The Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody is the latest signature teardrop frame from Head – it’s used by none other than ‘Superman’ Paul Coll.
In short: The Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody is a 120g racket, it’s a little head-heavy, has an all black cosmetic and is part of Head’s latest range of Graphene rackets.
Purchase links:
PDH Sports
Amazon UK
| Balance: | Head Heavy |
|---|---|
| Factory Strings: | Head Reflex 1.2 |
| Head size (cm): | 500 cm |
| Stringing pattern: | 12 x 17 |
| Unstrung weight: | 120 grams |
A new design language for squash rackets?
The Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody looks the business, the combination of gloss and matte black on the racket frame, combined with the Head Reflex 1.2 black strings give this racket a really sleek, clean, understated look. I can see this trend catching on with other racket manufacturers in the near future.
Weight and balance
As far as weight goes, the all-in weight of 150 grams means the Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody sits towards the lighter end of the scales. However, this light weight is slightly offset by the moderately head-heavy balance. This strikes a wonderful balance between power and manoeuvrability.
When compared to similar rackets within the price and weight range, the Head racket came out at the lightest overall on the scales. Its weight distribution was mostly in line with comparable rackets.
To test racket this racket weight and balance, I lay each racket across two scales simultaneously, one under the grip and one under the head. This enables me to roughly calculate the weight distribution in the racket.
| Racket | Overall weight (g) | Head weight (g) | Grip weight (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 SB | 150 | 80 | 70 |
| Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 125 | 156 | 84 | 72 |
| Dunlop Sonic Core Evolution 120 | 158 | 82 | 75 |
| Tecnifibre Dynergy APX 120 | 152 | 82 | 70 |
Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody – Control, Feel and Power
Something that’s hard to put into words is how this racket feels on contact with the ball. There’s a ‘spring’ like feel to the racket, where the ball feels really lively when it leaves the strings. It’s a great feeling, and it makes lots of other rackets feel quite dull in comparison.
When taking the ball in short, I’ve found the slightly less dense 12×17 stringing pattern doesn’t offer the same level of control as teardrop rackets such as the Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft. However, I’m being really critical here – I still found my drop shots going as accurate as with any other racket I’ve tested. If you do want more control in your racket, you can change the stringing pattern to a fan based 16×17 pattern, which should give you more control at the sacrifice of power.
The large head size of 500cm, combined with a fairly sparse stringing pattern of 12×17 gives the racket a very generous sweet spot and ample power. I found that even when I didn’t find the sweet-spot of the strings, my shots weren’t dramatically impacted and I was able to recover.
One thing that sometimes goes unnoticed with squash rackets is the shape of the grip. Unlike most other brands, Head rackets have a slight ‘butt’ at the bottom of the grip. This means the racket sits really comfortably in the palm of your hand – it’s a nice design feature that’s often overlooked.
How durable is the Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody?
The only negative I’ve found with this racket is its durability. I’ve used this racket as my own primary racket for quite a while, and have broken two frames within 18 months of using it. It’s not unheard of for rackets to break, however if you find yourself making contact with walls more often than you’d like, you might benefit from having a spare racket in your bag.
Overall
The Head Graphene 360 Speed 120 Slimbody is a great racket for club level players. The slight head heavy balance, light frame and forgiving feel weight work really well in tandem and make this a fantastic ‘all round’ racket. If you’re the type of player who enjoys playing a varied game, switching from defensive style play into attacking, this racket could be a great one to have in your bag.
Purchase links:
PDH Sports
Amazon UK
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