Cracked my racket, now which one do I want?!

[meowmix]

Well, just severely cracked my Wilson n5 today (it's at the 1 o'clock position, and it is all the way through). Funny thing is, with a vibration dampener on the racket, I can't even tell the difference between the cracked version and the non cracked version...

Anyway, I guess I probably need a new racket. I'm looking at the following rackets (yes, I'm on a budget):
Volkl Tour 10 MP
Dunlop Maxply McEnroe
Prince TT Warrior MP
Prince Tour NXG MP
Head Liquidmetal Radical MP
?Dunlop M-Fil 200 (standard)

I'm a high school player that's going to try out for varsity. If I make varsity, I'll be playing 4th doubles (last doubles). I'm about 4.0, love pounding it out from the baseline, in singles, but charges the net in doubles. I'm hoping to get a racket that I don't have to switch from for a couple years. I've played with the LM Radical, and I kinda liked it. The problem is, I thought it could do with about half an ounce more heft... I do think that I benefited from the pop, but at times, it was a bit too much.

Please post your thoughts! Especially on the Volkl, since I know almost nothing about it.

 

[lilxjohnyy]

paint ur cracked racket... thats wat i did with mine... juss use same racket

 

[gwrtheyrn]

First demo all of them...

Prince Tour NXG MP
Head Liquidmetal Radical MP
?Dunlop M-Fil 200 (standard)

^I've tried all of the above (except I tried the 16x19 200), and I liked the 200 the most out of all of them. I liked the pop on the radical, too (especially on serves ^_^), but when I get impatient playing with my brother, I can't keep the ball in at all. Another thing is I figured out that I prefer open string patterns..
So, between the NXG and the 200, I can't really explain why I liked the 200 more. The better looks and price are a bonus, though. Also, for some reason the grip shape on the 200 felt more like my cloud than the NXG. But in playing, I think that I could do about the same with both of them...

If by the tour 10, you mean the tour 10 v-engine (Since your racquet choices are all on TW clearance)...I tried the tour 9 v-engine, and I thought the sweet spot was a bit low, which may differ in the tour 10 v-engine.

J/w, wouldn't the radical have less power than your n5?

 

[meowmix]

gwrtheyrn, yes the radical has less power than my n5. My n5 was a trampoline: hit anything over 75 miles at it, and the ball's sailing long. But I still think the radical might have a bit too much power, but then again, I'm not sure. On a good day, I can easily control it, but on a bad day, the balls are sailing a bit.

 

[meowmix]

Two things:

Can you also give me some feedback on the Head Classic Tour TW's selling? The head size is a bit big, but the specs look interesting.

Also, I don't have access to demo : (

 

[meowmix]

paint ur cracked racket... thats wat i did with mine... juss use same racket

Might be a bit of a problem... I'll post pics soon and you'll see why.

 

[gwrtheyrn]

Never tried the head classic tour, especially since I don't use a 1/4 grip size. I use 3/8, and really probably should be using 1/2, but hey, it's easier to build up. I'm used to using a 3/8 though, so hey...

 

[Brent Pederson]

Don't even think about it, get the classic tour. One of the best rackets ever made in it's size range. It has a crisp, yet solid feel, a huge sweet spot, and velvety feel. It's very much like the much-loved (on this board especially) pro tour 280. It's going to play quite like your radical but with a little more heft and a much plusher feel. It will feel softer, but have comparable power with the slightly larger head. You won't regret it, especially at the pricethey're selling for on tw. On the other hand, you could just keep playing with the cracked racket. How do you think they came up with flexpoint, after all?

 

[mdjenders]

How about a POG oversize? That certainly has heft, is a great baseline frame, volleys surprisingly well, and isn't too pricey.