HEAD Extreme 360+ tour club?

Ryebread

Hall of Fame
I took your advice and added three cotton balls to butt cap. Such a small amount of weight but it makes a big difference. I strung it with RPM power / excel hyprid a bit low at 48/51 but it plays effortlessly just need to add top spin , serves are amazing

glad you found a tension that works for you.
just be aware that as the strings lose tension it may get mushy and you may not have the same control
especially in summer.... you may want to go up a couple lbs.
I'm playing around with tension myself!

glad the cotton ball trick worked for you. simple but effective.



cheers!
 

Dasol

Rookie
Doing extended demo with the Head Extreme Tour, and so far so good! It feels lighter than the Pure Strike and the Blade, but it is whippy and stable at the same time! It has a very good power potential, and it is easy to generate both topspin and backhand slice.

I think it is a very user-friendly frame and not too demanding. But the Head Extreme Tour definitely has a player's frame's feel and control.
I have been looking for an arm friendly frame with lesser weight/power than my Pure Strike, and the Head Extreme Tour is closer to what I am looking for.

I will string it with gut-poly hybrid and see how it performs next week.
 

Bruceh

New User
Doing extended demo with the Head Extreme Tour, and so far so good! It feels lighter than the Pure Strike and the Blade, but it is whippy and stable at the same time! It has a very good power potential, and it is easy to generate both topspin and backhand slice.

I think it is a very user-friendly frame and not too demanding. But the Head Extreme Tour definitely has a player's frame's feel and control.
I have been looking for an arm friendly frame with lesser weight/power than my Pure Strike, and the Head Extreme Tour is closer to what I am looking for.

I will string it with gut-poly hybrid and see how it performs next week.
What tension will you use. I’m playing with head extreme mp and prince beast 0 98 . Would like to try head tour my local shop doesn’t carry it
 

Dasol

Rookie
What tension will you use. I’m playing with head extreme mp and prince beast 0 98 . Would like to try head tour my local shop doesn’t carry it
I think in the stock form, the Head Extreme Tour has less power and mass than the Pure Strike, so I will string it a little lower. Probably gut as main at 52 and poly as cross at 49. I can even go lower because the control this frame gives is great.
 

Dasol

Rookie
How is the power level and stability. Is it as solid as pure strike or pro staff 97
This is just my personal opinion, but from my experience the Head Extreme Tour is less powerful than the Pure Strike, the Vcore 98, and the Blade 16X19. But, I do not think the Head Extreme Tour is an underpowered frame because you can produce faster swing due to its headlight balance. Definitely less mass in the head, but it has a good stability and power potential. I would like to compare it to the Vcore Pro 97 (310) that I have used before, and both of them are whippy but very stable. And they also have such a nice clean feel compared to the mute feeling of the Pure Strike and the Blade.
 

Ryebread

Hall of Fame
This is just my personal opinion, but from my experience the Head Extreme Tour is less powerful than the Pure Strike, the Vcore 98, and the Blade 16X19. But, I do not think the Head Extreme Tour is an underpowered frame because you can produce faster swing due to its headlight balance. Definitely less mass in the head, but it has a good stability and power potential. I would like to compare it to the Vcore Pro 97 (310) that I have used before, and both of them are whippy but very stable. And they also have such a nice clean feel compared to the mute feeling of the Pure Strike and the Blade.

It has less power than everything in it's class for sure. It's a unique offering.

I felt the sweet spot was oddly small, and especially when compared with all of the other 98's.
 

Dasol

Rookie
It has less power than everything in it's class for sure. It's a unique offering.

I felt the sweet spot was oddly small, and especially when compared with all of the other 98's.
I agree that the Head Extreme Tour has less power than many 98/305 frames, and it feels head-lighter than most of them.
However, at the recreational level I do not feel to add weight to the frame for the stability reason. It has enough stability for not being easily pushed.

If you need more power and ball pocketing, I think you can first lower tension before putting more weight. My demo was strung with poly/multi hybrid at 50/48 and it has sufficient power to handle heavy balls at 4.0-4.5 level.

