How good are Head MicroGEL Radical rackets?

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BrokenGears

Guest
Which one is better? The oversized or the normal one?

Are they good racquets for a player who wants to miss less, has fast strokes, and wants more control?
 

Kozzy

Hall of Fame
I'm not a big authority on this, but I did pick up a couple of the mid-plus re-issues, because of their great price, low flex, and 18X20 pattern. However, I didn't ultimately like the way they played. People say the originals were better-feeling, but these just felt kind of brassy, and not soft/flexy like I was hoping for. Definitely low-powered though, and good control as well. I've since moved on to the the Babolat Pure Control 95, and I absolutely love those. Too bad they don't make them anymore...
 

mhkeuns

Hall of Fame
It’s supposed to be a platform racket that you can modify to your desired specs. I’ve hit with the MG Radical MP and liked it a lot. It offered very predictable responses and decent feel. Though it costs a lot more, I think the Ultra Tour is similar and beats it in just about all categories.
 

Kozzy

Hall of Fame
It’s supposed to be a platform racket that you can modify to your desired specs. I’ve hit with the MG Radical MP and liked it a lot. It offered very predictable responses and decent feel. Though it costs a lot more, I think the Ultra Tour is similar and beats it in just about all categories.
I would second that - I tested the ultra tour, and loved the feel of that frame. Will probably try that one down the road.
 
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BrokenGears

Guest
It’s supposed to be a platform racket that you can modify to your desired specs. I’ve hit with the MG Radical MP and liked it a lot. It offered very predictable responses and decent feel. Though it costs a lot more, I think the Ultra Tour is similar and beats it in just about all categories.

250 bucks :(
 
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BrokenGears

Guest
It’s supposed to be a platform racket that you can modify to your desired specs. I’ve hit with the MG Radical MP and liked it a lot. It offered very predictable responses and decent feel. Though it costs a lot more, I think the Ultra Tour is similar and beats it in just about all categories.

Would you say it’s worth? Might demo to test out first ofc. What kind of specs would you recommend on it?
 
Agree with mhkeuns. I've hit with both. The mg reissue seems like a stiffer lower quality layup compared to previous versions but the price is pretty decent. If you don't mind the price I highly recommend the ultra tour over it - feels much more solid and comfortable and plenty of room to customize as well.
 
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BrokenGears

Guest
Agree with mhkeuns. I've hit with both. The mg reissue seems like a stiffer lower quality layup compared to previous versions but the price is pretty decent. If you don't mind the price I highly recommend the ultra tour over it - feels much more solid and comfortable and plenty of room to customize as well.

Which one would you say is better? OS or MP?
 
Have you thought about picking up an older head frame instead? Ti,candy cane, zebra, etc? Search around on the forums - the consensus is pretty much that they're far superior to what head has been trying to put out the last decade or so.
 
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BrokenGears

Guest
Have you thought about picking up an older head frame instead? Ti,candy cane, zebra, etc? Search around on the forums - the consensus is pretty much that they're far superior to what head has been trying to put out the last decade or so.

Very hard to find :(
 

nvr2old

Hall of Fame
I have the MP, OS and pro. Pro is by far the best. Pro is not in production anymore but I bought mine on auction site. It’s 100 si head and 16x19. Adding lead to handle and hoop of MP really helps it immensely. OS is more powerful but less controllable and my least favorite.
 

SteveI

Legend
Have you thought about picking up an older head frame instead? Ti,candy cane, zebra, etc? Search around on the forums - the consensus is pretty much that they're far superior to what head has been trying to put out the last decade or so.

One of the best Radical MPs out there is the Liquid Metal Radical. Does not need many mods. Super stable and really hits a heavy ball. Nice feel... Great SW. Think Wilson Blade BLX 98 18 x 20 with better comfort and feel. The MG MP feels like a paperweight compared to the LM Radical 98
 

AMGF

Hall of Fame
I played about 4 years with the original MG Radical MP back when they got out. It is a very very comfortable frame. It is as smooth as a bag full of puppy ears. With the 18x20 string pattern you can precisely control the placement of your shots and it is so low powered that you can hit as hard as you can and never hit long. The spin is dependant of your technique. No free lunch here. Feel and touch is among the best frames out there.

The only drawback is the lack of power. However I believe those interested by that frame understand what is a platform frame. If not, they will hit constantly short and will soon move on to another frame. Which is exactly what I did as many years ago I would always play my frames stock. But I reached a point where a stock mg radical mp was too weak against the competition. I could have added lead but I believed the perfect frame could be bought right off the store at the time. It’s after that frame that I begun getting more interested in tuning/customization and racquets physics in general.

