Head Speed Pro
- Thread starter Mattingly
- Start date
Speed Kat
Semi-Pro
Yes used it for a month then couldn't take it anymore. Its heavy and solid. Not really suited for zippy whippy folk unless their joints, cartilage, muscles, tendons and ligaments are so seasoned and acclimatised to high speed tennis that they can utiliswe this heavy beast of a racquet in that way. Otherwise for nice smooth long swingers it feels nice and solid with good plow through and descent spin and control. The thing was that this was all great if you are the superior dominant player on the court, having time to grin between shots as the poor guy on the other end of the court scurrys from end to end. If the other guy has you on the run on the other hand, then basically this racket sucks. Thats because as you sprint across the court trying to squeeze in a running forehand crosscourt, you can't help but including a flick of the wrist and this heavy beast will want to dislocate it. Also as you try to react in time and have split second shot making the lack of manouverability agian will take its toll on your arm and body - in my case wrist especially.. In the end you may find yourself on court wondering why you are trying to make this racquet work when there are so many (better ones) out there IMHO.
I love the YT Speed Pro. Honestly, all the negative chatter about weight, swingweight, and stiffness had me thinking, before I tried it, that I was looking at another Federer-type 90 sq. in. frame. My last experience with a Roger model, the nCode 90, was not workable, as I found that racquet way too heavy, rigid, and unforgiving for my skill level (4.0). But, like you, the Speed Pro's specs were very appealing on paper. Well, I love the Speed Pro. The swingweight and static weight are just not that bad, more demanding than my regular YT Prestige MP, but very solid and torque-y because of the thin beam and aerodynamics. Great feel. Your instincts are correct, I think. How great is a 98 head with an 18 mm. beam and Head grip shape? Very nice racquet, typical Head.
counterpuncher
Hall of Fame
I have one in my bag and hit with from time to time. IMO it is about the same stiffness as the K6.1. I use it with a soft co-poly and really haven't had any issues with it. I believe the additional weight helps keep away any pain from my sometimes sensitive forearm.
I like it, although I haven't quite been able to pull the trigger on it as my main stick, but I think that is more to do with the weight. The thinner beam means it is not as stable as the K6.1, especially higher in the hoop. It is also slightly less powerful, but I did prefer it due to its better manoeuvrability. The Speed grip shape is aslo more rounded than the usually flat Head grip and so wouldn't be a hard transition from a Wilson.
p.s. To add to the comfort and also bring it more into my preferred spec range, I replaced the leather grip with a slightly cushioned synthetic one. Best move I made. It added some comfort, shaved about 10 grams from the static weight, a couple of points from the swingweight and made it less head light and therefore more stable high in the hoop, where I usually hit.
I like it, although I haven't quite been able to pull the trigger on it as my main stick, but I think that is more to do with the weight. The thinner beam means it is not as stable as the K6.1, especially higher in the hoop. It is also slightly less powerful, but I did prefer it due to its better manoeuvrability. The Speed grip shape is aslo more rounded than the usually flat Head grip and so wouldn't be a hard transition from a Wilson.
p.s. To add to the comfort and also bring it more into my preferred spec range, I replaced the leather grip with a slightly cushioned synthetic one. Best move I made. It added some comfort, shaved about 10 grams from the static weight, a couple of points from the swingweight and made it less head light and therefore more stable high in the hoop, where I usually hit.
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so_cute_and_fluffy
New User
I was the same, intrigued by its specs and eventually bought one. It is stiff but the weight carries it through nicely so it does not feel like you jarred the shot even when slightly off-center. Great response when you hit the sweet-spot (not difficult really) and despite the weight don't be fooled, it swings very readily and extremely quickly (in my experience) and is very maneuverable because of the balance. I would recommend though that if you get one go for a softer string, I use X-1 biphase in mine, and that just takes the edge off the stiffness and it feels great. I also find it very stable on impact, also with the balance I find I can flatten out nicely (I usually like to hit with quite a lot of spin) and it is actually surprisingly easy to generate pace with a fast smooth swing.
Hope this helps, that's my take on it.
Hope this helps, that's my take on it.
