looking for a new racket

[groundbreaker]

Need some help with finding a good racket.

My current racket: Head Liquidmetal Radical MP

My playing style: Aggressive baseliner, I use slice serves a lot, and a flat serve every so often. 1-handed backhand which I slice with a lot. Good at drop shots and volleying.

String tension: 62 lb.

Estimated NTRP level: 3.5

Hand: Left-handed

Here's the rackets I'm looking at:

Head YouTek
Head Microgel Radical
Babolat Pure Drive GT Plus
Fischer M Pro Number One 98
Wilson K Six-One 95

Any ideas on what might work best for me? Something not on this list that would be good?

 

[BillyGillispie]

k-six-one 95 is the best all around for you. I would try the 16x19 string pattern one so your slices get even more bite on them. but it's up to you so you should demo them all

 

[prjacobs]

How about TW's Donnay pro one oversize? I served better with it than the K six one 95 and my slice backhands were also better. Personally, I think that the Babolats have no feel and the beam is thicker than your current racquet, which, again in my opinion, makes it cut through the air less and also makes it less slice friendly....

 

[groundbreaker]

I haven't ordered any demoes yet, but I have tried the Pure Drive GT before. It was very similar to my Head Liquidmetal Radical MP, but a bit lighter.

Serves were a bit weird, I got a bit more spin, but it felt a bit more wild. Groundstrokes were good.

I dunno about the Pure Drive GT, it feels nearly the same, but something felt a bit off.

The Head Microgel Radical wasn't bad either. Same power on my groundstrokes, and it was a tad lighter.

All in all, I really should demo some rackets at some point.

Anybody have advice? I once heard that Babolat rackets are very unforgiving on people's arms. Is this true?

 

[Edstringer13]

From all of those the fischer is the best,just doesn't have much power,but the comfort,touch ad feel,and the quality no doubt about it,and great spin access too.

 

[fuzz nation]

One thing to keep in mind as you try different racquets down the road is that pretty much everything will feel a bit off. Once your feel and timing settle in with a specific racquet, you'll get a slightly different response and handling personality with other frames.

I had a pair of LM Radicals for a while, but I've always enjoyed heavier gear, mostly because of the extra stability that I get around the net. Those Radicals have rather good feel (quite the subjective issue, but still...) along with decent performance, but I'm an avid slicer on both sides. While the LM Radical could churn out some spin and slice okay for me with a deliberate swing, I'd bet that a couple other frames might run better for that sort of stuff.

My old frames are the ProStaff 6.1 Classics which helped me become such a competent slicer. They're heavier and more stable than lots of others and get great bite on the ball - the K 95 is certainly worth a go for you and despite their weight, you'll probably get some decent results with it. The Fischer M Pro #1 98 is lighter and softer than that Wilson, but it's also a nice bat with a rather spin friendly layout.

The Volkl DNX 9 may be a perfect fit for you coming from the LM Radical. I compared them a while back while I still had my Radicals and the DNX 9 seemed to just have more of everything to offer. Some other spin friendly frames include the Prince Ozone Tour and heavier Pro Tour, which you might want to consider trying out.

My general experience as a slicer is that a little more heft in my racquet usually furnishes me with more control, punch, and bite in my slice shots. You'd be smart to keep track of the frames you try and see if there's any upside for you with a certain range of heft or flex in those demos. Too heavy can feel like swinging underwater and too soft can mean that the frame doesn't have enough pop or zip for you, but the right combo can be surreal. Also, if a heavier racquet has a significantly head-light balance, it should be easier to handle than even a lighter frame that's only a couple of points HL. Your mileage may vary...

 

[groundbreaker]

I've been doing more research, and I might look into the Babolat Pure Storm GT and the AeroPro Drive Cortex as well.

I've also heard that the Fischer racket I'm considering is a great doubles racket because it is very light.

Has anyone tried the new YOUtek Radical? What did you like/dislike about it?

Are Babolats heavy rackets?

 

[Meaghan]

Prince Ozone Tour/Pro Tour
K blade 98
Pure storm tour
Fischer M pro No.1
Pure Drive
Youtek Radical MP
Pro Kennex Black Ace

You'll prob find the k95 bit stiff so Id choose the EXO3 Rebel over it.

 

[furyoku_tennis]

give the prestige pro a look. it's a bit heavier than what you've got with an open string pattern for more spin. fairly low swingweight so you can really bring it around.

 

[groundbreaker]

Reviving a dead topic. Sorry...

Here's what I demoed about a month ago:

Head YouTek Radical MP: My favorite racket by far. Lighter than my current racket, and groundstrokes were a bit more solid. My serve was good, and it was much easier to slice wide on my serve. All in all, I felt like I could use this racket.

Head MicroGel Prestige Midsize: Not a bad racket. Too heavy for my tastes, but the thing that impressed me was the BITE on slice. It was incredible. Return of serve was perfect, and groundstrokes had some heft behind them. I didn't like it for volleys and serves, however, due to the extra ounce and a half.

Babolat Pure Drive GT: This was a big disappointment for me, and I was surprised that I didn't like it. Was light enough, and my flat serve was devastating, but groundstrokes were all over the place. Volleys weren't bad. Just didn't feel right in my hands. Oh well.

Babolat Pure Storm GT: This was a solid racket. My club coach uses this racket and recommended that I demo it. I was impressed! Solid groundstrokes, volleys, and serve. Not much to this racket, but like the other Babolat, something didn't feel right with it. Maybe I'm biased towards Head rackets.

All in all, not bad choices. I have decided that I will get either the MicroGel Radical MP or YouTek Radical MP.