stronzzi70
Professional
Increase grip size but change the original balance
Tennis Warehouse: Head Gravity Pro, MP and S Playtest
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
SteveI
Legend
HEAD Gravity "S"
Racquet Received: Gravity "S"
String and tension used for test: Head Hawk Touch 17G
Tennis experience/background: Played two years of HS tennis and one year of junior college. Lots of coaching at the HS level and some at DIII. Dir. of tennis in my little town for 20 years. Been stringing for 27 years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All Court player ..came from a singles background ..doubles these days. 4.0 plus player. Modern FH.. OHBH.
Current racquet/string setups: Volkl Quantum Scorcher (Modified). 102 Head Size, 16 x 19, Big Grommet System, Lead at 3 & 9 and 12. Weight under the butt cap. Weight strung with overgrip and Volkl vibration dampener 11.6 oz, 7-8 points HL. The Volkl Quantum Scorcher has a flex of 60. Cyclone 19G 54/52.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?: Over 20. Singles, Doubles... drilling and used to feed balls while teaching and coaching. Really had a great chance to test this one. Tested it side by side with my current set-up and a Head Radical S (stock) strung with LF Vorso 17G. 54/52.
Comments on racquet performance: I played this frame stock with only the Head vibration dampener and Head over-grip installed. Frame was very close to posted specs on TW page.
-Groundstrokes: It was a ton of fun to drill with this frame. It has a large sweet spot and super easy to swing. Very easy on the arm. Great sound coming off the string bed. The frame and string setup did not provide my same level of control and precision as my regular frame and set-up. Found myself having to go for bigger targets and applying more spin to keep the ball in play. The sweet spot was so big that I felt that I was sort of disconnected to the frame. The frame was also muted and I guess I like a bit more of a raw feeling when hitting off the ground. The stock balance and SW worked pretty well on my forehand but not so on my OHBH. I seemed to be always late and had that feeling of the head lagging behind. It plays more like the Head Radical S than my reg frame and set-up. The Head Radical S had a better stock balance and SW to suit my game. I had no issues creating spin or power.. it was my lack of comfort with control. There was some buzzing high in the string bed.. nothing jarring but a decent power reduction to go with it. Loved to drill with this frame.. but it did not translate to playing points and matches.
-Serves: This is a very nice frame to serve with.. Easy on the arm and once again produced a nice thump sound on impact. This frame worked great for me on flat and slices.. but I had issues with my kick serve and again the balance was not enough HL to suit me. This one was maybe 3-4 points HL and my frames are closer to 8. The sweet spot again was easy to find and comfort was great. Decent targeting but not good enough. The Head Radical S and my regular set-up much better. I held serve ok with this frame but I had to work a bit harder. I play mostly doubles and a good kicker is something I really use to help me get into the net.
-Volleys: The bright spot for me with this frame was volleys. It was light, fast and stable. Hard to miss the sweet spot and you could drive volleys through the court with ease. The 104 head size a winner at the net.. It was not as good on touch volleys but that is not really part of my game so it hard to rate for me. This one beat my regular frame and the Head Radical S.
-Serve returns: I was slicing and blocking balls back since my confidence off the ground was not high. I was doing my best to get serves back and get to the net as fast as possible to hit volleys
-General reaction/comments on overall performance: I can see this frame being a winner with a certain type of player. Players with a two-handed BH might love this frame expect the grip is a bit short. This frame had many positive attributes... generous sweet spot.. super comfortable and easy to swing. The frame just did not suit my game and I found it sort of clunky and sluggish for my game at times. It would be a nice platform for customization but would still not be precise enough for me. The Head Radical S balance / SW was much closer to my target spec and had more of that raw connected feeling to me. Thanks again to TW and Head.
Racquet Received: Gravity "S"
String and tension used for test: Head Hawk Touch 17G
Tennis experience/background: Played two years of HS tennis and one year of junior college. Lots of coaching at the HS level and some at DIII. Dir. of tennis in my little town for 20 years. Been stringing for 27 years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All Court player ..came from a singles background ..doubles these days. 4.0 plus player. Modern FH.. OHBH.
Current racquet/string setups: Volkl Quantum Scorcher (Modified). 102 Head Size, 16 x 19, Big Grommet System, Lead at 3 & 9 and 12. Weight under the butt cap. Weight strung with overgrip and Volkl vibration dampener 11.6 oz, 7-8 points HL. The Volkl Quantum Scorcher has a flex of 60. Cyclone 19G 54/52.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?: Over 20. Singles, Doubles... drilling and used to feed balls while teaching and coaching. Really had a great chance to test this one. Tested it side by side with my current set-up and a Head Radical S (stock) strung with LF Vorso 17G. 54/52.
Comments on racquet performance: I played this frame stock with only the Head vibration dampener and Head over-grip installed. Frame was very close to posted specs on TW page.
-Groundstrokes: It was a ton of fun to drill with this frame. It has a large sweet spot and super easy to swing. Very easy on the arm. Great sound coming off the string bed. The frame and string setup did not provide my same level of control and precision as my regular frame and set-up. Found myself having to go for bigger targets and applying more spin to keep the ball in play. The sweet spot was so big that I felt that I was sort of disconnected to the frame. The frame was also muted and I guess I like a bit more of a raw feeling when hitting off the ground. The stock balance and SW worked pretty well on my forehand but not so on my OHBH. I seemed to be always late and had that feeling of the head lagging behind. It plays more like the Head Radical S than my reg frame and set-up. The Head Radical S had a better stock balance and SW to suit my game. I had no issues creating spin or power.. it was my lack of comfort with control. There was some buzzing high in the string bed.. nothing jarring but a decent power reduction to go with it. Loved to drill with this frame.. but it did not translate to playing points and matches.
-Serves: This is a very nice frame to serve with.. Easy on the arm and once again produced a nice thump sound on impact. This frame worked great for me on flat and slices.. but I had issues with my kick serve and again the balance was not enough HL to suit me. This one was maybe 3-4 points HL and my frames are closer to 8. The sweet spot again was easy to find and comfort was great. Decent targeting but not good enough. The Head Radical S and my regular set-up much better. I held serve ok with this frame but I had to work a bit harder. I play mostly doubles and a good kicker is something I really use to help me get into the net.
-Volleys: The bright spot for me with this frame was volleys. It was light, fast and stable. Hard to miss the sweet spot and you could drive volleys through the court with ease. The 104 head size a winner at the net.. It was not as good on touch volleys but that is not really part of my game so it hard to rate for me. This one beat my regular frame and the Head Radical S.
-Serve returns: I was slicing and blocking balls back since my confidence off the ground was not high. I was doing my best to get serves back and get to the net as fast as possible to hit volleys
-General reaction/comments on overall performance: I can see this frame being a winner with a certain type of player. Players with a two-handed BH might love this frame expect the grip is a bit short. This frame had many positive attributes... generous sweet spot.. super comfortable and easy to swing. The frame just did not suit my game and I found it sort of clunky and sluggish for my game at times. It would be a nice platform for customization but would still not be precise enough for me. The Head Radical S balance / SW was much closer to my target spec and had more of that raw connected feeling to me. Thanks again to TW and Head.
Last edited:
SteveI
Legend
I was doing the same with the "S". My usual grip is with my pinky hanging off the butt end. It was like baseball ... choke up to get better bat control.
2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
He also chokes up on slice BHs I noticed.
Will give it a try. Have always wanted a "dirty slice" but mine tend to sit up too much.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Yeah. Not sure what happened but it’s gone for me as well.
2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
Must be related to this kin thing.
djNEiGht
Legend
posting in both gravity threads
I've been off the courts a good amount of time due to health this year. Got back on late June. I used to string up my poly set ups 45-48# but I'm not liking how it feels in the Gravity MP. It could be the string as I recall not caring for it much in my other MP racquets but it really shines in the bumblebee or POG-OS. I tried 48# with Yellow Jacket/Concept and my wrist was hurting. I then tried 43# and don't know if it's residual pain but sometimes the wrist aches. Lets continue...
I've been off the courts a good amount of time due to health this year. Got back on late June. I used to string up my poly set ups 45-48# but I'm not liking how it feels in the Gravity MP. It could be the string as I recall not caring for it much in my other MP racquets but it really shines in the bumblebee or POG-OS. I tried 48# with Yellow Jacket/Concept and my wrist was hurting. I then tried 43# and don't know if it's residual pain but sometimes the wrist aches. Lets continue...
Tennis_Monk
Hall of Fame
Racquet Received: Gravity MP
String and tension used for test:
- Alu Power Rough 55 lbs
- Ultracable 55 lbs
Tennis experience/background:
I used to play tennis in college but off late I am into experimentation with strings, racquets and devices. I still play twice a week and play singles and doubles tournaments during outdoor season.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley)
Baseline game with Serve and top spin heavy forehand.
Current racquet/string setups:
Pure Drive with Alu Rough/ Pure Aero with Alu Rough/ ultra cable , Yonex DR EZone with Ultra cable
I’m not used to stringing this pattern, had to google, and took more time than normal to string.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
two different string setups with each roughly a week (~20 hrs).
Comments on racquet performance:
The racquet felt light though it is largely due to how the racquet is balanced. 296g unstrung and 311g strung (Alu Rough). The shape of the racquet gives a different impression.
Right off the bat, the racquet felt super powerful-almost a racquet launcher. It took me an hour or so to really get used to the racquet and dial in on my shots, especially forehand –my power wing. Some of it also due to the new strings as I often take time to adjust to a racquet that is newly strung. my backhand shots were deep and I was surprised with the depth I’m getting.
Groundstrokes: This racquet is unlike Pure drive or Aero. It is a point and shoot stick as far as my experience went. I got more with less and it’s controlled. I got a lot of spin and able to place the ball with little effort especially on backhand side. Forehand side I definitely had to adjust but after couple days that become the new normal for me and I particularly enjoyed how much action the ball had as compared to my earlier racquets. Especially when I used Ultracable, the ball would appear like its sailing long , only to drop in- with a foot or so to spare . In fact, this aspect spoiled me enough to that point that I actually started to hit the ball confidently with much higher launch angle.
Drop shots aren’t part of my repertoire but I had a tad more success.
-Serves:
Flat serves were hit and miss. When I got them in, they were unreturnable, especially with Alu Rough. In my opinion, this isn’t a flat servers racquet. Kick serves are. this racquet specialty. For whatever reason, this racquet accentuates my kick serve and there is so much action the ball that even when I served slow they were effective. Slice serves also deserve special mention as they were equally effective.
In a nut shell, I felt that the racquet actually improved my serve.
-Volleys:
Volleys are not a significant part of my game. I volley when I am forced to come to net or when I play doubles. I have a poor technique when it comes to volleying and even with this racquet , that aspect didn’t change.
-Serve returns:
I usually take big cuts at the returns. With this racquet , once I got used to it, I was blocking returns back in play using pace of the server and were very effective, a bit more effective than my normal big swings. I am not sure why but I returned well with Alu Rough than with ultracable.
Other observations
I am loving the minimalist paints on the demo stick. Sporty yet classy.
The Racquet is forgiving and there were no jarring/ uncomfortable moments.It is also easy on the body.
Couple of members of my tennis team also tried this racquet with wide ranging feedback. Most of them have better technique than me. The common theme is that , this racquet is easier to adapt without lengthy transition and there’s some improvement for most players in some area without any noticeable degradation in other areas. Most significant improvements were felt by 4.0 players.
Their observations of me playing with the racquet are that my ground strokes, second serve improved and first serve needs more practice.
The short summary is that this racquet helped my game. It won’t make me move to next level on NTRP but I felt like if I continue playing with it , it will help me win those 50/50 crunch time points at my level and there by improve results. I haven’t had a chance to try a hybrid on this and given my experience with the two strings thus far, it feels like a perfect setup.
I also didn’t try lead tape, a staple on my current sticks- more options to ponder.
I will continue to play and update the review once I have tried a hybrid.
This is a point and shoot stick with tremendous upside. Definitely worth a demo.
Thanks to Tenniswarehouse , TW members and HEAD. Sincerely Appreciate the opportunity to review.
String and tension used for test:
- Alu Power Rough 55 lbs
- Ultracable 55 lbs
Tennis experience/background:
I used to play tennis in college but off late I am into experimentation with strings, racquets and devices. I still play twice a week and play singles and doubles tournaments during outdoor season.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley)
Baseline game with Serve and top spin heavy forehand.
Current racquet/string setups:
Pure Drive with Alu Rough/ Pure Aero with Alu Rough/ ultra cable , Yonex DR EZone with Ultra cable
I’m not used to stringing this pattern, had to google, and took more time than normal to string.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
two different string setups with each roughly a week (~20 hrs).
Comments on racquet performance:
The racquet felt light though it is largely due to how the racquet is balanced. 296g unstrung and 311g strung (Alu Rough). The shape of the racquet gives a different impression.
Right off the bat, the racquet felt super powerful-almost a racquet launcher. It took me an hour or so to really get used to the racquet and dial in on my shots, especially forehand –my power wing. Some of it also due to the new strings as I often take time to adjust to a racquet that is newly strung. my backhand shots were deep and I was surprised with the depth I’m getting.
Groundstrokes: This racquet is unlike Pure drive or Aero. It is a point and shoot stick as far as my experience went. I got more with less and it’s controlled. I got a lot of spin and able to place the ball with little effort especially on backhand side. Forehand side I definitely had to adjust but after couple days that become the new normal for me and I particularly enjoyed how much action the ball had as compared to my earlier racquets. Especially when I used Ultracable, the ball would appear like its sailing long , only to drop in- with a foot or so to spare . In fact, this aspect spoiled me enough to that point that I actually started to hit the ball confidently with much higher launch angle.
