Radical MP vs Pro confusion

[AA5B Tiger]

I demo'd a new Radical Pro, loved it, bought 2, and simply could not replicate the feel of the demos regardless of what I tried. Called TW and asked the string and tension that was on the demo (Addiction @ 55)... Bought several sets and tried all around the tension range they indicated. Then started trying everything from full beds of VS Touch to OG Micro -- in all ranges of tension from 45-60 -- and all sorts of hybrids in between and couldn't get the racquet anywhere near the demo. Even starting adding tape in various places to try to get some feel, something other than a dead racquet, etc. -- with no luck.

After a little less than a month, I just returned them for a pair of Radical MPs. Upon receipt of the MP racquets, just about any string I put in them feels great. I've played with different strings and tensions -- and am truly customizing the racquet to my game -- not just trying to get it playable. I can make the ball do whatever I want -- and can only imagine how it will play when I tune-in the string and tension better.

Looking at the stats, I am stunned: they are within 0.1 oz of each other, same balance point, within 10 points of SW, same stiffness.... The only major difference I see is 18X20 on the MP vs 16X19 on the Pro. Yet, I got so much more feel, power, and even spin with the MP. (Would have never guessed more spin with a 18X20.)

Previously, I would have never believed the above if I just read it in a forum. Yet, I experienced it first-hand.

Did I just get a bad batch of Radical Pros?

 

[dgoran]

I bet that quality control issues are at play here. mine and my friendsradicals were off by 8 grams

 

[Irrelevant]

Definitely quality control at play. I had the old BLX Blade98 demo and it weighed in around 11.5 oz strung, 1 pt HL, and SW around 333 but when I bought one it came around 11.2 oz strung, 3 pt HL, and SW of 339. It seems minor, but just that small change of specs and they play completely different.

 

[Amp1]

The rackets feel similar in weight, but there is a big difference in swing weight. Pro swing weight is much higher than MP.

Am pretty sure that is the reason you are feeling the big difference.

 

[asdftalk]

I demoed pro last summer. All I can remember is that the pro is so powerful and lack of control

I demo'd a new Radical Pro, loved it, bought 2, and simply could not replicate the feel of the demos regardless of what I tried. Called TW and asked the string and tension that was on the demo (Addiction @ 55)... Bought several sets and tried all around the tension range they indicated. Then started trying everything from full beds of VS Touch to OG Micro -- in all ranges of tension from 45-60 -- and all sorts of hybrids in between and couldn't get the racquet anywhere near the demo. Even starting adding tape in various places to try to get some feel, something other than a dead racquet, etc. -- with no luck.

After a little less than a month, I just returned them for a pair of Radical MPs. Upon receipt of the MP racquets, just about any string I put in them feels great. I've played with different strings and tensions -- and am truly customizing the racquet to my game -- not just trying to get it playable. I can make the ball do whatever I want -- and can only imagine how it will play when I tune-in the string and tension better.

Looking at the stats, I am stunned: they are within 0.1 oz of each other, same balance point, within 10 points of SW, same stiffness.... The only major difference I see is 18X20 on the MP vs 16X19 on the Pro. Yet, I got so much more feel, power, and even spin with the MP. (Would have never guessed more spin with a 18X20.)

Previously, I would have never believed the above if I just read it in a forum. Yet, I experienced it first-hand.

Did I just get a bad batch of Radical Pros?

 

[AA5B Tiger]

I demoed pro last summer. All I can remember is that the pro is so powerful and lack of control

It felt the same in my demo - and I loved that power of the Radical Pro. Yet the Radical Pros I BOUGHT were as dead as dead could be. No matter the string (VS Touch to OG Micro) or a very wide range of tension (45-60), I would find myself swinging all-out just to get anemic pace -- and spin was very poor as well. Heck, I could generate more pace with the Prestige or Speed.

I tried everything I knew to try and just swapped for the MP. Good power (but not like I remember from the Pro), but the control is better.

I think it was QC issues. Just can't come up for any reason to love the demo (I played with it probably 5-6 matches over a 7 day period) then never get anything but totally dead response from the actual sticks I bought (played with them around 15 matches over a period a little less than a month -- and restrung them several times with all sorts of strings)...

However, my curiosity makes me wonder what would happen if I bought 2 new Pros today -- would they be more like the demos I tried? i.e. I just got a bad couple of samples???

As is, the MP is plenty close for me - and I have no desire to waste more money with buying and paying restocking fees to TW in the case of getting more Radical Pro duds. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.

 

[hersito]

2 totally different frames, the paint job is the only thing similar

 

[VeeSe]

2 totally different frames, the paint job is the only thing similar

Interesting. I played with the MP for almost a year and have played with the Pro for 2-3 months, and they are very similar to me.

 

[cork_screw]

Haha, I felt the same way. I had a IG Rad pro that I loved when I hit with it, then i tried a different setup and it feels and plays completely different.

You need the same strings as is on the demo and whatever it was strung with, you need to string it lower to match the tension drop that those old demos go through after passing through so many hands. Something tells me those demos are very low in tension.

 

[AA5B Tiger]

Interesting. I played with the MP for almost a year and have played with the Pro for 2-3 months, and they are very similar to me.

Same here. I demo'd the Pro and MP extensively. I found the Pro had more power and spin generation vs. the MP. The MP was slightly more maneuverable. Even though the racquets were pretty similar, I like the Pro better -- until I bought 2. When they arrived they were dead and lifeless -- and stayed dead despite all my efforts with string, tension, and lead. I'm now happy with my MPs, but really wish I could buy the same performance of the "Radical Pro" I demo'd... 'Have never experienced such a large Jekyll and Hyde difference between two exact same models ever.

I even thought the demos might have "loosened up" with (maybe) having so many people trying them out before the demos got to me. To that end, I kept banging away with my Radical Pros for nearly a month thinking they would liven up -- before just giving up and exchanging for 2 MPs. They were as stiff and lifeless when I returned them as when they arrived.

One note, when I bought the 2 MPs (after returning the Pros), I paid for the TW matching service and got two racquets within 0.02 oz of each other, exact same SW, exact same balance. I did not do the same with the Radical Pros I bought -- but did measured them with my Viper board and scale after it became apparent something was wrong. They were about 6g different and about 2-3 mm different in balance point. Yet BOTH of them were as dead as could be -- wholly unlike the demo I tried.

'Makes me wonder if I had paid for the matching service on the Radical Pros if I would have gotten better copies. The TW rep said for matching just 2-3 racquets, they go through the box of frames and keep trying frames until they find 2 very, very close. In only matching large numbers of frames do they resort to using lead, etc. to match. Makes me think 2 "matched" frames to with 0.02oz would be indicative to good consistent quality frames... And just by buying 2 without the service may open up the risk of getting bad-QC frames as two frames are picked from random from the box and have a 6g or more difference like the ones I originally rec'd....

 

[AA5B Tiger]

Haha, I felt the same way. I had a IG Rad pro that I loved when I hit with it, then i tried a different setup and it feels and plays completely different.

You need the same strings as is on the demo and whatever it was strung with, you need to string it lower to match the tension drop that those old demos go through after passing through so many hands. Something tells me those demos are very low in tension.

Thought the same and called into TW to ask the string and tension in the demos. Was told Addiction at 55. I tried addiction at 55, 52, and 47 -- and was still totally dead.

Conversely, just about anything I put in the MPs felt great -- and similar to the feel I loved in the Radical Pro demo.