The Ultimate Racquet Decision!

Which One?

  • Dunlop Aerogel 300 16X19

    Votes: 20 23.5%

  • Head Liquidmetal Radical MP

    Votes: 20 23.5%

  • Tecnifibre TFight 320 16X20

    Votes: 19 22.4%

  • Babolat Pure Storm Team 98

    Votes: 16 18.8%

  • Volkl DNX 9 MP

    Votes: 5 5.9%

  • Volkl Tour 10 V-Engine MP

    Votes: 4 4.7%

  • Volkl Tour 9 V-Engine 16X19 MP

    Votes: 1 1.2%
  • Total voters
    85
Borat

Borat

Professional
Okay, so I've posted some racquet choice threads in the past and gotten some pretty good feedback. I finally have my final list of frames, and I am going to buy one of them. These are frames that are available in my pro-shop and fit my ideal spec range. I would really like to hear some feedback on them, and if anyone has experience w/ any of them.
I am around a 4.0 player, who is working on consistency in his groundstrokes. I have a hard first serve, and a spin second that is in more of a developmental stage. I hit a deep, heavy topspin forehand, and a more flat and hard 2HBH. I usually like a frame on the flexible side more than the stiff side. Racquets like the Yonex RDS 001, which is very popular, is a little too stiff for me, and I hated the feel b/c of the stiffness. I usually like to stay below 65 in stiffness. I tend to like 16X19 string patterns b/c of the hightened spin potential, but I am not totally against 18X20 as there have been some frames I have liked in the past w/ that string pattern. I want to work on volleys a lot more, but want a lighter frame so I can keep racquet speed up and still hit with a lot of top. I would like to find a frame that is around 11.3 or 11.5 oz. but still volleys strong. Also, with racquets like the Aerogel that are 11 oz. I will just add a leather grip to get the weight to around 11.5 oz.
-Dunlop AeroGel 300 16X19
-Head Liquidmetal Radical MP
-Babolat Pure Storm Team 98
-Volkl DNX 9 MP
-Tecnifibre TFight 320 16X20
-Volkl Tour 10 V-Engine MP
-Volkl Tour 9 V- Engine 16X19 MP

I would love to hear any feedback, thanks. Also, if you can think of another racquet that fits my specs and my needs for tennis, I would love to hear it.
 
Last edited:
L

LarougeNY

Professional
what happened to the fischer mspeed and the kteam?
anyway, based on my experiences, i would go with the radical.
heard good things about the tecnifibre though. Aerogel 300 is kinda light right? i would lean towards the 200, but then again we dont know how you play. maybe, to get accurate answers, you could tell us your playing style, skill level etc.
 
Borat

Borat

Professional
LarougeNY said:
what happened to the fischer mspeed and the kteam?
anyway, based on my experiences, i would go with the radical.
heard good things about the tecnifibre though. Aerogel 300 is kinda light right? i would lean towards the 200, but then again we dont know how you play. maybe, to get accurate answers, you could tell us your playing style, skill level etc.
Click to expand...
Too of my favorite frames..... the Fischer is a little too heavy although I loved the feel. The KTeam was pretty weak on volleys IMO from demoing it, and I found out that I might be spltting time btw doubles and singles on my team.
 
Borat

Borat

Professional
LarougeNY said:
what happened to the fischer mspeed and the kteam?
anyway, based on my experiences, i would go with the radical.
heard good things about the tecnifibre though. Aerogel 300 is kinda light right? i would lean towards the 200, but then again we dont know how you play. maybe, to get accurate answers, you could tell us your playing style, skill level etc.
Click to expand...

Ugghhh, DARN YOU DUNLOP, the 16X19 Aerogel 200 which fits my ideal specs spot on, is coming to the US in like september. I need a racquet before then.DARN YOU DUNLOP!!!! I figure I could just put a leather grip on the AErogel 300 and get pretty much the same thing though.
 
superstition

superstition

Hall of Fame
Borat said:
Why all the hate for Volkls?
Click to expand...
I don't hate them, but I have yet to hit with one that I was really impressed with. I demoed a catapault frame, and it was somewhat fun, but difficult to control because of the spring. The trouble with demo racquets, though, is the cheap string in them. I don't play with so-called synthetic gut (it should be called mono-core nylon), and there's a reason for that. When compared to gut, which I do use, any racquet plays poorly. Also, Wilson Sensation string is junk.
 
