Author Archives: RacquetQuest
You Have Been Waiting for These!
You may not know it but you have been waiting for these!
Head continues with thier anniversary edition parade! It seems twenty-five years is a good time to re-introduce the racquet(s) that made history then!
Head Radical 107
Head Radical 98 Limited Edition
The Head Radical 107 OS is a remake of the Andre Agassi racquet that is true to the characteristics of the era! Great weight, perfect flex, workable swingweight, a 18×19 string pattern, a 107 square inch head, and minimal graphics! This may be the purest example of a remake I have ever seen. It even comes with the rubber band vibration dampers Andre used!
The Head Radical 98 MP is the newer racquet geometry and 98 head size. The graphics reach back twenty-five years for the colors but the design is definately contemporary. Plus, this racquet accepts the Head Pro Player Cap System grommet set. Yes, that means you can turn this Radical into a “beast” just like the previous versions!
I will be posting all the specifications of both of these as soon as possible but they are in the shop so please come by and take a look, and feel, for yourself. These are limited edition racquets.
What is Universal Tennis Rating (UTR)
In my opinion, and what I know about UTR, it is a giant leap forward in the tennis “ranking” category! I see more players referring to their UTR in an effort to maximize the setup of their tennis racquets.
UTR has teamed up with Team8 to increase the capabilities of the UTR system.
Here is a link to the press release:
A New Logo!
After all these years of the old “RQ” it is time for a new look!
Please ket us know if you like the new look!
US Open Stringing Event
My good friends Tim Strawn and Grant Morgan are going to be at the Wilson stringing “stage” during the US Open! Tim and Grant will be answering questions about what “really” goes on in the stringing room at a major event. Ron Rocchi, of Wilson, is the Director of Stringing and Team Leader of this event. Ron is normally too busy to answer questions but Tim and Grant are there for you.
I believe this is the first time spectators will be able to ask questions in this kind of setting. So, if you are at the US Open this year be sure to find these guys. I am sure their times will be posted somewhere. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Ask Grant about the time he… huh, well, maybe not!
Keep it Up!
I am talking about our String Frequency Calculator tool. As of right now, as far as I know, WordPress does not support “interactive” spreadsheets, so our calculator is far, far, away running on One Drive!
Each time you enter user information it goes to the “cloud” and the calculation is made, then returned to racqeutquest.com, and you. It seems like a long way around but for now, that is what we have.
Here is how you can help. One Drive puts the application to “sleep” if the spreadsheet is not “active” for a short period. Then it has to be “jump started” which causes the blank display you may see. The fix is to keep it active! So every five (5) minutes or so do a calculation!
We think the information is fun and meaningful so please continue to use the Stringing Frequency Calculator!
Turn the Head Radical Pro Into a Beast!
I am very happy to see players of every age returning to, or buying for the first time, racquets that have some weight! Weight is your friend! Any racquet can be “customized” to suit the needs of the player, of course.
But what do you do if you already own a Head Radical Pro? You simply add the Head Players Cap System to your current Radical Pro. This can be done the next time the racquet needs stringing and can be removed at the next stringing if wanted.
This is a “side by side” look at the Cap System Radical and the standard Radical. You will need to like the color “orange”.
The Cap System can be added to many past Radical Pro racquets. The Cap System does not fit the Radical MP, unfortunately.
The image below shows the racquets and the specifications of each one. You can see the difference between the two. It is obvious that the major difference will be weight and swing weight. The numbers between the two racquets are the data for the Radical Pro with the Cap System.
Turn the Head Radical into a Beast!
Give It a Rest!
“Hey, John. Two of the racquets at XXXXXX for you to restring. Let’s eliminate polyester for a little while and give my elbow a rest.”
This request is becoming much more frequent but what makes this one a little unusual is that it is already a hybrid format! A nice multifilament in the main strings and polyester in the cross strings. However, the player says he “needs to give it a rest”!
You know by now Racquet Quest does not promote polyester based string for most players. We believe, however, there are only bad applications, not necessarily bad strings, and will suggest the string we agree is a good application! If this includes polyester, we will go with it!
No Underage Polyester, Please!
The statement above is typical of many players that simply need a rest from polyester and may never go back. Never going back is difficult for some players because they simply like the massive strokes required to play the ball deep!
Whatever you do make sure the string suits the application! That includes the player, the racquet, and injury prevention.
While I was writing this, a client came in, and we were discussing the constant push by coaches to switch players to polyester, probably what they are using! Coaches, please, some parents do not want their players using polyester! Fortunately, my clients, typically, do not change based on what a coach may say but others may not be so lucky.
Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro
Head has introduced their new Speed Series, and it is here, yes, I men here, with some significant changes!
The most obvious and dramatic is the move toward a minimalist “look.” The graphics consist of black and white! Gone are the days of multi-colored Speed racquets.
As with many Head racquets, the graphics mimic the “SkiTip” angle as seen with the logo and white paint headed in the same angle.
Less obvious but no less important is the “360” designation that has replaced the “Touch” designation that was on the last series.
Players of the Speed series don’t want muted, as suggested by “Touch” they want feedback!
And, “360” suggests the use of Graphene in more areas of the racquet.
This image is the Graphene 360 Speed Pro, a highly maneuverable, flexible, (57RDC) racquet with an 18×20 string pattern. This may be the ticket for juniors that can’t handle a heavier, stiffer racquet but need the dense string pattern to mitigate string breakage. I would not recommend any stiff string in this racquet, however.
I am a little surprised by the low swing weight (306kg/cm2) but this can be increased as necessary.
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Graphene 360 Speed Pro |
| Reference Tension | 55 |
| String | Head Velocity MLT 16 |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| APPS, RDC | 56 |
| ASPS, FlexFour | 59.5 |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 57 |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 46 |
| Weight, Grams | 323 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.39 |
| Balance, mm | 323 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.72 |
| Length, Cm | 68.5 |
| Length, Inch | 27.0 |
| Head Width | 9.75 |
| Head Length | 13.12 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 648.4 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 100.5 |
| Number of Main Strings | 18 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 20 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .669 |
| Main String Grid | 7.70 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.25 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | .784 |
| Average Cross String Space | .525 |
| Average Main String Space | .417 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 37 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 206.94 |
| First Moment, Nm | .802 |
| Polar Moment | 321 |
| Torsional Stability | 15 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 306 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 10.79 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 337 |
| Power, RDC | 39 |
| Control, RDC | 63 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 83 |
| Power, Calculated | 1753.0 |
| Head Points | 6.14 |
| Head Weight, % | 47.2 |
| Center of Percussion | 20.7 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.50 |
| Efective Stiffness | 28.2 |
| K, Lb/In | 179.49 |
| Recoil Weight | 147.6 |
| Twist Weight | 229.75 |
Jack Anthrop Scores Big in Nassau!
Congratulations to Jack for his Finalist finish in the Junkanoo Bowl in Nassau!
Jack has been playing ITF events and was a qualifier for this tournament. Not only did he qualify, Jack went on the finals where he put in a great three (3) set effort against Harrison Gold, 6-7,6-2,5-7!
Jack Anthrop & Harrison Gold
Junkanoo Bowl
Well done, Jack! Congratulations
Brittany Goes to Washington!
Our good friend Brittany Tagliareni went to Washington recently and proceeded to win the Championship! Brittany travels to play tennis and has worked her way to one of the top players in the world and has represented the USA at some events.
Congratulations, Brittany!
Racquet Quest, LLC
