Crisper and more control-oriented or softer with more spin and pop—with Head’s Adaptive String Pattern technology both options are always available. With two sets of grommets for the cross strings you can choose to either string the frame with a more traditional 16x19 pattern, or a spacious 16x16 set-up. Head debuted the innovation last year in a few of their Speed and Instinct frames, and has now applied it to the recently released Graphene XT Radical MP A.
Along with the unique stringing capabilities, the new Radical MP A also contains the next generation of Graphene. The incredibly light and strong material is placed in throat of the frame, allowing more weight to be positioned toward the head and handle of the racquet—even more than the first incarnation. This allows more mass to be distributed where a player makes contact with the ball, thus producing extra pace, while still maintaining a quick, head-light balance.
To find out how it all comes together, we sent the Radical MP A to Kin Roseborough, head stringer and coach at the Family Circle Tennis Center. Here’s his assessment:
Kin Roseborough:
Head ASP technology lets you swap out the grommet set and choose between a 16x19 and 16x16 string pattern. For my initial play testing, I used the traditional 16x19 set-up, then restrung the frame to the more open 16x16.
The 16x16 set-up was noticeably livelier than the 16x19. The springier string bed was also more forgiving on off-center shots. My topspin forehand jumped even more with this pattern, though I was not able to produce a truly heavy ball; a little extra mass on the MP could help to that end. Slice backhands were effortless and effective with the 16x16 pattern, but I had a little less success on my flatter one-hander—balls occasionally took off—than with the 16x19 string bed.
Volleys were easy to put away with the Radical MP A, particularly when moving in to attack a floating ball. However, in much the same way it lacked some mass to produce a heavy ball, the frame wasn’t quite as stable against pace as some of the heavier racquets I’ve recently played with. The sweetspot, which felt ample at the baseline, seemed a little smaller at net. Just like the previous version, I actually found more success with the swinging volley, particularly with the 16x16 pattern.
The combination of power and control on my serve was impressive, as long as I struck the ball cleanly. Slice and kick serves had a lot of movement and resulted in more errors than usual from my opponent. Contact even slightly outside the sweetspot, however, sent too many serves long and also had a harsh feedback. The racquet was strung with a full bed of poly (Hawk Touch) and experimenting with some softer strings and tension could alleviate this problem.
What really separates this frame from its competitors, though, is the multiple string patterns that allow the playability options of a softer, more spin-friendly set-up (16x16), or a crisper, more precise response (16x19). If I had to pick I’d probably go with the more open pattern and it’s livelier and more forgiving performance. But it’s a bonus to know it doesn’t have to be a lifetime commitment.
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