Borat

Borat

Professional
It seems like a lot of ppl like Tecnifibre 320 16X19. Can anyone compare it to other racquets? How does it feel?
 
jdeloach

jdeloach

Hall of Fame
Borat, I have a M-Speed Pro #1 with a leather grip, and it feels great. If you are looking for one at a real good deal, let me know.
 
L

LarougeNY

Professional
is the aerogel 200 16x19 really coming out in september? wow, i need a racket before the season starts for school, and that was tied for my first choice (with the mspeed98 and the RDS002 <if its any good>). guess il have to settle for the mspeed, and i think you should try the mspeed light or lead up that kteam when it comes out (probably feb.).
 
Borat

Borat

Professional
Unless this recall is for real, my pro shop gets the K Teams on Jan. 20th. I need to get a racquet before my season also....
 
Borat

Borat

Professional
How can five ppl vote for the Aerogel 300 when less ppl than that have tried it on this forum?
 
W

WhiteSox05CA

Hall of Fame
LarougeNY said:
is the aerogel 200 16x19 really coming out in september? wow, i need a racket before the season starts for school, and that was tied for my first choice (with the mspeed98 and the RDS002 <if its any good>). guess il have to settle for the mspeed, and i think you should try the mspeed light or lead up that kteam when it comes out (probably feb.).
Click to expand...

That was my same situation. I wanted a racquet before february, maybe I could wait 'til March the latest. The Aerogel 200 fit's my needs, except for release date.

I really liked the M Speed too, I'm also looking into the RDX 500, maybe the Aerogel 300 now.
 
jdeloach

jdeloach

Hall of Fame
Duzza said:
Hey Jeff, just read your 5 line life story on your website. So what brings a company like TF to sponsor a man of your, how do I put this lightly, age?
Click to expand...

I am young at heart!! j/k I think the main reason is the fact that I teach many kids and teens tennis, and that means future Tecnifibre users. I use to be very, very good and am getting stronger in my play. But it really is mainly the fact the rep feels I can sell racquets (that's what it is always about) I have already had 3 of my kids buy Tecnifibre racquets since I started using them.
 
D

Deleted member 6835

Guest
Borat said:
How can five ppl vote for the Aerogel 300 when less ppl than that have tried it on this forum?
Click to expand...

if you're picky about votes like that, why is it in your poll? :confused: sorry im a bit confused now :)

Duzza said:
Hey Jeff, just read your 5 line life story on your website. So what brings a company like TF to sponsor a man of your, how do I put this lightly, age?
Click to expand...

whats his website? i'd like to read it :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Borat

Borat

Professional
So.... I've narrowed it down
-Aerogel 300
-Pure Storm
-TFight 320
-Fischer M-speed (outside chance)
whadya think? I dont know I would put leather grips and overgrips on the first two to bump up the weight. If anyone could chime in about the above frames (besides the M-Speed as I have tried it myself) on any of these subjects:
-Serves
-Topspin Potential
-Feel/Comfort
-Manueverability (mainly with the TFight, if you could compare it to another frame's manueverability.....)
- Is it tough to keep balls in or do you hit them deep a lot
- Volleys
Thanks
 
T

tennis_hand

Hall of Fame
For me, it is always Yonex and Wilson. Prince follows. I used to include Head, but their handle shape is too rectangular for my liking.
 
L

LarougeNY

Professional
borat, its not even funny how closely our situations match, except im coming from a pd+. our tryouts are starting early next month (pretty damn early) and i am desperately looking for a racket. I kinda get what you mean about the mspeed being a little heavy, i felt that at the end of my experience (but im planning on demoing it again) and right now i narrowed my list down to:
fischer mspeed 98 (maybe light, not sure)
Yonex RDX 500 MP
maybe n61 95 (felt much heavier than the given 12.3 ounces)
maybe RD Ti 80 (heard its really heavy though)
Aerogel 200 16x19 fits my needs exactly, cant wait that long though
maybe the fxp radical, dont like the feel of head too much though)
and possibly the same tecnifibre as you (probably not though, just cuz il never demo it)
my standards for getting a frame are as long as I play like i want to with it, not necessarily better but on the road to improvement.

keep me posted with the developments on your racquet choice, it might work for me too.
 
