The Yonex RDS 003

It’s time to check the mile marker on my tennis racquet journey. When I last paused to ponder, I was considering a switch from my Yonex RDS 003 to either the Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 Tour or the ProKennex Black Ace 98. I’ve since put down the Black Ace. I still love it for baseline games, but for match play, it’s a bit much for me to wield for two or three sets.

The Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300 Tour is still getting a lot of play, though. I haven’t officially made a switch, but I love it and have been hitting with it most days. As a request from Talk Tennis, I took the Yonex RDiS 300 out for a spin. It’s remarkably similar to the RDS 003 in specs with the most noticeable change being length. The RDiS 300 is a standard length racquet, and the RDS 003 is 27.25 inches long.

I have to admit even though the racquets spec out so similarly, it took me a while to dial in the RDiS 300, and it didn’t have to do with the change in length. For me, the adjustment came down to feel. Otherwise, the characteristics were the same. I got great pop, outstanding maneuverability, and easy access to spin, etc., but when it came to feel, I was bewildered. Strung at two pounds above mid with a synthetic gut, the RDiS 300 felt much crisper than my RDS 003, which I string at 60 pounds for softer co-polys and 64 for multis or synthetic guts. I know the higher tension I use on the RDS 003 and the stiffness rating comparison tell another story (62 RA for the RDiS 300 vs 65 RA), but I enjoyed what I sensed as the slightly plusher feel of the RDS 003.

I decided to cut out the strings in the RDiS 300. This time I strung the synthetic gut at one pound below mid, which I felt was a total departure for me. I was stringing my RDS 003s at 64 pounds for some added control. With this new string setup, I enjoyed the feel of the RDiS 300 much more. There were some issues with control as expected, and I couldn’t just swing away with abandon. (What, am I expected to think on the court? Just kidding.) After finding the feel I was looking for, though, I was comfortable and the RDiS 300 felt like an old friend on the court. I don’t think I’ll be making the switch because I’m still very comfortable with the RDS 003, and, to be vain, I just like the cosmetic of the RDS 003 better. Perhaps when the 003s are out of stock, I’ll give the RDiS 300 another look. Until then, it’s still the RDS 003.

Happy Hitting!
Tiffani

Safin, along with having a reputation as one of the world’s most talented players, also possessed a penchant for smashing racquets. Earlier this year when TW’s Spencer interviewed Safin’s racquet customization and stringing team, Priority 1, P1’s Nate Ferguson confessed to us that they always packed extra racquets for Safin — just in case his current batch didn’t survive practice.

Safin hits a backhand in this 2005 adidas promotional image

Some people look upon racquet smashing as a terrible thing — a blight on an otherwise graceful sport. But I always held a certain respect for the way Safin tormented his racquets. The man from Moscow made breaking a racquet an art form.

Safin always played with his heart on his sleeve, and that was never more evident than when he turned his frustrations towards his racquet. Most players, myself included, will look like an idiot when breaking a racquet. For Safin, breaking a racquet was just part of what he did. Seeing Safin snap a racquet in two was as common as seeing a player stop to tie his shoe. Most impressively, those outbursts never seemed to be too detrimental to his play.

So, as Safin moves into retirement, the racquet population can breathe easy. The great racquet crusher from Russia is gone.

Yep, racquets are safe once more, until the next prolific breaker comes along. Now, who will that be?

Cheers,
Chris.

So, when some sets of Becker Hero natural gut came into the office for testing, I quickly grabbed a set to try out.

Because of a busy schedule, I did not get to install the string. Instead, I had one of our MRTs and fellow playtester, Sean, install the string. He reported no issues with an easy install.

On the court, like most natural guts, Hero offers exceptional ball pocketing. I could really feel the ball sink into the stringbed from the first hit. I was very pleased with the grip I was getting on the ball. That grip translated into some decent spin and a confidence-inspiring level of control.

What impressed me most about this string was the level of power I was finding on my shots. Hero feels pretty crisp, and I was finding a clean yet crisp feel with lots of pace off the stringbed. Everything from serves to big groundies was zinging away with excellent pace and depth. I felt connected enough to stay on the gas without a huge fear of over-hitting, and while I never felt as safe swinging away as I would with a low-powered poly, I was able to play aggressively.

One thing that really stood out was that in the racquet, the Hero looked thinner than its listed 16L gauge. It looked more like a 17L to me, which may explain some of its bite and power.

I quickly noted the one downside was going to be durability. I saw a fair bit of fraying on my first hit and had to sop midway through that hit and trim an errant strand from fraying any further. While I don’t hit with as much pace and spin as I did back in college, I still take a decent cut at the ball, and this seemed to have me taxing the durability of the string.

