Yonex MP Tour-1 Racquet Review

One of the most common questions we hear from tennis players is "why did they stop making my favorite racquet"? We heard this a lot when Yonex discontinued the Super RD Tour racquets (90 & 95) in 1998. These racquets were used by a lot of professional and advanced recreational players and their absence created a void that Yonex has been unable to fill... until now.

After enduring 3 years of players and dealers requesting a "new" Super RD Tour Yonex has introduced the MP Tour-1 90 and 98. While similar to the Super RD Tours in design the MP Tour-1 racquets include some of Yonex's newer technology: The Muscle Power Grommet System, Ultimum Ti and a modified Triangular Cross Section. This combination of old and new technology has done more than just offer a substitute for the Super RD Tours. It's produced two of the highest scoring racquets in TW playtest history.

Yonex MP Tour-1 90

Groundstrokes

Despite its small head, our playtesters found the MP Tour-1 90 surprisingly user-friendly. Chad offers, "I enjoyed the solid power and control of this racquet. I was able to hit my groundies with consistent depth, spin and precision, which isn't usually the case. I also found the MP Tour-1 90 very maneuverable, which helped out on those shots close to my body. My only criticism: off-center shots resulted in significant reduction in power." Don adds, "I was surprised how much pop this racquet offered for being a 90 square-inch player's racquet. It still requires a full swing but delivers on demand. I was able to hit good loopy topspin shots or drive the ball flat with similar effectiveness. I did mis-hit more balls than usual but the penalty was less severe than with a lighter racquet. Maneuverable, yet solid, stable and comfortable." Granville continues, "one of my first impressions was how nicely the ball 'pockets' into the stringbed, offering extended dwell time and, thus, excellent control. There was enough power, but not too much, allowing me to really hit out without worrying about the ball sailing past the baseline. As a matter of fact, from the first playtest I wasn't thinking about the racquet any longer, I was thinking about the match - a sure sign that it suits my game."

Drew says, "the MP Tour-1 90 is solid and predictable for groundstrokes. Even though the 90 square-inch head is considered small I didn't feel like the sweetpsot was any smaller than most midplus racquets. My only minor complaint was not being able to hit my backhand slice quite as effectively as with the 98." Dan comments, "plays larger than its 90 square-inch head would suggest, although it's very much a player's racquet. It did hit a little stiffer than many other racquets of this type and headsize but still had a nice dampened feel. I was able to hit good spin; both topspin and slice bit well and had nice ball rotation. I've always found the Yonex head shape to somehow faciliate better spin control in comparison to rounder head shapes. Overall, a nice feeling racquet!"

Volleys

As anticipated, the MP Tour-1 90 doesn't provide much extra at net. However, accomplished volleyers will like the control and touch. Granville begins, "the MP Tour-1 90 is a solid performer all over the court and volleys are no exception. Balance is just right, offering good maneuverability and response. Side-to-side volleys were easy and I was able to get the racquet up quickly when chasing a lob. Power is adequate but a really decisive volley may require just a touch of additional weight (lead tape)." Dan says, "good form goes a long way on volleys. However, stability was impressive and I assume this is due to the mild Triangular Cross Section. I was able to get good stick on volleys with relatively compact strokes but found enough flex and feel to hit short, angled volleys or deft drop shots with equal ease and control." Chad adds, "not much changed for me between the baseline and net with this racquet, except for the touch shots. I could maintain good depth and power on volleys without having to work hard. However, I wasn't able to execute my touch shots as well as I wanted. This was likely due to the increased weight (compared to my racquet) and decreased head size. After a few more practice sessions I think this would improve, though. The racquet did provide great feel, particularly on my first volley (when serving & volleying), whether it was a high floater or at my feet." Don comments, "less was more with the MP Tour-1 90 at net. Volleys aren't my strong suit anyway, so I had to concentrate a little more on minimizing unnecessary movement and just block the ball back. I was impressed at the power level for such a small head, although I still mis-hit the ball more than normal. Touch and angle volleys were a natural."

Serves

When it comes to serving, sometimes smaller can be better. The MP Tour-1 90 opened a few eyes on the practice courts with its combination of power and control. Granville says, "what a pleasure! From the first outing I was hitting solid serves and winning lots of easy points as a result. Right away I could tell this racquet provided accurate targeting. Good power on flat serves and good movement on the slice and kickers. Serving is definitely a strong point of this racquet!" Don adds, "I was popping my serves and got a large percentage of first serves in. The bonus was being able to place the ball where I wanted and swinging as hard on my second serves without fear of the ball flying. I just converted power to spin and felt like I was on the ATP Tour!" Drew comments, "I could hit a wide variety of serves with the MP Tour-1 90. I actually felt I got more power from the 90 than the 98. The 90 feels a little stiffer, which could explain the extra bit of power." Dan continues, "I was surprised with the amount of slice and kick I could generate with this racquet. I had to crank up my swing to generate the big MPHs. However, the MP Tour-1 90 delivered a degree of spin control that really allowed me to move the ball around in the service box." Chad says, "I thought generating power with a heavier racquet would be tough, but this wasn't the case with the MP Tour-1 90. I didn't feel like I lost any power on serves. In fact, the added weight seemed to give me enough power to damage my opponent on the 'big banger'. I did feel control was reduced slightly on kick serves due to the smaller head, but that's just a matter of time and adjustment. Again, my arm got a little tired after serving awhile, which I attribute to the heavier weight (compared to my racquet)."

