Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.6

Our playtesters instantly noticed a softer feel when hitting with the Gravity Pro 2025. This racquet provided Troy with a ton of control at the baseline. He explained, "I found great comfort and a plush feel, just as I would expect. I also noticed an increase in maneuverability. It had a bit of a whippier feel on my forehands, especially anytime I was hitting on the run, and I could get that little extra flick on my shots to dip them cross court. I loved the smooth feel of this racquet on my backhand slice; there was lots of control, and it plowed through nice and easy (maybe a bit less plow through than the last version, but still good). On the downside, I didn’t always have as much spin and bite on the ball (having the dense 18x20 pattern) as I wanted, and although I could generate racquet head speed more easily with this update, there were times when the launch angle was low. Also, with the thin beam design and low stiffness, I was often left wanting just a bit more put-away power when I was trying to hit hard and flat to drive the ball through the court."

As a player who tends to prefer thicker beams and stiffer setups, Michelle has not found the Gravity line of racquets to be her favorite in the Head lineup, but she was hopeful for this playtest. She said, "I got my hands on the previous version of the Gravity Pro and customized it a bit to a higher static and swingweight that was similar to what my Wilson Pro Staff RF 97s measure up to. I loved that racquet, so I had high hopes for the 2025 update! I found this racquet to be lower in power than previous versions, which left me feeling like I had to work harder to win points and put balls away. While I appreciated the maneuverable and manageable swingweight, I struggled hitting balls through the court and found points lasting longer. The racquet seemed to absorb power, and I found loads of control and direction, but with longer points my shots felt less effective. I found the same access to spin as the previous version and really enjoyed knifing backhand slices with this racquet. I was hoping to have time to customize this racquet a tad to get the swingweight and static weight a little higher, but I didn't get the chance. The Gravity Pro 2025 just isn't what I’m looking for in a racquet, and I still lean more toward something that is a bit stiffer and has more pop, like the Radical Pro."

"From the baseline, the Gravity Pro 2025 felt like a control-oriented racquet with no shortage of power, and it was gratifying in every way," added Mark. "Its mass and balance produced a heavy ball without requiring a ton of racquet head speed, and also made judging shot depth off either wing easy. The tight 18x20 pattern afforded a low launch angle, which complemented my backhand slice to the point where it became one of my favorite shots to hit. When paired with an edgy polyester, the Gravity Pro 2025 was extremely topspin friendly as well. My backcourt game plan is to absorb pace, develop a bit of my own and change the direction of the ball. I have to say this racquet was ideal for those purposes."

Zsofi could see the appeal of the Gravity Pro 2025 and understands why so many players really love it, but she needed an adjustment period to get the most out of this lower powered racquet. She described, "I really enjoyed this racquet once I got used to it. It became very obvious to me quickly that the Gravity Pro 2025 is low in power, which I loved because I had the sensation that I could hit balls as hard as I wanted and my shots would stay in. I truly enjoyed playing aggressive tennis from the baseline. On the other hand, it made me work harder for my shots and to get balls to land deeper in the court. The launch angle of the racquet is also very low, definitely lower than what I am used to. I found myself having to really pay attention to get the higher launch angle that I like and to put the spin on the ball that I need for my game. I needed to take bigger swings to get the most out of this racquet, instead of my typical shorter ones, which was also a bit of an adjustment for me. However, when I hit the ball flat and went all-out with a big cut, I loved the sensation from the Gravity Pro 2025. I also loved the control and the comfort. The precision was on point, and I especially enjoyed the sharp slices I could hit."

Volleys: 8.5

The Gravity Pro 2025 just clicked with our testers at the net. Although it may not have been the perfect fit for Michelle at the baseline, she found the feel at net outstanding. She said, "I felt like I could hit my volleys on a dime. Because I was trying to end points aggressively, I would try to find a short ball to attack with purpose and follow it forward to put the ball away with a volley. I was working on moving forward off any weak returns, and I felt confident once I was up at the net. The Gravity Pro 2025 was really stable and easy to get into position against everyone I was playing against, so I have no complaints here."

"Crisp, responsive and extremely obedient" is how Mark described the feel and performance of this racquet at the net. He added, "The combination of the 2025 Gravity Pro's weight, balance, stiffness and string pattern was great for hitting both point-saving and point-ending volleys."

