Revisiting the Head Liquidmetal Radical MP

kvan

Semi-Pro
I don’t think these would go well with the LM Radical MP. For couple of reasons: 1) the original SW is already high, upper 320s strung (I believe around 328-330); 2) the racket is not that headlight so extra 10g in the hoop would make it almost even balance; 3) the racket is stable in the stock form, no need for extra weight at 3 & 9.

Makes sense, and agree that the stick already plays great stock. Any luck finding regular grommets for these nowadays?
 
D

Deleted member 775108

Guest
Makes sense, and agree that the stick already plays great stock. Any luck finding regular grommets for these nowadays?

Microgel Radical MP Grommets Fit perfectly. Wont have the ridges like the original but looks great none the less. Backordered on TW to early November. Hollerbird says next week.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

dr325i

G.O.A.T.
Makes sense, and agree that the stick already plays great stock. Any luck finding regular grommets for these nowadays?
I got a few sets from Atlanta. PM me and I’ll share the email and you can see if they have more
 
Does no one know about the LM4? I found one randomly in my garage (not sure how it got there) and I want to know if it is worth regripping + restringing to play around with.
 
Head heavy, high swing weight…
I’d be careful with it…but it may work for you well
Head heavy and high swing weight yet all the reviewers seemed to agree it felt light and maneuverable? I'm not challenging you as much as just curious how this can be.
 

dr325i

G.O.A.T.
Head heavy and high swing weight yet all the reviewers seemed to agree it felt light and maneuverable? I'm not challenging you as much as just curious how this can be.
The review was done 20 years ago and also if you look at the review scores carefully, they are in the low 70s which is not that stellar
 
@dr325i

Yeah I can tell it's not a top of the line frame but still it has all those nice characteristics of clean control that the reviewers kept talking about. If that is characteristic of the budget LM offering I can easily see why the high-end ones are looked back on now with such fondness. I am no racquet connoisseur but it felt completely playable to me.
 

dr325i

G.O.A.T.
@dr325i

Yeah I can tell it's not a top of the line frame but still it has all those nice characteristics of clean control that the reviewers kept talking about. If that is characteristic of the budget LM offering I can easily see why the high-end ones are looked back on now with such fondness. I am no racquet connoisseur but it felt completely playable to me.
That is awesome! Why switch if you like it?
 

Radicalized

Professional
Where does LM4 fall into the LM product lineup?
It was considered a beginner/intermediate racquet for a shorter swing. It was quite popular for that category. I used to have one as the racquet to give a friend/relative if just hitting around on a holiday or something like that. I don't know when they stopped producing copies of it, but it was in the last ten years or so. I still have some info and the string pattern around if you need more info. Irvin, the Irvin, even had a stringing video for it on YouTube. I don't remember it being anything but easy to swing, but I was, of course, using my Radical MP and OS as per signature. But I always liked that color. Does it still have that translucent built-in dampener?



For the longest time, they still sold copies of that and the black, larger framed, LM8. A friend who was just a casual player had one. It had a relatively wide beam.
 
Last edited:

harryz

Professional
I have 15 (!) of these that I'll be selling soon. You guys have first dibs. 6 are 1/2 Austria or Czech, 6 are 3/8 from Czech and possibly Austria (unclear) and 3 are 3/8 from China. All very nice...

Harry Z
 

dr325i

G.O.A.T.
I have 15 (!) of these that I'll be selling soon. You guys have first dibs. 6 are 1/2 Austria or Czech, 6 are 3/8 from Czech and possibly Austria (unclear) and 3 are 3/8 from China. All very nice...

Harry Z
They are either made in Austria or China.
Those made in Austria have squarish string channel ending while Chinese have round and grommets fit perfect.
Austrian ones are either painted in Austria (early version) or painted in CZ (later version before transferring all to China).
The Austrian ones have H22167.1N printed under the pallets (H22 = KB, PT167.1 layup, N = retail)
 

darkother

Rookie
This may have been discussed in a different thread but how do the LM Radical Tours play/feel compared to the Blade Pros? There is the big difference in static weight but swing weight should be similar.
 

harryz

Professional
No idea. I have some 18x20 Blade V8s (which I'm also selling) and while they are more powerful than the LM and seem easier to swing, they lack the feel of the LM for me.
 

tomkowy

Rookie
Has anyone tried making 18x19 from LM Rad MP? Should I skip lowest cross or highest cross? I’d like to make the stringbed a bit softer and get a bit more spin.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Has anyone tried making 18x19 from LM Rad MP? Should I skip lowest cross or highest cross? I’d like to make the stringbed a bit softer and get a bit more spin.

