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Racquet review: head extreme mp 2022, holiday gear gift guide (part 3): must-have apparel, holiday gear gift guide (part 2): awesome accessories, holiday gear gift guide (part 1): top racquets from 2022, babolat expands popular evo line with two new racquet models, geau sport releases axiom series 2.0 bags, gear q&a: hardened competitors, swingvision delivers pro-level insights for recreational players, racquet review: wilson ultra 100 v4, hyperice introduces three new products to help athletes ready for competition, string pattern: 16x19, watch: the break—jannik sinner becomes gucci ambassador.

The power may not have been quite as robust, but the Extreme MP still hit a juicy ball from the back of the court. The improved handling encouraged big swings that applied ample pace and spin to shots.

Head Extreme MP (2022) Review

Head claims the extreme can overwhelm your opponent with hard-hitting spin, and it features a better feel, and stability than previous versions. how does it play.

As a tennis player, finding the right racket can make all the difference in your game, and it can be challenging to navigate the sea of options on the market, but one option gaining popularity is the Head Extreme MP (2022).

This last version was released in September 2022 and, together with the Extreme Tour, Extreme MP Light, Extreme Team and Extreme Team Light, is part of the latest Head Extreme Line endorsed by Matteo Berrettini and Richard Gasquet.

I recently had the opportunity to test out this racket and wanted to share my thoughts and experiences.

In this review, I will be taking a closer look at the Head Extreme MP and exploring its features, benefits, and drawbacks.

I will also compare it to other rackets on the market and provide recommendations for players considering purchasing it.

Head Extreme MP Cosmetics

However, the classic Head Extreme shape remained with a wide throat and oblong head.

The Head Extreme MP is designed to offer a balance of power, control, and spin. It has a 100-square-inch head displaying enlarged grommets, which provides a large sweet spot and helps players maintain accuracy even when they do not make perfect contact.

It also has an open string pattern designed to facilitate the generation of heavy spins.

Specification and Setup

For this playtest, I had the Extreme MP strung with a full bed of Dunlop Black Widow at 22kg (48.5 lbs). 

Head Extreme MP Playtest and Review

The playtest with the Head Extreme MP 2022 was on outdoor hardcourts, and I used it for several hours over four days to get a good idea of how it played.

For reference and to understand some of my findings with the Extreme, I currently play with a Yonex VCORE 100 in competitive play.

First Impressions

One of the things I immediately appreciated about the Head Extreme MP was its sizeable sweet spot.

Especially at night, with artificial lights, I sometimes struggle to make perfect contact with the ball.

For this reason, having a racket that can still provide power and accuracy on off-centre hits made me feel more secure while hitting.

The open string pattern also lived up to its promise of helping me generate spin and control the trajectory of my shots.

The lightweight design of the Head Extreme MP 100 inch was also a plus for me. I like to generate plenty of racket head speed, and this racket made it easy to do so without feeling heavy or cumbersome.

The balance of power, control, and spin also worked well for my game, as I prioritise precision and accuracy over raw power.

However, it wasn’t all good news. While the Head Extreme MP worked well for me in many respects, I noticed some potential drawbacks.

For one, despite the Head’s attempt to create a reasonably powerful racket through enlarged grommets, the lack of power may concern some players.

While I appreciated the balance of power, control, and spin, I can see how it could create a sense of insecurity and limitation in players that like to rely on their power game,

Moreover, in my opinion, the stiffness of the Head Extreme MP is another cause for concern.

Even though it’s mid-range at 65RA and did not bother me too much during the first couple hours of play, I felt an uncomfortable tingle in both my wrist and elbow at the third-hour mark.

Finally, from my point of view, the price of the Head Extreme MP is a big drawback. While I appreciated some of the features and benefits of this racket, I would not identify it as a professional-level racket.

For this reason, I would not expect its price to be on the higher end of the market. I believe intermediate-level players could find similar options for a more affordable price.

Groundstrokes

During the first 30 minutes of play, I recognised that the Head Extreme MP would not match my expectations.

Even though the design allowed me to generate a good amount of spin, the ball appeared to die right after the bounce.

In both forehand and backhand, I could not transfer enough weight onto the ball, which resulted in overall “empty” spins.

I appreciated the manoeuvrability of this lightweight racket that allowed me to produce a significant amount of head speed and maintain good control of the trajectory of my groundstrokes.

However, this characteristic did not compensate for the lack of power a professional player would desire from the baseline.

As an all-court player, I trust my volleys to close a point. Therefore, I want to feel comfortable executing the shot without second-guessing the reliability of the racket.

While I felt the Head Extreme MP could provide good control from the baseline, I had different feelings about the net.

I felt the racket to be empty on impact, and I could not direct my shot with the precision I wanted.

Moreover, the lack of power significantly affected my overhead, often forcing me to hit two or more in a row to finish a point.

I think the serve is the shot that least benefits from the Head Extreme MP. Although I could consistently hit the ball safely in the court, my serve did not cause any trouble to the returner.

I found that my sliced serve would not gain enough speed, while my kick second serve did not bounce high enough to become difficult to attack.

While returning, I could finally enjoy the manoeuvrability of the Head Extreme MP fully. Especially when I tried to return against big serves, I utilised the enlarged sweet spot and light weight of the racket to move it into position quickly and hit my return on the rise.

