2026 Head Speed Tour Hy-Bor

I have demoed upwards of two dozen rackets from all of the brands (mostly spin and control rackets), and the Speed Tour continues to emerge as my favorite. It is an incredibly versatile racket with a fantastic blend of characteristics that few others have, in my opinion.

The HIGHS: speed, maneuverability, feel, control (It is not "Prestige good", but it is good), power when you go after it (more than a control racket but less than a power racket), spin when you try to generate it (more than a control racket but less than a spin racket), great on both flat and spin shots, pure feel and pop in the sweet spot, great slices, great power on serves, great with both two and one handed backhands, gives you good, honest feedback on where you strike it, the paint quality and smooth feel on the throat is great. This racket can truly do it all, with the caveat that you are striking the ball well and committing to your shots.

The LOWS: rather unforgiving outside the sweet spot (but that also translates to the exceptional feel IN sweet spot and good feedback on the quality of your strike), stability is good enough, but not amazing (the racket can twist on you if you swing harder and strike poorly, or try to re-direct a heavier ball without hitting near the middle), it feels a little hollow and jarring on bad strikes, the frame is a little string sensitive, not so much in terms of performance, but in sound and feel (stiff and metallic strings make the frame feel hollow and grating if you hit outside the sweet spot). It gets a bit anemic if you are not committing to your shots or start to decelerate your strokes.

The FEEL & SOUND: the feel is interesting. The RA is low. You really feel that flex in the throat, but less in the hoop. Flexy in the throat, slightly rigid in the hoop, in my opinion. The overall feel is stiffer than the RA would imply, but it is by no means stiff feeling like a 65+ RA racket, or as harsh with shock. It is a strange blend of things. On one hand, it sounds and feels stiffer that it actually is, but it is still pretty easy on the arm. If you put a soft string in this frame, the softness really comes out. If you put a stiff string in, the firmness comes out (tensions aside). The sound is not good on off-center hits, and REALLY good with on center hits. That is part of the great feedback you get with this frame. You get good feedback on ALL levels with this frame.

STRINGS: This frame gets a bit harsh with firm strings at higher tension. It seems to balance out and shine more with lower tensions. I have tried several string setups, and I think this frame plays and feels best with firmer, shaped strings at lower tensions. I have tried Head Lynx Tour in all of its different colors and gauges, Head Hawk Tour, Head Hawk Touch, Head Lynx Touch, Solinco Confidential, Restring Sync, Restring Slap, Luxilon 4g & 4g Soft, Grapplesnake Tour M8, and several hybrid setups. My favorites so far are Head Lynx Tour 17g champagne at 44lbs and Head Hawk Tour rPET at 44 lbs (the Hawk Tour rPET is a slept-on string BTW, it is really good; similar playability to Lynx Tour, but feels a little softer).

GRIPS & WEIGHTING: I have played with many different weights and grip setups, and while some recommend weight in the hoop to add stability, I personally like this frame mostly stock. The two setups I keep coming back to is stock weight in the handle or using a leather grip as the base + an overgrip. The leather adds a little bit of mass without slowing down the racket and is a nice balance. I have found benefits adding weight in the hoop, but I find the speed, feel and overall playability are best with no added weight, and the benefits of the added weight are not worth it for me.

I am a mid-level rec player with good strength and athleticism, but have been really working on improving my game, and I find this frame to be awesome in helping me refine all types of shots. It is punishing when you get it wrong but amazing when you get it right. I personally like that, because it pushes me to be better, instead of letting me get away with bad or lazy swings. The instant and clear feedback you get is a valuable training tool, and it rewards you greatly when you hit clean shots. This frame is just fun to use, bottom line. I value speed, maneuverability, and how a racquet feels while being manipulated and moved through the air. Because of this I gravitate towards 95-98 sq in frames. This is at the top of the heap for me right now. It is the closest thing I have used that feels like an extension of my arm. Other frames I have really liked, but would still choose the Speed Tour over, have been: Head Prestige Tour (2023), Head Extreme Pro (2026), Head Gravity Tour (2024), Yonex Vcore 95 (2023), Yonex Percept 97, and Mizuno Acrostrike 305.

If you like fast frames, versatile weapons, or jack of all trades do it all frames, this is a MUST try. Well done, Head!