The mijnracket.nl team has the scoop to be one of the very first in the Netherlands to review the brand new Head Gravity stringing. This string will not be on the market until 2016, but we already have a review for you! The Head Gravity offers a lot of spin, but with the retention of ball feel and touch.
Specifications:
Brand: Head String type: Gravity Mains gauge (length strings): 1.25 (17) Cross gauge (cross strings): 1.20 (18)
Tested by: Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Type of player: somewhat classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself Racket: Head Graphene Radical MP, 98 sq/inch, regular 16/19 stringing pattern String hardness: 24/24 kg with a stringing range of 22-26 kilos Test duration: 8 hours
Rating: Durability: 8 Tension retention: 7 Spin/slice: 8 Ball feel: 7 Power: 7 Control: 7 Comfort/arm friendliness: 7
As can be seen above, the Head Gravity is a hybrid string, which means that the Gravity has different length and cross strings. Both strings are polyester strings, of which the length string is triangularly shaped for extra grip on the ball for spin and slice and the cross string is simply round. The length string is reminiscent of the Prince Tour XS (Xtra Spin) and has extremely sharp corners, which gives the ball extra rotation and therefore spin. The round, soft polyester cross string offers a lot of comfort and ball feel for a string in this genre, but ensures good durability due to the sturdy coating, so that the sharp length string does not burn in too quickly. In terms of durability, the string combination appears to be fine. What was noticeable after about 8 hours of playing is that the Head Gravity had hardly lost any tension. Very nice that you can count on constant playing characteristics of the string. The grip on the ball for extra spin and slice is very nice, especially for a player like me with somewhat flatter groundstrokes. The string also offers some extra kick and slice on the ball when serving. The thinner, somewhat softer cross string gives some extra feel and comfort in its entirety, but also offers good wear resistance due to the durable coating. The strings of the Head Gravity are still somewhat elastic for polyester standards, which benefits comfort, vibration dampening and ball feel. As with many strings in this genre, you have to generate a bit more power yourself. Due to the extra spin effect of this string, I got a bit more margin in my strokes from the baseline, which contributes to extra control overall. The string also works fine at the net. I would definitely recommend the Head Gravity to baseliners who are looking for more spin and margin in their strokes, but also find ball feel and a certain degree of comfort/arm friendliness important.