I still have them today and is my weak racquet when I play against my gf. My shots land short and I can play pretty close to my 100% and she can hang with me. With lead you can make it exactly as you like, that’s the idea behind it. Stock it is weak.
 
D

Deleted member 756272

Guest
A pair of matched (TW service) and weighted (myself) Head Microgel Radical midplus are my current sticks with a PT 630 as the third wheel. I love the feel (soft), control, and the thud it makes. Relatively less brassy than many of the newer frames I've hit with this past year during my racquet search. My goal was to find a racquet that felt similar to the discontinued Wilson PS 90s and at $90 a pop on TW, that's quite the deal. 2 matched frames are still cheaper than 1 new racquet!!!

"You can add weight, but you can't take it away"
This is VERY impt to acknowledge! Like what @mhkeuns and several others have said, this is a platform frame, which means that the stock form is a baseline to build on. Therefore, platform frames usually come a bit lighter and have an even balance because manufacturers expect players to customize. While some may use a platform frame without any modification, platforms really shine after some tuning. Experienced players will suggest you find a racquet with a feel you like. Then, customize it to your game.

"You should modify the racquet to fit your game, NOT fit your game around a frame".
@BrokenGears, you should try both. OS frames are more forgiving on off center shots and more powerful. Since you're looking for more control and already have power, midplus sounds better imho. Over the last 20 years, I've found midplus to "feel" better than its OS versions. I disliked the OS Radicals, but Agassi is a tennis god who used OS frames even back when our graphite options were only between mid (90 sq in) vs. mid plus.

Try both and see which one "feels" better. Try not to focus on whether you're hitting in/out or how hard you're hitting. Focus on whether or not you like how it feels. Then, you can take your current racquet's specs as a baseline to modify the platform frame. This gives you a chance to try the racquet with specs that match your current mechanics. Try hitting with the version 1 modification for a while. Are you liking the pace of your ball? Are you satisfied with the power? Are you hitting your marks? Can you handle the weight for the amount of time you spend on court? Then, you can fine tune the mods for V2.

FWIW, I'm at V1 with added lead all over the frame and a TON of weight to the handle + leather grip (noon=4g, 3/9=8g, handle = 20g). The only thing that bothers me about this frame is the color schema (sorry to everyone who likes it). Once I find a set of strings I like, I'm going to replace the grommets with the Head cap and remove some weight from the 3/9. Maybe I'll repaint it all black.
 

mhkeuns

Hall of Fame
A pair of matched (TW service) and weighted (myself) Head Microgel Radical midplus are my current sticks with a PT 630 as the third wheel. I love the feel (soft), control, and the thud it makes. Relatively less brassy than many of the newer frames I've hit with this past year during my racquet search. My goal was to find a racquet that felt similar to the discontinued Wilson PS 90s and at $90 a pop on TW, that's quite the deal. 2 matched frames are still cheaper than 1 new racquet!!!

"You can add weight, but you can't take it away"
This is VERY impt to acknowledge! Like what @mhkeuns and several others have said, this is a platform frame, which means that the stock form is a baseline to build on. Therefore, platform frames usually come a bit lighter and have an even balance because manufacturers expect players to customize. While some may use a platform frame without any modification, platforms really shine after some tuning. Experienced players will suggest you find a racquet with a feel you like. Then, customize it to your game.

"You should modify the racquet to fit your game, NOT fit your game around a frame".
@BrokenGears, you should try both. OS frames are more forgiving on off center shots and more powerful. Since you're looking for more control and already have power, midplus sounds better imho. Over the last 20 years, I've found midplus to "feel" better than its OS versions. I disliked the OS Radicals, but Agassi is a tennis god who used OS frames even back when our graphite options were only between mid (90 sq in) vs. mid plus.

Try both and see which one "feels" better. Try not to focus on whether you're hitting in/out or how hard you're hitting. Focus on whether or not you like how it feels. Then, you can take your current racquet's specs as a baseline to modify the platform frame. This gives you a chance to try the racquet with specs that match your current mechanics. Try hitting with the version 1 modification for a while. Are you liking the pace of your ball? Are you satisfied with the power? Are you hitting your marks? Can you handle the weight for the amount of time you spend on court? Then, you can fine tune the mods for V2.

FWIW, I'm at V1 with added lead all over the frame and a TON of weight to the handle + leather grip (noon=4g, 3/9=8g, handle = 20g). The only thing that bothers me about this frame is the color schema (sorry to everyone who likes it). Once I find a set of strings I like, I'm going to replace the grommets with the Head cap and remove some weight from the 3/9. Maybe I'll repaint it all black.

Yeah. I’ve considered repainting it black. I think with an updated paint job, it would attract more people. The only thing I didn’t quite like about the frame was the paint job. Nice post.
 
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