Help suggest racquets I can try/ demo

fuzzyballs21

New User
Growing up I played several hours of tennis every single day for about 15 years. I recovered from a lot of injuries and at 45 years old, I am picking up the game again. Growing up I could easily hit my backhand 2-handed or one handed and actually had to switch to a one handed backhand after developing an issue in my left wrist. I still have issues with my left shoulder so ill will be hitting a one handed backhand. I have always had a very good backhand regardless if I hit it one handed or 2-handed. My backhand has always just been a strong consistent shot that I hit with ease.

I did hit a few times recently. I was at a Tennis store and just grabbed a pre-strung Head Microgel Radical Oversize. I just went with that because I grew up hitting with POGs and Radicals. I also needed a very arm friendly racquet that wouldn't generate a lot of shock to my arm. I had heard this racquet is very arm friendly.

So I went out to hit with a friend that has been taking lessons. We actually rented a court and ball machine. I hit surprisingly well. Actually nobody could believe that I had not played in almost 20 years. I think I just had so many lessons and hit so many balls growing up that it came easy to me. I went and hit about 10 more times and just kept getting better and better, astounding all of my friends. Unfortunately, I cannot chase down an outright winner, but other than that I am pretty solid. I have nice strokes.

Here is where I need help. I am hitting well with the Head Microgel Radical Oversize. I am even hitting the one handed backhand well with it. It just seems a little large for a one handed backhand player. It can also sometimes feel a bit springy, like it wants to hit long, flat shots if I am not careful. I would like to go down to a 97-98 size, possibly a 100. I really want to maintain an arm friendly frame! I am also not sure I am ready for an over 12oz frame. The Head Microgel Radical Oversize is 11 oz. and does not feel heavy at all though. I probably wouldn't want to go too much lighter, especially if that made it less are friendly. My strokes are pretty classic. I learned in the 90's. I basically take the ball very early, hit through and finish high, but I definitely do not hit like Nadal.

Also, I hit my one handed backhand very well with topspin. However, since I cannot chase down everything, I do rely on a strong backhand slice to get out of trouble.

The obvious options are trying the same frame in midplus or just demoing a bunch of frames, but based on all of this, what are some frames I should definitely try?
 

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
If you have a racquet you already like but just want to tweak in some areas of performance, the first thing to try is new strings and tensions. It is amazing how different you can make a racquet play or how broad the performance range is if you use different strings and tensions. So, I would suggest experimenting with poly strings or higher tensions first to get more control/spin.

If you want to try new racquets, a couple of racquets I recommend for advanced players are the Babolat Pure Strike Tour (which I use) and the Yonex VCore 97HD. Those are the racquets that I liked the best when I demo’d thin-beam, heavy racquets a year ago.
 
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Chezbeeno

Professional
Radical MP, Speed MP, Blade v7 are all very well-reviewed do-anything kind of racquets that are arm-friendly ish. Gravity frames are also arm friendly. Some Prince frames are maybe worth exploring, but I'm not familiar with their lineup.
 

nochuola

Rookie
I agree with everyone else that the newest Radicals are obvious candidates. I also spotted that you used to play with POG, so I would suggest looking into the Prince Phantoms. They are all very comfortable, and I personally find it easier to hit one handers with thinner beams. The 100x, 100p, 97p, and even 93p might all fit your needs.
 

whomad15

Semi-Pro
I agree with the rest. Try a change of string/tension first. Go to the midplus version of the radical, and if you want to try the POG again, the phantoms have the 100g, 100g LB, and 107g, the entire phantom line is pretty easy on the arm.
 

jhick

Hall of Fame
I currently play with the Head Radical Liquidmetal oversize that I've played with for quite a few years. It is the predecessor to the Microgel OS. I just demoed the new Radical MP and like it quite a bit. Great control and some increased pop from the baseline, without sacrificing touch. But I think where it really shines is at the net and for serving. The only complaint I have is with a smaller head and sweet spot, I find it tougher to generate topspin on defensive shots so sometimes my shots go long if I'm on the run and out of position.
 