I guess remove the string you think you will need less (my guess the lowest one), but that will not get you more spin as the middle is still the same and that (to a little higher in the hoop) is where most of the contact would come from.

My advice would be to try a thinner gauge string than what you are using currently. That will increase the spacing throughout and help get a higher launch angle and more spin. You can still try the 18x19 pattern, if you like, but the larger spaces between the strings will get you more spin.

Hope that helps.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
This may have been discussed in a different thread but how do the LM Radical Tours play/feel compared to the Blade Pros? There is the big difference in static weight but swing weight should be similar.

Nobody has answered, so I'll give it a go.

Unfortunately, in Australia, they don't sell the BP with a 18x20 pattern, so my only comparison can be between the LM Rad Tour MP and the BP 16x19 v7 (which is probably not a fair comparison).

I would say the BP has more power, still has great control (but not as much as the LM Rad Tour MP - since it is 18x20 and 95 sq. in rather than 98), and feels thicker in the off-hand (at least to me).

Since the Blade Pro was created to emulate the Head Radical (and in my opinion the LM Rad Tour MP - which is what Djokovic was using before he moved to Wilson for a stint), they would be similar racquets, but not the same. Feel will be a personal thing, I happen to like the twin-tube feel of the Head racquets, but the Blade Pro is very nice as well, and I play well with both. I would love to be able to try an LM Radical Tour MP with a 16x19 string pattern of the BP (but that may only exist if you are a super high ranked Pro who asked for this specific thing - which I am not). This would be the only fair comparison between the two. Then there is the different specs, balance, etc... so all-in-all, probably not fair to compare them.

Both great racquets in their own right, but different at the same time. As things sit, the Blade Pro 16x19 v7 is more inherently powerful, has a bigger head size (but not a huge difference), and feels just a smidge stiffer to me compared to the LM Rad Tour MP. As it is the 16x19 string pattern, it is probably more versatile than the LM Rad Tour MP (or should I say easier for the average person to get more out of it - provided they can handle the high SW). But I like them both, I will keep them both, and I will use them one or the other depending on how I'm feeling.

Hope that helps.
 

darkother

Rookie
Nobody has answered, so I'll give it a go.

Unfortunately, in Australia, they don't sell the BP with a 18x20 pattern, so my only comparison can be between the LM Rad Tour MP and the BP 16x19 v7 (which is probably not a fair comparison).

I would say the BP has more power, still has great control (but not as much as the LM Rad Tour MP - since it is 18x20 and 95 sq. in rather than 98), and feels thicker in the off-hand (at least to me).

Since the Blade Pro was created to emulate the Head Radical (and in my opinion the LM Rad Tour MP - which is what Djokovic was using before he moved to Wilson for a stint), they would be similar racquets, but not the same. Feel will be a personal thing, I happen to like the twin-tube feel of the Head racquets, but the Blade Pro is very nice as well, and I play well with both. I would love to be able to try an LM Radical Tour MP with a 16x19 string pattern of the BP (but that may only exist if you are a super high ranked Pro who asked for this specific thing - which I am not). This would be the only fair comparison between the two. Then there is the different specs, balance, etc... so all-in-all, probably not fair to compare them.

Both great racquets in their own right, but different at the same time. As things sit, the Blade Pro 16x19 v7 is more inherently powerful, has a bigger head size (but not a huge difference), and feels just a smidge stiffer to me compared to the LM Rad Tour MP. As it is the 16x19 string pattern, it is probably more versatile than the LM Rad Tour MP (or should I say easier for the average person to get more out of it - provided they can handle the high SW). But I like them both, I will keep them both, and I will use them one or the other depending on how I'm feeling.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the reply. I currently have a couple of the V8 BP 16x19s and like them quite a bit. For me, I like almost everything about them, but I feel the 16x19 BP is lacking a tiny bit of control, which I think for me at least comes from it not quite spinning the ball as much as I’m expecting sometimes.

