Closest to LiquidMetal Radical MP with 16x19 pattern?

[bktennis78]

From what I can tell Prince Rebel 98 EXO3 seems pretty close

98 sq. in. / 632 sq. cm.
Length: 27 inches / 69 cm
Strung Weight: 11.2oz / 318g
Balance: 4pts Head Light
Swingweight: 325
Stiffness: 64
Beam Width: 21 mm Straight Beam
Composition: LiquidMetal Titanium / Graphite and Piezzo Electric Fibers
Power Level: Low
Swing Speed: Fast
Grip Type: HydroControl
String Pattern:
18 Mains / 20 Crosses
Mains skip: 9T,8H,10H
Two Piece
No shared holes
String Tension: 52-62 pounds

 

[Anton]

Pure Control - 16x20, but much more open pattern than LM rad MP

 

[3loudboys]

I have used the LM rad and the rebel 98. Similar but with subtle differences. For me the rebel was more plush feeling with the exo3 ports and a flex rating in the high 50's. It was also more powerful and unsurprisingly had greater spin potential given the more open 16x20 pattern. The rad won hands down for control with the 18x20 - it was just a tad low powered as I got older. If you supply your own power then the rad is a great stick - particularly if you have an Austrian version (MIA). I still have 4 of them in my cupboard customised to 340g. The rebel is not over powered but you certainly get more free pop and spin potential. I think you've identified two great sticks which both offer great characteristics. Both are also great platforms for adding weight being 11oz stock. Choose the one that best suits your game.

Btw - the Blade 98 16x19 is another alternative with similar specs and more open string pattern.

Good luck!

 

[Doc Hollidae]

Try the PS97. I believe there were some posts that the layup/mold are almost identical.

 

[bktennis78]

I have used the LM rad and the rebel 98. Similar but with subtle differences. For me the rebel was more plush feeling with the exo3 ports and a flex rating in the high 50's. It was also more powerful and unsurprisingly had greater spin potential given the more open 16x20 pattern. The rad won hands down for control with the 18x20 - it was just a tad low powered as I got older. If you supply your own power then the rad is a great stick - particularly if you have an Austrian version (MIA). I still have 4 of them in my cupboard customised to 340g. The rebel is not over powered but you certainly get more free pop and spin potential. I think you've identified two great sticks which both offer great characteristics. Both are also great platforms for adding weight being 11oz stock. Choose the one that best suits your game.

Btw - the Blade 98 16x19 is another alternative with similar specs and more open string pattern.

Good luck!

Appreciate all the responses!

To clarify I'm trying to change to something under 11.4oz strung w overgrip since that seems to be the threshold my body can take without getting injured (wrist tendinitis). The LM Radical MP has been the only racquet I've ever played with that is light and has the same plow through as something heavier and doesn't give me elbow or shoulder problems. Been playing a 12oz IG Radical Pro for the last 3 years and just remembered how perfect the LM Radical was except for the closed string pattern.

I've tried Blade 98 16x19 and Pure Storm GT Tour a little while ago when I had a similar experiment. Didn't like the Blade because it was too stiff and powerful in some weird inconsistent way. The Pure Storm GT Tour was great but too heavy overall. Never tried the non tour version so I'll have to check it out. Haven't checked out the Rebel either but it's discontinued.

 

[bktennis78]

Try the PS97. I believe there were some posts that the layup/mold are almost identical.

Didn't work for me even though I loved the feel of it. The weight caused some pain

 

[3loudboys]

Pure strike 16x19? Specs seem to fit the bill, 98 head, 16x19, 320 swing weight and 11.3oz. RA is 66 firm but not overly stiff. Darth Maul paint job to boot!

 

[bktennis78]

Pure strike 16x19? Specs seem to fit the bill, 98 head, 16x19, 320 swing weight and 11.3oz. RA is 66 firm but not overly stiff. Darth Maul paint job to boot!

Forgot about that one. I'll check it out!

 

[Attila_the_gorilla]

That sounds like a pretty close match.