1HBHfanatic

Legend
Radical MP, Speed MP, Blade v7 are all very well-reviewed do-anything kind of racquets that are arm-friendly ish. Gravity frames are also arm friendly........
-i like the suggestions here ^^,

-the new 2021 h.rad.pro is a solid option
-the new h.rad.MP should be a bit quicker
-the 2019 older version of the h.rads are a bit anemic in comparison

-the h.speed.MP has always been a versatile racquet
-i like the h.speed "better" on the topspin 1hbh over the h.gravity.pro
-but i like the h.gravity.PRO "better" on the backhand slice
-h.gravity is a thinner beam, so it cuts nicer through the air than the h.speed, IMO

-i would suggest you look at the wilson.blade.v7 "16/19" racquet
-lots of the qualities you described,

-and as a dark horse option, i would suggest looking into the w.clash.98!
-very comfortable and/or easy power, with enough control (with polys) to play high-ish level tennis
 

graycrait

Legend
Unless you like spending a lot of money just try the Microgel MP for 89 bucks if you want to "downsize." It is a solid racket. It'll give you an idea if you want to step down permanently. Nothing wrong with the MG OS either. As @socallefty mentioned try the Yonex Vcore Pro 97 and try his Pure Strike. I have several dozens of rackets and they mostly are comprised of two camps: OSs from 106-107s including POGs & Changs and 8 or 9 Head Rad OS's or a couple of dozen 93-95s. However I am liking a group of 98" Pure Storm GTs I latched onto through fellow TTr's. If I had to play with a current production racket in the 97-100 range it would be the Yonex Vcore Pro 97 310. But the current OS and MP Microgels for 89.00 are good playing rackets, just change up the strings a bit like socallefty said. They are arm comfortable rackets to boot. Oh yeah, you might want to try the Pro Kennex 5G or 7G, solid arm friendly rackets that let you do anything you need to do at this stage of your comeback. No need to tie yourself down to a racket that you paid $240.00 for and then feel you need to validate your decision/purchase by sticking with it because you spent so much. One "odd" racket I really like is the "old" Nblade 106, 27.3" 18x19 racket that is arm friendly and takes lead well or without.
 

Lorenn

Hall of Fame
Old LM Radical user. Switched to Gravity Pro and Speed MP. OHBH.

Radical MP sound like what you are looking for... second option would be Speed MP.

Other options to consider ... Prince Textreme 290/310, Radical Pro.

Gravity Pro series is nice as well.

Radical Pro was my favorite, but I can see equal reason to prefer Radical MP. Both work well with one handed backhands. Either racquet would've had a good chance to be my main racquet had they been out a year earlier. The options listed in the thread tend to be spot on.
 
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Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
I'd order 4 demos from TW: 1) Pro Kennex Black Ace 315. Flexible. Very underrated racket 2) Prince Ripstick 100 300--less dense pattern, high spin 3) Volkl V-Feel V1 MP--just a good, all-around, forgiving racket 4) Head Graphene 360+ Instinct MP. All of these should be easy on the arm, the most easy starting at 1).
 
Old LM Radical user. Switched to Gravity Pro and Speed MP. OHBH.

Radical MP sound like what you are looking for... second option would be Speed MP.

Other options to consider ... Prince Textreme 290/310, Radical Pro.

Gravity Pro series is nice as well.

Radical Pro was my favorite, but I can see equal reason to prefer Radical MP. They both effortless for one handed back hand. Either racquet would've had a good chance to be my main racquet had they been out a year earlier. The options listed in the thread tend to be spot on.
Out of all the racquets I demoed so far, the prince textreme tour 100 310 is at the top of my list...
 
I'd order 4 demos from TW: 1) Pro Kennex Black Ace 315. Flexible. Very underrated racket 2) Prince Ripstick 100 300--less dense pattern, high spin 3) Volkl V-Feel V1 MP--just a good, all-around, forgiving racket 4) Head Graphene 360+ Instinct MP. All of these should be easy on the arm, the most easy starting at 1).
How does the Instinct mp play?
 