Drop shots aren’t part of my repertoire but I had a tad more success.
-Serves:
Flat serves were hit and miss. When I got them in, they were unreturnable, especially with Alu Rough. In my opinion, this isn’t a flat servers racquet. Kick serves are. this racquet specialty. For whatever reason, this racquet accentuates my kick serve and there is so much action the ball that even when I served slow they were effective. Slice serves also deserve special mention as they were equally effective.
In a nut shell, I felt that the racquet actually improved my serve.
-Volleys:
Volleys are not a significant part of my game. I volley when I am forced to come to net or when I play doubles. I have a poor technique when it comes to volleying and even with this racquet , that aspect didn’t change.
-Serve returns:
I usually take big cuts at the returns. With this racquet , once I got used to it, I was blocking returns back in play using pace of the server and were very effective, a bit more effective than my normal big swings. I am not sure why but I returned well with Alu Rough than with ultracable.
Other observations
I am loving the minimalist paints on the demo stick. Sporty yet classy.
The Racquet is forgiving and there were no jarring/ uncomfortable moments.It is also easy on the body.
Couple of members of my tennis team also tried this racquet with wide ranging feedback. Most of them have better technique than me. The common theme is that , this racquet is easier to adapt without lengthy transition and there’s some improvement for most players in some area without any noticeable degradation in other areas. Most significant improvements were felt by 4.0 players.
Their observations of me playing with the racquet are that my ground strokes, second serve improved and first serve needs more practice.
The short summary is that this racquet helped my game. It won’t make me move to next level on NTRP but I felt like if I continue playing with it , it will help me win those 50/50 crunch time points at my level and there by improve results. I haven’t had a chance to try a hybrid on this and given my experience with the two strings thus far, it feels like a perfect setup.
I also didn’t try lead tape, a staple on my current sticks- more options to ponder.
I will continue to play and update the review once I have tried a hybrid.
This is a point and shoot stick with tremendous upside. Definitely worth a demo.
Thanks to Tenniswarehouse , TW members and HEAD. Sincerely Appreciate the opportunity to review.
2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
I installed the unused half set of HHT on a friend's pure drive with a syngut cross and I swear it is marvelous.
HHT is much better as a main hybrid rather than a cross.
Also found the overgrip provided to have a nice feel, but also thickened the handle more than I cared for compared to yonex supergrap.
Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk
HHT is much better as a main hybrid rather than a cross.
Also found the overgrip provided to have a nice feel, but also thickened the handle more than I cared for compared to yonex supergrap.
Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk
Wall Ball Wizard
Rookie
Hi all,
Here's my review!
Racquet: Gravity Pro
String: Head Hawk Touch 17 (provided with play test) @ 50lbs.
Tennis experience: 4.0 rating, but been mixing it up with 4.5 players lately. Usually play about 4 times a week.
Style: Baseliner
Current racquet: Head 360 Speed Pro.. Solinco Hyper G and Tour Bite have become my mainstays of late.
Hours tested: over 12.
Well I've been lying low on this thread due to the fact that I wanted to have an open mind when testing... and not get too influenced by other testers opinions. This has been a real fun / interesting play test considering my current racquet of choice is the 360 Speed Pro (SP going forward). Both sticks share some common traits ie: headsize, string pattern, and static weight. With overgrips and O dampeners, my SP comes in at 11.89oz. The Gravity Pro (GP) at 11.90oz. The main differences are in beam width, swingweight, and feel. But for me, the main difference was in the string spacing of the 18x20 patterns... it was a big difference. So here we go..
GROUNDSTROKES:
Oddly, this was the area where it took me little longer to gel with the racquet. When initially picking up and shadow swinging the GP, you can definitely notice the higher swing weight as compared to the SP. I felt this difference as well during the first 10 or so minutes of rallying. Perhaps due to the thin beam, the difference of swing weight would quickly go away and I was generally able to swing the racquet effectively. Although I'm still able to generate faster racquet head speed with the SP. The feel on contact is plush without being too muted or mushy. You do get very good feedback and comfort is top notch. Comfort is so good, that I'm actually thinking of stringing the racquet with a crisper / firmer feeling control oriented string... because of this. The main marketing buzz of the GP is the "massive" sweetspot. Guess what, it is! Almost a bit too much! I swear it almost felt like an old Radical Oversize! While the forgiveness was great, I kept noticing a hot spot in the middle of stringbed where at times the ball would launch on me. Especially on slower swing speeds... I had to be aware of keeping the swing speed up in order to control the ball. When you factor this and the higher swing weight, I definitely would feel a little more gassed after 2 hour hitting sessions. Now this could be subjective on the type of player using the GP, I'm 49 after all. This is not an issue whatsoever with the SP. I'm simply able to explode on the contact point and with wider string spacing, I'm able to generate more spin and net clearance. The GP does have very solid plow, but I did notice some slight instability towards the edges at 2 and 10 o'clock, but I'm honestly being a bit picky there... not a deal breaker. Due to the size of the sweetspot and plow, the GP does get the edge on free power, although I do prefer the more controllable pop I get from the SP. I'm curious to see how the racquet plays with a deader string like 4G or RPM... could the GP be string sensitive? This was the first time I've used Head Hawk Touch and it's a fairly comfortable feeling poly. But when combined with the GP's softer flex, it just leaves wanting to try a firmer, perhaps even shaped poly. On the other hand, the Hawk Touch could feel great on the SP.
SERVES:
Surprisingly the best part of the play test. I don't have the biggest of serves, so I was pleasantly surprised at how well I served with the GP. The racquet cut very well through the air and the big sweet spot really gave me some easy power. I was never hampered by the higher swing weight and could easily manipulate the ball with spin. Control and placement were also good. Overall I feel I can serve very well with both the GP and SP, although the GP comes out ahead on the power department.
RETURNS:
A lot of the same qualities that made serving successful, also translated into the return game. The GP's sweet spot and plow really aided in adding pace and depth to my returns. Two of my regular partners are 4.5 level players with big serves, so I was happy with how I could easily redirect their pace with the GP. I could take short backswings and block incoming serves at their feet or go down the line. I could also take bigger cuts on second serves or when given time. Chipping on returns was easier with the GP as compared to the SP, although I can still take bigger more aggressive cuts with the SP that result in sharper angles.
VOLLEYS:
As mentioned earlier, I'm a baseliner. So volleys are not my forte. But IMO the racquet was a fairly point and shoot. The racquet was generally stable against pace and was maneuverable enough to easily get in position. The touch and feel on volleys were a real highlight. You could really caress the ball at net with the GP. This racquet could really be a weapon on the hands of advanced net players. Overall I did prefer the GP at net as compared to the SP.
CONCLUSION:
The Gravity Pro is an overall impressive frame. This racquet could really appeal to players who are used to more classic control frames, but have been searching in vain for a more forgiving modern option. It would be interesting if Head would use this layup on a Prestige mold! My only gripe really is the hot spot I found in it's sweet spot. This for some reason was most noticeable on groundstrokes, but became an asset on serve and returns. I hope to string the GP with a deader string and will try and report my findings soon. Despite my overall good impressions of the GP, it won't be replacing my 360 Speed Pro anytime soon. Due to mainly it's edge in maneuverability and it's wider string spacing, I'm a far more aggressive player in comparison with SP. Hope my review adds to this discussion in positive manner!
Thank you Head and TW for such an amazing opportunity!
Cheers!
Here's my review!
Racquet: Gravity Pro
String: Head Hawk Touch 17 (provided with play test) @ 50lbs.
Tennis experience: 4.0 rating, but been mixing it up with 4.5 players lately. Usually play about 4 times a week.
Style: Baseliner
Current racquet: Head 360 Speed Pro.. Solinco Hyper G and Tour Bite have become my mainstays of late.
Hours tested: over 12.
Well I've been lying low on this thread due to the fact that I wanted to have an open mind when testing... and not get too influenced by other testers opinions. This has been a real fun / interesting play test considering my current racquet of choice is the 360 Speed Pro (SP going forward). Both sticks share some common traits ie: headsize, string pattern, and static weight. With overgrips and O dampeners, my SP comes in at 11.89oz. The Gravity Pro (GP) at 11.90oz. The main differences are in beam width, swingweight, and feel. But for me, the main difference was in the string spacing of the 18x20 patterns... it was a big difference. So here we go..
GROUNDSTROKES:
Oddly, this was the area where it took me little longer to gel with the racquet. When initially picking up and shadow swinging the GP, you can definitely notice the higher swing weight as compared to the SP. I felt this difference as well during the first 10 or so minutes of rallying. Perhaps due to the thin beam, the difference of swing weight would quickly go away and I was generally able to swing the racquet effectively. Although I'm still able to generate faster racquet head speed with the SP. The feel on contact is plush without being too muted or mushy. You do get very good feedback and comfort is top notch. Comfort is so good, that I'm actually thinking of stringing the racquet with a crisper / firmer feeling control oriented string... because of this. The main marketing buzz of the GP is the "massive" sweetspot. Guess what, it is! Almost a bit too much! I swear it almost felt like an old Radical Oversize! While the forgiveness was great, I kept noticing a hot spot in the middle of stringbed where at times the ball would launch on me. Especially on slower swing speeds... I had to be aware of keeping the swing speed up in order to control the ball. When you factor this and the higher swing weight, I definitely would feel a little more gassed after 2 hour hitting sessions. Now this could be subjective on the type of player using the GP, I'm 49 after all. This is not an issue whatsoever with the SP. I'm simply able to explode on the contact point and with wider string spacing, I'm able to generate more spin and net clearance. The GP does have very solid plow, but I did notice some slight instability towards the edges at 2 and 10 o'clock, but I'm honestly being a bit picky there... not a deal breaker. Due to the size of the sweetspot and plow, the GP does get the edge on free power, although I do prefer the more controllable pop I get from the SP. I'm curious to see how the racquet plays with a deader string like 4G or RPM... could the GP be string sensitive? This was the first time I've used Head Hawk Touch and it's a fairly comfortable feeling poly. But when combined with the GP's softer flex, it just leaves wanting to try a firmer, perhaps even shaped poly. On the other hand, the Hawk Touch could feel great on the SP.
SERVES:
Surprisingly the best part of the play test. I don't have the biggest of serves, so I was pleasantly surprised at how well I served with the GP. The racquet cut very well through the air and the big sweet spot really gave me some easy power. I was never hampered by the higher swing weight and could easily manipulate the ball with spin. Control and placement were also good. Overall I feel I can serve very well with both the GP and SP, although the GP comes out ahead on the power department.
RETURNS:
A lot of the same qualities that made serving successful, also translated into the return game. The GP's sweet spot and plow really aided in adding pace and depth to my returns. Two of my regular partners are 4.5 level players with big serves, so I was happy with how I could easily redirect their pace with the GP. I could take short backswings and block incoming serves at their feet or go down the line. I could also take bigger cuts on second serves or when given time. Chipping on returns was easier with the GP as compared to the SP, although I can still take bigger more aggressive cuts with the SP that result in sharper angles.
VOLLEYS:
As mentioned earlier, I'm a baseliner. So volleys are not my forte. But IMO the racquet was a fairly point and shoot. The racquet was generally stable against pace and was maneuverable enough to easily get in position. The touch and feel on volleys were a real highlight. You could really caress the ball at net with the GP. This racquet could really be a weapon on the hands of advanced net players. Overall I did prefer the GP at net as compared to the SP.
CONCLUSION:
The Gravity Pro is an overall impressive frame. This racquet could really appeal to players who are used to more classic control frames, but have been searching in vain for a more forgiving modern option. It would be interesting if Head would use this layup on a Prestige mold! My only gripe really is the hot spot I found in it's sweet spot. This for some reason was most noticeable on groundstrokes, but became an asset on serve and returns. I hope to string the GP with a deader string and will try and report my findings soon. Despite my overall good impressions of the GP, it won't be replacing my 360 Speed Pro anytime soon. Due to mainly it's edge in maneuverability and it's wider string spacing, I'm a far more aggressive player in comparison with SP. Hope my review adds to this discussion in positive manner!
Thank you Head and TW for such an amazing opportunity!
Cheers!
Well I think I've but it off long enough. Here is my review of the Galaxy S
Racquet Received:
Gravity S
String and tension used for test:
Lynx 50 lb felt better as it aged. xperience 17 at 48 I think a better string for this racquet
Tennis experience/background:
I'm a veteran player probably 30 yrs play doubles twice a week once for singles. Never much for joining up so not much competition tennis. I do like to win but if I do my part and still lose to a better player it doesn't bother me.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Not as quick as I used to be but big hitter especially off forehand, backhand serviceable , serve great to good depending on the day. Love baseline winners but if your playing doubles you have to get to the net.
Current racquet/string setups:
I think of the gravity as my current racquet but a pair Volkl SG 10 11.35 6pt HL 1 strung with VS/poly 1 with xperiance
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Almost exclusively since I got it a good 25+ hrs. The only time I hit others was for comparison purposes.
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Excellent not to much power so you can swing out. Great spin taking the ball in the top of the string bed. Extra head size to forgive less than perfect swings. Light and quick to come through both sides, it has enough stability for my level if I strike the ball clean.
-Serves:
Good serves no trouble with accuracy. I didn't think I was getting enough pace on flat serves but the results are good and opponents say it's coming quicker. If I stay lose and controlled I get plenty. If I try to muscle it up things fall apart. I can't blame the racquet for that.
