Stephan has been testing the new Head Gravity 2023 rackets in recent weeks. Here is an extensive review of the Head Gravity MP 2023 . A review of the Pro version will follow soon.
Tester:
Player name: Stephan Couzijn Level: 5/6 Type of player: all courter, eastern grip, one-handed backhand, fairly flat shots Own racket: Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour. Player's racket history: Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95, Wilson Six-One 95, Head Radical, Dunlop Airgel 300 Tour, Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, Wilson Pro Staff 95, Wilson Juice Pro, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Gravity, among others MP, Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV, Prince Synergy 98, Babolat Pure Aero VS, Head Extreme Tour and the Yonex VCORE 98.Tested racket/specifications:
Brand: Head Model: Gravity MP 2023 Head size: 100 sq/inch Weight: 295 gr Balance: 32.5 cm String pattern: 16×20 Length: 27 inch RA: 59 Beam: 22mm / 22mm / 22mm Head CPI (Control Power Index): 400 Swingweight: 319 (our demo was at 323) Stringing: this demo was delivered with the Head Hawk 1.25 stringing at an average number of kg.
Intro:
It is undeniable; we're going to be spoiled like never before in 2023, with major racket releases throughout the year. In addition to my preference for Head's Extreme line, I am particularly interested in the brand new Auxetic Gravity line. A few years ago I played with the first version of the Head Gravity MP and Head Gravity Tour. I especially thought the MP was a wonderful racket with its 16x20 string pattern, but it ultimately turned out to be just a little too light to be stable enough against hard hitters. Everything about the Head Gravity MP feels like a “players frame”. It is a nice thin frame that gives you a wonderfully direct feeling with the ball and is very accurate from the baseline. In addition, the racket is very forgiving and has more than enough power as you would expect from a 100 sq/inch frame. I was also a huge fan of the Head Gravity Pro, but I never played with it competitively because I couldn't get the swingweight around enough. At first glance, the specifications of the new Head Gravity MP 2023 with Auxetic technology appear to have remained the same. The racket weighs 295 grams and has a head size of 100 sq/inch, a string pattern of 16x20 and a frame width of 22 millimeters. At first I was a little disappointed, but when I heard that Head had increased the swingweight slightly (at least noticeable in this demo) I got super excited because increasing the swingweight is the most efficient way to improve stability . In short: I couldn't wait to put this new Head Gravity MP 2023 through the test. Apart from the increase in swingweight, the most important change is of course the introduction of the Auxetic technology, which I was very pleased with during my test of the new Extreme Tour.
Racket rating:
First of all, I think the design with the silver mother-of-pearl-like color is beautiful and clearly an upgrade compared to his predecessors. I also like the feel of the matte "finish". So on the outside the Head Gravity MP 2023 is already a success. Now for the playing feeling.Baseline:
From the backfield I immediately notice a difference between my old Gravity MP and this new Auxetic version. The racket has more power, but is also much more stable in stock form. This will mainly have to do with the increased swingweight and the Auxetic technology. The Head Gravity MP 2023 could still use a slight weight increase, but is already much more stable. The balance feels a bit too much towards the top of the frame because normally rackets with a swingweight around 330 often have a lower balance point in stock form. A leather grip would improve balance and increase static weight. I can easily pass both my backhand and my forehand, resulting in more than sufficient length in my strokes. The launch angle also seems to be a little lower, which suits my more flat strokes better. So from the baseline only positive sounds. The slice is also razor sharp. Because the weight is more concentrated at the top, the maneuverability and therefore the spin potential is slightly less than other rackets. On the other hand, you can get a lot of length in your strokes without too much effort.
Volleys:
Just like with its predecessor, it was easy to complete at the net. Due to the relatively light weight, it was not difficult to maneuver the racket quickly. The racket feels solid, which allowed me to push and put away the volleys well. With the smashes you feel that there is a little more weight in the top of the racket. You can really fire quite a bit. The balls exploded. To be honest, the fulling went better than expected. My expectation of a 100 sq/inch blade with a large swing weight was that it would be difficult to respond compared to, for example, my own Head Extreme Tour or the Head Radical MP 2023, but that turned out not to be too bad.To serve:
As expected, serving with the Head Gravity MP 2023 was very easy. The racket has more than enough power to deliver cannonballs in all angles and positions. Slice served services also come off well. Despite the swingweight, I get more than enough racket head speed to land the balls in the service court at a high pace. Precision is sometimes difficult for me with a 100 sq/inch frame. Somehow the balls sometimes want to fly off, causing me to lose control with full blown balls. That is certainly not the case with this Head Gravity MP Auxetic. I think the 16x20 string pattern makes a positive contribution to this, together with the slim construction of the frame. Just a little more control than an open 16x19 and not as planky as an 18x20. In short, the best of both worlds.
