Novak Djokovic's new weapon has landed! The Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro uses the new Graphene Touch material for more feel, cushioning and stability. This racket is one of only 2 Head performance rackets with a classic 18/20 string pattern for optimal ball control!
Brand: Head Model: Graphene Touch Speed Pro Blade size: 100 sq/inch Weight: 310 gr Balance: 31.5 cm Stringing pattern: 18/20 Length: 27 inch RA: 63 The new Graphene Touch material from Head has already been discussed on our website. This new Speed series is the first racket family with this new material. In short, Graphene Touch provides a solid playing feel, but with a more dampening effect. This makes the feel of the rackets 'less hollow' at ball impact. This can also be heard at ball impact.
Graphene itself is an ultra-light material that is used around the heart of the racket. This allows extra weight to be moved to the top and to the handle of the racket. This 'polarization' of the weight provides more power and stability in the Head rackets. This Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro combines this with a more dampening feel for more comfort and touch. The Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro is, together with the Graphene XT Prestige MP, only one of the two performance rackets that Head offers with a compact 18/20 stringing pattern. This fine-meshed stringing pattern provides optimal ball control, especially for a racket with this head size. A comparable racket in this segment (also with a 100 sq/inch head size) is the Babolat Pure Aero Tour. This racket may offer even more power, but does not offer the control that this new Speed Pro does.
Initial playtests have shown that the Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro does indeed offer more comfort than its predecessors. The third generation Graphene certainly provides a more cushioning feel. In terms of feel, the racket is more similar to the first Graphene version than to the previous Graphene XT version. The Graphene XT version of the Speed Pro was a lot stiffer than this Graphene Touch version (RA 67 vs RA 63). This offered more free power, but was also a bit more spicy on the arm. In terms of ball control and touch, the Speed Pro has certainly improved. Players looking for direct feedback from a racket may have to get used to the slightly softer feel of the Head Graphene Touch Speed Pro. The 100 sq/inch head gives the racket a fairly generous sweet spot for a racket in this segment. However, the 18/20 stringing pattern provides more than enough control to handle the power and speed of this frame. The result is a racket that you don't have to worry about overheating, but that still gives you enough drive and power. The spin potential of the new Speed Pro is sufficient. However, if you are looking for more spin, the lighter Speed MP with the more open 16/19 string pattern would be a better choice.
Read our own test report of the Head Graphene Touch Speed MP soon, the lighter and more versatile brother of this Speed Pro!