Yones RDS 001 (90 sq. inch)

Lleyton Hewitt's frame of choice in the noughties

I first got into the Yonex RDS range after watching David Nalbandien play his graceful spin oriented game with one.  However, after buying this RDS001 I realized I had in fact bought the smaller head version used by Aussie Lleyton Hewitt.  As it turns out I ended up preferring this frame much more than the midsize head version of Nalbandien (more on this racket in a future post).  In fact both frames feel very different - almost as if they are completely unrelated.  This frame has a lovely flex to it and can offer awesome spin potential, especially if strung with spin friendly string.  The sweet spot is quite small, as you might expect of a smaller headed stick so I never used this racket as much as I would have liked to.  It suits a player with a large swing and, as with any players' stick, your technique is what generates the power rather than the frame itself.  I also love the paint job - this being the 2008 design.  Much more comfortable to use than the mid-version which is really surprising too.

p.s this racquet is really too 'young' to be on this vintage site, but I like it so much I decided to add it anyway.