Advice on "upgrade"

[prgault]

I am a terminal 3.5-4.0 and am currently playing a quad league 2-3 hours weekly.

I am 53 and have been using Head Liquidmetal Radicals (MP and OS) for many years. While I love these racquets for the most part, recently I have been struggling to generate power, especially on serves, and am looking to move to newer technology in hopes of adding some pop to my strokes. I have fairly solid old school ground strokes with a medium to slow swing speed and am most comfortable at the baseline

I would appreciate any thoughts on which newer racquets might be best suited as an upgrade from the Radicals.

Thanks,

P_

[esgee48]

Try the Instinct models. They play similar to the Radicals, but have more pop.

For something a little more extreme, try the Extreme series. Sorry, no pun was intended.

[Chotobaka]

If you are looking for pop in a Head racquet, you have to demo the YT IG Extreme Pro MP 2.0 (the newest one). In the time I spent with this racquet, it was a significant improvement over the YT IG Extreme Pro model it replaces.

[sunof tennis]

Originally Posted by prgault

I am a terminal 3.5-4.0 and am currently playing a quad league 2-3 hours weekly.

I am 53 and have been using Head Liquidmetal Radicals (MP and OS) for many years. While I love these racquets for the most part, recently I have been struggling to generate power, especially on serves, and am looking to move to newer technology in hopes of adding some pop to my strokes. I have fairly solid old school ground strokes with a medium to slow swing speed and am most comfortable at the baseline

I would appreciate any thoughts on which newer racquets might be best suited as an upgrade from the Radicals.

Thanks,

P_

What strings are you using? Because they are control racquets, you can use a more powerful string. Have you tried some lead for your radicals? They customize very well.

[prgault]

The OSs are strung with Gosen Polyon Comfort 17 @ 45#, an experiment in hopes of adding spin & power.

MPs are strung with Gosen OGSM 17 @ 52#.

I would appreciate suggestions re stringing. I have used lead in the past but while it did seem to help with depth, I didn't really like the feel.

Thanks,

P_

[jorel]

pure drive to give ur game a bump in power

with a nice poly if ur arm can take it

[jorel]

or stick with the same racquet and lower ur string tension and maybe try a poly
the latest and greatest right now seems to be the cyclone volkl string

[Hi I'm Ray]

Most of the tweeners have noticeably more power than the Radical MP. Never played a Rad OS though so not sure about the power level on that one. Want a ton of power on serve? PD, PDR, Vcore 100s, and Juice 100 have got more than most of the other tweeners. If you are worried about stiffness/harshness take a look at the V1's

[sunof tennis]

Originally Posted by prgault

The OSs are strung with Gosen Polyon Comfort 17 @ 45#, an experiment in hopes of adding spin & power.

MPs are strung with Gosen OGSM 17 @ 52#.

I would appreciate suggestions re stringing. I have used lead in the past but while it did seem to help with depth, I didn't really like the feel.

Thanks,

P_

I used gut in the mains and a soft poly in the crosses when I played with the MG Radical. If you want to stay with somthing soft like a radical but with more pop, you could try the Radical Pro. Its swingwieght is a little heavier though.

[LeeD]

I also was using LMRadMids around 5 years ago.
What I didn't like was the jarring top of the head shots.
Went to Mfil and Aero200's, which were much softer and easier, but too heavy for my weak and skinny body. My Aeros were around 340 SW.
Went to Aero500's, now that was a revelation. Pop and ease, quickness and everything good, softer than the demo 5T's.
But I play once a week, so tried a MGRadOS. That was much bigger sweetspot, softer impact, but a hair more sluggish than I like for fast doubles.
Now between Aero500 and MGOS.

[MikeHitsHard93]

Originally Posted by LeeD

I also was using LMRadMids around 5 years ago.
What I didn't like was the jarring top of the head shots.
Went to Mfil and Aero200's, which were much softer and easier, but too heavy for my weak and skinny body. My Aeros were around 340 SW.
Went to Aero500's, now that was a revelation. Pop and ease, quickness and everything good, softer than the demo 5T's.
But I play once a week, so tried a MGRadOS. That was much bigger sweetspot, softer impact, but a hair more sluggish than I like for fast doubles.
Now between Aero500 and MGOS.

Is your aerogel a 4D model? I've been looking at the 500T on sale for $65...tempting

[Francis27]

The Babolat Pure Drive 2012 line is really great on serves, power, and control. But it may be a little too stiff for some.

Always remember to demo rackets first before buying

[thecrusher956]

Try the instinct

[LeeD]

My 3 Aero500's are not the tours. When I tried the 500T, it was strung waaaaaaay too tight around 58, hurt my wrist and shoulders. Then I grabbed the regular 500 out of the bag, hit ONE ball, and knew it was about right for me, with string around 55.
So when I ordered my 500's, all were strung at 52, which now I think is a little tight.
With such stiff rackets, a softer stringjob is the only way my wrist and shoulders can handle.
SW of Tour500 is remarkably similar to my Mfill200's, so I needed to go easier swinging.
Tried 12 grams at 2-10 on one of my 500's. Not right for me.
Will try maybe 20 grams under the grip, which should weight it around 320, and keep SW close to 315 when I hold down at the buttcap.

[LeeD]

Since 500's are considered "powerful" rackets, I need to keep the SW down so I can swing out a most shots, instead of reigning in and choking up my swings.

[fuzz nation]

Originally Posted by prgault

The OSs are strung with Gosen Polyon Comfort 17 @ 45#, an experiment in hopes of adding spin & power.

MPs are strung with Gosen OGSM 17 @ 52#.

I would appreciate suggestions re stringing. I have used lead in the past but while it did seem to help with depth, I didn't really like the feel.

Thanks,

P_

I owned a pair of LM Radical MPs a while back and used them for about a year. Very exciting when I first got them because they were both lighter and softer than my old ProStaff 6.1 Classics. That made them seem super-cozy in the feel department and also nice and easy to whip around. Coming from my heavy, head-light 6.1's though, I soon put some lead on my Radicals to get them balanced more HL and also to stabilize their hoops a bit more.

Your experience with this frame has a ring of familiarity to it because I just couldn't get a lot of juice from my Radicals, which I strung with 17 ga. syn. gut at a few lbs. higher than yours. My serving motion is very well developed, but the Radicals couldn't seem to really drive my shots or make too much spin for me in general.

My current favorites (going on a few years) are my Volkl C10's, but these racquets have a bit of a unique personality. You may want to look into some of Volkl's other models, including the Organix 10's, or simply try a heavier option from Head like a Prestige MP. Since your strokes are more old-school, you may find that a frame with some manageable extra heft can deliver some better performance. If you swing more through the ball than across it like the more modern hitters, the weight of the racquet can thump the ball rather well without your needing to take a massive slash at it.

[Prodigy1234]

wrong thread

[LeeD]

Dunlop 400's, Pure Drives for easy power with slightly more shock to your arm and shoulder.

[mirceam]

try the yonex vcore xi 98. it has good control just like the radicals and it's a little more heavier offering more power.

[prgault]

Thanks for all of the advice. I sold my Radicals and since I had not decided on a new racket was forced to use my pair of Microgel 5's, an impulse buy (on sale) from a few years back. I know these are beginners, "Game Improvement" or "Tweener" rackets but they seem to be perfect for my strokes. After a short adjustment period I played better and with more confidence than I have in quite some time, so I am sticking with them and getting a Kindle Fire HD with the $$ from the rackets...

Thanks Again.

P_