• Head Size: 98 sq. in. MP
• Length: 27 inches
• Weight: Strung — 9.7 oz Unstrung — 9.2 oz
• Tension: 48-57 Pounds
• Balance: 2/3 Pts. Head Heavy
• Beam Width: 20/23/21mm
• Composition: Graphene
• Flex: 63
• Grips Type: Head Hydrosorb Pro
• Power Level: Medium-High
• String Pattern: 16 Mains / 19 Crosses
• Shared Holes: None
• Mains Skip:  8T, 8H
• Swing Speed: Medium-Slow
• Swing Weight: 330

The HEAD Graphene Radical MP falls into the “player” category of tennis racquets. Now made with Graphene, the world’s strongest and lightest material, which gives HEAD the opportunity to redistribute the weight from its predecessor, the Youtek IG Radical MP. This redistribution helps to optimize the handling and power of the racquet.

Groundstrokes
The Head Radical REV has an interesting combination of maneuverability, stability, and power. With the head heavy balance, the swing weight felt almost identical to the Radical Pro. This allowed me to easily get depth on my groundstrokes and drive the ball with lots of pace and spin. I did not feel as comfortable being aggressive with the REV, as I felt a slight drop in control compared to the Radical Pro and MP.

The entire Radical line is extremely maneuverable, and the REV continues that trend. The racquet is incredibly light, at 9.7 ounces strung, which does a good job countering the head-heavy balance. My favorite part of hitting groundstrokes with the Radical REV was being able to easily counter my opponent’s aggressive shots. The combination of the maneuverability and the power allowed me to not only get a racquet on balls that could have been winners, but also get them back deep in the court. I felt very confident shortening my swing and still hitting with depth.

Volleys
The Radical REV had similar benefits at the net, providing both maneuverability and power. I could consistently get depth on my volleys and had no problem putting away balls that were sitting up. The one drawback I felt at the net was on touch shots. I was unable to get a good feel on drop shots and short angles. The racquet is completely different than what I normally use, so it could have just been getting used to such a light, head heavy frame.

Serves
Serves with the Radical REV felt great. I felt I was able to put a lot of snap on my serve, perhaps due to the head heavy frame. This snap created a lot more pace than I was expecting from a 9.2 ounce racquet. I was definitely impressed with how solid the racquet felt no matter what serve I hit.

Overall
The Radical REV is much different than the racquet I currently use, but I really enjoyed playing with it. I would recommend it to someone with a slower or shorter swing speed, but it could also fit a player who is more of a counterpuncher. The mixture of maneuverability and power enables you to easily attack and be aggressive, or be more defensive. If you are looking for a light player’s racquet that can still provide some extra power, then you definitely need to demo this racquet.

About the Reviewer:Jake Ledger is currently a student in the Professional Tennis Management Program at Ferris State University in Michigan. He is also a certified Instructor through the PTR for 10 & Under and Adults.