HEAD Flexpoint Radical Review
Can you get more from a racquet by taking something out? HEAD seems to think so with its latest line of Radical racquets. Called Flexpoint, the latest technology from HEAD features a "precisely engineered hole" at the 3 & 9 o'clock positions on the racquet head. Accompanying each hole is a dimple in the frame which reduces beam width by up to 25% (depth of the dimple varies depending on the beam width of the racquet model). Both the hole and the dimple are designed to make the racquet more flexible in the upper hoop. The theory being, that by having the racquet flex at the 3 & 9 positions, the racquet will cup the ball.
While a traditional racquet flexes from the tip down through the shaft, a Flexpoint racquet is designed to increase flex in the hoop. HEAD states that this increased flex and cupping of the ball results in a longer dwell time (duration of time the ball is in contact with the racquet) allowing the player greater control and more feel. HEAD also claims that the Flexpoint racquets result in more accurate hitting due to the cupping effect of the racquet. Few racquets are stiff enough to return to their original state before the ball leaves the strings, resulting in the racquet still being flexed and the ball coming off at a slight angle. HEAD claims that the sectionally flexible Flexpoint racquets significantly reduce the angle at which the ball leaves the strings, resulting in a more accurate hit.
Well, when someone offers us more feel, longer dwell time, more control and better direction on our shots, we say "sign us up!" Of course, first we'll want to put these principles through some solid testing and see for ourselves. So, with that in mind, we hit the courts for a month-long playtest of the new Flexpoint Radical Racquets from HEAD. Read on for the full-scoop, (or if you prefer, the 25% dimple).
Flexpoint Radical Midplus
Groundstrokes
Our entire team enjoyed the Flexpoint Radical Midplus off the ground. Finding a good fit for his groundstroke game was Josh. "The Flexpoint Radical Midplus felt very easy to use on groundstrokes. My forehands and backhands felt effortless and smooth. I was able to consistently hit deep and controlled shots from both sides of the baseline. Topspin was decent and my backhand slice felt comfortable as a defensive shot or as an approach shot. Surprisingly, I had more success against bigger hitters than moderate players. I had a tendency to over-hit when I had less pace to work with, and my shots were less controlled." After an initial adjustment Brad also found the Flexpoint Radical to be a good fit. "When I first started hitting with this racquet, I found myself getting out in front of the ball. However, once I got used to the weight and feel, I was able to place the ball where I wanted. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to generate enough spin with this racquet due to the smaller head size and tight string pattern, but I didn't find it an issue as long as I was prepared for the ball. I did find that off-center shots usually landed well short. On the flip side, shots that hit the sweet spot had good depth and pace. Also, I felt really comfortable hitting backhands with this racquet."
Both Chris and Don compared the Flexpoint Radical Midplus to its Liquidmetal predecessor. Chris said, "I noticed a subtle but discernable difference in the feel of the Flexpoint Radical Midplus compared to the Liquidmetal Radical Midplus. Shots hit slightly off center seemed to come off the stringbed of the Flexpoint with a little more zip and depth compared to the Liquidmetal racquet. I also noticed that I could maintain better control and pace when hitting off balance or when catching the ball a little too close to my body. Apart from that, the Flexpoint Radical Midplus offered the same excellent response from the baseline that I loved when hitting with the Liquidmetal Radical Midplus. Spin potential and power also felt very similar, but I did find more touch when hitting droppers with the Flexpoint. With more feel to it, I'd say the Flexpoint Radical Midplus is more string sensitive, too. By playing around with string and tension, I think there's even more performance to be had here, which is impressive stuff." Don offered, "the Flexpoint Radical Midplus swings and feels much like the Liquidmetal Radical, but with a little more feel. I'm not sure if this is due to Flexpoint or not. It also felt just a little more head-heavy (or less head light) than my recollection of the Liquidmetal Radical. This provided good stability, although I prefer a more head light balance. The dense string pattern still allowed for decent spin, and kept the stringbed from being too lively. Overall, it's a nice medium-weight control racquet and would favor players with a fast swing."