The Gravity Pro 2025 felt very solid at the net for Zsofi, but she thought there was one thing holding it back. She said, "I was missing a bit of touch from my volleys, and I felt like I had to really step into them to get the ball deeper in the court."

Troy found this Gravity Pro to be pretty easy to use at the net. He explained, "There was enough mass built in for it to feel solid and stable against heavy hitters, while it also felt comfortable and plush on contact. I have hit with some firmer racquets lately, and this Gravity Pro was a nice change, especially on my volleys, where I often notice discomfort in my wrist.  I could execute soft drop volleys with no issues. Like I mentioned in the groundstroke section, there's not a ton of free power, but when it comes to my volleys, control and placement are more important."

Serves: 8.5

Our team enjoyed serving with the Gravity Pro 2025 but did note a lack of spin due to the tighter 18x20 string pattern. That said, Troy found plenty of control on his serves and was able to hit his targets effectively. He said, "The 18x20 string pattern worked well on my flat serves, but I didn't get as much bite on the ball on my spin serves. I tested this Gravity Pro side by side with the Gravity Tour 2025 (98-square-inch head size), and that racquet has a more open string pattern, which made it much easier for me to hit kick and slice serves. I didn't find the easy power that I find with stiffer or longer racquets, but the mass and swingweight of this racquet helped me plow through the ball, which allowed me to hit a heavy serve. This update also felt a bit more maneuverable than previous iterations, and that helped with spin somewhat, even though it wasn't quite up there with the Gravity Tour 2025."

"I fully enjoyed everything this racquet had to offer on serves, and the more controlled feel allowed me to get dialed into my swing and timing while effectively hitting my targets," added Michelle. "I loved hitting the T serve off both sides, and I had a lot of fun carving slice serves wide on the deuce side, then hitting a flatter serve into the corner on the ad side. I would say I hit more flat and slice serves rather than kickers because my access to spin was limited, and I felt like those serves worked best for me with the Gravity Pro 2025.”

Mark felt like he could completely rely on the Gravity Pro 2025 while serving. He said, “Serves out wide on the ad side and serves aimed at the body on the deuce court were my favorites to hit. That said, what I enjoyed most was the slight increase in pace and consistency I had serving with this stick."

The Gravity Pro 2025 helped enable Zsofi's successful slice serves. She said, "I had easy access to my beloved slice serves, and I could trust them pretty well too."

Returns: 8.3

With the Gravity Pro 2025 in their hands, our playtesters were swinging big, hitting out and getting rewarded when returning aggressively. Zsofi only had positive things to say when talking about returning with this racquet. She noted, "The Gravity Pro 2025 felt stable on returns, and I enjoyed starting out return points from an attacking position with the help of this racquet."

"Lots of control, a plush and comfortable feel on contact and good plow through" summed up Troy's experience when returning with the Gravity Pro 2025. He added, "The round 100-square-inch head produced a forgiving feel, and I loved stepping in and being aggressive. With the forgiveness and the mass of this racquet, my returns felt effective. The 18x20 pattern allowed me to swing hard and flat on my forehand returns, and I could control the ball well and swing big without fear of hitting long. Slice backhand returns felt nice and controlled, with good depth and plow through. My favorite aspect was the plush and comfortable feel, knowing that no matter how hard the serves were coming in, I never had to worry about a jarring or harsh response on my wrists or arms."

The previous Gravity Pro 2023 was a better fit for Michelle's returns than this 2025 model, mainly due to the update's softer feel. She explained, "I never had to worry about overhitting, but I enjoyed the previous version of this Gravity Pro just a tad more thanks to the slightly stiffer feel. I won't say this racquet was unstable, but I just didn't feel like I had complete command of the ball with this softer, more flexible Gravity Pro 2025. I tend to go all-out and strike big on my returns rather than opting for a more precise, controlled shot."

For Mark, this was yet another part of the playtest where the Gravity Pro 2025 felt solid in every way. He said, "I have a safety-oriented approach to my returns, and the overall spec of this racquet helped make my chip returns more effective in terms of pace, low trajectory and lots of backspin. I also found the Gravity Pro 2025 to be maneuverable enough for me to hit a higher percentage of topspin returns than I do with my Gravity MP XL."

Breakdown Summary