In this way, I could compensate for the racket’s lack of power by taking in the power of the serve and using it as my own.

Who is this Racket For?

According to the manufacturer’s description, the Head Extreme MP is a tennis racket designed for intermediate to advanced-level players with a modern playing style who prefer a racket with power and spin. 

However, I do not believe that any advanced-level players would genuinely benefit from using this racket.

All the marketing around the Extreme MP claims it is particularly suited for players who like to hit aggressive shots from the baseline and who generate a lot of topspin. Yet, I find that the weight and power transferred to the ball are not up to the standards of many other rackets I have used.

In conclusion, the Head Extreme MP would best suit low to intermediate-level players rather than advanced-level players.

I would suggest this racket to 3.0-4.0 NTRP players looking for control and consistency during points but not relying on their power or attacking abilities to win their matches.

Higher-level players should look elsewhere. Otherwise, the Extreme MP will need to be heavily customised.

Similar Spec Rackets

• Yonex VCORE Pro 100 (300)
• Dunlop CX 400 Tour

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Final Thoughts

As an advanced-level player, I can say that my final impression of the Head Extreme MP is primarily negative.

It does not allow professional and higher-level players to fully express their potential through their shots.

On the other hand, I think it could help intermediate-level players feel secure that their shots, even if not too powerful, will consistently land on the court.

However, in my opinion, the price of the racket is too high for what the product offers: the quality-price ratio does not seem worth it (especially given Artengo’s offering ), and I would wait until it drops in price to consider purchasing.

• Nice cosmetics
• Manoeuvrable
• Spin-friendly string pattern
• Underpowered
• It Imparts spin, but shots lack weight
• Empty feeling on volleys

Have you tried the Head Extreme MP or any other rackets in the Extreme line? Let me know your feedback in the comments.

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Head Radical MP 2021 Racquet Review

The dawn of a new year brings a refresh to the Radical line, and with it, the introduction of Graphene 360+ to the Radical racquets. For 2021, Head also updates the Radical MP with a slightly higher swingweight and static weight for added stability and a slightly lower RA stiffness rating for a more arm-friendly experience. It was hard for our playtesters to find any faults with this update, which excelled from all areas of the court. The subtle updates included improved feel and stability, which provided our testers with the tools needed for consistency and for varying their shot selection. The spin-friendly response off the stringbed allowed for easy depth and optimal targeting. Factor in the easy access to power, and this racquet truly became a force to be reckoned with. Overall, the Graphene 360+ Radical MP impressed our team, proving to be a well-rounded frame that was well-suited to baseline grinders and net chargers alike.

• Nothing we could agree on

Bottom Line

With traits reminiscent of previous generations matched with an updated, modernized feel, the Radical MP 2021 is set to impress old fans and new.

Intermediate to advanced

Groundstrokes - Score: 85

Whether playing more offensively or defensively, using topspin or opting for slice, our playtesters thought the Radical MP 2021 excelled from the back of the court. Having tested previous generations, Jason appreciated the improvements with this update. He said, "There's a lot to like about the updated Radical MP on groundstrokes. I immediately noticed this racquet's improved feel. The feel wasn’t as muted, so I was able to tell where on the stringbed I was hitting my shots. I thought the racquet was user-friendly, with great access to spin and depth, and the added 5 grams of weight made this version more stable and solid. One of my favorite shots to hit was my backhand slice; I found I could hit a 'dirtier' slice with this racquet versus the previous version or my own racquet."

New to the Radical line, Kristen praised the racquet's performance on her groundstrokes. She said, "This was my first time playtesting the Radical MP, and I enjoyed many aspects of its playability. There was a really nice feel off the stringbed. It was dampened, but not to the point that I'd get lost in it; I still had a good feel and read on my shots. It was super easy to get spin on the ball; it felt effortless off of the stringbed. That made it simple to get balls dipping deep right at the baseline. When defending or counterpunching, I was not only impressed by how well the racquet handled pace, but I also felt that I was getting natural spin on the ball, making my defensive shots that much more effective. It was also easy to drive slices through the court."

Chris felt dialed in regardless of his shot choice. He explained, "I loved the response of this latest Radical MP off the baseline. I felt like I had total command over my targeting. Whether I was hitting a drive shot, looping the ball or floating a slice, I was able to hit my mark with good consistency. My topspin shots had plenty of spin to get the ball to drop nicely inside the lines, and my slice shots had excellent bite to them. I liked the feel of the racquet. The response was solid and stable (surprisingly so for its weight), and it felt very comfortable, yet I also had lots of touch with it. From tip to handle, the Graphene 360+ Radical MP just felt like a very well put-together racquet on every groundstroke. I think Head did a good job of bringing back the feel and stability of past Radicals without losing the easy power and spin from recent versions."

The praise continued from Erik . He added, "I really liked this Radical MP on groundstrokes. It took a little getting used to at first, but once I dialed it in, this racquet was really solid off of the ground. I could get nice plow through and hit a really heavy ball with a lot of spin."

Volleys - Score: 85

The slight increase in weight and lower flex rating of this Radical MP 2021 equated to greater stability and optimal touch at net. Those characteristics stood out to Jason , who said, "The racquet felt solid up at net. Whether I was simply blocking a shot back on a reaction volley or trying to put away a ball with power, there was enough mass and stability to do both well. I really like the more responsive feel because it helps my touch volleys."