-Volleys:
Like the extra head size more room is better. Very quick and not much flutter.Today I caught 3 that should have been by me ,very disheartening to the other guy.
-Serve returns:
Same as volleys very quick to the ball. Handles 4.0 serves very well. Lots of stability I hit several return winners. I haven't seen a 120 mph serve since I last went to Indian Wells so I can't speak to those.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This is my main racquet now. I tried weight at various spots and ended up with half a sampras power strip at each 9-3 half a shrink sleeve on the grip two overgrip no grip and some Bluetac in the butt. 11.25 5 pts HL
This is a great racquet for 4.0 down. It's light ,controllable, comfortable not a precision racquet but really enough for most people. Players who hit harder more precise shots probably won't like the larger head size, lighter weight. There is other models for them.
Very comfortable and easy on the body. I've hit with previous graphene's and while they didn't hurt me I didn't really enjoy using them. This racquet I like to hit with.
It's not a real powerful racquet but it is controllable and it doesn't matter how hard you hit he ball if it's in the net. The xperiance is down 13 % by RT so I think I'll put in some Tourna Tour 7 silver a very lively string and see if I can get even more controlled power.
I am really grateful to TW and Head for the chance to test the Gravity S my new racquet.
Racquet Received:
Gravity S
String and tension used for test:
Lynx 50 lb felt better as it aged. xperience 17 at 48 I think a better string for this racquet
Tennis experience/background:
I'm a veteran player probably 30 yrs play doubles twice a week once for singles. Never much for joining up so not much competition tennis. I do like to win but if I do my part and still lose to a better player it doesn't bother me.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Not as quick as I used to be but big hitter especially off forehand, backhand serviceable , serve great to good depending on the day. Love baseline winners but if your playing doubles you have to get to the net.
Current racquet/string setups:
I think of the gravity as my current racquet but a pair Volkl SG 10 11.35 6pt HL 1 strung with VS/poly 1 with xperiance
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Almost exclusively since I got it a good 25+ hrs. The only time I hit others was for comparison purposes.
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Excellent not to much power so you can swing out. Great spin taking the ball in the top of the string bed. Extra head size to forgive less than perfect swings. Light and quick to come through both sides, it has enough stability for my level if I strike the ball clean.
-Serves:
Good serves no trouble with accuracy. I didn't think I was getting enough pace on flat serves but the results are good and opponents say it's coming quicker. If I stay lose and controlled I get plenty. If I try to muscle it up things fall apart. I can't blame the racquet for that.
-Volleys:
Like the extra head size more room is better. Very quick and not much flutter.Today I caught 3 that should have been by me ,very disheartening to the other guy.
-Serve returns:
Same as volleys very quick to the ball. Handles 4.0 serves very well. Lots of stability I hit several return winners. I haven't seen a 120 mph serve since I last went to Indian Wells so I can't speak to those.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: This is my main racquet now. I tried weight at various spots and ended up with half a sampras power strip at each 9-3 half a shrink sleeve on the grip two overgrip no grip and some Bluetac in the butt. 11.25 5 pts HL
This is a great racquet for 4.0 down. It's light ,controllable, comfortable not a precision racquet but really enough for most people. Players who hit harder more precise shots probably won't like the larger head size, lighter weight. There is other models for them.
Very comfortable and easy on the body. I've hit with previous graphene's and while they didn't hurt me I didn't really enjoy using them. This racquet I like to hit with.
It's not a real powerful racquet but it is controllable and it doesn't matter how hard you hit he ball if it's in the net. The xperiance is down 13 % by RT so I think I'll put in some Tourna Tour 7 silver a very lively string and see if I can get even more controlled power.
I am really grateful to TW and Head for the chance to test the Gravity S my new racquet.
macguyvur
Rookie
Hi all, here's my review of the Gravity MP
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Racquet Received: Head Gravity MP
String and tension used for test: multiple:
- Technifibre Black Code 4S 16 at 54 lbs. but dropped to 48 lbs. after 3 hrs. of hitting.
- Hybrid: Mains: Tourna Black Zone 16 at 50 Lbs. / Crosses: Head Velocity MLT 16 at 52 Lbs.
- Volkl Cyclone 16 at 48 Lbs.
Tennis experience/background:
I played first doubles in high school, was off the court for many years, and returned to the court as an adult. I’m a 4.0+, I play in local leagues and at my club, 3-4 times a week, more when my schedule permits.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I’m an all court player. When I’m playing my game effectively, I often come to net to finish points. I have flatter, "old-school" strokes with effective but not extreme topspin and not a lot of wrist-action, and my OHBH is now one of my more consistent shots. I play both singles and doubles, and thus spend a lot of time at net.
Current racquet/string setups:
I have been demoing extensively for year, and during that time I’ve played most of the well-reviewed players’ and modern players’ racquets. Below are sticks I own or have recently owned:
Yonex Vcore 98 (2018 orange): This has been my go-to stick and benchmark during my demoing this last year. I have settled on just a touch of weight in the hoop, 2g spread at 9 and 3, a leather grip and OG. I have had more weight at 9-11 and 1-3, but ended up taking most of it off.
Dunlop Srixon CX 200: I bought the racquet in the midst of my demoing, and thought I could weight it up to be comparable but a bit more forgiving (head size) maneuverable than the CX 200 Tour 16x19, which I loved. I have not really gelled with the CX 200, unfortunately, and it sits now as a comparison stick but not in regular use.
Angell K7 Red: I like the frame’s power but, in the end, I’ve felt it’s a bit sluggish and imprecise.
Yonex DR 98: I hit the DR98 for a number of years as my main stick, no added weight in the hoop, a leather grip, OG and dampener. All three of my DR98 frames weigh in at 342g (amazing Yonex QC).
Pro Staff 97: first generation. I bought two and wanted to love them, but in the end gave them up because I felt the sweet spot to be hot and hard to control (even with Cyclone at mid tension), and outside of the sweet spot the string bed felt decidedly erratic and unpredictable. I was launching too much, and sold both frames.
Favorite demos in the last year (some demoed multiple weeks):
Technifibre ATP TFight 315 Ltd XTC 16x19
Head Graphene 360 Speed MP
Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro (but the 18x20 launch angle never works for me)
Technifibre ATP TFight 305 XTC
Prince Textreme Tour 100 310
Babolat Pure Strike 98 Project one7
ProKennex Ki Q + 5 Pro 2019
How many hours did you play with the racquet?:
19 hours:
9hrs with Technifibre Black Code 4S 16 at 54 lbs. but dropped to 48 lbs. after 3 hrs. of hitting.
5hrs with Hybrid Tourna Black Zone 16 at 50 Lbs. / Head Velocity MLT 16 at 52 Lbs.
5hrs with Volkl Cyclone 16 at 48 Lbs.
Comments on racquet performance:
I found the Gravity MP to be impressive when set up well, but a stick that is sensitive to string, tension, and added weight. In stock form, I feel the MP suffers from a crisis of identity similar to the Dunlop Srixon CX 200. It is not a player’s racquet at this weight (not stable enough against pace, hard to generate depth, etc.), and yet it doesn’t have the power associated with a modern player’s racquet (say the Head Graphene 360 Speed MP) let alone a tweener. In stock form, the racquet felt whippy, fast, and precise, but was jarring outside of the (generous) sweet spot and had a surprising amount of vibration for its soft flex rating. Stock, I felt it suffered from some torsional instability.
I have demoed (and own) sticks around this weight (CX 200), and the Gravity MP does a bit better than most. The feel on contact is certainly better stock than the CX 200 and the control and predictability is better than the Speed MP 360. The stock Gravity MP offers good ball feel, dwell time, and control for a light stick. However, it does not hold up well to heavy hitters in stock form, and those playing at 4.0+ level will, I believe, feel it to be lacking in power, plow, and stability.
Thankfully, the racquet responds well to weight, and nearly every aspect of the racquet’s performance was improved with weight, appropriately apportioned.
My final setup of the stick, used for 15 of the 19 hours played on this playtest is:
- Static weight 342g
- Balance: 32cm / 7pt HL (measured via table-edge balance method only)
- Swing weight – unfortunately I don’t have access SW measurements. The methods to judge it at home are so imprecise I don’t feel that they are accurate enough to mention. By feel, I’d say the SW is in the mid to high 320-s, maybe around 326 or so.
Modifications:
- heat shrink sleeve (full grip size) trimmed [+17g]
- TW thin narrow leather grip
- Yonex SuperGrap OG +5g
- 3g grams total in the hoop at 9-10 and 2-3
This setup transforms, in my opinion, the Gravity MP from a light, whippy under-performer to a solid, reliable player’s frame. The 16x20 string pattern affords a good launch angle. With this weight and balance, the Gravity MP becomes almost a perfect player’s racquet in my opinion, more modern in performance and classic in feel, with ample power (assuming long fast strokes and good mechanics), good blocking ability, great spin, easy depth, and still maneuverable. Most of all, the feel is improved many-fold, especially on volleys and BH slice.
I will give feedback on the stick both in stock form and weighted up to the above-mentioned spec for each category below, as I feel the difference is so significant as to approximate two different racquets entirely.
Groundstrokes:
In stock form, the Gravity MP was accurate from the ground with a mid- to higher-launch angle and good to very-good directional control. It was, in my feeling, however, lacking in power. I was not getting good depth, but I could get great RHS and good spin. I felt surprisingly accurate but many of my ground strokes were landing short and opening me up to aggressive replies which, in turn, were hard to field due to the racquet’s light weight. The best aspect of the stick in stock form from the ground were forehands on the run, which were easy to whip back due to the racquet’s light weight. Most challenging was what I felt to be a pronounced lack of stability against incoming pace. I was getting pushed around and often felt unable to control the stick even with long fast strokes against hard hitting partners. Feel was great when I connected perfectly, producing a superb sound on impact and good ball feel, but redirecting hard shots from anywhere outside of the exact center of the sweet spot made the racquet flutter a bit and created a jarring sensation. BH Slice was accurate but lacked weight and depth. Sock, I would give it a 5/10 for groundstrokes.
Once weighted up to my spec, however, everything changed from the ground. My OHBH gained depth with no sacrifice to topspin rotation or accuracy. Topspin groundies off both wings were consistently landing near the baseline with no adjustment to my strokes. I was now challenged to put a little extra spin on my shots to make sure to keep them in, a welcomed change from the short-landing shots with the stock setup. BH slice became a weapon – accurate, deep, dirty, and heavy. Weighted up, I give it an 8/10 for groundstrokes.
Serves:
Stock, the racquet served easily and accurately, but with a noticeable lack of power on first flat serves and topspin serves. Kick and slice worked well and were very accurate but sat up a bit too high. The racquet was just too light for me and it took time to get the timing down, but once I did, I felt effective with spin but not with power. Stock serves: 5/10.
Weighted up, the racquet began to be a powerhouse on serve. Flat bombers down the T came with good success and spin serves were still available, although not quite as easily as with the uber-whippy stock setup. The racquet felt solid and capable above the head, and when I adjusted to the timing I was pleased with the stick on serve. Power and spin were both good with the weighted-up setup. Weighted up, I’d give it a 7/10 for serves.
Volleys:
I felt the Gravity MP in stock form performed poorly to very poorly when volleying. I felt I had little feel, the stick was so light I had to hold the racquet more forcefully than I am wont to, and I had to work hard to get depth and pace on my volleys. Volleying with a natural motion left my balls short and without pace, easy targets for good passing shots or lobs. I was so unimpressed with volleys with this stick in stock form that I was ready to discount the entire racquet based on its poor volleying ability. Stock volley: 3/10.
Thankfully, this also changed 180 degrees once weighted. Modified, the Gravity MP became a good, even great, volley stick. Solid, stable, and endowed with a big sweet area (even bigger once weighted), the stick could handle hard shots at net and redirect them with pace, finesse and ease. I found depth, power and accuracy on my volleys, and great touch and feel. Transformed from a poor performer stock, I think the racquet weighted up has become one of my favorite sticks at net. Weighted volley: 9/10.
(Continued in next post, exceeded character limit)
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Racquet Received: Head Gravity MP
String and tension used for test: multiple:
- Technifibre Black Code 4S 16 at 54 lbs. but dropped to 48 lbs. after 3 hrs. of hitting.
- Hybrid: Mains: Tourna Black Zone 16 at 50 Lbs. / Crosses: Head Velocity MLT 16 at 52 Lbs.
- Volkl Cyclone 16 at 48 Lbs.
Tennis experience/background:
I played first doubles in high school, was off the court for many years, and returned to the court as an adult. I’m a 4.0+, I play in local leagues and at my club, 3-4 times a week, more when my schedule permits.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I’m an all court player. When I’m playing my game effectively, I often come to net to finish points. I have flatter, "old-school" strokes with effective but not extreme topspin and not a lot of wrist-action, and my OHBH is now one of my more consistent shots. I play both singles and doubles, and thus spend a lot of time at net.
Current racquet/string setups:
I have been demoing extensively for year, and during that time I’ve played most of the well-reviewed players’ and modern players’ racquets. Below are sticks I own or have recently owned:
Yonex Vcore 98 (2018 orange): This has been my go-to stick and benchmark during my demoing this last year. I have settled on just a touch of weight in the hoop, 2g spread at 9 and 3, a leather grip and OG. I have had more weight at 9-11 and 1-3, but ended up taking most of it off.
Dunlop Srixon CX 200: I bought the racquet in the midst of my demoing, and thought I could weight it up to be comparable but a bit more forgiving (head size) maneuverable than the CX 200 Tour 16x19, which I loved. I have not really gelled with the CX 200, unfortunately, and it sits now as a comparison stick but not in regular use.
