Our Denver League's Vamsee Konda recently purchased a Head YouTek Radical Pro on ebay and it turned out to be a fake. Here are his observations on how to identify a fake Radical Pro:
I purchased a Head YouTek Radical Pro on ebay recently for $115 and was waiting eagerly for it. I thought it was a reasonable price for someone who doesnt understand its value to sell if somehow they got hold of this racquet. Anyway, it got home ok, but it turned out to be a fake. It was so well made that if I didn't already own an original, it would have been really hard to distinguish.
I was able to return it and get my money back - but I feel lucky for not having lost any money. But I did manage to take some pictures with the idea that you can avoid a bad deal. By the way you can click on any of the images below to view them at full resolution.
The original on the left and the impostor on the right.
They look identical at first, they even weight almost the same and surprisingly they are also balanced the same - 2 pts head light.
Original on top, fake below
On closer inspection I noticed that the color is off. The fake has a brighter red shade, while the original is orangish.
Original on top, fake below
The criss cross pattern that runs around the inside of the racquet head is more distinct in the fake. Its not that disctinct in the original - its a litte more blended in.
Orignal on top, fake below
The "HEAD" letters towards the top left and right of the head are in chrome on the original, while they are black and not that distinct in the fake.
Head hologram sticker on the original
Missing sticker on the fake.
The fake racquet does not have a hologram sticker.
Original on the right and fake on the left
The original racquet had clearly marked serial number, grip size on the butt cap. The fake does not have this info and even the head logo is slightly off to the right.
Original on the right and fake on the left.
You can see the cheap workmanship on the fake (left) the leather grip does not wrap around neatly around the handle.
Fake
The cheap construction of the grommet strip is visible here, looks like its about to come off.
Chinese booklet
The booklet that came with the racquet was in Chinese.
There were several other examples of poor workmanship that was hard to capture via my camera. You can actually buy these fakes directly from China using websites like these -
http://hemeitrade.en.made-in-china.com/product/ZMwnUBqlwicF/China-Head-YOUTEK-Radical-Pro.html for $50 a piece and make a profit by selling them on ebay. I have heard some horror stories on forums where people broke these racquets in a couple of weeks and lose all the money they paid because you get no warranties.
Summary
I am not saying that all racquets on Ebay are fake, but unfortunately its impossible to distinguish when you dont see the racquet with your eyes. How can you be sure that the pictures they post are from the racquet that you will get. If you are patient enough you can get a good deal from an authorized dealer like
GolfSmith.
Hope this article provides you with enough things to check for before purchasing you racquet.
- Vamsee Konda
