Live in Asia, no demo here, need help to buy a new frame

[Venusmen]

Hi everyone,

I live in Asia and there is no demo here. I wanna buy a new frame but it means I cant try it before buying it which is very sad.

I've been playing with a Yonex RDIS 100 MP 98 for like 16 years or so. I still like it a lot. Maybe it lacks some free power and touch/feel. But overall its a good frame. I don't know if anyone played with that frame? In case, here are the specs : Head size 98 sq. in. / 630 sq. cm. Length 27 in. / 68.6 cm. Strung weight 11.7 oz. / 332 gr. Swing weight 323. Balance 7pts head light. Stiffness 64. String pattern 16x19.

I bought a Volkl organix V1 pro a few years ago. I love the touch/feel and comfort, I do more slice and dropshots with this one but the head is too heavy for me and at some point its too difficult for me to swing it. While I can play 3 hours with the RDIS.

Last frame I bought is a Yonex ezone dr98. And I didn't like it. I didn't feel connected to the ball at all and didn't have a good feeling overall.

Now I'm considering:
-Prince TT 310
-Prince phantom 100x 305
-Head gravity pro
-Head graphene speed pro
-Yonex Vcore pro 97HD 18x20 ??

Im looking for a stable frame that's easy to swing, gives a good amount of free power with amazing feel without sacrificing control.
According TW reviews the Head ones have less power and maneuverability, than the other 3.

I hope you can help me make a choice. Buying a racquet without trying it first is really complicated....
Thanks guys!

 

[Yamin]

Prince TT 310 is well liked and the specs are very close to your last racket. Would probably be a safe blind buy, though I have no personal experience.

I didn't care for the 100x 305, but that was because I hit a heavier ball with the 100p. The muted feel may bother you a bit.

The speed pro is a pretty easy blind buy. It feels a little hollow but performs well and matches your specs fairly closely. It has a higher swing weight though. If you're looking for a move to higher swing weight this is the one I'd recommend.

If power is your concern I wouldn't go for the gravity pro. It's heavy and low power. I found the speed pro better in every way, but the gravity pro I tried was over spec.

Vcore HD .... it's an okay racket, but not sure if you'd want to switch to 18x20. Have you tried this pattern before? A bit different than 16x19 and wouldn't be a safe blind buy.

 

[Lorenn]

Now I'm considering:
-Prince TT 310
-Prince phantom 100x 305
-Head gravity pro
-Head graphene speed pro
-Yonex Vcore pro 97HD 18x20 ??

Any reason why you are changing? If I had to pick the new Yonex Vcore 98(2021) would be a good first choice.

Prince Textreme Tour 310 is a nice neutral racquet. Easy to play with, nice feel really just a joy for most players to use.

Gravity Pro is what I normally use...nice large sweet spot. I really like it. I do switch between it and Speed MP. MP allows me to shorten up my swing.

Speed Pro(360+) is easy to swing for a 100, but I would likely stick to a 98 or pick the MP over the Pro. Lighter but stable for its weight. SWings a little easier to make up for the headsize. Feels different but plays well.

Radical Pro/mp 360+ are both great racquets I prefer the pro but many prefer the mp. Rewarding but slightly tight sweet spot compared to Speed and Gravity.(size plus design)

 

[smithie]

The Gravity Tour specs are closer to those of the RDIS than the Gravity Pro - you may find the Gravity Pro to be difficult to swing given its swing weight is 10 points higher than the RDIS.
The Gravity Tour (which, for full disclosure, I use) has the best touch of any racket I've ever used (YMMV as touch is subjective). It is a racket on the lower end of the power spectrum but nothing that stringing in the mid 40's with a co-poly wont fix. I have Lux element strung @ 48lbs and I have plenty enough power.

 

[Lorenn]

The Gravity Tour specs are closer to those of the RDIS than the Gravity Pro - you may find the Gravity Pro to be difficult to swing given its swing weight is 10 points higher than the RDIS.
The Gravity Tour (which, for full disclosure, I use) has the best touch of any racket I've ever used (YMMV as touch is subjective). It is a racket on the lower end of the power spectrum but nothing that stringing in the mid 40's with a co-poly wont fix. I have Lux element strung @ 48lbs and I have plenty enough power.

I should've footnoted the GP more, it was only included for a reference point of what racquet I normally play with...A onspec Tour would be a good choice should they want to explore a nice 18x20 pattern.

 

[Venusmen]

Sorry guys I've been so busy with work. I wanna change cause I think I can get a better frame and realized I've been using that one for 16 years I think....
I need a racquet that is easy to swing because I feel like Im not 20 anymore lol and I cant play as much as before. And Im not tall nor muscled so I like the racquet to give me more but I still need to be more control oriented cause I can generate my own power and anyway strings can also give me that extra power. I always had a good backhand but struggle on my forehand. So I guess the Gravity pro isnt for me.
The balance of the Gravity Tour isnt head light enough I think and if I had weight to make it like 7 points HL it might be difficult to swing in the end.
Gravity MP is lighter but only 3 point HL and Im not sure with the 16x20 (but I played with an oversized 16x20 when I was a teenager and I enjoyed it).n fact I have the same concerns with all the Head Graphene and Gravity : string pattern / maneuverability.
Maybe one of the Prince. What about the Clash 100 ? Swingweight is low, really HL setup, open to customization.

 

[smithie]

Sorry guys I've been so busy with work. I wanna change cause I think I can get a better frame and realized I've been using that one for 16 years I think....
I need a racquet that is easy to swing because I feel like Im not 20 anymore lol and I cant play as much as before. And Im not tall nor muscled so I like the racquet to give me more but I still need to be more control oriented cause I can generate my own power and anyway strings can also give me that extra power. I always had a good backhand but struggle on my forehand. So I guess the Gravity pro isnt for me.
The balance of the Gravity Tour isnt head light enough I think and if I had weight to make it like 7 points HL it might be difficult to swing in the end.
Gravity MP is lighter but only 3 point HL and Im not sure with the 16x20 (but I played with an oversized 16x20 when I was a teenager and I enjoyed it).n fact I have the same concerns with all the Head Graphene and Gravity : string pattern / maneuverability.
Maybe one of the Prince. What about the Clash 100 ? Swingweight is low, really HL setup, open to customization.

I've demoed the MP, Tour and Pro and I only found the Pro to suffer from manoeuvrability issues (more an issue of the SW being at the top end for my game). In my experience the 16x20 of the MP is a little to erratic for my liking but the open 18x20 of the Tour and Pro was spot on for me (feels like similar spacing to 16x19's in 97/98 rackets). If you're worried about the it being head heavy, I switched from a modded Wilson Ultra Tour/Pro with an unstrung balance of 31 cm and I've had no issues transitioning. However, you can always add weight to the handle to make it more head light to your liking (obviously applies to all rackets not just the Gravity).

I think the Clash 98 might be a good option but I would avoid 100 as wont give you the control that you want.

I haven't played with the Prince rackets that you've mentioned so I can't really comment on the playability of those exact frames. However, people have said that the Prince Phantom is very much like the Head Gravity (tear drop shaped head and large sweetspot) and I played with the previous version of the Prince TT 100p and I wasn't overly impressed, although there is an almost cult following of that racket on these boards so it may work for you.