Category Archives: Racquet Demo

Head Graphene 360+ Speed Lite

Mar 14

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As you probably guessed, this is the lightest of the Speed Series, 100 square inch head size, at a weight of 281 grams (9.91 ounces)!

There are several positive features in this racquet and one is the reasonable flex (stiffness) of 63 RDC, plus the uniform string pattern that provides a consistent hitting experience needed by developing players.  This pattern should contribute to extended string life as well.

Head Graphene 360+ Speed Lite

As with all light racquets, this one can be customized as the need or desire arises, and I think that will happen more quickly than most other racquets.

This is just too light, in my opinion, for players wanting to improve all aspects of their game.  Remember, weight is your friend!  However, if you prefer a light racquet for any reason this is a top choice!

As I am working on this post I realize how much trouble it is to switch between racquet reviews for comparison so here is a link to the Head Graphene 360+ Speed Series Comparison.

 

 

 

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Graphene 360+ Speed Lite
Reference Tension56 lbs - 25.4 kg
String
Victrex PEEK fiber Experimental 7718
Machine UsedTrue Tension Professional
Static
ASPS, RDC56
ASPS, FlexFour68.5
Racquet Flex, RDC63 - After stringing
Racquet Flex, FlexFour43
Weight, Grams281
Weight, Ounces9.91
Balance, mm345
Balance, Inch13.58
Length, Cm68.5
Length, Inch26.97
Head Width9.71
Head Length13.06
Head Area, cm2640.8
Head Area, Sq. Inch99.6
Beam Width, mm, Shaft, Center, Tip25, 25, 25
In Plane Stiffness, Pounds/In422.5 Lbs/In.
In Plane Stiffness, Kg/cm 191.6 Kg/cm
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings19
Ratio Cross/Mains.626
Main String Grid7.30
Cross String Grid9.53
Density (% of head filled with string).710
Average Cross String Space.503
Average Main String Space.463
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT36
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in201.4
First Moment, Nm.758
Polar Moment311
Torsional Stability18
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2293
Swing Weight, Ounces10.34
Swing Weight Calculated334.5
Power, RDC42
Control, RDC61
Manueverability, RDC91
Power, Calculated 1838.3
Head Points-0.79 (negative = head heavy)
Head Weight, %50.4%
Center of Percussion20.7
Dwell Time, ms, No Swing8.50
Efective Stiffness - lbs29.6
K, Lb/In (SBS) RDC198.31
Recoil Weight126.53
Twist Weight198.31
End Weight 98.6
Tip Weight 182.3
9 O'Clock90.5
3 O'Clock91.2
Butt Cap98.3

 

 

Posted in 360+, Customization!, Demo, Graphene, Graphene 360, Graphene Touch, head, Juniors, News!, Patterns, PEEK, Racquet Demo, Racquets, Racquets - New, Speed, String, String - New, String Patterns, True Tension

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Head Graphene 360+ Speed MP Lite

Mar 13

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The Head Graphene 360+ Speed MP Lite may be the perfect racquet for a player looking for a thin(er) beam, 100 square inch head size, slightly lighter than most MP racquets!

As you will see in the specifications this racquet is about 28 grams (1 ounce) lighter than the MP model, and, just a little more flexible, or better said, less stiff!

Forty-nine point nine percent (49.9%) of the total weight resides toward the head of this racquet, so if you think in terms of “points” it is 0.16 points head light.

Some customization will make this a racquet that you can stay with for a long time. As your skills advance, so can the racquet!

Head Graphene 360+ Speed MP Lite

As I am working on this post I realize how much trouble it is to switch between racquet reviews for comparison so I am including a link to the Head Graphene 360+ Speed Series Comparison.

