Head Youtek Radical MP and tennis elbow?

myservenow · 10-18-2009, 09:02 AM

After suffering from terrible tennis/golfer's elbow this past summer, I had to stop using my Wilson K6.1 95s because they were so stiff. I pulled out my old Head Pro Trysis 280s which helped tremendously when strung in the mid 50s combined together with that racquet's low flex rating.

I have been looking at demo-ing the Head Youtek Radical MP and would like some input (either from experience or research) on how this stick impacts tennis elbow. From what I have found, the Radical MP has a fairly low flex rating, but I am not convinced it is a good racquet for tennis elbow from that alone. Seems this racquet's technology makes the racquet stiffen up with fast swings or remain flexible with slower swings.

Obviously, I just want to avoid tennis elbow and my Head Pro Trysis has helped with that regard. Maybe I should stick with what I have, but I have been looking at the newer racquets and wanted some advice on the Head Youtek Radical MP in terms of its effects on tennis elbow.

Thanks.

RedWeb · 10-18-2009, 06:05 PM

You'll find that the YOUTEK, as well as the prior generation Microgel, to be some of the most comfortable rackets you'll ever hit with. I'd be surprized if your arm/elbow issues aren't better. However, anyone can have a different experience and sometimes the problem is not the racket but the stroke.

ac3111 · 10-18-2009, 06:21 PM

May I ask how much time you were playing with the K 6.1 95's?

furyoku_tennis · 10-19-2009, 12:34 AM

definitely give the radical a demo. though its lighter than what you're used to a bit of lead fixes that up nicely. you might also want to consider the pro kennex redondo mp. its great especially if you have elbow issues.

CatLasagna · 10-19-2009, 05:06 AM

You should squeeze a tennis ball as often as you can everyday myservenow and increase forearm strength, then regardless of what racquet you play, no more tennis elbow. Although I had it bad, but it was just a thoracic out of place, but the squeezing and weights really helped. Also, if you're not wristing the ball, pushing the ball will definitely hurt your elbow over time. I'm weak as a twig but play with a K90 and have never had tennis elbow with it.

Power Player · 10-19-2009, 05:57 AM

The youtek is definiltey good on the arm. The Rad Pro may be better on the arm because it is heavier. The MP and OS were too light for me personally.

myservenow · 10-19-2009, 12:46 PM

Ok, so I picked up a Head Youtek Radical MP to demo. It feels really light compared to what I'm used to.

I know nothing about using lead tape. Can someone explain where and how much lead tape to use to properly configure this racquet for tennis elbow purposes?

tennismsands · 10-19-2009, 01:50 PM

I had recently had tennis elbow over the summer and then purchased a Ytk. Radical MP and no pain at all

javierjavier · 10-19-2009, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myservenow

Ok, so I picked up a Head Youtek Radical MP to demo. It feels really light compared to what I'm used to.

I know nothing about using lead tape. Can someone explain where and how much lead tape to use to properly configure this racquet for tennis elbow purposes?

what racket where you using before? i'd just try to match the weight of what you were using before. you should be able to find the listings on the web...

if it's a demo, i'd recommend just adding weight to the throat of the racket (add lead tape either on the inside or outside of the throat). if you don't have access to a scale i'd just do it by feel comparing the demo and your old racket. this will give you a good enough idea of how the racket will feel.

later you can toy with moving the weight around and adjusting the balance and sw to what works best for you.

oh i wanted to add that this is a very soft and arm friendly racket. if anything a little too soft...

quest01 · 10-19-2009, 05:24 PM

I was looking into this racquet, which one is better the youtek radical mp or pro? The only thing I dont like about the pro is the leather grip but I can easily replace that. According to the racquet power levels the radical pro has more power then the Babolat APDC.

Power Player · 10-20-2009, 04:39 AM

The Pro is better if you can handle the higher swingweight. It personally is not an issue due to it's static weight of 11.6oz. I love a high swingweight which is how I found the Pro in the first place.

It does not feel like it has more power then the APDC though..that's interesting. It may just be because it is so controllable. You can hit a real heavy ball with it, but you can also execute touch shots. The APDC gave me a lot of issues when it comes to touch shots.

JackB1 · 10-27-2009, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myservenow

Ok, so I picked up a Head Youtek Radical MP to demo. It feels really light compared to what I'm used to.

I know nothing about using lead tape. Can someone explain where and how much lead tape to use to properly configure this racquet for tennis elbow purposes?

I am curious to hear the answer of this question ^^^^ also.