Angell K7 Red: I like the frame’s power but, in the end, I’ve felt it’s a bit sluggish and imprecise.
Yonex DR 98: I hit the DR98 for a number of years as my main stick, no added weight in the hoop, a leather grip, OG and dampener. All three of my DR98 frames weigh in at 342g (amazing Yonex QC).
Pro Staff 97: first generation. I bought two and wanted to love them, but in the end gave them up because I felt the sweet spot to be hot and hard to control (even with Cyclone at mid tension), and outside of the sweet spot the string bed felt decidedly erratic and unpredictable. I was launching too much, and sold both frames.
Favorite demos in the last year (some demoed multiple weeks):
Technifibre ATP TFight 315 Ltd XTC 16x19
Head Graphene 360 Speed MP
Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro (but the 18x20 launch angle never works for me)
Technifibre ATP TFight 305 XTC
Prince Textreme Tour 100 310
Babolat Pure Strike 98 Project one7
ProKennex Ki Q + 5 Pro 2019
How many hours did you play with the racquet?:
19 hours:
9hrs with Technifibre Black Code 4S 16 at 54 lbs. but dropped to 48 lbs. after 3 hrs. of hitting.
5hrs with Hybrid Tourna Black Zone 16 at 50 Lbs. / Head Velocity MLT 16 at 52 Lbs.
5hrs with Volkl Cyclone 16 at 48 Lbs.
Comments on racquet performance:
I found the Gravity MP to be impressive when set up well, but a stick that is sensitive to string, tension, and added weight. In stock form, I feel the MP suffers from a crisis of identity similar to the Dunlop Srixon CX 200. It is not a player’s racquet at this weight (not stable enough against pace, hard to generate depth, etc.), and yet it doesn’t have the power associated with a modern player’s racquet (say the Head Graphene 360 Speed MP) let alone a tweener. In stock form, the racquet felt whippy, fast, and precise, but was jarring outside of the (generous) sweet spot and had a surprising amount of vibration for its soft flex rating. Stock, I felt it suffered from some torsional instability.
I have demoed (and own) sticks around this weight (CX 200), and the Gravity MP does a bit better than most. The feel on contact is certainly better stock than the CX 200 and the control and predictability is better than the Speed MP 360. The stock Gravity MP offers good ball feel, dwell time, and control for a light stick. However, it does not hold up well to heavy hitters in stock form, and those playing at 4.0+ level will, I believe, feel it to be lacking in power, plow, and stability.
Thankfully, the racquet responds well to weight, and nearly every aspect of the racquet’s performance was improved with weight, appropriately apportioned.
My final setup of the stick, used for 15 of the 19 hours played on this playtest is:
- Static weight 342g
- Balance: 32cm / 7pt HL (measured via table-edge balance method only)
- Swing weight – unfortunately I don’t have access SW measurements. The methods to judge it at home are so imprecise I don’t feel that they are accurate enough to mention. By feel, I’d say the SW is in the mid to high 320-s, maybe around 326 or so.
Modifications:
- heat shrink sleeve (full grip size) trimmed [+17g]
- TW thin narrow leather grip
- Yonex SuperGrap OG +5g
- 3g grams total in the hoop at 9-10 and 2-3
This setup transforms, in my opinion, the Gravity MP from a light, whippy under-performer to a solid, reliable player’s frame. The 16x20 string pattern affords a good launch angle. With this weight and balance, the Gravity MP becomes almost a perfect player’s racquet in my opinion, more modern in performance and classic in feel, with ample power (assuming long fast strokes and good mechanics), good blocking ability, great spin, easy depth, and still maneuverable. Most of all, the feel is improved many-fold, especially on volleys and BH slice.
I will give feedback on the stick both in stock form and weighted up to the above-mentioned spec for each category below, as I feel the difference is so significant as to approximate two different racquets entirely.
Groundstrokes:
In stock form, the Gravity MP was accurate from the ground with a mid- to higher-launch angle and good to very-good directional control. It was, in my feeling, however, lacking in power. I was not getting good depth, but I could get great RHS and good spin. I felt surprisingly accurate but many of my ground strokes were landing short and opening me up to aggressive replies which, in turn, were hard to field due to the racquet’s light weight. The best aspect of the stick in stock form from the ground were forehands on the run, which were easy to whip back due to the racquet’s light weight. Most challenging was what I felt to be a pronounced lack of stability against incoming pace. I was getting pushed around and often felt unable to control the stick even with long fast strokes against hard hitting partners. Feel was great when I connected perfectly, producing a superb sound on impact and good ball feel, but redirecting hard shots from anywhere outside of the exact center of the sweet spot made the racquet flutter a bit and created a jarring sensation. BH Slice was accurate but lacked weight and depth. Sock, I would give it a 5/10 for groundstrokes.
Once weighted up to my spec, however, everything changed from the ground. My OHBH gained depth with no sacrifice to topspin rotation or accuracy. Topspin groundies off both wings were consistently landing near the baseline with no adjustment to my strokes. I was now challenged to put a little extra spin on my shots to make sure to keep them in, a welcomed change from the short-landing shots with the stock setup. BH slice became a weapon – accurate, deep, dirty, and heavy. Weighted up, I give it an 8/10 for groundstrokes.
Serves:
Stock, the racquet served easily and accurately, but with a noticeable lack of power on first flat serves and topspin serves. Kick and slice worked well and were very accurate but sat up a bit too high. The racquet was just too light for me and it took time to get the timing down, but once I did, I felt effective with spin but not with power. Stock serves: 5/10.
Weighted up, the racquet began to be a powerhouse on serve. Flat bombers down the T came with good success and spin serves were still available, although not quite as easily as with the uber-whippy stock setup. The racquet felt solid and capable above the head, and when I adjusted to the timing I was pleased with the stick on serve. Power and spin were both good with the weighted-up setup. Weighted up, I’d give it a 7/10 for serves.
Volleys:
I felt the Gravity MP in stock form performed poorly to very poorly when volleying. I felt I had little feel, the stick was so light I had to hold the racquet more forcefully than I am wont to, and I had to work hard to get depth and pace on my volleys. Volleying with a natural motion left my balls short and without pace, easy targets for good passing shots or lobs. I was so unimpressed with volleys with this stick in stock form that I was ready to discount the entire racquet based on its poor volleying ability. Stock volley: 3/10.
Thankfully, this also changed 180 degrees once weighted. Modified, the Gravity MP became a good, even great, volley stick. Solid, stable, and endowed with a big sweet area (even bigger once weighted), the stick could handle hard shots at net and redirect them with pace, finesse and ease. I found depth, power and accuracy on my volleys, and great touch and feel. Transformed from a poor performer stock, I think the racquet weighted up has become one of my favorite sticks at net. Weighted volley: 9/10.
(Continued in next post, exceeded character limit)
Last edited:
macguyvur
Rookie
Review of Gravity MP, continued:
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Serve returns:
In stock form, the racquet performed better than expected on return of serve, even despite its low weight. I could get the ball back in play consistently, with a decent chip as well as a quick, minimal back-swing to put some topspin on a reply. Replies often landed short, however, and were often taken advantage of. Bigger cuts rewarded better depth, and were still feeling accurate. My favorite return, a forehand down the line return off add-court serves out wide, were working well – I was getting good accuracy and consistency. All in all, the light stock stick outperformed on returns compared to other shots in my opinion. Stock returns: 6/10.
Weighted up, the stick became a very good returner. Backhand chip-slice returns found more depth, and forehand blocks became neutral and offensive rather than defensive, weak and short. With the added weight, I of course had to be earlier and ensure I wasn’t indulging in a too-extensive backswing, but the static weight of the stick and the added stability gave me more confidence to swing out. Returns off both wings improved and many blocks were good enough to come in to net behind. Returns became a stand-out aspect of the stick once weighted – I love a stick that I feel confident returning with, and especially one I can return and come to net and feel like I will be able to handle what comes back at me with stability and feel with a loose grip. Weighted returns: 9/10.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
As should be clear, I was underwhelmed by the Gravity MP in stock form. My daily drivers are heavier racquets, but I have demoed and own lighter sticks as well, and the Gravity stock does some things well (good feel against moderate pace, nice spin serves, decent returns) but lacks in important areas such as stability and power and depth on groundstrokes and distinctly unimpressive volleys.
I experimented with a variety of added weight configurations, and found added weight in the hoop at 11-12-1 to produce a lack of feel and sluggishness. Once significantly tail-weighted with a full-size-increasing heat-shrink sleeve, leather grip and OG, and 3 grams of weight in the hoop closer to 9 and 3, the stick was reborn a player’s racquet with nearly modern-player’s-racquet level of power. The transformation was impressive and immediate, and the Gravity MP at 342g, 7pt HL, has become a serious contender for my next daily driver.
In my feeling, the Gravity has better feel and much better control than the more powerful and more hollow-feeling Speed MP 360. The Speed didn’t respond as well to added weight, it felt like the hallow frame couldn’t handle it. Hard to describe, but added weight in the hoop made the hoop feel polarized and swing less smoothly. Decidedly the opposite with the Gravity.
Similarly, the weighted up Gravity MP offers better feel and control, for me, than the Technifibre XTC sticks, the Yonex Vcore 2018, and Pure Strike one7. I feel it has enough power, plow, stability and feel to match the best 12 oz sticks available -- I think it more forgiving but nearly as accurate with as good feel as a true player's stick such as the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19. I will be curious to hit the new Pure Strike, Blade 16x19 v7, and Pro Staff 97 if they bring one out without CV and an evened-out the stringbed, but right now, I’ll be continuing to hit with the modified Gravity MP and experimenting with strings and tensions. Until the current Graphene 360 line gets the 360+ upgrade, I think this Gravity sits at the top of the Head family. If my flatter strokes could work an 18x20 pattern, the Gravity Pro would probably be my next stick. But alas, closed patters have me finding the tape or the back fence more than the court, a fault of nothing but my mechanics. I've learned to pick my battles, and although I am working to add more spin to my groundstrokes, I was taught with classic mechanics from my father's days on the court, transferred to me before I was cognizant of other possibilities. Thus, open patterns it is for me, and this 16x20 fits the bill nicely. I will experiment with strings and tensions, probably returning to the hybrid I had in before at higher tension to hopefully reign in my forehand groundies that are sometimes landing a bit long. The big decision will be what size grip to order more of these frames in -- I am L4 but the added weight (and nice distribution of it) of the sleeve building the L3 up to an L4 has helped tail-weight this stick to what is now a very good weight and balance for me. I've been experimenting with slightly lighter static weights, moving from the low-mid 340's to the mid 330's, in an attempt to get more RHS, more action on the ball and more loop to my shots, so I may go with an L4 and add weight more incrementally, sacrificing some of the head-light balance for lower static weight.
In the end, and of course in my opinion only, the Gravity MP is a good stick stock -- it is light, responsive, with great feel, great directional control, and a truly awesome sound at impact. Lacking in power, plow, and stability, it nevertheless stands up to the light-weight, low-powered control-oriented frames available today. For advanced-intermediate to advanced players, however, the Gravity MP will likely be a "platform" frame that responds well to added weight (albeit in the right places). The danger is that, without significant tail-weighting, the stick becomes less and less head-light and more and more sluggish with even moderate amounts of weight in the hoop. For those who like sticks in the 6-8 pts HL range, as I do, one will have to add significant weight to the tail and the static weight will then approach 12 oz, as has mine with the addition of the heat-shrink sleeve, leather grip and OG.
Regardless, if you have considered or hit the Speed MP 360 and/or Dunlop Srixon CX 200 and/or Technifibre XTC 305, you should certainly give the Gravity MP a demo, and have a strip or two of Tungsten handy!
A deep THANK YOU to TW, Head, and the TT community, it’s been a pleasure and honor to be on this playtest. Many thanks!
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Serve returns:
In stock form, the racquet performed better than expected on return of serve, even despite its low weight. I could get the ball back in play consistently, with a decent chip as well as a quick, minimal back-swing to put some topspin on a reply. Replies often landed short, however, and were often taken advantage of. Bigger cuts rewarded better depth, and were still feeling accurate. My favorite return, a forehand down the line return off add-court serves out wide, were working well – I was getting good accuracy and consistency. All in all, the light stock stick outperformed on returns compared to other shots in my opinion. Stock returns: 6/10.
Weighted up, the stick became a very good returner. Backhand chip-slice returns found more depth, and forehand blocks became neutral and offensive rather than defensive, weak and short. With the added weight, I of course had to be earlier and ensure I wasn’t indulging in a too-extensive backswing, but the static weight of the stick and the added stability gave me more confidence to swing out. Returns off both wings improved and many blocks were good enough to come in to net behind. Returns became a stand-out aspect of the stick once weighted – I love a stick that I feel confident returning with, and especially one I can return and come to net and feel like I will be able to handle what comes back at me with stability and feel with a loose grip. Weighted returns: 9/10.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
As should be clear, I was underwhelmed by the Gravity MP in stock form. My daily drivers are heavier racquets, but I have demoed and own lighter sticks as well, and the Gravity stock does some things well (good feel against moderate pace, nice spin serves, decent returns) but lacks in important areas such as stability and power and depth on groundstrokes and distinctly unimpressive volleys.
