HEAD Liquidmetal® INSTINCT Editors' Choice
(Tennis Magazine)
GEAR: Spring Racquet Guide: The Heavyweights
Who It's For: Imagine strong juniors with their eyes on college
scholarships and you'll get an idea of this racquet's target audience. It's
specifically for aggressive all-courters, who will probably spend a bit
more time at the baseline than the net and are looking to add some power to
their shots without sacrificing control to get it.
How It Tested: With a mid-plus head, fairly heavy weight, and stiff
construction, the Instinct has an outstanding blend of power and control on
long strokes. Testers said the Instinct added depth to their ground
strokes and volleys without costing them control. When their opponents
blasted the ball, the Instinct allowed them to block it back accurately and
with a surprising amount of pace. As one player said, "It's as if the
racquet puts a charge into the ball." This is due to the Instinct's
stability: It rarely twists in your hand when you miss the sweet spot,
thanks to Liquidmetal, a superstiff alloy that's placed at the 10, 2, 5 and
7 o'clock positions in the head. The stability significantly helped
players execute every shot, from the easy (midcourt sitters) to the hard
(half-volleys). If the Instinct has any weakness, it's a slight lack of
maneuverability on quick volley exchanges. After a couple of matches,
though, net players got into the swing of things, too.
Bottom Line: An exceptionally stable racquet that adds clout to a heavy
hitter's game.
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