Hero settled in nicely, and I really liked the playability. The comfort was outstanding, but durability would be a concern for me — especially considering the price of natural gut. All in all, I came away impressed by the crispness, power and comfort. For me, this might make a great hybrid option as a cross string to go with something like Volkl Cyclone.

Cheers,

Chris.

My body could no longer take the punishment; I had to get out before I really got hurt. It’s not because I didn’t love my old racquet, I did, and still do, but my body just couldn’t take the physical abuse. Who can I blame but myself? Like how women seemingly always fall for the wrong guy, I fell for the wrong racquet, the wrong strings. I like stiff racquets strung with polyester strings at 2 pounds above mid tension. I’m no Wolfgang Puck, but I think I found the perfect recipe for Tendinitis Soup. It was time for a change.

Among the many perks of working at Tennis Warehouse is receiving early samples of upcoming racquets. In this case, I got to try out the new Volkl Power Bridge 9 before its official release. I’ve never been much of a Volkl guy, but I knew they are known for making arm-friendly racquets. A little comfort was exactly what I needed. Looking at the vitals, I liked what I saw: a bigger head size (98 sq inch), about 11.5 oz strung and 5 points head light. Not to mention the awesome paint job. This racquet was a looker!

The real test would be the all-important first hit. I strung it up with a soft co-polyester string and headed down to our indoor court. It took some getting used to, but I was very impressed. It was nice having a larger, more forgiving headsize (coming off a 93 sq. in). My groundstrokes felt great, and there was definitely more pace and spin on my shots. For the most part, the control I was used to with a more head light racquet was still there. Although with my old stick, I felt more accurate hitting down the line shots. This certainly seemed like a suitable replacement for my K Blade Tour.

In the following weeks, I tested it out on serves, volleys, etc. And I can definitively say it was impressive from all areas of the court. What really sold me, though, was the lack of pain in my shoulder and elbow. That’s what I was really worried about, but my worries were put to rest.

A miracle racquet? Not quite. It was a combination of many factors: a larger headsize, a thicker beam, drop in stiffness, and to top it off, Volkl has their Sensor Handle System in every racquet. A perfect racquet? Close. Adding half an ounce and making it a bit more head light would’ve taken this racquet from a 9 to a 9.5 for me.

After weeks and weeks of searching, I think I can finally settle down. I’m making room in my bag and the Volkl Power Bridge 9 is moving in. Much like Kana’s newfound love of the Yonex RQiS 1 Tour Light, I hope this relationship lasts. As much I love them, I’m done with the stiff, thin-beamed racquets………………..for now.

Have any of you given your abusive racquets the cold, frosty shoulder? I would love to hear them.

Jason, TW

To further alienate me from the bevels, I’ve long been a fan of overgrips. Generally I liked the feel of them better. I often found replacement grips to get too slick during play. My go-to overgrips have been Wilson Pro Overgrip and Yonex Super Grap. I wrapped them over whatever synthetic grip happened to be on the handle. I had no idea what I was missing.

For me, the light went off when I was playtesting the Wilson KBlade Tour. This racquet comes equipped with a leather grip. Purists might rebuff me for this, but I just can’t get used to playing with a leather grip alone. The grip gets too slick, and I feel like the leather aggravates my callouses. A leather grip with an overgrip? That’s another story entirely. For me, it’s a wonderful mix of feel. I can feel the contours but get a softer, drier grip. However, I don’t always want the added weight of a leather grip.

Here’s where the new generation of synthetic replacement grips comes in handy. The Dunlop Hydramax Pro, Prince ResiPro and Babolat Skin Feel are providing me with nice bevel feel. Another added bonus for me: the grip size feels smaller. I can comfortably play with most 4 3/8 grip size racquets now, and if I choose a 4 1/4 grip, which is my preference, when I add the overgrip, it doesn’t add too much bulk or remove all bevel feel. Ah, I love it when tennis just keeps getting better.

Happy Hitting!
Tiffani

When stringing Hyperion it felt fairly similar to the Poly Plasma, with a slightly firmer feel. It was relatively easy to string compared to others polys on the market, as it did not tangle much nor was it extremely stiff.

The first impression I had of Hyperion was it made for a lively stringbed and a crisp feel. With this string, the ball explodes off the stringbed, which was a nice surprise as co-polys tend to have more of a dead feel to them. There was also excellent control and the tension was maintained nicely throughout the string life.

The main characteristics that stood out to me while hitting with Hyperion was the crispness and liveliness of the stringbed and the great control I had on all my shots. It was extremely comfortable to hit. I could really feel the ball grab the strings, then be released off the stringbed nicely. Even with the lively feel, I did not lose control, as would normally be the case. I was able to place the ball extremely well, and not lose accuracy, which is what typically happens when I find such a lively feel.