And I do not think the sweet spot is oddly small:) Compared to many 98 frames such as the Pure Strike, the Vcore, and the Blade which all have muted feel, the Head Extreme Tour has clean and even raw feel, and therefore it might make people feel that the sweet spot is smaller in my opinion.
 

phanamous

Rookie
For context, you have a 1HBH?
HET is quite fun though it's not stable enough for my 1HBH I find. I'm still considering it as some lead could fix that issue.
The small sweetspot feel has to do with the spin grommets I think. Hit the sweetspot where the spin grommets are and it's plush and comfy. Off center and it can be jarring hence the impression of the smaller sweetspot. I'm thinking gut/poly could help with this also so I'm interested in your feedback here.

I agree that the Head Extreme Tour has less power than many 98/305 frames, and it feels head-lighter than most of them.
However, at the recreational level I do not feel to add weight to the frame for the stability reason. It has enough stability for not being easily pushed.

If you need more power and ball pocketing, I think you can first lower tension before putting more weight. My demo was strung with poly/multi hybrid at 50/48 and it has sufficient power to handle heavy balls at 4.0-4.5 level.

And I do not think the sweet spot is oddly small:) Compared to many 98 frames such as the Pure Strike, the Vcore, and the Blade which all have muted feel, the Head Extreme Tour has clean and even raw feel, and therefore it might make people feel that the sweet spot is smaller in my opinion.
 

Ryebread

Hall of Fame
For context, you have a 1HBH?
HET is quite fun though it's not stable enough for my 1HBH I find. I'm still considering it as some lead could fix that issue.
The small sweetspot feel has to do with the spin grommets I think. Hit the sweetspot where the spin grommets are and it's plush and comfy. Off center and it can be jarring hence the impression of the smaller sweetspot. I'm thinking gut/poly could help with this also so I'm interested in your feedback here.

I find the sweet spot is normal with the Extreme MP, which employs spin grommets.
 

Dasol

Rookie
For context, you have a 1HBH?
HET is quite fun though it's not stable enough for my 1HBH I find. I'm still considering it as some lead could fix that issue.
The small sweetspot feel has to do with the spin grommets I think. Hit the sweetspot where the spin grommets are and it's plush and comfy. Off center and it can be jarring hence the impression of the smaller sweetspot. I'm thinking gut/poly could help with this also so I'm interested in your feedback here.
I have 2HBH and do not feel that the HET is unstable:) I think the lead will make the frame more stable and powerful for sure though.
The spaces between main strings seem denser than other 98/305 frames, so the small spot might be felt smaller.
That's why I think it would be better to drop tension to increase power and open up the sweet spot a little bit more with this frame.
Control is excellent with the HET, so high 40s or even mid 40s would be ok in my opinion.
I will string it with gut/poly hybrid next week and see how it performs. I will definitely report back.
 

yessir

Semi-Pro
After trying Ps 16x19 3rd gen - Radical mp - Blade 16x19 v7 - vcore 95 - ET - Ezone 98...
My final two are Ezone98 vs ET. Final test today , both with some lead at 12-> 322 swingweight , with S7T 52lbs trying to get a slight increase in launch angle with them because with confidential they were shooting laser beams.
 

Hidious

Professional
Been reading a lot about this frame as I'm looking to try a modern powerful racquet just to see what happens. However, turns out that it's a low powered player's frame? Sounds like a great frame, but I'm not sure I understand the intention here. There are already so many offerings in the control department, why would anyone look at an Extreme when looking for a comfortable low powered racquet? What does it offer that is so much nicer than a PT 2.0, a Prestige or Radical Pro, a Gravity Pro or Tour or even a Speed Pro? Bigger sweetspot, better spin, feel? It's just so weird for me to think of an Extreme as a very low powered frame.
 

yessir

Semi-Pro
Been reading a lot about this frame as I'm looking to try a modern powerful racquet just to see what happens. However, turns out that it's a low powered player's frame? Sounds like a great frame, but I'm not sure I understand the intention here. There are already so many offerings in the control department, why would anyone look at an Extreme when looking for a comfortable low powered racquet? What does it offer that is so much nicer than a PT 2.0, a Prestige or Radical Pro, a Gravity Pro or Tour or even a Speed Pro? Bigger sweetspot, better spin, feel? It's just so weird for me to think of an Extreme as a very low powered frame.