Chris had a similar experience moving forward. He added, "This Radical performed very well at net. I enjoyed the feel and response. I felt connected to my shots and was able to place both my punch and touch volleys well. I played a lot of doubles with this racquet and found it easy to maneuver when the pace picked up. There was also ample stability, so the racquet never felt like it was getting too pushed around. Comfort was good, and all in all, I felt very confident with this Radical at net."

Kristen was impressed with how the Radical MP 2021 performed under pressure. She explained, "The Radical MP was easy to get into position; it felt stable and blocked back volleys well. I was particularly impressed with how I was able to get the balls just skimming over the net when I was on the stretch. On slower balls I had to make sure I really stuck my volleys and directed the ball through the court. If I was a little too lax in my motion, the balls would have quite a high trajectory off the stringbed and easily launch off target."

Always looking to close the point out at net, Erik found that the updated Radical MP suited his volley game well. He said, "This racquet was very solid on volleys. I found it to have a nice blend of maneuverability and stability. It was easy to hit volleys deep in the court due to the slightly higher launch angle. This racquet also had really nice feel at net, and I felt connected to the ball overall, especially when hitting drop volleys."

Serves - Score: 82

While views varied slightly on serves, our playtesters thought the Head Radical MP 2021 offered the qualities needed to close out service games successfully. Chris had no issues settling into a nice, consistent serve. He said, "I was getting enough power on my serves with the Radical MP 2021 that I never felt like I had to work too hard. I'm not the biggest server, but my first serves had the pace needed to draw errors from the returner. I could even sneak in some aces with my slice serves wide on the deuce side. I was happy with the spin I was getting on my second serves, and I found I could keep the pace up and still maintain consistency."

There were no complaints on Erik's end. He added, "Serving with this Radical MP was very solid overall. I had really nice power from this racquet and solid placement. I had easy access to spin, and I could hit nice kick serves. My favorite serves to hit were the slice out wide on the deuce side and kick serves out wide on the ad side."

The Radical MP's characteristics came together nicely on Jason's serves. He said, "I felt like the maneuverability, stability, spin and control all added up to make this a very solid serving racquet. I would've liked just a tad more pop on my serves, but other than that, no complaints."

Kristen thought the Radical MP came around a bit slowly on serves. She said, "On serves, the racquet was not quite as whippy overhead as I would like, but the standout feature was how much spin I could get. It took more effort if I wanted to flatten out serves and tap into more power, but I could always rely on spin for placing my serves well if I was too fatigued to try to come up with a bigger serve."

Returns - Score: 87

As was the case on groundstrokes, our playtesters found they had a good handle on whatever was thrown at them when returning serve with this Graphene 360+ Radical MP . The stability and easy depth Erik experienced when returning gave him the confidence to go big. He said, "I was able to stay aggressive with my returns and pin my opponents back. There was a good blend of power and control. This racquet performed nicely on first serves when I needed to block back returns, and it felt great when I needed to attack second serves."

Jason enjoyed being able to mix up his return strategy. He described, "The Radical MP 2021 offered me versatility on my returns. I liked that I could step in, take a big cut and have the spin help bring the ball down in the court, or block a return back with depth."

The Radical MP 2021 continued to impress Chris . He said, "The blend of stability and maneuverability I enjoyed at net and on groundstrokes also felt great on returns. I liked the overall feel. The stringbed felt comfortable while still giving me a good connection to the ball. Taking a good rip at returns was fun with this racquet, as I could generate the spin I needed to keep the ball inside the lines."

"Returning was a favorite aspect of the playtest for me," added Kristen . "I thought the Radical MP offered a nice, controlled response. It stood up well against heavy servers, which allowed me to swing through serves with good stability and feel. I could really get the ball moving through the court when blocking back bigger serves with slice, making what would typically be a more defensive return a pretty offensive one."

Overall - Score: 86

Jason - "Improved feel. More stability. This is an easy-to-use racquet that offers good spin, power and depth."

Chris - "Blends some old Radical feel with the easy power, spin and forgiving response of recent versions."

Kristen - "Effortless access to spin and depth, great for defending against pace."

Erik - "Nice plow through, good stability, great feel."

Jason - "Being nitpicky, I would've liked a little lower swingweight."

Chris - "I have been playing really, really well with the Radical MP 2021 , so no complaints!"

Kristen - "It dragged a bit overhead on serves for me."

Erik - "Not much."

Comparing the racquet to others they've tried, our testers said:

Jason - "This is the best playing Radical MP in a few generations. Its playability is comparable to the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19."

Chris - "A really nice update to the Radical lineage, this Radical MP 2021 brings back some classic Radical response without giving anything else up. If I were to pick a racquet from the current Head offerings, it would be a tough call between this racquet and the Graphene 360+ Speed Pro. This Radical is a bit crisper in its feel and feels lighter in the hand, but both swing with similar mass. The Speed breathes better for me at contact, so the response is more pleasing, but I play equally well with both, and there's no loss in confidence going from one to the other. In the end, it would likely be the familiarity of the Speed's 18x20 stringbed that would win me over, even though this Radical's stringbed is one of the most controlled 16x19 offerings out there."

Kristen - "I haven't spent much time with previous Radicals, but I have recently tested the updated Head Extreme MP. I found this Radical MP to be more controlled and comfortable than the Extreme MP while offering similar access to easy topspin and depth. Another comparable racquet that comes to mind would be the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19."

