Head Gravity String Review

Control - Score: 75 / Power - Score: 55

Hybrid strings tend to get whatever power they have from the inclusion of a soft multifilament or natural gut string. Despite Gravity omiting the soft string altogether, our team discovered a little power under the hood. Andy explained, "I found this string to be pretty lively, and it offered an ample amount of power compared to some other polyester strings. At the same time, there wasn't quite as much control as I typically have with deader-feeling polys. As far as polyester strings are concerned, Gravity leans more toward power and less toward control, making it a nice choice for players transitioning into the world of polys from softer strings."

Marco also noticed this string's powerful side, but he had no problems with control. He said, "I found this string to be fairly lively for a full poly hybrid, but it still had plenty of control on all shots, especially because it has such great spin potential. Gravity's balance of power and control allowed me to apply pressure at the right times. I liked that I could address the ball without having to worry about my shot landing short or sailing long. The response was very predictable."

Spin - Score: 85

With its triangular shaped main string and thin, low-friction cross string, Gravity is specially designed to grab and rotate a tennis ball. According to our team, the design works. This turned out to be an extremely spin-friendly combination. Marco was impressed. He said, "The triangular main string put some good bite on the ball, which helped me generate some good spin. The combination of the two poly strings definitely created a noticeable difference in spin compared to a full bed of poly, and it suited my game well."

Andy had all the spin he needed. He said, "The triangular main string gets the ball rotating off the stringbed nicely, giving the string setup excellent spin potential. I was able to get my topspin shots to jump off the court surface and my slices to stay really low. The above average spin potential also helped add a bit more precision to a lively string."

Comfort - Score: 60

For a hybrid made of two poly-based strings, our team found Gravity plenty of comfort. According to Andy, the high comfort level should make it a good option for players using polyester strings for the first time. He said, "Mostly because of its lively response, Gravity felt more comfortable than other full beds of polyester string I've tried. Once again, the above average comfort makes this a nice first poly for players who are used to softer strings like multifilaments, synthetic or natural gut. It's not the softest string around, but it is one of the more comfortable options in a category of strings that aren't typically the most arm-friendly."

Marco also found plenty of comfort from Gravity. He said, "This hybrid mix provided a pleasantly soft feel at contact and helped me get more connected with my shots. I didn't feel any discomfort with this string, and you can string the mains and crosses at different tensions until you get the right balance."

Feel - Score: 80

For the most part, our team reported favorably on Gravity's softer feel. Marco appreciated the low vibration and absence of harsh feedback on off-center hits. He said, "Whether I caught the ball in the center of the frame or not, this string provided a nice, soft response. With my usual dampener I felt less vibrations from this string, so I experimented with a rubber band as a dampener to get a bit more response from the stringbed."

"At contact, this string has a comfortably crisp feel," said Andy. "There's nice ball bite, but I don't particularly think this string pockets the ball all that well. As you brush the ball it seems to just slide off the strings with good spin as opposed to it really sinking into the stringbed. Gravity feels crisp, as opposed to other soft, more muted options."

Playability Duration - Score: 68

Like every tennis string ever made, Gravity starts losing tension the minute it is pulled of the stringer, and it doesn't stop losing tension until it snaps or is mercifully cut out of the racquet. Softer co-polys are particularly vulnerable to this problem, and Gravity is no exception. For Andy, the tension loss resulted in noticeable control problems by the third week of hitting. He said, "Typical of softer polyester strings, I didn't feel like the playability duration was anything to write home about. I found a noticeable drop in tension within 2-3 weeks, and the string got livelier and less controllable. Shortly after that the string began to feel a bit mushy. I'd recommend restringing this by about the 3 to 4-week mark at the latest."

Marco didn't notice any huge changes in the playability, but he did run into some durability issues. He said, "The string started out great, but as the playtest wore on I noticed the mains started to get a little stuck out of position. This didn't affect the string's playability for me, and I wasn't fixated on having to move the string back into position either, which was a good thing. Durability was middle of the road and slightly on the lower side for me, which I expected due to the thinner gauges. Tension maintenance was good throughout the life of this string."

Overall - Score: 79