In this extensive review, Stephan compares the Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour with several other racquets, including his own Gravity MP.
Tester
Player name: Stephan Couzijn Level: 5/6 Player type: 44 year old, all-courter, eastern grip, one-handed backhand, fairly flat strokes Own racket: Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP Player's racket history: Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95, Wilson Six-One 95, Head Radical, Dunlop Aerogel 300 Tour, Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, Wilson Pro Staff 95, Wilson Juice Pro, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Gravity MP.Specifications Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour
Brand: Head Model: Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour Head size: 100 sq/inch Weight: 305 gr Balance: 32.0 cm Stringing pattern: 18x20 Length: 27 inch RA: 61 Beam: 22 mm constant Stringing: Diadem Flash 17, 22/21 kg
Intro
In my previous review I was impressed by the Gravity MP. What was striking was that the balance of the MP is more upwards. This is different from the rackets I normally play with. Despite that I was so impressed that I bought a frame to play with. That was a few weeks ago now and I am still convinced that Head has introduced a beautiful racket line with the Gravity. In short, I can't wait to test the slightly heavier brother of the MP, the Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour.
The Gravity Tour is 10 grams heavier than the MP and comes unstrung at 305 grams, has an 18 x 20 string pattern (instead of 16 x 20), which puts it in the spectrum of racquets such as the Pure Strike (18 x 20), Wilson Blade (18 x 20) and Prince Textreme2 Tour 100P. All of these blades offer good maneuverability and are control oriented, the question is, does the Gravity Tour add something extra to this series of racquets or not?
First Impressions Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour
What strikes me first in the Gravity series, or rather confuses me, is the naming of the frames, MP, Tour and Pro. No idea in which order I should place these frames. If I arrange them along the line of weight it is MP, Tour and then the Pro. I will assume that for convenience. It is clear that a playtest must be used to be able to make the real distinction.
In the case of the Gravity Tour versus the Gravity MP, the big difference is in the weight. At 305 grams, the Gravity Tour is just that little bit heavier and therefore a little harder to get around. With a similar balance of 33.0 cm, the swingweight is also a little heavier.
Thanks to the new technology, both rackets are very comfortable to play with, so the most important consideration when choosing between these two rackets is how good you are at creating racket speed and how powerful you are. In fact, you could say that in the normal line of rackets you often see an MP version and a Pro version. Head has put a racket in between with the Tour. That makes the Tour the most unique of the three in my eyes. Given my enthusiasm about the Head Gravity MP, you can already guess that I will certainly also place the Tour in the category of good rackets, but is it also 'the proof is in the pudding'?
Baseline
On the baseline you notice how much racket speed you can generate yourself and how much help you need from your racket. The difference is then reflected in the length of your strokes with a normal swing. With the MP I sometimes had trouble keeping length in my strokes. Due to the slightly higher weight of the Head Gravity Tour I got significantly more length in my strokes without having to make more effort. That immediately appealed to me. This despite the fact that the swing weight is considerably higher. So it depends on whether you are powerful enough to get the racket around. If you succeed, you can immediately hit heavier balls with this Head Gravity Tour.
Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour vs competition
The Head Gravity Tour is certainly a control-oriented frame, but compared to its competitors such as the Wilson Blade and the Babolat Pure Strike, this racket plays a little easier. Another important difference is the relatively low RA value (61). So players with shoulder problems would certainly do well to try out this Head Gravity 360+ Tour. For players who are used to a 16x19 string pattern, the switch to an 18x20 will still feel very different. But strangely enough, I didn't find that much different with this Head Gravity Tour. The spin potential of this racket is not enormous, you have to hit hard and let the racket do the work. If you manage to do that, the balls will definitely jump up quite a bit.
I am used to the 18x20 string patterns traditionally, so it was an easy transition to get used to the Gravity Tour. I could generate more than enough tempo with both my forehand and backhand and easily get depth in my strokes compared to the MP.
Especially with service returns the extra swing weight of Tour comes in handy. You should not have a lazy day because then the Tour quickly feels heavy due to its higher balance point. Especially my backhand slice went remarkably sharp against the lines.
The Gravity Tour has a bit more punch under the hood than the MP in my opinion, but for most players it just comes down to what weight you feel more comfortable with and which racquet suits your playing style better. Compared to its competitors in the market, the Gravity Tour plays easier in my opinion.
Volleys
The Gravity MP was a joy on the net. The same goes for the Gravity Tour. The 18x20 string pattern provides control, but the flexibility of the frame also provides ample comfort and feel. In plain English: you don't feel like you're banging a cast iron pan.
The Gravity MP allows you to react a little faster due to the slightly lower swing weight. On the other hand, the Tour is a little more stable on hard incoming shots and will not slip out of your hands as quickly. In this case, I prefer the MP because my reaction time at the net sometimes leaves something to be desired. Ultimately, this is a personal thing, but at the higher levels I think the Gravity Tour comes into its own better. On most volleys, the Gravity Tour remained quite solid, but when the ball was really hit straight at me and I had to hit a difficult volley, it lacked the kind of stability that you only find in real volley rackets with a smaller head such as the Prince Textreme2 Tour 95 or the Wilson Ultra Tour. But that of course also has to do with my slow reaction.
Service
I was pleasantly surprised when serving with the Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour. The extra swing weight was agile enough to be able to deliver big hits. The kick serve also came out well due to the extra weight. The control of the Gravity Tour allows you to follow through well, especially on the second serve, without fear of losing control.
The Gravity Tour has everything I look for when serving. I enjoy the extra weight which works very well for me. There will be stronger players who want something heavier, but for the majority of us the Gravity Tour will do the job more than adequately. This was my favorite part of the playtest, besides the baseline shots.
Bottom line
Overall this was another great playtest. The Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Tour is a great alternative to the Gravity MP without being too much of a difference. The Gravity Tour is more than capable of competing with its rivals from other brands. If you want control, feel, maneuverability and comfort then this is a racquet to look at. Even if you find the MP a little too light then the Tour is a nice little step up.
As I said, I think the Gravity racquets are a great addition to the Head lineup and they certainly offer something a little different than the other racquets on the market. When you think of Head racquets, you have the Prestige racquets as the signature control racquets, but the Gravity racquets offer similar control in a more forgiving frame.
Personally, I'm a big fan of that mix of control and feel and would definitely consider the Gravity Tour if I were looking for a new racquet in the 305g range. I think this racquet would do well in the hands of someone with a decent amount of technique and/or for someone looking for a bit more control and looking to step up to an 18x20 frame. Furthermore, the Gravity Tour suits a variety of playing styles.
The beautiful combination of “old school' feel and modern comfort makes the Head Gravity Tour one of those rackets that makes tennis feel natural and I'm a big fan of that!