What a tease: Head releases blacked-out racquet

You may have seen it popping up recently on social media. A mostly blacked-out Head frame with “Ninety-Eight” scrolled across the hoop in cool, icy blue lettering. If you get a look at the outside throat, you will also see the word “Tour” written just above the handle. It’s a limited-edition teasing racquet designed to give players a heads-up:

There’s a new Gravity Tour on the way.

The Gravity racquets have an old-school vibe in terms of feel and control, balanced with modern flourishes in terms of power and spin. Head likes to think of the frames as next-gen Prestiges. There has always been a Tour model in the family, but it was something of a nice racquet that never enjoyed a wide release. This reimagining of the racquet gives it a whole new appeal.

The previous Gravity Tour had a slightly larger 100 square-inch head, and a tighter 18x20 string pattern. The new model carries the same static weight as the outgoing model (305g), but has a smaller head and more spread 16x19 string pattern. The new half cap grommet construction also gives the frame a unique feel and sound at contact, as well as additional protection to the top of the hoop.

The response from early testing by Head has players responding quite favorably to the added liveliness and spin potential. Yet the racquet still maintains the type of control prized by advanced and tournament players who also want a plush feeling frame.

Head believes this new Tour fills a gap in the company’s lineup. It has other 98s in its stable, but none they feel has this one’s playability. It has more control and feel than the Radical, Extreme and Boom 98s, while offering more punch and spin than a Prestige. The closest comparisons from competing brands would be the Wilson Blade 98 (16x19) and Yonex Percept 97.

The Tour, along with the rest of the 2025 Gravity silo, will officially debut in a few months. In addition to tweaks in performance, word has it that the look of the frame is a major upgrade. Check back for more detailed reviews once they hit store shelves.