Its not that low powered , i guess the launch angle makes it seem as low powered. Can easily serve 160-170 kmh with it , 2g lead tape at 12. Got a radar so i am not talking ****. It just need a string with higher launch angle.
 

rjp1977

Rookie
Been reading a lot about this frame as I'm looking to try a modern powerful racquet just to see what happens. However, turns out that it's a low powered player's frame? Sounds like a great frame, but I'm not sure I understand the intention here. There are already so many offerings in the control department, why would anyone look at an Extreme when looking for a comfortable low powered racquet? What does it offer that is so much nicer than a PT 2.0, a Prestige or Radical Pro, a Gravity Pro or Tour or even a Speed Pro? Bigger sweetspot, better spin, feel? It's just so weird for me to think of an Extreme as a very low powered frame.

I wouldn't say it's low powered. Not as much pop as the MP, but still able to generate pace. It doesn't launch off as the MP did with me sometimes.
 

topspn

Legend
I just got the demo and just bouncing a ball on stringbed at home, it’s very pingy. I don’t know if it’s a bad string job or what
 

JOSHL

Hall of Fame
Been reading a lot about this frame as I'm looking to try a modern powerful racquet just to see what happens. However, turns out that it's a low powered player's frame? Sounds like a great frame, but I'm not sure I understand the intention here. There are already so many offerings in the control department, why would anyone look at an Extreme when looking for a comfortable low powered racquet? What does it offer that is so much nicer than a PT 2.0, a Prestige or Radical Pro, a Gravity Pro or Tour or even a Speed Pro? Bigger sweetspot, better spin, feel? It's just so weird for me to think of an Extreme as a very low powered frame.
It doesn’t have a lot of free power but wouldn’t say it’s anemic either. If you want power go with the MP version. What it has over the pt 2.0, prestige, rad pro is bigger sweet spot, spin and maneuverability. What it has over the gravity and speed is spin and maneuverability and a better paint job.
 

AA7

Hall of Fame
It doesn’t have a lot of free power but wouldn’t say it’s anemic either. If you want power go with the MP version. What it has over the pt 2.0, prestige, rad pro is bigger sweet spot, spin and maneuverability. What it has over the gravity and speed is spin and maneuverability and a better paint job.
paint job is actually really cool in person. I have a demo (courtesy of one the most distinguished gentleman of distinguished gentlemen club @gutfeeling) rain, cancellation, heat... could not take it for a ride for a week. Tonight finally! very curious to hit with this puppy...
edit: I should mention.... During one of my blackouts, I must have ordered the NITE version of the tour as it just showed up one day. Even though I have not hit with the racket yet. Just in case hahah... that looks sick as well...
 

chicubs

Rookie
I keep going back in forth between my leaded 360+ Extreme Tour and Pro (ordered from Europe). Maddening. It’s basically just the difference of a thin vs thick beam, but, man, I just can’t make a decision. Every time I think I’ve chosen, I play another match better with the other one.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
It’s basically just the difference of a thin vs thick beam

Also 98 vs 100 sq. in... but I'd be interested in what you go with, as I've been pondering which would be better.

The head size difference would be minimal, but combined with the slightly different static weight, beam thickness, lower RA, and higher SW... it might make enough of a difference for one to be a clear winner.

The Tour I could get in my country, but the Pro I'd have to get from Europe, so I'd need to be sure I want it.

Keep us posted. Cheers
 

chicubs

Rookie
Also 98 vs 100 sq. in... but I'd be interested in what you go with, as I've been pondering which would be better.

The head size difference would be minimal, but combined with the slightly different static weight, beam thickness, lower RA, and higher SW... it might make enough of a difference for one to be a clear winner.

The Tour I could get in my country, but the Pro I'd have to get from Europe, so I'd need to be sure I want it.

Keep us posted. Cheers

Ended up going with the Extreme Pro even though I probably played more with the Tour. Pro makes tennis easier no matter the opponent because of the stability and power without sacrificing control thanks to the Pro’s tight pattern. Pro is also a shockingly good volleying stick. Tour is a great frame but my original instinct was that I hated having to experiment with lead tape just to make it “playable” in stock. Bottom line is that even with lead tape, I thought the Tour was just a little weak in the top of the hoop. Fun stick though. Just better results with the Pro. Oh and I reconverted back to my two hander which negated the advantages of the thin beam and smaller head size of the Tour. I got my Pros from Europe and I think it’s worth it if the specs seem right.
 

