Leaving i.Radical in 2021

[guilhermefdc]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

 

[veelium]

Gravity Tour would be an option, similar specs but more forgiving (bigger headsize) and a bit more free power (slightly thicker beam).

 

[etd]

Tecnifibre RS 300 would be worth trying

 

[dr325i]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

I’d stick with the Head rackets because no other racket offers the feel he’s used to for many years

 

[GravitysElbow]

For that kind of weight and swingweight maybe you want to be looking at one of Head's S racquets, probably either the Radical S (perhaps with added weight) or the Gravity S, closer in weight and more flexible? Both would have slightly thicker beams and larger head sizes as well for more forgiveness and a bit of extra power and comfort.

Or if he can wait, the new Boom MP, but that's probably some time away from the shops.

 

[tomkowy]

300 strung SW is low. 360+ Radical MP is ~325 SW. No wonder that your brother had the timing off

Today most of the racquets that weight 290 grams or more have 320 - 330 SW. People look for stability and power. I agree that the "lite" or "S" models will have lower SW around 290 - 310. However, these rackets are probably very different than iRadical.

Head Extreme Tour has a low SW (318) and it will be more powerful and forgiving than iRadical. But that's probably the lowest SW you can get with for an intermediate-advanced player today.

 

[GuilhermeG]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

If he's looking for forgiveness, I'd try a racquet with a bigger headsize (98 is already a big improvement, 100sq in might be too big) and higher swingweight.
The 360+ Radical MP fits the bill, but IMO adjusting to the 16x19 pattern after almost 20 years using 18x20 might be the actual problem. Maybe he could try a blade (18x20).

Ps.: Went from i. prestige to gravity pro. Didn't work, as I never felt adjusted to the 100sq in head size. The blade 98 was an easy switch.

 

[1HBHfanatic]

-the head gravity mp is a 16/20 pattern!!; the PRO version is nice, if you can handle the 100" head with the 1hbh
-the head radical PRO is a solid 4.5 raket that is not overly heavy; the MP is a bit light IMO/IME
-the yonex.v.pro.97(2021) is a solid stick for many levels, the H and D versions are more specific/demanding !?!

 

[what_army]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

Interestingly, his best option lies in the wilson ultra pro, which is meant to be customised and almost unplayable in stock form! Seriously it checks all the boxes of what your brother may be looking for:
- similar head shape when compared to the i.radical but in a bigger headsize (97sq in vs 95) hence more forgiving
- low swingweight (in the low 300s strung)
- similar flex and feel as the wilson UP, ie. not overly soft as some of the old radicals but not stiff either
- available in both 18x20 (which your brother will prefer) and 16x19
- difficult to try before buying though…

I’d stick with the Head rackets because no other racket offers the feel he’s used to for many years

What are you talking about - isn’t the breakaway in terms of how current heads feel vs those of 10+ years ago precisely the reason why head is criticised so much on here?

 

[guilhermefdc]

300 strung SW is low. 360+ Radical MP is ~325 SW. No wonder that your brother had the timing off

Today most of the racquets that weight 290 grams or more have 320 - 330 SW. People look for stability and power. I agree that the "lite" or "S" models will have lower SW around 290 - 310. However, these rackets are probably very different than iRadical.

Head Extreme Tour has a low SW (318) and it will be more powerful and forgiving than iRadical. But that's probably the lowest SW you can get with for an intermediate-advanced player today.

That's a very nice suggestion - I had completely forgotten about the Extreme Tour. He even has one handy, as it's his fiancée's frame of choice.

Interestingly, his best option lies in the wilson ultra pro, which is meant to be customised and almost unplayable in stock form! Seriously it checks all the boxes of what your brother may be looking for:
- similar head shape when compared to the i.radical but in a bigger headsize (97sq in vs 95) hence more forgiving
- low swingweight (in the low 300s strung)
- similar flex and feel as the wilson UP, ie. not overly soft as some of the old radicals but not stiff either
- available in both 18x20 (which your brother will prefer) and 16x19
- difficult to try before buying though…

I haven't played for extended periods of time with the Ultra Pro, but I guess it really does fit the bill. I'm just unsure if it's more forgiving enough to be worth the switch.

Regarding the Gravities, the other Radicals and the Blades, I'm a little worried about the SW difference, but maybe they are worth demoing - I'm unsure if his issues were related to the SW or rather to the new mold itself.
I'm frankly baffled by his game after seeing the SW - I guess the whole RHS thing really is true even at an amateur level. Our matches on clay are really close (I lost the last one 7x6 7x5 back in june), but not so much on hard courts (last week I won 6x2 6x3).

 

[guilhermefdc]

I’d stick with the Head rackets because no other racket offers the feel he’s used to for many years

Yup - he strongly favors Head frames. I think that even if we were still on the stiff-graphene XT era, he might have a mental blockade with other brands.

 

[dr325i]

What are you talking about - isn’t the breakaway in terms of how current heads feel vs those of 10+ years ago precisely the reason why head is criticised so much on here?

What I’m talking about is that you’re 2 years behind reality.
Head’s 360+ rackets are more than fine.
ultra Pro has absolutely nothing in-common with iRadical

 

[what_army]

Yup - he strongly favors Head frames. I think that even if we were still on the stiff-graphene XT era, he might have a mental blockade with other brands.

It’s fine to have preferences but his post had little more to offer than misinformation and bad advice.