 

 

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Graphene 360+ Speed MP Lite
Reference Tension56 lbs - 25.4 kg
String
Victrex PEEK fiber Experimental 7718
Machine UsedTrue Tension Professional
Static
ASPS, RDC51
ASPS, FlexFour62
Racquet Flex, RDC60 - After stringing
Racquet Flex, FlexFour49
Weight, Grams293
Weight, Ounces10.34
Balance, mm342
Balance, Inch13.46
Length, Cm68.5
Length, Inch26.97
Head Width9.68
Head Length13.06
Head Area, cm2640.8
Head Area, Sq. Inch99.3
Beam Width, mm, Shaft, Center, Tip23, 23, 23
In Plane Stiffness, Pounds/In307.3 Lbs/In.
In Plane Stiffness, Kg/cm 139.4 Kg/cm
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings19
Ratio Cross/Mains.624
Main String Grid7.30
Cross String Grid10.62
Density (% of head filled with string).780
Average Cross String Space.559
Average Main String Space.456
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT35
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in195.76
First Moment, Nm.782
Polar Moment323
Torsional Stability15
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2308
Swing Weight, Ounces10.86
Swing Weight Calculated342.7
Power, RDC46
Control, RDC57
Manueverability, RDC81
Power, Calculated 1835.6
Head Points0.16 (negative = head heavy)
Head Weight, %49.9%
Center of Percussion21.0
Dwell Time, ms, No Swing8.91
Efective Stiffness - lbs27.6
K, Lb/In (SBS) RDC163.46
Recoil Weight138.67
Twist Weight205.8
End Weight 105.8
Tip Weight 186.5
9 O'Clock95.1
3 O'Clock94.5
Butt Cap103.0

Posted in 360+, Accuracy, Customization!, Demo, Graphene, Graphene 360, Graphene Touch, head, Inspiration, Juniors, News!, Patterns, PEEK, Racquet Demo, Racquets, Racquets - New, Speed, String, String - New, Technology, True Tension

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Head Graphene 360+ Speed S

Mar 12

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I think we all know what “Pro and MP” mean but what about “S”?  I am not sure, so we are going to call it “Special”!

The Speed S is indeed special and probably one of the best all-around racquets for 2020!  You will see by the specs why this may be the case but a couple of things stand out.  A 100 square inch head size.  A uniform 16×19 string pattern and 25mm beam producing the stiffness of RDC 64!

The overall weight and swing weight are just right for most advancing players and can be modified when the need arises!  This is really a “players” racquet in disguise!

Head Graphene 360+ Speed S

While I was doing this post I realized how difficult it is to switch between racquet reviews to see a comparison so here is a link to the Head Graphene 360+ Speed Series Comparison.

 

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Graphene 360+ Speed S
Reference Tension56 lbs - 25.4 kg
String
Victrex PEEK fiber Experimental 7718
Machine UsedTrue Tension Professional
Static
ASPS, RDC54
ASPS, FlexFour67.5
Racquet Flex, RDC64 - After stringing
Racquet Flex, FlexFour40
Weight, Grams302
Weight, Ounces10.44
Balance, mm328
Balance, Inch12.91
Length, Cm68.5
Length, Inch26.97
Head Width9.68
Head Length13.06
Head Area, cm2641.2
Head Area, Sq. Inch99.3
Beam Width, mm, Shaft, Center, Tip25, 25, 25
In Plane Stiffness, Pounds/In425.2 Lbs/In.
In Plane Stiffness, Kg/cm 192.8 Kg/cm
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings19
Ratio Cross/Mains.624
Main String Grid7.35
Cross String Grid9.40
Density (% of head filled with string).749
Average Cross String Space.539
Average Main String Space.453
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT37
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in206.94
First Moment, Nm.764
Polar Moment312
Torsional Stability16
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2296
Swing Weight, Ounces10.44
Swing Weight Calculated324.9
Power, RDC45
Control, RDC57
Manueverability, RDC89
Power, Calculated 1880.4
Head Points4.57 (negative = head heavy
Head Weight, %47.9%
Center of Percussion20.9
Dwell Time, ms, No Swing8.66
Efective Stiffness - lbs29.3
K, Lb/In (SBS) RDC173.08
Recoil Weight141.20
Twist Weight211.83
End Weight 119.7
Tip Weight 182.9
9 O'Clock94.2
3 O'Clock94.2
Butt Cap113.0

Posted in 360+, Accuracy, Demo, Graphene, Graphene 360, Graphene Touch, head, Inspiration, Juniors, Patterns, PEEK, Racquet Demo, Racquets, Racquets - New, Speed, String Patterns

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Head Graphene 360+ Speed Mid Plus

Mar 3

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The new(est) model of the very popular Graphene 360+ Speed series racquet is available NOW, so get up to “speed” by taking a look at the specifications for a strung racquet and the series comparison data.