I'm also using the LM MP, but it's very heavily modified and far from underpowered. I enjoyed it in stock form in the past, but it used to hurt my wrist due to the lack of shock absorbing weight. So now I've got heaps of weight in the handle and some on the hoop too.

 

[Anton]

Pure strike 16x19? Specs seem to fit the bill, 98 head, 16x19, 320 swing weight and 11.3oz. RA is 66 firm but not overly stiff. Darth Maul paint job to boot!

Much more power

 

[n8dawg6]

wasn't VS Babolat saying that he thought the Wilson PS97 was similar or almost the same mold?

 

[bktennis78]

wasn't VS Babolat saying that he thought the Wilson PS97 was similar or almost the same mold?

It doesn't feel similar. PS is stiffer and the balance seems more head light. Also not as much plow through in stock form and heavier overall.

 

[3loudboys]

That sounds like a pretty close match.

I'm also using the LM MP, but it's very heavily modified and far from underpowered. I enjoyed it in stock form in the past, but it used to hurt my wrist due to the lack of shock absorbing weight. So now I've got heaps of weight in the handle and some on the hoop too.

How did you mod your rads? Would be interested to know. I had 6g at 3 and 9 and tail weighted to 340 with boy tac in the handle. Such a good stick. Strung with Alu power rough mains and NXT crosses.

 

[Attila_the_gorilla]

How did you mod your rads? Would be interested to know. I had 6g at 3 and 9 and tail weighted to 340 with boy tac in the handle. Such a good stick. Strung with Alu power rough mains and NXT crosses.

I've modded them for doubles, though they work pretty well in singles too. I filled the handle with cotton swabs and some silicone too, also using a leather grip and overgrip. Replaced the original pallets with the square ones too.

In the hoop, I only added 2 grams at 12, and 1 g each at 3 and 9. I'd enjoy a little bit higher swingweight, but for my doubles I need to keep an eye on the balance. At the moment I think it's around 8 pts HL. Static weight 360 g. I use gut/zyex at around 58 lb, depending on season. Once the strings loosen up, the whole stringbed is a sweetspot.

 

[3loudboys]

I guess with the silicon they must feel rock solid at 360. Not sure I could cope with that much mass but it sure sounds likes it would hit a big ball. Thanks for sharing your set up.

 

[Attila_the_gorilla]

Look, if I were modding it for singles, I'd put less weight in the handle for sure. 350 would be enough I assume, or maybe even less.

 

[tennistomcat]

Pure strike 16x19? Specs seem to fit the bill, 98 head, 16x19, 320 swing weight and 11.3oz. RA is 66 firm but not overly stiff. Darth Maul paint job to boot!

I'm a longtime liquidmetal radical user too who also has been looking for a more modern version with a 16X19 pattern with more power. I've been searching for the longest time & the closest I've gotten is the pure control 16X20, IG radical pro, & the pure strike 16X19. All these rackets have a flex & feel similar to the LM rad - none of these have the easy power of a pure drive or AI 100 though.
I had considered going back to the IG radical pro as I think that was the best I came across. I'm still trying to make it work with the pure strike as it's very close too but doesn't seem to have the same stability as my leaded up LM rad.
As I'm getting older & not as in great shape, I'm starting to look more towards the tweeners though which will still let me compete without having to work as hard - I just have to play a different game using these rackets.

 

[Anton]

I mod my LM Rad with lead on the whole loop with one extra gram on 12, lead on V-throat, leather grip and a few extra grams on lower handle.

Oh and I swap in TK82S pallets

 

[bktennis78]

I'm a longtime liquidmetal radical user too who also has been looking for a more modern version with a 16X19 pattern with more power. I've been searching for the longest time & the closest I've gotten is the pure control 16X20, IG radical pro, & the pure strike 16X19. All these rackets have a flex & feel similar to the LM rad - none of these have the easy power of a pure drive or AI 100 though.
I had considered going back to the IG radical pro as I think that was the best I came across. I'm still trying to make it work with the pure strike as it's very close too but doesn't seem to have the same stability as my leaded up LM rad.
As I'm getting older & not as in great shape, I'm starting to look more towards the tweeners though which will still let me compete without having to work as hard - I just have to play a different game using these rackets.

