Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.8

When hitting groundstrokes with the Speed Pro Legend, our playtesters noticed an impressive blend of precision, control and feel. The crisp and stable response at contact made it easy for them to feel connected to each shot, whether hitting flat or with spin, and the racquet's maneuverability made adjusting to different playing styles feel almost effortless. Michelle explained, "This is the type of racquet that I should probably be playing with. It has an emphasis on control, is forgiving and offers a great experience for big hitters. The 100-square-inch head with the 18x20 pattern helped me dial in my targeting, and it wasn’t hard to find spin and arc when needed. I had a lot of fun driving the flattest balls possible just barely over the net and deep into the baseline. I felt connected to my shots, and I found the stringbed to be very forgiving and stable at impact no matter the speed I was swinging or how fast the ball was coming to me. This Speed Legend Pro has a great balance of maneuverability and plow through, which allowed me to put balls away confidently while still being able to find angles and get around the ball. The Speed Pro Legend is on the lower end of the power spectrum, but as the playtest progressed, I found I could make tiny string adjustments to help with anything I was missing."

The Speed Legend Pro's dense string pattern delivered great feel and control, allowing Chris to hit touch shots without losing accuracy. He found that this update actually offered even more feel than the 2024 version. He said, "I loved the response of this racquet from the baseline. Having a history of using the Head Prestige 600 and also enjoying the Gravity Pro, I've always found each iteration of the Speed Pro to offer a little more power to help me get the ball away. Another plus for me is the 18x20 string pattern, which packs tons of feel and control so I don't lose much, if any, touch on my drop shots. This updated Speed Pro Legend offers even more feel than the outgoing 2024 model. I also loved the sound of this racquet when I was hitting the ball with pace. A full and fast swing resulted in a pleasing 'thwack' at impact. The sound, along with the improved feel, had me connected to my targets."

Troy found a lot of control and precision from the Speed Pro Legend. He said, "I really enjoyed hitting with this Speed Pro Legend 2025 from the baseline. The first thing I noticed while hitting groundstrokes was an improved and clean feel on contact. My first session hitting with this racquet, I thought to myself, 'Ooooh that's nice!' I also noticed that this Speed Pro Legend has a lot of control compared to many of the 100-square-inch racquets that I have hit with. Initially, the launch angle felt slightly low on my topspin forehands and backhands, but I adapted fairly well after a few hitting sessions. My one knock during the initial testing phase was the balance. Even though the swingweight wasn't super high compared to what I usually play with, the balance was a little top heavy, which felt off to me. We ended up adding a heat-shrink sleeve to the handle on one of our test racquets to build up the grip size, but it also made it a couple points head light, and that made a world of difference in how the racquet maneuvered."

Although Munish had some trouble producing spin at first, the Speed Pro Legend's maneuverability allowed him to accelerate the head through contact and generate the spin and clearance he needed. He said, "I wasn't getting a whole lot of power from the frame, and I kind of liked that. I was able to take bigger swings and still keep the ball in. The lower launch angle definitely helped in that aspect. I initially struggled with generating spin on my shots, but the racquet was maneuverable enough to really whip into my shot and get the racquet head speed needed to create some spin and net clearance. The Speed Pro Legend felt great on both sharp, penetrating slices and deeper, floating slices. I was able to use these two shots quite efficiently and consistently in my game, and I really liked that."

Volleys: 8.9

A clear pattern emerged in our playtesters' volleying experiences with the Speed Pro Legend 2025. They all noted the racquet's stability and solid, predictable response, which allowed them to confidently punch volleys or redirect fast-paced shots while staying in control. Munish described, "The maneuverability of the Speed Pro Legend definitely came through at the net. The racquet was quick enough to get into place for even the fastest shot, but it was stable enough to stay solid when I caught the ball a bit off the sweetspot. Some of my balls were landing a bit short at first, so I had to really punch my volleys to get them deeper into the court."

Thanks to its impressive stability and balanced flex, the Speed Pro Legend 2025 made it easy for Michelle to confidently punch volleys or add a bit of touch and place her shots exactly where she wanted. She said, “This racquet was great at the net because it offered all the stability I needed. I could punch volleys with success and even had fun with some touch. The beam felt firm, but the racquet still offered a nice flex, which helped me add in touch shots and carve out balls rather than just being super aggressive with volleys. I could place my ball on a dime thanks to the predictability and feel of this Speed Pro Legend."

Troy's only issue was that the balance felt a little head heavy, but that problem was solved after adding a heat-shrink sleeve to the handle. He explained, "When it came to the volleys, I found a nice predictable response. The racquet felt stable on contact, and I felt like I could redirect the ball even when it was hit at me with a lot of pace. The control and feel made me confident when executing my volleys and using my placement as an advantage. Honestly, my only critique here is the same one I mentioned on groundies; the balance felt a bit top-heavy, so the racquet felt clubby. After we added the heat-shrink sleeve, this Speed Pro Legend felt dialed in! The added handle weight made me love this racquet on volleys with a nice head-light feel."