I was not able to generate as much power and pop as I would normally with my regular hybrid string job of Luxilon ALU Power mains with Wilson NXT crosses, nor was I able to generate as much spin. The string still maintained a nice amount of control. However, I like to feel that I have the ability to crack a mid-court ball and put it away, or be able to generate ample spin on a defensive ball so I can take a full swing and still bring it back into the court and I lost a little of both with Hyperion.

Overall, I had a nice experience hitting with Hyperion 17. Though the life span was short (I broke it on my third day of hitting), it was a really nice feeling co-poly string. Signum places this string in its performance group of strings, and with its playability, tension maintenance, and control, Hyperion has a lot to offer.

However, I do my best to limit those occasions, which means good socks hold a spot very close to my heart.

The importance of socks hit me at a young age. You see, as a youngster I once threatened to run away from home. My bluff was called when I reached the front door of our house, and after running to my mom for a hug, she looked in my bag to see what I had packed. Along with a few other random items, I had packed every pair of socks I owned.

So it seems from an early age I’ve been of the opinion, if you’re wearing the right socks for the job, you’ll be all right.

Take tennis for instance. I pay very close attention to my socks when I play. I wear crew socks almost exclusively. Yes, this means I have great tan lines just above my ankles, but for me that’s not the main attraction. Rather, I just love the fit and feel of a good pair of crew socks. My ankles feel naked without them. I also often wear lace-up ankle supports when I play, so having crew socks helps prevent any rubbing around my ankles.

When heading out to play or practice, rarely is one pair of socks enough. Some folks double bag their groceries, I double bag my feet. That’s right, two pairs of socks do the job perfectly. The simple reason is that two pairs of socks provide better blister protection. The outer sock can slide against the inner sock, so there’s less rubbing for the skin to absorb.

Another plus for me is shoe fit. I have skinny feet, so wearing two pairs of socks helps me fill out the width of shoes a bit and gives me a more supportive ride. With two pairs of socks, my feet are less likely to slide around inside the shoes and that also helps me from getting blisters.

There are only two kinds of socks that I don’t double bag, Thorlo Level 3 and Eurosocks Slam Cool socks. Both offer the kind of protection around my heel and under my toes that I usually only get from two pairs of socks. The Eurosocks feature a thinner, more ventilated feel on the top of my foot making them more comfortable and breathable. That makes the Eurosocks my current favorites.

On big tennis days, socks are at the top of my priority list. Before a big match, I’m going to be digging through my sock drawer, looking for my favorite socks. After all, good tennis starts with good footwork, and good footwork comes from happy feet.

Keep your feet happy. Don’t underestimate the importance of good socks.

Cheers,
Chris.

Since college, I’ve been honeymooning and breaking up with a plethora of racquets, but have had the strongest relationship with the Yonex RQ iS 1 Tour Light to date.

My timeline of racquets:
Racquet / Weight (strung) / Balance / TW Stiffness Rating / Time Used

Wilson Classic 6.1 / 12.8 oz / 11 pts HL / 72 / HS-College

Wilson KBlade Tour / 11.9 oz / 8 pts HL / 65 / Jan-Feb ‘09

Head YOUTEK Speed 16×19 / 11.8 oz / 7.8 pts HL / 63 / April-May ‘09

Volkl Power Bridge 10 Light / 11 oz / 5 pts HL / 62 / June-July ‘09

Head YOUTEK Speed 18×20 / 11.8 oz / 7 pts HL / 65 / Aug-Sept ‘09

Yonex RQ iS 1 Tour Light / 11 oz / 6 pts HL / 61 / Sept-current

After a month of heavy hitting in August, it took a toll on my right shoulder. Every time I hit, it felt what I could only describe as someone jabbing an ice pick into my front shoulder tendon and a ripping of muscles from my scapula. Icing and China Gel would only numb this agony for less than an hour, but I realized this was the worst my shoulder had felt since college.

Tennis hadn’t been fun with the pain, so I decided to recharge my mind and body. I took a full week off and finally started to recover. I started to lightly hit twice a week, but could still feel some pain. I began to test other racquets to see if I could find a light enough racquet that still felt like a player’s stick with just enough stiffness to have the control that I liked.

Standing in our racquet room, I scanned the brands trying to determine what I should hit with that day. My fellow co-worker stepped in saying that the Yonex RQ iS Tour Light felt forgiving when he hit it, so I tried it out. From the first hit I fell hard for this racquet. My groundstrokes were consistently deep with more topspin than I usually produced, the thwack of my shots sounded amazing, and my angle forehand seemed untouchable! After the love at first hit, I strung it up with an extremely soft-multi I was testing at 57 lbs and knew in that session that this could be it. This might be a racquet that I could see myself having a future with. My shoulder pain has dwindled, not all the way, but to a point where I’m comfortable, and my confidence has boosted back up again.