Volleys
The Flexpoint Radical Midplus offered plenty of feel and control for our team at net. Finding good direction on his volleys was Brad. "Volleys with this racquet felt good. I found that I was able to direct the ball where I wanted and the higher swingweight of the racquet did not affect me at all." Josh found a good blend of maneuverability and stability with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus on volleys. "The Flexpoint Radical Midplus was easy to maneuver at net and had good touch and control. Overhead volleys were solid and the racquet felt stable, whether I was digging down deep or stretching wide on a return volley.
Don also found good stability, but would have preferred a more head light feel to the racquet. "The almost even-balance lends stability on volleys, although here again, I like a head-light racquet for quick net exchanges. Volleys were very solid but the racquet wasn't as maneuverable as I would like. Good touch and feel, especially considering the dense string pattern." Chris was very impressed with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus at net. "I found lots of feel and control at the net. There was a softer feel to the Flexpoint version of the Radical Midplus on the volley. The level of feel I found at net reminded me of a Prestige type feel and this is the first Radical I've found to offer that type of response. Again, I was very impressed by the performance of this one and thought it was a solid update."
Serves
While the amount of power and spin our team developed with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus on serve varied from player to player, everyone was serving with impressive consistency. Enjoying the feel of the 18/20 stringbed was Josh. "I liked the tighter string pattern of the Flexpoint Radical Midplus. The pattern seemed to compliment the 98 square-inch head size and my service game. My serves had a little extra pop and control, though my second serve didn't kick as much as with the Tour model. This racquet felt very similar to the Dunlop 200G on serve." Struggling to find his usual pace was Brad. "My serves were mediocre with this racquet. I felt like I was able to place them where I wanted, but didn't feel like I could get as much pace as I normally do. Again, spin was not an issue even with the tighter string pattern."
Don found his targets consistently when serving with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus. "I found adequate power but never felt like I could over-power my opponent. Instead, I focused on placement and enjoyed good success. Whether hitting down the middle or slicing out wide, the racquet provided solid control." Chris found a solid all around performance on serve with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus. "I found good access to spin, getting some good kick on topspin and slice serves. I also found decent pace when hitting flatter serves and was able to serve with solid consistency all around. The racquet felt easy to swing and I liked the feel and balance. I think there's enough room to add some weight to this one without losing much mobility, and perhaps gain more penetration with each type of serve."
Serve Returns
The controlled response of the Flexpoint Radical Midplus gave our team plenty of options when it came to hitting returns of serve. Finding plenty of maneuverability from the racquet was Brad. "I found that the lighter weight of this racquet made it easier to get prepared for returns. However, when playing against those with bigger serves it would have been nice for this racquet to have a little more weight to it." Don found himself exploiting the controlled response of the racquet by mixing up his return game. "Similar to the Liquidmetal Radical, the Flexpoint Radical MP provides choices on serve returns. I could block back big serves effectively, thanks to the racquet's stability. Against most other serves, I could take some backswing. I found best results against second serves if I didn't swing too hard, but 'guided' the ball to my intended target."
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Chris said, "I liked the control I was getting on the return. I was able to take aggressive cuts at the ball and was really hitting aggressively with my forehand. There's a softer feel here, compared to previous Radicals, which made for more touch when chipping and placing the return. All in all, a nice blend of control, maneuverability and feel." Josh was pleased with the control and consistency of his return game with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus. "My return game felt good with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus. As with my groundstrokes, I felt comfortable with the balance of power and controlled depth of my returns. My slice backhand returns stayed firm, low, and deep, which gave me more variety on returns. The racquet also offered enough control that I could take a ball early and hit sharp-angled returns." OverallWe liked the softer, more feel oriented response of the Flexpoint Radical Midplus compared to its predecessors. Control seemed to be improved from all areas of the court with this latest edition. Most impressively, this Radical has lost none of the charm of the Liquidmetal version that wowed our team back in our 2003 review. We found the same solid response and impressive spin potential of the Liquidmetal Radical, but with more feedback to the player. In our opinion, HEAD has hit the mark with this racquet. The Flexpoint is a solid addition to the Radical lineage. |
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Head Flexpoint Radical Midplus Combined Scores
(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)
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Flexpoint Radical Oversize
Groundstrokes
Immediately noticeable to our team was the added power and the increased sweetspot size of the Flexpoint Radical Oversize compared to its Midplus sized brother. Finding more spin with this one was Brad. "The bigger head size and increased flexibility allowed me to generate more spin than with the MP version of the racquet, However, I did find that the racquet was less stable on off-center shots." Wendi found a smooth and powerful feel from the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. "The first thing that comes to mind is power. I had to make some adjustments with this big racquet because the power was a little overwhelming. I was hitting long so I really had to hold back on my normal aggressive swing. I was getting pretty good topspin, but not enough to make up for the power. It did feel very smooth when I hit through my swing; nice weight and feel. It had a loose feel off the strings, but the control aspect was decent. The Flexpoint Radical Oversize handled directional changes and quick moves to the net just fine."
