Tennis Warehouse: Head Graphene 360 Speed (Pro, MP, S) Playtest

Alright, I guess it's time for me to write a review on this racket.

[PART 1]

  • Tennis Background: To begin with, I recently turned 18. I'm a lot younger than what I like to think is around 95% of the posters here, which makes my opinion on some things often different compared to a good number of others. I played 4 years of tennis in high school, but I only started during the summer before freshman year. I play a physically demanding style, even though my body can't handle it sometimes.

  • Style of Play: In all honesty, I don't have a specific playing style that I prefer. Depending on who I play, my game changes along with my mentality. If the person I'm playing is obviously not playing as well as I am on a certain day, then I try to play freely, slicing more often, practicing parts of my game during matchplay, and charging the net more often. I also find myself experiencing serve and volley tactics against those worse than me. For people on my level, I tend to play an attacking game, trying to pressure more mistakes off of my opponent, and overall trying to be dominating. When playing against someone obviously better than me, though, I like to play a defensive game, sliding to every ball that needs it, grinding out my opponent, and focusing on keeping myself mentally tough. Though I haven't played a real tournament before, I have beaten numerous people rated 6-8 on Universal Tennis, which is equivalent to 4.0 and 4.5 NTRP players. I have also pushed 5.5 players to their limits in league matches. Against those who are better than you, I feel like forcing them to beat themselves is an efficient solution.

Anyhow, I was given the Head Graphene 360 Speed MP, which is a bit of a mouthful, so like most people I'm just gonna call it the new Speed MP. I've used only one real previous iteration of this racket, in the Graphene Touch. To be honest, I didn't find too many differences between the two: both felt a bit muted, they swung pretty fast through the air, allowing me to generate a lot of topspin and bite on my slices without much effort, and they were easy to adjust to. That being said, however, I did prefer the newer version for a few more reasons. It felt a little more solid in stock, and I felt it was a tad bit easier to swing, and generated more spin, which was hard to do already. It did not have such a profound effect on me, though.

I received the playtest racket around a month ago, and I uploaded a few pictures. I wrote then that I strung it with Head Lynx 17 at a decent 53 pounds, which I found to be a good starting point, as official TW playtesters often used that tension, give and take 3 pounds or so. I usually use a Yonex Ezone DR 98 Blue, strung with Tour Bite 16L at 50 pounds, but I tried to account for the bigger head size and thicker beam with this playtest. As soon as I strung the racket up, I called up my friend to play a few sets with him, and after 4 weeks of relentless hitting, here's what I came up with.
 
[PART 2]

Let's start with the Basics, first.

  • Serve: Quite possibly the most essential part of the game, or at least to mine, is the serve. Though I only stand at 5 foot 8, which is short for a regular tennis player, I like to base my game around my serve. If I'm feeling confident and my serves are going as I want them to, I'm probably going to be very tough to beat. With this racket, however, I found that the better parts came on the second serve, as I could use variety and spin to throw my opponents off. Whether it be a slice or kick serve, I felt like my seconds weren't bringing me down in any way. I didn't have to worry too much about my safety serve being taken advantage of so easily. Other than that, my first serve, which is usually a hard flat serve, also went in nicely most of the time. If I had to rate it out of 10, I'd say a solid 8.5. First serve was nothing out of the ordinary, but the second serves really shined with this racket.

  • Groundstrokes: Probably a little less straightforward as compared to the serve, but still overall satisfactory. I've seen plenty of reviews where people raved about the racket head speed and the topspin generated that made it so easy to play with. I'll give this point a thumbs up; the racket swings pretty fast through the air, and generates a great amount of topspin. For people who like to play spin games and be a baseline player, it's a very feasible racket to try out. However, I hit flatter than most people, and it didn't work really well with this Speed MP, for two reasons. The first was that it's pretty spin-oriented, meaning that hitting a speedily swung topspin shot is more rewarding than that of a flatter shot. The second was that it was a little too light for me to hit flat, as my DR 98 is around 12.7 ounces strung. Having to play with a racket that's over an ounce lighter than what I'm used to was definitely a challenge, and it forced me to adjust my way of hitting. My backhand didn't matter all too much, as I found that I actually fixed my lazy backhand swing by using this racket. On the other hand, my forehand form is very minimalistic, and doesn't have a big backswing at all. This racket didn't allow me to take my forehands lazily that well. Aside from that, I would still give this racket a rating of 8 out of 10, thanks to the backhand solution.

  • Service Returns: If I'm going to be honest, my returns are probably one of the more detrimental parts of my game. I do all the basics, like stepping into the ball, taking a split-step, and trying to hit the ball at a good contact point, but I often find myself swinging out too much. Therefore, I miss my returns quite often. It wasn't all too different with this racket. On the contrary, there were a few more problems. The light weight of this racket caused me to actually confuse myself; when the ball was coming fast, I tried to tap or slice the ball back, but the lack of solidity with this racket seemed to make this a problem. It just wasn't stable enough for me to tap the ball back effectively, and I had to focus on the ball more so than with a heavier racket. And, when I tried to fix this problem by swinging out, I did swing out easily because it was so light, but I felt this led to unneeded selfishness when hitting the ball. Overall I give it a mere 6.5/10. I like a racket that does some work for me, even though I like to muscle my way through the ball sometimes.