Erik - "This Radical MP 2021 isn't a major departure from the previous Radical model, but it has a little more mass and plow through. It is also more stable, feels more solid and has better feel due to the lower flex. This Radical MP has similar access to spin and power as my racquet of choice, the Yonex EZONE 98.”

Playtester Profiles

Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Tecnifibre TF40 305. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. Currently using a customized Prince Twistpower X100.

Erik: Open level all-court player with a one-handed backhand and a western forehand. He is currently using the Yonex EZONE 98.

Kristen: 5.0 level player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. Kristen currently plays with a Prince Textreme Tour 100P.

Review date: January 2021. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. All content copyright 2021 Tennis Warehouse Europe.

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• Tennis Equipment

Head Pyramid Tour MP?

• Thread starter flash9
• Start date Jan 8, 2006

• Jan 8, 2006

Bionic Poster

An upgrade to the PC 600 everyone raves about. Stiffer and more headlight.  

flash9 said: Anyone know anything about the Head Pyramid Tour MidPlus? I have a friend who just gave me two to string up and he asked me my opinion of the racquets. They look to be pretty high quality graphite, and were made in Austria. What is the actual head size, it does not say on the frame? Were these player racquets? He is a good 4.0 player and is trying to determine if he needs to be switching racquets. Any help would be appreciated. Click to expand...

• Jan 9, 2006

The Pyramid was briefly part of Head's 'Tour' series of the mid 1990s which included the Prestige Tour, Pro Tour 280, Radical Tour, Satellite Tour, and Tour XL. The Pyramid was meant to be the top of the Tour line, above the Prestige. I suppose the reason it didn't last very long is because of its unique (some might say peculiar) triangular cross section, and its high price. The Director, Master, and Edge series racquets came significantly before the Tour series.  

Hall of Fame

There was a discussion about this frame about 5 weeks ago. Bump for some other good folk who might have some more to say......  

Deuce said: The Pyramid was briefly part of Head's 'Tour' series of the mid 1990s which included the Prestige Tour, Pro Tour 280, Radical Tour, Satellite Tour, and Tour XL. The Pyramid was meant to be the top of the Tour line, above the Prestige. I suppose the reason it didn't last very long is because of its unique (some might say peculiar) triangular cross section, and its high price. The Director, Master, and Edge series racquets came significantly before the Tour series. Click to expand...

