Time for a change?

vkartikv

Hall of Fame
... and make a prudent decision on what racquet to use. My friend told me the other day that I'd play a lot better if I stopped using a 'pro' racquet such as the 6.1. For once, I took it seriously and started looking around for lighter, more powerful options. These are the racquets I tried (none of them had polys):
Prince Diablo MP
Prince EXO Graphite 100
Yonex RDS 003
Dunlop AG 500 tour

Results:
Prince Diablo MP: I was dumbfounded by this thing. I tried prince frames ages ago and felt the grip shape was too round. I discovered that this is purely a mental block that can be overcome. This was my fav. frame of the lot. Lots of spin (all kinds) and very comfy. I'm not a fan of XL frames but the extra length was not tangible at all. I love the thin beam on serves since it cuts thru the air so much faster. I feel like an idiot discussing a frame that came out 4 yrs ago and has already seen 2-3 generations of change but such is life...Overall 9/10

Prince EXO 100: Fantastic baseline frame. Very comfy once again, and lots of power. I think it's the huge ports that allow for faster swings. Serves were just ok and volleys didn't have much pop. If I played a purely baseline oriented game, I would have one of these in my bag. Overall 8/10

Yonex RDS003: Once again, I was trying out a frame that has already been replaced with a new line. This was the stiffest of the lot and felt quite harsh on the arm (even in comparison to the 6.1). Volleys were crisp but serves really sucked. I couldn't maintain any stability on second serves which I attribute to the mental block of serving with a thick beam frame. This swung the lightest of all thus giving a lot of racquet headspeed and spin. To contradict Breakpoint, I must say that my 1HBH wasn't affected by the huge head. Overall 7/10

Dunlop AG 500 tour: This was the other surprise of the lot. On paper, very light and stiff, just like the PD, but played softer than the specs indicate. As was the case with the other frames, lots of access to spin but serves were sailing long - something that I just need to get used to over time. Volleys were awesome but I'd like to see how stable it is against heavy topspin hitters, given it's light weight. Overall 8/10

Bottomline: I'm not going to have a kneejerk reaction and sell my 6.1s but I am in the market for some diablo mps ;)
 
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