Racket Search Advice Needed... Coming From Youtek Prestige MPs

[jjj604]

hey all, bought my last set of rackets off someone here but now that it's been... 9 years (!!!)... i'm in need of some advice haha

my racket journey:
microgel extreme mp - given to me when i started, loved the spin and power, broke a lot of strings, added lead at 3&9 for stability
youtek speed mp 18x20 - switched for more weight, stability and string durability
youtek prestige mp 18x20 - switched again for more weight, stability and plowthrough as i was getting pushed around by heavier hitters, kinda addicted to the feel of it now
i've had the prestiges for ~9 years though i took 5-6 years off in between until 2022

playstyle: ~4.0 counterpuncher that likes to hit with spin (sw fh) but skew towards flatter (not sure if that's preference or because of the launch angle of the prestige), use a lot of bh slices & defensive squash shots
strings: either full bed of msv focus hex soft 18 or hybrid w/ 16 gauge multi, tension around 44lbs; using this setup for ~10 years
note: am coming back from tennis elbow so i'm leaning towards lower ra rackets but not sure if i should go all the way to the clash (first time i've ever had it this bad so i wouldn't say it's a normal occurance)

demo'd the following (in order of preference):
-blade 98 18x20
-clash v1 100
-clash v2 100
-clash v2 98 pro
-gravity mp

i played 6 hrs with the blade (hyper g at 50lbs and not freshly strung) over 3 sessions and my elbow had zero discomfort while still being able to play full out. it felt oddly similar to the prestige where it was very plush and easy to hit targets while having more spin and power than i'm used to. it did feel like it could use some lead to give it some more plowthrough but would it be stupid to essentially bring it back up to the prestige weight? any other rackets i should be looking at? or is it stupid to want to try and pick a racket that 'feels' like the prestige since that doesn't necessarily translate into a tangible benefit like spin/power?

couldn't find the 16x19 blade available to demo and i'm really torn on which way to go... should i be be widening my search further or just pull the trigger? am trying to make my way towards 4.5 and having some easier power while trying to keep comfort and control in the same ballpark would go a long way. one of the complaints about the blade 18x20 seems to be the low launch angle; i felt it actually had a decently high launch angle but maybe that's cause i'm used to the prestige? which one is the anomaly? and not that i have any major complaints about the prestige mps but have many people have switched away from them in favour of modern frames? thanks in advance

 

[jimmy8]

Demo a head radical pro - high performance racket that will fit what you're looking for.

 

[jjj604]

thanks, hadn't considered the radical pro at all. would you say that there's more benefit to switching to a lower static weight for a faster swingspeed vs heavy and more plowthrough?

 

[tele]

if you like 18x20 but want something more modern with relatively a low RA , you might want to also consider demoing the head speed pro or prince 100p.

 

[emhtennis]

Try a Pro Kennex 5G or 7G (27.5in). Classic feel, 16x20, great feel, and the 7G crushes the ball with its extra length. Bonus, they cost $130 brand new!

 

[Fintft]

I second Prokennexes if you really have arm issues, but if not, a prostock such as 351.1 or 293.1, or even a Shift 300 are much better racquets than the Blade or Blade Pro v8.

 

[Trip]

@jjj604 - Nice journey, although I would keep the search about what serves you and your play style best, as opposed to examining yourself inside the context of how this or that racquet "should" play or feel. The latter approach usually ends up sending people down a needless rabbit hole, coupled with at least a partial loss of identity on the court. Keep the gear serving you, not the other way around.

That said, for the benefit of the thread, let's benchmark where you're coming from:

So, you're using one of the last-generation pre-Graphene Prestiges, with an actual 95-96" true head size (this was when Head was still measuring hoop area from the outside of the frame inward). Exceptional feel, very small but focused sweet spot and very low twist weight (10.4). A stick that more or less requires lead at 3 and 9, but once properly customized, plays and feels great.

If all you're looking for is a bit more free power, then if you haven't already, I would try maxing out your current frame by 1) bumping up swing weight (via lead tape) as high as you can handle and 2) creating the highest-power string bed you can still control, by dropping tension and/or using higher-power strings (ex: natural gut instead of multi, plus a higher-power poly than Focus Hex Soft, etc.). If you've maxed all that out and still feel you need/want more, then it's probably time to move on.