Actually, I find it more flexy feeling than the Prestige Classic, which has more of a solid, robust feel with more of that traditional raw ball feel. The Pyarmid Tour is more pillowy, smoother, and feels morel like playing with fiberglass, that kind of glassy feel. Basically, the Pyarmid Tour feels like a finely tuned automatic transmission, think Audi; and the Prestige Classic feels like a vintage manual transmission from a classic sports car that grips the road. I like both a lot. Believe it or not, I honestly couldn't say that I think the Prestige Classic is a better racket. They are just different rackets, but one is not better than the other. The Pyramid Tour has more power, but has an even denser string pattern believe it or not, the densest I've ever seen in fact. It's got excellent control, but definitely a hair less pinpoint than the Prestige Classic in this regard. In terms of string sensitivity, the Pyramid Tour is miles ahead. One of the most sensitive rackets to strings and tensions I've ever used. It really seems to transmit the individual attributes and feels of various strings and string constructions/gauges better than any other racket I've used. Strangely enough, despite the ultra tightly packed 18x20 pattern, it gives very controllable and easy access to spin. It's not gaudy spin by any means, but seemingly always just enough that you feel like you have total control over the spin. It's a very TIGHT spin pattern that it imparts, a precise one. It's got more spin than the Prestige Classic in my opinion, and is a far better serving racket in every way except maybe flat serves. The Pyramid Tour cuts through the air like a knife on the serve, it's got good weight but doesn't feel it; because of it's unparalleled aerodynamics through the air. It's kind of like a pseudo Babolat Aero Pro type design before there was an Aero design. What makes the racket's beam unique is that instead of being boxy, it's boxy on the inside walls for stability, but slanted like the walls of a triangle (i.e. "Pyramid") on the outside. The result is a kind of hybrid feel between the solidity of a box beam and a the aerodyanmics of slanted walls. The v-bridge throat is really no different than the Volkl V-Engine in concept and it really does do it's intended job of increasing the sweetspot and distributing it more evenly in my opinion. The Prestige Classic is more of a traditional small sweetspot, where if you're off mark, you're really off mark. The Pyarmid Tour's sweetspot feels more like a lollipop by comparison. The Pyramid Tour is not really a Head racket, nor is it really a Volkl racket, nor is it a Yonex racket...it's a little bit of all of the above. It's like a mad scientist brain stormed and decided to give a racket the feel halfway between "traditional Head" and the more sensitive, but muted Volkl feel; then decided to give the racket the solidity and unique isometric feel (best characterized by a solid, predictable, and evenly distributed sweetspot) of a Yonex head shape. The strengths of the Pyramid Tour are primiarly that it is an exceedingly smooth racket from all parts of the court, and has a very comfortable and sensitive response. Basically what ever you imagine doing with the ball, you can do it with this racket. You feel like you can totally carve up the court with this racket from the baseline, going for a big flat bomb, a drop shot, an extreme topspin angle, really everything. It also has an incredibly natural feel on the slice backhand, most natural feeling on the slice I've ever felt in fact. It's greatest strength is its serving capability. This thing serves effortlessly and makes you feel like you can carve up the court with ank kind of spin or speed. It just seems to go on auto pilot when you serve, and gives just enough of that modern oomph yet without losing any accuracy as you do with say the Pure Drive. Is this the hardest serving racket? No. Is it the spinniestest serving racket? No. Is it the most forgiving serving racket that lets you do whatever you want with the ball? Yes. For me, this racket is head and shoulders above any I've tried for serving. Now for the weaknesses, because the Pyramid Tour does have them. Volleys, simply put, the head feels too big and lacks that maestro feel up at the net that you get with smaller headed frames such as the Prestige Classic. I can't say that it necessarily gives bad results up at net, just that it doesn't feel as natural up there. It feels a little clunk, imprecise, and in the way. You have to understand though how this racket was designed. It's a racket designed for aerodynamics, and to work at optimum capacity it needs to SWOOP into motion. Once it SWOOPS into motion, then this baby sings. It does harmonious things with the ball. On the volley though, of course, you more or less just stick your racket out there. This is why small headed, traditional box beam frames are still the preferred and most "natural feeling" choice up at net for most skilled players. There the inherent stability and solidity, not to mention the positive raw ball feedback transmitted to your hands, gives a feeling of control and precision. Think why the Babolat Aero rackets are all the rage with the pros who duke it out from the baseline. Those aerodynamics weren't designed with volleys in mind, they were designed to feel most at home swinging away. Now, this does not necessarily mean you can't volley well with the Pyramid Tour, because you can. It's merely just a nagging feeling of what feels most "natural" up there. Doesn't mean a perfectly struck volley with either will be better than the other, just that one will give you more self-assurance and peace of mind. Kind of like comparing the "comfort level" of parallel parking a small, "cute ute" SUV into a tight space. The cute ute may not be that long, in fact, it's probably shorter than your car; yet when it comes to parallel parking, I don't know about you, but to me at least I still feel more "comfortable" parallel parking the car. Like I said, it's not necessarily that both don't fit into the parking space, it's that the SUV just SEEMS like a boat that won't fit whereas the car just seems like it'll glide into place. So basically, give the Pyramid Tour a smaller, midsize head, and a more open string pattern; and you'd have a very exceptional player's racket. As it was, it was still a very exceptional player's racket in my opinion. It has it's quirks sure, but it also has major strengths as well too. The Prestige Classic is the "revered" choice, but that doesn't mean the Pyramid Tour is bad or that the Prestige Classic is for everybody. If you're more an all-courter and like a more traditional feel and the feeling of belonging at the net that ONLY a midsize head can truly give you? Then, we know what your choice should be. If you're a Fabrice Santoro type, who wants to carve someone up from the baseline with total confidence in your ability to spin the ball with precision and touch and send it every which way and hold the intention of your shots to the last second? Then, be my guest, the Pyramid Tour can make you a maestro from there if you've got the goods. If you need a little help on the serve and return of serve? Pyramid Tour all the way. I think primarily baseliners who impart an element of touch in their game and like to occasionally come in but not all the time will find a willing companion in the Pyramid Tour, Rios, Hingis, Santoro, Nalbandian types all come to mind. If you're more of a straight up, all-out ball pounder from the baseline like Safin then the Prestige Classic will give you a little more confidence when going for flat, screaming winners. For the serve and volley types? The Pyaramid Tour is more for the Patrick Rafter/Henri Leconte/Stefan Edberg type who has a good but not great serve but great volleys (i.e. someone who could volley competently with a broom stick and not have to think twice about it), while the Prestige Classic would be more for the Goran Ivanisevic, Boris Becker type who could serve bombs with a broom stick and not have to think twice about it yet could use a little more feel and precision on the volleys. Make sense? Of course, if having that raw, "old school" throaty Ferrari feel is important to you, then really it doesn't matter what I say. The Pyaramid Tour is NOT for you, as it's got more of the more modern, muted, Lexus type feel to it.  

jck01 said: Thanks for clarifying that Deuce. You seem to know a lot about the history of Head racquets. Click to expand...

• Jan 10, 2006

Bravo !Tym. Thank you very much for taking the time to write that.  

!Tym, thanks. May re-string this Pyramid Tour and use it again.  

One thing though, pro racket stringer and legendary equipment guru on this board, Thomas Martinez, warned me that the Pyarmid Tour and the other Pyramid frames were all NOTORIOUS for cracking/fracturing during stringing, so be careful...this might be a very big reason why Head decided to shelve the design. It actually was a "technology" that did seem to do what they said as far as adding aerodynamics, maintaining stability, and adding pop...but what can you say? If it was an accident waiting to happen on the stringing room floor, I would be anxious to discontinue the design as well. Notice, that Head never really dumped the twin tube technology which like the pyramid technology, instead they just stopped advertising it...but you have to take into consideration that the twin tubes didn't fracture while stringing either. Though I've never had a Pyramid Tour crack during stringing (I have a Laserfibre INSIDE-support mounting system which might help), I can see from looking at the racket how it might be a little fragile under going the INTENSE side wall pressure that six point mounting systems can impose since it's not a flat surface area where they'd contact, but instead just an edge. Something to think about it when considering this racket. Finally, I would say that the Pyramid Tour kind of feels "sticky." Not quite like a gummy worm, but as Deuce once described the Gosen Polylon Ice string, the Pyramid Tour has that kind of "sticky" feel to it. Probably the best string I've tried in the racket is Wilson Hammertech 18g, that string just seemed made for the racket.  

henwal_of_sweden

• Jan 11, 2006

One thing though, pro racket stringer and legendary equipment guru on this board, Thomas Martinez, warned me that the Pyarmid Tour and the other Pyramid frames were all NOTORIOUS for cracking/fracturing during stringing, so be careful...this might be a very big reason why Head decided to shelve the design. Click to expand...

