The Radical line-up is Head’s traditional shape range of squash rackets. They’re used by a strong handful of world class squash players including Omar Mosaad, Amanda Sobhy, Zahed Salem, Peter Creed and Laura Massaro. I was fortunate to be sent the full range of Head Radical rackets to test out – suffice to say I’m not quite as good as some of the players I just mentioned, so hopefully you’ll enjoy reading this review from an amateur player’s perspective.
We started to see the new Head Radical squash rackets being teased way back in May 2020. Little did anyone know we’d have to wait until August to finally see them on a squash court!
As with previous ranges, Head have updated their SB120, SB135 and 135 rackets (with SB standing for ‘Slimbody’). New for 2020 though is the 135X – a little more on that later. This means there’s now three 135g rackets in their new range. I’ve done my best to see if I can work out the difference between the three, and try work out which players they might suit.
Introducing the Radical 135X
You’re probably thinking…why have three 135g rackets that all have a traditional head shape? You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a little confusing…the actual answer makes lots of sense though. Speaking to the team at Head, they wanted to build a brand new racket for their line up that felt somewhere between the traditional head shape and the teardrop shape. A new take on the ‘hybrid’ racket, if you like.
By extending the length of the head of the racket, and at the same time making the stringing pattern denser, Head have effectively increased the power of their racket, while hopefully retaining some of the control that their Radical rackets are known for.
Head Radical – Design
Look and feel
These rackets have a consistent look and feel throughout the whole range. Both Slimbody variants both have identical black frames with red accents. The non-slimbody versions have a bluey-grey frame, again with red accents (exactly the same design as their Radical tennis rackets – nice consistency!).
Weight
Weighing the rackets across two electric scales, with one under the grip and one under the head, I took the following measurements:
| Racket | Head (g) | Grip (g) | Overall (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SB120 | 81 | 70 | 153 |
| SB135 | 85 | 70 | 157 |
| 135 | 92 | 74 | 166 |
| 135x | 91 | 76 | 166 |
With my measurements, the SB120 and SB135 rackets both came in surprisingly close – with only 4g difference in the head separating the two. It’s worth remembering that rackets have a +/-5g weight tolerance – I assume the SB135 I tested was towards the lighter end of the tolerance range.
Both the non-slimbody rackets had a fair bit more weight than their thinner counterparts, both in the grip and head of the rackets.
Head size and stringing patterns
The regular Radical 135 has the smallest head size at just 460cm, both Slimbody rackets have a slightly larger 470cm head, and the newly designed Radical 135X has the largest, measuring in at 490cm. As a general rule of thumb, larger head sizes offer more power and a larger sweet spot, whereas smaller head sizes lean more towards accuracy, touch and feel.
The SB120, SB135 and 135 all have a fairly sparse stringing pattern, with the SB120 and SB135 models having a 14×17 pattern, and the 135 having a 14×16 pattern. The 135X on the other hand has a much denser stringing pattern at 16×19, meaning the gap between the strings is smaller, even with the larger head size. Again, as a rule of thumb, a denser string pattern should give more control, a sparser pattern should give more power.
Excluding the 135X, the three other rackets in the range offer Head’s ‘Adaptive Fan Stringing Pattern’, meaning you can string your racket in two different ways. This means if you want a denser stringing pattern, you’re able to achieve this.
Grip profile
This is something that seems to split players down the middle. A bit like Marmite in a way. The grip profiles on Head rackets are fairly round/oval in shape, a little thinner compared to other brands, with a ‘butt’ at the bottom, as opposed to a uniform width down the whole length of the grip.
Personally, I absolutely love the grip shape – it’s one of my favourite things about Head rackets. Using other rackets after a Head racket for me always feels like a step backwards. I find it fits my hand perfectly and is really comfortable to hold.
Having said that, I know players who dislike grip shape on Head rackets – with their reasoning being either they hold the racket right at the bottom of the grip, therefore the butt shape is uncomfortable, or the oval shape makes it hard to feel exactly how the racket is positioned in your hand. It’s a pretty personal thing though, so you’ll have to come to your own conclusions here.
