Trying Out That Fritz Racket Setup
So, I kept seeing Taylor Fritz blasting serves and forehands, and you know how it is, you start wondering about the gear. What’s he actually swinging? Everyone talks about it, the commentators mention it, forums light up. Is it really just a stock Head Radical MP like they sometimes say, or heavily modded? I had to get a feel for it myself, or at least something close.
First thing, I went down to my local shop. Asked the guy there, you know, the one who’s strung rackets since forever. He just kinda chuckled. Said, “Yeah, Fritz’s actual racket? Good luck getting that exact spec. Pro stock stuff is different.” So, okay, point taken. Not gonna get his exact stick. But I could try the retail version, the Head Radical MP, the one it’s supposedly based on. They had a demo.
I took the demo out for a hit. Strung it up with some basic poly, nothing fancy, tried to keep it simple. First few hits? Man, that thing felt pretty solid. You could really feel the ball on the strings, decent control. Not like some rackets that feel like launching pads or total planks. It felt kinda… balanced? But definitely needed some good swing speed to get the juice out of it. It wasn’t doing the work for me.
My Experience Hitting With It
- Felt pretty stable, didn’t twist much on off-center hits.
- Control was there if you really focused and swung properly.
- Needed me to generate the power. Didn’t feel ‘free’.
- Serve felt okay, but again, you had to bring the heat yourself.
But here’s the thing. After about an hour, my arm started feeling it. It’s not super heavy on paper, but swinging it fast repeatedly? It takes effort. And I realized, Fritz is a top athlete, trains like crazy. His setup is built for his game, his strength, his swing. Trying to copy it exactly felt kinda dumb after a while. It’s like trying to drive a Formula 1 car to the grocery store. Yeah, it looks cool, but it’s not practical for most folks.
It reminds me of when I first started playing seriously years ago. I saw Pete Sampras play, went out and bought the heaviest Pro Staff Wilson made because that’s what he used. Nearly ripped my shoulder off in two weeks. Learned my lesson then – mostly. Pro gear is for pros. Their bodies are conditioned for it. We weekend warriors need something that helps us, not something we have to fight against.
So, messing around with the Radical MP was fun. It’s a good racket, no doubt. Solid, good feedback. But is it the magic wand Fritz makes it look like? Nah. That’s mostly him, his talent, his hard work. The racket’s just the tool. I ended up going back to my own slightly lighter, more forgiving frame. My arm thanked me later. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype, but finding what works for your game, your body, that’s the real key. Took me a while, and a few sore mornings, to really get that.