Anyone that used Head Tour racquets from that generation will attest just how flexible the hoops are. Hoop is easily misshaped by an inappropriate stringjob. Now wary of stringing the stick up again. Wonderful racquets for anyone with arm problems but wet noodles for most on these boards that grew up with PDs.  

prestige g¡rl

• Jan 14, 2006

!Tym, I once saw someone use a grandma frame called the HEAD Pyramid Tech extra long OS. Do you have info on that?  

Nah, remember there was a Head Pyramid Big Bang. Suppose that was the genesis, the beginning, eh?  

But there was a Head Genesis so that blows that Big Bang Theory all to h*ll, eh?  

• Jun 16, 2008

!Tym said: One thing though, pro racket stringer and legendary equipment guru on this board, Thomas Martinez, warned me that the Pyarmid Tour and the other Pyramid frames were all NOTORIOUS for cracking/fracturing during stringing, so be careful...this might be a very big reason why Head decided to shelve the design. It actually was a "technology" that did seem to do what they said as far as adding aerodynamics, maintaining stability, and adding pop...but what can you say? If it was an accident waiting to happen on the stringing room floor, I would be anxious to discontinue the design as well. Notice, that Head never really dumped the twin tube technology which like the pyramid technology, instead they just stopped advertising it...but you have to take into consideration that the twin tubes didn't fracture while stringing either. Though I've never had a Pyramid Tour crack during stringing (I have a Laserfibre INSIDE-support mounting system which might help), I can see from looking at the racket how it might be a little fragile under going the INTENSE side wall pressure that six point mounting systems can impose since it's not a flat surface area where they'd contact, but instead just an edge. Something to think about it when considering this racket. Finally, I would say that the Pyramid Tour kind of feels "sticky." Not quite like a gummy worm, but as Deuce once described the Gosen Polylon Ice string, the Pyramid Tour has that kind of "sticky" feel to it. Probably the best string I've tried in the racket is Wilson Hammertech 18g, that string just seemed made for the racket. Click to expand...

I want to string this racquet at 45 pounds (20 kg) with Gamma TNT2 18g. Is that a good choice?  

dt I don't know much about the Gamma string you mention but I have FibreGel 16 in my Pyramid at 53 and I find that that is even a little tight and boardy, so stringing at 45 I reckon would be quite ok. I used the Pyramid Tour for a good 8 months or so and played really well with it. I never lost in that time and thought (and still think) it was an amazing serve volley frame. I just couldn't quite get to terms with the feel of it and moved on to settle at a PT630. However, I don't think I really gave it much of a shot string wise and I'll probably try a few different setups soon at a lower tension than what i was using before. Never had any second thoughts about durability with this one. I'm not usually rough on my racquets but it's always been very solid for me.  

jayserinos99

I remember asking Tom Martinez once about stringing this frame and he noted that these frames just cracked during stringing, irregardless of condition. That was probably the reason why I sold mine off. I will say that this frame played really well and !Tym wrote about it perfectly.  

• Jun 17, 2008

galain said: dt I don't know much about the Gamma string you mention but I have FibreGel 16 in my Pyramid at 53 and I find that that is even a little tight and boardy, so stringing at 45 I reckon would be quite ok. I used the Pyramid Tour for a good 8 months or so and played really well with it. I never lost in that time and thought (and still think) it was an amazing serve volley frame. I just couldn't quite get to terms with the feel of it and moved on to settle at a PT630. However, I don't think I really gave it much of a shot string wise and I'll probably try a few different setups soon at a lower tension than what i was using before. Never had any second thoughts about durability with this one. I'm not usually rough on my racquets but it's always been very solid for me. Click to expand...

jayserinos99 said: I remember asking Tom Martinez once about stringing this frame and he noted that these frames just cracked during stringing, irregardless of condition. That was probably the reason why I sold mine off. I will say that this frame played really well and !Tym wrote about it perfectly. Click to expand...

dt101 said: I want to string this racquet at 45 pounds (20 kg) with Gamma TNT2 18g. Is that a good choice? Click to expand...

dt101 said: I am concerned with this issue. Do you think it is a dumb idea to have Sport Chalet string my HEAD Pyramid Tour? I know they use a very advanced stringing machine (Babalot), but I just don't know exactly how experienced their stringers are. Sport Chalet is the best deal I have found. They charge me only $10 for labor and I can bring whatever strings I want to them. Click to expand...

Bud said: I think you'll be fine... At what tension will you be stringing it? Click to expand...

Ronaldo said: An upgrade to the PC 600 everyone raves about. Stiffer and more headlight. Click to expand...

