INTRODUCTION: The Head Youtek IG Radical S (for Sport) is not just a lighter version of the MidPlus frame. It has a wider beam (23.5mm for the S and 21.5mm for the MP), a slightly bigger racquet head (100  sq in for the S and 98 sq in for the MP) and also has a distinctive shape.

Inside the shaft of the racquet, it has more of a triangular shape rather than the flat surface of the traditional Radical shape. Of course, the S version is also lighter. At 9.9oz unstrung, it is half an ounce lighter than both the Youtek IG Radical MP and the Youtek IG Radical OS, and an ounce lighter than the Youtek IG Radical Pro.


GROUNDSTROKES: I was more than pleasantly surprised by the playability of this head light, 9.9oz racquet. As expected, the swing speed was great. What I didn't expect was just how solid the racquet felt. I was incredibly impressed by how much spin and pace I could get while actually hitting against a stack of spin and pace coming at me.

There wasn't a hint of being at a disadvantage because of any instability issue. Further, the wider
beam did not detract from the racquet's feel and control. Head's concept of offsetting the lighter
weight of this S racquets by widening the beam, opening the string pattern and re-shaping the inner shaft of the frame has produced a fantastic result; namely, it gives younger players the chance to play with a highly maneuverable, light racquet that has all the characteristics of a universally popular players frame.

I couldn't help thinking that the Head Youtek IG Radical S is an ideal frame for a really competitive junior or an advanced player who needs a lighter racquet that produces a little extra power without sacrificing any control.

In every area, from taking big swings to produce either pace or topspin, to hitting deep penetrating slices, to playing deft angles and dropshots, I was completely at ease with the racquet. On top of everything else, there is also plenty of feedback to the hand and arm, and, even though it's been some time since I've played with previous generation Radicals, the 2012 Radical frames are the most comfortable to play with yet.

VOLLEYS:  Talk about agile. The racquet is so easy to move around the net, it's a joke. And, as I mentioned earlier, it has excellent stability as well, which makes for a terrific combination at the net. I have to admit that with huge shots coming at me, I really could feel the 9.9oz frame being knocked around a little, but anybody whose going to be facing that sort of pace should be playing with a heavier frame.

The Head Youtek IG Radical S does everything it was designed to do. It is maneuverable, powerful (for a racquet that has so much feel), has a decent size sweet spot and is extremely solid. There is enough  power in the racquet to hit routine volleys deep into the corners with a high level of accuracy, and enough  feel to take the pace off the ball to hit drop volleys and angles.


SERVES and OVERHEADS: I really enjoyed serving with the Head Youtek IG Radical S. It produced a nice amount of power, and the 16x19 string pattern also made it easy to produce a stack of spin. It was also very accurate.

Because of the control oriented nature of the racquet, I could serve both first and second serves with consistency. I also had a really good idea of where the racquet head was through my swing. Sometimes with very light racquets, I can't feel the racquet head well enough to find the exact contact point on the  ball. But not so with the Youtek IG Radical S. I had no trouble using the racquet to get the ball to behave exactly the way I wanted it to. And if I needed to make adjustments, the racquet's precision made it easy.

I found the racquet to be just as impressive for serves as I did for volleys.

Likewise with overheads. There weren't any surprises whatsoever. As someone who relies just as much  on control as on power when hitting overheads, the racquet conformed beautifully.



RETURN OF SERVE: Whether hitting aggressively, defensively, or good, solid neutral balls, I found that the racquet did everything equally well. When I had time, it was great for taking big swings, when I didn't have time, it was just as good for improvising or blocking back pace with short, compact swings.

One of the most important things is about getting good depth. There are few things worse than playing with a racquet that makes you work extra hard to get the return back past the service line. This sure wasn't the case with the Head Youtek IG Radical S. When stretched out wide, I found there was enough of a response to be able to use lots of wrist to flick the ball deep with topspin, or if I had time, to drive a flatter ball with enough "heft" behind it to get the depth I was looking for. Same went for those awkward returns where the ball jammed me or where the ball hopped up or away more than expected and last second adjustments were needed; I was able to maneuver the racquet quickly into position and control things well enough to hit a return that would get me into a neutral situation.

CONCLUSION: The Head Youtek IG Radical S is a versatile racquet that does everything really well. On the one hand, it's designed for competitive younger players who should have a racquet conducive to building a high level of skill, while offering sufficient power, control, maneuverability and comfort to  make it extremely easy to play with.

On the other hand, tt's also a great racquet for any advanced adult player who doesn't have to play against opponents with heavyweight games.

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