Head Intelligence Prestige > Reviews > A seriously useful racquet

Author's product rating:   

Power	Excellent
Control	Excellent
Comfort	Excellent
Durability	Excellent
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Perfect weight, balance of power and control
Disadvantages:	For the serious player only

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I'd owned the Head prestige classic for many years prior to the release of it's successor and I have to say that it did me really well. However, I was curious to say the least when the new Head 'intelligence' prestige was released, so I went to a specialist tennis shop to get the lowdown. The racquet is available in 3 different head sizes; The mid version has a head size of 93 square inches, and the mid plus and the mid plus xl versions both have a head size of 98 square inches.

I took a good look at the mid plus racquet in the shop, but I decided that at the time, I couldnt really afford to buy two because they were retailing at £199.99 each! I say two, because as all serious players will know, because of the vast number of strings you break during matches, you can't really afford to run the risk of having only one racquet. Also, if you have two racquets you can have them strung at different tensions so you can alternate during matches. I prefer to have a lower tension when im serving, but a higher tension for returning serve when a bit more control is needed.

Thankfully the racquet didnt stay at £199.99 for long! It now retails at £159.99, however I managed to pick one up on www.tennisnuts.com for a mere £128. Since I began using the Head intelligence prestige midplus I have been continually impressed by the optimal mix of power and control it possesses. The racquet utilises Head's new intelligence technology - which suggests that the mechanical energy from the impact of the ball is converted into electrical energy for explosive power. Personally im not entirely convinced; although I have definately noticed an improvement in power from the previous model, I think that so called 'intelligence technology' is just a fad to sell more racquets.

I must stress that this racquet definately isnt for the beginner or casual club player. It's unstrung weight of 320g may not sound much, but it really does require quite a large swing to generate a sufficient level of power. It's also definately for men only, as it's likely to cause elbow and shoulder injuries to women from serving. The fact that the Head intelligence presige is used and endorsed by so many top men on the tour is a credit to Head on the sheer quality of the racquet. Grosjean, El Aynaoui, Ivanisevic, and Schuttler to name but a few all use the Head intelligence prestige mid-plus.

One word of warning tho, I did manage to break one last summer and not through deliberate mis-use either. However I did send the racquet back to Head, and they replaced it unequivically, admitting that it had been a fault of theirs and not mine. Ive had two for almost a year now and had no problems whatsoever, suggesting that this was a one-off factory error. The Head intelligence prestige is an excellent racquet for the advanced club player, and it's optimum balance of power and control makes it highly recommended. The current price is also extremely reasonable, however shop around to get the best price. It's worth noting finally, that you should always try and get a load on a racquet before purchasing, as you may simply just not be suited to it, which could be quite annoying after splashing out £160!