Radical vs. Speed vs. Instinct vs. Extreme?

johnchung907 · 11-09-2012, 06:02 AM

Does anybody notice a significant difference in all these racquets? I might get one... but can't choose.

johnchung907 · 11-09-2012, 06:04 AM

And prestige?

MikeHitsHard93 · 11-09-2012, 06:15 AM

They are all different, with the instinct and extreme being somewhat similar and the other three being similar to eachother

VeeSe · 11-09-2012, 05:21 PM

Describe your game/level of play. I think if you are a higher level player (good NTRP 4.0 or above) with very fast swings and good power production from your own play, you'll like the Prestige, Radical, or Speed. Also, it depends on what racquet you're used to playing with. What are the specs like on your current racquet and what are you looking to get in a new racquet? How heavy was your previous racquet? These things will all dictate which of these is best for you.

Francis27 · 11-09-2012, 05:38 PM

If you want a light powerful and spin-friendly racket and control choose the instinct (my racket of choice).

If you want low powered with nice control choose the speed

If you want a heavy powerful racket choose the radical

If you want EXTREME SPIN, good power and control choose the extreme

So coming to an end it all depends on your style of play

jonnyboi09 · 11-09-2012, 07:04 PM

In my opinion, you really can't go wrong with the Radical. It's easy to customize and plays wonderfully stock. There is no better deal than the Microgel Radical on TW for $89. I'm a 4.5 and play an aggressive baseline game and love everything about the Radical.

heninfan99 · 11-12-2012, 09:34 AM

If you're a 3.5 or lower I would recommend an older Instinct. It's a great tweener stick. I used to use it. If you're over the 3.5 level the newish Prestige Mid+ is one of the sweetest sticks I've ever hit with. The Prestige mid is great too but can be challenging to use. I'm not a fan of the Radical but whatever. The Speed felt floppy to me.

Of course the old Instinct can work for an advanced player too though you may want toe lead it up. My 2 cents.

Francis27 · 11-12-2012, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heninfan99

If you're a 3.5 or lower I would recommend an older Instinct. It's a great tweener stick. I used to use it. If you're over the 3.5 level the newish Prestige Mid+ is one of the sweetest sticks I've ever hit with. The Prestige mid is great too but can be challenging to use. I'm not a fan of the Radical but whatever. The Speed felt floppy to me.

Of course the old Instinct can work for an advanced player too though you may want toe lead it up. My 2 cents.

What do you mean by old instinct?

dje31 · 11-12-2012, 12:28 PM

Took out an IG Instinct MP for my wife to demo, and she hit really well with it. I tried it and was surprised / amazed how soft it felt at impact, considering its stiffness is fairly high. I was hesitant for her to try it because of the RDC, and has had joint issues lately...and she's used the C10 Pro for 8+ years now.

johnchung907 · 11-12-2012, 05:40 PM

Regarding the specs of my current racquet... BLX Prostaff Six One 90 (latest version). I would like a racquet that's a tad lighter but generates more power and doesn't sacrifice to much control. Regarding my level, I would say a 4.5.

etd · 11-12-2012, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Francis27

What do you mean by old instinct?

One of the gold color Instincts such as the Microgel or the original Youtek

MikeHitsHard93 · 11-12-2012, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by etd

One of the gold color Instincts such as the Microgel or the original Youtek

Why not the new one?

Francis27 · 11-13-2012, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeHitsHard93

Why not the new one?

i have the new one and its really good

Xizel · 11-13-2012, 03:40 PM

I have YT Speed 16x19 and it feels like a 2x4 board. Stay away. I do, however, recommend the Radical.

Stringers · 11-13-2012, 06:17 PM

Personally for me

Speed
Extreme
Instinct
Radical

The Speed and Extreme were both a please to hit with. I enjoyed the Instinct too. The Radical I'd just blegh for me.

srvnvly · 11-13-2012, 06:55 PM

New Speeds and Instincts in January 2013 - I'm more curious about the weight and swing weight of the new Instinct.

TennisJC · 11-27-2012, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srvnvly

New Speeds and Instincts in January 2013 - I'm more curious about the weight and swing weight of the new Instinct.