What if the Pure Drive was designed by Head...Personally I prefer the Speed MP over the Instinct(for new players). String the Speed MP with a little extra pop and slowly tone it down. Instrinct is just trapped between other beginner racquets and good intermediates.
Yea, I took a look at it and it seems like it's a low intermediate racquet.
 

fuzzyballs21

New User
OP reporting back - I tried the Head.micro.rad.mp. I did not really care for this frame. It had its factory string job. I hit ok with it, I just hated it because it felt stiff as a board. Even when I hit the ball dead center it wasn’t very satisfying. At first I was extremely confused because I know it’s not really that stiff of a racket. Then I think I finally figured it out. I just don’t like a really dense string pattern on a mid. Back in the day I used to POG OS, but when I was forced to switch to a one handed backhand, I switched to a POG mid. So the only mid I’ve ever really played with had an extremely open string pattern.To be honest, I don’t think my footwork and set up is sound enough to play with a 93 anymore. I would love to try the phantom 93 with it’s wide-open string pattern, but I think those days are gone for me.

So now I’m looking at trying to phantom 100G next. How many players do you guys know that hit a one handed backhand with 100 in.² frame? I would assume the difference between a 98 and a 100 is minuscule.
 
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Lorenn

Hall of Fame
So now I’m looking at trying to phantom 100G next. How many players do you guys know that hit a one handed backhand with 100 in.² frame?

I switched from a smaller racquet to a 100 last year.(Gravity Pro) One Handed backhand(topspin). I mainly added a little extra omph at the start of the swing...then relax. It didn't feel like much extra effort. I did notice that switching to a 98 Radical 360+ Pro/MP series how much less effort I needed for my backhand. The Radical Mp was the easiest to swing, so much so I had to slightly change my timing and slow things down a little.
 

GeoffHYL

Professional
I just got a Prince Phantom 97P, and my OHBH has never been better. This may not be the racquet for you, but it has an open 16x18 string pattern, nice flex, and strung properly will provide plenty of spin.
 
I would say that it's neither soft on the arm nor harsh. It is not known to be a stiff frame like the typical Babolat. If you look at the specs, it does have a fairly high RA (I think 65) but the Twaron is the magic ingredient that makes it feel like a much flexier racquet.

If you are looking for a softer racquet, and you cannot handle the stiffness of the Tour line, go with a Phantom. They have a lower flex rating. The only catch of course, is that with a lower RA you sacrifice some power, but you get a better feel and less shock.

I would say give it a demo. I can see why it has a strong following - it's a great all round racket. If I do end up purchasing it, I plan to use it to improve my net game. Read the reviews by the TW people and others. Like many others have said, it does everything well and has no shortcomings.
 
I just got a Prince Phantom 97P, and my OHBH has never been better. This may not be the racquet for you, but it has an open 16x18 string pattern, nice flex, and strung properly will provide plenty of spin.
That's the same pattern as the TT 100 (310). I was thinking of demoing the Phantom 100X based on reviews but changed my mind because I didn't want to go with a low-powered racquet. Does it feel particularly underpowered to you?

One thing about the Phantom line, is that you can't beat that sleek black cosmetic! Too bad the Textremes look so strange with that throat weave look.
 

Robbymack

New User
Yonex ezone 100 or 98. I grew up playing with a POG and continued with it through college. Took a 20 year break from tennis because beer, pizza, and golf were way more interesting. So now I’m back at it a lot slower and fatter. Demoed a bunch and settled on liking the yonex feel a lot and just went with what seemed like the most arm friendly frame that wasn’t overly heavy. Added a bit of lead to make it a little less headlight as I’m used to that feel more than the modern super headlight frames. Good luck in your search and happy hitting.
 

GeoffHYL

Professional
That's the same pattern as the TT 100 (310). I was thinking of demoing the Phantom 100X based on reviews but changed my mind because I didn't want to go with a low-powered racquet. Does it feel particularly underpowered to you?

One thing about the Phantom line, is that you can't beat that sleek black cosmetic! Too bad the Textremes look so strange with that throat weave look.
No, has sufficient power, but I prefer low-powered racquets and generate my own power; I hit most shots with medium power, only rip a shot when the opportunity is just right. It is strung with gut/poly hybrid, so that helps. Getting another one with a poly/syn gut hybrid, so that may have a different power level.
 

ichaseballs

Professional
try something at 100 sq in. that is a safe option
the pure drive is a great racquet to blindly recommend to most intermediate players.
yonex can be polarizing in it's feel, esp with the VDM now.
the clash 98/100/tour if you're really worried about arm friendly.
 