JIMWORLDWITHINAWORLD

• Aug 24, 2019

prestige g¡rl said: !Tym, I once saw someone use a grandma frame called the HEAD Pyramid Tech extra long OS. Do you have info on that? Click to expand...

Still have a Pyramid Tour and Prestige Tour mid. Not worthy anymore.  

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Simone Biles' Gold Over America Tour blends gymnastics and life lessons: "Have confidence"

After Paris 2024 success, Simone Biles reflects on mental health and her latest arena tour

(Gold Over America Tour)

Late last month, gymnastics superstar Simone Biles posted a photo of herself on Instagram alongside her 11 Olympic medals, including the three gold and one silver she captured at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 .

"6 year old me would be proud 🥹🤎🤞🏾," read the caption.

This week, the seven-time Olympic gold medallist is in the opening leg of her 30-city arena tour, aptly named 'Gold Over America Tour' – spelling GOAT for Greatest of All Time.

Biles' crisscross of the U.S. gives her the opportunity to share a message with any 6-year-olds in the audience with Olympic dreams as big as hers.

"To just have fun and do what you love and just have confidence," Biles told Olympics.com Friday in an exclusive interview.

The two-hour spectacular combines gymnastics with dancing for what Biles has called a pop concert-like experience.

"This one has kind of kicked it up a notch," said Biles.

The 2024 edition is the second run of the show, which first ran following the Tokyo Games in 2021. That show focused on the importance of prioritising one's mental health after Biles made the daring decision to withdraw from several individual finals in Japan as she dealt with the 'twisties.'

In the three years since, Biles has been open about her mental health, including speaking about therapy sessions she had before competing at her third Games. Her post-Paris arena show reflects that journey.

"Obviously, we wanted to share that story of 'it's okay to not be okay,'" explained Biles, "but this one is the outcome of putting in that work, taking care of yourself, and where it gets you.

"It's just what happens after you take care of yourself and the success that brings," she continued. "And so I think that's the exciting part about the story and what the show brings."

The tour runs through 3 November, when it takes its final bow in Detroit, Michigan.

• Simone Biles claims second Olympic individual all-around title
• Simone Biles on her mental health journey: "It's paid off"

Related content

Simone biles kicks off her 30-city arena tour in california, simone biles and company prepare to hit the road for ‘gold over america tour 2024’, cecile landi, coach of simone biles, begins new role as co-head at university of georgia, simone biles poses with epic olympic medal haul: “six-year-old me would be proud”, simone biles back in the gym ahead of u.s. tour.

Moscow concert attack: 'No Ukrainian involvement' in deadly attack, U.S. says

What we know.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has delivered a public address, calling the attack a barbaric act of terrorism and vowing to punish the perpetrators. He also accused Ukraine of preparing a "window" to help the suspects escape. Kyiv has staunchly denied any role in the attack.
• Russia has arrested 11 people, including all four gunmen suspected of carrying out the attack at a crowded concert venue in a Moscow suburb last night, the head of the country's Federal Security Service (FSB) has told Putin.
• At least 133 people are now known to have been killed as more bodies were found in the rubble, Russia's Investigative Committee said this morning. Men in camouflage broke into the concert hall, opened fire, and set the crowded venue ablaze. The death toll is expected to rise.
• The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility but did not provide proof of the claim. U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News that they had been gathering intelligence for months that ISIS could mount a mass casualty attack in Russia, though no final assessment had been made yet about who was responsible. U.S. Embassy officials issued a warning earlier this month urging people to stay away from large gatherings.

Coverage on this live blog has ended.

Sunday is day of mourning in Russia after tallest building stages tribute to fallen

Dennis Romero

Sunday was declared a day of mourning in Russia for those killed in Friday night's concert attack.

Putin made the declaration during a televised address to Russians in which he discussed the nation's response to the attack, which ended with 133 killed.

Also on Sunday, Dubai's 163-floor Burj Khalifa skyscraper was lit up in the colors of Russia's flag for "several minutes" to acknowledge the country's loss, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Dubai authorities and the development company Emaar organized the tribute on the world's tallest building, the agency said.

According to United Arab Emirates state news from Emirates News Agency, other structures in the region, including the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company building, were lit up "in solidarity with Moscow."

Rescue operation over at concert hall, official says

Dusa Gambrill

Mirna Alsharif Mirna Alsharif is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

The rescue operation on the scene of the Moscow attack is over, according to Moscow Oblast Gov. Andrey Vorobyov.

The search for victims at the concert hall is ongoing.

"Today rescuers cleared a huge layer of the auditorium," Vorobyov said in a statement on Telegram. "Over the course of 24 hours, 133 bodies were pulled out from under the rubble, and the identities of 50 dead were tentatively identified."

Officials have not publicly released the identities of the 50 victims.

"At night we will start creating an opening on the western side of Crocus, this will make it easier to access the concert hall," Vorobyov said.

Ukraine had nothing to do with Russia attack, U.S. says

Michelle Acevedo

The National Security Council said today in no uncertain terms that Ukraine had nothing to do with the deadly concert attack.

"ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever," NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

In the initial hours after the attack, Putin suggested attackers were trying to escape in the direction of Ukraine. He also accused Ukraine of preparing a "window" to help suspects escape. Ukraine has staunchly denied any involvement.

Russian officials say all four suspects believed to be behind the concert shooting are in custody.

Watson noted that the United States "shared information with Russia about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow."

