Need a bit more power, but don't want to loose controle

TfReAk

Rookie
Hi guys,

I hope you can help me. I'm currently playing with a MG Radical mp (with leather grip). The racket has great control, but I'm looking for a bit more power. I have tried to switch to the IG Prestige S, but I couldn't get dialed in on the forehand and serve. For some reason sometimes my balls were not landing in the court where I'd expect them to be.

Which of the following rackets could me?
- Head Graphene Radical mp
- Yonex 310 (vcore)
- Yonex 98 (XI, vcore)
- Pacific force 98 (295gr)
- Wilson PS 95L (16*18)

Any other suggestions?
 

robbo1970

Hall of Fame
How about considering your string set up?

A lot can be done with a change in strings and tension to give a bit more power. Perhaps try dropping the tension by a few lbs and see if you get a bit more power.
 

Cup8489

G.O.A.T.
That frame is light enough that you can add some weight to increase the power without really messing with your game too much. One of my favorite sticks to this day.
 

LeeD

Bionic Poster
Always a tradeoff.
For any gain in power, you lose control of depth.
For any loss of power, you can control of depth.
You can hit higher or lower, at will.
You can add or subtract topspin, or slice.
You can add a component of sidespin.
 

bigdaddy

Semi-Pro
Hi guys,

I hope you can help me. I'm currently playing with a MG Radical mp (with leather grip). The racket has great control, but I'm looking for a bit more power. I have tried to switch to the IG Prestige S, but I couldn't get dialed in on the forehand and serve. For some reason sometimes my balls were not landing in the court where I'd expect them to be.

Which of the following rackets could me?
- Head Graphene Radical mp
- Yonex 310 (vcore)
- Yonex 98 (XI, vcore)
- Pacific force 98 (295gr)
- Wilson PS 95L (16*18)

Any other suggestions?
Head xt extreme pro . Easy power and great control. I played with blades for years. The extreme pro matches or exceeds the blades in every category. The xt extreme pro is a great all court type racquet.
 

Cerps

Professional
Just put a bit of weight at 12. Try something like blu-tac or whatever it is called. Or put a dampener there at 12, you'll be surprised how much the power goes up by just a gram or two!
 

hrstrat57

Hall of Fame
What is your string set up that you are not satisfied with? The MG Rad MP is Head P/L 4, I find it a near perfect compromise of control and power leaning more to the power side. Mine has full bed of thin gauge poly #45. It played nicely with multi at 57# also IMHO.
 
Hi guys,

I hope you can help me. I'm currently playing with a MG Radical mp (with leather grip). The racket has great control, but I'm looking for a bit more power.
Any other suggestions?

What is your playing style? Flat hitter or Spin machine?
What are your stroke mechanics? Loopy groundstrokes? DHBH or SHBH?
How do you hold the racquet? (Semi Western FH? Eastern FH?)
Where do you position yourself when hitting groundies? Inside the baseline? On the baseline? Or several feet behind the baseline?
Singles player or Doubles player or both?

The more you tell us about your personal style, the easier it will be to give you some worthwhile advice.
 

Anton

Legend
Hi guys,

I hope you can help me. I'm currently playing with a MG Radical mp (with leather grip). The racket has great control, but I'm looking for a bit more power.

1. Put some lead on the loop.

lead-tape-roll-1-4-x36yards-ld-107-tennis-accessories-8.gif


2. If 1 does not work out go for stiffer racket - Bab Pure Control has more pop with great control. Graphene Rad Pro even more power but less control.

3. RF97A - power, control, spin, feel. Leather and heft included ;)
 

TfReAk

Rookie
What is your string set up that you are not satisfied with? The MG Rad MP is Head P/L 4, I find it a near perfect compromise of control and power leaning more to the power side. Mine has full bed of thin gauge poly #45. It played nicely with multi at 57# also IMHO.

My set up is m20kg acelon seven/c22kg acelon syn. gut. Maybe I should try full multi again and/or some lead at 12. It is a lot cheaper than buying a pair of new rackets (although it's always nice and fun:))
 

TfReAk

Rookie
What is your playing style? Flat hitter or Spin machine?
What are your stroke mechanics? Loopy groundstrokes? DHBH or SHBH?
How do you hold the racquet? (Semi Western FH? Eastern FH?)
Where do you position yourself when hitting groundies? Inside the baseline? On the baseline? Or several feet behind the baseline?
Singles player or Doubles player or both?

The more you tell us about your personal style, the easier it will be to give you some worthwhile advice.

I play more with spin than flat, but not in a Nadal kind of loopy way. I play with a SHBH which I try to play with more spin (worked better with the Prestige S).

In rally's I start from outside of the baseline, but I try to get more on or inside the baseline. I play mostly doubles and I like playing at the net.

