Racquet Playtest Comparison:

About the play tester

About the racquets

Tester: TripleB of the Talk Tennis message board Playing Level: 4.5 Your regular racquet, string & tension: Babolat Pure Drive Roddick; Yonex Tour Super 850 Feel 16L string @ 59 pounds; 4 5/8 inch grip plus a Wilson Xtra Tack overgrip Tell us about your game: All court player; full western forehand grip; two-handed backhand; heavy topspin and slice from both sides; medium length strokes; fast swing speed. Racquets being tested: Head MicroGel Radical MP vs. Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team vs. Yonex RDS 002

Power

Head MicroGEL Radical MP: When going from my usual racquet (Pure Drive Roddick) to the Radical, the power level of the Radical seemed awfully low. Compared to the other two racquets in this playtest it was still on the low side, but not as low as it seemed when hitting with it and the Roddick side-by-side. Even though the power level was only slightly lower than the other two racquets in this playtest, I just didn't seem to have the ability to keep my opponent on the run or to put the ball away, even from a midcourt position. When serving I was able to obtain excellent racquet head speed due to the lightness of the racquet, but it just didn't translate into powerful serves like those I obtained with the RDS 002. Luckily the maneuverability and touch of the Radical made it possible to create winners at the net; if I had to rely only on power to put the ball away up there, it wasn't happening. Overall, there just wasn't enough power in this racquet for me to create out right winners or be successful with normal style of play.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: The power level of the K Factor was slightly above that found in the Radical but a couple notches below what the Yonex offered. A little more stiffness in the racquet's head would have been welcomed in order to boost the overall power level of the racquet. Winners from the midcourt weren't as easy to pull off with this racquet compared to the Yonex, but I had more confidence in taking a large rip from that area of the court than I had with the Radical. The power level on serves was adequate but placement with the K Factor is what made service winners possible. The lack of power when serving made it seem as though my opponents could catch up to any "bomb" I tried to send their way. There was some usable pop at net if you were able to keep a strong wrist. Keeping a firm wrist combined with placement helped to create several volleys that were unreachable by my opponent.

Yonex RDS 002: The power level of the RDS 002 was perfect for my game and for anyone else who loves ripping winners from the baseline and midcourt positions. It's power wasn't equal to that found with my Pure Drive Roddick, but the power was much more uniform throughout the racquet face—dead spots were almost non-existent in the RDS 002. With the lightness of the racquet and the power it offered, serving was a blast. I hit more service winners with the RDS 002 than with any racquet I've used (Roddick included) in the last 15 years. I had the ability to hit winners everywhere in the service box: out wide, up the T, into my opponent's body. Volleys were even more enjoyable than serving (hence the 93 rating for volleys), because the power of this racquet, combined with the maneuverability, allowed you put balls away with ease, even when playing against missile firing opponents.

Control

Head MicroGEL Radical MP: Control with the Radical was well above average. I'm not sure if it was the 18x20 string pattern or the MicroGel at work, but I was able to place the ball anywhere I wished. I thought having to swing so hard to get power might cause control problems (as it did with the Dunlop 300G), but I was surprised to find excellent control from the baseline and the net. Control on serves was spot on and I found myself having slightly better success with placement up the T as opposed to trying to serve out wide. I think part of that lack of success out wide might stem from my effort to try and get some extra mph to make up for the lack of power supplied by the racquet. The touch/feel of this racquet combined with the high maneuverability made the control at net impressive. Touch volleys, as well as volleys I had to pick off my shoelaces, were nothing short of amazing.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: Control with the KSix-One Team, although better than average, wasn't as good as I was expecting from a racquet with a 59 flex level and an 18x20 string pattern. When hitting flat groundstrokes, it just didn't seem like there was much dwell time when contact was made with the ball. With the Radical and RDS 002 it felt like the ball sank into the string bed but with the KSix-One it didn't seem like the ball stayed in contact with the strings for any amount of time at all. Using spin on groundstrokes seemed to be the only way to boost the control level with the KSix-One Team. Control on serves seemed better than on groundstrokes, but only when I used spin to guide the ball where I was aiming. If I didn't use spin on my serve it felt like I had to baby my serve into the service box. Volleys didn't offer the same type of control and feel as with the Radical, but with its slight boost in power level, putting the ball away with authority was quite a bit easier. Still, I preferred the Radical over the Wilson at net because of the control and feel it offered.

Yonex RDS 002: The control with the RDS 002 was better than either of the other two racquets in this playtest. With its 65 stiffness rating, the pinpoint control I was able to get with the RDS 002 was a little on the surprising side. With its light weight and 65 flex, I was expecting a bit harsher feel from the racquet but that wasn't the case. The RDS 002, even being only 10.9 ounces, seemed to retain that "Yonex" feel where the ball just seems to dwell on the string bed forever. It's almost as if I was catching the ball with the racquet and then deciding where I wanted my shot to land before finishing my swing. With it's maneuverability and solid feel, all shots were easy to hit and even easier to disguise. Control on serves and volleys were equal to that found on groundstrokes—just pick your spot and swing. The exceptional control on groundies made every shot you could imagine easy when returning serve.

