Tennis Warehouse Playtest - Pick HEAD's Next Co-poly!!
Thank you
@TW Staff and Head for providing the play test strings.
Player Background:
HS team and intramural tennis through grad school,<life break>, then competitive doubles leagues after kids.
Exec Summary:
This has been a very enjoyable play test aided by some great weather in the mid-50F (weekend a.m.) to mid-70F (afternoons). Both of these Head strings could (
should) be released in my opinion. On the heels of the
Hyper-G Round (
review),
Gamma Sapphire (
review) play tests, I find the Head V1 and V2 round string offerings to be competitive with Sapphire and better than Hyper-G Round. Of the two, V1 is softer/plusher and V2 is crisp/firm. There is still life in the string beds after twelve hours and I intend to continue playing for another week. If there is a significant change in experience I will post an update to this Exec Summary.
| Manufacturer | Head | Head |
| Type | TVP 22-001 V1 | TVP 22-001 V2 |
| Color | White | White |
| Gauge | 1.25 mm | 1.25 mm |
| Tension | 23.6 kg/ 52.0 lbs | 23.6 kg/ 52.0 lbs |
| Tension Findings | 24.5 kg/ 54.0 lbs | 24.5 kg/ 54.0 lbs |
| Playtest Order | side-by-side (rotating each service game) | side-by-side (rotating each service game) |
| Hours Played | 8 total hrs (incl 2hr singles, 30min ball machine) on V1 | 8 total hrs (incl 2hr singles, 30min machine) on V2 |
| Control | 8.5 | 9.0 |
| Power | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Feel | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Spin | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Playability Duration | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Tension Maintenance | Less Consistent than V2 | Consistent |
| Tournament Selection | Yes | Yes |
Stringing
Received and strung on April 10.
S = Singles/D = Doubles/ BM =machine Played April 10 (1 BM, 2 S, all p.m.), 11 (2 D p.m.), 12 (1 S mid-day), 13 (3 D a.m.), 14 (3 D a.m.), 16 (2.5 D p.m.),18 (1.5 S a.m.)
Both strings were straightforward to string without a pre-stretch and there was no bird nesting out of the packets. They are not slick - like YPTF/YPTR or TBZ - and appear to have a higher string-to-string friction coefficient than Gamma Sapphire (most recent TW playtest).
Power
V1 - In my opinion, V1 was slightly more powerful in the very first session, but got progressively more power powerful by the eighth hour.
V2 - Has a shade less inherent power than V1 initially, but not so much that I had to swing differently to impart the same comparative weight to the ball. However, into the eight hour, it seems to have held tension better so the power level has been more consistent for me.
For example, by the eight hour, during baseline rallies, balls off V2 landed consistently in the targeted area of the court while V1 generated some shots that went longer than expected/anticipated. For services, with V2 I was less concerned with balls going long/wide compared to V1.
Control
Both V1 and V2 offered very good control, but I would give the edge to V2 on most shots
over its life span because I felt the response was more consistent off the stringbed. With both strings I could play my normal game most of the time except for adjusting for V1's increase in power.
Feel
V1 - In my opinion, V1 is softer and more comfortable than V2. For those players wanting the feel of more ball pocketing / dwell time - I would steer them toward V1.
V2 - Has definitely has a firmer / stiffer feel than V1.
Overall, V1 feels softer, plusher on ball contact while V2 is firmer, but I preferred the feel of V2 on most shots.
Spin
V1 and V2 - These appear to be circular in cross section. Spin production is not an issue with either one. Given the round profile, the spin response (flight path) was consistent from both V1 and V2 compared with an extreme shaped (Genesis Trionic/ W-C Ultra Cable). Hitting partners indicated that V1 generated more ball height upon landing and balls off V2 came through quicker.
Playability Duration
V1 - It was the slightly less consistent performer
of the two strings side-by-side on the typical parameters after the initial eight hours. The string bed appeared to have softened more than I prefer. This could be a tension maintenance issue, but that be addressed with a light (5%) pre-stretch.
V2 - The overall playability of V2 was consistent and tension loss was not as apparent as with V1 over the first eight hours. The string bed still feels crisp.
Of the two, V1 was comparable to Gamma Sapphire.
Tension Recommendations
I was happy with the tension chosen for the play test in my racquets with similar specs. However, if I were to string V1 again, a light manual of 5% machine pre-stretch is warranted. I would not pre-stretch V2.
Tournament Selection (added because I like this section with the Head Co-poly Playtest)
I would be happy with either and carry a couple of racquets with each.
Vote
Not sharing explicitly, but the reader can probably guess. I shall not be verifying guesses.