I experimented with a variety of added weight configurations, and found added weight in the hoop at 11-12-1 to produce a lack of feel and sluggishness. Once significantly tail-weighted with a full-size-increasing heat-shrink sleeve, leather grip and OG, and 3 grams of weight in the hoop closer to 9 and 3, the stick was reborn a player’s racquet with nearly modern-player’s-racquet level of power. The transformation was impressive and immediate, and the Gravity MP at 342g, 7pt HL, has become a serious contender for my next daily driver.
In my feeling, the Gravity has better feel and much better control than the more powerful and more hollow-feeling Speed MP 360. The Speed didn’t respond as well to added weight, it felt like the hallow frame couldn’t handle it. Hard to describe, but added weight in the hoop made the hoop feel polarized and swing less smoothly. Decidedly the opposite with the Gravity.
Similarly, the weighted up Gravity MP offers better feel and control, for me, than the Technifibre XTC sticks, the Yonex Vcore 2018, and Pure Strike one7. I feel it has enough power, plow, stability and feel to match the best 12 oz sticks available -- I think it more forgiving but nearly as accurate with as good feel as a true player's stick such as the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19. I will be curious to hit the new Pure Strike, Blade 16x19 v7, and Pro Staff 97 if they bring one out without CV and an evened-out the stringbed, but right now, I’ll be continuing to hit with the modified Gravity MP and experimenting with strings and tensions. Until the current Graphene 360 line gets the 360+ upgrade, I think this Gravity sits at the top of the Head family. If my flatter strokes could work an 18x20 pattern, the Gravity Pro would probably be my next stick. But alas, closed patters have me finding the tape or the back fence more than the court, a fault of nothing but my mechanics. I've learned to pick my battles, and although I am working to add more spin to my groundstrokes, I was taught with classic mechanics from my father's days on the court, transferred to me before I was cognizant of other possibilities. Thus, open patterns it is for me, and this 16x20 fits the bill nicely. I will experiment with strings and tensions, probably returning to the hybrid I had in before at higher tension to hopefully reign in my forehand groundies that are sometimes landing a bit long. The big decision will be what size grip to order more of these frames in -- I am L4 but the added weight (and nice distribution of it) of the sleeve building the L3 up to an L4 has helped tail-weight this stick to what is now a very good weight and balance for me. I've been experimenting with slightly lighter static weights, moving from the low-mid 340's to the mid 330's, in an attempt to get more RHS, more action on the ball and more loop to my shots, so I may go with an L4 and add weight more incrementally, sacrificing some of the head-light balance for lower static weight.
In the end, and of course in my opinion only, the Gravity MP is a good stick stock -- it is light, responsive, with great feel, great directional control, and a truly awesome sound at impact. Lacking in power, plow, and stability, it nevertheless stands up to the light-weight, low-powered control-oriented frames available today. For advanced-intermediate to advanced players, however, the Gravity MP will likely be a "platform" frame that responds well to added weight (albeit in the right places). The danger is that, without significant tail-weighting, the stick becomes less and less head-light and more and more sluggish with even moderate amounts of weight in the hoop. For those who like sticks in the 6-8 pts HL range, as I do, one will have to add significant weight to the tail and the static weight will then approach 12 oz, as has mine with the addition of the heat-shrink sleeve, leather grip and OG.
Regardless, if you have considered or hit the Speed MP 360 and/or Dunlop Srixon CX 200 and/or Technifibre XTC 305, you should certainly give the Gravity MP a demo, and have a strip or two of Tungsten handy!
A deep THANK YOU to TW, Head, and the TT community, it’s been a pleasure and honor to be on this playtest. Many thanks!
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tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Excellent detailed and in depth review, macguyver. Very well done
macguyvur
Rookie
Awe, thanks! I know our impressions differed, and I'm glad they did. It will give thread-readers multiple perspectives on what I think we both feel is a good stick!Excellent detailed and in depth review, macguyver. Very well done
djNEiGht
Legend
@macguyvur....press like button
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Tolstoy or JRR Tolkien?
topspn
Legend
@macguyvur Nice detailed review buddy!
Nice post!!
@macguyvur, @Daddy's, and @tennisgurl, I like your post as well. I am a little bias as I have been using the Pro.
Playtest Gravity Pro – Final Review
Racquet Received: Head Gravity Pro
String and tension used for test:
1st. setup Solinco Hyper G 57pds
2nd setup Head Hawk Touch 17 53pds.
3rd setup Solinco Hyper G 53pds.
Tennis experience/background: Rated 4.5 and play heavy singles in both tournaments and league.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Baseline all day, grinder with some aggressive play and a couple volleys.
Current racquet/string setups: Clash Tour 100, Solinco Hyper G @ 57pds
How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 40hrs and still going.
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Forehand, strokes were very powerful and I could go high spin or flat shots. The frame does have a high arch but I use the Clash Tour so not a problem for me. I had tons of pop but I could be very aggressive with this frame and open the court. I felt very confident going for more on shots that I normally go ¾ speed on. If you prefer to wear your opponents down and spin them to death, this frame can do that too. Control was a 9 for me. To be honest, I am very impressed with the control this frame has.
Backhands 6, this is where I had a lot of issues the first couple of weeks. I use a 1 hander and I could not dial in the takeback for my swing. I can go with a big loop or just a simple pull back and forth motion. After 2 weeks, I did adjust and now feel better about my backhand side. I felt the simple take back was better to hammer through the ball. Could have been me getting used to an 18x20 pattern. Pace is great, but I had to add a little more wrist to keep the ball in on my backhand side.
Backhand slice 5, was ok but not what I am used to with an open pattern frame. You can get depth on the ball and can angle wide or short if you prefer. I just didn’t get as much bite as an open pattern. For drop shots, I felt that they had too much air under them but this isn’t a deal breaker for me.
-Serves: SOLID!!! Would give it an 8+. Not as much spin but I never had to worry about double faults. Usually I go for 2nd serves and wait till I have to crank but I am going for bigger serves because I feel confident with this stick’s control. Directional control was very good for short out wide slice serves and kick serves.
-Volleys: so/so 6, I am not a big volley guy but you can put away volleys and have very good control with them. I felt that on short approach shots the winner factor was better so I really didn’t need a volley after the approach shot was hit.
-Serve returns: 7+, I like to chip and slice back balls and then move around my opponent. With this pro it was easy to do. I have been trying to be more aggressive as I am getting older and I did take some cuts with this stick and the outcome was favorable. This is a great stick, if you can get your footwork to set up you can pop the ball flat and be aggressive. I could play defense if I needed but I felt I could go up an extra gear to crank the ball to force the action.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Grip- Grip was not bad, but I am in Texas and the heat and humidity destroyed this grip. I prefer Solinco Heaven. If you are further up north I think the grip would be fine. The humidity made it slick and wet and it did not last very long during my hitting sessions. But I am happy to have given it a try.
Strings- I would give Hawk Touch an 8 for power and control but a 6 for tension. I did notice a big drop after 4 days. But the string played very well and I liked the string a lot. I would buy more and try at a higher tension since it does drop fast.
Head Gravity Pro- Solid control stick hands down! This is a must demo for anyone looking for a frame that is easy on the arm and control oriented. This racquet enhanced variety on pace, spin, and precision for me. Head is on the right track with this Gravity Line, the sweet spot is big and the control superb. No crazy vibrations or arm pain. I am looking into getting a second frame. I didn’t expect to like this racquet as much as I did since I use an open string pattern often but I really have been enjoying the versatility of shots I can execute.
Thank you to TW and Head for the opportunity. I am grateful to be a part of the playtest and thanks to the board for all their input as well. It was interesting to see how others felt about the other playtest racquets. Looks like the gravity line is a winner!!
Racquet Received: Head Gravity Pro
String and tension used for test:
1st. setup Solinco Hyper G 57pds
2nd setup Head Hawk Touch 17 53pds.
3rd setup Solinco Hyper G 53pds.
Tennis experience/background: Rated 4.5 and play heavy singles in both tournaments and league.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Baseline all day, grinder with some aggressive play and a couple volleys.
Current racquet/string setups: Clash Tour 100, Solinco Hyper G @ 57pds
How many hours did you play with the racquet?: 40hrs and still going.
Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Forehand, strokes were very powerful and I could go high spin or flat shots. The frame does have a high arch but I use the Clash Tour so not a problem for me. I had tons of pop but I could be very aggressive with this frame and open the court. I felt very confident going for more on shots that I normally go ¾ speed on. If you prefer to wear your opponents down and spin them to death, this frame can do that too. Control was a 9 for me. To be honest, I am very impressed with the control this frame has.
Backhands 6, this is where I had a lot of issues the first couple of weeks. I use a 1 hander and I could not dial in the takeback for my swing. I can go with a big loop or just a simple pull back and forth motion. After 2 weeks, I did adjust and now feel better about my backhand side. I felt the simple take back was better to hammer through the ball. Could have been me getting used to an 18x20 pattern. Pace is great, but I had to add a little more wrist to keep the ball in on my backhand side.
Backhand slice 5, was ok but not what I am used to with an open pattern frame. You can get depth on the ball and can angle wide or short if you prefer. I just didn’t get as much bite as an open pattern. For drop shots, I felt that they had too much air under them but this isn’t a deal breaker for me.
-Serves: SOLID!!! Would give it an 8+. Not as much spin but I never had to worry about double faults. Usually I go for 2nd serves and wait till I have to crank but I am going for bigger serves because I feel confident with this stick’s control. Directional control was very good for short out wide slice serves and kick serves.
-Volleys: so/so 6, I am not a big volley guy but you can put away volleys and have very good control with them. I felt that on short approach shots the winner factor was better so I really didn’t need a volley after the approach shot was hit.
-Serve returns: 7+, I like to chip and slice back balls and then move around my opponent. With this pro it was easy to do. I have been trying to be more aggressive as I am getting older and I did take some cuts with this stick and the outcome was favorable. This is a great stick, if you can get your footwork to set up you can pop the ball flat and be aggressive. I could play defense if I needed but I felt I could go up an extra gear to crank the ball to force the action.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Grip- Grip was not bad, but I am in Texas and the heat and humidity destroyed this grip. I prefer Solinco Heaven. If you are further up north I think the grip would be fine. The humidity made it slick and wet and it did not last very long during my hitting sessions. But I am happy to have given it a try.
Strings- I would give Hawk Touch an 8 for power and control but a 6 for tension. I did notice a big drop after 4 days. But the string played very well and I liked the string a lot. I would buy more and try at a higher tension since it does drop fast.
Head Gravity Pro- Solid control stick hands down! This is a must demo for anyone looking for a frame that is easy on the arm and control oriented. This racquet enhanced variety on pace, spin, and precision for me. Head is on the right track with this Gravity Line, the sweet spot is big and the control superb. No crazy vibrations or arm pain. I am looking into getting a second frame. I didn’t expect to like this racquet as much as I did since I use an open string pattern often but I really have been enjoying the versatility of shots I can execute.
Thank you to TW and Head for the opportunity. I am grateful to be a part of the playtest and thanks to the board for all their input as well. It was interesting to see how others felt about the other playtest racquets. Looks like the gravity line is a winner!!
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Absolutely, I echo your sentiments 100%
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Wonderful review mogo!
nicely done!
Wall Ball Wizard
Rookie
Hey Mogo! Nice review. Seems like we had some similar experiences with the GP. In most reviews the racquet is touted has a low powered stick, but never did I feel a lack of power was an issue during my play test. Of course it's not Pure Drive power! Most interesting was your backhand review, as I also struggled at times to control that wing. I have a fairly flat two hander, and had to be very aware to apply spin as it could sail on me. Ditto on the slice... I had to step in to knife the slice or they could also sit up on me.
I was really worried about my backhand side the first hitting sessions, but luckily I did adjust and things got better. I think that the control on serve was the biggest plus that kept me playing with this frame. I saw in your review that you use the SP. I have hit the 360 Speed Pro, but I couldn't hit as well in comparison to the Gravity Pro. Maybe I need the bigger sweet spot of the Gravity Pro.
NastyWinners
Hall of Fame
First and foremost, I would like to thank Tennis Warehouse for granting me this opportunity to try out the new Head Gravity Pro, it was a blast and the experience was a fun and appreciated one!
Racquet Received:
Head Gravity Pro
String and tension used for test:
Solinco Revolution (Mains) at 55lbs and Yonex Poly Tour Fire (Crosses) at 53lbs
Tennis experience/background:
Current UTR 8, been playing tennis for about 18 years now. Used to coach high school and give private lessons.
Describe your playing style (e.g. serve & volley):
I would characterize my game as an aggressive counter puncher, that like to take big cuts at the ball and follow up to the net when the opportunity presents itself. Being 5’8”, my serve is not the biggest weapon the court most days, so I must use my speed and timing to my advantage. Semi-Western forehand with a two-handed backhand. Will serve and volley though as a surprise tactic and to keep opponent honest.
Current racquet/string setups:
I currently use a Yonex EZONE Dr98 with the same setup as above. Solinco Revolution in the mains and Yonex Poly Tour Fire in the crosses. Tensions will change with the weather (indoor season vs humid summer season)
How many hours did you play with the racquet?:
I drilled/hit when it for about roughly 12-14 hours and played a few practice matches with the Gravity Pro. All in all, likely a total of 18-20 hours of play on it. 12 hours with my preferred string set-up and 8 hours with Head Hawk Touch and Yonex Poly Tour Pro. I have added a leather grip and those notes will be within brackets [ ] if the grip added a noticeable difference to the characteristics of the racket.
Comments on Racket Performance:
Groundstrokes:
I liked the way that @tennisgurl broke down her review, so I plan to review in a similar fashion as hers.