As in every relationship, racquet or life, one must compliment the other and bring a positive energy. So far, the positive energy along with the compliments I have been receiving about my game has been because of this racquet. Of course, I have gone through my doubts that this could only be a fling, but so far it’s a fling I’ve been looking forward to every time I play.

Peace Sign,
Kana

Stringing with Cyberflash was relatively easy compared to other polyester strings. It is slightly softer and stretches slightly more than others, like Luxilon Big Banger for instance. The texture of it reminded me a lot of the Prince Tour string — another co-poly string with great value. I strung the Cyberflash at 56 lbs in my Prince TT Warrior MP, which is normal tension for me to string a full bed of polyester.

The first impression I had of the Topspin Cyberflash was a nice balance between having a crisp and a soft feel. The ball exploded off the string bed with nice velocity, and it was comfortably soft on the arm. There was a little less power than I would have preferred, but the added control from the string made up for it.

On the serve as well as off the ground the Cyberflash provided added control and had nice access to spin. The string bed also had an element of crispness to it due to a nice amount of ball pocketing from the strings. The string held the ball on the string bed for a nice duration of time; not too long where I feel there is a loss of control, but not too little where I could not feel the ball.

At net I felt a lot of control from the Cyberflash, and good feel from the ball pocketing. The string did not lend itself to much pop or power on the volleys, nor did it offer much spin potential when trying to really stick the volley with lots of under spin.

Durability was right on par with most other co-polyester strings. After hitting a couple hours a day with open level players, the string lasted me just under a week, which is about what I would normally get out of most polyesters. Throughout the week, there was great tension maintenance all the way through the life of the string, which is always a concern for polyesters.

When taking all elements into account, I enjoyed playing with the Cyberflash quite a bit. The crispness and control from the string felt really nice, along with the added softness from it being a co-poly. I would have liked a little more power and spin from the string bed, but all in all it had a very nice feel. The durability and tension maintenance was excellent from the string as well. And at $7.49 a set, the Topspin Cyberflash is an excellent string with great value!

A great new poly string being introduced to the market is the Volkl Cyclone string. It is a co-polymer polyester monofilament, designed to mimic the durability and control-oriented playability of a polyester while maintaining a bit more softness in order to provide more power and less stress on the arm. The Cyclone is also “gear-shaped” as opposed to the standard circular shape of the string, enabling it to provide more ball pocketing and added spin.

I strung up the Cyclone 16 gauge string in my Prince TT Warrior MP racquet at 56 lbs. I typically string my racquet in the high 50’s, but when stringing it up with a full bed of poly I drop the tension typically 2-3 lbs. As standard for a polyester string, it was a somewhat difficult task stringing it up. The added softness of the co-poly made it slightly easier to string than a standard poly, but the gear shape of the string also caused it to “burn” slightly as I pulled the crosses through when stringing.

The first impression I had when hitting with the Cyclone was the stiffness as well as the ball pocketing that I found. It had a really crisp, solid feel as I struck the ball, while still maintaining excellent control. Another characteristic that instantly stood out to me was the way the strings grabbed and pocketed the ball in the string bed at impact. While most polyester strings provide a dead and stiff feel off the string bed, with the Cyclone I could really feel the ball as it struck the strings, and upon release it had a tremendous amount of spin.

On groundstrokes and serves I was able to generate lots of power and spin, most likely due to the “gear shape” of the string and the added ball pocketing it felt like I was getting. Control was somewhat less than other polyesters, but the extra power and softer feel made the string more comfortable to play with than other polyesters.

At net Cyclone provided lots of bite to my volleys. I was able to really stick my volleys deep in the court, and was really impressed at how much I was able to feel the ball on the strings compared to other polyesters. My volleys also were knifing through the court with lots of underspin and bite.

Durability was slightly less than other polyesters that I have played with in the past. I am an open level player playing hard almost everyday, and the string broke in less than a week, which is longer than I get with my usual hybrid set up (2-3 days), but less than I would normally get out of a full bed of poly (1 ½-2 weeks). The string began to lose tension towards the end of its lifespan, about 5-6 days after stringing (fairly standard for a polyester).

All in all I really enjoyed playing with the Volkl Cyclone. I was impressed by the power and ball pocketing compared to other polyesters, as well as the slightly softer feel due to its co-polymer composition. In addition, at $5.95 a set the Cyclone is an excellent value string. In conclusion, I would highly recommend the Volkl Cyclone, and at $5.95 a set I would be hard pressed to find a better value for the money.