That could be more of “me” problem than the racquet itself, but after using the Speed Pro for a bit I felt like that had much better control with the 18x20 pattern. I did try the BP 18x20 and wasn’t really a fan, a bit too much swingweight from what I’d prefer haha
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Thanks for the reply. I currently have a couple of the V8 BP 16x19s and like them quite a bit. For me, I like almost everything about them, but I feel the 16x19 BP is lacking a tiny bit of control, which I think for me at least comes from it not quite spinning the ball as much as I’m expecting sometimes.

That could be more of “me” problem than the racquet itself, but after using the Speed Pro for a bit I felt like that had much better control with the 18x20 pattern. I did try the BP 18x20 and wasn’t really a fan, a bit too much swingweight from what I’d prefer haha

The only way to find out really is to source an LM Rad Tour MP. I have two, and will not be selling them.
 

tomkowy

Rookie
I guess remove the string you think you will need less (my guess the lowest one), but that will not get you more spin as the middle is still the same and that (to a little higher in the hoop) is where most of the contact would come from.

My advice would be to try a thinner gauge string than what you are using currently. That will increase the spacing throughout and help get a higher launch angle and more spin. You can still try the 18x19 pattern, if you like, but the larger spaces between the strings will get you more spin.

Hope that helps.
Yeah, already strung with 1.18 string, so not much to gain there. I hoped that skipping the lowest cross would make stringbed a little bit more spin-friendly with larger snap-back.

I'll try it anyway. I hope there will be any noticeable change.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Yeah, already strung with 1.18 string, so not much to gain there. I hoped that skipping the lowest cross would make stringbed a little bit more spin-friendly with larger snap-back.

I'll try it anyway. I hope there will be any noticeable change.

Just in case you haven't tried it/done it, I usually keep a 3 pound differential between the Mains and the Crosses (eg. 46M/43C). This also helps with the higher launch angle and more spin production.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Pulled out my LM RTMP to compare to one of my BP v7 16Ms... and the LM RTMP was better in most categories.

In Oz, we only got the 16x19 version of the BP, but it would have been good to be able to compare the 18x20 to the LM RTMP (more apples to apples).

The LM Radical Tour MP is such an awesome racquet though. I think I will never sell them.
 
Pulled out my LM RTMP to compare to one of my BP v7 16Ms... and the LM RTMP was better in most categories.

In Oz, we only got the 16x19 version of the BP, but it would have been good to be able to compare the 18x20 to the LM RTMP (more apples to apples).

The LM Radical Tour MP is such an awesome racquet though. I think I will never sell them.
Really? What categories? Does BP hit a heavier ball?
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Really? What categories? Does BP hit a heavier ball?

The LM Radical Tour MP was more precise, better control, better feel (although it was close), absorbed pace just as well as the BP, felt thinner when it comes to the beam thickness (or at least felt like it), and produced just as much power (or very close to it, but with the other factors combined to a better power/precision ratio - less mistakes). My opponent/hitting partner seemed to be more effected by my shots when I was using the LM RTMP rather than the BP (even when I was using the heavier one - 364g). I was producing easier depth and was maintaining that depth more consistently with the LM RTMP than the BP v7 16x19. I could hit smaller targets with greater consistency and confidence with the LM RTMP than the BP. I even like the look and design more (although the v8 version is very nice looking and may be better in this respect).

When you ask about which hit a heavier ball... define what a heavy ball is to you? Is it the speed of the shot? Is it how much it kicks after-the-bounce? Is it the combination of the two?

Some of these comparisons and experiences will be a combination of the feel one has playing with a racquet, what the opponent/hitting partner's playing style is (what kind of shots he/she is comfortable with), the level of the opponent, the strings used, the tension the strings are strung at, etc.

So, the LM Radical Tour MP was doing more damage than the BP v7 16x19 (at least to this opponent/hitting partner)... and therefore, I would say it was producing a heavier ball than the BP.

