If you’re looking for sticks from Head, they’ve got your whole family covered with their latest offerings. From the stout (okay, hefty) to the pint sized (aka, “junior”) and just about everything in between, Head’s new “YouTek™” frames provide plenty of options to choose from.
But before you ask, “What is YouTek technology,” YouTek is really a catch phrase for a number of technologies built into the Head frames with “You” in mind. By that we mean that the technologies in the frames are adaptable under different conditions; all you have to do is hit the ball.
Topping the list of tech stuff is “d30™” which Head says is, “a ‘smart material’ made from specially designed molecules.” That smartness is critical because it is capable of “locking together” under high impact (i.e., when you hit the ball hard) or absorbing impact when you you hit the ball slowly (e.g., drops and lobs). The point is that the frame will stiffen to enhance power and soften for a softer touch.
The other “You” tech piece is grommets with a Teflon® friction-reducing polymer to allow the strings to slide with little friction (i.e., little loss of energy) which means the power you put in can go back to the ball.
If you want to learn more about the science behind these Head racquets, visit their website. You’ll find all you want by reading their squash and tennis info.
Now for the good stuff—the racquets.
The Anion 135 sports a teardrop head, even balance to slightly head heavy; feels light despite weighing in at 164g (strung). The string pattern is much more open than the open throat Head frames which can allow for more bite on the ball but also with more string movement.
The bright yellow Neon 130 is decidedly head heavy requiring more than average “umph” to get it going but packs plenty of power once you get it up and running. A very stiff frame (as are all of these racquets) which enhances the feel for the ball. The head is slightly wider than the other open throat frames providing room for two additional main strings (16) to maintain a dense string pattern.
Like the Neon 130, the Xenon 135 is also noticeably head heavy though it tipped our scales at 162g (strung) as compared to 164g (strung) with the Neon—clearly not much different. But the Xenon head is narrower than the Neon’s and sports just 14 main strings resulting in a more open string pattern. The smaller head size makes it feel more maneuverable.
And finally the Argon 155 weighing in at a sizeable 179g (strung). Just slightly head heavy, the added weight does not prevent those less-muscularly inclined from being able to generate a swing to get this beast going. And the extra weight does result in more power.
An interesting note is that all of these frames came to us strung with 16 gauge string (relatively thick). So if you prefer a thinner gauge, that will reduce the head weight a bit, especially in the Neon 130 since there is more string in it.