I thought Radicals were tweeners

 

[dgoran]

16x19 blade or pure strike 16x19

 

[struggle]

I thought Radicals were tweeners

depends on the radical, but the newer versions might be considered such.

 

[fuzz nation]

As a happy Volkl geek, I feel compelled to point out that TW still has the Organix 10 295g at a closeout price. If they have a grip size you can use, it's almost cheap enough that you can simply buy-it-to-try-it. I use heavier Volkls, but this lighter O10 could be a good option to look over. A couple of our pals here have done a little tuning on these frames with lead tape and found great success after customizing. A local buddy of mine also got himself a pair of these after trying my heavier O10 325g's - he also did just a little tuning with his new Volkls and is loving them. The update of this frame is their Super G 10 295g and Volkl also offers two versions of their Super G 8's in different weights.

I owned a pair of the LM Radicals a while ago after having a lot of fun with a demo, but I eventually found that I needed to add some heft to mine (lead tape). My tennis DNA has probably been built around the hefty wood racquets I used as a kid, but that LM Radical really felt good to me in its stock layout, at least during the honeymoon. Prince may be another company to look over - their Tour 98 looks like a strong possibility, but maybe also try the O3 White LS.

 

[tennistomcat]

I've been on quite a racket journey & have learned the benefits of a foam-filled racket - that solid feel on contact & the plow while still being able to keep the weight down.
I've been saying to myself afterwards that the radical would have been a beast had it been foam-filled to address the weaknesses I noticed in my game when playing with it- the lack of plow on the serve & overheads.

I just came back from a long session with a customized 2016 Donnay Pro One GT 16X19. If anyone is looking to upgrade from their radicals without wanting to change up too much about their game, I recommend giving the new Pro Ones a test drive. I didn't try the tricore & have only hit with the GT quad core.

From what I noticed last night, this racket is that mythical beast that I didn't think existed until now - it may be worth a demo.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/inde...re-back-xenecore.547054/page-14#post-10399441

 

[RollTrackTake]

I've been on quite a racket journey & have learned the benefits of a foam-filled racket - that solid feel on contact & the plow while still being able to keep the weight down.
I've been saying to myself afterwards that the radical would have been a beast had it been foam-filled to address the weaknesses I noticed in my game when playing with it- the lack of plow on the serve & overheads.

I just came back from a long session with a customized 2016 Donnay Pro One GT 16X19. If anyone is looking to upgrade from their radicals without wanting to change up too much about their game, I recommend giving the new Pro Ones a test drive. I didn't try the tricore & have only hit with the GT quad core.

From what I noticed last night, this racket is that mythical beast that I didn't think existed until now - it may be worth a demo.

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/inde...re-back-xenecore.547054/page-14#post-10399441

I found that lead on the hoop and silicone in the handle give most racquets a similar feeling to the foam filled offerings. Not exactly as plush but solid feeling nonetheless.

 

[tennistomcat]

I found that lead on the hoop and silicone in the handle give most racquets a similar feeling to the foam filled offerings. Not exactly as plush but solid feeling nonetheless.

I agree with you RTT. I had alot of lead on my radical (almost Djokovic-like) & I filled up my handle with fishing weight & silicone-type material to get it to where I was comfortable with - but it only took it to a certain point that I couldn't get past. I ended up with a shoulder injury thinking I should be serving as big as these other league players.

It worked to some degree but I wasn't getting the easy pop on serves as I'm feeling with the Angell/Vantage/Donnay. With 3/4 swings with these rackets, I'm feeling much more solid contact on serves/overheads than my leaded/silicone injected radical ever felt with full swings. I really feel that my shoulder would be still be whole had I come across these rackets before I tried to beef up my serve. I can still give it a good ride - I just takes so much longer to warm up my shoulder & I can't serve hard 2 days in a row.

 

[RollTrackTake]

I agree with you RTT. I had alot of lead on my radical (almost Djokovic-like) & I filled up my handle with fishing weight & silicone-type material to get it to where I was comfortable with - but it only took it to a certain point that I couldn't get past. I ended up with a shoulder injury thinking I should be serving as big as these other league players.