Returns

There's a yin and yang of returning serves with a heavier, control-oriented racquet and the MP Tour-1 was no exception. Granville offers, "this is one shot where the benefits of added weight comes through. If I got the racquet in the right position, moving in the correct 'plane', the racquets mass did much of the work on returns. It provides a stable platform, whether blocking the ball back or driving a return down the line." Dan says, "although you can use a better server's pace and take relatively short back-swings to produce good depth on returns, slower serves require a healthy backswing. Fortunately, unlike many racquets this size, the MP-1 90 has adequate spin potential to keep big swingers in check and help prevent over-hitting. Drew adds, "taking a full swing against most serves is almost a prerequisite. However, I enjoyed returning with the MP Tour-1 90 and hit some good returns during our playtest sessions." Don says, "aside from a few more mis-hit balls I returned well with this racquet. I found best results against big serves by just taking a short swing, or no backswing at all, and hitting through the ball. On second serves I could take a good swipe at the ball without worry of hitting long. In fact, I really needed to swing out in order to not offer my opponent a sitter that he could put away. I liked this though and considered, if only for a minute, the possibility of playing with this racquet..."

Summary

The MP Tour-1 90 is a worthy successor to the Super RD Tour 90. It is a little lighter and slightly stiffer than the RD Tour 90 which seems to make it more appealing to a larger cross section of players. Make no mistake, you'll need to provide your own gas to get this racquet to perform optimally. However, it provides good power and stability despite its small head. The MP Tour-1 is best suited for 4.5+ players with medium-fast to fast swings seeking control, comfort and just enough power.

Yonex MP Tour-1 98

The MP-1 98 with its larger, more forgiving head size and surprisingly maneuverable feel would appear to have an even broader appeal than its smaller sibling, the MP-1 90. After all, there are only so many players willing to use a racquet with a 90 square inch head, no matter how well it plays. That number is going to go down even more if there's a racquet available with a 98 square inch head that plays just as well. Let's see if our playtesters think the Tour MP-1 98 can steal sales from the MP Tour 90. As always, there was no shortage of opinions.

Groundstrokes

Stability and comfort were common themes when describing the MP-1 98. Granville begins, "I found it played very similar to its small twin, the MP Tour-1 90. Stable on groundstrokes and very comfortable. I had a little more string bed to enhance topspin and backspin, with good success. I found it a bit more flexible than its cousin, which will be a plus for some and a negative for others. I prefer a bit more stiffness in the top of the hoop than provided by the MP-1 98, but it was not overly flexible either. John offers, "from the very first stroke I was impressed with the comfort and stability of the MP Tour-1 98. It's ideally suited for my medium-fast stroke. As a result, I was able to take full swings, impart plenty of spin, and keep the ball in the court. The racquet felt lighter than its 12-ounce weight in motion, but one certainly benefits from the weight when making contact. The Triangular Cross Section is more than a marketing term. On both forehands and backhands the racquet felt extremely solid. The only time I noticed a bit of torque was when hitting balls towards the tip of the frame."

Dan comments, "having been a very satisfied past user of the SRD Tour 95, I was interested to see just how close Yonex came to the nicely dampened, somewhat soft feel that drew so many players in the past. I wasn't disappointed. Although the MP Tour-1 98 has a slightly thinner beam construction and a little less liveliness than the SRD Tour 95, I did find that unique dampened feel from the baseline. This racquet has enough power to be effective in the hands of moderate swing types but will excel with faster swinging players who like a heavier spin factor." Drew continues, "the MP Tour-1 98 is a solid groundstroking racquet; nothing flashy, just a solid feel, good control, adequate spin and a power level that allows me to take a full swing. Compared to the MP Tour-1 90, the 98 feels more flexible, especially higher in the hoop." Chad adds, "the MP-1 Tour 98 has a very similar feel in comparison to its smaller sized brother, yet the slightly higher power level gives you that little extra leverage from the baseline. But this racquet is certainly flexible enough to let you know when you hit off-center, particularly towards the top of the frame." Don says, "frankly, I liked the MP Tour-1 98 better than my old SRD Tour 95 when hitting them side-by-side. The SRD Tour felt sluggish, while the MP Tour-1 was nimble, yet still solid and comfortable, and it still offered that nice combination of spin control, adequate power and comfort."

