Instinct 2025 Paint?

J

JeffG

Rookie
Has anyone seen the (potentially) new paint job for the 2025 Instinct? I assume the specs are unchanged otherwise so just wondering what it looks like compared to previous models. Thanks.
 
they’re really happy with their pj being the same across all lines minus different colors. i hate some of the pjs (new extreme & gravity don’t sit right with me, also the new speed is mid as heck)
 
These instincts are not auxetic. I forget which iteration they are but they are an older graphene models reintroduced and repainted as a mid tier priced frame for those not committed to the $260-270 level frames
 
WJ155 said:
really? that would make sense but then head would be massively lying… which makes sense for head
Click to expand...
At least if Im remembering correctly from when the Rep showed me. It’s supposed to be a pre strung mid price point. Would be very surprising if they Invested into an auxetic update on a “discontinued” line

But yes if im remembering correctly on the instincts details adding the Auxetic to the throat and placard is disingenuous
 
SupahMan5000 said:
At least if Im remembering correctly from when the Rep showed me. It’s supposed to be a pre strung mid price point. Would be very surprising if they Invested into an auxetic update on a “discontinued” line

But yes if im remembering correctly on the instincts details adding the Auxetic to the throat and placard is disingenuous
Click to expand...
@dr325i , do you know?
 
Design like older Auxetic racquets.
inst.jpg
 
pretty sure I've seen some Head-sponsored pros still swinging Instincts in recent years

funny to think that when Instinct MP was gold and not blue it would be more controlled than today's Speed, Boom, Extreme. and it was considered a tweener at the time!
 
Last edited:
specs also posted form the first link
300g unstrung, 100 headsize, normal length, 320mm balance unstrung, beam 23-26-23mm
no SW, but I’m sure it’s close to last versions SW
 
I personally am not a huge fan of the baby blue, my favorite head PJs of recent are the 2022 boom and speed
 
instinct is okay, but the black on most of the racquet and colored bottom portion is the only correct way to do it if you can get it to work
 
I've been playing with the 2025 Head Instinct MP for two weeks now. I bought it because I was intrigued by the specs. It's a power racquet but it's flex rating is only 64 and it has Auxetic which I know from experience makes racquets a little bit more comfortable. Some of the specs listed by the tennis retailers are wrong. They all say that it's 7 points headlight unstrung and 4 points headlight strung. However on the actual racquet it says that it's 1 point headlight (strung) and that's exactly how it feels.

How does it play? For a power racquet it's comfortable even though I play with poly strings and no damper. It is as powerful as all the other power racquets but is strangely easy to control because it has a lower flex rating, old school small diameter grommets and relatively tight string spacing in the middle. For example it has tighter string spacing than my Head Speed MP Legend. I serve better with it that my Speed MP and my defensive shots are easier. I also don't get as fatigued. The weird thing is that the specs listed on the frame are identical to the ones printed on my Speed MP but somehow it swings faster. If anyone is interested, the specs printed on both frames are: 16x19 300 grams, 320mm balance point, 1 point headlight.

Oh and in the flesh the paint job is very attractive. Several people have remarked on it.
 
Flatshot62 said:
I've been playing with the 2025 Head Instinct MP for two weeks now. I bought it because I was intrigued by the specs. It's a power racquet but it's flex rating is only 64 and it has Auxetic which I know from experience makes racquets a little bit more comfortable. Some of the specs listed by the tennis retailers are wrong. They all say that it's 7 points headlight unstrung and 4 points headlight strung. However on the actual racquet it says that it's 1 point headlight (strung) and that's exactly how it feels.

How does it play? For a power racquet it's comfortable even though I play with poly strings and no damper. It is as powerful as all the other power racquets but is strangely easy to control because it has a lower flex rating, old school small diameter grommets and relatively tight string spacing in the middle. For example it has tighter string spacing than my Head Speed MP Legend. I serve better with it that my Speed MP and my defensive shots are easier. I also don't get as fatigued. The weird thing is that the specs listed on the frame are identical to the ones printed on my Speed MP but somehow it swings faster. If anyone is interested, the specs printed on both frames are: 16x19 300 grams, 320mm balance point, 1 point headlight.

Oh and in the flesh the paint job is very attractive. Several people have remarked on it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the report. Just FYI: it says one (1) inch headlight on the racquet, not one point. A 320 mm balance does equate to a 7 point headlight balance unstrung.
 
Thanks, that makes sense. It is strange though that my Head Speed MP Legend gives the same specs on the frame but is noticeably heavier to swing. Most sites list the swing weight of the Instinct MP as 317 and the Speed MP as 330. Swinging with them both those numbers feel about right. I have always preferred a higher swing weight for stability but this Instinct MP is perfectly stable at only 317 swing weight. It's still the honeymoon period but right now I love it.
 