  • Volleys: Out of the basic 4, this was probably the weirdest to think about. I'm terrible when it comes to volleying, and I have no idea what my coaches were thinking about putting me in doubles for my first two years of high school. I usually rely on the sheer weight of a frame to carry my sorry ass up at the net. Funnily enough, though, I like coming up to net, and with this racket I found a surprising amount of stability when I was hitting volleys. Approaching the net was no real problem, as approach shots came very easily with this racket. What was really amazing was the solid feeling this racket gave when punching back volleys. I honestly preferred putting volleys away and hitting deft touch shots more with the Speed MP than my DR 98. Adding weight to this racket would probably make it even better than it already is, but for now, another 8.5 rating.

Now, onto some extra material.

  • Slices: Another weird thing was my slicing. I've often been told by my friends and family alike that my slice is terrible. It was only after my junior year, when I had a back injury that I started to slice more often than not. It was at this point when I learned how to properly slice, but it still happens to be a difficult area for me to master. With the Speed MP, though, slices worked really nicely. It wasn't buttery like my DR 98; instead, it was a tad bit more crisper, but still as effective as it could be. Even when I was stretched out on my backhand side, I still managed to hit deep slices to the opposite baseline, and found myself moving people around with my slices. The Speed MP gave me more confidence in hitting slices, and for that, I'd reward it with a 9 out of 10 rating. Head made a nice slice racket for me in the Speed MP, and I feel like other people could end up benefiting from such a good racket, so long as they have proper slice technique.

  • Touch/Drop Shots: This is just a little fun category that I threw in there, but I'm putting it because I feel like it deserves a special mention. Though this iteration of the Speed MP continues to be muted, I can say with confidence that someone with a knack for touch shots will end up enjoying this racket. I like to throw an occasional drop shot, fake shot, no-look shot, just to throw opponents off their rhythms, but this racket did so much more for me than I thought it would. An 8/10, but still very nice.

  • Comments: I feel like the Speed MP is a good racket for those who are coming out of a beginner style racket, like oversize and ultra light types. It's not as stiff as something like, say a Pure Aero or Drive. Instead, it feels much more softer, so I feel like it's a good starting point for those who are looking to start playing with more consistency. I would honestly recommending looking more into the tension, as I feel like anything over 52 with this would make it more of a control-oriented racket, and those coming out of power rackets would still need some extra help in their game. Aside from that, anyone who's been playing tennis long enough to know that they like to play a topspin game, and likes to incorporate many different elements during matches, is sure to groove with this racket, at least for a little while. It's a pretty forgiving frame, and I think it accommodates to a wide variety of people looking for something new.


Thank you for reading this review! I was going to record myself, but my phone is honestly not a good recording device, and I didn't have any working cameras.

I also would like to thank Tennis Warehouse and Head for allowing me to participate in this wonderful playtest! I've always wanted to try out new things, and once I fell in love with tennis, I couldn't wait to try and playtest different materials to better help people with their next choices. Thank you for giving me this opportunity!
 
Matthew Lee said:
[PART 2]

Let's start with the Basics, first.

  • Serve: Quite possibly the most essential part of the game, or at least to mine, is the serve. Though I only stand at 5 foot 8, which is short for a regular tennis player, I like to base my game around my serve. If I'm feeling confident and my serves are going as I want them to, I'm probably going to be very tough to beat. With this racket, however, I found that the better parts came on the second serve, as I could use variety and spin to throw my opponents off. Whether it be a slice or kick serve, I felt like my seconds weren't bringing me down in any way. I didn't have to worry too much about my safety serve being taken advantage of so easily. Other than that, my first serve, which is usually a hard flat serve, also went in nicely most of the time. If I had to rate it out of 10, I'd say a solid 8.5. First serve was nothing out of the ordinary, but the second serves really shined with this racket.

  • Groundstrokes: Probably a little less straightforward as compared to the serve, but still overall satisfactory. I've seen plenty of reviews where people raved about the racket head speed and the topspin generated that made it so easy to play with. I'll give this point a thumbs up; the racket swings pretty fast through the air, and generates a great amount of topspin. For people who like to play spin games and be a baseline player, it's a very feasible racket to try out. However, I hit flatter than most people, and it didn't work really well with this Speed MP, for two reasons. The first was that it's pretty spin-oriented, meaning that hitting a speedily swung topspin shot is more rewarding than that of a flatter shot. The second was that it was a little too light for me to hit flat, as my DR 98 is around 12.7 ounces strung. Having to play with a racket that's over an ounce lighter than what I'm used to was definitely a challenge, and it forced me to adjust my way of hitting. My backhand didn't matter all too much, as I found that I actually fixed my lazy backhand swing by using this racket. On the other hand, my forehand form is very minimalistic, and doesn't have a big backswing at all. This racket didn't allow me to take my forehands lazily that well. Aside from that, I would still give this racket a rating of 8 out of 10, thanks to the backhand solution.

  • Service Returns: If I'm going to be honest, my returns are probably one of the more detrimental parts of my game. I do all the basics, like stepping into the ball, taking a split-step, and trying to hit the ball at a good contact point, but I often find myself swinging out too much. Therefore, I miss my returns quite often. It wasn't all too different with this racket. On the contrary, there were a few more problems. The light weight of this racket caused me to actually confuse myself; when the ball was coming fast, I tried to tap or slice the ball back, but the lack of solidity with this racket seemed to make this a problem. It just wasn't stable enough for me to tap the ball back effectively, and I had to focus on the ball more so than with a heavier racket. And, when I tried to fix this problem by swinging out, I did swing out easily because it was so light, but I felt this led to unneeded selfishness when hitting the ball. Overall I give it a mere 6.5/10. I like a racket that does some work for me, even though I like to muscle my way through the ball sometimes.