Maybe I'm just looking for a similar racket with a (slighty) larger stringbed. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
 
I play more with spin than flat, but not in a Nadal kind of loopy way. I play with a SHBH which I try to play with more spin (worked better with the Prestige S).

In rally's I start from outside of the baseline, but I try to get more on or inside the baseline. I play mostly doubles and I like playing at the net.

Maybe I'm just looking for a similar racket with a (slighty) larger stringbed. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

Based on that info, I would start by adding weight to the racquet to increase it's Static Weight and SW but keeping the Balance as close to what it is now.

Try adding 5g to the handle and then sufficient weight at "10" and "2" on the hoop to retain the existing Balance number. (You could experiment with added weight at 12 but that might make your SHBH a tougher shot as the racquet would not be as maneuverable). If that feels good, you can add another 2.5g to the handle and try that (That will make the racquet more Head Light). Try that. And then add a little more to the hoop to get back to your original Balance spec.

Alternatively, you could put 7g to 10g in the throat. That will retain the existing Balance spec and increase the SW a little. But this option won't give you the same stability with off centre balls as the first option.

(I use Blu-tack to add weight inside the handle. I've successfully added up to 20g inside Babolat sticks. I think you can remove the Head butt-cap and do the same thing. It works well. Not too messy. And totally reversible. Use either lead tape or tungsten tape to add weight to the throat or the hoop.)

If these changes work for you the you're laughing. If not, you should probably then look at alternative string configuations. Lower tensions with your existing strings ... more court penetration potential but at the expense of control and string durability. Alternatively, look at softer string configurations.

But remember, change ONE thing at any time and then test.
 

tribesmen

Professional
My advice is completely opposite. If OP is a recreational player, don't bother with leads, because always there will be something that your balls won't landing in the court where you would expect them to be.

If you like your Radical try to find a racquet that has similar specs, but slightly heavier, stiffer + lower the string tension and just enjoy in playing the game !
 
My advice is completely opposite. If OP is a recreational player, don't bother with leads, because always there will be something that your balls won't landing in the court where you would expect them to be.

If you like your Radical try to find a racquet that has similar specs, but slightly heavier, stiffer + lower the string tension and just enjoy in playing the game !

A new racquet will cost him anywhere from $100 to $250. A bit of Blu-Tack and some strips of lead tape will cost him a few dollars and he can experiment till the cows come home. Me, I'd rather be spending the money on string than frames but each to their own.
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I play more with spin than flat, but not in a Nadal kind of loopy way. I play with a SHBH which I try to play with more spin (worked better with the Prestige S).

In rally's I start from outside of the baseline, but I try to get more on or inside the baseline. I play mostly doubles and I like playing at the net.

Maybe I'm just looking for a similar racket with a (slighty) larger stringbed. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

I'm not "just like you", but your story has some familiar elements to it. I owned a pair or LM Radicals a few years ago, but I switched into those from some significantly heavier frames that also had more head-light (HL) balance. I initially loved the feel and control I got with the Radicals, but I also do a lot of business up at the net. That sort of play has given me a deep appreciation for a racquet with enough heft to feel stable against the ball, especially when the pace heats up.

Aside from the loss of stability with the Radicals, I also missed the maneuverability of my old gear - these were well over 12 oz. with around 10 pts. HL balance (ProStaff 6.1 Classics). Because the Radicals were both lighter and more flexible than my Wilsons, they eventually gave me the impression that they were significantly less powerful, too. Even with lead tape added to the hoop and the handle, I couldn't get comfortable with these Heads after not quite a year of working with them.

I now keep a couple different "10-series" mid-plus Volkls in my bag and they've been very good to me. I also hit a one-handed backhand, so I love having enough beef in my racquet to propel it through the ball when I hit that stroke. Not the case with a softer, lighter Radical or even a stiffer Pure Drive or AeroPro Drive, etc. You could consider trying something that's both a bit heavier, but also more HL, just so that it's not unwieldy. My favorite doubles racquet is my Organix 10 325g, which I've customized to my liking, but the current Super G 10 comes in two versions; a 325g and a 295g. I'm 49 and I've found every Volkl I've either owned or sampled to be kind to my arm, but I'm also not much of a poly user.

My other thought is to try an oversize Radical - TW is still selling the MG Radical Oversize for about $90 (nice!!!). The bigger string bed ought to be a little more inherently lively than your dense patterned mid-plus, but it's a Radical and should probably give you a familiar vibe along with a grip shape that you already know. I've had a quick look at both the Graphene Radical and Radical Pro, but those newer frames are a bit of a departure from Heads older Radicals like your MG - much more stiff. That could be good for power, but bad for control. You'd only know once you take one for a ride.
 