Flatshot62 said:
I've been playing with the 2025 Head Instinct MP for two weeks now. I bought it because I was intrigued by the specs. It's a power racquet but it's flex rating is only 64 and it has Auxetic which I know from experience makes racquets a little bit more comfortable. Some of the specs listed by the tennis retailers are wrong. They all say that it's 7 points headlight unstrung and 4 points headlight strung. However on the actual racquet it says that it's 1 point headlight (strung) and that's exactly how it feels.

How does it play? For a power racquet it's comfortable even though I play with poly strings and no damper. It is as powerful as all the other power racquets but is strangely easy to control because it has a lower flex rating, old school small diameter grommets and relatively tight string spacing in the middle. For example it has tighter string spacing than my Head Speed MP Legend. I serve better with it that my Speed MP and my defensive shots are easier. I also don't get as fatigued. The weird thing is that the specs listed on the frame are identical to the ones printed on my Speed MP but somehow it swings faster. If anyone is interested, the specs printed on both frames are: 16x19 300 grams, 320mm balance point, 1 point headlight.

Oh and in the flesh the paint job is very attractive. Several people have remarked on it.
Click to expand...
If possible, can you compare this racquet to other power racquets like ezone and pure drive? The price point is really nice and I'm tempted to update my racquet soon
 
blankspace said:
If possible, can you compare this racquet to other power racquets like ezone and pure drive? The price point is really nice and I'm tempted to update my racquet soon
Click to expand...
First a bit of context. I come from a long background of using heavy Head Prestige and Yonex V Core Pro type racquets. My last racquet was a 2023 Head Prestige Tour (95). Unfortunately, I'm now going off the boil in the second half of long matches and it's because I can no longer handle having to put so much into every shot after about an hour. In particular my serve and defensive shots were suffering. Over the last few months, I tried Pure Drives, Ezone 98/100 and the Dunlop FX500. I haven't tried the 2025 Pure Drive but I did try the 2025 Ezone 100.

In answer to your question, I found that I could more or less control them all in a knock up but not in a match. The Ezone 98 was the worst of both worlds - no noticeable increase in power but a lack of control. The Dunlop felt cheap and hollow. The 2021 Pure Drive was uncomfortable and wild The 2025 Ezone 100 was quite comfortable but not accurate enough.

I was initially put off the 2025 Instinct MP because it was so inexpensive but did know that I was being silly. My club exclusively sells Head racquets so gave it a go It's got the same graphene and Auxetic technologies as Head's other racquets and is well finished. I don't know why Head sells it for less. In short, for my game, it knocks spots off the other power racquets. In the context of match play, it is every bit as powerful as the rest of them but is noticeably more comfortable (the 2025 Ezone had similar comfort). Where it is superior for my game is the control. It has better directional and depth control. I think it is because it has a lower flex rating, tighter string pattern and it doesn't bother with the latest fashion for baggy spin grommets. I use Kirschbaum Evolution 17 gauge strings at 48 lbs.

I've never made a racquet comment before but felt inspired by finding something both cheaper and better. I'm about to buy another. If like me you need to buy two of the same racquet, the price is a serious bonus. Hope that helps
 
Flatshot62 said:
First a bit of context. I come from a long background of using heavy Head Prestige and Yonex V Core Pro type racquets. My last racquet was a 2023 Head Prestige Tour (95). Unfortunately, I'm now going off the boil in the second half of long matches and it's because I can no longer handle having to put so much into every shot after about an hour. In particular my serve and defensive shots were suffering. Over the last few months, I tried Pure Drives, Ezone 98/100 and the Dunlop FX500. I haven't tried the 2025 Pure Drive but I did try the 2025 Ezone 100.
Have you ever tried boom mp or extreme mp? What would you say if you compare instr
In answer to your question, I found that I could more or less control them all in a knock up but not in a match. The Ezone 98 was the worst of both worlds - no noticeable increase in power but a lack of control. The Dunlop felt cheap and hollow. The 2021 Pure Drive was uncomfortable and wild The 2025 Ezone 100 was quite comfortable but not accurate enough.

I was initially put off the 2025 Instinct MP because it was so inexpensive but did know that I was being silly. My club exclusively sells Head racquets so gave it a go It's got the same graphene and Auxetic technologies as Head's other racquets and is well finished. I don't know why Head sells it for less. In short, for my game, it knocks spots off the other power racquets. In the context of match play, it is every bit as powerful as the rest of them but is noticeably more comfortable (the 2025 Ezone had similar comfort). Where it is superior for my game is the control. It has better directional and depth control. I think it is because it has a lower flex rating, tighter string pattern and it doesn't bother with the latest fashion for baggy spin grommets. I use Kirschbaum Evolution 17 gauge strings at 48 lbs.

