I've noticed a creaking sound in my grip recently... anyone else having this? This used to be an issue on some Donnay rackets, but I've never had any issue with Head frames doing that.
Check your buttcap - I’ve displaced one of the staples holding the buttcap in place on at least 4 different racquets over the last year. At least in my case, most weren’t broken (one of my Microgel Radicals was, though).
The creaking sound was usually associated with a small displacement of the buttcap...
Yeah, I have the same problem. I feel the head is too heavy. Although, I had an overgrip, it is still no more than 3 points HL. I prefer swinging racquet at at least 7 points HL, but adding more weight to the handle will make it about 340g, which is too much. Even now, I get tired after 2 hours of play. I forgot to weave 1 cross so it's actually 18*19, and weight 1-2 gram less, so maybe it's kind of CRAZY solution!Anyone got Tour with unstrung weight 305 or even less and balance 320mm unstrung?Im interesting is it even a chance to get racquet with advertised specs or even lower weight, because id like to have Tour with max 330 gram strung weight included Overgrip and dampener?
Wow. A racquet (especially Head) endorsement from you and/or vsbabolat goes a long way in my book. May need to reconsider this one.I have been very critical of head lately, probably because of what has been done to the Prestige line to the point that many of the retailers will not carry the latest, 360 Prestige line at all (since they still have tons of previous TWO generations sitting on the shelves...
I have tried the Gravity Tour first, since I was skeptical about a wide hoop, thin beam stability on the Pro.
Tour was a no-go. It felt sluggish, was a nice feel (definitely into the right direction) but just did not impress me at all. I went back to my trusted KB98 until about 10 days ago when I decided to try the Gravity Pro demo in the local store.
After an hour of hitting with it, I returned it to the store with a comment -- surprisingly nice stick, doing everything right, however, it needs something to make me feel comfortable. That one was a 4 3/8 (my usual grip is 4 1/2) and was strung with a multi at 58 lbs, my usual setup is a hybrid (gut/poly) at about 50.
So, I ordered a 4 1/2 with Poly demo from TW, and it arrived set up the way as I asked to match my KB98 - 335g strung with overgrip, 335SW, 32.5cm balance, Head Hawk 17 at 50lbs.
Past few days, I have been playing some of my best tennis. As I mentioned above, the racket does everything well. Very solid and confident on FH and BH side. Easy volleys and maneuverability on the net. Still struggling with BH slices, my weakest shot, but feel better about them.
The depth, control, power and spin (heaviness) of my shots is better than with the KB.
Since my knee surgery in October, I have not practiced serves much, however, I hit serves for about 30 minutes and once I time it and hit it right, the serve is potent, but very controlled.
The feel of the stick is excellent, softer, but not too soft (kind of like my KB) with a great feedback. The sweet spot seems to be very generous.
Overall, a very impressive racket from Head. I am not surprised that players like Barty, Zverev, Rublev have actually switched to this stick...
I ha.
Past few days, I have been playing some of my best tennis. As I mentioned above, the racket does everything well. Very solid and confident on FH and BH side. Easy volleys and maneuverability on the net. Still struggling with BH slices, my weakest shot, but feel better about them.
The depth, control, power and spin (heaviness) of my shots is better than with the KB.
Since my knee surgery in October, I have not practiced serves much, however, I hit serves for about 30 minutes and once I time it and hit it right, the serve is potent, but very controlled.
The feel of the stick is excellent, softer, but not too soft (kind of like my KB) with a great feedback. The sweet spot seems to be very generous.
Overall, a very impressive racket from Head. I am not surprised that players like Barty, Zverev, Rublev have actually switched to this stick...
I also demoed the Yonex VCORE Pro 97HD and Blade V7 18x20.Mirrors my impression of the GPro. Got some other sticks recently, but if a good deal comes along....
Unstrung is 315g, plus strings it's about 331g at least, and then + overgrip about at least 340g, if not 345g...And damper +3 gram, so almost 350g... So, how is it possible to reach 335g?I have been very critical of head lately, probably because of what has been done to the Prestige line to the point that many of the retailers will not carry the latest, 360 Prestige line at all (since they still have tons of previous TWO generations sitting on the shelves...