TfReAk

Rookie
Thanks everyone for their reactions and advice. I'll first tinker around with the strings before doing some more customizing or switch to another racket. As tribesman said the most important thing is to enjoy the game. I'm a recreational player with decent strokes who likes to play a few local tournaments and just compete. But I do love to experiment with rackets and set ups to figure out what suits me the most.
 

blubird123

New User
I use a ig radical mp. You have to add weight and the thing will definitely have some pop. However it will never be a pure drive or any of those stiffer frames. I've added 3 grams at 12 and 2 grams each at the 3 and 9. Then stuck in 10 grams of stick tac on the handle. It's a nice solid frame that does almost everything well. It comes to around 333 grams which is pretty good, however that is a bit light for dealing with pace at the net. Tried adding another 10 grams distributed among the handle and hoop and felt much more stable for about a set. Then my arm felt like a wet noodle. So increasing the sw does take a fair bit of time to acclimate.

I string with a more powerful poly at 45. Kirshbaum pro line 2 or big hitter are nice. Of course if you got the money you can use ALU/gut hybrid. Don't go with the spin heavy poly's like tour bite. They have no power.

The radical is not the best for generating top spin with its dense string pattern.
 
Why not simply trying the Graphene Radical Pro model? You stay in a familiar room, but still get some more pop.

@Anton:
3. RF97A - power, control, spin, feel. Leather and heft included

I also own a RF97A and it happened yesterday that I had to switch from it to my Radical Pro in the middle of the match.
Believe, me it was a nightmare to re-tune myself - these two racquets are still night and day! Let alone if you switch from a Radical MP.
 

laramik

New User
Thanks everyone for their reactions and advice. I'll first tinker around with the strings before doing some more customizing or switch to another racket. As tribesman said the most important thing is to enjoy the game. I'm a recreational player with decent strokes who likes to play a few local tournaments and just compete. But I do love to experiment with rackets and set ups to figure out what suits me the most.
I am very similar to you in playing style and also own the radical mg MP. I went through this exact same phase recently. Here is what I did one thing at a time:
1.) restrung with Pacific tough gut mains 16 @ 53 and head lynx crosses at 49. Good upping in power but huge increase in consistency.
2.) added 4 grams to 10 and 4 grams at 2 with lead tape. Good jump in power here but racquet seemed a little less consistent and less maneuverable.
3.)added leather grip and 10 grams to handle and 4 to throat. (plays quite stable, weight feels much better power huge jump for me and much better racquet head speed, this also seemed to eliminate the tinny hollow feel a lot.)

I have demoed a PK Redondo MP which I liked a lot. Lots of heft and super soft.
Rf97,loved this but it hurt my elbow a little and need to try more.
6.1 18x20 - didn't dig this setup.
Pro staff 100l - really liked this one couldn't believe it. They have them used for 49 at tw.
Head liquidmetal 4-too head heavy too much power.
Got the speed xt pro, vokil powerbridge 10 and g7 coming along with the rf 97 again. The one I demoed was strung with gamma synthetic gut so wanted to try in poly. I'll keep you updated at to what I end up with. I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll end up just staying with the rad.
 

Anton

Legend
Why not simply trying the Graphene Radical Pro model? You stay in a familiar room, but still get some more pop.

@Anton:


I also own a RF97A and it happened yesterday that I had to switch from it to my Radical Pro in the middle of the match.
Believe, me it was a nightmare to re-tune myself - these two racquets are still night and day! Let alone if you switch from a Radical MP.

Yea, but I feel like if you are adding leather and a lot of lead you may as well try the best heavy racket there is.
 

DonDiego

Hall of Fame
Your solution is very easy: IG Radical MP.
And I own both Microgel and IG. Tinkering with strings, lead tape, etc. will only waste your time. You'll find the edge you need in the IG version. Graphene would be a step too far in power/loss of control IMO.
 

blubird123

New User
The problem with the radical mp is that its too light in stock. It won't be able to handle the pace from the baseline. You're going to need more weight for stability regardless. You could go with prestige which is a lovely racket if you don't want to customize it yourself. But I think the modded radical gets you more power because u can up the swing weight more without the base weight of the prestige.

The graphene are too stiff. It is completely different from the flex of the previous radicals.
 

TfReAk

Rookie
Thanks guys for the reply. I just got two Mantis pro 295 from the used section at TWE for €50 each. Also saw a Wilson 95 16*18 so maybe going to pick that one up too. I do think I have to add some lead (and leather) to the Mantis, but besides the stifness rating, it is pretty similar in spec to the radical.
 

snvplayer

Hall of Fame
I also use Microgel Radical MP and in search of frame with a little more pop.
Wilson Blade 98S had plenty of pop with enough control. Pure Control 2015 might be worth trying.
 

B Cubed

Semi-Pro
Blades 18x20 or AI 98, if one is switching to new sticks. Hear good things about controllable pop on those sticks.
 
Top