  • Volleys: Out of the basic 4, this was probably the weirdest to think about. I'm terrible when it comes to volleying, and I have no idea what my coaches were thinking about putting me in doubles for my first two years of high school. I usually rely on the sheer weight of a frame to carry my sorry ass up at the net. Funnily enough, though, I like coming up to net, and with this racket I found a surprising amount of stability when I was hitting volleys. Approaching the net was no real problem, as approach shots came very easily with this racket. What was really amazing was the solid feeling this racket gave when punching back volleys. I honestly preferred putting volleys away and hitting deft touch shots more with the Speed MP than my DR 98. Adding weight to this racket would probably make it even better than it already is, but for now, another 8.5 rating.

Now, onto some extra material.

  • Slices: Another weird thing was my slicing. I've often been told by my friends and family alike that my slice is terrible. It was only after my junior year, when I had a back injury that I started to slice more often than not. It was at this point when I learned how to properly slice, but it still happens to be a difficult area for me to master. With the Speed MP, though, slices worked really nicely. It wasn't buttery like my DR 98; instead, it was a tad bit more crisper, but still as effective as it could be. Even when I was stretched out on my backhand side, I still managed to hit deep slices to the opposite baseline, and found myself moving people around with my slices. The Speed MP gave me more confidence in hitting slices, and for that, I'd reward it with a 9 out of 10 rating. Head made a nice slice racket for me in the Speed MP, and I feel like other people could end up benefiting from such a good racket, so long as they have proper slice technique.

  • Touch/Drop Shots: This is just a little fun category that I threw in there, but I'm putting it because I feel like it deserves a special mention. Though this iteration of the Speed MP continues to be muted, I can say with confidence that someone with a knack for touch shots will end up enjoying this racket. I like to throw an occasional drop shot, fake shot, no-look shot, just to throw opponents off their rhythms, but this racket did so much more for me than I thought it would. An 8/10, but still very nice.

  • Comments: I feel like the Speed MP is a good racket for those who are coming out of a beginner style racket, like oversize and ultra light types. It's not as stiff as something like, say a Pure Aero or Drive. Instead, it feels much more softer, so I feel like it's a good starting point for those who are looking to start playing with more consistency. I would honestly recommending looking more into the tension, as I feel like anything over 52 with this would make it more of a control-oriented racket, and those coming out of power rackets would still need some extra help in their game. Aside from that, anyone who's been playing tennis long enough to know that they like to play a topspin game, and likes to incorporate many different elements during matches, is sure to groove with this racket, at least for a little while. It's a pretty forgiving frame, and I think it accommodates to a wide variety of people looking for something new.


Thank you for reading this review! I was going to record myself, but my phone is honestly not a good recording device, and I didn't have any working cameras.

I also would like to thank Tennis Warehouse and Head for allowing me to participate in this wonderful playtest! I've always wanted to try out new things, and once I fell in love with tennis, I couldn't wait to try and playtest different materials to better help people with their next choices. Thank you for giving me this opportunity!
Click to expand...
Wow, very good and thorough review. I’ve got a demo of this right now. I’ve added some 3” strips at 3&9 and a leather grip and it really helps this racquet. It feels very solid and only weighs 11.6oz with everything (lead, leather grip, OG, dampener).
 
Last edited:
n8dawg6 said:
yall just might talk me into getting one of these speed MPs
Click to expand...
a lot of room in the mp for customization... for those who want to put spank on the ball at a sub 12oz package its worth the demo for sure. It is a fun stick that wont hurt your arm. Glad Head is making head style sticks for a new era of tennis.
 
Racquet Received: Head Graphene 360 Speed S

Tennis Experience/Background: Played for over 30 years. Computer Rated 4.5 but have not played league in over 5 years. Spend most of my time playing at our local club 3-4 times a week. Played high school tennis and some college tennis. Have spent the past 5 years coaching school tennis on the side which is one reason I stopped playing league.

Playing Style: Mainly play from the baseline. Grew up learning to hit topspin and still play that way. The pro that first taught me tennis when I was a kid used to have me see how many balls I could keep in the court at the club my parents were members at in AL. The record was about 525 and one time I got to within 10 shots of beating it. I think this taught patience and being consistent which is how I tend to still play.

Current Racket/String: Volkl Organix V1 MP/Cyclone 18 gauge at 52 pounds although I have been testing some Solinco strings lately

String Set-Up in this Racquet: Tried various strings which will be explained in my comments. Started with Cyclone, then tried Lynx and recently tried a hybrid. I was really impressed with the Head strings that were sent since I never had tried them before. I have my own electronic stringer so I string a lot of racquets and have tired various strings.

How Many Hours Did I Play with the Racquet: Over 10 hours during various weeks


Racquet Performance:

Groundstrokes: The reason I signed up for the S model is because it looked like a racket that would play similar to my regular racquet spec wise and it did. When I first hit with this racquet, it was easy to adjust to using it. It felt like an extension of my arm. Compared to my regular racquet, I felt like this one is more stable and had more control. I could still hit heavy topspin but maybe not quite as much as my Volkl V1 MP.
Overall, I thought the control with this racquet was exceptional being a lighter racquet and the stability felt like a racquet that would be at a higher weight. I never felt like I was being pushed around by big hitters which was impressive.