I have tried the Gravity Tour first, since I was skeptical about a wide hoop, thin beam stability on the Pro.
Tour was a no-go. It felt sluggish, was a nice feel (definitely into the right direction) but just did not impress me at all. I went back to my trusted KB98 until about 10 days ago when I decided to try the Gravity Pro demo in the local store.
After an hour of hitting with it, I returned it to the store with a comment -- surprisingly nice stick, doing everything right, however, it needs something to make me feel comfortable. That one was a 4 3/8 (my usual grip is 4 1/2) and was strung with a multi at 58 lbs, my usual setup is a hybrid (gut/poly) at about 50.
So, I ordered a 4 1/2 with Poly demo from TW, and it arrived set up the way as I asked to match my KB98 - 335g strung with overgrip, 335SW, 32.5cm balance, Head Hawk 17 at 50lbs.
Past few days, I have been playing some of my best tennis. As I mentioned above, the racket does everything well. Very solid and confident on FH and BH side. Easy volleys and maneuverability on the net. Still struggling with BH slices, my weakest shot, but feel better about them.
The depth, control, power and spin (heaviness) of my shots is better than with the KB.
Since my knee surgery in October, I have not practiced serves much, however, I hit serves for about 30 minutes and once I time it and hit it right, the serve is potent, but very controlled.
The feel of the stick is excellent, softer, but not too soft (kind of like my KB) with a great feedback. The sweet spot seems to be very generous.
Overall, a very impressive racket from Head. I am not surprised that players like Barty, Zverev, Rublev have actually switched to this stick...
Mine is 338g with wilson pro overgrip, luxilon dampener and TBHS7T 1.25mm strings.Unstrung is 315g, plus strings it's about 331g at least, and then + overgrip about at least 340g, if not 345g...And damper +3 gram, so almost 350g... So, how is it possible to reach 335g?
Mine is 9 gram.Mine is 338g with wilson pro overgrip, luxilon dampener and TBHS7T 1.25mm strings.
Are you sure you got a racquet with 315 grams ? Overgrip is a max. 5-7 grams.
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331g + 6g OG = 337g static, is exactly what I measure on this one.Unstrung is 315g, plus strings it's about 331g at least, and then + overgrip about at least 340g, if not 345g...And damper +3 gram, so almost 350g... So, how is it possible to reach 335g?
What you should do is put a vibration damp in and see if you still have that ping or tinny feel.
Hope that takes care of it.
Otherwise if it’s still making that sound or is sending a vibration to the handle she may be cracked from the inside . This wouid be pretty rare though .
But it happened to me with one of my most recent purchases ( Wilson 6.1 classic very old ) but mine was a gently used frame and looked in great nick, however she is cracked somewhere around 12 o clock in the hoop.
I found this outduring my first hitting session.. I was very upset , but in my case I purchased as is . In your case being a new frame you should be able to get a full refund
As I say, already got a dampener on it. Even with it on there's a strange sense of vibration. Just took the dampener off and smacked my palm off the strings a few times to check it again without dampener. It's like a normal higher pitched string sound (without dampener), but trying to build on my earlier description of the tinny ping, there's an extra sort of distended, elongated vibrating ping that lasts a split second behind it. It's like a very fast tuning fork or something. Almost a tiny whistle (though whistle is a bit of an exaggeration). It's just a split second whizz, but noticeable.
Billy Baseline, I think you may be making more out of the QC sticker than it is. It could be that they have several QC teams and A, B, C, even F is just identifying the group or individuals that QC’d the racket. If it truly failed QC I can tell you from experience that it does t get a sticker it just gets tossed or sent to engineering for review and then tossed. However, if you’re still not convinced email Head customer service and I’m sure they will look into it and give you a similar answer.
I’ve been playing with the GPro since it first came out. There is some slight vibration above the sweetspot but that’s typical of any racquet. What kind of strings are you using and at what tension? That would allow myself or others to better gauge if the vibration you’re feeling is in line or abnormal. Also what was your previous racquet with string and tension as a reference point?