The major difference between this and the previous version is the “flipping” of the colors! What was black is now white and what was white is now black! I believe not very much else was changed and for good reason! The racquet is a very, very good racquet so why make a bunch of changes? I don’t think Head made a bunch of changes!

Here is an overview of all the new Speed models. This is unstrung data, however, you can add 16 to the overall weight for string and 30 to the swing weight number to approximate the strung data.

ManufacturerHead
Racquet ModelHead Graphene 360+ Speed Mid Plus
Reference Tension56 lbs - 25.4 kg
String
Victrex PEEK fiber Experimental 7718
Machine UsedTrue Tension Professional
Static
ASPS, RDC52
ASPS, FlexFour63.5
Racquet Flex, RDC61 - After stringing
Racquet Flex, FlexFour51
Weight, Grams322
Weight, Ounces11.36
Balance, mm332
Balance, Inch13.07
Length, Cm68.5
Length, Inch26.97
Head Width9.67
Head Length13.06
Head Area, cm2639.9
Head Area, Sq. Inch99.2
Beam Width, mm, Shaft, Center, Tip20, 20, 20
In Plane Stiffness, Pounds/In329.6 Lbs/In.
In Plane Stiffness, Kg/cm 149.5 Kg/cm
Number of Main Strings16
Number of Cross Strings19
Ratio Cross/Mains.623
Main String Grid7.44
Cross String Grid10.62
Density (% of head filled with string).797
Average Cross String Space.559
Average Main String Space.465
Dynamic
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT34
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in190.16
First Moment, Nm.828
Polar Moment345
Torsional Stability21
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2324
Swing Weight, Ounces11.43
Swing Weight Calculated354.9
Power, RDC48
Control, RDC53
Manueverability, RDC71
Power, Calculated 1960.1
Head Points3.31 (negative = head heavy
Head Weight, %48.5%
Center of Percussion21.0
Dwell Time, ms, No Swing8.82
Efective Stiffness - lbs28.1
K, Lb/In (SBS) RDC166.67
Recoil Weight153.07
Twist Weight225.5
End Weight 125.1
Tip Weight 197.1
9 O'Clock97.4
3 O'Clock96.9
Butt Cap126.7

Posted in 360+, Demo, Graphene, Graphene 360, Graphene Touch, head, Inspiration, Juniors, Racquet Demo, Racquets, Racquets - New, Speed, Technology

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By The Numbers

Feb 7

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Here we go with this numbers thing, again! 

Our Racquet reviews are a bunch of numbers, but what do these numbers mean to you?

We have put together this table with a brief explanation of how each number can be used by you to understand how that property can be helpful.

If you see terms such as typical or normal, ignore them! With tennis players, there is no such thing as “typical and normal”!

If you need to be convinced, take a look at a previous post!

Please let us know if there is a number that needs more clarification or a number we are missing!

ManufacturerYonexWhat it Means
Racquet ModelYonex VCore Pro 97 HDRacquet being reviewed.
Reference Tension55 lbs - 24.9 kgStringing machine tension setting. Not, necessarily, the string bed stiffness.
String
Ashaway MonoGut ZX ProString brand name and gauge (Pro being 17Gauge)
Machine UsedTrue Tension ProfessionalStringing machine used.
Static
ASPS, RDC56The stiffness of all the strings as a unit. Normally between 30 and 65.
ASPS, FlexFour64.5The stiffness of the string bed as tested on this device.
Racquet Flex, RDC57 - After stringing50 is low (flexible) and 70 is high (very stiff). Clash 100 is 52 on this device. As is a Head Speed model.
Racquet Flex, FlexFour5035 is low (flexible) 70 is high (very stiff). Clash 100 is 26 on this device.
Racquet - In Plane Stiffness353.8 lbs/InchThis is how stiff the racquet head is across the middle. 300 is soft and 500 is very stiff. This affects the string bed stiffness.
Weight, Grams336285 is light and 360 is heavy.
315 is minimum target weight for performance.
Weight, Ounces11.85