I've never made a racquet comment before but felt inspired by finding something both cheaper and better. I'm about to buy another. If like me you need to buy two of the same racquet, the price is a serious bonus. Hope that helps
Click to expand...
Have you ever tried boom mp or extreme mp? What can you say if you compare it with them?
 
I have tried both. The Boom MP is powerful but has an erratic string bed. Not accurate enough. The Extreme MP has the typical spin racquet features of a wide spaced string bed and 'baggier' grommets to allow maximum string movement. Probably excellent for loopy spin shots but not very good for my game. Again not accurate enough.
 
Flatshot62 said:
First a bit of context. I come from a long background of using heavy Head Prestige and Yonex V Core Pro type racquets. My last racquet was a 2023 Head Prestige Tour (95). Unfortunately, I'm now going off the boil in the second half of long matches and it's because I can no longer handle having to put so much into every shot after about an hour. In particular my serve and defensive shots were suffering. Over the last few months, I tried Pure Drives, Ezone 98/100 and the Dunlop FX500. I haven't tried the 2025 Pure Drive but I did try the 2025 Ezone 100.

In answer to your question, I found that I could more or less control them all in a knock up but not in a match. The Ezone 98 was the worst of both worlds - no noticeable increase in power but a lack of control. The Dunlop felt cheap and hollow. The 2021 Pure Drive was uncomfortable and wild The 2025 Ezone 100 was quite comfortable but not accurate enough.

I was initially put off the 2025 Instinct MP because it was so inexpensive but did know that I was being silly. My club exclusively sells Head racquets so gave it a go It's got the same graphene and Auxetic technologies as Head's other racquets and is well finished. I don't know why Head sells it for less. In short, for my game, it knocks spots off the other power racquets. In the context of match play, it is every bit as powerful as the rest of them but is noticeably more comfortable (the 2025 Ezone had similar comfort). Where it is superior for my game is the control. It has better directional and depth control. I think it is because it has a lower flex rating, tighter string pattern and it doesn't bother with the latest fashion for baggy spin grommets. I use Kirschbaum Evolution 17 gauge strings at 48 lbs.

I've never made a racquet comment before but felt inspired by finding something both cheaper and better. I'm about to buy another. If like me you need to buy two of the same racquet, the price is a serious bonus. Hope that helps
Click to expand...
Thanks for the comparison! That's really insightful :)
 
Flatshot62 said:
First a bit of context. I come from a long background of using heavy Head Prestige and Yonex V Core Pro type racquets. My last racquet was a 2023 Head Prestige Tour (95). Unfortunately, I'm now going off the boil in the second half of long matches and it's because I can no longer handle having to put so much into every shot after about an hour. In particular my serve and defensive shots were suffering. Over the last few months, I tried Pure Drives, Ezone 98/100 and the Dunlop FX500. I haven't tried the 2025 Pure Drive but I did try the 2025 Ezone 100.

In answer to your question, I found that I could more or less control them all in a knock up but not in a match. The Ezone 98 was the worst of both worlds - no noticeable increase in power but a lack of control. The Dunlop felt cheap and hollow. The 2021 Pure Drive was uncomfortable and wild The 2025 Ezone 100 was quite comfortable but not accurate enough.

I was initially put off the 2025 Instinct MP because it was so inexpensive but did know that I was being silly. My club exclusively sells Head racquets so gave it a go It's got the same graphene and Auxetic technologies as Head's other racquets and is well finished. I don't know why Head sells it for less. In short, for my game, it knocks spots off the other power racquets. In the context of match play, it is every bit as powerful as the rest of them but is noticeably more comfortable (the 2025 Ezone had similar comfort). Where it is superior for my game is the control. It has better directional and depth control. I think it is because it has a lower flex rating, tighter string pattern and it doesn't bother with the latest fashion for baggy spin grommets. I use Kirschbaum Evolution 17 gauge strings at 48 lbs.

I've never made a racquet comment before but felt inspired by finding something both cheaper and better. I'm about to buy another. If like me you need to buy two of the same racquet, the price is a serious bonus. Hope that helps
Click to expand...
How is the feel? I imagine it's muted but is it too much?
 
All the latest Head racquets are muted/solid/ quiet but the feel of this racquet is less muted than the new Ezone. Unlike the 'pingy' Dunlop, it doesn't need a dampener which helps with feel. It's has enough feel for me as is but if I wanted more, I would use a thinner grip.
 
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