Racquet Playtest Comparison:

About the play testerAbout the racquets

Name: radicaltourist on the Talk Tennis message boards

Playing Level: 3.5

Regular racquet, string & tension: 1998 Radical Tour OS, 366 grams strung/345 swingweight, 31.6 Balancepoint, Babolat Razor Spin 17, 62 pounds.

Tell us about your game: Power baseline, trying to look for opportunities to come to the net, moderate to fast stroke, eastern topspin forehand, eastern slice backhand, mostly doubles.

Return of the Player's Oversize? Once upon a time, herds of player's oversize frames darkened the prairies like buffalo. OK, that's over the top. Once upon a time, player oversize frames were common. They were the 'tweeners of their day. The top sticks included the Prince Original Graphite (POG) and Michael Chang Graphite, Head Radical Tour and the Wilson 6.1 OS. Deserving more credit than they received were the Prince Equipe OS and Gamma's Tradition 20 OS and 9.0 OS. Then they disappeared. The prevailing assumption seemed to be if you're strong enough to swing low-powered timber, you're good enough to nail the sweetspot of a 95-inch head. Only the POG survives. Head reinvents the Radical every year. Nothing being more constant than change and the market being overrun with midplus 'tweeners, perhaps the player oversize is about to rise again. That's just fine by me, having played with the 6.1 OS before switching to the 1998 Radical OS for the past six years until my serve became too vulnerable last year. Wilson reenters the player oversize market this spring with the nBlade OS. On paper, the specs look great, a control oversize for the new century. But this is the same company that gave us racquets with wheels. Perhaps next year they will mate the old and new technologies and introduce the RollerBlade. And, entering the year with a product of the same design philosophy that gave us Pimp My Ride is the Head Flexpoint Radical. Chock full o' holes, liquids, and intelligence, about all that's missing is a faux leopard skin bumper guard.

Power

Both the nBlade OS and FP Radical OS have what I would consider nearly 'tweener power, much more than a POG OS, for instance, and close to my old Radicals minus the need for lead. (Since writing that last line, I switched from my 15G to the nBlade in mid-match, and, no, it doesn't quite have 'tweener power.) The Radical, nearly evenly balanced, had more power than the more head light nBlade. Heavy hitters short on control could have trouble keeping balls in the court with either. I found both powerful enough to at least get some service winners and putaways on midcourt balls. I didn't have trouble keeping groundstrokes deep.

Control

Control is about the dialog between player and stick. Both racquets offer good control. Like good player's sticks, they make you feel like you've got the ball on a string and you know where it's going. . . usually. The Radical line has always had a good bit of flex compared to other sticks. The previous LM Radical was so horribly bouncy and vague that I had no idea where balls were going to land. The Flexpoint tightens up the trampoline effect a bit, and, thus, the control. The Radical's Swiss Army Knife collection of technologies and flex do seem to give the ball some extra dwell time on the strings that gave me the sensation of adjusting groundstrokes and volleys while the ball was on the strings. Yet, I occasionally felt a few groundies and volleys getting away from me. The nBlade can do the same tricks with an always well-behaved flex that makes for instant familiarity and confidence. I had better control on my serves and was able to slice a few out short and wide for first serve aces or regularly work an opponent's backhand on second serves. It just seemed perfectly balanced for a natural service motion. I magically volleyed back over a few drives at my shoe tops with the nBlade and did a good job of turning crosscourt balls into down-the-line replies.

Maneuverability

The Radical seems to have become more evenly balanced over the years. It's a heftier swing. That's not a problem at the baseline, where it could still half volley and short-hop balls with the best of them. But it was a bit sluggish at the net. I also always seemed to be behind the ball on one-handed topspin backhands. By comparison, the nBlade was razor quick at the net, and I could feel myself making small adjustments with volleys, which is always a good sign. The nBlade's extra length never was a negative. Within limits, I could still flick back topspin backhands or slice my way back to a neutral position if jammed.

Stability

Neither of these sticks gets pushed around in normal hitting. Due to its weight and its Liquidmetal and Flexpoint technologies, the Radical seemed to have a huge sweetspot and rock solid stability. The tradeoff for the nBlade's quickness was that it was a little more particular about off-center hits. On the other hand, I felt like its head light quickness resulted in fewer off-center shots. I found myself staring at the racquet after smartly knocking off several volleys I didn't expect to hit so squarely. That could be a product of stability, the fact that the head is a bit more round than oval or its maneuverability mentioned above.

Comfort

The Flexpoint Radical has the comfort of a game improvement frame - or a good, old-time wooden frame if you're a glass-half-full person. If you get arm problems with the Flexpoint, you are hitting wrong, plain and simple. The nBlade is also very comfortable and solid, less so naturally in the top third of the hoop if you're inclined to hit there.

Spin

Neither the Radical or the nBlade had the mad spin of the 16x19 POG OS string pattern. It's interesting that, in this topspin-happy era, the Radical retains its traditional 18x19 string pattern and Wilson chose the same 18x19. But especially for flat ball hitters, my perception is you get a little more control with the tighter pattern, something I notice most on service returns. Both generated surprisingly good spin. I liked the Wilson better. The Head too often didn't give me the slice or kick I was hoping for on serves. A younger, stronger arm than mine probably could overcome the Radical's inertia.

Final Thoughts

This might be a tough decision. For camping on the baseline and using a two-handed backhand, I might pick the Radical for its extra heft and power. For doubles and serve & volley singles, I would pick the nBlade for its maneuverability, spin and ability to place serves. But I think the nBlade could be converted into a pure baseline basher with a little lead at 3 and 9. After a hitting session, a 4.5 buddy with clean strokes who uses a POG OS declared the nBlade instantly familiar. He said if the POG were discontinued that he would pick up an nBlade without hesitation. He didn't like the Radical at all. I'm not that hard on it. The Radical remains a good stick. The nBlade has "classic" written all over it.

Comfort
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 83
Wilson nBlade Oversize 77
Control
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 76
Wilson nBlade Oversize 81
Groundstrokes
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 76
Wilson nBlade Oversize 82
Maneuverability
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 75
Wilson nBlade Oversize 79
Power
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 77
Wilson nBlade Oversize 75
Serve Returns
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 78
Wilson nBlade Oversize 79
Serves and Overheads
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 78
Wilson nBlade Oversize 80
Slice
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 79
Wilson nBlade Oversize 82
Stability
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 79
Wilson nBlade Oversize 76
Topspin
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 78
Wilson nBlade Oversize 80
Touch/Feel
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 77
Wilson nBlade Oversize 85
Volleys
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 80
Wilson nBlade Oversize 85
Overall
Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize 79
Wilson nBlade Oversize 85


Playtest date: April, 2006.
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