Classic-TXP-IG MID

Hall of Fame
Ended up going with the Extreme Pro even though I probably played more with the Tour. Pro makes tennis easier no matter the opponent because of the stability and power without sacrificing control thanks to the Pro’s tight pattern. Pro is also a shockingly good volleying stick. Tour is a great frame but my original instinct was that I hated having to experiment with lead tape just to make it “playable” in stock. Bottom line is that even with lead tape, I thought the Tour was just a little weak in the top of the hoop. Fun stick though. Just better results with the Pro. Oh and I reconverted back to my two hander which negated the advantages of the thin beam and smaller head size of the Tour. I got my Pros from Europe and I think it’s worth it if the specs seem right.

Thanks for the update. Might keep it in mind... and get it when it goes on sale (and when the COVID madness subsides and the crazy prices drop).
 

xlv

New User
Demoed and switched to ET.
So far so good. No weight added yet.
I feel I play the best tennis with ET. It’s super maneuverable. All my focus is on my steps and aiming balls. It’s less power compared to my previous stick speed mp but ‘good enough’ thanks to racquet speed and maneuverability.
I feel my backhand got instantly improvement with ET. Anyone has the same feeling? It’s easy to swing and I can get some ‘free power’. Some much easier to handle ET with my THBH.
PJ is unique. I picked original one. Love it.
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Demoed and switched to ET.
So far so good. No weight added yet.
I feel I play the best tennis with ET. It’s super maneuverable. All my focus is on my steps and aiming balls. It’s less power compared to my previous stick speed mp but ‘good enough’ thanks to racquet speed and maneuverability.
I feel my backhand got instantly improvement with ET. Anyone has the same feeling? It’s easy to swing and I can get some ‘free power’. Some much easier to handle ET with my THBH.
PJ is unique. I picked original one. Love it.
It’s an underrated part of generating power is footwork and technique and how a lighter racquet while providing less pop may actually help you play better.
 

topspn

Legend
I ended up buying a ET nite edition and sold it within days. Stock form is really not playable for me at 317SW. I added 2g split between 2&10 and another gram @12. This was certainly an improvement but it just didn't excite me and such a pingy frame. Second time i notice the high level of vibration on demo then this frame and mine was strung with a string i like BK. I don't get what the fuss is about any other frame in my bag has better playability.
 

yessir

Semi-Pro
Question : Playing with Emp stock , 33.3 balance and currently nuking my flat serve and kick.
Then i added some weight at handle and balance went 32,5 and cant even land a serve in , particularly flat serves. Believe me its not a mind game because it happened without me knowing which racquet was tailweighted or not , after failing around 30 serves did i go and check the buttcap.
Anyone knows why this happened????
 
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Jouke

Professional
I ended up buying a ET nite edition and sold it within days. Stock form is really not playable for me at 317SW. I added 2g split between 2&10 and another gram @12. This was certainly an improvement but it just didn't excite me and such a pingy frame. Second time i notice the high level of vibration on demo then this frame and mine was strung with a string i like BK. I don't get what the fuss is about any other frame in my bag has better playability.
Thats exactly what I meant in my post above when I said ‘ditch it now, thank me later’;).
 

CosmosMpower

Hall of Fame
Question : Playing with Emp stock , 33.3 balance and currently nuking my flat serve and kick.
Then i added some weight at handle and balance went 32,5 and cant even land a serve in , particularly flat serves. Believe me its not a mind game because it happened without me knowing which racquet was tailweighted or not , after failing around 30 served did i go and check the huttcap.
Anyone knows why this happened????

The change in balance probably threw off your timing.
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
The change in balance probably threw off your timing.
Sometimes I find that a slightly head heavy racquet makes it easier to serve, especially flat and slice serves. The head coming through brings a lot of weight to the ball. Less so on kick where maneuverability is more important.
 

Return_Ace

Hall of Fame
Sometimes I find that a slightly head heavy racquet makes it easier to serve, especially flat and slice serves. The head coming through brings a lot of weight to the ball. Less so on kick where maneuverability is more important.