The racquet weight in ounces, typically used in US.
Balance, mm322This is the center of gravity from the butt cap. If you put the racquet on a round rod this would be how much is hanging toward the butt cap.
Balance, Inch12.68This is the CG in ounces for US. Points head heavy or head light is part of this.
Length, Cm68.5This is the total length of the racquet and is the typical standard adult length.
Length, Inch26.968This is length in inches for the US.
Head Width, Inches9.57The inside width of the hitting area.
Head Length, Inches 12.54The inside length of the hitting area.
Head Area, cm2625.8The advertised hitting area in centimeters squared.
Head Area, Sq. Inch97.0The advertised hitting area in inches squared.
Number of Main Strings18The main strings are the vertical strings when looking at a standing racquet. Typically the longest strings.
Number of Cross Strings20The cross strings are the horizontal strings when looking at a standing
racquet. Typically shorter.
Ratio Cross/Mains.687The natural ratio of the string pattern (calculated).
Main String Grid7.25The total distance between right and left main string.
Cross String Grid10.18
The total distance between the first cross string and the last cross string.
Density (% of head filled with string).783
Average Cross String Space.509The higher this number the more the string will move. This number is used to help select the best string setup.
Average Main String Space.403The higher this number the more the string will move. This number is used to help select the best string setup.
Dynamic
Properties of a moving racquet.
Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT37This is the stiffness of a string bed in kilograms per centimeter based on a frequency.
Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in206.94This is the above converted to pounds per inch.
First Moment, Nm.831This is how heavy the racquet feels in the hand. The higher the number the heavier the racquet will feel.
Polar Moment340This is the resistance to rotating about the center of the racquet on, say a mimes-hit. The higher the better.
Torsional Stability16This is the derived stability number. The higher the better within reason. Anything below 14 would need some help.
Swing Weight, Kg/cm2324This is the "inertia" of the racquet and probably the most important number in the review! The higher the number the more momentum through the ball but less manueverability.
Swing Weight, Ounces11.43
Swing Weight Calculated348.4This number will be larger than the previous swing weight because it is calculated from the very end of the racquet as if there is no one holding it. A very important number.
Power, RDC42
Control, RDC59
Manueverability, RDC71
Power, Calculated 1740.5This number is calculated based on racquet properties.
Head Points6.46 (negative = head heavy)This number is how positive or negative the balance is. A "point" is ⅛ of an inch so this racquet is a little over ¾ of an inch head light.
Head Weight, %47.0%
Center of Percussion21.0This is the spot on the string bed that returns a solid hit.
Dwell Time, ms8.50This is how long the ball and string are in contact with no swing. A big swing will reduce this number by about half.
Efective Stiffness - lbs28.2This number is calculated from the string bed stiffness and the racquet stiffness. Anything under 30 will be "soft" feeling and over 35 will be "harsh".
K, Lb/In179.5
Recoil Weight160.8This number is the racquets resistance to rotating backward. The higher the number the better for volleys.
Twist Weight230.8This is the racquets resistance to twisting in your hand. The higher the better.
End Weight 139.8This weight is used to calculate the precise balance of the racquet.
Tip Weight 196.2This weight is used to calculate the precise balance of the racquet.
9 O'Clock100.4
This is the weight of that position on the racquet head and is used for precise customization.
3 O'Clock99.6This is the weight of that position on the racquet head and is used for precise customization.
Butt Cap135.6This is the weight of that position on the racquet and is used for precise customization.

 

 

Posted in Customization!, Inspiration, Juniors, Learning, PEEK, Players, Racquet Demo, Racquets - New, String, String Patterns, Technology, Tension, Testing Devices, True Tension

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