Serves: Very easy to serve with. I thought I could hit more power with this racquet on flat serves but I would give my Volkl the nod on kick serves. Just like with groundstrokes. I thought the specs of this racket were right up my alley.

Volleys: I definitely preferred this racket on volleys versus my Volkl. Often with my Volkl, I feel like I lose stability on volleys against hard passing shots at the net but this racquet was much more stable. It was easy to maneuver and felt lightening fast. Definitely a thumbs up on volleys with this racket. Lot of fun to use at the net.

Serve Returns: This tends to be one of the strengths of my playing style. I get a lot of returns in the court and this racket did not disappoint. I think I would give the nod to this racquet on forehand returns but my Volkl a slight nod on backhand returns. This racket was very controllable hitting forehand returns and I knew where my returns were going. On the backhand side, I just felt like my Volkl hit a little bit deeper return at times. But overall, a big thumbs up on serve returns with this racket.

Other Comments: So where do I stand with this racket compared to my regular racquet? If I was going strictly on performance, I would already have moved to this racquet. I really enjoyed it from the first hit. However I am having issues with one area and it comfort. This racquet plays a lot stiffer than my Volkl which has been a bummer. I am still trying string setups and my next experience with by either all multi or synthetic gut. I was hoping a hybrid would be the solution but I can still feel pain in my arm when I slightly miss hitting the middle of the string bed. I went 50#s on the multi setup but it still did not work. So I will go without poly next round. If that works, I will go back to a hybrid setup at a lower tension than 50#s. Time will tell but I really like this racquet over my Volkl but it will depend on if I can get it to a comfort level where I do not feel shock in my arm at times.

Overall, I think this racquet is a great option for players like me that have gone to lighter rackets as they get older. But I think you have to not have prior arm issues. This racquet is easy to play with and feels more stable than it's weight class. It is just finding the right string setup is where I am at right now.

Thank you so much to Head and TW for allowing me to be part of this playtest and hope this review is helpful for some out there.
 
Racquet Received: Head Graphene 360 Speed MP
Tennis experience/background: I'm a 37 year old male, who has played a lot USTA over the past 7-8 years - at the 4.5 and 5.0 level - mainly doubles (men's and mixed)
Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): Baseliner who likes to come in
Current racquet/string: Yonex Ezone 100 Blue w/Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm 53.5/51
String set-up in test racquet: Head Lynx 17 Green @ 53 lbs / 51 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 6-7 hours

Comments on racquet performance:
Groundstrokes: The first thing you notice when hitting with this racquet, is the trajectory of the ball off the string bed. This thing hits with a massive amount of loopy spin. It was easy to take low balls and lift them - the racquet lacked a little mass for me - so it did come through the ball a little too quickly at times? With that massive topspin / trajectory also came a little lack of control. You could his massive winners, and then spray a few shots as well. I think when I restring this frame next time, I might bump up the tension by a little bit, or find a slightly deader playing poly to tame the power. I would say the racquet plays a little bit firmer than the specs indicate (and it's slightly more muted than i prefer), but it's definitely not a harsh playing racquet at all. Adding a little mass to the frame could help control the racquet a little bit.

Serves: It was a little hard for me to comment on serves due to a nagging elbow injury. This racquet does seem to generate a lot of spin, due to the strings being spaced out so much. Similar to the groundstrokes, generating spin is really easy - since I'm mainly just hitting slower kick serves right now, I didn't have too many issues with that.

Volleys: The racquet is very maneuverable in stock form which has some pros and cons at net. Being so easy to move, did allow for faster reflex volleys, but I would've preferred slightly more mass in the racquet to allow for more penetrating volleys. The high ball trajectory did allow me to be more "lazy" on some of the low volleys and overall it did fairly well at the net. I could definitely make this work.

Serve returns: Returning serves was a little bit of hit or miss for me. The slightly more open string pattern did seem to spray the ball a little more than I wanted (it's never me, right) - but just like with the volleys, the lighter weight did allow me to get around on the ball fairly quickly. I wouldn't say I loved or hated returning - it just took a little more getting used to than a lot of other aspects of the frame.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
So overall, I thought the racquet played more like a "diet" tweener frame. It's bordering on Pure Drive type power (although it's not as stable as those types of frames), but doesn't seem to be as dialed in as those tweener frames? I think this frame could benefit from some customization and a slightly deader string. If I were doing this play test again (which I plan to do), I would start with some weight in the handle - either a leather grip or tungsten putty in the butt cap - and then some sort of lead setup in the hoop somewhere. I would have to play with this a little to make it work. As for string, I'm not a huge fan of Hyper G, but I think it might work in a frame like this. Actually, I think it might work really well, since Head Lynx seems to have a bit of pop (similar to my Poly Tour Pro). This could be a nice platform frame, for someone who might want a Pure Drive / Aero - but wants something a little less harsh on your joints.