For a new frame, I'd look at 97-99" direct/unfiltered player/pleener frames with higher power-to-weight ratios (either stock or customized up):

Least to most powerful in stock form:

• Dunlop CX 200 (305g, 98" 16x19, 21.5mm, 6pts HL, 317sw, 64ra)​
• Tecnifibre TF40 315 16x19 (315g, 98" 16x19, 22mm, 7pts HL, 315sw, 64ra)​
• Wilson Blade v8 16x19 (305g, 98" 16x19, 21mm, 5pts HL, 317sw, 61ra)​
• Head Extreme Tour (305g, 98" 16x19, 21/23/22mm, 6pts HL, 317sw, 63ra)​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19 (305g, 98" 16x19, 22mm, 4pts HL, 321sw, 64ra)​
• Babolat Pure Strike VS (310g, 97" 16x20, 21/22/21mm, 7pts HL, 322sw, 63ra)​
• Wilson Blade v8 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 21mm, 4pts HL, 325sw, 60ra)​
• ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour Pro (315g, 98" 16x19, 20.3mm 7pts HL, 328sw, 62ra)​
• Head Radical MP (300g, 98 16x19, 21/23/20mm, 4pts HL, 323sw, 65ra)​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 22mm, 3pts HL, 328sw, 64ra)​
• Solinco WhiteOut 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 21.7mm, 4pts HL, 324sw, 66ra)​
• Head Radical Pro (315g, 98" 16x19, 21/21.5/20mm, 6pts HL, 325sw, 64ra)​
• Prince ATS Tour 98 (305g, 98" 16x19, 20/23/23mm, 6pts HL, 325sw, 62ra) - slightly muted​
• Wilson Blade Pro 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 22mm, 2-3pts HL, 330-ish sw, 60-ish ra)​
• Wilson Blade Pro 16x19 (305g, 98" 16x19, 22mm, 3-4pts HL, 330-ish sw, 60-ish ra)​

Least to most powerful at equal strung spec (~320g, 6-7pts HL, ~330sw):

• Wilson Blade v8 18x20​
• Dunlop CX 200​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 18x20​
• Wilson Blade v8 16x19​
• Babolat Pure Strike VS​
• Wilson Blade Pro 18x20
• Tecnifibre TF40 315 16x19​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19​
• Wilson Blade Pro 16x19
• Head Radical Pro​
• Solinco WhiteOut 18x20​
• Prince ATS Tour 98​
• Head Radical MP​
• Head Extreme Tour​

Left Out:

• Power-to-Weight Too Low: Head Prestige Pro, Wilson Ultra Pro (both), Prince Phantoms, PK Ki Q+ Tour Pro 325​
• Too much swing weight: Tec ISO 305​
• Too Muted: Volkl, Yonex, Diadem, Wilson Shift​
• Too Stiff/Harsh: All Babolats other than PSVS, most everything else​

If you want to play something that's as ready-to-go as possible in stock form, besides the Blade 18x20 (and Blade Pro), I'd key in on the TF40 305 18x20 and both Radicals, maybe the CX 200 and PSVS as well.

As for frames that are on-the-bubble, I think the WhiteOut 18x20 would be great, but potentially too firm/harsh, the PSVS also great but possibly a bit too hollow in comparison to your YT PMP, CX 200 potentially not enough of a power boost, the ATS Tour maybe a bit too muted and/or clubby, and the Extreme Tour's string bed a bit too hot/launchy, but all worth a try.

And to answer your question on weighty+plow-through versus lighter+more racket head speed, ideally, you want both, ie. the most amount of static and swing weight that you can sustainably apply at max speed. As such, I think a 300-315g frame of the right amount of stiffness, beam thickness and string pattern will give you a bit better balance of power-to-weight.

Hope that helps. Any questions, feel free.

 

[jjj604]

Try a Pro Kennex 5G or 7G (27.5in). Classic feel, 16x20, great feel, and the 7G crushes the ball with its extra length. Bonus, they cost $130 brand new!

thanks for the reco! did a quick search around here (in canada) and pro kennex doesn't seem to be in stock at a lot of places so a demo would be pretty hard to come by. very interested in the specs and reviews though, seems like it would be right up my alley

 

[jjj604]

WOW. thank you so, soooo much for that breakdown. took me a while to digest it all. i do find my style is hard to define... a mish mash of sh*t is probably the most accurate. scrappy, enjoy playing defense, basically everything except a crosscourt fh is relatively flat, below average size and weight. i've always felt like had i stuck with an open string pattern at the start that it would've helped my game overall (but especially but less wear and tear on my knees) but this is likely just me overthinking things.

