I am not playing with Head rackets too often. I did test playing with Head Speed MP a few months ago and I was really impressed. The chance to play with another Head racket had to be grasped. This time it was Head Graphene Touch Radical MP. Check my impressions and notes below.
Overall Rating
HEAD GRAPHENE TOUCH RADICAL MP | |
|---|---|
PROs | CONs |
Great control from baseline | Less power |
Serve precision | Less control on volleys |
Easy to swing | Not able to fully utilize the spin potential |
Arm friendly | |
What exactly did I test?
Let’s start with the technical specifications of the racket I played with.
Racket: Head Graphene Touch Radical MP
Weight: 295 grams/10.4 ounces (without strings) 313 grams/11.0 ounces (with strings)
Length: 27 inches/685 millimeters
Head Size: 98 square inches/630 square centimeters
String pattern: 16 mains/19 crosses
String tension: 53 lbs/24 kg
Unstrung balance: 320 mm/1 in HL
Embedded technologies:
Graphene Touch – using Graphene and added shock-absorption material to the frame construction provide faster vibration reduction after ball impact.
Notable players using Head with Graphene Touch technology:
Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Tomas Berdych
Design
Head rackets are unique in the tennis world in terms of design. Bold colors are a pleasant refreshment in usually grey and black tennis universe.
Head designers know how to get attention. Head Radical MP frame is painted in the orange and blue color mix and “Radical” is written in its own modern font.
Older and conservative players can be reserved, but young players would be thrilled with this eye-catching frame. You can count on many envious looks on tennis courts. This racket can be hardly overlooked.
Playing with Head Graphene Touch Radical MP Tennis Racket
Last time I played with Head racket, I was impressed. Head Speed MP really got under my skin with its power. Now, I was curious if Radical MP will be such a beast too.
Read the full list of our Tennis Racquet Reviews or Best Tennis Racket for Every Player Guide
Comfort – Feel
Head Graphene Touch Radical MP is a very light racket. It comes with 295 grams unstrung and belongs to the lighter rackets on the market. Such low weight is very arm friendly and makes you feel very comfortable during hits. The swing went very easy and the balance of the head helps to gain speed during the swing.
I did not need a long time to get accustomed to Head Radical MP. A few hits and I was able to get connected to the racket.
Control – Accuracy
The thing I appreciate the most on Head Radical MP was the ability to control the direction and depth of the shots. I was able to hit targets any time from any distance. There were no problems with long shots and my play from baseline was very reliable.
I was really surprised how good control I had on the serve. The ability to hit different spots during the serve was very encouraging.
The same can be said about backhands, my usual weak spot. With Head Radical I was able to deliver a solid defense from the backhand side. The racket helped me to keep control of the exchanges and did not let me get pushed. The ability to play long crosses from baseline to baseline really helped me a lot during the game.
What I need to improve is the play at the net. Volleys were too weak from me. I fought with the touch and the direction of volleys. The weight of the racket gives you enough time to be prepared for volleys, but I still needed to focus more to place the volleys correctly.
The other weak spot was the ability to spin. It is probably more about me than about the Head Radical MP. I really fought with spins and I did not have that touch or feeling how to utilize the spin potential of this racket.
Power – Strength
You can not expect miracles in terms of power when you play with under 300 grams racket. And that was also the case of the Head Radical MP. It required a lot of effort to generate enough power and offense during a play. The baseline shots were well controlled but not strong enough to beat the opponent. I really needed to be in a good position in right time to generate enough power to kill the exchange.
Surprisingly I did not miss the power on the serve. I was able to balance missing power with increased control on opening.
Summary
Head Graphene Touch Radical MP is a very good tennis racket for any intermediate player. It provides an above average control of the ball, a big comfort to your arm and increased control on the serve. The more advanced players will miss the power to generate offense, but for that, you need to go to heavier rackets (e.g. Head Speed MP). Overall, Head Radical MP is a good choice for intermediate players or players who needs to use lighter rackets. They will be rewarded with excellent control of the shots and easy swing at a very reasonable price.
Share this:
