No arm issues for me. I wouldn't call it a plush frame like the radicals and prestiges of old, but it's pretty decent for the weight. It's reminding me of something I've hit in the past...maybe the liquidmetal radical or the n/KTour from Wilson. I haven't liked the feel of any of the other graphene touch frames yet, so not disliking this was a surprise for me. I'm confident in my touch shots with it. In terms of sound, tour bite sounds like a cannon when you really crack the ball regardless of frame, but there isn't much of a ping without a dampener.
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Head Graphene Touch Prestige Tour/Mid Racquet
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
Good day TT
I was very fortunate to be selected for the Graphene TOUCH Prestige MID play test. I have been looking around for a racquet more flexible than my DR 100s. I have demoed quite a lot. Unlike some others that have posted here, I loved the GXT Prestige Pro and Rev Pro. Of those two, I preferred the Pro. I have loved, and hated, my experience with the TOUCH MID.
String and tension used for test: I used the HEAD Lynx included in the box for the first two weeks, strung at 48#. I am not a poly user (due to a since-healed bad elbow), but was under the impression that I had to use the strings provided.
Tennis experience/background: I have been playing tennis in one form or another since 1974, with one major break between 1989 and 2002. I was a ranked junior through high school and played junior college tennis before becoming a full-time student, part-time tennis bum in Tucson. I have returned to USTA League play and social tennis in the last three years and enjoy all facets of the game. I play mostly doubles, as that was easier after I hit the reset button. I have played with custom weighted DR100s since they were available and loved them, until my elbow didn't.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I am a "throw-back" tennis player. I do not like to camp at the baseline and exchange huge, spinny ground strokes. I prefer to work angles, (over)rely on a pretty powerful and effective service game and use a big forehand and competent net play to end points quickly.
Current racquet/string setups: YY DR100s customized by TW. I string fb VS Touch at 55# or 57#. I have also used various multis in the DRs usually strung between 48# and 53#.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 21
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes: I found the GTOUCH MID to swing quickly. It felt HL and the SW was a touch (no pun intended) heftier than my DRs. I hammered forehands with such precision that I have run out superlatives. The accuracy was stunning. As far as backhands go, I use a two-handed backhand, and recently started toying with a modified one-handed slice. It was powerful...enough, and I felt like I could hit all the areas I aimed for. The only drawback to the MID with groundstrokes was when I WAS UNPREPARED. If my feet were out of place or I was late, the TOUCH MID was unforgiving. I found it tinny on mishits or off-center hits, even with a dampener. When I switched strings to VS Touch at 57#, the off-center vibrations were not an issue. I loved this stick with fb natural gut. 8.8/10
-Serves: Serving (and overheads) was a blast. I could hit flat, kicker, slice with unparalleled accuracy and deftness. I was a little hesitant, but the smaller head size is designed to, provided technique is good, allow for the most amazing service games. The racquet helped my serve go from really good, to amazing. The difference being I could locate service box position so much better. 10/10
-Volleys: Next to serving, volleying was a lot of fun with the MID. Drop volleys, punch volleys, poached put-aways were all easy to hit as the MID is VERY maneuverable. The SW is not a problem, in fact it was helpful in this category. 10/10
-Serve returns: A full swing return was usually put into play with precision and depth. Chip returns...no way BOSS. The TOUCH MID left chip returns short. Until I changed to a fb of natural gut, I left far too many chip returns around the service box. But maybe that is more of a function of a stroke that my weighted DR100s let me get away with. The MID felt very stable on hard, flat serves and the spinny serves that require an adjustment to return properly. 8/10
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
The HEAD Graphene TOUCH MID was an amazing racquet. So much so that I have a demo box containing the TOUCH Pro at my front door right now. I loved the scalpel-like precision the MID provided on all aspects of my game. Whether it was serving, returning, hitting groundstrokes and approach shots, or trying to end points at the net, the MID was a tool designed for a craftsman (woman). If you are slow footed, or not balanced, or your strokes are short and choppy, look elsewhere. If you grew up with wood racquets, love the feel of a heavy, HL stick that can whip through the range of motion, demo this MID. The head size will require some adjustment, but when you are consistently hitting the sweetspot...WOW! I feel like this would be perfect for a stronger, more advanced player looking to sharpen their use of precision. If you like to bludgeon your opponent, the MID is not for you. 9.5/10
Thank you HEAD and TW for making this possible,
Chris
I was very fortunate to be selected for the Graphene TOUCH Prestige MID play test. I have been looking around for a racquet more flexible than my DR 100s. I have demoed quite a lot. Unlike some others that have posted here, I loved the GXT Prestige Pro and Rev Pro. Of those two, I preferred the Pro. I have loved, and hated, my experience with the TOUCH MID.
String and tension used for test: I used the HEAD Lynx included in the box for the first two weeks, strung at 48#. I am not a poly user (due to a since-healed bad elbow), but was under the impression that I had to use the strings provided.
Tennis experience/background: I have been playing tennis in one form or another since 1974, with one major break between 1989 and 2002. I was a ranked junior through high school and played junior college tennis before becoming a full-time student, part-time tennis bum in Tucson. I have returned to USTA League play and social tennis in the last three years and enjoy all facets of the game. I play mostly doubles, as that was easier after I hit the reset button. I have played with custom weighted DR100s since they were available and loved them, until my elbow didn't.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I am a "throw-back" tennis player. I do not like to camp at the baseline and exchange huge, spinny ground strokes. I prefer to work angles, (over)rely on a pretty powerful and effective service game and use a big forehand and competent net play to end points quickly.
Current racquet/string setups: YY DR100s customized by TW. I string fb VS Touch at 55# or 57#. I have also used various multis in the DRs usually strung between 48# and 53#.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 21
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes: I found the GTOUCH MID to swing quickly. It felt HL and the SW was a touch (no pun intended) heftier than my DRs. I hammered forehands with such precision that I have run out superlatives. The accuracy was stunning. As far as backhands go, I use a two-handed backhand, and recently started toying with a modified one-handed slice. It was powerful...enough, and I felt like I could hit all the areas I aimed for. The only drawback to the MID with groundstrokes was when I WAS UNPREPARED. If my feet were out of place or I was late, the TOUCH MID was unforgiving. I found it tinny on mishits or off-center hits, even with a dampener. When I switched strings to VS Touch at 57#, the off-center vibrations were not an issue. I loved this stick with fb natural gut. 8.8/10
-Serves: Serving (and overheads) was a blast. I could hit flat, kicker, slice with unparalleled accuracy and deftness. I was a little hesitant, but the smaller head size is designed to, provided technique is good, allow for the most amazing service games. The racquet helped my serve go from really good, to amazing. The difference being I could locate service box position so much better. 10/10
-Volleys: Next to serving, volleying was a lot of fun with the MID. Drop volleys, punch volleys, poached put-aways were all easy to hit as the MID is VERY maneuverable. The SW is not a problem, in fact it was helpful in this category. 10/10
-Serve returns: A full swing return was usually put into play with precision and depth. Chip returns...no way BOSS. The TOUCH MID left chip returns short. Until I changed to a fb of natural gut, I left far too many chip returns around the service box. But maybe that is more of a function of a stroke that my weighted DR100s let me get away with. The MID felt very stable on hard, flat serves and the spinny serves that require an adjustment to return properly. 8/10
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
The HEAD Graphene TOUCH MID was an amazing racquet. So much so that I have a demo box containing the TOUCH Pro at my front door right now. I loved the scalpel-like precision the MID provided on all aspects of my game. Whether it was serving, returning, hitting groundstrokes and approach shots, or trying to end points at the net, the MID was a tool designed for a craftsman (woman). If you are slow footed, or not balanced, or your strokes are short and choppy, look elsewhere. If you grew up with wood racquets, love the feel of a heavy, HL stick that can whip through the range of motion, demo this MID. The head size will require some adjustment, but when you are consistently hitting the sweetspot...WOW! I feel like this would be perfect for a stronger, more advanced player looking to sharpen their use of precision. If you like to bludgeon your opponent, the MID is not for you. 9.5/10
Thank you HEAD and TW for making this possible,
Chris
TennisHound
Legend
Cool review
StringingIrvine
Semi-Pro
Head prestige graphene touch mid
String and tension used for test: Full bed of Solinco Hyper G 16L @ 45 , 40, 42. I did not want to change strings from my normal set up. I did adjust tension given the smaller headsize. This way I can hopefully minimize the string variable.
Tennis experience/background: high school varsity all 4 years, college club team, multiple wtt playoff wins and sectionals, 4.5 rated usta with multiple sectional championships. Previous USRSA member, have an ongoing stringing business for 7+ years.
Describe your playing style: I’m more defensive player using my speed and shot anticipation to get me to the net. I’m going to mix up all my shots not allowing you to get in a rhythm. Slice, short angles, hard shots right back off your feet, loopy high balls to your backhands, anything to keep you on your toes while I come up to net.
Current racquet/string setups: RF97 with leather replaced/ Solinco Hyper G 16L @ 51 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20+
Comments on racquet performance:
These comments are going to based around my 4 years with a Prestige IG MP and 1.5 years with a RF97.
Groundstrokes: Good if you like using a scalpel without feel. The racket was the lowest powered racket out of my previous rackets. I didn’t feel connected to the ball as much as the other rackets. Yes the control was there but I honestly think it was due lack of mass the racket had. Combine a small head size with fairly low SW and you get the Mid. The sweet spot was a lot smaller than anything I was used to.
I was able to easily create angles off both wings, but to the same ability as my prestige MP. The racket swung fast and I visually noticed my balls dipping more, but numerous hitting partners commented my ball lacked the kick off the court. My partners said my balls were easier to return when using the MID when compared to the MP or the RF97.
I’d put this last on the list for groundstrokes.
Serves: Serves were probably my favorite portion of the test. It was easy to control flat serves, slice serves worked decent with the more open swing patter and higher RHS, kick serves were loopy but didn’t kick off the court as much as I’d want. If you gave me a choice I’d pick this racket vs all the others.
I’d put this top of the list for serves
Volleys: Here is where I differ from some of the other play tests. I would imagine the racket would volley great given its specs but to me it didn’t. I felt disconnect with the ball. Could I effectively volley with this racket? Yes. Did it feel stable? No. Its has a small sweet spot and low mass. When just rallying yes its fine, but when playing a real match and someone tee's off on a ball, the MID left me wanting more stability.
I’d put this on the bottom of the list. Maybe its unfair to compare it to the RF, but I did.
Serve returns: The serve returns didn’t really differ from the groundstrokes. It was easy to put the ball back in play where I wanted to but it didn’t do it any better than the MP or RF. Fast reaction but returns were fund to hit if you got it in the golf ball size sweet spot, but good luck trying to get any feel off the return.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
What does someone want from a racket?
I want an aesthetically pleasing racket. I was not a fan of the bright red lettering, but liked everything else. Some my differ, just not digging neon lettering. I think my LTD Prestige IG MP and black RF97 are way nicer looking.
I want to be like a surgeon when it comes to control. This racket has a bunch of control but so do several other rackets that have MUCH MUCH bigger sweet spots. A lot of other rackets offer you the same control with easy access to extra juice if you want it.
I want to be able create crazy amounts of spin. Yes spin comes from technique but the racket helps too. The spin was there with the mid but it didn’t wow me. My opponents commented my balls did not kick off the court vs me using the RF. This is prob due to the lack of court penetration with the mid.
I want to be able to blast winners from anywhere. Well… you can do it with this racket… but if you could do it with this racket, you’d probably be able to do it with 25% less effort with other rackets.
I want an amazing feeling racket and be one with the ball when I hit it. This isn’t an old-school prestige and I don’t think it pretends to be. It’s a modern feeling racket with a MID head size. IMO there is absolutely no feel, and I think its due to the flex pattern of the racket. Its stiff in places where it should be soft, and soft in places it should be stiff. At least in stock form and a full bed of poly with varying tensions, feel was not present. Its personal preference but other might say they have feel, but low power/control doesn't equal feel for me.
I want a super stable racket that can just crush the ball. You’ll have to look elsewhere because if you miss the sweet spot the ball is going to fall just over the net. When i use the RF and i don't hit the sweet spot my ball will land shy of where i wanted to, with the prestige MP it lands a bit more shy. With the MID the ball is landing so short the point is going to be over.
Conclusion:
If I was to give the racket a score, I’d fail it. It was playing on a theory that people like mid rackets, but they took out all most of the attributes that people liked about mid rackets: the plush butter feeling, the plow through, the connected feeling. IMO this racket fell short in all of those aspects.
Is it better than the rev pros? Yes, but not my much.
Can you modify it to play better? Yes, but why would you. There are so many other rackets that inherently have more spin, more power, better feel, and bigger sweet spots. No one racket is going to do all of those, but a majority of them will do everything better than this.
Everyone of my 4.5+ and 5.0 hitting partners tried this racket and stopped hitting after 30 min and said it wasn’t for them. These are players using aero pros, prince tours, and ps97s. Its trying to modernize the mid, and in doing so it failed.
I can do everything that the MID can do with my MP and have a bigger sweet spot and better feel. If you wanted a mid just pick up any version of the PS 90s and you'll be better off.
If you want this racket make sure you play test it before you buy it. Be honest with yourself and think, what does this racket do that ___ can't do.
Thank you tennis warehouse for this experience!!!
String and tension used for test: Full bed of Solinco Hyper G 16L @ 45 , 40, 42. I did not want to change strings from my normal set up. I did adjust tension given the smaller headsize. This way I can hopefully minimize the string variable.
Tennis experience/background: high school varsity all 4 years, college club team, multiple wtt playoff wins and sectionals, 4.5 rated usta with multiple sectional championships. Previous USRSA member, have an ongoing stringing business for 7+ years.
Describe your playing style: I’m more defensive player using my speed and shot anticipation to get me to the net. I’m going to mix up all my shots not allowing you to get in a rhythm. Slice, short angles, hard shots right back off your feet, loopy high balls to your backhands, anything to keep you on your toes while I come up to net.
Current racquet/string setups: RF97 with leather replaced/ Solinco Hyper G 16L @ 51 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20+
Comments on racquet performance:
These comments are going to based around my 4 years with a Prestige IG MP and 1.5 years with a RF97.
Groundstrokes: Good if you like using a scalpel without feel. The racket was the lowest powered racket out of my previous rackets. I didn’t feel connected to the ball as much as the other rackets. Yes the control was there but I honestly think it was due lack of mass the racket had. Combine a small head size with fairly low SW and you get the Mid. The sweet spot was a lot smaller than anything I was used to.
I was able to easily create angles off both wings, but to the same ability as my prestige MP. The racket swung fast and I visually noticed my balls dipping more, but numerous hitting partners commented my ball lacked the kick off the court. My partners said my balls were easier to return when using the MID when compared to the MP or the RF97.
I’d put this last on the list for groundstrokes.
Serves: Serves were probably my favorite portion of the test. It was easy to control flat serves, slice serves worked decent with the more open swing patter and higher RHS, kick serves were loopy but didn’t kick off the court as much as I’d want. If you gave me a choice I’d pick this racket vs all the others.
I’d put this top of the list for serves
Volleys: Here is where I differ from some of the other play tests. I would imagine the racket would volley great given its specs but to me it didn’t. I felt disconnect with the ball. Could I effectively volley with this racket? Yes. Did it feel stable? No. Its has a small sweet spot and low mass. When just rallying yes its fine, but when playing a real match and someone tee's off on a ball, the MID left me wanting more stability.
I’d put this on the bottom of the list. Maybe its unfair to compare it to the RF, but I did.
Serve returns: The serve returns didn’t really differ from the groundstrokes. It was easy to put the ball back in play where I wanted to but it didn’t do it any better than the MP or RF. Fast reaction but returns were fund to hit if you got it in the golf ball size sweet spot, but good luck trying to get any feel off the return.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
What does someone want from a racket?
I want an aesthetically pleasing racket. I was not a fan of the bright red lettering, but liked everything else. Some my differ, just not digging neon lettering. I think my LTD Prestige IG MP and black RF97 are way nicer looking.
I want to be like a surgeon when it comes to control. This racket has a bunch of control but so do several other rackets that have MUCH MUCH bigger sweet spots. A lot of other rackets offer you the same control with easy access to extra juice if you want it.
I want to be able create crazy amounts of spin. Yes spin comes from technique but the racket helps too. The spin was there with the mid but it didn’t wow me. My opponents commented my balls did not kick off the court vs me using the RF. This is prob due to the lack of court penetration with the mid.
I want to be able to blast winners from anywhere. Well… you can do it with this racket… but if you could do it with this racket, you’d probably be able to do it with 25% less effort with other rackets.
I want an amazing feeling racket and be one with the ball when I hit it. This isn’t an old-school prestige and I don’t think it pretends to be. It’s a modern feeling racket with a MID head size. IMO there is absolutely no feel, and I think its due to the flex pattern of the racket. Its stiff in places where it should be soft, and soft in places it should be stiff. At least in stock form and a full bed of poly with varying tensions, feel was not present. Its personal preference but other might say they have feel, but low power/control doesn't equal feel for me.
I want a super stable racket that can just crush the ball. You’ll have to look elsewhere because if you miss the sweet spot the ball is going to fall just over the net. When i use the RF and i don't hit the sweet spot my ball will land shy of where i wanted to, with the prestige MP it lands a bit more shy. With the MID the ball is landing so short the point is going to be over.
Conclusion:
If I was to give the racket a score, I’d fail it. It was playing on a theory that people like mid rackets, but they took out all most of the attributes that people liked about mid rackets: the plush butter feeling, the plow through, the connected feeling. IMO this racket fell short in all of those aspects.
Is it better than the rev pros? Yes, but not my much.
Can you modify it to play better? Yes, but why would you. There are so many other rackets that inherently have more spin, more power, better feel, and bigger sweet spots. No one racket is going to do all of those, but a majority of them will do everything better than this.
Everyone of my 4.5+ and 5.0 hitting partners tried this racket and stopped hitting after 30 min and said it wasn’t for them. These are players using aero pros, prince tours, and ps97s. Its trying to modernize the mid, and in doing so it failed.
I can do everything that the MID can do with my MP and have a bigger sweet spot and better feel. If you wanted a mid just pick up any version of the PS 90s and you'll be better off.
If you want this racket make sure you play test it before you buy it. Be honest with yourself and think, what does this racket do that ___ can't do.
Thank you tennis warehouse for this experience!!!
Last edited:
StringingIrvine
Semi-Pro
double post please delete
Last edited:
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Thanks for being brutally honest.
haqq777
Legend
Agree on power drop off outside of sweet spot, as I mentioned in my review. Completely disagree on being brassy. I have played for over 25 hours with the stick, have not felt even a tiny bit of brassiness.
StringingIrvine
Semi-Pro
haqq777
Legend
I used RS Lyon 16L strung at 48lbs for the first 8 hours. For the second stringing I used Lux Natural Gut/Red Code hybrid at 51/48. Played extremely comfortable in both setups.
MisterP
Hall of Fame
Velocity and Hawk Rough
Head Graphene Touch Prestige Tour Test
String and tension used for test:
Forten Sweet 17 @ 55 Main / 53 Cross
Tennis experience/background:
I probably have the least illustrious tennis “career” of the play testers. I grew up playing baseball and basketball while playing tennis only occasionally. I played more tennis in college as I had many friends who were former high school tennis players or current college players. Tennis has never really been my main sport as besides the sports I mentioned, I have played many years of softball (fast pitch, modified fast pitch, and slow pitch) and have been a long-time road cyclist.
I would describe myself as a 4.0 Weekend Warrior who is a stronger doubles player than singles player. I play in tennis club house leagues and go to drill classes.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
All court player in singles. Serve and volley / chip and charge in doubles. I do enjoy coming to the net. I have an eastern forehand and a 1 handed backhand.
Current racquet/string setups:
I have played with various versions of the gold Head Instinct for the past 10 years. My current racquet is a Head Liquidmetal Instinct (Austrian) strung with Forten Sweet 17 @ 55 Main / 53 Cross. I have also used the Head Microgel Instinct and the Head Youtek Instinct.
Before the Instincts, I played with the Head Pro Tour 280 (both Austrian and Chinese). I bought the Austrian Head Pro Tour 280 at Tennis Warehouse as an in-person customer a long, long time ago. Makes me feel old.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
I played 6 hours with this racquet. I would have liked to put more hours on this racquet, but I have been battling the flu for the past couple of weeks. 6 hours is enough time anyhow for me to determine if I like a racquet.
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
I found good control and power when I hit the sweet spot. However, finding the sweet spot was not easy for me as it was not that large and was located very high in the racquet. The racquet played much stiffer than its rating. While it wasn’t uncomfortable, I prefer a racquet with some flex. Also, despite the Touch technology, I felt a little buzz off the strings which surprised me since I strung the racquet with synthetic gut. I also felt the racquet’s polarization on ground strokes, and this made my arm wear down more quickly than usual.
-Serves:
Serves worked out well for me. I could hit serves with good spin and power. The polarization didn’t bother me as much on serves.
-Volleys:
The polarization of this racquet hindered maneuverability at the net. And there wasn’t enough flex and feel for touch volleys.
-Serve returns:
Surprisingly, serve returns were better for me than ground strokes. I found good stability on serve returns.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
The Graphene Touch Prestige Tour would be a good demo choice for someone who likes playing with stiffer modern racquets and has a baseline game.
Based on the specs on paper, I was hoping this racquet would be like my Liquidmetal Instinct or the Wilson Ultra Tour. It is not close to either of these racquets.
In the future, to improve the Graphene Touch Prestige Tour for me, I would lower the string tension 5 pounds to try to expand the sweet spot and lower the buzz I felt on groundstrokes. I would also change the grip to leather to try to lower the sweet spot and make the racquet more headlight.