Volleys

Predictably, the MP-1 Tour 98 provides a bit more punch at net than its 90 inch counterpart but still requires good form and a sense of touch to fully appreciate. Drew explains, "I found good control at the net but the power level limited my ability to 'stick' volleys. I felt more comfortable going for angle or touch volleys than trying to punch a volley past an opponent." Granville comments, "volleying with the MP-1 Tour 98 felt very soft and comfortable with good 'pop'. Not quite as crisp as its 90 inch counterpart, but all the elements are there for anyone looking for a 'friendly' player's racquet. The larger head does contribute to a bit more zip when volleying." Chad says, "the MP-1 Tour 98 definitely requires the player to do the work. If you're in position, with your hands and feet set, the payoff is a crisp, clean volley. My touch game rose a level with the 98 square-inch version due to the more open string pattern enabling me to impart more spin." Don offers, "a player's volleying racquet with a little extra. Good maneuverability for those machine gun volleys yet still enough substance to maintain stability and deliver zip for offensive volleys. The more flexible upper hoop allows for good touch and angle volleys."

John continues, "the head-light balance of the MP-1 Tour 98 makes for a very maneuverable weapon at net. When serving and volleying I was able to get the racquet in position to make the return volley. The 27-inch length made it easier to utilize the racquet head when balls were fired directly at me. Again though, I noticed some twisting when striking balls towards the tip of the racquet." Dan ends, "I've always enjoyed volleying with Yonex's Isometric shaped racquets. The MP Tour-1 98 is no exception. The elongated head shape is forgiving on off-center volleys and the Triangular Cross Section seems to set a base for the solid feeling the stringbed gives off. There's enough 'pop' here to send volleys deep with simple, compact volley form. However, there's also enough flex to control angled volleys and drop shots with little trouble. A well-rounded racquet at net."

Serves

Like the 90 square-inch version, serving with the MP-1 Tour 98 requires adequate racquet head speed for solid pace, but most of our playtesters found a racquet that was extremely receptive to spin control and slice. John begins, "I'm used to serving with a longer racquet but I had no problem adjusting my motion to accommodate the 27-inch length. Although not as powerful as my racquet of choice, I was impressed with the control I had when serving. I was able to move the ball around the service box with ease. As on groundstrokes, I was impressed with the amount of spin I was able to generate with the MP-1 Tour 98." Chad adds, "my serves had a lot of movement (spin) compared to the MP-1 Tour 90, probably due to the more open string pattern and larger head size. I was able to get nice kick and jump, creating a good number of surprise deliveries and unforced errors from my opponent." Dan comments, "I was able to pick up some of the power I found lacking with the MP Tour-1 90. The larger head supplied a higher degree of forgiveness and power potential while slice and kick remained at a very high level. Here again, the somewhat softer feel of the MP Tour-1 98 makes for a very comfortable hit, even at higher serve speeds."

Drew offers, "I could hit a wide variety of serves, but the racquet doesn't supply the power. To turn up the pace you've got use everything you've got. Control was adequate but if you're swinging hard to go for a big serve control suffers." Granville says, "this racquet provided good zip on my serves and I attribute that to the increased area of the stringbed. The string bed is very responsive and I can really feel the ball flying off the strings. This (98 sq in) is a good head size for someone looking for just a bit more power without having to go to a 110 oversize. Kickers and slice seemed to benefit from the larger head size. The ball has that little extra room to make contact and travel across the strings." Don comments, "I felt confident serving with the MP Tour-1 98. I could wind up and hit effective first serves with authority while still being able to generate abundant spin on second serves."

Returns

The MP-1 Tour 98 is powerful enough to produce good depth on returns with moderate swing speeds, but has enough flex to earn the respect of more advanced players. Granville comments, "I was able to place the ball well on defensive returns and if I guessed right or had the time was able to really drive through the ball to take the offensive." John continues, "I particularly enjoyed returning serves with the MP-1 Tour 98, especially when returning hard hit serves. On serves down the middle I found it an effective tool in hitting stab returns away or at the feet of my opponent. I was able to "block" certain returns with depth and surprising pace. When I had time to take a full stroke I was able to generate spin or flatten my stroke to hit with pace down the line." Drew had a somewhat different take, "you can - and must - be aggressive on returns. This is not a blockers racquet. I was taking as full a swing as the incoming serve allowed and hitting solid returns with decent pace, spin and placement. I enjoyed returning with both head sizes of the MP Tour." Dan says, "the MP Tour-1 98 is flexible enough to spank returns with a good degree of authority regardless of serve pace, but also maintains enough "feel" to slice returns back with extremely accurate placement."

Summary

The MP Tour-1 98 should find an even larger audience than the 90 square-inch version. It delivers similar power, control, spin and comfort. The slightly larger head does provide a greater margin of error, making it more user-friendly to "mere mortals". Best suited for 4.5+ players wanting a hefty, yet maneuverable racquet with a slightly dampened feel. Test-drive one yourself through our mail-order demo program.

Playtest racquets strung with Tecnifibre NRG2 17 gauge string at 60 pounds.

Review date: January, 2002. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

All content copyright 2002 Tennis Warehouse.