Polys due result in more vibration so you could always try Technifibre Multifeel or Head Velocity MLT which are good multifilaments that I’ve used. Older racquets aren’t as stiff or hollow as today’s, plus the older sticks have a lot more fiberglass which also helped with a more solid feeling frame. Also the stiffness in the tip and upper hoop of today’s frames is far more than the older frames. I played with Rossignol and the Dunlop Max 200G and its night and day between those flexible frames and what is considered flexible today.
I string my Gpros with either of those two multis around 50-51lbs. I strung one up with the Volkl vfuse hybrid (natural gut in mains and cyclone in the cross) which felt pretty awesome. I had the gut at 52 and poly at 48. Any full poly I’ve strung in around 45. Even with gut there is some vibration above the sweetspot, but a lot less than the poly. I think Barty is in the low 40’s and I might try going down there if I try a poly again.
I had some elbow issues myself which is why I went with GPro. I can play with poly again but the extra power I get out of the multis in this frame seems to work for me. Heck I even put cheap Wilson power syn gut in it sometimes and that plays good as well. I can still get plenty of spin with this racquet since the pocketing is so good. Never thought I’d ever hit with syn gut after playing with poly for so long but it’s not so bad in this stick.
Try different string setups and you might find a better match for the feel you want.
As I say, already got a dampener on it. Even with it on there's a strange sense of vibration. Just took the dampener off and smacked my palm off the strings a few times to check it again without dampener. It's like a normal higher pitched string sound (without dampener), but trying to build on my earlier description of the tinny ping, there's an extra sort of distended, elongated vibrating ping that lasts a split second behind it. It's like a very fast tuning fork or something. Almost a tiny whistle (though whistle is a bit of an exaggeration). It's just a split second whizz, but noticeable.
I got myself two Gravity Tours. One I strung with a hybrid of Gioco Multifilament + MSV Focus Hex (incredible combination by the way, super arm friendly) and the other with a full bed of Lynx. The one with Lynx vibrates way more and I get the same feeling you got.
First racquet setup broke and I restrung with a full bed of Velocity, but yet to test since courts are all closed here.
Eventually I’ll switch the setup around, especially because the racquet with poly came heavier (**** QC for a change). I always like keeping a multi or hybrid + poly depending how I’m feeling, so makes more sense to put the poly on the lighter racquet.
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I demoed the Pro and own the Tour. Just to set one thing clear, the Gravity Tour is absolutely nothing like a Pure Drive.
As for “feel”, that is perhaps the most ambiguous term ever. It still has that amazing sensation from when you hit the ball, that smooth classic flex.
It won’t exactly feel like the Pro because that one has more heft and you really have to swing through to play with it. I found it quite tiring. The Tour will give you more free power and is more forgiving when you aren’t absolutely spot on, especially when it comes to footwork. It gives you a tad more space to compensate for a mistake.
Good to know, thanks for taking the time to reply. That's my only real issue, I find it quite tiring.I demoed the Pro and own the Tour. Just to set one thing clear, the Gravity Tour is absolutely nothing like a Pure Drive.
As for “feel”, that is perhaps the most ambiguous term ever. It still has that amazing sensation from when you hit the ball, that smooth classic flex.
It won’t exactly feel like the Pro because that one has more heft and you really have to swing through to play with it. I found it quite tiring. The Tour will give you more free power and is more forgiving when you aren’t absolutely spot on, especially when it comes to footwork. It gives you a tad more space to compensate for a mistake.
I really cannot emphasize enough how you should get the racquets measured before purchasing though. I’ve seen swingweight on both the Pro and the Tour vary A LOT, and they could intersect. If you played with and underspec’d Pro at around 330SW and still found it too much, I’d recommend looking at the MP, not the Tour.
Just to illustrate things, I bought my Tour at a shop that had an RDC machine. Mine clocked 296 unstrung, and the other one they had clocked 313 unstrung, which is more than the average for the Pro. Had I bought them without measuring, I’d be up for quite a surprise.
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I owned two Tours (recently sold) and one Pro, and have tested a few others with different setups. I've played with them for several months, about 5-6 times a week. Compared to the Pro, the Tour are a step in the Pure Drive type of hollow feel direction. That is not the same as saying the Tours are like PDs, they're not, but compared to the Pro they def have a more modern, hollow type feeling. They still feel very nice though, but if you're coming from a Pro, and you expect that type of feel, you'll be disappointed for sure.
