Head Graphene Radical Pro Racket Review

Price

€

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Upsides

Maneuverable
Feel
Balance of power and control
Stable

Downsides

Nothing to report!

Summary

Get ready for something radically different from Head! The new Graphene Radical Pro replaces the soft, plush feel that the Radical line has typically possessed with something crisper, livelier and more modern. The addition of Graphene technology aims to improve the maneuverability and rock solid feel of the the YOUTEK IG Radical Pro, and all our playtesters agreed that this Radical Pro is easier to swing yet is still ultra stable from all areas of the court. The perfect blend of power and control is almost there. Access to spin is easy, and although it's a little stiffer and crisper, there's still plenty of feel and responsiveness off the stringbed at contact. One of the players might have put it best: This could be the gem of the new Head racket line for 2014! Aggressive baseliners and all-court players who can handle some heft need to take note of the new Graphene Radical Pro.

Overall - Score: 86/100

Groundstrokes – Score 87/100

Our playtesters found the Graphene Radical Pro felt quite different than the version it replaces -- in a good way. There was an almost perfect balance of maneuverability and stability. Our team felt this racket is faster and more responsive and they were able to control the ball much better getting a lot of confidence off the ground. Thanks to its power, our players could put balls away and found ample spin without much of a loss in control.

Volleys – Score 86/100

The Graphene Radical Pro continued to impress our playtesters around the net, offering plenty of maneuverability and enough heft to stick volleys effectively. Thanks to its maneuverability our testers enjoyed playing at net because they felt connected to where their shots were going. Even though one of the players said he preferred the previous Radical’s softer feel on his shots, he still loved the stability of this stick.

Serve – Score 84/100

The love affair continued while serving, and the Graphene Radical Pro continued to offer easy access to racket head speed, power and spin, with plenty of control. Our team found enough mass to get good pace and also enough maneuverability to get a boost on spin serves. Although one of the testers still preferred the consistency of the Graphene Radical Pro, she still enjoyed the freedom of choosing where to hit.

Returns – Score 85/100

There was a nice blend of power and control from the Graphene Radical Pro, allowing our playtesters to return serve aggressively and confidently. They loved taking big cuts, which allowed them to start points aggressively, and the good amount of pop off the stringbed also helped to hit powerful returns. All in all, our team loved this Head’s stability and forgiveness.

Likes:

Chris - "A very easy-to-accelerate racquet, which made it easy to add spin, add pace or change the direction of play. I could also hold passing shots longer to disguise direction. I thought this was a huge improvement over the previous version because it offers way more control."

Troy - "Racquet-head speed came with ease. A nice crisp feel with good control, and spin was evident from all areas of the court."

Andy - "I eventually got completely dialed in from the baseline and always loved it at net. It's got good pop and spin potential, nice control and a responsive feel. It doesn't get pushed around at all by big hitters."

Michelle - "I was pleasantly surprised with this racquet -- I loved it! I can honestly say that I've never enjoyed the 'feel' of a Head racquet until now. This racquet just felt right in my hands on groundstrokes. I could hit volleys consistently well because of the stability of this racquet, and it was easy to access what I wanted when serving. Slices were consistently solid off both wings (even on my squash-slice forehand)!"

Dislikes:

Chris - "None really. I would likely add a little weight, but it would be minimal."

Troy - "The Graphene Radical Pro may take some getting used to for those Radical lovers who are looking for that low powered, plush-feel."

Andy - "It took me a little while to get used to how heavy it feels, and it's also a bit jarring outside the sweetspot. That doesn't happen too much, though, because the feel is so solid."

Michelle - "In all honesty, I'm a bit surprised to say that there was nothing I didn't like about this racquet! Besides the Speed Pro (which I don't love at the net), I've never really felt connected to any Head racquets, but I really enjoyed this one!"

Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:

Chris - "Way more control than the previous version without being far off the power level. While I can't serve quite as big with this one, a lot more of my serves found their target. It offers more power and stability than the Midplus version, yet isn't much harder to swing. This could very well be the gem of the Head lineup, as it is going to be tough to beat -- it really is that good."

Troy - "I found some similar aspects of the Graphene Speed Pro; this Radical possess a bit more access to spin without sacrificing much control. This racquet reminded me a lot of the old Babolat Pure Control racquets that had the stiffness RA in the upper 60s. Good control and pop, somewhat like the Dunlop F3.0 Tour."

Andy - "It's similar to the YOUTEK IG Radical Pro in weight and balance. However, it's noticeably stiffer and easier to swing. This isn't the same traditionally soft Radical from yesteryear, but the crisp, lively feel packs a big punch."

Michelle - "I guess the obvious comparison here would be to the previous model, the YOUTEK IG Radical Pro. However, every time I've picked that racquet up I haven't enjoyed it and didn't end up using it for very long. A racquet I am more familiar with that I would compare the Graphene Radical Pro to would be the Babolat Pure Storm GT. They both have a stable, solid feel all around the court."

Playtester Profiles:

Chris: 5.0 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Troy: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a full Western Forehand and a two-handed backhand. Troy currently plays with a Wilson BLX Six.One 95.

Andy: Open level all court player with a semi-western forehand grip and a two handed backhand. Andy currently using a Wilson Blade 98 18x20.

Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick.

Review date: October 2013. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us: information.en@tenniswarehouse-europe.com.