Category Archives: PEEK
Head Gravity MP 2023
Close behind the new Head Radical comes the new Head Gravity 2023! Not one but three (3!). The Gravity Pro, the Gravity MP, and the Gravity Team!
This Gravity MP 2023 demo racquet is ready to hit today! If you have not hit with a Gravity you will be intrigued by the weight distribution.
We are starting with the Gravity MP 2023.
Head Gravity has always used a multi-color graphic package with one color on one side and another color on the other side. This was clever, and many players liked the look.
The new models use a “color-shifting” graphic that you can see here. The colors are subtly different depending on how you look at the racquet.
And the graphic starts at the butt end on one side and starts at the tip on the other! So it has a lot going on.
The racquet is a 100-square-inch head with a fairly thin beam and deep throat shaft.
The string pattern is 16×20, which fills up the hitting area and produces a fairly dense pattern in the center of the racquet. This may contribute to a slightly longer string life.
You may notice the stiffness of this racquet should be perfect for the control component of your game and be very arm friendly (see effective stiffness).
Head Gravity MP 2023
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Gravity MP 2023 |
| Reference Tension | 53 |
| String | MonoGut ZX Pro (PEEK) |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| String Bed Stiffness - RDC | 50.0 Units |
| String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour | 60.8 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - SBS | 49.6 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - ERT | 35 Kg/Cm |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 57 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 39.0 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 397.4 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 318 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.22 |
| Balance, mm | 335 |
| Balance, Inch | 13.19 |
| Length, Cm | 68.6 |
| Length, Inch | 27.03 |
| Head Width | 9.91 |
| Head Length | 12.86 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 645.9 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 100.1 |
| Beam Height @ Grip, mm | 21.2 |
| Beam Height @ Mid, mm | 22.5 |
| Beam Height @ Tip | 22.5 |
| Beam Width @ Grip, mm | 10.6 |
| Beam Width @ Throat, mm | 10.6 |
| Beam Width @ Mid, mm | 11.0 |
| Beam Width @ Tip, mm | 12.3 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 20 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .617 |
| Main String Grid | 7.70 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.25 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | 70.0% |
| Average Cross String Space | .515 |
| Average Main String Space | .425 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 35 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 195.76 |
| First Moment, Nm | .827 |
| Polar Moment | 338 |
| Torsional Stability | 14 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 324 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.43 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 356.9 |
| Power, RDC | 46 |
| Control, RDC | 56 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 71 |
| Power, Calculated | 1867.4 |
| Head Points | 2.68 |
| Head Weight, % | 48.8% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.0 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 9.00 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 26.6 |
| K, Lb/In | 160.26 |
| Recoil Weight | 150.77 |
| Twist Weight | 233.27 |
| End Weight | 122.3 |
| Tip Weight | 197.8 |
| 9 O'Clock | 98.9 |
| 3 O'Clock | 99.7 |
| Butt Cap | 119.8 |
| COF, Main | .426 |
| COF, Cross | .378 |
Wilson Pro Staff v14
Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14
Wilson Pro Staff v14
The initial response to the new Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 graphics pack is similar to the Blade shifting color graphics…you either like it, or you don’t! There seems to be very little “in-between.”
Wilson Pro Staff v14
We care about the racquet’s appearance, but we really care about the specifications!
So here we go…
| Manufacturer | Wilson |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 |
| Reference Tension | 55 |
| String | PEEK 1.25mm |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| String Bed Stiffness - RDC | 51.0 Units |
| String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour | 64.1 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - SBS | 49.0 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - ERT | 34 Kg/Cm |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 66 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 49.0 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 447.2 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 330 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.64 |
| Balance, mm | 324 |
| Balance, Inch | 12.76 |
| Length, Cm | 68.57 |
| Length, Inch | 27.00 |
| Head Width | 9.438 |
| Head Length | 12.80 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 623.0 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 94.9 |
| Beam Height @ Grip, mm | 21.0 |
| Beam Height @ Mid, mm | 21.8 |
| Beam Height @ Tip | 21.8 |
| Beam Width @ Grip, mm | 11.1 |
| Beam Width @ Throat, mm | 11.0 |
| Beam Width @ Mid, mm | 11.0 |
| Beam Width @ Tip, mm | 12.8 (includes bumper guard) |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .621 |
| Main String Grid | 7.25 |
| Cross String Grid | 10.13 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | 77.4% |
| Average Cross String Space | .533 |
| Average Main String Space | .453 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 34 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 190.16 |
| First Moment, Nm | .822 |
| Polar Moment | 336 |
| Torsional Stability | 14 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 322 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.36 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 346.4 |
| Power, RDC | 53 |
| Control, RDC | 47 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 72 |
| Power, Calculated | 2036.6 |
| Head Points | 5.98 |
| Head Weight, % | 47.2% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.1 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.91 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 28.8 |
| K, Lb/In | 163.46 |
| Recoil Weight | 158.78 |
| Twist Weight | 220.98 |
| End Weight | 134.0 |
| Tip Weight | 195.9 |
| 9 O'Clock | 100.8 |
| 3 O'Clock | 100.5 |
| Butt Cap | 128.1 |
| COF, Main | .323 |
| COF, Cross | .323 |
Head Radical MP 2023
You have seen the pretty pictures; now see the specs of this new Radical series!
