, what I liked about the K95 was the ability to absolutely crush the ball while maintaining control, good stability, and solid performer on serves & volleys.

If anyone could share there experiences with those two racquets, or recommend another racquet to fit this arm friendly K95 criteria, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks guys
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Hi,

The K95 is not an easy stick to wield as the swing weight is rather high at 340g, neither is it really arm friendly as the stiffness is bout 68.

The RDS002T is pretty heavy:
Strung Weight: 12.1oz / 343g
Balance: 8pts Head Light
Swingweight: 330
Stiffness: 65

If you are looking for something lighter and don't mind a more dense string patten, you would look at these racquets:

1. Dunlop AG200
2. KBT
3. Head Prestige MP & Pro
4. RDS001MP the 07 version is available for something like $119.

If however, you are on a budget and are able to generate your own power, look at the N95 on fleabay or the classified section.

The K95 is a great stick but even the AK95 is too much for me. I'm sticking with my AN95 and AK90.

mawashi
________
Kitchen Measures
 
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I have never tried the Yonex racket you were taking about, but I have tried both the K95 and the Prestige Midplus. I liked both the K95 and the Prestige Midplus, they are very similar, but the Prestige is a little bit lighter. Personally, I like the Prestige better, it seemed to have a little bit better power and control. I would suggest demoing it from tennis warehouse if you are not sure. They have good prices and many many rackets to chose from. The only problem is that they are backordered a lot. But you want to get the right racket so it is worth it.
 
Thanks for all your responses guys!

ChuDat: I try to mix it up, a lot of the time I play a counterpunching style and i try to throw in some S&V and straight up aggressive baseline play. I never play that defensive top spin game that is becoming so popular.

Mawashi: I didn't really have a problem with weight of the K95 so far, but the longest period i've demoed it at strech is 1.5 hours. I would like a racquet that I could perhaps whip around somewhat faster. I don't know if this means i need a lighter swingweight, static weight, or both. I will check out those other racquets for sure, I was looking at hte rds001 mp actually because of the price you mentioned.

nate malone: Unfortunately I am in Canada so I can't demo through tennis warehouse.
 
RelentlessAttack said:
Mawashi: I didn't really have a problem with weight of the K95 so far, but the longest period i've demoed it at strech is 1.5 hours. I would like a racquet that I could perhaps whip around somewhat faster. I don't know if this means i need a lighter swingweight, static weight, or both. I will check out those other racquets for sure, I was looking at hte rds001 mp actually because of the price you mentioned.

nate malone: Unfortunately I am in Canada so I can't demo through tennis warehouse.
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean which is why I commented on the high sw of the K95. Try to get a racquet that allows you to play continuously for more than 3 hrs at a time.

With a sw of 340g, it really stresses out my wrists which is why I stuck with my AN95 instead of getting the AK95.

The 001MP is a really nice racquet and google it like this: rds001mp $119

You'll be presented with some options.

btw, email me at fiftyfivefathoms@yahoo.com.sg gotta a link you could try.

Cheers,

mawashi
________
JUSTIN BIEBER FANS
 
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Latest update, I demoed the RDS001 MP and the RQiS1 Tour today, and wasn't really a fan of either. The RQ was probably the softest, most comfortable feeling racket i've every played with, but I played awful tennis with it. I found it a bit too headlight for serves, and i definitely wasn't getting any weight behind the ball on my groundstrokes. The RDS was a bit better in those regards as it was a bit less head light and stiffer, but what I liked most about the K95 was that the power seemed to be coming from the weight of the racquet, not from the stringbed. So I think I need something 12+oz with a little higher swingweight than the yonex's i tried today.

So basically I'm thinking either the RDS002 Tour or I'll just get the K95 and focus on getting a little more arm strength.

Mawashi, I found the RDS001 2007 for very close to the price you mentioned at a local store, but thank you for your help!
 
The racquet I'd recommend a look into is the Prince Hybrid Tour. I've had a couple of long outings with it and found it to deliver solid performance from everywhere on the court. I used the old 6.1 Classics for a while and this Prince frame played like a slightly leaner version of those old bats, yet still has good mass for power and stability. I was comfortable from the baseline and up at net with it without much of any adjustment and TW is selling them crazy cheap right now. You might actually consider the "buy it to try it" approach.

I used the RDS 002 Tour for a while - it was a nice serve and volley frame for me and headlight enough to be easy to handle despite its heft. Just didn't get a good fit with it, especially with my strokes. No surprise that you didn't mesh with the RQiS 1 Tour - I found that one to be a nice idea, but just too darned light overall to control the ball really well.
 