Maneuverability

Head MicroGEL Radical MP: As the 11.0 ounce weight and 315 swing weight would suggest, maneuverability with the Radical was no problem. Quick adjustments, whether at the baseline disguising groundstrokes or at the net when quick racquet speed was needed, were easy to pull off. The only time I really felt any slowness in the racquet was on big serves to my forehand (my weaker side). If pulled out wide, the fact that the racquet is only 2 points headlight seemed to show itself. Overall though, this racquet is as maneuverable as any of the racquets with which I typically play.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: Due to the fact that the KSix-One Team had an even balance, maneuverability of the Wilson was not one of its strong suits. While the other two racquets seemed to feel like their indicated weight while on the court, the Wilson seemed to play more like an 11.5 ounce racquet. Even though it's only 10.9 ounces, I still had problems hitting topspin forehand returns against powerful serves. Unlike the other two racquets, if I was late getting into position or getting my swing started, I was never able to catch up to the ball. It's not a "slow" racquet, but compared to the other two it just didn't seem very quick around the court. I was dreadfully late when stretched wide on the deuce side and never seemed to be able to pull the ball back into the court.

Yonex RDS 002: "Lightning Fast" is the only way to describe the maneuverability of the RDS 002. Quick adjustments with groundstrokes were a joy. Being able to hold my shot until the last millisecond and then using the power the racquet offered to hit clean winners was one of the tactics I used to win several matches with this racquet. With its quickness, I also loved coming to the net because I knew with its feather light feel, solid power, and stability, I could get to and handle any volley thrown my way. The combination of the racquet head speed I was able to create on serves and its open string pattern gave astonishing results when serving. This racquet gave me the ability to hit the high kicker or the powerful bombs. With service returns I seldom found myself being late because this racquet was just so easy to get into position.

Stability

Head MicroGEL Radical MP The stability of the Head was above average but didn't come close to what the Yonex offered. The sweetspot felt small; therefore, anything outside that area created twisting of the racquet head. The ride felt more stable than the Wilson and this really seemed to show itself at the net were the Radical seemed very solid. At times however, groundstrokes seemed unpredictable; depending on where you made contact on the racquet face, you could get a dart of a return or else the ball would flutter over the net because of the lack of stability. I gave the Head a 78 on stability because I felt if it were strung at the lower end of the suggested tension level, stability (as well as comfort) would increase.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: The stability of the KSix-One Team was the worst in this playtest, which was surprising to me since it offered the highest swing weight. I thought with the 325 swing weight, the KSix-One Team would feel solid on groundstrokes as well as at the net. However, the sweetspot of this Wilson seemed quite small compared to the other two racquets in the playtest. I realize that it does have the smallest head size but the sweetspot was nowhere near the size offered by the other two racquets. The stability on groundstrokes was bearable but when up at net against heavy hitters, directing your volleys to the intended target was very difficult because of how much the racquet got pushed around. Luckily there was some pop found in this racquet at the net so I was still able to put some balls away. The only way I can describe my service returns against bombers was shaky. I found myself saying "sorry" to my doubles partner over and over again because of the sitters I was giving our opponents in doubles due to the low stability level of this racquet.

Yonex RDS 002: This racquet was far and away the most stable of the three. Groundstrokes were exceptionally solid and I was amazed at the fact that I was getting this solid of feel from a 10.9-ounce racquet that is 6 points headlight. The only time this racquet tended to show its lightness was when I was stretched wide for groundstrokes and caught the ball near the top of the frame. At that point there was a slight wobble but this is not a major complaint. As you can tell from the 93 rating, volleys were rock solid and I was in awe of some of the volleys I made when stretched out. The RDS 002 offered an excellent combination of power, control, and stability at net. It reminded me a great deal of the Prince 03 White at net, with the 03 White having a slight edge in the area of stability. The RDS 002 was the only racquet in this playtest that I felt comfortable with blocking returns back because it was the only one of the three that offered enough stability and power to make those returns effective.

Comfort

Head MicroGEL Radical MP: The comfort of this racquet seemed to go hand in hand with its stability. With its seemingly small sweetspot, the comfort level didn't seem as great as it should have coming from a racquet with a 57 flex rating. The comfort level on groundstrokes reminded me of the feel I got when playtesting the Volkl Tour 9 V-Engine—solid if you found the sweetspot, but on the harsher side when moving out toward the frame. If you can continually find the sweetspot, this racquet will offer you a nice comfort level. If you're a lower end 4.5 like myself, I think you will be a little disappointed with the comfort level found in this Radical.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: As with the Radical, I believe the comfort level of this racquet goes hand in hand with its stability. This racquet just didn't offer much comfort at all. Whether banging out groundstrokes or hitting volleys, I just couldn't find the sweetspot often enough to say this racquet offers a comfortable ride. Even though the racquet was strung with Wilson NXT string, it felt as though it was strung on the tight side with a polyester string. The comfort level of this racquet almost seems identical to that found in the original Pure Drive but I preferred the Pure Drive because the boost in power made up for the lack of comfort.