For me, the Pro is the bench mark among new Head retail rackets. I'd place the MP+ between the Pro and Tour. If Billy B loves the Pro, but wants a little less SW and/or static weight, I'd first get the actual racket specs, then if those are average or above average, I'd get TW (or another seller) to find one below average. The only racket I can remember that can be somewhat compared to the Pro, is the Duel G 100, but that lacked the plow of the Pro. The Pro is based on a frame that's been through so many iterations, it's hard to find current stock alternatives, i.e. 20 mm flat beam, 100 sq inch, low RA, high SW.
Thanks for taking the time to reply - lots of great insight here. Can I ask - why sell your Tours? Also, why is the MP+ between the Pro and Tour?
I much prefer the Pro and the MP+. After owning - and selling - way to many frames over the last years, I've come to realize I have a clear preference for 20 mm flat beam frames. Ime, 22 mm frames is another type of frame, albeit frames like GTour, TF40 and six.one 95 are excellent. It might be an age, i.e. what you're used to play with, idk.
The MP+ places itself between the GPro and the Tour when it comes to feel. The Tour is arguably the easiest one to play with, but that depends. For allcourt attacking tennis, I'd pick the MP+, esp on hardcourt and for volleys. For aggressive baseline play, I'd go for the Pro.
As I say, love the Pro, but it gets me tired and a bit sluggish after a while. Expect MP would be too light for me. As a teenager in the 90s I grew up using Donnay rackets at 350g. Never felt comfortable playing with anything much lighter since, but a bit less now would be good. All said and done, the Gravity Pro sure is a wonderful bit of gear.
Have you checked the SW? Some are reportedly in the 340 range.
As I say, love the Pro, but it gets me tired and a bit sluggish after a while. Expect MP would be too light for me. As a teenager in the 90s I grew up using Donnay rackets at 350g. Never felt comfortable playing with anything much lighter since, but a bit less now would be good. All said and done, the Gravity Pro sure is a wonderful bit of gear.
Would you be able to compare it to the prestige mid? I’m going to demo the gravity pro, and the prestige mp, but I’m trying to decide between the mid and the pure strike gen 3.Been using Gravity Pro as my main racquet since it came out, still my favourite, even though i buy and try all the new gen stuff im interested in for fun - i am picking up a gravity tour soon, ill let you know how that goes
Yeah, being a racquetholic is awful. I used to be very loyal to one brand, then I found this website and now I’ve gone crazy with Head, Babolat, and others. I wish TW could do 4 demos because I am demoing the mid, mp and gravity pro and wish I could try the pure strike because it’s like what I used to use (an aero) but mixed with a blade.Local store doesnt have the Prestige Mid for demo unfortunately, and i'm reluctant to buy it because i have the MP already haha, also its like $400 over here...but im curious because of the other thread
I used the Gen 3 16x19 strike for a while, spec close to listed - my wrist couldnt handle the gen 2, too much shock for my liking, but i thought gen 3 gave pretty much the playing characteristics of gen 2 but with much softer and dampened feel
Downside might of been it was muted, but not particularly bothered by that myself. Tried RPM Blast, Volkl V square, Tour Bite, was a very good blend of control, spin and power, in between thin control frames like GPro and outright power like Pure Drive
Only issue for me was in stock form it could flutter on stability, twist alot, obviously lead could fix it, but once i added it in, i didnt like how i lost the racquet head speed, which is what made me play well with it in the first place, but actually a good racquet nonetheless
I only sold it because i keep picking up new frames, but the GPro i keep no matter what
The only racket I can remember that can be somewhat compared to the Pro, is the Duel G 100, but that lacked the plow of the Pro. The Pro is based on a frame that's been through so many iterations, it's hard to find current stock alternatives, i.e. 20 mm flat beam, 100 sq inch, low RA, high SW.
Been using Gravity Pro as my main racquet since it came out, still my favourite, even though i buy and try all the new gen stuff im interested in for fun - i am picking up a gravity tour soon, ill let you know how that goes
No, not checked the SW. Don't have access to a machine so would have to try do it all at home, which I don't think will work out so accurately.Have you checked the SW? Some are reportedly in the 340 range.