Rackets411.com

HEAD YOUTEK Radical Lite Tennis Racquet

105”, 16×19, 9.6 oz

The first thing you notice is the lightness and how balanced it feels and from the moment I picked the racquet up and gave a few swings, I knew this would be a nice stick.

Groundstroke’s

The first couples swings took some getting used to. The overall lightness, at times, seemed almost too light. But after a few more swings I was pleased with its power, feel and control. I had no issues generating power and felt that the frame provided more than ample power on the forehand side. I also felt that the frame had excellent control and a very nice feel to it. Not too much feel and not too little feel, but just enough to give you the feedback you need from a frame.

From a backhand perspective, I liked the lightness and the ability to quickly come around and through the ball. And hitting with a one-handed backhand it gave me the confidence I needed, without the heft or bulkiness, to come through my shots with confidence. I also had no problem swinging away and really going after the ball on either side. I had all the control and power I needed with little sacrifice.

I did noticed however that running down certain shots where a full swing wasn’t possible didn’t provide me with the heft or mass I need to flick it back or drive the ball as some heavier frames allow me to do. Even though Spin generation was very easy I did notice that my shots didn’t have that heavy ball feel that I would normally have with a heftier frame. Though, this is a small sacrifice given the other benefits the Youtek Radical Lite produces.

Return of Serve

Much like the groundstroke’s, the return of serve was predictable, very controllable, nice feel and feedback with very good power generation. A little more mass in the frame could help the blow through a little more but not necessary unless you are a 4.5+ looking for much more power.

Volley’s

The volley’s felt crisp, solid and very stable. I liked the feel on the volleys and felt that the YouTek Radical Lite was a pleasure at the net, though the response on touch shots and drop volleys could have been better. The lightness contributed to great maneuverability at the net for those quick exchanges in doubles. I liked the solid and comfortable feel it had at the net and I was not disappointed at all by its power when it was needed.

Serve

One of the first racquets in a very long time that I could really generate some heat on the first serve. I liked the feel and power I get from the serve on the YouTek Radical Lite without sacrificing the control that’s needed on second serves or first serves for that matter. I was easily able to creep a few aces into the mix and really liked the ability to mix up my serves. A winner in this department!

This racquet is best suited for 3.5+ all court players looking for power and control without sacrificing what they already have. Players with moderate to fast swing speeds will be greatly rewarded by using the YouTek Radical Lite and will benefit from its ability to generate spin and power, but retain the control and feel of a players frame.

To purchase or demo the Head YouTek Radical Lite click here.