What Works
It’s a fine line when a racquet tries to strike the balance between old-school feel and control, and modern power and aggression. Usually, the scales are tipped too unfavorably in one direction. But the Gravity Pro manages to pull off the feat with favorable results. It’s one of the best-feeling racquets around, yet it doesn’t sacrifice stability in the process. It’s got just enough power to compete with the light, stiff and thick crowd, but beats them when it comes to precision, versatility and comfort.
The teardrop-shaped head gives the frame a distinctive appearance, but it has a more functional purpose—it elevates and widens the sweet spot in the upper portion of the hoop where the modern player most frequently makes contact. For a frame which oozes advanced players specs, the Gravity Pro is rather friendly. Similar in beam shape and thickness, the slightly larger head size and wider shoulders gives the frame a more playable, Prestige vibe.
It’s still demanding, and off-center hits will draw a penalty, but the sweet spot is large enough that it doesn’t happen at an alarming rate. The addition of Auxetic to the yoke has seemingly given the frame a warmer, friendlier feel, when compared to the outgoing model, but feedback is rather similar. The mass of the frame and the ample swing weight are the catalysts for giving shots depth and plow through, as well as a rock-solid feel at impact. It handles incoming pace without a problem—so stable when returning serve—and sends it back with interest. Yet, the thin, constant beam allows it to cut through the air so that it’s not cumbersome.
The lower-power response and 18x20 string pattern result in first-rate command. There’s a confidence that you can swing freely on any shot and still regularly find your targets. With the tighter spacing, it is better-suited to drive shots through the court, with just enough access to spin for safety or to get creative with angles. And the thin beam and heft are tailor-made to cut through contact to deliver skidding slices. Aggressive players should find it lively enough to play their natural game.
Not a rocket launcher, it can still be sneaky fast on serves provided the motion is speedy and smooth. As with ground strokes, spin on kickers isn’t overly nasty, but enough to keep opponents off-balance and at bay. The spot-on placement allows you to move the ball around the box and hit targets to stun opponents with an opening jab. If that doesn’t pick up a free point, it's capable of inflicting heavier damage with the follow-up shot—building a point until there’s an opening to finish it.
This leads into the inherent versatility of the Gravity. It’s solid and dependable enough to exchange consistent, deep ground strokes, or can break open a point with a sudden injection of pace. All-courters can move forward to the net with assurance that the frame can deflect a hard-hit pass and put the volley into tight windows, or take advantage of its feel to drop something short in the court. Perhaps not the quickest through the air, it’s just nimble enough that experienced net rushers should find it highly effective.
