We know the padel is now a top priority for Head. Indeed, the Austrian brand has been engaged in this industry for more than 15 years and is excited by the exponential growth in the number of players and spectators around the world.

Currently, it is focused on preserving its elite players such as Paula Josemaría and Arturo Coello, two supersonic left-handers currently number 1 in the world, while actively discovering the new talents of tomorrow, such asAndrea Ustero and Juan Zamora.

Head also strives to provide innovative products that meet the needs of a wide range of practitioners. Whether you are an amateur player or a future professional, you will always find a recreational or high-end model that will suit your style of play.

A preview model!

Recently, I had the privilege of receiving a prototype, which I am convinced will cause a sensation when it is marketed.

Indeed, Head a tried a bet by creating a racket with a single hole. Thanks to convincing arguments and adapted technology, the engineers were able to come up with an innovative, reforming and unconventional model.

Bridge Head single hole

My objective will be to provide a constructive analysis on the points to be improved, while sharing this world preview with the community of Padel Magazine.

It is a privilege and an honor to have the trust of this iconic brand, and I will take a pragmatic approach to suggesting some adjustments, if necessary.

Given the lack of technical documentation, we will first focus on the external elements of this racket.

In terms of shape, it reminds me of Arturo Coello's old racket, the Head Gamma Pro. It is also equipped with a bridge similar to that used on the Delta series.

The shiny surface with its visible carbon is beautiful, and has small circular and rough nubs that respond to the name Consistant Spin.

Consistent-Spin-Carbon

The handle length is average and the wrist strap is of a simple design. We can notice the presence of only one visible technology: the Soft Butt Cap. It is a soft tip integrated into the handle which reduces vibrations and improves comfort during use.

Head-Soft-Butt-Cap

On the track, exceptional sensations!

Now let's move on to the functional part and the gameplay.

The balance of the racquet is slightly oriented upwards to compensate for the lack of inertia linked to its featherweight of 345 grams.

A little physics lesson. Inertia is related to the concept of force. According to Newton's second law, the force applied to an object is equal to the product of its mass and its acceleration. Therefore, the more inertia (i.e., high mass) an object has, the greater the force must be applied to change its speed or direction (for example, during volleys, serves, or kicks). reflexes). However, during smashes, where you usually have enough time to prepare your shot, if the weight is concentrated towards the head of the racquet, it increases the force exerted during the strikes, which improves the power.

Back to the racket. The ideal hitting zone, called the “Sweet Spot”, is considerably enlarged, which means that off-center hits that go all over the place become a bad memory.

In terms of sensations, vibrations are minimal, stability is remarkable and the comfort of the Power Foam rubber is well established.

Now the long-awaited question is: does the lack of holes on this racquet have anything to do with it? The answer is a big “yes”!

I feel like with every shot I manage to center the ball perfectly, although I know that's not always the case.

This has a significant impact, because you play in a more relaxed way, knowing that mistakes will not be immediately punished.

The core used in this racquet seems "adaptable". Indeed, it offers optimal hardness when you want to send powerful strikes, while being flexible enough for more subtle and technical shots.

So the solid surface of the racquet comes into its own when executing these shots, and I must confess that I did not find the rate of penetration through the air to be altered.

Head-Single-Hole-Balls-padel-Pro-S

The maneuverability is almost perfect, and despite the lightness of the whole, the power is in no way diminished.

Conclusion

I can't dive into the technical details of this racquet, but I just wanted to give you a preliminary overview of this novelty and inform you about this potential revolution.

My goal is also to determine if Head going in the right direction with this product. Since I have no technical data at my disposal, I approached this evaluation in a completely new way, identifying the advantages (many) and the disadvantages (currently none) without knowing the technologies deployed. This presents a challenge, as I am starting from scratch and must evaluate this pala based solely on objective observations and analyses.

I am convinced that the competitors are already working on their side, and I bet that in a few years, holeless racquets will become the norm.

It should be remembered that the appearance is still tentative, the name of this model is not yet known, and its official release is scheduled for the end of summer.

As you will have understood, I was totally won over by this racquet, and I hope that Head will trust me again by allowing me access to the final version before its official release, so that I can explore its features in depth.

Think-Head-Single-hole-padel

I wanted to thank Laurent De Barbeyrac from Head France who gave me his trust by providing me with this prototype.

Stéphane Penso

Fan of padel, Stéphane has become the official tester of the planet padel in Europe. Everything goes through his expert hands. Thanks to his extensive experience in the snowshoeing world, he is able to scan your gear from head to toe!

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