Yonex RDS 002: I know I'm sounding like a broken record bragging about the Yonex in every category, but comfort is another one of the many highlights of the RDS 002. As with the Pure Storm I playtested several years ago, the sweetspot of this racquet seems as large as the racquet head itself. As with most racquets, balls hit on the very tip didn't feel all that great, but everywhere else on the racquet face was part of the sweetspot. The RDS 002 offered an amazingly soft ride but it never bordered on a "mushy" feel, where the ball sank into the string bed but never came out with the power you thought it should have. The ride was soft and the ball came off the racquet face exactly as expected every time. This is the only racquet in the playtest that I feel would offer a comfortable ride even strung with polyester.

Spin

Head MicroGEL Radical MP: The 18x20 string pattern on the Radical makes topspin difficult to come by unless you have an extreme western grip. The lack of topspin, something that is crucial to my game, made my groundstrokes seem like too much work for the enjoyment I was getting out the racquet. This lack of topspin led to the low scores I gave the Radical in the areas of groundstrokes, returns, and the overall score of the racquet. This racquet practically begged to hit flat groundstrokes, something I'm not accustomed to doing. Slice on groundstrokes wasn't as difficult as topspin but the ball tended to float a little too much and bounce too high. Even though I could really get some impressive racquet head speed on serves, the racquet didn't grip the ball enough to get much kick. The lack of spin potential from the Radical was my main complaint and the reason this racquet didn't receive higher marks all the way around.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: The KSix-One Team seemed to be the exact opposite of the Radical; it begged you to use topspin when playing with it. Although this racquet also had an 18x20 string pattern, both slice and topspin were excellent with this racquet and made it much more conducive to my style of play compared to the Radical. Being able to hit heavy topspin as well as slices that had some bite really boosted the numbers in most categories with this racquet. I was able to hit a driving topspin into the corner or a nice low slice down the line and come into the net behind it. I wasn't worried about having the ball sit up for my opponent (as was the case with the Radical). The KSix-One offered a good combination of power and spin on the serve making it much easier to get free points. I could use the spin it offered to kick the ball out wide or have the ball spin into my opponent's body.

Yonex RDS 002: Other than the Prince 03 White that I playtested last year, the RDS 002 offers the best combination of slice and topspin that I've ever found in a racquet. The ability to hit with so much spin (as well as with so many types of spin) offered many choices as to the type of shot I wanted to hit with my groundstrokes or service returns. I could hit the driving topspin or the slice that barely cleared the net. The topspin was extremely useful when playing against tougher doubles opponents. I had the ability to dip the ball at their feet or even hit topspin lobs for winners. The spin potential offered by this racquet, as well as the higher power level compared to the other two, made this racquet my favorite in the playtest by a large margin.

Overall Summary:

Head MicroGEL Radical MP: This racquet seems to lend itself to players who tend to hit mostly flat groundstrokes and can create their own power. For that type of player, this racquet offers a wonderful combination of control, maneuverability, and feel. Unfortunately I'm not that type of player, so this racquet was a bit of a let down.

Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team: Although this racquet didn't score as high as the Radical in several categories (6 to be exact), I much preferred this racquet to the Head. It truly felt like a lighter version of the Hyper ProStaff 6.1 that I used to own. The ability to create heavy spin just boosted my confidence when stepping onto the court holding this racquet.

Yonex RDS 002: If you can't tell from all my raving above, the RDS 002 was the best racquet in this threesome by far. It is just an incredible racquet in every category imaginable. I believe that this is as close to the "perfect" racquet as I have ever found in 35 years of playing tennis.

Power Yonex RDS 002 78 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 74 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 71	Control Yonex RDS 002 83 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 81 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 78	Maneuverability Head MicroGEL Radical MP 83 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 77 Yonex RDS 002 89	Stability Yonex RDS 002 84 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 78 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 73
Comfort Yonex RDS 002 83 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 76 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 73	Touch/Feel Yonex RDS 002 86 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 85 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 74	Groundstrokes Yonex RDS 002 83 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 79 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 73	Volleys Yonex RDS 002 93 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 81 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 79
Serves and Overheads Yonex RDS 002 84 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 83 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 76	Serve Returns Yonex RDS 002 83 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 78 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 72	Slice Yonex RDS 002 84 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 78 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 75	Topspin Yonex RDS 002 86 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 81 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 69
Overall Yonex RDS 002 87 Wilson K Factor KSix-One Team 78 Head MicroGEL Radical MP 75