| Head MicroGel Radical Tennis Racquet Review |
Andre has left the building.
But his HEAD Radical still plays on.
The king of Radical, Andre Agassi, may have retired from professional tennis, but his racquet of choice is still swinging.
And while Andre may no longer be on the tour, when he steps onto the court, he’s still a Radical guy.
The latest version of Andre’s racquet gets updated with HEAD’s new MicroGel Technology. There’s also a new look to the MicroGel Radical racquets - after all, it was Andre who said, "Image is Everything."
The updates are more than skin deep with the MicroGel Radical series. HEAD’s MicroGel Radicals feature a MicroGel construction that, when combined with carbon composite fibers in the racquet head, deform and compress upon ball impact, uniformly absorbing and distributing the impact load around the entire frame. HEAD states the result is a rock solid feel with improved comfort at impact.
As with the previous Liquidmetal Radical and Flexpoint Radical racquet lines, the MicroGel Radical comes in three versions. Andre’s preferred Oversize headsize is joined again by a Midplus headsize. The third version of the MicroGel Radical, called the Pro, sees the continuation of a heavier player’s spec Radical, with a 100 square-inch head and a more open 16/19 string pattern. While the heavier Radical in the Liquidmetal and Flexpoint lines was called the "Tour" version, HEAD has changed the name to "Pro" here - in keeping with its MicroGel Extreme racquets.
We handed the new MicroGel Radicals over to our test team for some extensive hitting. Read on for the results of our three-week playtest.
Midplus
Groundstrokes
Our team found lots of control hitting from the baseline with the MicroGel Radical Midplus. Finding heavy emphasis on control and comfort off the ground was Chris. "I found this to be a very control-oriented racquet from the baseline. The racquet felt very soft and forgiving. I liked the feel and felt well-connected to my shots. I found this to be the most comfortable Radical in recent memory, with a more dampened feel compared to the Liquidmetal and Flexpoint versions. Off both wings I could take big cuts at the ball without fear of over-hitting. Even with a lively multifilament string, I found a ton of control with this racquet. To get some added pop, I’d be looking to string this one at the low end of the recommended tension range." Also enjoying the controlled response of the racquet was Jason. "A very solid feeling racquet off the ground. I really enjoyed the control this racquet offered. Even with the tighter string pattern, I felt that the racquet generated a good amount of spin. Keeping the ball in play was not a problem, but at times I couldn’t get the ball as deep into the backcourt as I wanted. Control was great! When going for the big shots, I never felt the ball would fly. This MicroGel version of the Radical Midplus also offered great feel and feedback."
Finding a solid response from the racquet was Spencer. "A nice solid feel on groundstrokes. The tight string pattern offered nice control, though I had a little trouble finding depth on my shots. I also didn’t get as much spin as I would have liked." Granville found an appealing response from the MicroGel Radical. "The Microgel Radical Midplus felt good in my hand. I liked the balance and soft flex. It felt very maneuverable, with a solid response. It did not offer the ‘crisp’ response that I find with my regular racquet, unless I struck the ball perfectly. I found that I really needed to watch the ball very closely to find the sweetspot. Overall, though, I found this Radical very appealing." Enjoying the control, but left wanting for spin was Ryan K. "I was able to get a good amount of control with the Microgel Radical Midplus. It felt comfortable to hit with, but it took some time for me to be able to hit a fair amount of topspin with it. I was able to really place my shots, but I felt like I had to put too much effort into getting the topspin I wanted. It was hard to find the spin that I usually get with my racquet. I really didn’t feel much extra pop on this racquet, either."
Volleys
Our team enjoyed lots of feel and control with the MicroGel Radical Midplus at net. Finding some pinpoint accuracy on his touch volleys was Spencer. "I enjoyed the feel of this racquet at net. I liked it most with the more delicate touch volleys. I didn’t have as much confidence when trying to put volleys away, and felt any off-center shots were affected by a little instability." Also feeling well-connected to his volleys with the MicroGel Radical Midplus was Granville. "This one was perhaps the least forgiving racquet at net between the three iterations, but I liked the response best. I found some very precise action from the stringbed and good feel. I still need more time with this to make the most of what it has to offer."
