How Would Rate These Racquets? RDX500, RDS001, TT MP, NXG...

Maestro Nalbandian

Professional
Hi All,

My cousin left me some nice racquets (listed below) when he moved overseas. I'm trying to find out which racquet would suit me best? And how would you rate them in terms of power, control, volley and serve? I would rate myself as an intermediate player.

1- Wilson nSix-One 95

2- Yonex RDX 500 Midplus

3- Yonex RDS 001 Midplus

4- Prince Triple Threat Warrior Midplus (my own racquet)

5- Prince Tour NXG Graphite Midplus

6- Prince Graphite Longbody


Thanks
 
Last edited:

Ripper

Hall of Fame
Nice sticks you got there. You should probably stick (no pun intended) to your Prince (and that other Prince, maybe), for now, though.
 

Maestro Nalbandian

Professional
Nice sticks you got there. You should probably stick (no pun intended) to your Prince (and that other Prince, maybe), for now, though.

Thanks, some nice sticks indeed. cousin is bit of a tennis racquet freak so lucky me:)

Any particular reason I should stick with my original racquet? Are the rest for more advanced players? I haven't had the chance to try any yet. But they all seemed to be heavier than the TT Warrior.
 

theone

Banned
Yeah they are all quite a bit heavier but they are all different kinds of rackets with different feels.. I'd stick with the one you've got, the review for it is very positive. The yonex rackets are good though.

nsix-one - 12.2oz
Prince Tour NXG - 12.2oz
RDS/RDX midplus - 11.7oz
Graphite longbody - 11.6oz (some people dont like extended length)
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I think a lot of advice will be for you to stick with the racquet you use now just because you are playing at a lower level. The thinking there being that you need to concentrate on developing your skills instead of being distracted by your gear.

In my opinion, Merry Christmas!!! You just got a bundle of nice racquets dropped in your lap and there's no harm in trying any of them out for yourself. I've never used a Warrior in my day, but it has a rather good reputation and if you try any of these other ones in your windfall, you can get an idea of what works for you in terms of weight, balance, flex, etc.

The RDX 500 has a following that claims it to be among the most comfortable hitters out there with terrific spin and feel. The NXG mp is very headlight, easy to handle (I'd say it plays significantly lighter than the Wilson), and while its power is moderate, the NXG mp can also pump out huge spin and a lot of control.

Expect the Wilson to probably play the heaviest of the group and the RDS 001 may be an especially firm and lively player in that bunch. In general, I'd recommend only bringing one or two at a time out to the courts for test drives along with your Warrior. When I demo, I prefer to hit with the heaviest frame in the bunch - that is the bunch that I have with me at the court - and work down through the lighter ones. Switching too often can scramble my timing and since you don't have to return these racquets in a week, you can take your time if you sample any of them. Like I said, have fun with them, but try not to let them become a distraction.

I didn't want to put too much of a rating on any of those racquets, just because there's no way to know if any of them will be a good specific fit for you until you try them. You already use a good frame and if you try this batch out, you might find one or two that you like, but you may not like any of them. Take your time with this major stroke of luck and get back to us with your observations.
 
Last edited:

Maestro Nalbandian

Professional
I think a lot of advice will be for you to stick with the racquet you use now just because you are playing at a lower level. The thinking there being that you need to concentrate on developing your skills instead of being distracted by your gear.

In my opinion, Merry Christmas!!! You just got a bundle of nice racquets dropped in your lap and there's no harm in trying any of them out for yourself. I've never used a Warrior in my day, but it has a rather good reputation and if you try any of these other ones in your windfall, you can get an idea of what works for you in terms of weight, balance, flex, etc.

The RDX 500 has a following that claims it to be among the most comfortable hitters out there with terrific spin and feel. The NXG mp is very headlight, easy to handle (I'd say it plays significantly lighter than the Wilson), and while its power is moderate, the NXG mp can also pump out huge spin and a lot of control.

Expect the Wilson to probably play the heaviest of the group and the RDS 001 may be an especially firm and lively player in that bunch. In general, I'd recommend only bringing one or two at a time out to the courts for test drives along with your Warrior. When I demo, I prefer to hit with the heaviest frame in the bunch - that is the bunch that I have with me at the court - and work down through the lighter ones. Switching too often can scramble my timing and since you don't have to return these racquets in a week, you can take your time if you sample any of them. Like I said, have fun with them, but try not to let them become a distraction.

I didn't want to put too much of a rating on any of those racquets, just because there's no way to know if any of them will be a good specific fit for you until you try them. You already use a good frame and if you try this batch out, you might find one or two that you like, but you may not like any of them. Take your time with this major stroke of luck and get back to us with your observations.

Thanks for the advices. Developing skills is obviously my priority right now. I play tennis because I like the sport not because of all the fancy equipments you can buy. However with so many new 'toys' in possession I can't help myself wanting to try them out all at once. But you are right the best thing would be try them one or two at a time as it usually would take me a while to adjust to a different racquet.

I have become accustomised to the weight and feel of the warrior as its the only racquet I have been using for the last 6 month. And according to my cousin the RDX 500 would be the hardest racquet for me to use (hardest in terms of generating power) if I like the power of TT Warrior. But weight wise, both RDX 500 and RDS 001 are pretty close to the Warrior so these two are ones I most likely to use in the future. I did try the nSix-One 95 at one stage when hitting with my cousin and my arm went sore after 2 hours of play so I think the Wilson and NXG would be out of my league. Unless I go to the gym and work on a bigger arm. So my question is which of these racquets is the closest to TT Warrior in terms of power and balance? I know I know the best way is try them out for myself but it doesn't hurt to hear from the experienced on this forum either. :)
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I'm sure that you could take any of these racquets out in the backyard for some practice swings and handle them just fine. The problem with different racquets is that once your muscle memory gets set on the timing of a swing with your regular frame, pretty much anything else is an adjustment when you're trying to meet a ball. Even if a new racquet is lighter, it can be hard to time your swing well enough to catch the ball right on the sweetspot. Balance can also throw the feel of how a racquet swings for you. For example, even if it's a little lighter, a new racquet that is less headlight than yours can be a lot harder to get around to the ball on time.

That Prince Longbody is a bit of an X-factor because of its extra length. I'm not familiar with it and I can't predict how it might handle for you despite the familiar grip shape - try it eventually, though. The RDS 001 may be a good start - Yonex frames are a little unique and that one should feel like it has a pretty firm backbone and deliver some good pop on the ball. Don't be afraid of that RDX 500; it probably has more flex (less power) than you are used to so it won't be as easy to spray the ball, but that one is an all time honey of a stick.

After you get out with the Yonexes, definately have a go sometime with that NXG... knowledge is power, amigo. I like a heavier frame and that one is the lightest 12+ oz. racquet I've ever used - I consider it a middleweight more than a light-heavyweight and you're already used to the feel of a Prince grip. That one is at least worth a try. Bonus points: you're headed into summer down under!!!
 
Top