*** Long Live The Radicals ***
- Thread starter Doc Hollidae
- Start date
I need some dire help fellow radical users.. In highschool and through out college I used the i.radical mp it has been about 10 years... I played at the 4.5-5... And im trying to get back into tennis.
Trying to find a new racquet.... I've purchased 2 xt speed pros... This was too powerful and felt sluggish.
2 Prestige S's this racquet I thought would play a lot closer to the i rad... But something did not feel right... Didn't like it.
2x Pro staff 97S balls were flying. Regretted buying them.
2x Pro Staff 97 i wanted to like this racquet, i still want to like this racquet... But it's too damned powerful. My serves are great.
I've demoed the redondo 93, and technifibre 315 ltd 18... Redondo was tooooo low powered and very unforgiving. Technnifibre was meh.
I'm becoming overwhelmed with finding the right racquet.
How similar is the microgel radical that's for sale on TW? I haven't tried that yet... But the cosmetics. I don't like them and don't really want to try it..
Does anyone have i rads for sale? Im about to give up and go back to the i rads..
Trying to find a new racquet.... I've purchased 2 xt speed pros... This was too powerful and felt sluggish.
2 Prestige S's this racquet I thought would play a lot closer to the i rad... But something did not feel right... Didn't like it.
2x Pro staff 97S balls were flying. Regretted buying them.
2x Pro Staff 97 i wanted to like this racquet, i still want to like this racquet... But it's too damned powerful. My serves are great.
I've demoed the redondo 93, and technifibre 315 ltd 18... Redondo was tooooo low powered and very unforgiving. Technnifibre was meh.
I'm becoming overwhelmed with finding the right racquet.
How similar is the microgel radical that's for sale on TW? I haven't tried that yet... But the cosmetics. I don't like them and don't really want to try it..
Does anyone have i rads for sale? Im about to give up and go back to the i rads..
Nice to hear I helped convert you to Radicals. I have two LM's but they now have competition as I have just picked up an Angell TC97.
LM Rad or Ti Rad would be the next best thing. They come up on **** fairly regularly.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
What grip size?
From left to right: 1 bumblebee, 2 zebra's, 3 LMs, 1 Ti, all made in Austria. Don't say I need to weed my garden. Cameo from our stone pig.
Nice condition on the Ti Rad, better than the one I had. I threw a cap on one of my LM's and it plays great with a low tension poly at 18kgs mains/crosses. Also have some lead at 12 for extra power. I find the radical a little under powered in stock form.
4 3/8
Microgel is very low powered. Get an LM Rad - a bit of extra oomph, but still the wonderful old school radical.
GregSV
Semi-Pro
The Ti is about as good as new, paid 15 euro for it including a Head Tour bag and picked it up by bike. People over here don't know the value of what they have hidden in their cellar. I just hit a few rallies with my son, and it definitely needs some lead before I can make a judgment.
Having played with four Radicals now I think it's gonna be a tie between the Zebra and Bumblebee, the Zebra is so sweet and steady, the bumblebee too but a little bit stiffer and so powerful it;s amost frightening. But if you can control that power... All my rads are now 360 gr or a few grams lighter and 6-8 pt HL. 18 kilo is really low, you don't have any problems controlling your shots?
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I would like to try a Bumblebee or Zebra one day, seeing how much I like the other Radicals. As for the tension I don't find it an issue in the Radical being 18x20 and low powered in stock form. It gives the frame a bit of a power boost and I prefer the feel over tight poly. I have crept downwards from 23 kgs with full poly to 20 and now 18, Loving it. 20 was really nice too if you don't want to go too low.
djNEiGht
Legend
Add me to this group. I picked up a very good used i.Radical MP. It came strung with ProsPro poly and there was this weird vibration. I hit with it shortly after a match and put it away. I restrung with 1.25 Dunlop SG to get a feel of the racquet. I normally try to hit with all the racquets I've tried with SG to get the raw feel of the racquet and not let the string do any work for me. I liked it.
Also I normally like a headlight racquet 6 pts or more. This one seems like it is balanced at 4 and it played very nice for me. It has a bit more "pop" (yeah I said it, bring it) and is more forgiving than my i.Prestige MP. The lighter weight also helps on long days on the court.
There is another i.Radical in the FS section but is priced a bit too much for me ATM as well as I have to sell off some racquets before I buy another one.
Also I normally like a headlight racquet 6 pts or more. This one seems like it is balanced at 4 and it played very nice for me. It has a bit more "pop" (yeah I said it, bring it) and is more forgiving than my i.Prestige MP. The lighter weight also helps on long days on the court.
There is another i.Radical in the FS section but is priced a bit too much for me ATM as well as I have to sell off some racquets before I buy another one.
Such kind words! Thanks for enjoying it (unfortunate that I didn't but it's in good hands now!) I'm not sure how hard it would be to install the CAP grommet on that, nor which ones to use, so make sure to stock up.
