Aching wrist

[dyuen]

I just changed to the Head Microgel Radical Mid Plus, and it came with free 16 gauge babolat synthetic strings strung at 58 lbs. I've been hitting it for a few days and I find that the next morning, my wrist is sore. Just curious whether it's because the strings are too tight or is the racquet still new and rather stiff which adds to it. I also lack the feel and touch with this new setup and am thinking of changing my strings. Any recommendations on type of strings and tension? BTW, I play with a single handed backhand and am very flat hitter with lots of power in my shots.

Thanks!

[ms87]

your forearm is probably too tense on impact

[Orion]

I just changed to the Head Microgel Radical Mid Plus, and it came with free 16 gauge babolat synthetic strings strung at 58 lbs. I've been hitting it for a few days and I find that the next morning, my wrist is sore. Just curious whether it's because the strings are too tight or is the racquet still new and rather stiff which adds to it. I also lack the feel and touch with this new setup and am thinking of changing my strings. Any recommendations on type of strings and tension? BTW, I play with a single handed backhand and am very flat hitter with lots of power in my shots.

Thanks!

Dude I thought I was the ONLY one!!! I had the EXACT same problem with the MG Rad Pro. I tried different strings and even dropped tension to 48 and it destroyed my wrist. The pain was worse than tennis elbow. I have a two hand backhand and hit flat. One day I was really whacking my forehand and my wrist only got better when I shelved them and picked up a 15 yr old Donnay Pro One. I call them Chrstine. Never taking them out again. I have the YT Rad Pro but am afraid to string it if it's anything like the MG Rad Pro. I've hit my fair share of sticks the past 5 years and NOTHING has come close to the wrist pain I experienced with those frames. I leaded them in the head, buttcap and throat and same pain. I thought I had some type of wrist condition. I suspect it was tendonitis. ALl I know is that I bought 2 of the TW Pro One's and my wrist has not hurt since. Feels like I'm in rehab, I've been pain-free for about 2 weeks.

[charliefedererer]

I would think you'd want to try softer strings like a multifilament or natural gut. The problem is that if you are a flat, powerful hitter you are going to want to string these on the high end of the recommended tension for this frame, even though this will undue some of the benefit of the more pliable strings.
Is your Radical stiffer or heavier than your last frame? Have you been playing more than usual in the last few days?

[dyuen]

I play 3 times a week and have been consistently playing for the past 10 years. Before changing to this racquet, I was using the Ti Radical mid plus with 18 gauge crossfires...a little old fashioned but absolutely beautiful feel. I used those racquets for a good 4+ years but they are now running a little more flexible than usual (I suspect from all those years of wear and tear). During that time, absolutely no pain in my wrist whatsoever, and I was pounding the balls every session. Now with these new Radicals, after 3 sessions, my wrist hurts after every session.
Disappointed, yes. I now have to give my wrist a good rest before resuming (of which I'm not sure what to do with my current set up).:(

[fuzz nation]

Could be a half-dozen different things going on with your wrist considering that you've just switched frames.

The MG Radical is rather flexible, but it's obviously not identical to your old gear. Any change in weight or balance (or both) could be forcing you to use too active of a wrist to steer the racquet to the ball while your muscle memory changes to accommodate the different racquet. I've tried several demos over the years and the constant swapping usually meant that something in my arm or wrist would probably raise an objection the next day if I went too hard with an unfamiliar racquet.

You might be using too much wrist muscle or sustaining several mishits with the new frame and even with a softer racquet, those can add up and irritate something. Hit with your new racquet on the practice courts until you get used to the timing you need to swing it naturally. It's easy to strain things in a match when you're concentrating on the points more than your mechanics - I've been there.

I've also always preferred 17 over 16 gauge syn. gut, even in my softer frames. I find that the thinner stuff is typically softer with better bite, feel, and overall performance compared with thicker string. I do my own stringing though, so I don't mind if it's a little less durable. Overall, you might not have a good fit with this specific racquet, but I think it's necessary to take a couple of weeks to really adjust well to any new frame.

[Orion]

I went as high as 61lbs and still experienced the wrist pain. Admittedly I did not try gut but did a full NRG2 and it didn't help any.

[Guru]

Get a girlfriend.

[dyuen]

I do realize that the new MG Radical is more head heavy than my previous, not by much but noticable. I'm thinking of putting some lead on the butt to balance it off a little, plus use a higher gauge string at softer tension. Any advice if that's ok?