General:
My usual racket is a 16x19, but the Gravity Pro is an 18x20. With, easy access to spin due to the round shape and very plush feeling. Soft on the arm and had aspects of a “point & shoot” racket. Had enough mass to handle heavy hitters and was able to flatten out a forehand/backhand with ease. As a counter-puncher, I was able to re-direct quite easily. As Chris noted in his official review, the shape of the head (being wider at the tip) was an advantage for me as I hit more towards the top of the racket. Very forgiving racket. I felt very dialed in with the slice, could really carve the ball and keep it low. Probably the highlight of the play-test was the slice, as I was able to use that as a weapon to approach on.
Stability/Feel:
Noted above, the racket was able to re-direct pace from some heavy hitters at a 4.5 level. The string bed was very soft and I felt totally connected to the ball upon impact. 8/10
Maneuverability:
The racket to me was very fast despite the head balance being closer to 4 pts head light than the 6 pts head light as advertised. That is why I added the leather grip which after a few hits has been very impressive to me. I am generating a bit more spin due to having a more whippier racket and the racket feels even more stable/plush. 7/10 in stock, 8.5/10 with the leather grip.
Control:
No issue with control whatsoever, this was as close to point & shoot as a racket can get. I could put the ball where I wanted it to be without worry. 9/10
Power:
Power was lacking, this felt similar to the Prince Textreme Tour 95’s from 2014. The leather grip has helped with more mass and thus added a tinge more power. What I did like though as being a player who can produce his own pace, I didn't have the feeling that I could spray the ball with this racket, I see the lack of power as a good thing in this case. 6/10
Spin:
Surprising amount of spin came off the racket, and that is due to the round shape and also the sweet spot being higher up where I typically make contact with the ball. When I really made an effort to hit underneath the ball as opposed to my usual flatter stroke, I was gifted with copius amounts of spin. There really wasn't much difference between my DR98 and the Gravity Pro. 8.5/10
Comfort:
Easily the most comfortable racket HEAD has offered and any racket that I have played/demo'd. In line with Prince and the DR series of rackets. 9.5/10
Serves:
The racket was a dream to serve with, very similar feeling to my DR98 (as that has a tighter 16x19 pattern). Flat/Slice serves worked wonders. I would comment on kick serves but even with my preferred racket, my kick serve isn’t a weapon, so we focus on the good. Sliders out wide on deuce court were nearly automatic. Great accuracy on flat serves, but I will caution, there is not much easy power here like a Pure Drive. [Side note: Once I added the leather grip though, I had a bit more success with my kick serve as it gave me a more head light response. ] 7/10 stock, 8.5/10 with leather grip.
Volleys:
Volleying was very crisp for me, no issue transitioning forward when I was given the opportunity. The racket was stable at the net with just normal block backs, had the great feel on my touch volleys, and enough mass for put-away. For being a 100 sq inch racket, this was very impressive as every other 100 sq I played/tested with has been mediocre at the net. 9/10
Serve returns:
No issues with returning of serve, just a nice easy block swing back to get the return back into play. The matches I played with were against guys that serve 100 mph + consistently and the racket had enough mass to not only block back when needed, but to take a big cut when I felt the need to. 8.5/10
Overall:
Fantastic racket that can fit many different types of players from counter punchers to serve and volleyers. The spin is adequate enough for the modern game, yet if you are in the mold of a flat ball striker, it fits that mold too. The only knock would be if you are a player that hits lower in the sweet spot zone, then this racket may not be for you, but I do think this racket should be a top everyone's demo list that are searching for a new racket to play with.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Here are some comments I have on the Gravity MP:
1. Paint job was high quality, have hit the ground a few times and minimal scratching has occurred.
2. Highly recommended to friends who are looking for a control racket that needs minimal customization.
3. Visually, the racket is superb, got quite a few compliments and reactions from it.
4. With all of the glowing praise I just heaped on the Gravity Pro, I will not switch to it over my DR98’s as those are my holy grail.
5. If anyone has questions on the racket and want some advice/feedback, please message me through tennis warehouse and I will do my best to help you out!
Racquet Received:
Head Gravity Pro
String and tension used for test:
Solinco Revolution (Mains) at 55lbs and Yonex Poly Tour Fire (Crosses) at 53lbs
Tennis experience/background:
Current UTR 8, been playing tennis for about 18 years now. Used to coach high school and give private lessons.
Describe your playing style (e.g. serve & volley):
I would characterize my game as an aggressive counter puncher, that like to take big cuts at the ball and follow up to the net when the opportunity presents itself. Being 5’8”, my serve is not the biggest weapon the court most days, so I must use my speed and timing to my advantage. Semi-Western forehand with a two-handed backhand. Will serve and volley though as a surprise tactic and to keep opponent honest.
Current racquet/string setups:
I currently use a Yonex EZONE Dr98 with the same setup as above. Solinco Revolution in the mains and Yonex Poly Tour Fire in the crosses. Tensions will change with the weather (indoor season vs humid summer season)
How many hours did you play with the racquet?:
I drilled/hit when it for about roughly 12-14 hours and played a few practice matches with the Gravity Pro. All in all, likely a total of 18-20 hours of play on it. 12 hours with my preferred string set-up and 8 hours with Head Hawk Touch and Yonex Poly Tour Pro. I have added a leather grip and those notes will be within brackets [ ] if the grip added a noticeable difference to the characteristics of the racket.
Comments on Racket Performance:
Groundstrokes:
I liked the way that @tennisgurl broke down her review, so I plan to review in a similar fashion as hers.
General:
My usual racket is a 16x19, but the Gravity Pro is an 18x20. With, easy access to spin due to the round shape and very plush feeling. Soft on the arm and had aspects of a “point & shoot” racket. Had enough mass to handle heavy hitters and was able to flatten out a forehand/backhand with ease. As a counter-puncher, I was able to re-direct quite easily. As Chris noted in his official review, the shape of the head (being wider at the tip) was an advantage for me as I hit more towards the top of the racket. Very forgiving racket. I felt very dialed in with the slice, could really carve the ball and keep it low. Probably the highlight of the play-test was the slice, as I was able to use that as a weapon to approach on.
Stability/Feel:
Noted above, the racket was able to re-direct pace from some heavy hitters at a 4.5 level. The string bed was very soft and I felt totally connected to the ball upon impact. 8/10
Maneuverability:
The racket to me was very fast despite the head balance being closer to 4 pts head light than the 6 pts head light as advertised. That is why I added the leather grip which after a few hits has been very impressive to me. I am generating a bit more spin due to having a more whippier racket and the racket feels even more stable/plush. 7/10 in stock, 8.5/10 with the leather grip.
Control:
No issue with control whatsoever, this was as close to point & shoot as a racket can get. I could put the ball where I wanted it to be without worry. 9/10
Power:
Power was lacking, this felt similar to the Prince Textreme Tour 95’s from 2014. The leather grip has helped with more mass and thus added a tinge more power. What I did like though as being a player who can produce his own pace, I didn't have the feeling that I could spray the ball with this racket, I see the lack of power as a good thing in this case. 6/10
Spin:
Surprising amount of spin came off the racket, and that is due to the round shape and also the sweet spot being higher up where I typically make contact with the ball. When I really made an effort to hit underneath the ball as opposed to my usual flatter stroke, I was gifted with copius amounts of spin. There really wasn't much difference between my DR98 and the Gravity Pro. 8.5/10
Comfort:
Easily the most comfortable racket HEAD has offered and any racket that I have played/demo'd. In line with Prince and the DR series of rackets. 9.5/10
Serves:
The racket was a dream to serve with, very similar feeling to my DR98 (as that has a tighter 16x19 pattern). Flat/Slice serves worked wonders. I would comment on kick serves but even with my preferred racket, my kick serve isn’t a weapon, so we focus on the good. Sliders out wide on deuce court were nearly automatic. Great accuracy on flat serves, but I will caution, there is not much easy power here like a Pure Drive. [Side note: Once I added the leather grip though, I had a bit more success with my kick serve as it gave me a more head light response. ] 7/10 stock, 8.5/10 with leather grip.
Volleys:
Volleying was very crisp for me, no issue transitioning forward when I was given the opportunity. The racket was stable at the net with just normal block backs, had the great feel on my touch volleys, and enough mass for put-away. For being a 100 sq inch racket, this was very impressive as every other 100 sq I played/tested with has been mediocre at the net. 9/10
Serve returns:
No issues with returning of serve, just a nice easy block swing back to get the return back into play. The matches I played with were against guys that serve 100 mph + consistently and the racket had enough mass to not only block back when needed, but to take a big cut when I felt the need to. 8.5/10
Overall:
Fantastic racket that can fit many different types of players from counter punchers to serve and volleyers. The spin is adequate enough for the modern game, yet if you are in the mold of a flat ball striker, it fits that mold too. The only knock would be if you are a player that hits lower in the sweet spot zone, then this racket may not be for you, but I do think this racket should be a top everyone's demo list that are searching for a new racket to play with.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Here are some comments I have on the Gravity MP:
1. Paint job was high quality, have hit the ground a few times and minimal scratching has occurred.
2. Highly recommended to friends who are looking for a control racket that needs minimal customization.
3. Visually, the racket is superb, got quite a few compliments and reactions from it.
4. With all of the glowing praise I just heaped on the Gravity Pro, I will not switch to it over my DR98’s as those are my holy grail.
5. If anyone has questions on the racket and want some advice/feedback, please message me through tennis warehouse and I will do my best to help you out!
Nice review!!
grhcan99
Semi-Pro
Like!
Tennis_Monk
Hall of Fame
I have a poly /poly hybrid on MP and testing it. I will post a full update soon but basically what I have is Ultra cable mains and Alu rough crosses.
If i can summarize thus far in one word : fantastic
I'm swinging away on ground strokes without having to dial back and they seem to find the court most of the time with pace n spin.
Only word of caution : one's mileage may vary, especially if one isn't used to poly - poly.
If i can summarize thus far in one word : fantastic
I'm swinging away on ground strokes without having to dial back and they seem to find the court most of the time with pace n spin.
Only word of caution : one's mileage may vary, especially if one isn't used to poly - poly.
iceman_dl6
Professional
Awesome review! Now I’m tempted to add a leather grip on my GPro! Which leather grip do you use on yours?
NastyWinners
Hall of Fame
Thank you! I used the TW 22mm x 1.3mm leather grip. Nothing beats it, especially at that price point.
tennisgurl
Semi-Pro
Great review and thanks for the mention in formatting. Came out great
McLovin
Legend
Some good reviews here. Interesting how different people rate the same frame at times. For example, @Tennis_Monk felt the MP was very powerful, bordering on a rocket launcher, and I felt it was very low powered. I felt it had a lower launch angle, and @tennisgurl didn't experience that with her's.
Not saying either of us are incorrect, just making an observation after reading some of the reviews.
On a side note... @TW Staff...any way you can remove the 10000 character restriction in this thread? I did my placeholder back on page 3, but had to edit it down to meet the 10000 character limit. I guess I could rewrite it here in two posts like @macguyvur did, but thought I'd ask...
Not saying either of us are incorrect, just making an observation after reading some of the reviews.
On a side note... @TW Staff...any way you can remove the 10000 character restriction in this thread? I did my placeholder back on page 3, but had to edit it down to meet the 10000 character limit. I guess I could rewrite it here in two posts like @macguyvur did, but thought I'd ask...
feel, power level, and other parameters are subjective.
unfortunately not straightforward, as everyone is a different person, with different brains, technique, movement, biomechanics.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
Which is why it would be awesome if more players could post some video of them using the equipment - it makes it easier to judge whether or not that person's impressions might be representative for the way we each play the game.
McLovin
Legend
I posted video for my Dunlop CX 200 review. I hoped to get some up for this review, but didn’t get around to it. Maybe I’ll get some this weekend.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I saw those posts at some point and now know how much I can trust your experiences will translate to me. Those videos (nice playing!!) were very helpful. If only more people would also do the same!
By the way, I think I have a few years on you. I last played on an 18+ 4.5 league in singles two or three years ago at about age 54 or 55. Totally agree on your sentiments about competing against those "young $4its"!!!
TennisHound
Legend
NastyWinners
Hall of Fame
TennisHound
Legend
Racquet Received: Gravity MP Strung weight w/ dampener 11.2oz, 2 pts HL
String and tension used for test: Initially Head Hawk Touch .17 at 54lbs. I used other strings, but settled on Hawk Touch .17 at 48lbs.
Tennis experience/background: High School, Junior College, NTRP 4.0
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Primarily serve and volley, usually serve and put away the next shot whether groundstroke or short ball, semi western grip, ohbh
Current racquet/string setups: ’18 Pure Drive / Head Sonic Pro .16ga around 58-61lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12-15hrs
Intro – The Head Gravity MP (GMP) is like taking a Formula One car and putting a 1.6ltr Toyota Corolla engine in it. When you take it around Laguna or Monte Carlo raceway, the handling will be excellent, braking will be better than you’ve ever experienced, shifting will be smooth and precise, and everything will be great . . . but you will only be going about 60 mph, lol. If you realize this going in, the GMP is a great racquet, just as a Toyota Corolla powered F1 car is a great car.