I do get what you mean, but 33.3cm balance is still 3-4pts HL ;):p
 

Acegame

Rookie
Bought this racket recently. I put in Solinco Hyper G 16g at 23kg. I'm coming from a Yonex 98 DR and it does feel a bit low powered to me. Most noticable on my serve and 2hbh. I do like the feel though. But i think i will add some lead to give it a bit more plow through and extra power. I like the ET in stock form on my forehand so i hope the extra weight won't change that.
 

smalahove

Hall of Fame
Bought this racket recently. I put in Solinco Hyper G 16g at 23kg. I'm coming from a Yonex 98 DR and it does feel a bit low powered to me. Most noticable on my serve and 2hbh. I do like the feel though. But i think i will add some lead to give it a bit more plow through and extra power. I like the ET in stock form on my forehand so i hope the extra weight won't change that.
I realized why adding led to frames like the Rad MP and the ET is difficult: the plow you get from the added SW is addictive (who doesn’t want easy depth), but you need to be conservative to avoid the uncontrollable rocket launcher.
 

n80aoag

Professional
I extended my ET to 27.5 inches and strung it with 17g Hawk Touch at 53 lbs. Felt like I hit a much heavier ball and can produce a flatter ball when needed too, and overall I liked the feel much better than the Blade Pro V8 18x20 and 16x19 I demo'd. Maneuverability was decreased at net of course, but manageable
 

xlv

New User
Ok, I add 1g on 12, 2g on 3&9. Replaced tecnifibre leather grip ( the best leather I have ever used so far). Static weight is 337g with overgrip. 7HL. Don’t have SW. My racquet feels much more solid and still swing fast as hell. Love it.
 

NST

Rookie
Does the MP work for people with a more traditional forehand or do you have to hit like a next-gen professional to benefit from the power and spin?
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Does the MP work for people with a more traditional forehand or do you have to hit like a next-gen professional to benefit from the power and spin?
Generally, racquets with open patterns that enable higher launch angles require more vertical strokes that create the necessary spin to bring the ball back down into the court.

More linear strokes benefit, mostly, from tighter string patterns. The Extreme Tour is a bit of both…a dense 16/19
 

NST

Rookie
Generally, racquets with open patterns that enable higher launch angles require more vertical strokes that create the necessary spin to bring the ball back down into the court.

More linear strokes benefit, mostly, from tighter string patterns. The Extreme Tour is a bit of both…a dense 16/19

I 'd like to thank you both for the replies. Let me give you some context. I want to return to the game after many years battling health issues and I am searching for a forgiving frame that is still control-oriented. And it has to be a frame that is light in stock form but that can be customized as I progress. In the past I used to play with a lot spin but now I want to hit more flat. Amongst the racquets I have used, I found the PSC 6.1 18x20 to have greatest balance between flat and spin shots. So, do you think that I should consider the extreme tour?
 

TennisHound

Legend
I 'd like to thank you both for the replies. Let me give you some context. I want to return to the game after many years battling health issues and I am searching for a forgiving frame that is still control-oriented. And it has to be a frame that is light in stock form but that can be customized as I progress. In the past I used to play with a lot spin but now I want to hit more flat. Amongst the racquets I have used, I found the PSC 6.1 18x20 to have greatest balance between flat and spin shots. So, do you think that I should consider the extreme tour?
Sure. It’s a little lower powered however.
 
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jdx2112

Hall of Fame
I 'd like to thank you both for the replies. Let me give you some context. I want to return to the game after many years battling health issues and I am searching for a forgiving frame that is still control-oriented. And it has to be a frame that is light in stock form but that can be customized as I progress. In the past I used to play with a lot spin but now I want to hit more flat. Amongst the racquets I have used, I found the PSC 6.1 18x20 to have greatest balance between flat and spin shots. So, do you think that I should consider the extreme tour?
the extreme tour is goo.

I would also consider:

Gravity MP (16/20)
Blade 100L (stiff)
ProStaff 97L (stiff)
VCORE Pro 97(310)
TF40 305 (18/20)
 
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Okay so I have an issue with my Head Extreme Tour. They ran out of grip size 3 at my local shop and so I had to settle with a grip size 2. So i decided to put Tourna gel replacement grip on my racquets to make it thicker. Boy that made my racquet go up from 324 grams to 336 grams. It made the racquet way too headlight and heavy to play. Should I try the Head HydroSorb Comfort Replacement Grips as it will make it thicker and doesnt seem to weight that much than the stock Hydrosorb grip?
 
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