 

[what_army]

What I’m talking about is that you’re 2 years behind reality.
Head’s 360+ rackets are more than fine.
ultra Pro has absolutely nothing uncommon with iRadical

That’s literally what I said…

 

[dr325i]

It’s fine to have preferences but his post had little more to offer than misinformation and bad advice.

What misinformation?
You clearly have not tried Head rackets last two years (360+) and have no idea what iRadical is if you compare it with Ultra Pro LOL

 

[etd]

As previously mentioned, it will be difficult to find something that is a replacement for an iRadical. Today’s racquets in that weight range all have higher swingweights for today’s baseline game. What also makes these racquets different is that many are polarized which makes them feel more head heavy than their specs, and they have high sweetspots. Coming from an i Radical, the polarization and high sweetspot would be even more of a problem than the higher swingweight.

I would give the 360+ Radical MP another try. It is my favorite racquet on the market. I would buy it right now, but i already have too many racquets. However, try it with an overgrip over the base grip and put a lighter string in it.

although I haven’t tried either racquet myself, the Extreme Tour would be a good one to try as well as the 360+ Instinct.

outside of Head, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, give the Tecnifibre RS 300 a try. I have demoed this racquet and was impressed. Good power and spin, maneuverable, traditionally located sweetspot, and good at the net. Even has a rectangular style grip like the old Head racquets.

another dark horse candidate to try is the Dunlop CX 400 Tour.

just curious, what string is your brother using in his i Radical

hope this helps

 

[vsbabolat]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

I think he should demo the Prestige MP, Gravity Tour, Prestige Tour, and if in your country you have it Prestige S

 

[JOSHL]

I think he should try and find a way to measure his iradical for SW, balance and weight. Don’t always trust the TW numbers.

 

[Lorenn]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

Depends on how much forgiveness you need. I switch freom the LM Radical to the Gravity Pro. I really enjoyed the feel of the Gravity Pro. The Radical Pro 360+ was not out when I switched. Speed Pro Speed MP 360+ are also nice racquets with a slightly different feel. The Gravity line the Speed line are super forgiving. I think timing will have to be reworked but it should be worthwhile.

 

[Anton]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

Weight + technique = easy power.

Before hunting for new rackets of dubious superiority just add a few cents worth of lead.

 

[guilhermefdc]

As previously mentioned, it will be difficult to find something that is a replacement for an iRadical. Today’s racquets in that weight range all have higher swingweights for today’s baseline game. What also makes these racquets different is that many are polarized which makes them feel more head heavy than their specs, and they have high sweetspots. Coming from an i Radical, the polarization and high sweetspot would be even more of a problem than the higher swingweight.

I would give the 360+ Radical MP another try. It is my favorite racquet on the market. I would buy it right now, but i already have too many racquets. However, try it with an overgrip over the base grip and put a lighter string in it.

although I haven’t tried either racquet myself, the Extreme Tour would be a good one to try as well as the 360+ Instinct.

outside of Head, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, give the Tecnifibre RS 300 a try. I have demoed this racquet and was impressed. Good power and spin, maneuverable, traditionally located sweetspot, and good at the net. Even has a rectangular style grip like the old Head racquets.

another dark horse candidate to try is the Dunlop CX 400 Tour.

just curious, what string is your brother using in his i Radical

hope this helps

Tecnifibres are hard to find - and specially demo - here in Brazil :-/
He strongly favors multis and currently uses Xcel (which means restringing 1-2 times per week)

 

[guilhermefdc]

I think he should demo the Prestige MP, Gravity Tour, Prestige Tour, and if in your country you have it Prestige S

Thanks! I had completely forgotten about the other Prestiges! We do have the S over here - I’ll tell him to check those out

 

[AceyMan]

another dark horse candidate to try is the Dunlop CX 400 Tour

411,

I demoed this one.

It hit nicely but the grip shape is an atrocity; it's basically a regular octagon .

(=> my demo was an L2 grip)

 

[MrAvocado232]

maybe the extreme tour? according to cpi head rank it should have a litter more power that the radical and more spin

 

[JoaoN]

Thanks! I had completely forgotten about the other Prestiges! We do have the S over here - I’ll tell him to check those out

I also live here in Brazil and tested both the graphene touch Prestige S, which is 95, and the graphene 360+ prestige S, which is 99. Like them both. Saddly, the 360+ is not avaible anymore. I think i still have one avaible

 

[Power Player]

So, my brother has been playing with unmodified i.Radicals for nearly 20 years and is now looking for something similar, but more forgiving, as he’s getting older and starting to feel a little like he’s needing to use a lot of energy on every shot. He’s a 4.5 aggressive baseliner who plays with a lot of topspin and is constantly seeking to dictate the points. OHBH.
I had him playtest the 360+ Radical MP, but he didn’t like it - said his timing was off and that he was shanking way more than usual.
I thought this was weird, as - at least spec wise - the frames should be somewhat similar regarding weight and SW, but it turns out that this isn’t the case - the i.Radical has a 297 strung SW according to the TW databse, which I think might just be the lowest ever for a Radical MP.
I cheated and tried the Similar Racquets tool, but nothing currently available seems to come close. Bumping the SW up to 320 I got the Microgel Radical MP, but that’s hardly more forgiving…

Any ideas?

Get his racquet measured. Don't use specs on the internet. Balance, Swingweight, weight are mainly what you want. Strung or unstrung. Then post those specs here