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With Yonex’s technologies, the RDS 002 benefits from a 10% increase in sweet spot size due to its Isometric shape, 10% more aerodynamic feel through the Aero-box Vari-frame, better feel from the Shockless Grommet, and easier maneuverability and power due to the Control Shaft. The RDS 002 Tour is appropriate ofor intermediate to advanced players who have long swings. The Yonex RDS 002 Tour, with a 98 sq. in. head size, weighs 11.6 oz. unstrung. It is a spin-friendly and maneuverable tennis racquet for players looking for a stable and responsive control racquet.

Groundstrokes

The RDS 002 Tour offered precise control from the baseline. The headlight balance of the racquet made it quite maneuverable. The RDS 002 Tour gave me plenty of spin off my groundstrokes and nice control. My shots arched nicely over the net with plenty of top spin and would bite into the court off the slices. The racquet’s midplus headsize was quite forgiving on mishits, although I didn’t seem to get too many of those (thanks to the Isometric shape of the racquet, providing extra sweet spot size). The racquet benefitted my long swings and I was able to get a good depth on my shots. The open string pattern imparted more bite on the ball, allowing me to put more spin on my shots. I did find the heavier weight of the RDS 002 Tour a bit tiring on my arm after a couple hours of playing.

Volleys

When coming up to the net, I again noticed the racquet was very easy to pull back and give the ball a good proper punch. The RDS 002 Tour offers amazing feel along with its tremendous spin generation. My drop volleys were easily executed as were my drop shots from mid- court. Again, the maneuverability of the RDS 002 Tour was great, allowing me to react fast enough to volley hard-hit shots. Although my volleys didn’t generate a lot of power, they were consistent. The heavy weight provided a solid response, and the racquet remained stable throughout.

Serves

While serving with the RDS 002 Tour, I found I was able to hit my serves with plenty of spin. Whether it was a kick serve, slice serve, or any other type of spin serve, the racquet is truly excellent due to the 16×19 string pattern and thinner beam width. It is a very aerodynamic racquet allowing you to easily swing through your service motion and get the right spins. My slice serves slid away from my opponents making them tough to return. I normally hit flat serves, but I was not able to generate enough power with the RDS 002 Tour. However, the amount of control I was able to get off my serves was a good trade-off for the diminished power. The downside was getting used to the heavier weight and stiffer frame.

Serve Returns

The RDS 002 Tour, against moderately paced serves, can deliver a decent defensive return just by blocking the ball back. The midplus headsize offered a large enough sweet spot for me to deflect many serves back. When Iwanted to go on the offensive, the racquet was able to rip through the serves and place them deep. On the faster serves, I wasn’t able to get the racquet back far enough, but using a short and medium sized swing to return wasn’t bad. On the slower paced serves, I was able to place my shots where I wanted with a good amount of spin. My down-the-line returns were easily executed with a good spin and control.

Overall

Overall, I find the Yonex RDS 002 Tour to be well-suited for advanced players who want to generate spin through lengthier swings with a heavier and stiffer racquet frame. This racquet does not produce enough power on its own, so you really need to have a long backswing and be able to produce your own power to hit with the RDS 002 Tour. The RDS 002 Tour has excellent feel, control, and spin, but took some time to get used to. Volleys were crisp and solid with a good feel while the groundstrokes were precise and controlled. Overall, I suggest the RDS 002 Tour for advanced players looking for a heavy racquet frame with plenty of spin potential, maneueverabilty and a large sweet spot.

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