Head Radical Pro 2021 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

The Radical Pro 2021's new Graphene 360+ technology was a hit with the playtesters from the first stroke. Even though the two Tennis Warehouse playtesters have vastly different playing styles, both were able to unlock the magic of the Radical Pro. Michelle, who is an aggressive baseliner, said, "For a while now, the Radical Pro has been my favorite Head racquet because it offers me the best blend of controlled power. This update is one of my favorites, and I loved how fluid it felt in my hands. Every ball I hit felt like it was coming off the stringbed in a consistent way. I appreciated how maneuverable the racquet played while still allowing me to pack my shots with power and plow through. Even against big hitters, I could accelerate through the ball and found good stability. I really loved playing first-strike tennis with this racquet. I felt confident hitting my targets and wrapping up the point aggressively. I have always found the Radical Pro a fun racquet to slice with, and this update was in line with that. The addition of 5 grams of weight and the Graphene 360+ seemed to bring this racquet to life even more than previous generations. I had a lot of fun drilling and competing with this Radical Pro 2021 in hand, and it became a racquet I knew I could perform well with."

Even though Mark has more of a counterpunching game style, he was still able to tap into the racquet's potential. He said, "I liked it from the first couple of exchanges, and that led to some backcourt confidence swinging this Radical Pro update. For a 315-gram frame, it definitely swings pretty fast, yet it delivered ample stability. I could consistently take full forehand swings and hit either a flatter or loopier shot via its easy to access spin. Directional control and absorbing my opponent's shot pace were outstanding with the Radical Pro and nicely complemented my playing style."

The playtesters at Tennis Warehouse Europe also sung the Radical Pro's praises, especially regarding its feel. Julie said, "I was not a huge fan of the previous Graphene 360 version, but Head has impressed me this year with their new racquet launches and technology update. I remember having stiffness issues with the Head Radical Pro two years ago, and I noticed a sweet improvement in comfort from the very first hit with this new version. Although the weight was bumped up, I thought Head did an amazing job keeping the Radical Pro maneuverable. I enjoyed rallying with pace during point play, and when taking huge cuts at down the line forehands, I appreciated this racquet's control. This is not the most spin-friendly racquet, but it offers enough spin access for aggressive baseliners. Another positive for me was my slice. It's definitely not my best shot, but I found it easy to knife the ball with this Radical Pro's improved feel, and that shot felt pretty efficient. Lastly, I'm usually much more aggressive on my backhand, and I often find myself hitting off-center shots. This became a small issue at times, as I felt unwanted vibrations."

Zeljko added, "The 4-year-old Graphene Touch Radical Pro was my racquet of choice. I didn't like the version in between, the Graphene 360, but this new update picks up the feel of the old version and adds maneuverability and even more control to my groundstrokes. This racquet simply improves my game."

Down under at Tennis Only, both playtesters found the control they needed to play their games at a high level. Jaye said, "This update felt a lot more stable and had plenty of plow through compared to the previous versions. In fact, this was my favorite frame out of the last five Graphene versions off the ground! Head built plenty of put-away power and directional control into this frame, and it had me wanting to step inside the baseline and go for bigger and more aggressive shots." Justin loved the addition of the SpiralFibers to the racquet. He described, "It greatly improved the feel. The updated feel gave me better control and helped pocket the ball, creating wider angles and more depth on my shots."

Volleys - Score: 84

The playtesters agreed that the Graphene 360+ Radical Pro offered a stellar blend of maneuverability and control. Zeljko kept it simple, saying, "The racquet was perfect at net. It was super easy to maneuver and stable at contact." Jaye also completely clicked with this update at the net, adding, "Maneuverability and stability are two things that I look for in a racquet when it comes to volleying, and this racquet provided both! When I had the Radical Pro in position I felt like I was winning against the ball and was able to control the outcome instead of the ball controlling me."

The playtesters also found improvements in the feel. The Radical Pro has always performed well at net for Michelle, and this update was no exception. She said, "I had zero issues when volleying, and I found the Radical Pro 2021 to be quick enough to block back big shots. I also felt good keeping balls deep to push my opponents back before ending the point with a cheeky drop volley. Maneuverability and stability were the two standouts I found at net, and I loved finishing points up there." Justin had similar feedback, saying, "The increased weight of the Radical Pro gives it more stability than the previous model, which made for crisper volleys and better punch, especially against heavy hitters. With a lower stiffness and the addition of the SpiralFiber technology, this racquet offered great touch for drop volleys."

Justin wasn't the only person to note the positives of the added weight. Mark added, "Inside the service box was another area on the court where the new Graphene 360+ Radical Pro's 5-gram increase in weight translated to better stability, allowing me to produce some great volleys. With its speed-inducing 6-points-head-light balance, the timing of a volley was never an issue for me."

