Head Speed Pro Limited Edition Black Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 90

The Speed Pro Limited Edition Black was similar to the outgoing model in feel, but this update offered a boost in power and stability. Chris knew it would be a special playtest early on. He explained, "I really enjoyed the Speed Pro from the baseline. I was hitting all of my shots well and enjoyed the solid feel of the racquet — so much so it is now my racquet of choice. The response had me feeling very connected to the ball, yet it also felt plush and forgiving. Compared to my previous racquet (Tecnifibre TF40 305), I was getting more weight on my shots and hitting a bigger ball in general. The Speed Pro is not quite as maneuverable as the TF40 305, but it feels fast enough for my playing style. I was very happy with the levels of both topspin and slice I was able to generate. The dense 18x20 string pattern provided excellent control, which allowed me to swing aggressively and be confident I'd find my targets."

After noting some stability issues with the previous generation, Michelle was impressed with this update. She said, "The Speed Pro has always been one of those racquets that players rave about, but it's one I just never seemed to completely fall for. This Speed Pro Limited Edition Black is probably my favorite version to date, and it matched seamlessly with my game this time around. The addition of the Auxetic material made this racquet firm and stable, and I had control without giving up put-away power. While the specs are essentially the same as the previous version, this racquet felt more solid, and I felt very connected to the ball. I never even questioned the string pattern; it was very forgiving, the sweetspot was large, and I loved hitting out with this racquet. The Speed Pro packed a good amount of plow through without being demanding for me, yet it held up and was stable against the biggest hitters. It allowed me to play offense and defense well and gave me time to build the point and then choose to dictate on the specific ball I wanted. The specs lined up beautifully for me in this playtest, and I will be spending more time with this racquet after the playtest has concluded."

"This racquet is the epitome of user-friendly," added Sage. "I played with different strings and tensions throughout the testing, and it was a weapon no matter what string we chose to put in it. The standout feature was the access to spin, considering it sports an 18x20 pattern. I could play with trajectory and net clearance just as easily as I could flatten it out. Depth on defense was another big plus. Even if I was forced to hit a shot while off balance or moving backward, it was solid enough to put the ball deep effectively, giving me time to recover. The Speed Pro Limited Edition Black gave me plenty of power when I wanted to attack, but instead, I often used precision to move my opponents. I was happy taking just a little off the ball to ensure I was hitting my spots and staying consistent. Point play rallying felt ridiculously smooth. When I attacked, it felt controlled. Head has found something special in the last few racquets I've playtested from the brand, and this Speed Pro comes out on top."

Bringing Speed knowledge spanning numerous generations, Troy liked the feel of the Speed Pro Limited Edition Black. He said, "I found this update to the Speed Pro to be rather easy to use, and like previous iterations, it offered a nice balance of power and control. There was a point at which I thought the Speed Pro line was becoming a bit too stiff, such as the Graphene XT version, but I think Head has done a great job keeping this update comfortable, with a nice, smooth feel on contact. The relatively large sweetspot made me feel comfortable when taking the ball on the rise, finding that there was enough forgiveness to hit effective shots even if I missed the sweetspot slightly. Sometimes I find that 18x20 string patterns make it difficult to generate topspin and have a low launch angle, but I think the 18x20 pattern on this Speed Pro Limited Edition Black paired well with the 100 sq. in. head size. I could hit my slice backhand with confidence and found easy depth on that shot. For the stiffness rating being rather low (62), I found that the power came fairly easily. If I had to knock this racquet, it would be based more on what I typically play with or prefer. I tend to like a smaller head size, around 97 or 98 for some added precision, and usually a slightly thinner beam for a bit more feel. Fortunately, Head has plenty of good options for me to choose from!"

Volleys - Score: 89

Our team felt confident attacking or defending with the Speed Pro Limited Edition Black at the net. Michelle spoke highly of the racquet when she came forward. She said, "I had no issues whatsoever with this racquet at net; it was stable and precise, which made it easy to execute volleys. Swinging volleys and overheads were great too! I felt really good covering the net with this racquet in my hands. The racquet held up even if I was cutting a ball off and barely getting to it, and I could block balls back easily. It just felt really solid."

Troy felt that he could mix things up at net with the Speed Pro Limited Edition Black in hand, and he appreciated the utility of this frame. He said, "There was a nice balance of traits I found when hitting volleys. It had plenty of maneuverability, a large and forgiving sweetspot and a decent amount of touch and feel. Obviously, it's not quite the sublime control and feel of the Prestige Pro 2021, but that is expected based on the specs. This Speed Pro Limited Edition Black felt fast and maneuverable compared to the heavier racquets I usually play with, which made it easy to use when playing doubles. I also found pretty good stability, and I never really had to worry about the racquet fluttering in my hand. Comfort was better than average, and the feel was pretty smooth on contact. The touch and feel were also pretty good considering the headsize and 23-mm beam width."

We actually captured footage of Sage willingly closing the net with this racquet in hand — a rare moment for this playtester. He said, "The Speed Pro gave me top-notch touch when I came forward into the court. Following an approach shot, the first volley coming in was controlled. With the precision I had from that volley, I found myself able to advance well inside the service box to take the second shot, where I could be more aggressive. The flex of the frame was incredibly forgiving if I was out of position and made contact outside the sweetspot. Drop volleys were good to a fault. I fell in love with them and midway through the playtest realized I needed to return to hitting through the court more often. This was one of those rare frames that gave me the confidence I usually lack at net."