Finding the racquet to be crisp and maneuverable at net was Ryan K. "Volleys were very crisp with this racquet. The Microgel Radical Midplus also had excellent maneuverability at net. The high level of comfort only improved the feel for me on volleys." Jason was getting the job done at net with the MicroGel Radical Midplus. "Maneuverable and solid. For the most part, getting the racquet to go where it needed to and getting the ball back over the net was not a problem. Volleying hard-hit shots is where I felt the racquet had some torsional stability problems. Overall though, this racquet can get the job done and get it done well at net." Finding lots of control at net was Chris "This racquet felt very soft and forgiving on volleys. Again, I had no issues with hitting long and lots of control to find the short angles. I was impressed by the comfort, and the racquet offered a very dampened feel. There was enough feedback for me to find my spots on touch shots, but I felt the response was much more dampened than buttery."
Serves
When stepping up to serve, our team found lots of control and consistency with the MicroGel Radical Midplus. Granville quickly dialed in his targeting on serves. "The Microgel Radical Midplus has a very precise feel when serving. I had the sense I could place the ball on a dime. The other side of that coin is the inherent lack of power with the racquet." Finding lots of control on serves was Ryan K. "I felt comfortable serving with the Microgel Radical Midplus, but it lacked extra pop. I had to supply my own power, but it felt really solid."
Jason found a controlled response when serving with the MicroGel Radical Midplus. "The control was good. I could get the ball in the direction I wanted it to go, but I felt a lack of power. It just seemed as if my serves were lacking some zip. Hitting 2nd serve slices was not a problem. I found the level of spin was more than adequate with this racquet." Finding plenty of bite from the stringbed of the racquet was Chris. "I was serving consistently with this racquet and had no trouble finding my targets. Pace was OK, but I was much more impressed with the spin and control. The racquet felt somewhat low-powered so I concentrated on placement and variety over pace. As from other areas of the court, I found plenty of bite from the stringbed. I felt confident going all out on second serves without fear of hitting long." A solid sense of directional control impressed Spencer on serve. "I would say the Microgel Radical Midplus is the least powerful of the Microgel Radicals. Direction and control were good, although I wasn’t getting the desired result when it came to spin."
Serve Returns
The comfortable and control oriented response continued to impress our team when returning. When it came to shot selection, Jason found lots of variety while returning serve. "Because this racquet is fairly stable and maneuverable, it opened up some options on returns. Against big first serves, blocking the ball back was easily done, and on second serves I could really take a nice full swing at the ball from either the forehand or backhand side." Ryan K was also taking a good cut at the ball with the MicroGel Radical Midplus. "On most of my returns I was able to rip my returns back with this racquet. Finding the sweetspot was very easy and effective, although adding a good amount of topspin took some time."
Finding a demanding response from the racquet when returning was Granville. "Good stroke production is critical to maximize returns with the Midplus. I was able to drive the ball effectively when prepared." Spencer found an easier time on return with the MicroGel Radical Midplus. "A pretty easy stick to return with. If I had one complaint with returning serve it would be lack of depth. It was more difficult to get returns back deep with any consistency."
Said Chris, "I really felt like I maximized the control and response of this racquet on returns. I was able to play aggressively with this stick and still be consistent. I wasn’t blowing returns past my opponents like I can with my regular stick, but my control and placement was strong. I especially liked the control on chip and slice returns. I was able to drop the ball low to the serve and volley player’s feet, then move in and finish them with a forehand - lots of fun."
Overall
We found lots of control with the MicroGel Radical Midplus from all areas of the court. The level of comfort at contact was also very impressive. Most racquets offering a high level of comfort sacrifice feel. There’s no loss of feel with the MicroGel Radical Midplus, and our team found this one a solid performer when it came to shot targeting and touch play. The traditional 18/20 Radical stringbed seemed to add to the sense of control, and our team felt confident with this stick during aggressive exchanges. Getting power from the racquet was up to the playtester and good stroke technique was required for heavy hitting. As with previous Radicals, we found excellent mobility and control, but with improved comfort and a softer feel. A solid hitting racquet, this one’s a solid update to the Radical line and well worth a demo.
