You may not have seen them yet, but Head is about to release some new sticks that will make more than a few heads turn. The MicroGEL™ line of racquets still features the flexpoint at 3 and 9 o’clock on the frame, and the handles are still large compared to many racquets on the street (i.e., small hands might find them to be a bit unwieldy), but they all swing easily and pack plenty of punch.
Leading the charge is the black and yellow MicroGEL™ Extreme. It’s the frame of choice of World No. 3 David Palmer, and it comes loaded with power and feel. At 135g unstrung, there’s a lot of weight behind every shot and the balance is head heavy. The slightest swing will provide all the power you could ask for. And the stiffness of the head results in excellent feel when volleying and laying in those feather-soft dropshots. Though the weight of this model slows down its reaction time a bit, if you’ve got the strength and reflexes to maneuver this bad boy, the ball had better watch out.
Also featuring the open throat of the Extreme is the black and white MicroGEL™ Instinct. Like its sibling, this stick provides tremendous power but with even more weight behind it. At 155g unstrung, it doesn’t actually feel heavier than the Extreme because the Instinct is more evenly balanced. The result? A readily maneuverable racquet, despite its weight, that will rocket the ball around the court and beg you to drop the ball short at will.
Head also brings to the GEL line two closed throat models. The blue and white MicroGEL™ 125 weighs considerably less (125g unstrung) than either of the two open throat models making its responsiveness eye-popping. With a head-heavy balance, there is still plenty of power—though it requires a little more oomph from its owner because of its lighter body. You’ll love the ability to cut those cross-courts off at the T at the blink of an eye. Excellent feel for the ball with its stiff head also makes dropping the ball a breeze—just like World No. 2 Ramy Ashour.
Finally there’s the red and white MicroGEL™ 145 weighing in at 145g unstrung. Like the Instinct, the 145 may carry more weight, but it is more evenly balanced to reduce the overall heavy feel. The result is a heftier closed-throat stick that is still responsive, power-hungry and looking for players with an all-court game.
Check out the MicroGEL™ racquets from Head. You might like what you find. www.head.com.