I found the Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro to be a much better choice for my game. This would be the Graphene Touch racquet I would buy.
But I still like my Austrian Head Liquidmetal Instinct the best. I was lucky to recently find 2 more New Old Stock units that I will string up soon. I will be set for awhile.
Thank you very much to Tennis Warehouse and Head for the opportunity to try out the Graphene Touch Prestige Tour!
String and tension used for test:
Forten Sweet 17 @ 55 Main / 53 Cross
Tennis experience/background:
I probably have the least illustrious tennis “career” of the play testers. I grew up playing baseball and basketball while playing tennis only occasionally. I played more tennis in college as I had many friends who were former high school tennis players or current college players. Tennis has never really been my main sport as besides the sports I mentioned, I have played many years of softball (fast pitch, modified fast pitch, and slow pitch) and have been a long-time road cyclist.
I would describe myself as a 4.0 Weekend Warrior who is a stronger doubles player than singles player. I play in tennis club house leagues and go to drill classes.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
All court player in singles. Serve and volley / chip and charge in doubles. I do enjoy coming to the net. I have an eastern forehand and a 1 handed backhand.
Current racquet/string setups:
I have played with various versions of the gold Head Instinct for the past 10 years. My current racquet is a Head Liquidmetal Instinct (Austrian) strung with Forten Sweet 17 @ 55 Main / 53 Cross. I have also used the Head Microgel Instinct and the Head Youtek Instinct.
Before the Instincts, I played with the Head Pro Tour 280 (both Austrian and Chinese). I bought the Austrian Head Pro Tour 280 at Tennis Warehouse as an in-person customer a long, long time ago. Makes me feel old.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
I played 6 hours with this racquet. I would have liked to put more hours on this racquet, but I have been battling the flu for the past couple of weeks. 6 hours is enough time anyhow for me to determine if I like a racquet.
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
I found good control and power when I hit the sweet spot. However, finding the sweet spot was not easy for me as it was not that large and was located very high in the racquet. The racquet played much stiffer than its rating. While it wasn’t uncomfortable, I prefer a racquet with some flex. Also, despite the Touch technology, I felt a little buzz off the strings which surprised me since I strung the racquet with synthetic gut. I also felt the racquet’s polarization on ground strokes, and this made my arm wear down more quickly than usual.
-Serves:
Serves worked out well for me. I could hit serves with good spin and power. The polarization didn’t bother me as much on serves.
-Volleys:
The polarization of this racquet hindered maneuverability at the net. And there wasn’t enough flex and feel for touch volleys.
-Serve returns:
Surprisingly, serve returns were better for me than ground strokes. I found good stability on serve returns.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
The Graphene Touch Prestige Tour would be a good demo choice for someone who likes playing with stiffer modern racquets and has a baseline game.
Based on the specs on paper, I was hoping this racquet would be like my Liquidmetal Instinct or the Wilson Ultra Tour. It is not close to either of these racquets.
In the future, to improve the Graphene Touch Prestige Tour for me, I would lower the string tension 5 pounds to try to expand the sweet spot and lower the buzz I felt on groundstrokes. I would also change the grip to leather to try to lower the sweet spot and make the racquet more headlight.
I found the Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro to be a much better choice for my game. This would be the Graphene Touch racquet I would buy.
But I still like my Austrian Head Liquidmetal Instinct the best. I was lucky to recently find 2 more New Old Stock units that I will string up soon. I will be set for awhile.
Thank you very much to Tennis Warehouse and Head for the opportunity to try out the Graphene Touch Prestige Tour!
mhkeuns
Hall of Fame
Great thorough review.
mhkeuns
Hall of Fame
Hmmm... Sounds like Head has really ruined the once most desired racket line in tennis with unnecessary reinventions. Never really understood the Rev Pro. The Tour seemd interesting, but who does it target? The MP users who find the weight too much? Head has too many rackets, even within their line of rackets. Are they all supposed to target the different audiences? It’s just confusing. With Prince making a mid that’s supposed to feel even better than the Prestige Classic, and the Wilson Ultra Tour with its nice feel, Head should seriously consider making the rackets that the users have been asking, instead of force feeding Crap feeling rackets. The Graphene Touch Speed Pro is the only nice racket Head has produced out of the Graphene Touch series.
Bring back the buttery Prestiges & Radicals back!
Bring back the buttery Prestiges & Radicals back!