We are starting our property review with the Head Radical MP 2023. The MP version will probably be the most popular due to the very lovely weight and “player” style head size of 98 inches!
Head Radical MP 2023
As you look at the following specifications you may notice the addition of some “numbers”, specifically “beam width”.
We have been taking this number for many years but now believe it is time to expose it to you, the readers.
Briefly, the beam height-to-width ratio contributes to in-plane stiffness which is important for consistent string bed stiffness (SBS).
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Radical MP 2023 |
| Reference Tension | 55 |
| String | MonoGut ZX Pro |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| String Bed Stiffness - RDC | 53.0 Units |
| String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour | 64.9 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - SBS | 51.8 pounds |
| String Bed Stiffness - ERT | 35 Kg/Cm |
| Racquet Flex, RDC | 65 - After stringing |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 44.5 |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 379.7 lbs/Inch |
| Weight, Grams | 326 |
| Weight, Ounces | 11.50 |
| Balance, mm | 333 |
| Balance, Inch | 13.11 |
| Length, Cm | 68.57 |
| Length, Inch | 27.00 |
| Head Width | 9.63 |
| Head Length | 12.79 |
| Head Area, cm2 | 623.0 |
| Head Area, Sq. Inch | 96.7 |
| Beam Height @ Grip, mm | 21.0 |
| Beam Height @ Mid, mm | 22.5 |
| Beam Height @ Tip | 20.5 |
| Beam Width @ Grip, mm | 12.5 |
| Beam Width @ Throat, mm | 11.5 |
| Beam Width @ Mid, mm | 12.8 |
| Beam Width @ Tip, mm | 12.8 |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .634 |
| Main String Grid | 7.18 |
| Cross String Grid | 9.44 |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | 69.6% |
| Average Cross String Space | .494 |
| Average Main String Space | .449 |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 35 |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 195.76 |
| First Moment, Nm | .841 |
| Polar Moment | 347 |
| Torsional Stability | 16 |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 331 |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.68 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 361.5 |
| Power, RDC | 52 |
| Control, RDC | 49 |
| Manueverability, RDC | 66 |
| Power, Calculated | 2101.4 |
| Head Points | 3.15 |
| Head Weight, % | 48.5% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.1 |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.74 |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 29.2 |
| K, Lb/In | 169.87 |
| Recoil Weight | 156.44 |
| Twist Weight | 226.48 |
| End Weight | 126.0 |
| Tip Weight | 197.7 |
| 9 O'Clock | 105.1 |
| 3 O'Clock | 104.7 |
| Butt Cap | 115.6 |
| COF, Main | .416 |
| COF, Cross | .388 |
Comparing Racquets (for real)
The Racquet Quest podcast recently aired a session on comparing racquets, so, to be fair I wanted to post that same data here. If you listened to the podcast this will sound familiar.
These racquets are not random. These racquets are owned by a client that is seeking an upgrade without going overboard!
Here is what Jess has to say:
“Hey, John –
Jess definitely likes the VS more than the Rafa. She said that she gets more easy power and stability with the Rafa but she’s able to accelerate faster on the forehand side with the VS.
She also felt like the VS was more maneuverable at the net. She said that if she’s in control of the point that she can really whip her forehand for a winner. She definitely noticed the lighter swing weight and liked that.
However, she also said that sometimes it feels a little unstable – like the VS is getting pushed around a bit. For example, she noticed that the head of the racquet can twist sometimes if her opponent nails a hard ball at her.
She has more control for sure with the VS – felt like she blasted more balls out with the Rafa. Overall, she likes the racquet- just would like a little more stability.”
By the way, Jess had not seen the racquet data prior to her hitting. So, there you have it. I believe you can see how much numbers help us find the right performance characteristics for a racquet.
Racquet Quest, LLC