Groundstrokes - Score: 78
The GMP is a lightweight and fairly stable, flexible racquet, that swings heavier than its weight. The racquet feels very good in shadow swings and feels like a larger-headed Prestige through the air. But as soon as it contacts the ball, that’s where the similarities end. The GMP’s most noticeable trait is head heavy and lack of power, 2nd most noticeable trait is excellent control for a 100” racquet. The lack of power was more noticeable on groundstrokes when I was moving and hitting, and not as much if I had time to set up my swing. The racquet does have somewhat of a hotspot (not a sweetspot), and I would catch it every now and then, mostly on low forehands, but I couldn’t consistently hit it. Strings played a big role, and I think the Head Hawk Touch .17ga worked well at tensions 48lbs and below. I didn’t like the “pingy” feel at all, but it made a nice “Thwop!” when I unloaded on a shot. Plus, it’s a light string, so it helps lighten the head. Direction and depth control were very good, even with looser strings (45-47lbs). When I was forced behind or on the baseline, I struggled to get any sort of pace, especially on the backhand side. I could swing out for a couple of games, but my shots landed shorter and shorter as play went on. Once the point moved inside the baseline, however, the racquet became more of a weapon - control increased, touch shots were more precise, and I didn’t miss any approach shots. Everything was better from midcourt to about 3-4 ft from the net. I hit some passing shots and volleys from the service line that were insane (almost in the territory of a Prince 93P (of course, I had to hit these because my serve was so weak with this racquet, lol).
Volleys - Score: 79
The low-powered, predictable response was a weapon for me at the net. The performance of the racquet increased the closer I got to the net. Yes, the head heavy balance was clumsy at times, but the stability increased, and low reach volleys went back with good net clearance and seemed to find the court no matter where I hit them. Reflex volleys weren’t as hard as you would think, and I reflected several close body shots that went straight back over the net. I could drive volleys back, instead of slicing or floating them back like I would with my Pure Drive (PD). When I was on my game, I had more freedom and confidence at the net, than I did with my PD. After several close games, and getting tired from serving harder than usual, the clumsiness of the racquet began to rear its ugly head, and my level dropped considerably. I ended up late and off-center on most of my shots. Any volleys or shots hit outside of the $.25 size sweetspot died. Even so, I didn’t feel the racquet twist very much, but it felt pretty jarring and dead.
Serves - Score: 72
Everything about the GMP functions at 10 mph slower than any other racquet. With this in mind, the GMP served pretty well for a slower racquet. Which means, I had very good control, and I cold hit my spots very well (much better than a PD or PA). The weighty head actually helped get some oomph on the ball. Spin serves were the highlight. Even though topspin serves landed about a foot to foot and a half short of where I wanted. I could get ample spin on topspin kickers and was getting good movement on the ball. I was pretty amazed at the spin I could get with this thing. Loose strings were vital for getting good kick and spin. Having about 10-12 mph less on serves created a problem, however, since I rely on my serve to win games. but I needed a little more court penetration, or they would sit up for my opponent. Hitting with pace on any shot with this racquet takes a lot of effort, serves included. If I was serving into the wind, I was in real trouble since I couldn’t get any real drive into the court. Even so, flat hard serves were possible, but I had to focus and be 100% accurate on everything. The racquet still felt a little vague on contact and I didn’t feel that I was getting a clean pop on my serve.
Returns - Score: 84
While the low-powered response hindered the serve, it was welcome on the returns. I was able to time my returns precisely. Yes, I had to hit out, but it was 75% easier to hit a controlled return compared to my PD. The net clearance was a little lower at first but took almost no time to adjust. I could unload on ohbh returns and they pierced the court heavily either down the line, middle, or deep crosscourt. The GMP has some different personalities. Slices were not quite as good as say a Speed Pro, and nowhere near a Prince 93P (nothing is, other than a Wilson 90), but it was very easy to control and keep low. I enjoyed the GMP the most on high kick serves to the backhand. I had just the right amount of stability and control to lob over the net person or slice it hard crosscourt. Returns make me want to switch to it. But the serves . . . well. . . not so much.
Cont'd
String and tension used for test: Initially Head Hawk Touch .17 at 54lbs. I used other strings, but settled on Hawk Touch .17 at 48lbs.
Tennis experience/background: High School, Junior College, NTRP 4.0
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Primarily serve and volley, usually serve and put away the next shot whether groundstroke or short ball, semi western grip, ohbh
Current racquet/string setups: ’18 Pure Drive / Head Sonic Pro .16ga around 58-61lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 12-15hrs
Intro – The Head Gravity MP (GMP) is like taking a Formula One car and putting a 1.6ltr Toyota Corolla engine in it. When you take it around Laguna or Monte Carlo raceway, the handling will be excellent, braking will be better than you’ve ever experienced, shifting will be smooth and precise, and everything will be great . . . but you will only be going about 60 mph, lol. If you realize this going in, the GMP is a great racquet, just as a Toyota Corolla powered F1 car is a great car.
Groundstrokes - Score: 78
The GMP is a lightweight and fairly stable, flexible racquet, that swings heavier than its weight. The racquet feels very good in shadow swings and feels like a larger-headed Prestige through the air. But as soon as it contacts the ball, that’s where the similarities end. The GMP’s most noticeable trait is head heavy and lack of power, 2nd most noticeable trait is excellent control for a 100” racquet. The lack of power was more noticeable on groundstrokes when I was moving and hitting, and not as much if I had time to set up my swing. The racquet does have somewhat of a hotspot (not a sweetspot), and I would catch it every now and then, mostly on low forehands, but I couldn’t consistently hit it. Strings played a big role, and I think the Head Hawk Touch .17ga worked well at tensions 48lbs and below. I didn’t like the “pingy” feel at all, but it made a nice “Thwop!” when I unloaded on a shot. Plus, it’s a light string, so it helps lighten the head. Direction and depth control were very good, even with looser strings (45-47lbs). When I was forced behind or on the baseline, I struggled to get any sort of pace, especially on the backhand side. I could swing out for a couple of games, but my shots landed shorter and shorter as play went on. Once the point moved inside the baseline, however, the racquet became more of a weapon - control increased, touch shots were more precise, and I didn’t miss any approach shots. Everything was better from midcourt to about 3-4 ft from the net. I hit some passing shots and volleys from the service line that were insane (almost in the territory of a Prince 93P (of course, I had to hit these because my serve was so weak with this racquet, lol).
Volleys - Score: 79
The low-powered, predictable response was a weapon for me at the net. The performance of the racquet increased the closer I got to the net. Yes, the head heavy balance was clumsy at times, but the stability increased, and low reach volleys went back with good net clearance and seemed to find the court no matter where I hit them. Reflex volleys weren’t as hard as you would think, and I reflected several close body shots that went straight back over the net. I could drive volleys back, instead of slicing or floating them back like I would with my Pure Drive (PD). When I was on my game, I had more freedom and confidence at the net, than I did with my PD. After several close games, and getting tired from serving harder than usual, the clumsiness of the racquet began to rear its ugly head, and my level dropped considerably. I ended up late and off-center on most of my shots. Any volleys or shots hit outside of the $.25 size sweetspot died. Even so, I didn’t feel the racquet twist very much, but it felt pretty jarring and dead.
Serves - Score: 72
Everything about the GMP functions at 10 mph slower than any other racquet. With this in mind, the GMP served pretty well for a slower racquet. Which means, I had very good control, and I cold hit my spots very well (much better than a PD or PA). The weighty head actually helped get some oomph on the ball. Spin serves were the highlight. Even though topspin serves landed about a foot to foot and a half short of where I wanted. I could get ample spin on topspin kickers and was getting good movement on the ball. I was pretty amazed at the spin I could get with this thing. Loose strings were vital for getting good kick and spin. Having about 10-12 mph less on serves created a problem, however, since I rely on my serve to win games. but I needed a little more court penetration, or they would sit up for my opponent. Hitting with pace on any shot with this racquet takes a lot of effort, serves included. If I was serving into the wind, I was in real trouble since I couldn’t get any real drive into the court. Even so, flat hard serves were possible, but I had to focus and be 100% accurate on everything. The racquet still felt a little vague on contact and I didn’t feel that I was getting a clean pop on my serve.
Returns - Score: 84
While the low-powered response hindered the serve, it was welcome on the returns. I was able to time my returns precisely. Yes, I had to hit out, but it was 75% easier to hit a controlled return compared to my PD. The net clearance was a little lower at first but took almost no time to adjust. I could unload on ohbh returns and they pierced the court heavily either down the line, middle, or deep crosscourt. The GMP has some different personalities. Slices were not quite as good as say a Speed Pro, and nowhere near a Prince 93P (nothing is, other than a Wilson 90), but it was very easy to control and keep low. I enjoyed the GMP the most on high kick serves to the backhand. I had just the right amount of stability and control to lob over the net person or slice it hard crosscourt. Returns make me want to switch to it. But the serves . . . well. . . not so much.
Cont'd
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TennisHound
Legend
Cont'd
What did I love?
-The control. Its simply got excellent control for a larger headed racquet. I could get weirdly creative with drop shots, approach shots, and volleys. Simply point and shoot.
–Overheads. For some reason, I hit the best overheads I have hit in a long time. I was playing 8.0 mixed doubles and a woman was lobbing like crazy. I was able to hit overheads perfectly from well behind the service line. Overheads were just easy to time and went exactly where I wanted.
-Returns. This is a returning machine. It doesn't miss. When the point gets tight and you're playing the add side in doubles, this is the racquet you want.
-Everything from the service line forward. This racquet was made for the short game, plain and simple.
-Customization potential for physically stronger players. Its similar to a pro stock racquet – which means, it is low-powered and somewhat head heavy. It has just the right specs to add weight if you’re a physically strong player.
-Headshape. The head feels smaller than 100”. The rounder headshape seemed to spread out the swingweight, and not feel “tip heavy”.
-String pattern. Its perfect. I got plenty of spin and it was very predictable. This is the string pattern that all Prince 100s, Speed Pro, and the Wilson Ultra Tour needs.
-Grip. It just felt good. From the soft, quality, synthetic grip, to the shape, everything felt right.
What did I hate?
-Too power absorbing, not in a good way. Yes, its low powered, but the racquet felt like it absorbed the power from the ball and deadened it. This most likely from the flex points in the head.
-Its needs to be at least 3-4 pts more HL. Yes, it is customizable, but only if you can get it to about 6-8 pts HL. This will put it right at 12oz. It also needs weight in the head to give it more court penetration. This will put it above 12oz. While this may work for players who are in shape and physically stronger than most, it is not realistic for players above 50yo who don’t play at least 3x per week.
-The feel somewhat (hate is a strong word). It has plenty of vibes and I’m not sure if I ever actually found a sweetspot, or it was very small. But I'm not sure I needed it. I didn’t notice any arm or wrist problems, but it felt unpleasant on ball contact. The feel reminded me of the Steam 96, but not as harsh. I demoed a regular GMP and it felt way more harsh than my test racquet. It might be the paint. Not sure.
-Dampener (or “damper” for the poster who researched the correct way to say it, lol). The design was uber-cool, but it didn’t do anything. I couldn’t tell any difference when it was on or wasn’t.
General reaction/ comments on overall performance: I like the frame design, and the feel of the racquet when it swings. Unfortunately, its just a little too too low-powered and vibratey for me. I do prefer the raw feel of the Gravity MP to the Novacaine feel of Countervail any day, but it needs some dampening. Even with its vibes and low powered response, I enjoyed playing with it. I felt like with time, I could modify it and get in shape to use it. But there are other racquets that perform better and are easier to modify. I’m not sure if it has a direct competitor since most player frames are 98” and below. I felt it was more playable than the Ultra Tour, Tec LTDs, and Prince Phantom 100s. Racquets that played better, were the Prestige MP, Prince 93P, and the Prince TT100P. This is a perfect racquet for a high level player to modify and gel with. It needs weight, but has some awesome potential. I tried it with just a leather grip and it was a significant difference. But, it was also noticeably heavier. It took a while to decide on this one, but if I had more time and was in better shape, I would switch to it.
Thanks TW for the playtest opportunity!
What did I love?
-The control. Its simply got excellent control for a larger headed racquet. I could get weirdly creative with drop shots, approach shots, and volleys. Simply point and shoot.
–Overheads. For some reason, I hit the best overheads I have hit in a long time. I was playing 8.0 mixed doubles and a woman was lobbing like crazy. I was able to hit overheads perfectly from well behind the service line. Overheads were just easy to time and went exactly where I wanted.
-Returns. This is a returning machine. It doesn't miss. When the point gets tight and you're playing the add side in doubles, this is the racquet you want.
-Everything from the service line forward. This racquet was made for the short game, plain and simple.
-Customization potential for physically stronger players. Its similar to a pro stock racquet – which means, it is low-powered and somewhat head heavy. It has just the right specs to add weight if you’re a physically strong player.
-Headshape. The head feels smaller than 100”. The rounder headshape seemed to spread out the swingweight, and not feel “tip heavy”.
-String pattern. Its perfect. I got plenty of spin and it was very predictable. This is the string pattern that all Prince 100s, Speed Pro, and the Wilson Ultra Tour needs.
-Grip. It just felt good. From the soft, quality, synthetic grip, to the shape, everything felt right.
What did I hate?
-Too power absorbing, not in a good way. Yes, its low powered, but the racquet felt like it absorbed the power from the ball and deadened it. This most likely from the flex points in the head.
-Its needs to be at least 3-4 pts more HL. Yes, it is customizable, but only if you can get it to about 6-8 pts HL. This will put it right at 12oz. It also needs weight in the head to give it more court penetration. This will put it above 12oz. While this may work for players who are in shape and physically stronger than most, it is not realistic for players above 50yo who don’t play at least 3x per week.