Also finding a lively response off the strings was Don. "The Flexpoint Radical Oversize is quite similar to the Liquidmetal Radical Oversize. I enjoyed a little more flex and 'bounce' off the stringbed compared to the Midplus, but found the Oversize head didn't 'cut' through the air quite as easily. Once I adjusted to this I was able to let the racquet do a little more work, which meant I didn't have to swing as fast or as hard as with the Flexpoint Radical Midplus. There's also more forgiveness during off-center shots, which was no surprise, given the larger head."
Josh enjoyed the Flexpoint Radical the most when trading groundstrokes. "I was most pleased with my groundstrokes while playtesting the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. I was able to hit deep, consistent shots without much effort. The racquet provided decent topspin and the stringbed didn't feel like a trampoline, as many oversized racquets do. I was confident hitting forehands and backhands on the move and I wasn't concerned about holding back when I was stationary."
Comparing his experience with previous Radicals was Chris. "I found plenty of comfort and about as much power as I'd want from a player's racquet with this one. With the Liquidmetal Radical OS I found myself launching a few groundstrokes into the back fence, but with the Flexpoint version this happened less. While the power level of the two was similar, I found a little more control and feel from the Flexpoint racquet. I would've liked to have hit with one at max tension to see if I found even more control. I also think a switch to an all poly stringbed or a poly/multi hybrid would bring more control and make the racquet better suited to stronger hitters. I used to use the original Twin Tube Radical Oversize as a teaching pro - finding it to be an arm friendly racquet for feeding balls, yet offering enough control for hitting with stronger students. I've yet to find a Radical racquet that offers the same amount of control. The Flexpoint version comes closer than any of its predecessors."
Volleys
Our team had a mixed experience with the Flexpoint Radical Oversize at net. Having good success at net was Brad. "Volleys with this racquet were comparable to the Midplus version. I felt that I could place the ball where I wanted and I got good depth as long as I was prepared and in position." Chris also enjoyed volleying with the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. "This one really felt solid on the volley and seemed to have a generous sweetspot. I also found the racquet to feel very maneuverable and enjoyed using it during a couple of doubles matches. I was finding good depth on punch volleys and more feel than with the Liquidmetal Radical OS on touch volleys."
Wendi found the response of the Flexpoint Radical to be a little too lively. "At net the oversize was a little too responsive for my liking. I felt that the ball could go anywhere. I don't think I am a good enough player to control this type of racquet at net. It was maneuverable and stable, but just too loose of a feel off the strings. I did think the flex was good, it's definitely not a stiff racquet." Unlike Wendi, Don enjoyed the lively response off the stringbed. "The larger head certainly made volleying easier. I liked the comfort and slightly livelier stringbed, compared to the Midplus. I also preferred the more head-light balance, which improved maneuverability. Overall, a solid performer at net."
Josh said, "the headsize felt a bit larger than the listed 107 sq. inches. The racquet wasn't necessarily cumbersome, but my reaction time during quick exchanges at net seemed slower than usual. Again, it didn't take much to hit deep volleys and angled returns were fun to explore."
Serves
Our team found good access to spin with the Flexpoint Radical Oversize when serving. Chris said, "I really enjoyed hitting kick serves with this racquet. I managed to get some nice angle on my kickers out wide to the ad side. Likewise, slice serve to the deuce side had some nice swerve to them. I enjoyed moving the ball around with this racquet and rarely went for a flat heater. I prefer hitting serves with spin and found this racquet to be a good fit for my service game." Hitting some nice wide serves to the deuce side was Brad. "I found my slice serve to be really effective with this racquet. I was effectively serving the ball out wide to the deuce side of the court on a consistent basis. In terms of pace, I found it to perform about thes same as the Midplus version, meaning I was finding my target but would have liked a little more power."