Julie summed up the net experience by saying, "Before coming up to net, the 315 grams convinced me I would have maneuverability issues, but I was mistaken! The thinner beam helped me move the racquet quickly enough to find the perfect contact point on each volley. And my arm didn't get tired on longer rallies, which often happens with heavier racquets. The responsiveness of the racquet was a super nice bonus for me, and when my contact point was below the level of the net I was impressed with the control I had. The Radical Pro felt stable and responsive, and it helped me stay in control of the point at net."

Serves - Score: 82

Serves with the Head Graphene 360+ Radical Pro brought out some mixed results from the playtesters. Two playtesters found it to be their favorite shot. Jaye said, "I had an instant connection with this racquet, and I could really feel exactly how the ball was coming off the strings and where it was going to land. This is a trait I don't find often in racquets, so it was definitely a pleasure to play with. If I needed to win one point to win a match and I was serving, this is the racquet I'd choose." Mark went into even more detail, saying, "Although I felt pretty effective playing with the Radical Pro anywhere on the tennis court, I felt it fit my serve's path better than most other racquets in memory. I have been known to complain about preferring a heavier racquet on serve and a lighter racquet for groundstrokes. With this racquet's head-light balance and 11.7-ounce strung weight, I actually come pretty close to having my cake and eating it too."

Some playtesters were able to take advantage of the updated Radical Pro's control and precision, especially on their slice serves. Michelle thought the extra mass in this update really showed up when she was serving. She said, "I often began point situations with slower serves (more like a second serve to get going) and then was able to dial in the first serve once I found some confidence. This is one of those racquets that really rewards me when I am aligned with my mechanics, executing my timing correctly and going up and after the ball. I loved targeting the T, but I could also slice serves off the court and get the ball kicking up." Justin was in a similar boat, but at times was left looking for a little more oomph. He said, "There was great control and spin potential, which gave me an opportunity to kick or slice out wide. However, there was a lack of power that was preventing me from winning easy points."

Unlike the rest of the playtesters, the team from Tennis Warehouse Europe was more on the neutral side when it came to serving with the Graphene 360+ Radical Pro. Zeljko thought it was the one area where he didn't see a big improvement over the old versions. However, he noted, "It still offered nice power and was very maneuverable, so I could get kick and slice on the serve." Julie struggled a tad on her slice serves, but she was able to use the Radical Pro effectively for the most part. She said, "Serving wide was a bit frustrating for me. It felt like I was hitting off-center every time. However, sending first serves to the body or T felt great. I enjoy heavier racquets on my serve because they give me plenty of plow through. With the Radical Pro feeling so crisp and stable, I was able to hit big first serves with tons of control. If I performed my mechanics well I could be certain the ball would land exactly where I wanted."

Returns - Score: 82

Between the excellent maneuverability, updated feel and added stability, the Graphene 360+ Radical Pro had something for everyone on returns. Whether she was taking a big cut or dipping a return back into the court with good margins, Michelle was pleased with this racquet's return performance. She said, "I loved taking returns aggressively down the line and felt really connected to the ball. I never worried about the response and could tell at impact that the shot was going where I was targeting. Again, this racquet helped me play my favorite style of first-strike tennis, and I was able to attack and finish the points off from there. It was stable even when I was facing big servers and didn't quite have the time I needed to get prepared, but I could still block back a defensive return to keep me in the point." Zeljko agreed, adding, "It felt super easy to block back fast serves. The mass and flexibility made this racquet perfect for my return game."

Mark was able to get more aggressive with his return game. He described, "Relative to my level, style and who I most often play with, the Graphene 360+ Radical Pro was very obedient. It made my chip return a little more effective, and I was hitting topspin serve returns on the backhand wing more often than usual." While the Radical Pro was a little lackluster creating power on returns, Justin still found it great for countering. He said, "There was great control to pocket the ball and set up the point, even against big serves."

While the Radical Pro worked well for our playtesters for the most part, Jaye and Julie did need to make some small adjustments on their return of serves. Jaye tends to overhit his returns, especially his forehand. He said, "With the added weight, my timing was slightly off. I did find the consistency I needed when I adjusted and learned to just block the ball back, but I'm still aiming to get back to starting the point off on an aggressive note rather than playing neutral." Julie wrapped up the playtest, saying, "I found enough maneuverability to return aggressively and counterpunch quickly on first server returns, especially on my forehand. I didn't question whether I was going for too much or not, and I was super comfortable, consistent and confident on these returns. However, it was another story on backhands since I often hit off-center. I found small vibration issues when I was trying to go for too much, which clearly impacted my consistency, so I was trying to measure my intensity and simply place the ball to find the sweetspot, which worked pretty nicely."

Overall - Score: 85