Don't get me wrong, the BP is a fabulous racquet, and we're playing with very fine margins. I will be keeping my BP's as well. Once the v8 BP's go on sale (in a few years), I may look to get some and see if they are better (in which case I would replace the v7s... and maybe re-evaluate). I may try different strings and combos to see if the BP gets better... but the LM Radical Tour MP is pretty hard to beat (just ask Djokovic).
 
The LM Radical Tour MP was more precise, better control, better feel (although it was close), absorbed pace just as well as the BP, felt thinner when it comes to the beam thickness (or at least felt like it), and produced just as much power (or very close to it, but with the other factors combined to a better power/precision ratio - less mistakes). My opponent/hitting partner seemed to be more effected by my shots when I was using the LM RTMP rather than the BP (even when I was using the heavier one - 364g). I was producing easier depth and was maintaining that depth more consistently with the LM RTMP than the BP v7 16x19. I could hit smaller targets with greater consistency and confidence with the LM RTMP than the BP. I even like the look and design more (although the v8 version is very nice looking and may be better in this respect).

When you ask about which hit a heavier ball... define what a heavy ball is to you? Is it the speed of the shot? Is it how much it kicks after-the-bounce? Is it the combination of the two?

Some of these comparisons and experiences will be a combination of the feel one has playing with a racquet, what the opponent/hitting partner's playing style is (what kind of shots he/she is comfortable with), the level of the opponent, the strings used, the tension the strings are strung at, etc.

So, the LM Radical Tour MP was doing more damage than the BP v7 16x19 (at least to this opponent/hitting partner)... and therefore, I would say it was producing a heavier ball than the BP.

Don't get me wrong, the BP is a fabulous racquet, and we're playing with very fine margins. I will be keeping my BP's as well. Once the v8 BP's go on sale (in a few years), I may look to get some and see if they are better (in which case I would replace the v7s... and maybe re-evaluate). I may try different strings and combos to see if the BP gets better... but the LM Radical Tour MP is pretty hard to beat (just ask Djokovic).
Thats very impressive I'll have to try one then, is the regular liquidmetal radical mp similar enough to the tour? Maybe just lighter but same racquet other than that?
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Thats very impressive I'll have to try one then, is the regular liquidmetal radical mp similar enough to the tour? Maybe just lighter but same racquet other than that?

Yeah, great racquet, with lower weight, and a different balance point... but still very stable. It turns into a harder beast to control when I tried to add weight. The LM RTMP is already there from the get-go. I just added an overgrip and use thin gauge strings. Good to go.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Its kind of like rf97 vs ps97

But a much plusher, more arm-friendly experience. I can only wish the RF97A was as plush and lovely as the LM RTMP. If it was, I would have loaded up, as I played very well with it (RF97A), it pounded the ball, but was just too stiff and I didn't want problems.
 
I consider getting a Head Radical Liquidmetal from a guy from Athens. Found it on Facebook Marketplace. The guy said he used to be #4 in Greece sometime in the past and has 3 for sale for 135€.
He will sell me 1 for 50€, so I'm really considering getting it, even though I have a Diadem Nova, Diadem Elevate, recently got the Head Boom Pro and Wilson Blade V5 18*20.
I was looking for a Pro Kennex, but 3 people I advised told me that the Radical Liquidmetal is a must-have.
I don't play competitve tennis and going for this racket is gonna be most probably the start of becoming a racket collector.
 

darkother

Rookie
A bit of a delayed update but I finally got a chance to do a few days of hitting only with the LM Radicals this past week. I think this racquet falls in the "love to hit with" category but probably also lands in the "not for matches" group too.

During college I only used lighter, spinny, 16x19 racquets like the Aero Pro Drive and the Pure Drive, so my game is geared more towards those frames. I've been hitting with heavier racquets the past couple years just testing stuff out and I think this LM Radical is the heaviest one I've played with yet. The headlight balance on the LM Radiacal did help though, compared to the Blade Pro especially. At contact the LM might be the best feeling racquet I've hit with. Compared to the BP, it feels just a little bit softer and a little bit more solid. The sweetspot was pretty small, but not in a bad way. The only time I had trouble with it was when I got rushed on the forehand side, but even then it was relatively forgiving for the headsize and weight.