Thanks for including me on this play test!
 
downs_chris said:
Racquet Received: Head Graphene 360 Speed MP
Tennis experience/background: I'm a 37 year old male, who has played a lot USTA over the past 7-8 years - at the 4.5 and 5.0 level - mainly doubles (men's and mixed)
Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): Baseliner who likes to come in
Current racquet/string: Yonex Ezone 100 Blue w/Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm 53.5/51
String set-up in test racquet: Head Lynx 17 Green @ 53 lbs / 51 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 6-7 hours

Comments on racquet performance:
Groundstrokes: The first thing you notice when hitting with this racquet, is the trajectory of the ball off the string bed. This thing hits with a massive amount of loopy spin. It was easy to take low balls and lift them - the racquet lacked a little mass for me - so it did come through the ball a little too quickly at times? With that massive topspin / trajectory also came a little lack of control. You could his massive winners, and then spray a few shots as well. I think when I restring this frame next time, I might bump up the tension by a little bit, or find a slightly deader playing poly to tame the power. I would say the racquet plays a little bit firmer than the specs indicate (and it's slightly more muted than i prefer), but it's definitely not a harsh playing racquet at all. Adding a little mass to the frame could help control the racquet a little bit.

Serves: It was a little hard for me to comment on serves due to a nagging elbow injury. This racquet does seem to generate a lot of spin, due to the strings being spaced out so much. Similar to the groundstrokes, generating spin is really easy - since I'm mainly just hitting slower kick serves right now, I didn't have too many issues with that.

Volleys: The racquet is very maneuverable in stock form which has some pros and cons at net. Being so easy to move, did allow for faster reflex volleys, but I would've preferred slightly more mass in the racquet to allow for more penetrating volleys. The high ball trajectory did allow me to be more "lazy" on some of the low volleys and overall it did fairly well at the net. I could definitely make this work.

Serve returns: Returning serves was a little bit of hit or miss for me. The slightly more open string pattern did seem to spray the ball a little more than I wanted (it's never me, right) - but just like with the volleys, the lighter weight did allow me to get around on the ball fairly quickly. I wouldn't say I loved or hated returning - it just took a little more getting used to than a lot of other aspects of the frame.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
So overall, I thought the racquet played more like a "diet" tweener frame. It's bordering on Pure Drive type power (although it's not as stable as those types of frames), but doesn't seem to be as dialed in as those tweener frames? I think this frame could benefit from some customization and a slightly deader string. If I were doing this play test again (which I plan to do), I would start with some weight in the handle - either a leather grip or tungsten putty in the butt cap - and then some sort of lead setup in the hoop somewhere. I would have to play with this a little to make it work. As for string, I'm not a huge fan of Hyper G, but I think it might work in a frame like this. Actually, I think it might work really well, since Head Lynx seems to have a bit of pop (similar to my Poly Tour Pro). This could be a nice platform frame, for someone who might want a Pure Drive / Aero - but wants something a little less harsh on your joints.

Thanks for including me on this play test!
Click to expand...
“‘Diet’ tweener frame.” You crack me up.
 
downs_chris said:
Racquet Received: Head Graphene 360 Speed MP
Tennis experience/background: I'm a 37 year old male, who has played a lot USTA over the past 7-8 years - at the 4.5 and 5.0 level - mainly doubles (men's and mixed)
Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): Baseliner who likes to come in
Current racquet/string: Yonex Ezone 100 Blue w/Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm 53.5/51
String set-up in test racquet: Head Lynx 17 Green @ 53 lbs / 51 lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 6-7 hours

Comments on racquet performance:
Groundstrokes: The first thing you notice when hitting with this racquet, is the trajectory of the ball off the string bed. This thing hits with a massive amount of loopy spin. It was easy to take low balls and lift them - the racquet lacked a little mass for me - so it did come through the ball a little too quickly at times? With that massive topspin / trajectory also came a little lack of control. You could his massive winners, and then spray a few shots as well. I think when I restring this frame next time, I might bump up the tension by a little bit, or find a slightly deader playing poly to tame the power. I would say the racquet plays a little bit firmer than the specs indicate (and it's slightly more muted than i prefer), but it's definitely not a harsh playing racquet at all. Adding a little mass to the frame could help control the racquet a little bit.

Serves: It was a little hard for me to comment on serves due to a nagging elbow injury. This racquet does seem to generate a lot of spin, due to the strings being spaced out so much. Similar to the groundstrokes, generating spin is really easy - since I'm mainly just hitting slower kick serves right now, I didn't have too many issues with that.

Volleys: The racquet is very maneuverable in stock form which has some pros and cons at net. Being so easy to move, did allow for faster reflex volleys, but I would've preferred slightly more mass in the racquet to allow for more penetrating volleys. The high ball trajectory did allow me to be more "lazy" on some of the low volleys and overall it did fairly well at the net. I could definitely make this work.

Serve returns: Returning serves was a little bit of hit or miss for me. The slightly more open string pattern did seem to spray the ball a little more than I wanted (it's never me, right) - but just like with the volleys, the lighter weight did allow me to get around on the ball fairly quickly. I wouldn't say I loved or hated returning - it just took a little more getting used to than a lot of other aspects of the frame.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
So overall, I thought the racquet played more like a "diet" tweener frame. It's bordering on Pure Drive type power (although it's not as stable as those types of frames), but doesn't seem to be as dialed in as those tweener frames? I think this frame could benefit from some customization and a slightly deader string. If I were doing this play test again (which I plan to do), I would start with some weight in the handle - either a leather grip or tungsten putty in the butt cap - and then some sort of lead setup in the hoop somewhere. I would have to play with this a little to make it work. As for string, I'm not a huge fan of Hyper G, but I think it might work in a frame like this. Actually, I think it might work really well, since Head Lynx seems to have a bit of pop (similar to my Poly Tour Pro). This could be a nice platform frame, for someone who might want a Pure Drive / Aero - but wants something a little less harsh on your joints.

