Head began in 1947 when aeronautics engineer, Howard Head, went skiing for the first time on wooden skis. With his experience in materials used for aircraft, he knew that a better ski could be made with metals.

However, Head rackets should come with a few disclaimers, we’ll get into those below. This article will review Head’s unique history, technology, and approach to padel racket design. We will go over Head rackets’ strengths and weaknesses as perceived by the professional and recreational padel playing community.

Head padel racket quick facts

Head rackets are usually updated on a 2-year cadence rather than the every-year cadence that we see with many other brands.

Most of Head’s models are diamond or teardrop-shaped and thus have pretty high balances, often at 27 centimeters. Note: Head refers to its Gravity Series as round rackets, however, with balances at 27 centimeters and high “shoulders,” other brands may refer to these rackets as teardrops or even diamonds.

Taxonomy

Head rackets are named with the following schema:

[Series] + [Model]

Head series names and target level

• Extreme: professional-level rackets
• Speed: advanced-level
• Gravity: intermediate-level
• Zephyr: lightweight beginner rackets

Head model names and play summary

• Pro X: this model is only present in the recently-released Speed series. It is the hardest racket offered, with a dense core and a full carbon fiber surface.
• Pro: heavy, hard models that are for stronger, more advanced players that the rest of the series. Surfaces made of carbon fiber or carbon fiber and fiberglass.
• Elite: comfort-focused rackets with fiberglass surface rackets for medium-soft touches and large sweet spots.
• Motion: this model prioritizes maneuverability. It weighs 10-15 grams less than the other versions of the same series.
• Ultralight, usually written “UL”: this model is only present on the Zephyr series. It is like the Motion model in other series - it weighs 5 grams less than the already lightweight Head Zephyr.

We’ve organized our racket review summary cards below by Head’s series.

The Extreme Series

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Head’s Extreme series makes up its premium models for professional players. These models are used by professional players, like Arturo Coello and Paula Josemaría.

This line has Head’s great 3D roughness, “Extreme Spin.”

The Extreme Pro and the Extreme Motion are made with hard carbon fiber surfaces, and the Extreme Elite is made with fiberglass for a softer touch.

These are some of the most popular rackets in the game. Go for the Extreme Pro if you’re a strong player seeking power, the Extreme Motion if you’re seeking maneuverability and control, and the Extreme Elite if you’re seeking comfort and help in defense.

The Speed Series

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Head introduced the Speed series in 2023 as a replacement for the Alpha line. This may be an important branding move to distance themselves from the fact that Daniel “Sanyo” Gutiérrez after over five years with the Head Alpha Pro, now plays with a Siux racket.

Today, Ariana Sánchez Fallada plays with the maneuverability-oriented Speed Motion.

This series includes the very hard and heavy Speed Pro X, which is the most technical model of the series. This racket exhibits similar characteristics to the Delta Pro.

The Speed series rackets have smooth, matte surfaces.

The Speed rackets also come with a silicon insert in the base of the handle designed to reduce vibrations.

The Gravity Series

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Head refers to its Gravity series rackets as “round”, but they have high balances and high shoulders for round rackets.

The Swedish star, Daniel Windahl, plays with the Gravity Pro and Marina Guinart plays with the Gravity Motion.

The round-ish shape of this series gives the rackets lower, wider sweet spots that are easier to use for versatile and control-oriented players.

The Zephyr Series

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The Zephyr Series is a maneuverability-focused line with 1 standard-weighted racket at roughly 365 grams, the Zephyr Pro, and 2 lightweight rackets, the Zephyr at 345 grams and the Zephyr UL at 340 grams.

We recommend these rackets for someone looking for a lightweight racket or for juniors. These are highly maneuverable.

Many players with joint issues choose lightweight rackets but note that these rackets will vibrate more upon impact with the ball.

The technology of Head’s padel rackets

Head undoubtedly produces some of the highest quality rackets in the industry. Suggested prices range from roughly €200-€400, while you can find last year’s top models at a steep discount.

Auxetic technology

“Auxetic” describes materials with negative Poisson’s Ratios, that is material that expands perpendicular to the direction of compression. Head uses auxetic material at the top of the bridge to “give a solid impact feel.”

This is usually done by constructing the material in a pattern with a pattern of vacancies. We’re not sure how much this technology is marketing and how much it is truly effective, but the Extreme series rackets do have a comfortable feel for their hardness.

Soft Butt Cap

The new Speed Series has a silicone “butt cap” on the end of the racket handle to reduce vibrations.

Aesthetics

Opposed to many padel racket brands, Head has taken a simpler design approach to their padel rackets. Many models have a simple and classic design, which we appreciate.

Why trust us?

Padel FYI is the Metacritic for padel rackets. To help you find the best padel racket, I have cataloged 360 reviews of 106 of the most popular padel rackets to create the most comprehensive padel racket database.

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