It worked to some degree but I wasn't getting the easy pop on serves as I'm feeling with the Angell/Vantage/Donnay. With 3/4 swings with these rackets, I'm feeling much more solid contact on serves/overheads than my leaded/silicone injected radical ever felt with full swings. I really feel that my shoulder would be still be whole had I come across these rackets before I tried to beef up my serve. I can still give it a good ride - I just takes so much longer to warm up my shoulder & I can't serve hard 2 days in a row.

I hear you. I put lead and blu tack on a head pro stock and still couldn't match the feeling of a Donnay or Angell or my POG OS 4 stripe! Digging the foam fillings!

 

[smirker]

An Angell TC97 in a lighter spec would be a good match for the LM Rad. The Radical has been my regular racket until recently when I switched to the TC97. My Rads are modded to 12ozs but the TC97 in stock form has a similar feel. a 300 or 310 g TC97 would have a solid feel due to the foam filled construction.

 

[TfReAk]

The Mantis pro 295 is somewhat like a Head Radical with 16*19 string pattern.
98 sq in head size
64 RA
Beam width 21,5mm

 

[dgoran]

Btw Donnay pro one 16x19 IS radical with 16x19 so if you like the shape of radical that is you logical next move

 

[RollTrackTake]

The Mantis pro 295 is somewhat like a Head Radical with 16*19 string pattern.
98 sq in head size
64 RA
Beam width 21,5mm

Really good racquet. If I was better at making modifications I'd still own one!

 

[JohnBPittsburgh]

The Donnay feels a little different from my Liquidmetal Radical, but I think it's due to the foam filling (it feels like a more solid LM Rad, but with a little less hoop flex. If that makes sense)

 

[vsbabolat]

Wilson H22 is an option.

 

[sma1001]

An Angell TC97 in a lighter spec would be a good match for the LM Rad. The Radical has been my regular racket until recently when I switched to the TC97. My Rads are modded to 12ozs but the TC97 in stock form has a similar feel. a 300 or 310 g TC97 would have a solid feel due to the foam filled construction.

+1 for this

 

[TfReAk]

Really good racquet. If I was better at making modifications I'd still own one!

I only put some lead in the hoop. I think the rackets are around 300 grams unstrung at the moment. I know it is light, but at the moment I'm playing mostly doubles so it helps on my "reflexvolleys". Strung the Mantis with a poly (acelon 7 I think) at 19 or 20kg and it realy opens the sweetspot.

 

[sma1001]

The Mantis pro 295 is somewhat like a Head Radical with 16*19 string pattern.
98 sq in head size
64 RA
Beam width 21,5mm

Very low swingweight? Reported as 302

 

[RollTrackTake]

Very low swingweight? Reported as 302

Yes. The Mantis Pro 295 needed a good dose of lead. I've read the the Mantis Pro 295 II has been beefed up in the swing weight department and they changed the balance. Too bad TW stopped carrying Mantis. Would love to demo the new Pro 295

 

[TripleB]

Pure Strike 16x19...see my thoughts here http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/2-blades-and-a-pure-strike-my-demo-thoughts.565882/
http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/2-blades-and-a-pure-strike-my-demo-thoughts.565882/
Slightly stiffer feel and just a hair more power ( at least how the demo was strung...mid tension with Tour Bite 16L ), but other than that it's about as close as you can get!

TripleB

 

[prostaff junkie]

Yes. The Mantis Pro 295 needed a good dose of lead. I've read the the Mantis Pro 295 II has been beefed up in the swing weight department and they changed the balance. Too bad TW stopped carrying Mantis. Would love to demo the new Pro 295

I own 3. Changed the original grip to a Babolat Skinfeel, added an OG (around 6g), added 2g of lead @12. Gut/Poly stringjob. Strung it's at 319g static, around 320SW and around 4pts HL. This leaves you with a fairly undemanding lightweight players bat which is very solid and stable and has decent power.

Check out evilbay UK. There's plenty over here for around £60 brand new!!

 

[prostaff junkie]

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