The YouTek Instinct is a comfortable racquet suitable for the intermediate player looking for power. The tight string pattern offers added feel and control.

The YouTek series of racquets combines superior technologies to perfectly match your individual needs. Whether your game is aggressive and adventurous or consistent and smooth Head believes that the YouTek range will enhance your performance and bring out the best in you.

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Review by Anthony Glynn, Affiliated Tennis Warehouse Australia Coach,  Tennis Australia Advanced Club Coach and Head Club Professional at Yarra Glen Tennis Club

Targeted Players:
13-14 Year Olds – Advanced
15-16 Year Olds – Intermediate/Advanced
17-18 Year Olds – Intermediate/Advanced
Adults – Intermediate/Advanced

The Head YouTek Instinct MP racquet looks great and is best suited to those players that like their racquet to give them a little bit more power than most intermediate/advanced level players. It is best suited for those players that are playing a high level of junior competition for their local tennis club and still growing and developing physically, and those adults who are playing around 4 sections lower than the highest section against players who don’t hit the ball with incredible pace all the time. It is also suited to those players who are playing more than 2 times a week, as while it is an intermediate/advanced adult racquet, it does take a little practice to get the best out of it.

With a 100 sq in head size, the instinct MP offers a larger sweet spot allowing for more consistent shots and a controlled, responsive feel. The 18/19 sting pattern makes topspin a little tougher to create, but it excels in its ability to be able to direct the ball to where you want on the court. The weight of the racquet allows most players to play a more intermediate game style with minimal fear of injury, and also allows easy maneuverability of the racquet during play. Finally the beam thickness makes this racquet quite a stiff racquet, allowing more powerful shots to be played.

I would encourage all junior players over 14 who are looking to move to their first adult racquet and adults looking at getting into the game for the first time or after a long break to consider picking up the demo and having a hit with it. The 18/19 string pattern is not for everyone, but you will be pleasantly surprised with just how easy it is to play with.

Those players looking at playing tennis at a state grade level, or on the Futures and Australian Money Tournaments circuit, may find this racquet too light and too powerful and may need to go to a racquet around the 315g unstrung weight and a thinner beam around the 21-22mm range.

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d3o is a futuristic new material which belongs to the "smart materials" category. Head have placed this new material in the shaft of the racquet. This material can change its behaviour under different conditions. This translates on the tennis court with the d3o  allowing the racquet to adapt to the needs of you - the player. On your high impact (or aggressive) shots the smart molecules will lock together within nanoseconds and dramatically increase the stiffness of the whole racquet frame and therefore providing maximum power. On your slower speed impact shots like a slice or drop shot the d3o molecules will absorb the impact therefore providing a softer touch for better feel. This means passing shots will be even harder and drop shots will be more precise!

The YouTek racquets also feature Head's Teflon grommet system which reduces friction. This holds back the movement of the string by creating a self-lubricating effect in the base material, allowing the strings to slide throught the grommets with nearly no friction. This means the energy loss is minimal.

Note: This racquet does not come with a cover