Chris let the Speed Pro Legend's mass do the work for him, and he was making the most of his variety at net. He said, "The Speed Pro Legend 2025 felt dialed in on volleys. I enjoyed a good blend of stability and maneuverability. I could relax on my volleys and let the mass of the racquet do the work, yet I also found it easy to position the racquet during quick exchanges. Touch was top notch with this Speed Pro Legend, and my drop volleys and angles were finding their targets. The racquet offered enough power to help me dig out tough volleys and to put the ball away when given an easy shot."

Serves: 8.5

While the Speed Pro Legend 2025 didn’t provide enough power or spin on serves to create a lot of free points, our testers found that small adjustments, such as tweaking string tension or gauge, could optimize pace, spin and bite. Munish described, "I wasn't getting many free points or aces, but I was able to hit my spots consistently. My kick serve took a decent hit, and I wasn't getting the same kick I usually get from my racquet, but it was enough to keep control of the point from the get-go, so I wasn't too upset. This is another situation where I really appreciated the maneuverability of the Speed Pro Legend."

Chris was also able to get a good amount of slice on his spin serves, which allowed him to play aggressively. He said, "I served well with the Speed Pro Legend 2025. I was able to generate ample pace, and the controlled stringbed helped me find my targets. I got plenty of slice on my spin serves to allow me to be aggressive, while still finding some margin of error. The response of the racquet felt very comfortable, and again, the sound was great."

Although the Speed Pro Legend didn't provide Troy with the best access to spin on his serves, it did help him serve accurately and aggressively. He said, "I liked how this racquet complemented my flat first serves and my overall placement of the ball within the service box. The 18x20 string pattern made feel connected to the ball when going for my spots, and I liked how I could be aggressive and attack the first serves. My slice and kick serves were lacking a little bit of grip and bite on the ball. I was eventually able to adjust on my slice and kick serves, but I still never quite got the easy bite and net clearance that I do with my usual 16x19 string pattern."

Michelle felt like she could have used a little more help from the Speed Pro Legend on serves. She explained, "Serves were the one spot I was craving a bit more pop and spin from this Speed Pro Legend, but a simple string adjustment (something strung looser, with a bit of pop and bite and a thinner gauge) was all the adjustment I really needed to make. On the flip side, I was really hitting my targets, and the ball was biting the court well. I thought my slice serves benefited the most with this racquet, but I was not hitting my hardest serves."

Returns: 8.9

The Speed Pro Legend 2025's solid response and dense string pattern helped generate grip on slice and topspin returns, which gave our playtesters the ability to be aggressive while still maintaining control. Michelle values control on this shot in particular, so the Speed Pro Legend ended up being a great fit for her game. She said, “This racquet is everything I need for returning! I tend to swing big on returns and am always looking for the most control for this shot, so this was a good match. The Speed Pro Legend was stable and could plow through the ball, but I wasn't missing as many returns as I would with more powerful frames. The targeting was great too. Since adding padel into my world, I am having fun hitting with more touch, and I found I could play around with returns and hit a short drop shot or sharp angle off the court."

Troy used the Speed Pro Legend to comfortably block back high-speed serves without too much trouble. He said, "I don't quite have the return prowess of the legendary Novak Djokovic, but with this racquet in hand I felt like I could block back high-speed serves with relative ease. Although this racquet isn't as heavy or as beefy as my weighted-up Yonex EZONE 98+, I still found enough mass to help me hit returns with good depth and plow through. I use a lot of slice and chip lobs on my backhand returns, and this racquet worked well for that. Like I mentioned before, I found a big improvement in the maneuverability after adding the heat-shrink sleeve. In the beginning I was noticing a lower launch angle than I was hoping for, but after some adjustments, I was able to find my targets."

Chris appreciated the spin, both topspin and slice, that he could get with the Speed Pro Legend on his returns. He described, "The solid response and the high level of control made this a great racquet to return serves with. I was able to hit my targets consistently. I liked the amount of grip I was getting on the ball with my backhand slice return. I was able to hit a low skidding shot to give my opponent a tough third shot in the rally. My topspin shots also had ample RPMs, enabling me to be aggressive while still being consistent."

The Speed Pro Legend made for some very successful returns for Munish. He said, "Returns of serve and volleys are where the stability of this frame was on display the most for me. Usually, when I play with 100-square-inch racquets I worry about racquet instability as soon as I hit outside the sweetspot, but when I got to that point with the Speed Pro Legend, the racquet stayed put. I found myself swinging into returns of heavier serves where I'd otherwise just be blocking them back. The lower powered feel and dense string pattern definitely play a role. I was swinging even bigger on second serve returns, and I had a lot more directional control. I got a few return winners with this racquet, but even when I didn't, I felt like I had more control over points than I usually would. If I had to change one thing about my experience on returns, it would be to have a bit more power from the racquet for more penetrating shots."

Breakdown Summary