i'm more of the type that either plays with what i'm given or i can come by easily. ie: when i made the switch to the prestige mp back in the day, i played half a session with my friend's and made the jump. haven't done any lead modifications since my first racket (microgel extreme) but i definitely could explore that. what got me thinking of a switch was a recent hit with a strong player (by my standards... i'd say a very high 4.5) using a full western grip with a pure drive. i usually play on the baseline taking shots on the rise but many times i was pushed 6-8 feet behind the baseline and still hitting balls over my shoulder. the weight of the ball was like nothing i've ever experienced and by the end of the session my arms were jello. the racket was twisting all over the place and i had a huge problem with depth for the second half of the hit while swinging out at 100% of my capabilities. by some dumb luck, the next time we hit, i had the gravity mp and blade 18x20 demos with me. ended up mostly playing with the blade and while still having to play from the baseline, noticed that my shots were landing deeper and getting me back to neutral more often. so for better or for worse, that stick has left a good impression on me

So, you're using one of the last-generation pre-Graphene Prestiges, with an actual 95-96" true head size (this was when Head was still measuring hoop area from the outside of the frame inward).

i had absolutely no idea this was the case either lol. that would probably explain why the blade felt like it had a huge sweetspot where it felt like i was getting way more pop on my 2hbh. trying out the clash 100 felt like i was playing with a cannon and that the whole racket was a sweet spot. you hit the nail on the head with the extreme tour too. a friend uses that and i tried it out very briefly but it felt like everything was popping up. i feel like i have settled on definitely staying in the arm friendly realm though. i have come to the realization that i'm no spring chicken and if i want to keep playing this sport that i'll need to get gear that won't cause me to break down prematurely. thank you very much for that breakdown and i'll be researching rackets in your list!

 

[Power Player]

Dunlop CX Tour could be great for you but the issue with them is they pretty much need mods or you will not really get much out of the frame.

I consider the Yonex Vcore Pro, now Percept series an easier to use Prestige mixed with a wilson pro staff or 6.1. The regular Percept 97 version is a 16x19, easy on the arm and probably has more power than your old frame.

The Blade is an awesome frame, a classic baseliners control frame. It has a different baalnce than the prestige so that may bug you at some point or not. Regardless you can't really go wrong with the Blade if you are enjoying it.

Of course Pro Kennex makes awesome frames that give you modern power while protecting the arm still. There are a LOT of great racquets out right now so you can be picky if you want.

 

[jjj604]

The Blade is an awesome frame, a classic baseliners control frame. It has a different baalnce than the prestige so that may bug you at some point or not.

do you mean the difference between 4 pts HL (blade) and 7 pts HL (prestige) or is there more to it than that?

edit: trip's list above has the blade at 2-3 pts HL. i got the 4 pts from the first result on a random google search

 

[Power Player]

do you mean the difference between 4 pts HL (blade) and 7 pts HL (prestige) or is there more to it than that?

Yes thats mainly what I mean. The prior blades also had a higher swing weight than a prestige but I think the latest version is lower. That would make the frame swing more like a hammer while a prestige is more handle weighted.

 

[jjj604]

thanks! i'll take that into consideration. might have to demo it again to make sure it wasn't just the honeymoon effect

 

[Trip]

@jjj604 - Very welcome! Hope some of it helps. As far as trying new racquets go, you might even venture further into "pleener" territory (player/tweener) hybrid, to get even more free power and forgiveness, and also potentially consider moving up to a 100" as well, but something with a tighter pattern for adequate control, such as a Head Speed Pro, Yonex Percept 100D, Gravity Pro, Prince ATS Tour 100P or ProKennex Ki Q+ series (16x20).

edit: trip's list above has the blade at 2-3 pts HL. i got the 4 pts from the first result on a random google search

That's for the Blade Pro, aka the H22, and 2-3pts specifically for the 18x20. Different beast altogether from the regular Blade. (AFAIK, the H22 was basically made by Wilson to copy a Head Radical mold that Djokovic was using, before he came over to Wilson)

 

[Seth]

@jjj604 - Nice journey, although I would keep the search about what serves you and your play style best, as opposed to examining yourself inside the context of this or that racquet "should" play or feel. The latter approach usually ends up sending people down a needless rabbit hole, coupled with at least a partial loss of identity on the court. Keep the gear serving you, not the other way around.

That said, for the benefit of the thread, let's benchmark where you're coming from:

So, you're using one of the last-generation pre-Graphene Prestiges, with an actual 95-96" true head size (this was when Head was still measuring hoop area from the outside of the frame inward). Exceptional feel, very small but focused sweet spot and very low twist weight (10.4). A stick that more or less requires lead at 3 and 9, but once properly customized, plays and feels great.