You guys might have already read this, as I did a big review back in the Spring for the IG line: http://www.tennis-bargains.com/2012/...-speed-vs.html

I liked the Speed and Radical the most...but ended up getting 2x YouTek Radical MP's after reading the forum reviews and couldn't resist that 40% off TW anniversary sale

The 2013 Graphene line is coming out very soon...I'm only demo'ing the Speed and Instinct models this weekend and hopefully will have more sneak peak video reviews (weather's suppose to be warmer in DC). I'll post them up so you can judge for yourself if you guys want to subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/user/JCTennisPro

ryydman · 11-27-2012, 11:17 PM

I had a Microgel Extreme for 6 months and never felt comfortable with it, I also found it very stiff unless strung with multis. It's not a bad stick, but not for me.

I now own a Youtek IG Instinct and a Youtek Instinct, quite different sticks even though the spacs are very similar, the 18x19 string pattern of the Youtek Gold Instinct feels radically different.

The Youtek IG is a great tweener with it's VERY open 16x19 string pattern, the Youtek is like a bridge between a tweener and a players stick...

Dberger820 · 11-28-2012, 10:26 AM

As a big fan of Head racquets I recently tried all the lines to see if anything felt better to me than my MG Radical MP I was using. After reading the fantastic review of the Extreme 2.0 on TW I was very excited to try it. I only hit with it for about 20 minutes because I couldn't stand the feel from the new grommets. The previous model hit much more solid in my opinion. I then played with the Instinct which felt similar to my Radical just with a lot more power. I take huge cuts at the ball and I had most flying long. I then tested both the 18x20 Speed and the Speed 300. The Speed 18x20 felt very cumbersome to me but I loved the 300. I ended up buying one. I played with it for about a month until i started having elbow pains. I picked up the IG Radical Pro and really enjoy it as it is now my current stick of choice. It has the added weight to push the ball deep in the court and the flex that took away my elbow pain. Still playing around with my string setup but I like the play of the stick.

Anyways, this is my experience with these Head lines and I hope it helps. Prestige I tried once and it was simply too heavy for me so I haven't tried it since. Maybe down the road when my strokes can accommodate the added mass ill give it another go. Good luck!

2ManyAces · 11-28-2012, 02:09 PM

radical = soft
speed = little bit stiffer, I liked it the most
instinct = egg-shaped head, soft
extreme = soft

11-09-2012, 06:02 AM	#1
johnchung907 New User Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 60	Radical vs. Speed vs. Instinct vs. Extreme? Does anybody notice a significant difference in all these racquets? I might get one... but can't choose.

11-09-2012, 06:15 AM	#3
MikeHitsHard93 Hall Of Fame Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,828	They are all different, with the instinct and extreme being somewhat similar and the other three being similar to eachother __________________ ~Wilson BLX Pro Open~

11-09-2012, 05:38 PM	#5
Francis27 Semi-Pro Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Canada Ontario Posts: 536	If you want a light powerful and spin-friendly racket and control choose the instinct (my racket of choice). If you want low powered with nice control choose the speed If you want a heavy powerful racket choose the radical If you want EXTREME SPIN, good power and control choose the extreme So coming to an end it all depends on your style of play __________________ Babolat Pure Drive 2012 \| RPM Team 16g @ 55lbs

11-12-2012, 09:34 AM	#7
heninfan99 Professional Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1,108	If you're a 3.5 or lower I would recommend an older Instinct. It's a great tweener stick. I used to use it. If you're over the 3.5 level the newish Prestige Mid+ is one of the sweetest sticks I've ever hit with. The Prestige mid is great too but can be challenging to use. I'm not a fan of the Radical but whatever. The Speed felt floppy to me. Of course the old Instinct can work for an advanced player too though you may want toe lead it up. My 2 cents. __________________ Racquet with RPM Blast.

11-13-2012, 06:55 PM	#16
srvnvly Semi-Pro Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 705	New Speeds and Instincts in January 2013 - I'm more curious about the weight and swing weight of the new Instinct. __________________ "I filed it under H, for toy."