I demoed the "new" Head Gravity MP 2 weeks ago and really liked it. Crisp and control. Not overly powerful, but the feel and control was very nice...so I decided to take it for another demo today. As best as I can tell, it was the same strings and in great condition from the TW GA location. HOWEVER...it was awful today with very bad pinging sound and virtually unplayable. I didn't expect it to be as great as it was the other week, but didn't think it would be this bad either. Any thoughts?
gravity MP demo from TW
- Thread starter Tide
- Start date
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Probably dead strings
Possibly but I don't recall just a wide drop off in playability of any racket I have ever used.
I used the same dampener...but the Ping sound was the worst I have encountered. I have never been Head guy but thought I would give the Gravity MP a try, so I am trying to figure out what is going on with 2 drastically different playing experiences.
I picked it up from the GA location myself but they were not sure if it was the same exact demo I had used previously. I was trying to get the same one
esgee48
G.O.A.T.
Poly strings on demos are likely the culprit. They die or go dead fairly quickly. In a 2 week period, the strings could end up with > 12 hours on them, which means they were beaten to death by ball impacts. The only strings that don't do this are non polys, but they lose tension and players do not like racquets that are too loose.
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
Let me begin with this statement, I used the TW demo program extensively...twice. It used to be the best option for me. Racquets were available and in good shape. Fresh string, ALWAYS. But, that was some time ago. Errors, oversight, delays, and cost increases are all hallmarks of the demo program, going back to pre-pandemic days. I will stick with my local tennis shop, a benchmark for customer service. Waiting for the criticism...
when I was testing Gravity line, I used to string them with strings familiar to me, at the desired tension, to remove a few unknowns:
new string
unknown tension
probably dead stringbed
dgoran
Hall of Fame
I agree with @Dan007 I have been on a demo spree and it's almost useless with more than 75% of the TW demo racquets come in with either dead strings or worse...I have received a demo with base grip completely reversed (wrapped for a lefty and wrapped as if they wrapped it with their foot) and another racquet had a base grip split somehow as if somebody cut them on purpuse with a box cutter.
Agreed. Used it for years and especially lately with the GA location near my courts. Could easily be dead strings. I also like the local small shop for demos, but they always use NXT instead of polys in all demos...so that's why I prefer TW .
Yes, it is 50/50 on condition of grips lately. Some are perfect and some are terrible
I own 2 Gravity Tours and 1 Gravity Pro. I use dampeners for this very reason. They ping and it's annoying, but solved by a dampener or rubber band.
As for the MP in general, I found it to be too underpowered for me and not stable enough against strong players.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
I’ve posted about this several times elsewhere. About 2/3s of the demos I’ve received from GA over the fall and winter have come strung with poly about about 35 lbs. A couple have even been brand new frames with plastic on the handles. They are not dead strings; they are being strung that way at TW. If the strings aren’t obviously used and dead, try to check the tension. I use RacquetTune to estimate the tension on already-strung frames and it’s pretty accurate. When I double-check a racquet that I just strung, it always measures just about the tension that I used.
HitMoreBHs
Professional
Easily fixed with lead...
Again, you gotta love up on lead...
Just kidding, lead isn’t the cure for all ills! I especially didn’t like it on the MP - affected its easy manoeuvrability. And I too use a dampener on all my Gravity sticks, even when strung up with natural gut. They all ping to some degree.I’m the same as others who posted above. Always playtest with a fresh string job with a familiar string at familiar tensions, particularly with poly. If it’s multi or synth gut, I find it less of an issue so long as the existing tension is at least 53lbs. It’s worth paying the small extra for a fresh set of strings if the shop allows this on demos. Better that than buyer’s remorse!
I’ve got a SW in the low 320s and that’s about where I need to be at my age and playing style...Easily fixed with lead...
Again, you gotta love up on lead...
I’m the same as others who posted above. Always playtest with a fresh string job with a familiar string at familiar tensions, particularly with poly. If it’s multi or synth gut, I find it less of an issue so long as the existing tension is at least 53lbs. It’s worth paying the small extra for a fresh set of strings if the shop allows this on demos. Better that than buyer’s remorse!
kingnike12
Rookie
If the gravity mp is pingy, it is definitely the string job. I dont like pingy racquets and I use a gravity mp
Fluffy_Skye
Semi-Pro
I finally got my hands on the gravity tour. Really nice swinging, perfectly balanced. But that pinging! Mine was freshly strung with lynx tour at 50 lbs, so I don't think it's the string job.
Reading feedbacks about the ping in this thread sort of released my worry about getting a faulty racket. But just to be clear that we're talking about the same "ping". The string continues to vibrate shortly after impact and gives a high pitch vibration like a tuning fork. I can also feel the vibration sent from the hoop to the handle. It doesn't hurt me but it's just an annoying feel on my hand. A dampener kind of limits the vibration in the hoop so I don't feel as much on the handle, but the ping is still there within the hoop. Is this normal? However, I've also seen feedback from gravity owners who don't feel this at all. So I don't know if this is by design or it's a faulty racket.
Just shipping the frame in high heat back and forth can be problematic. We can discuss opinions about the Gravity MP, I would lean towards Speed Mp and Radical MP. Gravity MP need a little extra weight to be as stable as the before mentioned racquets. Still if you like the frame and it plays well against those you play I can see why you like it ....It feels like a lighter players frame. Stability would be my main concern against heavy hitters. If you have good time it should not be a major problem.
Ok so this just started happening with my gravity tour. I had gotten it string from a club, not my regular stringer, which I think is the issue. But there was no visible damage to the stick, grommets, handle or else…loud aggressive ping and vibration. My stronger restringing for me and it stopped, or so he said. Will pick up today. If it persists, I will send back to TW for an evaluation.
For the record, this racket was bought a year ago and this just started happening. I have a second tour and another GPro and no issues there either.
Fluffy_Skye
Semi-Pro
It just started happening to your racket? Reading your comment above where you said you use dampeners exactly because of the ping, I thought you’ve experienced this from the beginning. Is that a different ping you’re referring to?
Yeah. The head racketsni find just ping a bit. So I use a dampener. But this level of ping and vibration was so aggressive that I thought there was a crack internally. Still coiuls be.
Restrung and the racquet is fine.
Raizu
Semi-Pro
You could have your local shop (assuming it’s Your Serve) restring their demo with poly. They will probably just ask for you to pay for it.
Fluffy_Skye
Semi-Pro
Good news. I’ll restring mine today to see if it fix itself.
haven't been all to find out what the dal was...will update after talking to the stringer
Fluffy_Skye
Semi-Pro
Do you still feel a little bit of ping which you said you’ve found on all head rackets? I myself at least don’t feel this on the new radical or extreme tour though.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
My HEAD racquets never ping. Mine make a good satisfying thud sound.
honestly, I've found the 360+ heads to just be a little high pitched in parts of the hoop. simple dampener fixes it.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
My 360+ Prestige MP’s don't ping but I’m stinging with gut or Velocity.
Same with my 360+ Prestige MPs, both string at 44-46 pounds with Head Lynx (depending on the season) and zero ping. By the way imo it is a fantastic racquet.
That’s my range. No higher than 50 in the summer.
Fluffy_Skye
Semi-Pro
I see head recommend tension between 48-57. So would it be bad to do 46 for example?
With a poly? No. Generally I go higher with a multi…