Thanks for including me on this play test!
Click to expand...
i agree Lynx is s little bit like yptp. but green, which is good! nice to see we all felt such similar things towards the MP. That tells me it has a personality?
 
Hi i have 15 years and i use prince tour exo3 tour 100 team and a apd lite modified. I want a similar racquet but a head size in 98 or 95. I'm a player that likes to stay in baseline attack a lot i go To net when the i can surely won the point. My backhand is better than my forehand. My forehand is semiwestern little bit flatter but when i need topspin i do it, my backhand is 2 handed.my service is good because im 6.13ft of tall but i want a new racquet because i think is time for a change, i want a racquet with the similar spin same power or less but no oports and fast like ports throught the air. Please help me i think in Yonex vcore 98,95 and head mp 360 or pro
 
The Speed 360 MP seems to respond well to weight. It helps add some control to it. It’s easy to make it a very manageable racquet under 12.0oz. Plus the string pattern seems slightly tighter than previous models. It may not be possible to completely remove the instability (flimsiness) and keep it under 11.8oz (or so), but it’s still playable at this weight.
 
i found the speed MP nothing but solid, especially when i added a little weight at 12 and a lot more in the tail. If nothing its remarkably solid for a sub 12oz frame and i faced off against advanced hard hitters and grip and rip topspin specialists. No issues... maybe too small a grip for your demo?
 
Backhanded Compliment said:
i found the speed MP nothing but solid, especially when i added a little weight at 12 and a lot more in the tail. If nothing its remarkably solid for a sub 12oz frame and i faced off against advanced hard hitters and grip and rip topspin specialists. No issues... maybe too small a grip for your demo?
Click to expand...
Maybe
 
blackpearl2007 said:
Thank you very much to Tennis Warehouse and Head for the opportunity to play test these racquets. I am very grateful for being chosen and really appreciate the opportunity. I am also posting a video review that I shot as well so will post that shortly. Here is my written review.

Racquet Received: Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro - My racquet specs were the following: Unstrung out of the box weight: 10.9oz (311g) / Weight Strung (no overripe, etc): 11.5oz (327g) / Weight strung (dampener only): 11.6oz (330g) / Weight Strung (dampener + Tourna grip): 11.7oz (332g). The racquet was on spec to Head's published weight (nicely done). The swing weight of mine was 319.

Tennis experience/background: I started playing tennis later in life (after college) at around 24 yrs old. I played soccer and basketball growing up. I have been playing tennis now for about 17 years and play 4.5 USTA and play in the Atlanta, GA area so play a lot of doubles with ALTA (for those that are familiar).

Describe your playing style (e.g., serve & volley): I am an all courter that enjoys playing singles and doubles. For the most part, I stay back in singles but do look for opportunities to come to the net and I like to serve and volley when playing doubles.

Current racquet/string: I am a bit of a racquetholic but am currently playing with the Wilson 98 CV Blade 16x19 customized to 11.9oz, 7pts HL and 326 swing weight. I am stringing with Alu Power in the mains and Wilson NXT in the crosses at 54lbs (mains) and 57lbs (crosses). I have been playing with this racquet now for about 7 months. I am in a constant search for that holy grail racquet. :)

String set-up in test racquet: I strung the racquet with the supplied Head Lynx and Velocity string that was offered in the play test. I did a hybrid string both times (broke string) where the Lynx was in the mains at 54lbs and Velocity was in the Crosses at 57lbs. I broke the crosses midway through my test so restrung it again the same way. However, I had to use another set of the Lynx string (that I had) as this racquet requires about 22ft of string for the mains so the traditional cut in half string set and save it for the next job does not work with this racquet. A very minor frustration on my part but nothing that would prevent me from purchasing or playing with this racquet long term. I string my own racquets and this racquet was very easy to string overall. I have had other versions of this racquet as well and never really thought the previous versions were difficult to string either and the others (later versions) also required more than 20 ft of string for the mains.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I logged about 24 hours with this frame playing with it over a period of about 5 weeks.

Comments on racquet performance
-groundstrokes: Overall, just a fantastic racquet to play with from the baseline. I found I had great control with the frame and never felt any hesitation to go for my shots and try to hit the lines, etc. What has amazed me about this frame and the previous iterations (the more recent ones where they went to the shared holes) is the spin you get on these frames. For an 18x20 pattern, the spin you get is like a 16x19 frame especially with this frame where they have opened up the string pattern a bit. On my video review, I show the comparison of the patterns as I have a number of the previous versions of this frame. Head has really evolved this racquet over time as if you look back at the first versions, the beam width is fairly thin and over time the beam width has increased to this version where is it about 23mm. Please see video as I show that as well. I think that change has made these racquets a bit more powerful and in my opinion, more spin friendly. So, as mentioned, I found a ton of control with this frame from both sides. My slice backhand stayed low and I found easy maneuverability to swing hard and put a lot of racquet head speed on the ball to create that spin. If I had a criticism of the frame, it is the plow through. The weight is a bit low and depth at times was a struggle and my opponents could easily attack some of those shots due to depth. I think this racquet would benefit from weight and if I were to customize it I would some lead at 3-9 to help with the stability of the frame. In my opinion, the earlier versions of this racquet also had this problem (in stock form) particularly the very first versions (thin beam) of this frame. I had a lot of confidence in the frame and never found control issues. Just a lovely frame from the baseline.