F

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I really expected to see the RDX-500 mp in your list after I saw your description; it looks like almost exactly what you're looking for. If you can get your hands on a demo (didn't see anything above that said you couldn't) I'd definately try one before rolling the dice on something else.

...no, I don't work for Yonex... Happy hunting.
 
W

WhiteSox05CA

Hall of Fame
LarougeNY said:
borat, its not even funny how closely our situations match, except im coming from a pd+. our tryouts are starting early next month (pretty damn early) and i am desperately looking for a racket. I kinda get what you mean about the mspeed being a little heavy, i felt that at the end of my experience (but im planning on demoing it again) and right now i narrowed my list down to:
fischer mspeed 98 (maybe light, not sure)
Yonex RDX 500 MP
maybe n61 95 (felt much heavier than the given 12.3 ounces)
maybe RD Ti 80 (heard its really heavy though)
Aerogel 200 16x19 fits my needs exactly, cant wait that long though
maybe the fxp radical, dont like the feel of head too much though)
and possibly the same tecnifibre as you (probably not though, just cuz il never demo it)
my standards for getting a frame are as long as I play like i want to with it, not necessarily better but on the road to improvement.

keep me posted with the developments on your racquet choice, it might work for me too.
Click to expand...

I'm looking at this same list and now I'm pretty inclined to try the Technifibre 320 16x20.

What about the Aerogel 300? That is pretty close to the Aerogel 200 16x19. It's a little lighter, but you could lead tape it, or use a leather grip of different weights to get it to ideally what you'd want.

fuzz nation said:
I really expected to see the RDX-500 mp in your list after I saw your description; it looks like almost exactly what you're looking for. If you can get your hands on a demo (didn't see anything above that said you couldn't) I'd definately try one before rolling the dice on something else.

...no, I don't work for Yonex... Happy hunting.
Click to expand...


I was in the same situation as Borat, and I just bought an RDX 500 MP.
 
L

LarougeNY

Professional
how does the RDX play? is it really a spin monster? and what racquet were you coming from b4 you bought the RDX?
 
Borat

Borat

Professional
He hasn't recieved his RDX in the mail yet, it is know to have very good spin potential but lacks pop on serves, a crappy OS that he doesn't like
 
tennisdude083

tennisdude083

Semi-Pro
Borat said:
So.... I've narrowed it down
-Aerogel 300
-Pure Storm
-TFight 320
-Fischer M-speed (outside chance)
whadya think? I dont know I would put leather grips and overgrips on the first two to bump up the weight. If anyone could chime in about the above frames (besides the M-Speed as I have tried it myself) on any of these subjects:
-Serves
-Topspin Potential
-Feel/Comfort
-Manueverability (mainly with the TFight, if you could compare it to another frame's manueverability.....)
- Is it tough to keep balls in or do you hit them deep a lot
- Volleys
Thanks
Click to expand...
the only one of those ive actually hit with is the aerogel 300 (although i have been dying to get my hands on a pure storm demo) and it was very nice. it had a nice solid feel on groundstrokes and a good amount of power. it could have been a little heavier, but i suppose lead tape would be the solution? i especiallly liked volleying with it, very solid and maneuverable.
 
T

topspin_17

Guest
Ahhh Borat, I don't think you should try the Pure Storm. I used to play with it; it killed my arm because of its stiffness. I think that an interesting frame would be the Aerogel or the Tecnifibre.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
Going lighter baby!
Replies
33
Views
3K
Alley Cat
A
The Dampener
Volkl midplus models (What's the diff?).
Replies
6
Views
878
billyboybeacon
billyboybeacon
TripleB
Volkl Tour 9 V-Engine?
Replies
6
Views
1K
drak
D
T
Anyone get to try the Yonex RDX 500 Mid yet?
Replies
0
Views
781
tkoets
T
beckham
(NEW) Dunlop Aerogel 300 vs. Volkl DNX 10 MP
Replies
4
Views
687
beckham
beckham
Top