McLovin
Legend
To be honest, if they could tweak it to expand the sweet spot, it could be a nice frame. But there is no real advantage to the 99 over the 93. The whole purpose of having a larger head is to increase the usable hitting area, but the 99 plays < 93. Anything outside the small sweet spot felt...well, that's just it: there was no feeling.
I had a few of my friends hit with it as well, and for the most part, those who used Pure Drives liked the feel. But all others felt disconnected.
I have no history with Head frames (mainly due to the grip shape), so I cannot comment on the Prestige tradition, but I'd guess historically it was nothing like a Pure Drive. Maybe they're trying to attract a younger generation?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
HEAD has zero interest in giving us the racquets we want. The scary thing is they intend to have the Prestige feel hollow and tinny on purpose now.
mhkeuns
Hall of Fame
On purpose??
sargeinaz
Hall of Fame
So if Head keeps showing over and over they have no interest in making rackets like their old ones, why does everyone keep holding out? Why not try the new price or new Dunlop 200 or Wilson ultra etc? Or just look for used older ones? Because it’s been shown for multiple generations of rackets that head doesn’t hear or doesn’t care what it’s older fans want.
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
Many of the folks here who want the old stuff have the ability to get it. But it would be nice to see it in normal retail channels.
sargeinaz
Hall of Fame
I agree that it would be nice, but it’s looking like that way I’ll be her happen. It’s just been a long time on these boards that everyone keeps hoping for the ship to turn around and it never does.
I mean who would’ve thought that Wilson makes a racket more like an old Head than Head does?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Yes, indeed. Thats the only explanation for the last 4 years.
I have totally given up. I have a few Prestige Classic that will last me for a few years and then look into buying more Angell racquets.
JustTennis76
Hall of Fame
Same here - I demoed the newer graphene touch mid. It just pales in comparison to my Youtek Mid. I have 3 of them and may look to hunt for a couple more online and call it good. I have given up any hope from head making heavier prestige mids that resemble the oldies.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Look how good the PT57A looks in the new glossy Touch Prestige paint
https://instagram.com/p/BeFd0V9lGuY/
https://instagram.com/p/BeFd0V9lGuY/
TennisHound
Legend
I wasn't in the actual playtest, but I have a Tour demo that I've already tried a few times. One word - vibes. It feels like hardened glass - like one of those carnival glass artists made it. Of course the demo is strung super-tight (typical demo string job - about 10lbs too tight) with Kirschbaum so it puts out the vibrations. Man, I haven't hit with a Graphene in a while. I forgot how brittle and tinny they feel. Will keep trying it.
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Imago
Hall of Fame
Outline the name of the test racket in the very beginning of your review.
TennisHound
Legend
He typed "Head prestige graphene touch mid" on the first line.
Imago
Hall of Fame
Yes, he did. Seems everybody wants Mid and Tour...
@vsbabolat - out of curiosity, will those Prestige Classics wear out in some way that makes them dramatically different to play with? Is it the stringing or just wear and tear? I ask because with the CAP grommets, it seems like the wear could be kept to a minimum. Not sure about other factors.
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
I play tested the MID, and demoed the Pro. In all areas of the court, the Pro was the winner. I am no longer able to muster the game for the MID. Sad. But the Pro is Beast. FWIW, I had never played the Prestige before the GXT so I don't have the same context as long time users.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Combination of re-strings and play.
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
It's strung too tight. The demo I tested was not bad at all, though it definitely has that "modern" feeling.
TennisHound
Legend
Yeah, brilliant deduction. “Modern feeling”? What does that mean?
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Imago
Hall of Fame
Seems that the sentiments are similar here overseas. Two MPs were returned for restringing after 20 min, while the new Pro robbed the heart of the testers at once. No "modern feeling" at all...
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movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
I've always taken modern to mean that it feels like crap. In the modern age, feel is overrated.
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
I don't appreciate your tone, especially considering the fact that I was trying to confirm your initial diagnosis (it was your "brilliant deduction"). I remain on this forum to try to be helpful to others. It seems no good deed goes unpunished.
My experience with the Tour is that it is plenty powerful when strung at a more reasonable tension. By modern feeling, I mean it feels stiff and hollow (compared to more classic frames).
TennisHound
Legend
So, with all your experience and deductive skills you were able to ascertain that the actual strings of the racquet were too tight. You’re right, it is a very helpful and important insight that carries a huge impact in how a racquet performs. Simple and brilliant
topspn
Legend
Yeah, I was on the playtest for the Tour and had it strung with a comfortable copoly @48lbs it was not boardy at all. I’d say firm but very comfortable
TennisHound
Legend
Good for you.