-serves: First, my serve is not a weapon. My serve while consistent and I can place it doesn't get me a whole lot free points due to power. Second, related to this frame, I would say my serve was OK. I could easily place the ball where I wanted with good spin but it never gave me 'edge' as maybe the Head Extreme Pro did (when I played with that frame). At times, my serve would set up for my opponent to attack so I had to be really good with my placement. Again, adding weight to the racquet would probably help me with the serve. As it compares to the other versions of this frame, I felt the serve was comparable to the previous versions.

-volleys: Volleys were good. I have always found the Speed Pro to be a great volleying frame. This version of the Pro was no different than the ones before it. I found great control with the volley and could place it where I wanted to. As such, I think that this racquet is a great doubles and singles frame as I find it is a very good racquet for an all courter. Balls that were hit at me with some pace I did find some stability issues with the frame. Shots that were off center the racquet would twist in my hand and particularly balls that were struck hard from my opponent at times I could feel the twisting. Again, I would add some weight to this frame to compensate for that in which I plan to try that but in the spirit of the play test I played this racquet in stock form for all my playing time with it. Touch was excellent with the frame and found I could do a drop volley or hit with some pace when needed. If you are a serve and volleyer or an all courter this would be a great frame to try.

-serve returns: Reference my comments on groundstrokes as well. On the return, I really felt like I could go for it and take big cuts on the second serve. On hard hit first serves, again there was some stability issues, as I would try to block back but the ball would land short so it could be attacked by my opponent (hence the theme, needs more weight). In doubles, I found I could block the ball back and charge into the net to volley. Again, a great doubles racquet in my opinion.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Just a great update by Head. I love that there are no shared holes, I love the spin you get with the closed pattern (at least closed in respect to the other current versions (MP, etc)) and I love the pinpoint control you get with the frame. To me, while I have not mentioned this in my review above, the biggest stand out thing that this racquet offers that the previous versions did not (in my opinion) is the high level of COMFORT. The previous versions (even the ones with the smaller beam) I had comfort issues with and could never gel with the frame as my wrist would always hurt while playing with it (even with the latest version before this one). I am not sure what technically changed as far as the materials are concerned but extremely good comfort from this frame. This is a racquet that I could put in my bag but would like to log more time with it and add weight to the frame. I will also add the integration of the Head sensor was excellent in this frame. I have posted some of the sensor results below just as an FYI. By the way, I love what Head has done with the Head Zepp sensor. I think Head will do well with these frames. I love the simple paint job and found it to be a high quality paint job as it is not showing a lot of wear and tear (at least yet) and I had some aggressive points with it. And again, kudos to Head for the quality control on the published specs and the actual specs. Well done!

Head Sensor data from one of my sessions with the Speed 360 Pro:
Play time (one session): 41 minutes
Forehands: 164 (topspin 91, Drive 72, Slice 1) - not sure the difference in slice and drive as I hit more slices than 1.
Backhands: 53 (topspin 21, Drive 13, Slice 19)
Serves: 22
Volleys: 31
Forehands: 89% sweetspot, avg ball speed 68mph, max ball speed 78mph, avg ball spin 1247 rpm, max ball spin 2347 rpm, avg heaviness 152 / max heaviness 212
Backhands: 72% sweetspot, avg ball speed, 57mph, max ball speed 73mph, avg ball spin 1392 rpm, max ball spin 2144 rpm, avg heaviness 132 / max heaviness 194

I am not sure what heaviness means but I am curious as to what these specs would be with weight.

So, if you are looking for a racquet with very good spin that is an all court playing style racquet I suggest you give this a demo. I was very impressed with the update and am considering making the change. Great update by Head and thanks again to Tennis Warehouse and Head for the opportunity to try this great frame!

Happy Hitting and thanks for reading. Video play test will be posted shortly!!!!
Click to expand...

As mentioned in my written review, here is my video review of the Speed Pro. A great update in my opinion.

 
Backhanded Compliment said:
i found the speed MP nothing but solid, especially when i added a little weight at 12 and a lot more in the tail. If nothing its remarkably solid for a sub 12oz frame and i faced off against advanced hard hitters and grip and rip topspin specialists. No issues... maybe too small a grip for your demo?
Click to expand...
Tried a little lead (1x4” strip) at 12 under the head guard and it helped. Plus it’s still pretty light 11.7oz with everything. I am feeling a twinge of discomfort in the elbow.
 
Last edited:
TennisHound said:
Tried a little lead (1x4” strip) at 12 under the head guard and it helped. Plus it’s still pretty light 11.7oz with everything. I am feeling a twinge of discomfort in the elbow.
Click to expand...
i put less than that at 12, though it was tw tungsten tape (great product)

I put a lot more weight in the tail to make it more headlight... also twinges can come from mechanics, genetics etc. i think its fir those who have whippy strokes.

strings are another factor of course
 
Last edited:
Backhanded Compliment said:
i put less than that at 12, though it was tw tungsten tape (great product)

I put a lot more weight in the tail to make it more headlight... also twinges can come from mechanics, genetics etc. i think its fir those who have whippy strokes.

strings are another factor of course
Click to expand...
Yeah, the racquet’s fine. I had played a State Tournament with it this past weekend- 2 matches on Saturday and two on Sunday, so the arm was fairly tired. I’m pretty sure the string was dead - RPM Blast .17 strung pretty tight. I had a leather grip and OG, sometimes two.
 