Only thing I am sure of is NOT to add it to the tip (12 oclock) because that will make the racquet more head-heavy, which is bad for TE. I would guess that since this racquet is just 2 points headlight, you would want to add weight mostly to the handle to increase overall weight and make it more headlight?

furyoku_tennis · 10-27-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myservenow

Ok, so I picked up a Head Youtek Radical MP to demo. It feels really light compared to what I'm used to.

I know nothing about using lead tape. Can someone explain where and how much lead tape to use to properly configure this racquet for tennis elbow purposes?

you want to make the racket as heavy as possible while still being comfortable with it. as for the balance it is a matter of preference. the whole lead setup is a matter of preference. tennis elbow varies from person to person, so your need is different from others. it's probably a bit better to have the racket head light so that you don't push your wrist too much. i usually go between 6-8 pts headlight. technique can also cause tennis elbow so make sure you keep your technique in check. TW has a guide on customization so just take a look at it. it should tell you how much lead to add and where.

penang · 10-28-2009, 09:20 AM

I played with K 6.1 95 for 3 years and ncode prior to that. Played with LM Radical to Microgel if I need something lighter than Wilson 6.1

My tennis elbow cause from my grip and late ball contact point. After I switched to hit the ball in front of me, everything seem fine.
Another thing, using a softer string now like Wilson NXT 16 or Tour, a lbs lower at 58 on my Radical also help.

Power Player · 10-28-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackB1

I am curious to hear the answer of this question ^^^^ also.

Only thing I am sure of is NOT to add it to the tip (12 oclock) because that will make the racquet more head-heavy, which is bad for TE. I would guess that since this racquet is just 2 points headlight, you would want to add weight mostly to the handle to increase overall weight and make it more headlight?

Or keep the balance the same, since the current setup is probably not going to cause TE. It is nice and flexy and is arm friendly. Just lead the throat for the same balance.

I would be interested in seeing if somebody siliconed the grip to make it more headlight..just to see how the racquet reacts to it. I actually like the balance a lot, but tinkering can be fun.

10-18-2009, 09:02 AM	#1
myservenow Rookie Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 373	Head Youtek Radical MP and tennis elbow? After suffering from terrible tennis/golfer's elbow this past summer, I had to stop using my Wilson K6.1 95s because they were so stiff. I pulled out my old Head Pro Trysis 280s which helped tremendously when strung in the mid 50s combined together with that racquet's low flex rating. I have been looking at demo-ing the Head Youtek Radical MP and would like some input (either from experience or research) on how this stick impacts tennis elbow. From what I have found, the Radical MP has a fairly low flex rating, but I am not convinced it is a good racquet for tennis elbow from that alone. Seems this racquet's technology makes the racquet stiffen up with fast swings or remain flexible with slower swings. Obviously, I just want to avoid tennis elbow and my Head Pro Trysis has helped with that regard. Maybe I should stick with what I have, but I have been looking at the newer racquets and wanted some advice on the Head Youtek Radical MP in terms of its effects on tennis elbow. Thanks.

10-18-2009, 06:05 PM	#2
RedWeb Semi-Pro Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 716	You'll find that the YOUTEK, as well as the prior generation Microgel, to be some of the most comfortable rackets you'll ever hit with. I'd be surprized if your arm/elbow issues aren't better. However, anyone can have a different experience and sometimes the problem is not the racket but the stroke. __________________ "Chuck Norris wears RF monogrammed pajamas." "Stanislas Wawrinka was created from discarded Federer sweat bands."

10-18-2009, 06:21 PM	#3
ac3111 Professional Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Greece Posts: 1,013	May I ask how much time you were playing with the K 6.1 95's? __________________ "If you run, you'll only lose the game tired"

10-19-2009, 05:57 AM	#6
Power Player G.O.A.T. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: On my iPhone Posts: 13,541	The youtek is definiltey good on the arm. The Rad Pro may be better on the arm because it is heavier. The MP and OS were too light for me personally. __________________ 🐐ing

10-20-2009, 04:39 AM	#11
Power Player G.O.A.T. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: On my iPhone Posts: 13,541	The Pro is better if you can handle the higher swingweight. It personally is not an issue due to it's static weight of 11.6oz. I love a high swingweight which is how I found the Pro in the first place. It does not feel like it has more power then the APDC though..that's interesting. It may just be because it is so controllable. You can hit a real heavy ball with it, but you can also execute touch shots. The APDC gave me a lot of issues when it comes to touch shots. __________________ 🐐ing