About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the racquet, which I purchased with my own money in June of 2022.

My take

The Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour is an intermediate- to advanced-level topspin machine. With a lower swingweight and comfortable control oriented string pattern, I was able to generate a lot of racquet head speed while maintaining control and accuracy of my groundstrokes. Aggressive counter-punchers who use spin and angles to work the point and find openings would do well with this racquet. It could use a bit more free power, but those with fast swings are going to love the control that it offers to swing away without the risk of hitting the ball long.

About the gear

• Model: Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour
• Grip Size: 4 ⅜” / EU 3
• String and Tension: Head Lynx Tour 16g Mains/Head Velocity MLT 16g Cross 55lbs
• Head size: 98 in2
• Racquet Length: 27”
• Any Customizations: Wilson Overgrip

About me

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Previous Racquet Played With: Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP
• Experience: 28 years
• NTRP/UTA Rating: 5.0

Test conditions

• When I bought these: June 2022
• Days tested: 5 days
• Court Surfaces: Hard
• Match Play/Practice Session/Both: Both
• Where I’ve used it: Kingsford, MI public parks

How it performs

What I was looking for

I am currently playing with a Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP which I have had for a year now. I was looking at other models in the Head lineup to see if they suited my game any better. I played with the first Head Extreme model back in the early 2000s while in high school and really liked the mix of power, spin, and comfort that it offered and I hoped this new model would bring similar characteristics.

Why I chose this gear

I was comparing multiple Head racquets to see if any suited my game better than the Gravity MP. During the week, I also tested the Head Graphene 360+ Extreme MP, which is a lighter, stiffer, and larger version of this racquet, and the 2021 Head Radical MP. In the end I ended up sticking with the Gravity MP over this Extreme Tour, as it offered a bit more free power when on the run and a larger sweet spot.

What I love about it

• Control: The Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour is incredibly easy to generate topspin with due to the 360 Spin Grommets. Combined with the tighter string spacing in the middle of the stringbed, these factors offer great control. I was able to swing through my groundstrokes without fear of hitting it long.
• Feel: The thin, tapered, 21/23/22mm-beam cross section gives the Extreme Tour a much more comfortable and more connected feeling than the Extreme MP.
• Maneuverability: The Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour has a relatively low 318RDC swingweight for a racquet with its target audience. This allowed me to generate a lot of racquet head speed and put added spin on my shots. It was especially noticeable making changes to spin and placement on my second serve.
• Ground Strokes: The maneuverability, added control, and comfortable feel had me hitting some of the best groundstrokes I’ve hit in a long time. Hitting my targets was easy, and I felt confident swinging out on balls that might sail long with other racquets I’ve tried.
• Serves: The Extreme Tour was a lot of fun to serve with. It didn’t offer a lot of free power on my first serve, but it more than made up for it in spin and accuracy on both kick and slice second serves. I was consistently getting my kick serves above my opponents’ shoulders and into their bodies with ease.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Power: The lower swingweight that makes the Extreme Tour so great off the ground and easy to generate spin means there isn’t a lot of free power left to be had. This lack of power was especially noticeable while stretched out wide, where it was hard to get enough depth on the ball to get back to a neutral position in the rally.
• Stability: Again, the 318RDC swingweight is to blame for the Extreme Tour getting pushed around against heavy groundstrokes and on some out-of-position volleys. Adding some lead tape in the upper part of the head would likely help stabilize the racquet, though this would be at the expense of some maneuverability.
• Volleys: The lack of stability and power is most noticeable for me at the net. When I had ample time and was in a great position to step into my volleys, the Extreme Tour was really good at the net. It was a different story, however, when I was stretched, hitting volleys over my shoulders, or reacting to hard balls. I felt like the lack of stability made my control suffer.

Favorite moment with this gear

The Head Extreme Tour really shined for me on topspin forehands. The maneuverability and easy access to spin meant that I could hit sharper angles with great accuracy to pull my opponent wide and force an easy putaway. With the great control and lower power of the racquet, I was able to swing freely knowing that the ball would go where I wanted it.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour is competitively priced with other similar racquets such as the Yonex Ezone 98 and Wilson Blade 98 16x19 while being priced 10-15% less than the Babolat Pure Aero VS.

Final verdict

The Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour was an enjoyable racquet to play with due to its easy access to spin, comfortable feel, and confidence-inspiring control. It allowed me to be as aggressive as I wanted on ground strokes and serves because I knew that the ball would stay in the court. It does get pushed around by heavy balls at times on both ground strokes and volleys, which could be solved with some lead tape. All in all, it’s a solid racquet that adds a new level of control and feel to the traditionally spin/power-oriented Head Extreme series.