I have the three IG midplus including the black LTD. But I would love to get my hands on a Bumblebee or Zebra one though.
GregSV
Semi-Pro
Do try them if you have the chance. The nice thing about these rackets is that while they share this classic muted feel they’re also very different. The LM is probably the most middle of the road, softer than the Bumblebee in spite of the flex rating (64 vs 61 or thereabout). I think someone compared it to a Volvo which is quite apt: it might be a bit boring but you always know where it will take you. The Bumblebee is more like Ferrari, so powerful, and takes more time to master. The Zebra is like a vip Rolls Royce, complete with luxury leather in which you hang back sipping your scotch or martini while the ball is hugging and kissing the strings goodbye, making it a long affair because he knows there’s a big chance he won't return.
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DJ-
Hall of Fame
Take your pick, any grommets from a a head 18x20 will just about fit, microgel radical mp grommets are your cheapest best option. If you want caps there are also options, look at my black i.radical in previous page. Head were very consistent with their head shape / grommets.
DJ-
Hall of Fame
Just take it to your stringer if you are not sure, microgel radical mp set consists of bumper (top part) side parts and throat piece. This is called a grommet set. When you order one from TW you will get the whole set.
DJ-
Hall of Fame
You will have a smooth replacement with those grommets, they fit in beautifully, they are soft and flimsy though so take your time
Lucky you, wish I had my own machine I have actually hit with a Bumble Bee before but the OS version. I think the Zebra would be th eone to try. I did have an opportunity to buy one a couple of months back but passed it up. Silly as the price was not too bad.
Ozellman
Rookie
Who says it 11 oz? My Radical Pros modified with leather grips as the only mod are 12 oz strung, 12.16 with og and dampener. Their swing weight is matched at 332. Very close to my Prestiges in specs actually. On the other hand that's what I got my Aero Pros to during the brief period that I played them. The Babs are clearly tweeners in most peoples minds I assume as they are 100sqin, stiff, big sweet spot etc. The Radicals have smaller head size, are less stiff, give more control and have thinner beam. But the Graphene (XT) generations have clearly moved the Radical line closer to tweener land IMO.
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Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Totally agree, modded Radical is usually 12 oz. But still use a Ti.Radical.
Ozellman
Rookie
Played my first outdoor/clay court league match yesterday. Have been experimenting with various frames lately ranging from PT57A via TGT293.1 to the most recent ones, the Wilson PS97. When practicing serve before the match I noticed that I had difficulties getting good action and pace when serving with the Pro Staffs so I pulled out the Radical I had in my bag. Got much better results and felt much more confident serving with the Radical so I brought two Radicals and to PS97s to the match. Started out with a Wilson frame and while I have been playing pretty well with the during practice the balls were sailing with that racquet and I got behind instantly. Trailing 4-5 and returning to stay in the set I decided to do something Radical so I switched. We had been playing for about 45 minutes until that point and then I won 9 games in a row in about 20 mins. My serves as well as the rest of my games just got so much more confident with the Radicals. Played the subsequent doubles match using the same frame and won that one too without much trouble. Serves, volleys, returns, overheads, everything worked really well and reminded me of why I got myself the Radicals about 6-7 months ago. Needless to say, they stay in my bag now and my other frames are off to the closet.
Tennisguy777
Professional
Hey guys, I've had the same LM radical MP since it came out. I've also been using the Dunlops mainly Aerogel 4D 300 tour. Lately both rackets aren't working for me, the radical isn't as forgiving as it was and the Dunlop just seems heavy and sluggish. I've decided to go with 2 microgel radical OS as it seemed the only racquet that made sense for me: around 11 oz, dense pattern, 3-5 pts headlight, more forgiving and swing weight around 315 which are my ideal specs. Seems head discontinued the Radical OS, cause everywhere I've looked I only see the microgel version available, which is 9 years old I believe? The Blade 104 was also my other choice but the price, and no #5 grip put me off. The OS radical is closer to 104 blade in size am I right in assuming this, as I remember the microgel radical mp I measured years ago was 95 sq. " exactly.
n8dawg6
Legend
those microgel o-sizes are reissues. and youre correct, its the only o-size rad that head still makes. couldnt tell you about head size. it's enough, for sure.