If all you're looking is a bit more free power, then if you haven't already, I would try maxing out your current frame by 1) pushing swing weight as high as you can handle and 2) creating the highest-power string bed you can still control, by dropping tension and/or using higher-power strings (ex: natural gut instead of multi, plus a higher-power poly than Focus Hex Soft, etc.). If you've maxed all that out and still feel you need/want more, then it's probably time to move on.

For a new frame, I'd look at 97-99" direct/unfiltered player/pleener frames with higher power-to-weight ratios (either stock or customized up):

Least to most powerful in stock form:

• Dunlop CX 200 (305g, 98" 16x19, 21.5mm, 6pts HL, 317sw, 64ra)​
• Tecnifibre TF40 315 16x19 (315g, 98" 16x19, 22mm, 7pts HL, 315sw, 64ra)​
• Wilson Blade v8 16x19 (305g, 98" 16x19, 21mm, 5pts HL, 317sw, 61ra)​
• Head Extreme Tour (305g, 98" 16x19, 21/23/22mm, 6pts HL, 317sw, 63ra)​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19 (305g, 98" 16x19, 22mm, 4pts HL, 321sw, 64ra)​
• Babolat Pure Strike VS (310g, 97" 16x20, 21/22/21mm, 7pts HL, 322sw, 63ra)​
• Wilson Blade v8 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 21mm, 4pts HL, 325sw, 60ra)​
• ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour Pro (315g, 98" 16x19, 20.3mm 7pts HL, 328sw, 62ra)​
• Head Radical MP (300g, 98 16x19, 21/23/20mm, 4pts HL, 323sw, 65ra)​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 22mm, 3pts HL, 328sw, 64ra)​
• Solinco WhiteOut 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 21.7mm, 4pts HL, 324sw, 66ra)​
• Head Radical Pro (315g, 98" 16x19, 21/21.5/20mm, 6pts HL, 325sw, 64ra)​
• Prince ATS Tour 98 (305g, 98" 16x19, 20/23/23mm, 6pts HL, 325sw, 62ra) - slightly muted​
• Wilson Blade Pro 18x20 (305g, 98" 18x20, 22mm, 2-3pts HL, 330-ish sw, 60-ish ra)​
• Wilson Blade Pro 16x19 (305g, 98" 16x19, 22mm, 3-4pts HL, 330-ish sw, 60-ish ra)​

Least to most powerful at equal strung spec (~320g, 6-7pts HL, ~330sw):

• Wilson Blade v8 18x20​
• Dunlop CX 200​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 18x20​
• Wilson Blade v8 16x19​
• Babolat Pure Strike VS​
• Wilson Blade Pro 18x20
• Tecnifibre TF40 315 16x19​
• Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19​
• Wilson Blade Pro 16x19
• Head Radical Pro​
• Solinco WhiteOut 18x20​
• Prince ATS Tour 98​
• Head Radical MP​
• Head Extreme Tour​

Left Out:

• Power-to-Weight Too Low: Head Prestige Pro, Wilson Ultra Pro (both), Prince Phantoms, PK Ki Q+ Tour Pro 325​
• Too much swing weight: Tec ISO 305​
• Too Muted: Volkl, Yonex, Diadem, Wilson Shift​
• Too Stiff/Harsh: All Babolats other than PSVS, most everything else​

If you want to play something that's as ready-to-go as possible in stock form, besides the Blade 18x20 (and Blade Pro), I'd key in on the TF40 305 18x20 and both Radicals, maybe the CX 200 and PSVS as well.

As for frames that are on-the-bubble, I think the WhiteOut 18x20 would be great, but potentially too firm/harsh, the PSVS also great but possibly a bit too hollow in comparison to your YT PMP, CX 200 potentially not enough of a power boost, the ATS Tour maybe a bit too muted and/or clubby, and the Extreme Tour's string bed a bit too hot/launchy, but all worth a try.

And to answer your question on weighty+plow-through versus lighter+more racket head speed, ideally, you want both, ie. the most amount of static and swing weight that you can sustainably apply at max speed. As such, I think a 300-315g frame of the right amount of stiffness, beam thickness and string pattern will give you a bit better balance of power-to-weight.

Hope that helps. Any questions, feel free.

GOAT-tier analysis. Not even directed to me, but I found it helpful regardless.

 

[jjj604]

btw i noticed that nobody has recommended the gravity pro. i haven't tried it yet but is it not supposed to a modernized version of the prestige? not sure where i read that but it's kinda stuck with me