-The feel somewhat (hate is a strong word). It has plenty of vibes and I’m not sure if I ever actually found a sweetspot, or it was very small. But I'm not sure I needed it. I didn’t notice any arm or wrist problems, but it felt unpleasant on ball contact. The feel reminded me of the Steam 96, but not as harsh. I demoed a regular GMP and it felt way more harsh than my test racquet. It might be the paint. Not sure.
-Dampener (or “damper” for the poster who researched the correct way to say it, lol). The design was uber-cool, but it didn’t do anything. I couldn’t tell any difference when it was on or wasn’t.
General reaction/ comments on overall performance: I like the frame design, and the feel of the racquet when it swings. Unfortunately, its just a little too too low-powered and vibratey for me. I do prefer the raw feel of the Gravity MP to the Novacaine feel of Countervail any day, but it needs some dampening. Even with its vibes and low powered response, I enjoyed playing with it. I felt like with time, I could modify it and get in shape to use it. But there are other racquets that perform better and are easier to modify. I’m not sure if it has a direct competitor since most player frames are 98” and below. I felt it was more playable than the Ultra Tour, Tec LTDs, and Prince Phantom 100s. Racquets that played better, were the Prestige MP, Prince 93P, and the Prince TT100P. This is a perfect racquet for a high level player to modify and gel with. It needs weight, but has some awesome potential. I tried it with just a leather grip and it was a significant difference. But, it was also noticeably heavier. It took a while to decide on this one, but if I had more time and was in better shape, I would switch to it.
Thanks TW for the playtest opportunity!
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djNEiGht
Legend
Racquet Received:
Mid Plus
String and tension used for test:
Wilson Stamina SG 17g 52#
Signum Pro Yellow Jacket 17L / Pros Pro Concept 1.25 48#
Signum Pro Yellow Jacket 17L / Pros Pro Concept 1.25 43#
Volkl vSquare 17g / Tier One Ghost Wire 17g 43#
Tennis experience/background:
Casual tennis in high school/College (PE and summer break park visits with friends), married into a tennis family and really got hooked. Inter-club tournament player Class B. Assistant tennis coach with USPTA coaches at Scholl Canyon in Glendale, CA. Junior Team Tennis coach 14u/12u/10u.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I’ve just returned to tennis after being hospitalized with an Aortic Dissection Type B in March and TEVAR Surgery in May. Resumed playing late June and the past couple weeks able to participate in 4.0 Live Ball drills. I used to play primarily doubles with some singles where my serve is my biggest weapon for me and against me (not holding serve). Moderate top spin on both wings with 1 HBH. Comfortable at the net and will look to approach on short balls and finish at the net if possible. I don’t think I can at this time return to singles but don’t mind just rallying with a couple breaks in between. I’m still finding my foot work and rhythm and have a ways to go to get my strength back.
Current racquet/string setups:
Prior to hospitalization I was using the Head iPrestige MP, Head Graphene XTPrestige Pro or Angell TC95 16M 63RA with various Poly strings at 45-48# in 17g. I also had in rotation the original Head Radical OS Bumblebee in which I was regularly using Signum Pro Yellow Jacket 17L.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Approximately 25-30 hours
Comments on racquet performance:
I’ll break down the performance here with the different strings in this section and the following sections would be overall impressions regarding each category.
This racquet seemed to be string sensitive at first. But if I recall correctly, the Yellow Jacket didn’t work well with me in Mid-MP racquets. With 1/3 of the strings not working out for me didn’t really make this a string sensitive racquet and I will continue to try other strings in this racquet. The first string I try and use on a brand-new racquet to me is a synthetic. This allows me to get familiar with what the racquet has to offer since synthetic is such an honest string IMO. You get what you put out.
Sweet spot seemed generous…or was it the rewarding feedback when hitting the honey pot. But a slight mishit gave a vibrating feedback.
I put in a good run with the synthetic grip. I couldn’t wait to change out the mushy grip for a leather grip. The synthetic grip performed well enough that those that prefer to use them would like the way the racquet performed in stock form.
Synthetic – What I enjoyed most with this combo was the crisp feeling and feedback. I even got a decent amount of power and spin. Control was acceptable. The sound of this string upon impact was music to a tennis players ears.
Yellow Jacket/Concept – Control improved and got more bite. It was a bit dead/harsh though at both tensions I tried. Off centered hits were a bit jarring
vSquare/Ghost Wire – Comfort improved from the Yellow Jacket/Concept set up. Off centered hits weren’t as jarring
-Groundstrokes:
You smack the ball and it goes. I was getting good depth and spin. Many shots landed past the service line easily. Racquet head speed was good and got better with a leather grip to change the balance ever so slightly. A nice and fast swinging racquet.
-Serves:
I was able to hit my targets on my first serve and when I would step on the gas I could deliver a moderately paced serve. The kick and spins serves were there but didn’t feel like it produced a heavy ball compared to a heavier racquet.
-Volleys:
I enjoyed this at the net and could hit put away shots as well as those that needed a bit more finesse in a drop shot. Racquet in both stock form and with leather grip was maneuverable enough. The light weight of it though was tough for me on off centered shots.
-Serve returns:
Taking full cuts or just blocking back a monstrous serve…this racquet could handle it. Even those half take back swings worked well with this racquet. I was receiving against a 16-year-old tournament player who had me standing 3-5 feet behind the baseline on the return. Once I got a read on his serve and toss I got some lucky returns. One return was so good I kind of just stared at it and missed his monster of a ground stroke back at me.
Mid Plus
String and tension used for test:
Wilson Stamina SG 17g 52#
Signum Pro Yellow Jacket 17L / Pros Pro Concept 1.25 48#
Signum Pro Yellow Jacket 17L / Pros Pro Concept 1.25 43#
Volkl vSquare 17g / Tier One Ghost Wire 17g 43#
Tennis experience/background:
Casual tennis in high school/College (PE and summer break park visits with friends), married into a tennis family and really got hooked. Inter-club tournament player Class B. Assistant tennis coach with USPTA coaches at Scholl Canyon in Glendale, CA. Junior Team Tennis coach 14u/12u/10u.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I’ve just returned to tennis after being hospitalized with an Aortic Dissection Type B in March and TEVAR Surgery in May. Resumed playing late June and the past couple weeks able to participate in 4.0 Live Ball drills. I used to play primarily doubles with some singles where my serve is my biggest weapon for me and against me (not holding serve). Moderate top spin on both wings with 1 HBH. Comfortable at the net and will look to approach on short balls and finish at the net if possible. I don’t think I can at this time return to singles but don’t mind just rallying with a couple breaks in between. I’m still finding my foot work and rhythm and have a ways to go to get my strength back.
Current racquet/string setups:
Prior to hospitalization I was using the Head iPrestige MP, Head Graphene XTPrestige Pro or Angell TC95 16M 63RA with various Poly strings at 45-48# in 17g. I also had in rotation the original Head Radical OS Bumblebee in which I was regularly using Signum Pro Yellow Jacket 17L.
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Approximately 25-30 hours
Comments on racquet performance:
I’ll break down the performance here with the different strings in this section and the following sections would be overall impressions regarding each category.
This racquet seemed to be string sensitive at first. But if I recall correctly, the Yellow Jacket didn’t work well with me in Mid-MP racquets. With 1/3 of the strings not working out for me didn’t really make this a string sensitive racquet and I will continue to try other strings in this racquet. The first string I try and use on a brand-new racquet to me is a synthetic. This allows me to get familiar with what the racquet has to offer since synthetic is such an honest string IMO. You get what you put out.
Sweet spot seemed generous…or was it the rewarding feedback when hitting the honey pot. But a slight mishit gave a vibrating feedback.
I put in a good run with the synthetic grip. I couldn’t wait to change out the mushy grip for a leather grip. The synthetic grip performed well enough that those that prefer to use them would like the way the racquet performed in stock form.
Synthetic – What I enjoyed most with this combo was the crisp feeling and feedback. I even got a decent amount of power and spin. Control was acceptable. The sound of this string upon impact was music to a tennis players ears.
Yellow Jacket/Concept – Control improved and got more bite. It was a bit dead/harsh though at both tensions I tried. Off centered hits were a bit jarring
vSquare/Ghost Wire – Comfort improved from the Yellow Jacket/Concept set up. Off centered hits weren’t as jarring
-Groundstrokes:
You smack the ball and it goes. I was getting good depth and spin. Many shots landed past the service line easily. Racquet head speed was good and got better with a leather grip to change the balance ever so slightly. A nice and fast swinging racquet.
-Serves:
I was able to hit my targets on my first serve and when I would step on the gas I could deliver a moderately paced serve. The kick and spins serves were there but didn’t feel like it produced a heavy ball compared to a heavier racquet.
-Volleys:
I enjoyed this at the net and could hit put away shots as well as those that needed a bit more finesse in a drop shot. Racquet in both stock form and with leather grip was maneuverable enough. The light weight of it though was tough for me on off centered shots.
-Serve returns:
Taking full cuts or just blocking back a monstrous serve…this racquet could handle it. Even those half take back swings worked well with this racquet. I was receiving against a 16-year-old tournament player who had me standing 3-5 feet behind the baseline on the return. Once I got a read on his serve and toss I got some lucky returns. One return was so good I kind of just stared at it and missed his monster of a ground stroke back at me.
djNEiGht
Legend
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I was excited about the racquet when looking at the specs. Something lighter and more forgiving as I get older and not able to play with my Prestige 3 sets. I checked the specs on my scale and my makeshift balance board and it came in right as advertised. The colorway of the retail racquet looks great (I had the pre-production colorway). This was something I thought about switching to/purchasing a couple early on but after the play test I’m not certain. I mentioned how I thought it was string sensitive isn’t entirely fair because I remember how I didn’t like YJ in a couple other MP racquets but I love it in my Bumblebee and POG OS. The vibration was there in all of the string set ups I tried. Granted that is me not hitting it in the sweet spot. I will add some lead to it and match it up with one of my other 16x20 racquets (Babolat Aero Pro Tour) possibly but still try and keep it under 12 oz.
I had the teaching pro I work with hit with it in stock form for a few minutes feeding and rallying and he wasn’t a fan of it. He normally plays with a Wilson RF97A but is often playing with demo’s that he obtains for students. The playtest was short so there wasn’t much to say about it at that time.
Two other teach pros I know hit with it and found it comfortable with good feedback also in stock form. Very fast swinging and able to punish the ball.
I had a player is hitting with an older Wilson Blade 18x20 hit with it and he was okay with the weight but couldn’t agree with the grip. His son also hit with it who plays with the Yonez Ezone 98 205 and punishes the ball. He said it was okay, but it won’t pull him away from his Ezone
I had a D3 student hit with it both in stock form and with leather grip and the Volkl/Tier One set up on two occasions during live ball. He currently plays with the Head Radical MP 2017/18 and will be bidding for his player package for this coming school year which consists of a bag, x5 racquets, and a bunch of other goodies (strings/clothes/etc). He enjoyed hitting with the racquet with the synthetic that he played another 1.5 hrs with the poly set up the next time we met. He didn’t miss but a single ball on a frame shank during the live ball session.
The over grip that came with the package was nice and comfortable to use. I would like to try it again over a leather grip. My preferred OG is Head Xtremesoft or Tourna Tac.
Best Regards to Talk Tennis / Tennis Warehouse Staff and to Head.
I was excited about the racquet when looking at the specs. Something lighter and more forgiving as I get older and not able to play with my Prestige 3 sets. I checked the specs on my scale and my makeshift balance board and it came in right as advertised. The colorway of the retail racquet looks great (I had the pre-production colorway). This was something I thought about switching to/purchasing a couple early on but after the play test I’m not certain. I mentioned how I thought it was string sensitive isn’t entirely fair because I remember how I didn’t like YJ in a couple other MP racquets but I love it in my Bumblebee and POG OS. The vibration was there in all of the string set ups I tried. Granted that is me not hitting it in the sweet spot. I will add some lead to it and match it up with one of my other 16x20 racquets (Babolat Aero Pro Tour) possibly but still try and keep it under 12 oz.
I had the teaching pro I work with hit with it in stock form for a few minutes feeding and rallying and he wasn’t a fan of it. He normally plays with a Wilson RF97A but is often playing with demo’s that he obtains for students. The playtest was short so there wasn’t much to say about it at that time.
Two other teach pros I know hit with it and found it comfortable with good feedback also in stock form. Very fast swinging and able to punish the ball.
I had a player is hitting with an older Wilson Blade 18x20 hit with it and he was okay with the weight but couldn’t agree with the grip. His son also hit with it who plays with the Yonez Ezone 98 205 and punishes the ball. He said it was okay, but it won’t pull him away from his Ezone
I had a D3 student hit with it both in stock form and with leather grip and the Volkl/Tier One set up on two occasions during live ball. He currently plays with the Head Radical MP 2017/18 and will be bidding for his player package for this coming school year which consists of a bag, x5 racquets, and a bunch of other goodies (strings/clothes/etc). He enjoyed hitting with the racquet with the synthetic that he played another 1.5 hrs with the poly set up the next time we met. He didn’t miss but a single ball on a frame shank during the live ball session.
The over grip that came with the package was nice and comfortable to use. I would like to try it again over a leather grip. My preferred OG is Head Xtremesoft or Tourna Tac.
Best Regards to Talk Tennis / Tennis Warehouse Staff and to Head.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I’m definitely one of those young $4its
I want you to know that I am running just as fast (in my brain) as you are, even if it's only half speed on the outside.....
Great reviews by all the playtesters! Very thorough and informative.
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2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
To compare any current Head offering to the I prestige is a joke and half.
Interested @djNEiGht, do you think volkl v-square is better than firewire? That's the normal pairing with GW.
