Help Me Pick a New Racquet!!!

smittysan89

smittysan89

Professional
Hello,

I am 16 years old but 6'4 195 lbs, around same build as Marat Safin maybe a little bulkier. MY bh is a little weak at the moment but i have a good powerful forehand with a pretty big swing. I like to get alot of topspin on the ball dont really hit it that flat often. Looking for a players racquet that is a little forgiving on off center shots. Since I am tall i rush the net quite often so i need something that will volley well. I need something head size 95 in or higher too. For the past week i have demoed a dunlop 300g.

My choices that i have researched a bit so far are:

RDX 500
ncode n6one
LM Flexpoint Radical
LM Prestige MP
Babalot Aeropro Drive
Babalot Pure Drive Team

What are your thoughts?
 
The BabolaT Pure Drive plus is a great racquet for anyone but if your looking for even more spin, i would suggest the aeropro plus along with Babolat hybrid natural gut and pro hurricanes
 
why dont you try out a vanatge custom with you own specs ? i tried all of those sticks, and i found the vantage to match them in most fields and better them in some!

theyre they same price and you can design youre own stick! theyre also much more stable than those stock sticks
 
If you are in the US demo them from TW...You can get 4 at a time, for one week. Pick a week when you have several good days to hit...I demo rackets just for the heck of it, to check out the new rackets, and see how they play/feel.

Good luck finding a racket -
 
I'm 16, 6'2" and 185lb. I use and love the n6-1 95, nothing better IMO on serves and pretty good at everything else as well.
 
well thanks for your reply's tommorow my coach is gonna get me the n6-1 95 to demo along with the LM Radical. He doesnt have much to demo thought we will see...how much is shipping usually to demo racquets?
 
I'm almost 16, about 6' 150lbs. and I found the Fischer Pro Tout FT and the Volkl Tour 10 VE to be forgiving, spin friendly players racquets. Just my two cents.
 
nextNalbandian said:
I'm almost 16, about 6' 150lbs. and I found the Fischer Pro Tout FT and the Volkl Tour 10 VE to be forgiving, spin friendly players racquets. Just my two cents.
Click to expand...

which racquet are you playing? i just picked up the pro tour ft -
 
Speedy_tennis said:
you're a beast!
Click to expand...

haha thanks, havent been playing too long gonna play for my high school this year and am playing 5 times a week till school starts, luckily season doesnt start till march so I will be doing a lot. My idol in tennis is Marat Safin and I just watched him play court side in Cincy yesterday! When I first met my coach he was excited and said that I am a tennis coaches dream because of my size and strength! I hope it will translate well!

The past week i played with the dunlop 300g, but tommorow i will be trying some others...thanks for the replys!

My shots arent as high as nadals but they are loopy like his, at least most forehands based on the situation. How does the AP Drive volley at the net? What do you think of the other racquets?
 
I am a HS Coach. I've posted this many times, but PLEASE don't choose your racquet based on other people's reviews. Racquet choice is personal.

Try several. Try several manufacturer's and different models. Once you've gotten frustrated to death ... you're on the right track. Keep going. There are so many sticks "out there" you will find one that's right for you. But it really is personal.

(For personal reasons I refused to hit with Volkl or Babolat. But if I hadn't found what felt right among those I wanted to try ... I'd have chucked my principles and even tried those two.)

I tried about six Wilsons, four Heads, two Dunlops, three Princes ... finally -- on my third Yonex -- I found "IT". I wish I'd had Pro Kennex higher on my list. After finding my stick, I've tried some PK's and liked them too. (And a friend who plays a very similar game to mine ... uses one of the Prince sticks I cannot stand.

It's personal.

- KK
 
I would say the Slazenger Pro X1 MP is not given enough credit at all. You should seriously demo this racquet, I'm also a S&V player with a big forehand, this racquet fit my game better than all those racquets you listed. Give it a shot seriously, ask your coach to demo it for you and if you demo from TW, demo four racquets at a time because they charge about $20 for shipping, and it basically stays the same even if you add racquets to your demo list. Great stability, control, and swing speed as well. Give it a try.
 
I currently play the new wilson nPro 98 and i love it and so does everyone that has tried it it seems to suit everyone
 
Well today i had a 3 hour lesson and played with the LM Radical. With my dunlop 300g i could have a more loopy swing while the LM Radical is a more flat swinging racquet. It is much more comfortable and has alot better feel and sweetspot though. We will see.
 
You should just demo a bunch of 5, string 'm up all with the same string you like the best, and see for yourself.
To me racquets strung with an old string, which tension dropped by 50 % will not give you a clear idea how the racquet actually plays.
 
just got finished trying the pure drive plus for 2 hours in the blazing heat!

It had a little too much power and not enough control, i did like it better than the LM Radical though. I just didnt need the extra power that it had and i want something thats a little more stable with a little more feel. Unfortunately i couldnt demo the APD, but monday i should be able to.
 
i think your height and weght isn't important, my coach plays with n6.1 tour and he is 5'8 , and he hit too heavy the ball, depends your technique, IMO the n6.1 is your racket, good at volleys, a lot of spin and good weight
 
Speedy_tennis said:
i think your height and weght isn't important, my coach plays with n6.1 tour and he is 5'8 , and he hit too heavy the ball, depends your technique, IMO the n6.1 is your racket, good at volleys, a lot of spin and good weight
Click to expand...

i agree, but its not just my height and weight its just that i have enough strength to power the ball that i dont need what the pure drive plus has in that section. I am gonna demo the n61 this tuesday.
 
WOW, I played with the APD today w/ wilson reaction strings and it was great. A TON TON more spin then any other racquet i have tried, I had to adjust my stroke a little bit since I use a semi-western grip, to have the head a little more parralel to the ground than usual, but its great. Perfect weight, pop, and very good at the net. My backhand improved immediately, and my lobs are crazy now. With the PD+ my friend would always catch me by rushing the net and placing volleys, but now i can easily hit a passing shot or deep lob with the APD on him. Breaks the pace and can create some really sticky shots. Best racquet I have tried so far. I think I might need a bigger grip still though, its a 3/8 with an overgrip but i think i need a 5/8 or maybe 1/2 with an overgrip.

Still want to try the Yonex RDX500 mid, and the Volkl 10 Tour V-Engine.
 
Go with the LM Prestige Mid. Great racquet! Heavier and more solid than the MP that you listed. If you like to swing hard and through the ball, go with the mid.
 
thats really one of the only ones i havent tried...the aero that I demoed has too low of a tension, so balls will sail more and are easier to get too and not as effective at least for how I play and my strokes.

I tried the ncode 61 today breifly and it just felt a little on the heavier side, especially since I had almost 3 grips on it. Just a little harder to manuevere maybe I just wasnt used to it
 
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