In terms of individual shots, forehands were solid and backhands were good as well, but sometimes were landing short, probably due to the headlight swingweight. I'll probably end up adding a couple grams of lead to see if that helps. Volleys were great with the extra weight, and overheads were fine as well. On serve, the extra weight helped put some extra oomph behind my firsts, but second serve was missing that spin you can get with a 16x19. The most standout shot though was the return. I felt like I was able to guide and place almost every return in the last 20% of the court, both on first and second serves. This could also be due to the Djokovic effect in my mind haha.

I had the chance to play a few sets with the LM's as well. Although I won all three pretty easily, I didn't really feel like I gelled with the racquets as well as I would have liked in the points. It felt like I was just redirecting the shots to the right places, instead of actually hitting the ball to those same targets. There was also the element of me being a better and more experienced than the guys I played with so there was that too.

I'll have to hit with it a bit more to see if I can adjust to the higher weight and smaller headsize. While I love the feel, I'm pretty sure this racquet wouldn't work for me when playing against the higher level college guys. Just not enough power on defence from the corners and a bit less spin than I'm used to.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
A bit of a delayed update but I finally got a chance to do a few days of hitting only with the LM Radicals this past week. I think this racquet falls in the "love to hit with" category but probably also lands in the "not for matches" group too.

During college I only used lighter, spinny, 16x19 racquets like the Aero Pro Drive and the Pure Drive, so my game is geared more towards those frames. I've been hitting with heavier racquets the past couple years just testing stuff out and I think this LM Radical is the heaviest one I've played with yet. The headlight balance on the LM Radiacal did help though, compared to the Blade Pro especially. At contact the LM might be the best feeling racquet I've hit with. Compared to the BP, it feels just a little bit softer and a little bit more solid. The sweetspot was pretty small, but not in a bad way. The only time I had trouble with it was when I got rushed on the forehand side, but even then it was relatively forgiving for the headsize and weight.

In terms of individual shots, forehands were solid and backhands were good as well, but sometimes were landing short, probably due to the headlight swingweight. I'll probably end up adding a couple grams of lead to see if that helps. Volleys were great with the extra weight, and overheads were fine as well. On serve, the extra weight helped put some extra oomph behind my firsts, but second serve was missing that spin you can get with a 16x19. The most standout shot though was the return. I felt like I was able to guide and place almost every return in the last 20% of the court, both on first and second serves. This could also be due to the Djokovic effect in my mind haha.

I had the chance to play a few sets with the LM's as well. Although I won all three pretty easily, I didn't really feel like I gelled with the racquets as well as I would have liked in the points. It felt like I was just redirecting the shots to the right places, instead of actually hitting the ball to those same targets. There was also the element of me being a better and more experienced than the guys I played with so there was that too.

I'll have to hit with it a bit more to see if I can adjust to the higher weight and smaller headsize. While I love the feel, I'm pretty sure this racquet wouldn't work for me when playing against the higher level college guys. Just not enough power on defence from the corners and a bit less spin than I'm used to.

Keep at it. Things may open up for you. I find it has lots of power out of the corners (and especially down-the-line shots), as long as you get behind the ball. I have hit some of the best/most satisfying BH and FH (on the run) with this racquet, but being in place is the key... and meeting the ball out-front.
 

darkother

Rookie
I agree with that. Against those 9-10 utr guys I had no problems on defense from the corners as long as I made sure to be there and get the racquet around in time. A lot of the struggle came when I was hitting with a guy that played futures, which may have been caused more by his level than my racquet haha
 

darkother

Rookie
Anyone have any thoughts on comparisons between the LM Radical Tour, Gravity Pro, and Vcore 95? I'm really liking the LM and was interested in something similar but possibly a bit newer. I've hit with both the Gravity Pro and Vcore 95 a bit, but I don't have either one at the moment to really compare with the LM.
 
I've read on here the Blade Pro feels like the old Radicals the most. Always thought on paper the Boom Pro had similarities to older Radicals and the Blade Pro, but haven't had a chance to try it. Might be worth adding those to your list too
 

darkother

Rookie
Thanks for the input. I've had the Blade Pro three different times but ended up selling it each one after a few months. For me, the feel wasn't too far off, but I wasn't a huge fan of the 330-335+ swingweight on most of the BP's. I tried out the Boom Pro once and thought it was pretty solid, but ended up trading it a bit too quickly. I'm interested in trying that again at some point next year!
 
