Video Review |
Racquet Specs |
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Head has come up with an innovative method in their 2013 racquet line. Each of three series (Prestige, Speed and Instinct) has a player’s frame, a game improvement model, and 2 tweener racquets of differing weights. Today, we examine one of the tweener frames in the Speed Series: the Graphene Speed REV.
Graphene Explained By using Graphene to make a lighter racquet shaft, Head has been able to take the leftover weight and place it in the head and handle areas of the frame. This has enabled racquet weights to stay pretty much the same, but swingweight has increased noticeably. So, by leaving weight in the racquet, Head has increased power, but maintained, and even increased, other performance characteristics, offering players a more powerful and efficient racquet with greater stability. The extra weight in the racquet head leads to increased ability of the racquet tip to accelerate and “plow through” the ball from the baseline, allowing you not only more power, but also the ability to fight off your opponent’s strongest shots. Extra weighting in the handle helps keep the racquet from recoiling, or kicking back, in your hand at net, allowing better control and less stress on the arm. Another interesting twist to Head’s Graphene series is the drilling of the string holes. At the top, all of the “main” main strings (the first 6) are drilled at an angle coming straight down the head, instead of at an angle, reminiscent of Babolat’s Woofer system (where they differ from the Woofer design is that the center mains at the throat are not drilled this way). The more direct alignment of the center main strings should make for less friction from string movement and more direct power transference on all shots.
Specifications From the Baseline
At Net and Serving Volleying is a nice feature of the Speed REV, the light frame quickly moving into position on fast volley exchanges, and its low flex providing excellent feel. If the passing shots are particularly hard and heavy, they will “beat” the light frame and cause a loss of control, however. Fine Points The bumper guard is solid and has a nice depth to the string groove, which should provide good string protection from aggressive net play. The paint job is quite “active”, using black and white primary colors blended nicely with orange trim. The butt cap is classic Head, meaning it flares out quite nicely, and the bottom of it is wide enough that you can hold it low on big serves without worry of it flying out of your hand. The Graphene Speed REV has two more excellent features, the first being that it is available in a size “zero”, or 4-inch, grip. An ultra-small handle size fits kids very well, allowing them to get their first taste of an adult-size frame without straining their hands around an adult-sized grip. Secondly, its light weight makes it a prime candidate for customization as their games improve and they feel the need for a heavier frame (one of the best ways to add weight to a racquet and increase its grip size is to build up the handle with a heat-shrink sleeve like the Alpha RAB Tubex Grip Enlarger). So, as your developing junior improves, the Speed REV can “grow” with them in many ways. In Conclusion
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