The romance continued for Chris. He explained, "I loved this racquet at net. My volleys felt solid, and the Speed Pro felt very forgiving. I found a perfect blend of stability and maneuverability. I loved punching volleys away when given the opportunity and also felt fast to react when needed. However, I love hitting touch volleys the most, and the Speed Pro had me feeling very connected to those shots. The response was plush, comfortable and loaded with control."

Serves - Score: 88

This version of the Speed Pro took the best aspects of the outgoing model and injected additional power without compromising control. Troy described, "I loved this racquet for my flat first serves. Sometimes we refer to a racquet having controllable power, and that is exactly how I felt when serving with this Speed Pro Limited Edition Black. There wasn't quite the easy power that I find from a racquet like my Yonex EZONE 98+, but I still found that it packed plenty of punch. Combine that punch with easy maneuverability, and I felt like I could generate power with little stress on my shoulder. The 18x20 pattern gave me a very connected feel, along with the added control I was looking for on those hard, flat first serves. I felt confident hitting my targets as well. If I had to knock this racquet on serve, I'd say I wasn't getting quite as much bite and spin on my kick serves compared to racquets with more open string patterns; it wasn't a huge detriment, just something that took a bit of an adjustment."

"I enjoyed serving with the previous version of this racquet, and the fun continued with this update," Chris continued. "If anything, this update felt like it came through the ball better, giving me a slightly heavier serve. I was able to accelerate the racquet nicely, which enabled me to tap into plenty of spin on my slice serves. I also feel very precise with this racquet and have been finding my targets with good consistency. The Speed Pro Limited Edition Black felt very comfortable, and I enjoyed how smooth the response felt."

Sage leaned into the racquet's control to keep his opponents guessing. He explained, "My serving was as good as it's been in years. I noticed my second serves coming in with a lot of movement and pace because I trusted the racquet to give me a consistent response. It was easy on my forearm and shoulder while being just firm enough to generate plenty of speed. First serves to the body jammed my hitting partners and gave me the upper hand when starting points. The closed pattern also encouraged me to incorporate more flat first serves than I normally hit. Aiming down the middle to give my opponents a different look was successful. Easy service holds brought to you by Head."

Although she typically prefers an open pattern, Michelle hit some booming serves with the updated Speed Pro. She said, "I was pleasantly surprised by how versatile this racquet felt for me when serving. I could accelerate and get some big, flat serves going but also found ample spin for my second serves. I felt that my targeting was even more of a weapon, and I could hit my targets better. I really tried to jam opponents into their body or flatten out up the tee, and I found that strategy to pay off."

Returns - Score: 88

The Speed Pro Limited Edition Black could do it all on returns. It gave Chris and the rest of our team the option to hit a slice or really open up on a weaker serve. He explained, "I was confident enough to step in and take returns early with the Speed Pro. I had good success driving a hard, low backhand slice return and following it to net. My topspin returns were also working well, and I loved the amount of control I had. I could take an aggressive cut at the ball without fear of overhitting. Again, the blend of comfort and feel was impressive. The contact with the ball felt plush, yet I also felt very connected to my shots."

The mass of the frame stayed stable when Sage chose to take an aggressive cut at the ball. He said, "Returns penetrated the court, and I was confident timing a swing with calculated risk. It paid off in large part due to the control off the stringbed. Similar to my groundstrokes, I had enough command over the ball to confidently adjust net clearance, pace and spin depending on the type of serve I was facing. This is where the huge sweetspot stood out. It felt amazing when I got ahold of a return, and the result was a shot that gave me control of the point. The mass of the racquet also felt amazing and stood up to the test of our biggest servers."

"This racquet was awesome on returns," added Michelle. "Whether I had to face big first serves or could take time, step in and rip an offensive return, the Speed Pro Limited Edition Black did what I asked of it. It was stable and allowed me to execute consistently and effectively. I could block balls back deep, although my favorite way to return with this racquet was to pick a target and swing out. I felt confident going for low-percentage targets, and I was rewarded more times than not. My strengths are when I can dictate, and this racquet played into that, allowing me to start points with an authoritative return."

The Speed Pro Limited Edition Black helped Troy tackle returns confidently and effectively. He described, "Ease of use is the story that carried on for me into my returns. The maneuverable feel combined with a big sweetspot made me feel like I could be aggressive with my returns without fear of shanking the ball. Beyond that, the 18x20 pattern gave me a boost in control, which also added to my confidence for stepping in and taking an aggressive swing on my returns. I felt like there was decent stability when facing hard-hitting servers, although I would probably want a bit more mass and swingweight to help stabilize the racquet when I need to block the ball back. The 18x20 pattern worked well on slice returns, keeping me connected to the ball and ensuring it would skid low off the bounce. This racquet felt fairly plush, although not quite as silky smooth as the Prestige Pro 2021, yet with much easier power. It's a give a little, get a little type of thing."

Overall - Score: 89