Okay, I didn’t feel that the racquet felt good enough in stock form to waste a set of strings on it. But Since you and @mitchman are so insistent that some magical power would be released by restringing it, I restrung it with Head Sonic Pro at 47lbs. Yes, it wasn’t as harsh, but guess what, it still feels hollow and brittle to me. Anyway, the strings did help a little.
Here’s my scores:
Power - 74
Control - 85
Groundstrokes - 83
Volleys - 83
Serves - 81
Touch - 79
Feel - 72
Returns - 80
Advantages - swings very fast with above average control. I was able to get some good spin on my second serves.
Disadvantages - Empty feel and lack of power especially on serves. Harsh outside sweetspot. Some instability against heavy topspin.
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Bartelby
Bionic Poster
Whether it's right or wrong, TW loves to use that phrase when it comes to certain 'revised' racquet lines like the Prestige and the Radical.
The fact is that everyone knows what it means even if it can't exactly be defined given that it is a 'feeling' that is being referenced.
The fact is that everyone knows what it means even if it can't exactly be defined given that it is a 'feeling' that is being referenced.
themitchmann
Hall of Fame
I had a very different experience with the racquet than you did (while I didn’t care for the feel, I found it to have plenty of power...more than I like personally). Based on your comments, I was merely trying to confirm your suspicion that the frame was strung too tightly. I’m sorry to have offended you. Have a nice day.
Nastase
Rookie
I've hit with the Tour on 2 occasions now and find it to be a really great racquet. Strung with Head Hawk Touch originally at 52.5lbs (too tight) but the tension had surely dropped by the time I hit it. I did not find it to be uncomfortable despite being strung more tightly than I wanted, and overall feel to me was just great. I don't find it to be particularly low powered...at least I did not feel hindered at all. I think its a you- get- what- you- put- in type racquet. I found serving to be a stand out area actually, as I could swing away pretty fearlessly. Volleys were great, its a very stable frame. I really havent located a flaw here and am impressed with this frame. I am going to hit with it a couple more times but this feels great in the hand and I cant argue with the results I have seen so far. Age 53, former college player, etc
TennisHound
Legend
Ehh, I was kind of jerky with my reply. My bad
I’m a little frustrated with Head. The specs, shape, and string pattern are perfect and have what all the other racquets are missing. But it’s still somewhat hollow, and tinny to me.
Now, I’m comparing this racquet to an ‘18 PD and a Blade Team 99, but both of these felt more solid. I added some weight at 12 (2x1/4”x 5” strips) along with enough weight in the handle to get it to 12oz 6pts HL, and it wasn’t too bad. It felt better than the Pure Strike 16x19 weighted up, but not as good as the PD or Blade Team.
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DonDiego
Hall of Fame
Head is a company. If they sold more Prestiges these last four years than they were selling the years before, then they made a good decision -- on purpose. Only the sales number will tell us if they made a good move or not.
haqq777
Legend
Good point. But then again, I know quite a few purists who aren't even happy with the YT IG Prestige. I think purists will only be happy with PC600, PT600 or iPrestiges.
haqq777
Legend
After play testing the Graphene Touch, I went on a brief Prestige journey as I wanted to see which version was the best feeling one for me. Already had played with G, GXT and MG versions. Purchased YT & YT IG on a good deal. Also tried versions before those, thanks to a few friends willing to let me use their sticks.
Have come to the conclusion that PC600 tops it for me in terms of feel if I have to rank (in terms of feel) of versions released. It was absolutely buttery soft.
But that said, I am not a staunch Prestige loyalist by any means, and am very much okay with new one as well - keep in mind, I played with Babolats for over a decade (as a junior and all through college). Play with Angells now
Have come to the conclusion that PC600 tops it for me in terms of feel if I have to rank (in terms of feel) of versions released. It was absolutely buttery soft.
But that said, I am not a staunch Prestige loyalist by any means, and am very much okay with new one as well - keep in mind, I played with Babolats for over a decade (as a junior and all through college). Play with Angells now
Imago
Hall of Fame
Faris
Professional
I dont think purists will be happy even then. It will then become an original vs reissue battle. Nothing will ever be good enough, and thats the problem right there. I agree with you though...I am okay with Graphene XT and latest Prestige as well.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
As an owner of Pro Stock Prestige Classic that have been made within the last few years I can tell you they are identical. I can also report that the IG Prestige Mid was 95% there. Had that good thick buttery feel in a crisper layup.