JohnBPittsburgh
Hall of Fame
Because everyone is different, you will get 10 different answers, and none of them would be correct They are all great frames, it just depends on what you personally like, and what final specs you want. They are all 18x20 tight pattern frames with low-ish flex. Add some lead tape, and have a ball!! (No matter which frame you pick). Are they all made in Austria? Take one of the Austrian ones, and the one that is in the best condition. The liquidmetal frame seems to be a very well liked racquet. I would have a hard time picking which one i like more at this point, my Liquidmetal or Ti Rad. They are cheap enough, that you could buy all 3 and join the racquetaholic thread (and they are frames that hold value, so you could easily sell them with not much of a loss depending on condition, you might even be able to make a few bucks)
They are all great frames, it just depends on what you personally like, and what final specs you want. They are all 18x20 tight pattern frames with low-ish flex. Add some lead tape, and have a ball!! (No matter which frame you pick). Are they all made in Austria? Take one of the Austrian ones, and the one that is in the best condition. The liquidmetal frame seems to be a very well liked racquet. I would have a hard time picking which one i like more at this point, my Liquidmetal or Ti Rad. They are cheap enough, that you could buy all 3 and join the racquetaholic thread (and they are frames that hold value, so you could easily sell them with not much of a loss depending on condition, you might even be able to make a few bucks)
D
Deleted member 23235
Guest
huge fan of liquidmetal (more pop than ti), but haven't tried intelligence though.
3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Good choice - the LM has more weight in the hoop stock and hits a bigger ball because of the higher SW. Also a little stiffer (not at all harsh) which aids power. All of them offer great control. Btw - all are perfect for modding.
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3loudboys
G.O.A.T.
Would also recommend a hybrid at low tension. Tried Alu Power in the mains and NXT in the crosses - found it expands the sweet spot which is a little smaller given the tight 18x20 and 95sq inch head. Very crisp but comfortable combo with above average durability. All this talk of the Liquidmetals is making seriously rethink my current racket choice.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've started playing tennis again after a few years off and am using the Ti Radical MP with a little lead at 7", babolat leather and 3g at 3 and 9. Love the racket, the only issue is i'm starting to get elbow pain again which i suffered with when i was playing before. I currently use a YPTP hybrid with syn guyt crosses at 53. I've ordered some gut to swap out to in the mains with a YPTP cross to see if that helps. My question is would the MG radical be a better option. I know it has a low flex rating but does it play any flexier than the Ti radical? Really don't want to look elsewhere if i can avoid it. Thanks!
JohnBPittsburgh
Hall of Fame
I would drop the tension a bit with your current setup. With gut, you can get away with it though. I would have the gut in the mains, at 53, with a poly cross lower, like 50 or even 48. 98inches and 18x20 you can drop tension significantly, and still have control. I would stick to the frame you have, and keep trying different tensions/strings. Sometimes, I will totally remove all weight, and start over (I had to do this 3 times for my microgel radical to make it perfect!!!!) But, in the end, it was worth it. No setup is worth risking an injury (no matter how awesome it plays!!!). Pay close attention to your body, and you will eventually find a way to make it work. Before I found what works for my Microgel radical, I could feel the pain in my elbow instantly (I had Kirschbaum Competition at too high of a tension, the balance was making me late, and mis-hit, and I had it capped, which made it even stiffer....it was disastrous!! I kept trying it for a couple days, hoping after some tension loss it would get better, but it didn't. Then I uncapped it, removed all weight, and started again. It is perfect now) I am working on a Ti Radical now as well....fun frame!! Good luck!!
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
Definitely NOT.
The MG is softer, especially the original issue.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
The original issue is nice, soft, and great feeling racket. Look for those (TGK231.1)!
The re-issue, still very nice, however, feels stiffer, like TGK231.2
MikeMechanic
Rookie
Except for the string pattern the LiquidMetal MP is the racket with the golden specs IMO
djNEiGht
Legend
very nice. I have one w CAP grommets on it and another on the way w standard. I'll check it out but will also be ready to slap on another set of CAP grommets if I don't like itPicked up a NOS i Radical. Had it strung up, now ready to rip the plastic off and play with this sweet thing tonight.
File 29-07-2016, 10 02 35 AM[/url] by Pleb, on Flickr[/IMG]
Pleb123
Semi-Pro
Post some pics with cap grommets.
I'm thinking leather grip and lead in the hoop at the moment.
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
They are identical. I was lucky to find a few NOS frames about a year ago but have sold them since then. Keep an eye for the TGK231.1 on e bay or string forum
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Nice! That one was made in Austria.Picked up a NOS i Radical. Had it strung up, now ready to rip the plastic off and play with this sweet thing tonight.
File 29-07-2016, 10 02 35 AM[/url] by Pleb, on Flickr[/IMG]
Pleb123
Semi-Pro
Love the black versions. I do not see them available outside the EU though. If you have a source that ships outside the EU can you PM me.I suspect I may have a preference.
I only have two Radicals and love them
Are these really radicals of years ago ? I thought radicals are more oval oblong like prestige... Also if these are mid plus, they were smaller heads like prestiges up until 5_6years ago....
dr325i
G.O.A.T.
PT113B (these twins) are identical mold to iRadical/TiRadical and LMRadical MP (no ridges). The layup is different and softer.
Just like the retail stocks, they are 95 sq in.