Pick Your Prestige!
Racquet Quest specializes in high performance tennis racquets and they don’t get more high performance than the Head Prestige models!
We recognize the attachment players have to racquets so we keep a good supply of Head Prestige racquets of all models and even a year or two of prior models.
Here is what is currently available:
| Name | Material | Model | Head Size | Grip Size | String Pattern | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prestige | Graphene XT | Rev Pro | 93 | 4 | 16x19 | 1 |
| Prestige | Graphene XT | Rev Pro | 93 | 3 | 16x19 | 2 |
| Prestige | Graphene XT | MP | 98 | 4 | 18x20 | 1 |
| Prestige | Graphene XT | MP | 98 | 3 | 18x20 | 1 |
| Prestige | Graphene XT | Pro | 98 | 4 | 16x19 | 1 |
| Prestige | Graphene XT | Pro | 98 | 3 | 16x19 | 2 |
| Prestige | Graphene Touch | Pro | 95 | 2 | 16x19 | 1 |
| Prestige | Graphene Touch | Tour | 99 | 3 | 18x19 | 2 |
| Prestige | Graphene Touch | Tour | 99 | 2 | 18x19 | 1 |
| Prestige | Graphene Touch | MP | 95 | 3 | 18x20 | 1 |
Still Committed to Your Racquet!
For the past few years and certainly the past year Racquet Quest has been committed to tennis racquets and yours is included!
Hopefully the days of the “mask”are over and we can resume actually talking to each other and be understood! Of course if you prefer to wear a mask that is OK, too!
Here is what is not OK!
Not caring about your tennis racquet is not OK, and by that I mean keeping it in the best possible condition. That includes string, grip, grommet sets, overgrips and general reactions of beating it against the ground or net!
We have seen five year old racquets that look brand new and five day old racquets that are in really poor shape! One of the most damaging “strokes” in tennis is the ball pickup stroke! This is not a stroke at all but a way to keep from bending over to pick up balls!
Using the racquet head to scoop up the balls is easy and cool! It is also the quick way to ruin the bumper guard which is there to protect the Racquet from normal stroke, not pick-ups!
So, what do you do about it? The next time you consider scooping up balls with the racquet consider tapping the ball to start it bouncing or simplpy use the fingers on your hand to pick up the ball…that would be good!
Looking at the Numbers and What They Mean
The following table will shed some light on the numbers we use and hopefully shed some light on what they can mean in terms of your racquet.
| Manufacturer | Head |
|---|---|
| Racquet Model | Head Radical MP 2023 |
| Reference Tension | 55 (what you tell the stingers to set the stringing machine). This should be replaced by String Bed Stiffness (SBS) |
| String | MonoGut ZX Pro |
| Machine Used | True Tension Professional |
| String Bed Stiffness - RDC | 53.0 Units (Babolat RDC) |
| String Bed Stiffness -FlexFour | 64.9 pounds (Flex Four) |
| String Bed Stiffness - SBS | 51.8 pounds (Racquet Quest string bed stiffness SBS Master) |
| String Bed Stiffness - ERT | 35 Kg/Cm (previously Beer's ERT1000) |
| Racquet Flex, Babolat RDC | 65 - After stringing (unstrung racquets will be slightly stiffer. Loaded from the tip) |
| Racquet Flex, FlexFour | 44.5 (Loaded from the COP) |
| Racquet - In Plane Stiffness | 379.7 lbs/Inch (stiffness across the 3 ad 9 o'clock positions of the racquet head) |
| 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 (how thick the racquet is looking at the side) |
| Beam Height @ Mid, mm | 22.5 (how thick the racquet is looking at the side) |
| Beam Height @ Tip | 20.5 (how thick the racquet is looking at the side) |
| Beam Width @ Grip, mm | 12.5 (how thick the racquet is looking at the front or face view) |
| Beam Width @ Throat, mm | 11.5 (how thick the racquet is looking at the front or face view) |
| Beam Width @ Mid, mm | 12.8 (how thick the racquet is looking at the front or face view) |
| Beam Width @ Tip, mm | 12.8 (how thick the racquet is looking at the front or face view) |
| Number of Main Strings | 16 |
| Number of Cross Strings | 19 |
| Ratio Cross/Mains | .634 ( typically the natural ratio) |
| Main String Grid | 7.18 (the distance between the two outer most main strings) |
| Cross String Grid | 9.44 (the distance between the two outer most cross strings) |
| Density (% of head filled with string) | 69.6% (how much of the head area is filled with string) |
| Average Cross String Space | .494 (how far apart the strings are). The farther apart the quicker the wear. |