Head Radical – Playing characteristics
Feel/control
The new Head Radical rackets have been developed using their Graphene 360+ technology. Head describe this as giving enhanced flex in the frame with a clean impact feel. I’ve always found Head rackets to have a fairly unique feel, and I think this is the technology behind it. There’s a nice, subtle, almost ‘pingy’ vibration from the strings as you hit the ball – giving the rackets a very lively, springy feel. I believe this is also caused in part by the fairly sparse stringing patterns, as this feel is a little less noticeable on the 135x.
The new Radical 135X has been designed to deliver a softer feel. Without even reading Head’s description of the racket, that was the first thing I noticed when picking up the racket. Hitting through the ball, the only way I can think to describe it is ‘buttery smooth’. There’s a very clean feel – vibrations in the frame are kept to a minimum, even when you hit the ball off centre.
Traditional shaped squash rackets favour those looking for control, and these rackets are no exception. I found my confidence sky high when taking the ball in short – my drop shots felt really accurate and I found myself looking for more opportunities to vary my shots, rather than hitting it straight down the line.
I personally felt like the Slimbody rackets gave me a little more control than the non-Slimbody variants. For me, the extra weight was a touch harder to control in the 135 and 135X, though they certainly aren’t far behind the Slimbodies.
Manoeuvrability
I found both the Slimbody rackets to be really, really manoeuvrable, with only a slightly noticeable difference between the SB120 and SB135. Head describes these rackets as being evenly balanced, and I found this to be the case. I was able to quickly adjust my swing with both rackets, with little fatigue in my arms by the end of a game.
The Head Radical 135 and 135X are both heavier overall, and both have more weight towards the head. Both rackets felt very similar in terms of manoeuvrability, going from the Slimbody rackets to these, you certainly feel the additional weight. While the rackets felt slower through the air, the upshot to this is that the rackets felt incredibly smooth through my swing, with the extra weight helping to guide the racket through the air and the ball.
Power
I found all these rackets to be surprisingly powerful, especially given their traditional shape. I had no issues with any racket hitting the ball fast and hard, while still maintaining accuracy in my shots.
The additional weight in the 135 and 135X really helped to generate more power through my shots. The larger head size of the Radical 135X theoretically makes it the most powerful racket in the line up, which definitely seemed to be the case.
I found the SB120 was probably the least powerful of the four rackets – I had to use a faster racket head speed to deliver what felt like the same amount of power as the heavier rackets – this did increase the margin for error a little. The SB135 was a touch easier to generate power with – the additional 4g in the head put a little more weight behind my shots.
Head Radical – Overall
The Head Radical range has been summed up perfectly with an infographic on their racket cards. I couldn’t put it better if I tried:
If you’re looking for control, the Slimbodies are likely going to be the racket for you. If you’re after a blend of power and control, look towards the regular Radical rackets. If power is more your thing, then Head’s teardrop ‘Speed’ rackets might be up your street. You can read a review of the Head Speed 120SB here.
Which was my favourite?
I’d never say ‘one racket is better than another’, as choosing a racket is a really personal thing. For me though, I had an awesome time with both the Slimbody rackets.
I found it hard to choose between the two – probably because they were so close on the scales. I think the SB120 just tipped it for me, especially as I think that the SB135 I used was a particularly light copy. If it was any heavier, the SB120 would be a clearer winner for me.
My one worry with the Slimbody frames is their potential long term durability. With such a thin frame I winced a litttle when my opponents played a tight shot. I had absolutely no issues in the few weeks of testing with these rackets though, and the cosmetics are holding up really well too, so I could be worried about nothing.
The 135 and 135X are undeniably nice rackets, especially for those who like a touch extra weight behind their shots. It’s worth pointing out that 135g is definitely not a ‘heavy’ racket. Both offer a really clean feel and deliver plenty of power, with the benefit of control from their traditional shape. I especially liked the incredibly smooth feel from the 135X.
If I was being really critical, as an amateur player, I’d say the regular 135 was probably the racket that appealed to me the least. The heavier weight and small head size feels geared towards stronger players than me. I think in the right hands this would be an awesome racket – and you definitely shouldn’t discard it because it was my least favourite.
Overall, I had an great time testing out Head’s Radical rackets. Up until using these rackets, I’ve mostly used the teardrop shape – I’ve dabbled with a few traditional shaped rackets over the past few years, but always ended up switching back. I played some of the best squash I’ve played in a long time with these rackets, therefore I’m genuinely tempted to give the traditional shape another go!
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