Intro

Head is dedicated to creating a widely appealing frame lineup with the Speed family of racquets. For players after the lightest weight they can get in the standard 100 inch Speed head size, Head has updated the new Graphene 360+ Speed Lite. This super light version gets an enhanced layup from Head. The racquet now uses Spiralfibers in the lower section of the hoop. This fibers stretch at contact, providing a softer more flexible feel that plays with greater comfort. With the rest of the specs unchanged from the previous Speed Lite, I wanted to see how much of an impact the new materials would make in the on court performance of the new Graphene 360+ Speed Lite.

Groundstrokes

The 360+ Speed Lite was incredibly quick off the ground. The 100 inch head size provided plenty of forgiveness and a large sweet spot. With a strung weight of 9.9 oz, I found it easy to generate plenty of swing speed on groundstrokes. The racquet used a firmer and thicker 25 mm beam to give it a power boost. While it lacked the authority of the heavier versions, the Lite still hit with plenty of readily accessible pace from either side. The frame wasn’t as precise as other models in the line, but I found success picking bigger targets in the outer thirds of the court. I found plenty of spin generation which was helpful in taming the racquet’s easy power level. The Lite’s 16 x 19 pattern is a bit more open in the middle compared to other members of the Speed family, so it was even easier to ratchet up the spin on groundstrokes. I was able to lift the ball over the net with plenty of clearance although the Lite struggled to flatten out mid court balls due to its reduced mass and open pattern. Stability was not a huge selling point of the Lite as it struggled to absorb big levels of pace. For its target player base, it would have enough stability and its head heavy balance helped keep twisting down to a manageable level. Defensive scrambling was fun with the Lite due the easy swinging nature of the frame. Hitting on the run was effortless and the racquet whipped through contact.

Volleys & Serves

Net play with the 360+ Speed Lite was best served in attack mode. The easy power and fast nature of the frame allowed me to snap volley winners off without a second thought. I was able to move balls through the court whenever I attacked them. If I took too casual of an approach, the Lite had a higher tendency to float balls and give opponents another look at a passing shot. Accuracy wasn’t stellar with the Speed Lite so I found I had to keep my targets big and not hit to the lines too aggressively at net. The racquet played stable at lower speeds with its head heavy balance but there was more flutter present as the pace of incoming balls increased. The low starting weight would allow for players to add mass as they develop and face bigger hitting at the net.

Serving with the Speed Lite was about just that: speed. The greatly reduced weight made it effortless to accelerate through the top of my motion and hit serves with easy pace. The Lite definitely lacked the penetration of models with higher mass but there was still enough speed on the ball for my serve to be effective. With such little weight, I found it easy to over hit and miss targets serving with the Lite until I found my rhythm. I focused on serving to larger sections of the box and was able to mix locations enough to not become too predictable. My second serve had plenty of spin thanks to the open string pattern and easy racquet head speed. Players will be able to generate action on the ball and get it moving off the court pretty easily. My kick serve didn’t land as heavy as I would want but there was enough action on it for it to still be effective.

Feel & Comfort

The feel of the 360+ Speed Lite was another improvement over older versions. The addition of Spiralfibers to the frame’s construction gave it cleaner, more consistent feel on contact. Head’s previous attempts at dampening left racquets too vague and unconnected. The 360+ Speed Lite had a much more connected feel without veering into too crisp of a feel, even with its higher stiffness than the mainline Speed models. The new layup also played into the solid comfort level the racquet had. Even with its 68 RA, I found the frame to play quite comfortably. The softer lower hoop helped offset impact shock and ensured the racquet was consistently comfortable, even off center.

Overall

Players after something lightning fast with easy power will enjoy this new update from Head. It boasts effortless wing speeds, easy spin access and enough feel and control to win points from all areas of the court. The new Graphene 360+ Speed Lite is an excellent option for players who prioritize mobility and want a racquet that brings substantial blend of power and feel to their game.

About the Reviewer: Matt Locke formerly served for 3 years as the Junior Programs & Development Coordinator for USTA-Idaho. He is a PTR certified coach and is an active USTA 4.5 League and Tournament player.