Head Gravity MP Lite Racket Review

Head have stuck to their tried and tested technology with the Gravity line, using Graphene 360+ and Spiral Fibres. These make the racket stiffen up slightly on contact to give you more stability on harder shots, whilst softening off the racket on slower shots for enhanced feel.

This dynamic technology makes modern Head rackets incredibly versatile, and enables Head to be more extreme with their specifications, safe in the knowledge that the technology will enhance performance.

With the Gravity MP Lite, Head has placed more of these Spiral Fibres low in the racket head, to give the stick a cleaner and more satisfying feel on contact. They haven’t stopped there though! Head have also sought to make this one of the most arm friendly and comfortable rackets in their line up by softening off the frame and making the top of the hoop more rounded than other models.

The Gravity MP Lite has a stiffness rating of just 62RA and the rounding of the upper portion of the frame increases the size of the sweet spot, as well as the spin window of the string bed.

These changes all combine to make the Gravity MP Lite a very comfortable, powerful and spin friendly racket that encourages you to go for your shots and will give you a silky smooth ride along the way. This is quite refreshing compared to a lot of modern rackets these days.

With today’s game demanding power and spin above all else, some rackets are actually becoming so stiff and void of feel that they are no longer viable options for beginner or intermediate level players. Head has not fallen into this trap with the Gravity, as they have intelligently used their technology to keep the Gravity MP Lite stable and responsive, without compromising on power, comfort or forgiveness.

Another surprising element of this racket is how much feel you get from it. The Gravity MP Lite is a very light and easy to swing racket, thanks to its ultra low swing weight and 280g static weight. Rackets with these specifications can sometimes feel a bit flimsy or tinny, as they lack that overall stability and precision that a smaller headed, heavier racket tends to possess.

However, the Gravity MP Lite does a great job of remaining pretty communicative whilst being comfortable and powerful. This makes it surprisingly feelsome and you get a nice sense of connection when you strike the ball, particularly on slices and slower, short angled shots.

Since the racket is so easy to swing, I found myself generating a lot of racket head speed, which combined with the open string pattern and high launch angle, resulted in heavy topspin and a lot of slice when I needed it. You don’t get that much plow through with this racket however, so don’t expect to just swing with no effort and see the ball rocket past your opponent.

The lack of weight does rear its head when you need to redirect heavy oncoming balls and the racket can feel a little overwhelmed. This did also make the racket feel a little mushy at times which reminded me of its natural limitations due to the lack of weight. However, on slower, mid court balls you can grip it and rip it with ease!

I found the racket great for attacking the ball with a lot of spin. It naturally gave me plenty of margin for error on my attacking shots so I could move into the net with confidence, knowing my approach shots would dip back into the court.

The racket gives you enough power but it is not uncontrollable. It would be a great choice for a counter puncher that wants to move their opponent around the court and turn defence into attack with a single shot. You can generate a surprising amount of spin and the feel of the racket is very impressive for its class.

Usually, I am not a huge fan of ultra light rackets at the net. Whilst they are very easy to swing, and help with reacting quickly to fast oncoming balls, they tend to lack the stability and feel of weightier sticks.

The Head Gravity MP Lite did a good job of hiding its lack of weight and the connection with the ball was surprisingly good most of the time. You can feel where the ball is going to go and the open string pattern definitely helps you cut the ball nicely, keeping your volleys nice and low.

The low stiffness rating also enhances the feel and ensures you have enough vibrations to know what is going on in the string bed, but not too much for the racket to feel uncomfortable.

The large sweet spot from the frame construction and 100 sq in head size makes it easy to punch through your volleys and get a decent amount of pop.

This makes attacking the net and putting the ball away on the first volley a real strength of this racket, however it can be thrown off kilter a bit from off centre hits.

When the ball was coming a bit faster the lack of overall mass couldn’t be hidden any longer and the Gravity MP Lite did have a tendency to feel slightly unstable. This wasn’t a huge issue and wouldn’t necessarily put me off the racket, but if you are a net rusher and like that crisp feel that a traditional control focussed racket brings, the Gravity MP Lite may leave you a little wanting.

The Head Gravity MP Lite is a great all rounder on serve. The lack of overall weight and very low swing weight mean that anyone that has previously suffered from arm issues such as tennis elbow would feel comfortable using this racket.

You can produce powerful, spinny serves for hours on end thanks to the large sweet spot, open string pattern and lack of weight.

You can swing this racket so easily and the softness of the frame makes striking the ball a very smooth sensation.

It pockets the ball nicely and sometimes you can hardly even feel you’ve hit it thanks to the buttery sweet spot. The lack of mass does limit the overall oomph you can generate, but in terms of easy power, lightweight rackets don’t get much better.

Whilst it does not stand out in one particular area, the overall experience of serving with the Head Gravity MP Lite is a pleasant one!

The Gravity MP Lite is a comfortable and fairly powerful racket. Its lightness makes it incredibly easy to swing and it does a great job of having feel for such a user-friendly racket. However, its lack of overall weight does reduce its stability somewhat, which can leave it feeling a little bit tinny when returning big serves.

This can become a bit of an issue if you are returning particularly fast first serves, as the lack of stiffness can actually work against the Gravity MP Lite. It doesn’t quite have the ability to redirect pace with authority that a lot of weightier rackets do, but it does a reasonable job once you get your eye in.

If you are looking to step in and take the ball early, particularly when returning slower second serves, it actually does a great job.

The larger sweet spot and open string pattern mean you can hit with a lot of power and spin. When you have time to step back and take a longer swing at your returns, you can hit some pretty heavy balls. This is also something you can sustain throughout a long match due to the lack of weight.

Overall, the Head Gravity MP Lite is a great all rounder for improving beginner players. It is refreshingly supple and incredibly arm friendly, whilst also being powerful and very communicative.

Head has used its tried and tested technology well here to combine comfort with performance in its lightest Gravity racket.

The Gravity MP Lite is surprisingly spin friendly and you can feel a great sense of connection with the ball, but the lack of stability can let it down slightly on off centre hits and when trying to redirect pace.

However, for the beginner player that may have experienced some arm issues in the past and requires a forgiving, powerful and comfortable racket that is very easy to swing, the Head Gravity MP Lite is well worth a try.