| Average Main String Space | .449 (how far apart the strings are). The farther apart the quicker the wear. |
| Dynamic Tension, Kp, ERT | 35 (string bed stiffness in kilos per centimeter) |
| Dynamic Tension, Lbs/in | 195.76 (DT converted to pounds per inch) |
| First Moment, Nm | .841 (sometimes called pickup weight) |
| Polar Moment | 347 (torsional weight) |
| Torsional Stability | 16 ( resistance to twisting on off center hits) |
| Swing Weight, Kg/cm2 | 331 (the dynamic weight and the most significant property) |
| Swing Weight, Ounces | 11.68 |
| Swing Weight Calculated | 361.5 (calculated from the butt end to the tip) |
| Power, RDC | 52 (property calculated by Babolat RDC) |
| Control, RDC | 49 (property calculated by Babolat RDC) |
| Manueverability, RDC | 66 (property calculated by Babolat RDC) |
| Power, Calculated | 2101.4 (calculation based on several racquet properties) |
| Head Points | 3.15 ( a point is generally consider to be .125 inches/3.18mm) |
| Head Weight, % | 48.5% |
| Center of Percussion | 21.1 (highest COR) |
| Dwell Time, ms | 8.74 (length of time the ball is in contact with the string without a swing) |
| Efective Stiffness - lbs | 29.2 ( the calculated combined stiffness of the racquet and sting bed) |
| K, Lb/In | 169.87 (string bed stiffness in pounds/inch) |
| Recoil Weight | 156.44 (resistance to twisting about the grip) |
| Twist Weight | 226.48 (resistance to twisting about the neutral axis) |
| End Weight | 126.0 (two scale system to calculate CG) |
| Tip Weight | 197.7 (two scale system to calculate CG) |
| 9 O'Clock | 105.1 (three scale system to assure symmetry) |
| 3 O'Clock | 104.7(three scale system to assure symmetry) |
| Butt Cap | 115.6 (three scale system to assure symmetry) |
| COF, Main | .416 (the stickiness of the string bed sliding the ball with the main strings) |
| COF, Cross | .388(the stickiness of the string bed sliding the ball with the cross strings) |
Dealing with Options, and What are the Options?
The little video you see above is just a reminder that we do not promote polyester based string for underage players! So, what is underage? Oh, under 100 would be a good number, I think!
OK, smart alec what are the options?
- No Polyester
PEEK/Zyex
Well, there are many, however, if the option is only relative to “no polyester” the best option is PEEK material. This material is usually referred to by the brand name Zyex which is the fiber division of Victrex of England and known by the Ashaway name as well. This material is normally found as a monofilament construction as is most polyester materials.
PEEK/Zyex offers exceptional durability and energy!
Multifilament
- Premium Playability
Natural gut still is the number one playing string available. We use Babolat and Luxilon natural gut but there are other options like Pacific, Klip, and others.
- Excellent Playability
Multifilament construction can act as a spring and return both performance, power, and comfort. Typically the more individual fibers the better. These fibers are usually bonded with a soft adhesive and show signs of “fraying” during use.
Strings in this category include Tecnifibre, Ashaway, Babolat, Head, Yonex, and Gosen and others. Expect to pay $42.00 + for these strings installed.
- Playability
These multifilament strings are typically constructed using fewer larger diameter fibers to enhance durability. The same “fraying” occurs with this grade of string as well however the larger diameter will last a bit longer usually.
Strings in the category include Tecnifibre, Babolat, Head, Yonex, IsoSpeed, Gamma, and others. Expect to pay between $35.00 and $40.00 for these strings installed.
Synthetic Gut
- Value
There are probably 10000 strings that fall under this umbrella! 9999 of these strings will be a nylon core with one or two overwraps bonded to the outer surface. This material and construction has been around for many, many years and has offered great service to millions of tennis players…and is still in major use today!
Strings in this category include at least one, and probably many more, set from every major brand! If you are really cost-conscious do not overlook this material. Expect to pay $27.00 to $35.00 for these strings installed.
And lastly, what is our gripe with polyester? Click on the link below to find out!
Click here to go to a comprehensive post that will explain our position.
As always, our position is “there are no bad strings just bad applications!”
Racquet Quest, LLC