Wow, thanks for the tip fuzz nation, that seems like a really good deal. I never considered the Hybrid Tour since a lot of peoplehave told me to stay away from Prince racquets... none have ever said why in particular though. Is there any particular reason that people seem to dislike Prince so much?
 
what exactly do you mean by demanding on the arm? too heavy over long period of time, or elbow problems from stiffness?

if the former, i think as you use the racquet your body will adjust to the weight. if this is the case, since you said you loved the racquet, i dont think you need to search further.

if the latter, seek another racquet.

racquet suggestion from me would be donnay pro one mp. 95 head 16x18 pattern 12 oz 320 sw 58 flex. personally i prefer this racquet over the k95.
 
RelentlessAttack said:
Wow, thanks for the tip fuzz nation, that seems like a really good deal. I never considered the Hybrid Tour since a lot of peoplehave told me to stay away from Prince racquets... none have ever said why in particular though. Is there any particular reason that people seem to dislike Prince so much?
Click to expand...

I dislike their tecnology, their specs, their tecnology, and oh yea, their tecnology. It's all up to you on what racquets you prefer, but as for me, I stay away from Prince.
 
I hit with the K95 a little bit, it was decent, good control spin and power, just didn't like the feel. The n95 is way better, much better feel, but I doubt you'd be looking into that. Anyways, Microgel Prestige Midplus is great, but you might want to lead it up a little bit to get the swingweight higher because in stock form, I thought it didn't really plow through the ball that well. Good feel, control, and decent power though. Good luck with your holy grail.
 
I haven't played the K95 - but have extensively played the N95 (in both string patterns), the MG Prestige MP, as well as the Dunlop AG 200. I'd put the AG 200 right in the mix with great feel and plow-through closer to the N95 than the MG Prestige.
 
RelentlessAttack said:
Wow, thanks for the tip fuzz nation, that seems like a really good deal. I never considered the Hybrid Tour since a lot of peoplehave told me to stay away from Prince racquets... none have ever said why in particular though. Is there any particular reason that people seem to dislike Prince so much?
Click to expand...

I think that the O Port line has enjoyed some mixed reviews, but I think that the reason that I liked this one, aside from its balance and heft, is that it has pretty good feel & feedback. The O Ports are only along the 3/9 o'clock sides of the hoop, so there's some "connected" feeling on contact compared with other O Ports. One thing with this frame though - it seems that it turns into a slingshot if the strings aren't nice and snug. No biggie though; my old ProStaffs are the same and I need tighter string jobs in all of my heavier frames, including the ones that are rather flexible, or they get way too lively, too.

Prince racquets also have a more square shaped grip which I find to be a bit more like Volkl and Fischer. Wilson grips are more... I guess "oval" shaped sort of similar to Dunlop and Yonex grips that I've tried, so there's that.
 
I would strongly suggest you look at the microgel prestige pro. It has an open pattern (but not quite as open) as the K95. It has a lower swingweight, and , it has great control. Was one of those sticks that I immidiately felt at home with. I have played with the rds002 tour and liked it but it was not as easy for me to control as the mppro. I don't know what it was but the ball flew on me a decint amount. Felt better with higher tension but I dohn't like playing with higher tension. the Pro was just a more manageable stick right off the bat. I had a long affair with the prince speed port tour and liked it a lot but agtain, the pro beats it for my game. Not quite as much power as either the prince or the yonex but that may be why I liked it more.
 
Of the three:

1. Yonex - RDS002 is one sweet frame
2. Head - MG Prestige Mid+
3. Wilson K95

I loved the RDS002, the Prestige was a good racket as well and the K95 hurt my arm.
 
Yes, the K95 is definitely a hoot to play - big reward and great plough thru. The down side it the weight and when you are in a long match, the heft can become a liablility - this is where maintaining control can be an issue.

RDS002 Tour offers a bit lighter feel compared to K 95. Its very solid racquet - the 16x19 string pattern offers good control and delivers great spin and power. The RDS002 tour has a very old school (raw and crisp feel )because of the thinner head frame and head light. It's great for all court play.

MG Prestige MP is definitely lighter, flexier frame of the three - found the racquet easy to swing and the 18x20 dense pattern definitely offers suberb control. I added lead on 11 and 1 oclock to increased head weight which give it a bit more stability. However, the dense pattern requires a full swing to generate power.
 
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If you like the K95, then keep it because you won't find a better racquet. No, not even older 6.1's are better, they are just different. Best thing is to lift weights and do other off-court strength training. The K95 is not that demanding if you have a little bit of muscle and strong joints. My favorite thing about the K95 is that it never feels overpowered no matter how hard my opponent hits. It's nice being able to block back anything with a rock solid feeling racquet.
 