Wendi would have liked a little more control on serves than she was finding with the Flexpoint radical Oversize. "My serving was very fluid with the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. I didn't have any troubles settling in to my serves, and the power was nice. If I hadn't played with the Flexpoint Radical Tour after this one, I'd say it was a great serving racquet. In comparison, the Oversize is again too powerful and maybe too open feeling. I wasn't getting the feeling of being in control of the point. My serves were in play and hard, but easy to return. I didn't have the precision that the Tour Midplus boasted."
Don found good results hitting a variety of serves. "The Flexpoint Radical Oversize is easy to serve with. I was able to hit flat, slice and kick serves with good results. Nothing really stood out, but I served consistently and enjoyed the comfort and control." Josh struggled to zone in on his targets but found plenty of spin from the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. "I had trouble serving to specific locations and could have used a little more power in the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. The racquet didn't seem to offer much weight behind the ball either, but the spin potential was good enough to mix the serves up and keep my opponents guessing. The headsize also felt a bit larger than I had expected. The Flexpoint Radical Oversize was steady and dependable on second serves despite my lack of pace."
Serve Returns
The power and large sweetspot of the Flexpoint Radical transferred into some smooth and effortless returning for some members of our team. Don said, "this racquet was right at home for me when returning serves. I found my best returns came with abbreviated strokes, allowing the racquet and stringbed to do most of the work. When I had time I could take a good swipe at the ball, but I had to make sure I applied enough spin. Otherwise, the ball would tend to sail." Josh found similar results. "Serve returns seemed effortless with the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. No need to take a huge backswing, but be sure to follow through or the ball could jump. As with my serves, I could have used a little more control on returns. I put a few sitters up against my doubles opponents that made for quick points." Brad would have liked a little more pop on the return. "Serve returns with this racquet were nice when I had the time to prepare and get into position. However, when I was out of position or not prepared, I wasn't able to get any pace on the ball."
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Chris enjoyed returning with the Flexpoint Radical Oversize. "I returned well with this racquet. I found some good angles and was able to generate plenty of spin from a very short backswing. My mistakes came mostly from hitting long. Again, I think a change in string tension and/or string composition would have solved this problem and brought more control to my return game. On the plus side, the more powerful response made it very easy to block a return back, and getting good depth was effortless." Wendi also had good results. "Returning serves with the oversize was one of the perks. It really handled my opponent's serves well. I was able to take a fairly hard serve and turn it around to work in my favor. I had extra authority when I took it early and went for a sharp angle. The responsiveness felt great on returns, like a quick counter-punch." OverallAs one of the few remaining Oversize player's racquets in a standard length, the Radical continues to carry the torch for the fan of Oversize player's racquets. We think the majority will be pleased when they try this one. With its softer feel, the Flexpoint Radical Oversize brings some fresh performance to the Radical line. The response off the stringbed is lively, the comfort level is high and the spin potential is very impressive. The solid performance offered by this one should please the Oversize fans as well as tempt players of Midplus racquets to add a few sq. inches to their game. |
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Head Flexpoint Radical Oversize Combined Scores
(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)
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Playtester Profiles |
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| Brad | 3.5-4.0 baseline player currently using a Yonex RDX 500 Midplus. Brad uses a semi-western forehand grip, has a medium swing style and hits a two-handed backhand. |
| Chris | 5.0 baseline player currently using a Yonex RDX 500 Midsize. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand. |
| Don | 4.5 All court player currently using a Volkl Tour 9 V-Engine (16x19). Don is an aggressive player with a medium to fast swing style, using a semi-western forehand grip and a one-handed backhand. |
| Josh | 4.0 all court player currently using a Wilson ProStaff Original 85. Josh has a long, loopy swingstyle, hits with a one-handed backhand and a semi-western forehand. |
| Wendi | 3.0 player currently using a Babolat Pure Control Plus. Wendi is a steady but aggressive player who hits with a semi-western forehand grip and a two-handed backhand. |
Review date: April 2005. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.
All content copyright 2005 Tennis Warehouse.