TennisHound said:
Yeah, the racquet’s fine. I had played a State Tournament with it this past weekend- 2 matches on Saturday and two on Sunday, so the arm was fairly tired. I’m pretty sure the string was dead - RPM Blast .17 strung pretty tight. I had a leather grip and OG, sometimes two.
Click to expand...
the friend i gave it to is loving it... he kept texting me during the rafa thiem match how tge stick helps him hit crazy reckless backhands like theim was... lolz.

he prefers the speed mp's pj ...
 
Just wanted to say great reviews, folk. Everyone did a fantastic job. I am curious, what is the verdict on top three reviews, @TW Staff? Even though I wasn't a part of this playtest, I just want to say that it is pretty awesome Tennis Warehouse has this kind of thing (playtesting equipment etc) for gear nerds like us. It is much appreciated.
 
haqq777 said:
Just wanted to say great reviews, folk. Everyone did a fantastic job. I am curious, what is the verdict on top three reviews, @TW Staff? Even though I wasn't a part of this playtest, I just want to say that it is pretty awesome Tennis Warehouse has this kind of thing (playtesting equipment etc) for gear nerds like us. It is much appreciated.
Click to expand...

We will be announcing the winners before the end of the day Tuesday. We may have to do some coin-flipping because there are so many good reviews!

Thanks,
TW Staff
 
Last edited:
A_Instead said:
Anyone go 47 ish with the MP?
I May try this weekend...
Click to expand...
I think it depends on the string - I feel it could play well with a stiff or low powered poly at 47.
It has great control and feel so I think dropping to low tensions will be manageable.

Just from my demo experience, I think I could start at 50 lbs with RPM blast 17 & adjust from there.
 
tennistomcat said:
I think it depends on the string - I feel it could play well with a stiff or low powered poly at 47.
It has great control and feel so I think dropping to low tensions will be manageable.

Just from my demo experience, I think I could start at 50 lbs with RPM blast 17 & adjust from there.
Click to expand...
Yep, maybe even Hurricane or 4G too.
 
TW Staff said:
Hello Playtesters!

There were too many good reviews! It was pretty much impossible to pick just 3 winners, but we did..

tennisgurl
Backhand Compliment
Matthew Lee

These playtesters will receive a complimentary Djokovic Monstercombi 12 pack bag.

Thanks everyone!
TW Staff
Click to expand...
thanks TW it was fun and i hope informative for all... TTW is such a great resource and happy to contribute
 
Good stuff everybody. If only TW/TWE would give us Europeans a chance too! .....(what’s the emoji for ‘jealous ‘?). [emoji848]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Djokovicfan said:
Im mainly saying the new 360 line is going in the wrong direction. As was said, the graphene touch line wasnt as low power as it gets. So i wouldve been thrilled if the new graphene 360 line had gone in the direction of less power. That might have made the racquet have even more control than the graphene touch line. Head went the other direction tho, which means they must have not considered the graphene touch line a players racquet line. I think head should have considered it a players racquet, and gone in the less power/more control direction with the new graphene 360 line.
Maybe they will come up with a new line in 2020 that continues the graphene touch line and takes it even further into low power/players racquet specs.
Click to expand...
That is your opinion but the speed mp is not the line for be a players frame firts because for the públic that the racket is destined is more for teenargers and moderns playera like zverev its you want a players frame better is the pro because is for your type of player that can produce your power and want control because for that head do the pro speed line
 
Alekok1221 said:
That is your opinion but the speed mp is not the line for be a players frame firts because for the públic that the racket is destined is more for teenargers and moderns playera like zverev its you want a players frame better is the pro because is for your type of player that can produce your power and want control because for that head do the pro speed line
Click to expand...
Theres people who can help you man. Just sayin
 
Had another fun win with this stick tonight. I think it fits my game very well. Lots of winners and creative shots from out of position. Two big highlights today for me were:
1) Spin. Massive topspin when I wanted it, giving my opponent trouble. Off the FH or 1HBH. But controllable.
2) Dipping shots with opponent at net. This goes with spin, obviously. I made some delicious passes but also had pretty much 100% success hitting a heavy dipping ball at my opponent when he was at the net. This racquet made it so easy to flick a heavy topspin BH at their feet.
 
It is a spinny racket. If out of position all one has to do is hack at it.. the string bed grabs the ball..
IMO.. The head size seems bigger than 100..could it be 102?
 
A_Instead said:
It is a spinny racket. If out of position all one has to do is hack at it.. the string bed grabs the ball..
IMO.. The head size seems bigger than 100..could it be 102?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. Definitely 100 to me. Maybe even smaller.

It's so much fun to whack passing shots with this thing!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

TW Staff
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Head Graphene 360+ Extreme MP/Tour
7 8 9
Replies
420
Views
50K
gutfeeling
G
TW Staff
Tennis Warehouse: Head Boom MP (Prototype 2021) Racquet
2 3 4
Replies
186
Views
23K
emaz8724
E
TW Staff
Tennis Warehouse: Dunlop SX Playtest
3 4 5
Replies
231
Views
19K
ChanterRacquet
C
TW Staff
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Head Extreme 2024 (Pro and MP)
2 3 4
Replies
174
Views
15K
FrankyRelax
F
TW Staff
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Prince Phantom 2024
4 5 6
Replies
289
Views
18K
Fed Kennedy
Fed Kennedy
Back
Top