Thanks guys for all the advice, its a lot of food for thought, and a bunch of things I hadn't considered.
I will definitely check out Donnay if can find one in town.
ktownva, I know EXACTLY what you mean about the k95, anything i got my racquet on i could get back in the court, it was just so solid. I couldn't whip it around as fast as I would have liked without straining a little bit, but maybe thats just the strength training as you say.

I tried the Aerogel 200 and the KBlade Tour today, and I actually liked both of them a lot. The AG felt very soft and somehow allowed me to hit my one handed backhand a lot smoother and more consistently than with any other racket. The KBlade felt more solid on forehands and serves but neither was as solid or powerful as the K95 for either stroke. I could happily play with any of the 3 though, and these both felt a lot easier to swing over a long period of time than the K95. I could play all day with either and not get tired.

I'm going to demo the MG Prestige Mid now. At first I was afraid of going to a 93 sq in. racquet but it essentially made no difference to me, and i'm finding i'm liking the 95/93 inch size over the 98/100 racquets.
 
ktownva said:
If you like the K95, then keep it because you won't find a better racquet. No, not even older 6.1's are better, they are just different. Best thing is to lift weights and do other off-court strength training. The K95 is not that demanding if you have a little bit of muscle and strong joints. My favorite thing about the K95 is that it never feels overpowered no matter how hard my opponent hits. It's nice being able to block back anything with a rock solid feeling racquet.
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+1 :)

btw k95 might be a little hard on arm during a serve... but on groundies it's not hard at all.
 
Satch said:
+1 :)

btw k95 might be a little hard on arm during a serve... but on groundies it's not hard at all.
Click to expand...

Maybe its just that my serve technique is better than my groundstrokes but I found the opposite, it didn't bother me at all to serve but i had a hard time accelerating as much as i'm used to on either wing for groundies. But then I guess, I didn't need to accelerate as much with the larger mass, it was the first 12+ oz stick i've played with to be fair.
 
RelentlessAttack said:
Maybe its just that my serve technique is better than my groundstrokes but I found the opposite, it didn't bother me at all to serve but i had a hard time accelerating as much as i'm used to on either wing for groundies. But then I guess, I didn't need to accelerate as much with the larger mass, it was the first 12+ oz stick i've played with to be fair.
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i found it harder accelerate the heavy racquet downwards than linear... of course on the arm.

anyway stay with k95 and lift some weight's i do just that...
 
Satch said:
i found it harder accelerate the heavy racquet downwards than linear... of course on the arm.

anyway stay with k95 and lift some weight's i do just that...
Click to expand...


I think i will be doing just that, but I want to play a few more times with the KBT and AG200, and also try the mg prestige mid and the k95 18x20 just to be satisfied that i made the right decision.
 
RelentlessAttack said:
Thanks guys for all the advice, its a lot of food for thought, and a bunch of things I hadn't considered.
I will definitely check out Donnay if can find one in town.
ktownva, I know EXACTLY what you mean about the k95, anything i got my racquet on i could get back in the court, it was just so solid. I couldn't whip it around as fast as I would have liked without straining a little bit, but maybe thats just the strength training as you say.

I tried the Aerogel 200 and the KBlade Tour today, and I actually liked both of them a lot. The AG felt very soft and somehow allowed me to hit my one handed backhand a lot smoother and more consistently than with any other racket. The KBlade felt more solid on forehands and serves but neither was as solid or powerful as the K95 for either stroke. I could happily play with any of the 3 though, and these both felt a lot easier to swing over a long period of time than the K95. I could play all day with either and not get tired.

I'm going to demo the MG Prestige Mid now. At first I was afraid of going to a 93 sq in. racquet but it essentially made no difference to me, and i'm finding i'm liking the 95/93 inch size over the 98/100 racquets.
Click to expand...

The KBlade Tour is nice...very nice. I liked it as much as my K95 except at net. It wobbled a little bit on reflex stab volleys, but it was a blast to hit with overall. Have you considered the K95 Team and adding a bit of lead tape? You could modify it to a comfortable swingweight and still have the 6.1 mold in your hands.
 
The prestige midplus at a lower tension is pretty sweet. I played one earlier this week. Super accurate changing direction and very nasty backspin. Flat serves pretty great too.
 
Decisions, decisions.
I can't decide between the K95 and the KBlade Tour.

I demoed both again today, I no longer notice the weight of the K95. I can hit same shots with both rackets, but I serve a tad harder with the K95 but feel like i can get comfortable with my strokes at the beginning of a match faster with the Kblade tour.

No idea how to pick between the two.
 
have fxp prestige mp and love it but tempted to try rds 002 tour. I dont think i could serve better than I do with prestige but the posts here say yonex serves bigger!
 
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