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Crocodile

G.O.A.T.
For arm safe performance definitely Pro Kennex Black Ave and Q series frames. The Angell K7 Lime and Red are excellent frames. The Prince Tour and Phantom frames are very good as well.
 

Bjc3345

New User
Growing up I played several hours of tennis every single day for about 15 years. I recovered from a lot of injuries and at 45 years old, I am picking up the game again. Growing up I could easily hit my backhand 2-handed or one handed and actually had to switch to a one handed backhand after developing an issue in my left wrist. I still have issues with my left shoulder so ill will be hitting a one handed backhand. I have always had a very good backhand regardless if I hit it one handed or 2-handed. My backhand has always just been a strong consistent shot that I hit with ease.

I did hit a few times recently. I was at a Tennis store and just grabbed a pre-strung Head Microgel Radical Oversize. I just went with that because I grew up hitting with POGs and Radicals. I also needed a very arm friendly racquet that wouldn't generate a lot of shock to my arm. I had heard this racquet is very arm friendly.

So I went out to hit with a friend that has been taking lessons. We actually rented a court and ball machine. I hit surprisingly well. Actually nobody could believe that I had not played in almost 20 years. I think I just had so many lessons and hit so many balls growing up that it came easy to me. I went and hit about 10 more times and just kept getting better and better, astounding all of my friends. Unfortunately, I cannot chase down an outright winner, but other than that I am pretty solid. I have nice strokes.

Here is where I need help. I am hitting well with the Head Microgel Radical Oversize. I am even hitting the one handed backhand well with it. It just seems a little large for a one handed backhand player. It can also sometimes feel a bit springy, like it wants to hit long, flat shots if I am not careful. I would like to go down to a 97-98 size, possibly a 100. I really want to maintain an arm friendly frame! I am also not sure I am ready for an over 12oz frame. The Head Microgel Radical Oversize is 11 oz. and does not feel heavy at all though. I probably wouldn't want to go too much lighter, especially if that made it less are friendly. My strokes are pretty classic. I learned in the 90's. I basically take the ball very early, hit through and finish high, but I definitely do not hit like Nadal.

Also, I hit my one handed backhand very well with topspin. However, since I cannot chase down everything, I do rely on a strong backhand slice to get out of trouble.

The obvious options are trying the same frame in midplus or just demoing a bunch of frames, but based on all of this, what are some frames I should definitely try?
I’m back in the game after 25 years. I demo’d everything. After a few months I landed on the yonex ezone 98. Feel like it plays like a 100 with the racquet design.
 
I you are used to/comfortable with head frames, it might be worth looking at the Gravity range - 100in headsize, decent power, but sturdy weight class. It's also got decent feel and will grow with you.

But then again, there are a lot of frames that also fit these requirements. Definitely agree with Bjc3345 - just demo, demo, demo!! If anything, because it's fun!
 

Bjc3345

New User
One thing on the demo’s. Get the same grip size. And if your arm is concern DONT even bother with the RF pro staff. Enjoyed the racquet but I think I developed arm issues after two days of hitting. : )
 

fuzzyballs21

New User
OP again... I hit again today, still with the micro gel.rad.mp. When I first started hitting my backhand was even better than last time and my forehand still sucked balls. Then eventually I started getting my racket back way earlier and taking the ball way earlier off the ground and after a while my forehand was decent. I hit a few service with the radical MP and for not serving for 20 years, I served pretty well with it. I couldn’t really figure out my kick serve but I was hitting a decent slice about 3/4 as hard as I would’ve hit it as a teenager. So I think I’m gonna keep hitting with this racket for a while. I think I have a lot of improvement to do before worrying about the racquet too much.
 

Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
How does the Instinct mp play?
I've only hit with the older Instincts, but one of the guys I string for that has the new one say he thinks it hits pretty much like a heavier, more stable old one. Same "feel"--whatever that means to him. He likes the new one a lot (possibly because he likes black/blue better than gold/silver), that and the fact that the new one has a 16x19 pattern and the old one had an 18x19 pattern.
 
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