Thanks for the input. I've had the Blade Pro three different times but ended up selling it each one after a few months. For me, the feel wasn't too far off, but I wasn't a huge fan of the 330-335+ swingweight on most of the BP's. I tried out the Boom Pro once and thought it was pretty solid, but ended up trading it a bit too quickly. I'm interested in trying that again at some point next year!
So it was just that swingweight was too high for you was the only problem?
 

darkother

Rookie
That was the main one yep. I’m just really accustomed to lighter swingweight, regardless of the base weight to a certain extent. Aside from that, I did struggle a bit with hitting long whenever I tried to go a bit bigger on my shots, plus I sometimes felt like the precision wasn’t quite there (mainly on the 16x19 version, 18x20 didn’t have this).

I loved the feel, which I did think was similar to the Radical, but I didn’t gel with it unfortunately.
 
D

Deleted member 775108

Guest
So it was just that swingweight was too high for you was the only problem?

The swing weight is only part of the story. Below is how someone explained it to me. Anyone who knows more about this feel free to correct me -

The Blade Pro also has a slightly different flex profile with the soft throat and stiff hoop. Basically you can feel a soft throat when you swing the racquet and the stiff hoop when you contact the ball (stability). I believe those who can adjust their swing timing to the flex profile (in addition to balance and SW) will enjoy it. The ones who cant will struggle to keep the ball in and cannot find control. Once and if they adjust consistently they are able to take advantage of the stiff hoop and open string pattern to do damage and produce your infamous *magic exploding balls* and they will keep tell us about the awesome control as well since they are catching the ball and the flex in the right placement. I believe this is the primary reason this flex profile has not been tried in retail as it needs to satisfy all or majority of the testers before it goes to production. It feels like the older radicals since you feel the throat flex but has a stiffer hoop and different string pattern than those old radicals that makes it "better" if you have the ability to take advantage of it.

Next time they have a sale I think you can try one and resell it as soon as you realize (if) it is not for you. Paint job itself is kinda worth it. Quick resell if it is not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

darkother

Rookie
The swing weight is only part of the story. Below is how someone explained it to me. Anyone who knows more about this feel free to correct me -

The Blade Pro also has a slightly different flex profile with the soft throat and stiff hoop. Basically you can feel a soft throat when you swing the racquet and the stiff hoop when you contact the ball (stability). I believe those who can adjust their swing timing to the flex profile (in addition to balance and SW) will enjoy it. The ones who cant will struggle to keep the ball in and cannot find control. Once and if they adjust consistently they are able to take advantage of the stiff hoop and open string pattern to do damage and produce your infamous *magic exploding balls* and they will keep tell us about the awesome control as well since they are catching the ball and the flex in the right placement. I believe this is the primary reason this flex profile has not been tried in retail as it needs to satisfy all or majority of the testers before it goes to production. It feels like the older radicals since you feel the throat flex but has a stiffer hoop and different string pattern than those old radicals that makes it "better" if you have the ability to take advantage of it.

Next time they have a sale I think you can try one and resell it as soon as you realize (if) it is not for you. Paint job itself is kinda worth it. Quick resell if it is not.

The flexy throat and stiff hoop makes sense. I could kind of feel that difference between the two racquets. Weight of shot and that explosiveness from the Blade Pro were there as well, but my forehand is really whippy compared to my backhand, so I wasn’t benefitting as much from the plow through.

But as you said, that paint job is reallyyy nice haha
 

rlau

Hall of Fame
Hi guys, if I were to replace the grommets on my Head LM Radical MPs, which – currently available – grommet model (or code) should I get? And does anyone happen to know where I can find those in Europe? TIA!
 

ajw470

New User
Just finding this thread after restringing my LM Radical MP after many years in the closet. The feel and sound of this racket on contact are just unparalleled.
My only issue with it at this point is the head size, stiffness and beam width. Are there any rackets that play similarly in a true 98 that have more power? around 300-310 grams? I don't think I've hit with any other rackets in the radical line but I'm open to it. To me the blade 18x20 was similar with a more dampened, yet firm feeling on contact.
 
Top