In this article, I will look at the racket specs of the Head Radical MP (or “MP”) and Babolat Pure Drive (or PD”) to see how these two rackets compare to each other.
General Info
Below is some general information on these rackets including their brand, version, composition, and colors.
| General info | PD | MP |
|---|---|---|
| Brand: | Babolat | Head |
| Version: | 2021 | 2021 |
| Composition: | Graphite | Graphene 360+/Graphite |
| Color(s): | Blue | Orange and Silver |
Racket Specs
Below is a comparison of the technical specifications of the Pure Drive and Radical MP tennis rackets.
Main Differences: The Radical MP has a smaller head size (98in vs 100in), a slightly higher swing weight (321 vs 320), a much lower stiffness rating (65 vs 71), and a thinner beam width (20mm / 23mm / 21mm vs 23mm / 26mm / 23mm)
Similarities: Both rackets have the same racket length (27in), strung weight (318g), head light balance (4pts HL), and unstrung weight (300g).
| Racket Specs: | PD | MP | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Size (sq cm) | 645 | 632 | 2.02% |
| Head Size (sq in) | 100 | 98 | 2.00% |
| Length (cm) | 68.58 | 68.58 | 0.00% |
| Length (in) | 27 | 27 | 0.00% |
| String Pattern | 16 x 19 | 16 x 19 | – |
| HL or HH1 | HL | HL | – |
| Strung Balance (cm) | 33.02 | 33.02 | 0.00% |
| Strung Balance (pts) | 4 | 4 | 0.00% |
| Strung Weight (grams) | 318 | 318 | 0.00% |
| Strung Weight (ounces) | 11.2 | 11.2 | 0.00% |
| Swing Weight | 320 | 321 | 0.31% |
| Unstrung Weight (grams) | 300 | 300 | 0.00% |
| Unstrung Weight (ounces) | 10.58 | 10.58 | 0.00% |
| Frame Stiffness | 71 | 65 | 8.45% |
| Beam Width (mm) | 23 / 26 / 23 | 20 / 23 / 21 | 9-13% |
1 Head Light or Head Heavy
Pros and Cons
Below are what I think are the main pros and cons of these two tennis rackets.
| Racket: | PD | MP |
|---|---|---|
| Pros: | Good mix of power, control, and spin, a generous sweet spot, and easy power on serves | Nice blend of power, spin, and control with a manageable weight |
| Cons: | Relatively high stiffness rating | More advanced players may feel it lacks control |
Head to Head
Below are my recommendations in terms of which racket is better in terms of Power, Control, Spin, and Arm Friendliness.
| H2H | PD | MP |
|---|---|---|
| Power |  | – |
| Control | – |  |
| Spin | | – |
| Arm Friendliness | – | |
Player Recommendations
Below are our recommendations for recreational players at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
| Player Level | PD | MP |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner |  | |
| Intermediate |  | |
| Advanced | | |
Pro Player Endorsements
The Radical MP is currently endorsed by Taylor Fritz and Diego Schwartzman, while the Pure Drive is endorsed by Garbine Muguruza, Karolina Pliskova, Fabio Fognini, and Sofia Kenin.
Where can you buy these rackets?
The rackets are for sale in most good online tennis shops and on the Babolat and Head websites.