Yesterday, the security council said the warning was made “in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy.”

In remarks that aired days before the attacks, Putin said the West’s warnings of any potential attacks in Russia were part of an “attempt to intimidate, destabilize our country.”

Intelligence officials have been gathering information for months that suggested ISIS could mount a mass casualty attack in Russia, U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News.

Russia's president in a video address late today vowed dire consequences for the four suspects apprehended in the concert attack and anyone else involved in the violence.

"No one will be able to sow poisonous seeds of discord," Putin warned in the remarks.

He also drew on history to say, essentially, that times of hardship will only make Russia stronger. "It will be so now," he said.

29 Moscow attack victims identified

The Russian Ministry of Health has identified 29 victims of yesterday’s attack in Moscow.

The preliminary list was published by the Russian Emergency Ministry tonight. No other details about the victims, including their ages, were published.

More than 50 people who were killed in the attack have been identified so far, Moscow Oblast Gov. Andrey Vorobyov told Russian state media RIA Novosti.

'They always blame others': Zelenskyy denounces Putin for linking Ukraine to deadly Moscow attacks

Victor Sema

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to blame "someone else" for the Moscow attack.

Putin accused Ukraine of preparing a “window” to help the suspects in the attack escape.

"What happened yesterday in Moscow is obviously just Putin and the other scum trying to blame it on someone else," he said in a statement shared on Telegram. "They always have the same methods. It has happened before. There have been bombed houses, shootings, and explosions. And they always blame others."

Zelenskyy said Putin's methods are "absolutely predictable."

"They come to Ukraine, burn our cities, and try to blame Ukraine. They torture and rape our people — and they blame them," he said. "They have brought hundreds of thousands of their own terrorists here, to Ukrainian soil, to fight against us, and they don’t care what happens inside their own country."

Zelenskyy believes Putin is trying to turn the situation "in favor of his personal power."

Fire extinguished at Crocus City Hall, Russian Emergency Ministry says

Gabrielle Nolin

The fire at the Crocus City Hall has been extinguished, according to the Russian Emergency Ministry.

The ministry shared a video on Telegram of the destruction left behind by yesterday's attack in the area.

Over 130 people were killed in the attack and more than 100 are in Moscow hospitals with injuries, officials said.

Rescue workers will 'need a few more days to fully clear up the rubble' at the Crocus concert hall, Moscow official says

Rescue workers will "need a few more days to fully clear up the rubble" at the Crocus concert hall, according to Moscow Oblast Gov. Andrey Vorobyov.

"Specialists from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations — 104 people and 19 pieces of equipment — continue to clear the rubble in the concert hall and put out the remaining fires," he said in a statement shared to Telegram. "Rescuers will need a few more days to fully clear up the rubble."

Vorobyov said there is difficulty in accessing a wall that needs to be demolished in order to continue the search for victims.

"In the near future, special small equipment will arrive to help clear access and provide rescuers with passage," he said. "This will help continue the search operation."

Russian Investigative Committee to award man who allegedly neutralized one of the Moscow attack suspects

The Russian Investigative Committee will award a man who allegedly neutralized one of the suspects in yesterday's attack on a Moscow concert hall that killed over 130 people.

"A man, trying to protect his wife from terrorists who were shooting at people, attacked one of them and neutralized him," a statement on the committee's website said. "Through his active and decisive actions, he saved the lives of the people around him at that moment."

NBC News has not independently verified this information.

More than 50 people who were killed in the attack have been identified, Moscow Oblast Gov. Andrey Vorobyov told Russian state media RIA Novosti.

Russian media broadcasts videos it claims show detention, interrogation of suspects

The Associated Press

Russian media on Saturday broadcast videos that apparently showed the detention and interrogation of the suspects, including one who told the cameras he was approached by an unidentified assistant to an Islamic preacher via a messaging app channel and paid to take part in the raid.

Russian news reports identified the gunmen as citizens of Tajikistan, a former Soviet country in Central Asia that is predominantly Muslim and borders Afghanistan. Up to 1.5 million Tajiks have worked in Russia and many received Russian citizenship.

Putin also said that additional security measures have been imposed throughout Russia, and he declared Sunday a day of mourning.

Russia's foes weigh in with condolences for Moscow terrorism victims

Corky Siemaszko

World leaders backing Ukraine in its war with Russia weighed in Saturday with condolences and condemnations of terrorist violence in the wake of the Moscow concert hall attack.

"I strongly condemn the terrorist attack against civilians in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow claimed by the Islamic State," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X , formerly Twitter. "My thoughts are with the victims and their families during this tragic time."

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the United Kingdom condemned “in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack” in Moscow.

“Nothing can ever justify such horrific violence,” Cameron posted .

French President   Emmanuel Macron also went on X to express his “solidarity with the families of victims, the injured and the Russian people.”

And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the “terrible terrorist attack on innocent concertgoers in Moscow.”

Even the leaders of countries like Poland that have for centuries viewed Russia as their enemy expressed condolences.

"Poland strongly condemns the brutal attack at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted . "We all grieve for the families of the victims. We hope that this terrible tragedy will not become a pretext for anyone to escalate violence and aggression."

Top U.S. diplomat calls Moscow massacre 'heinous crime'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement Saturday condemning the deadly terrorist attack in Moscow. It reads as follows:

"The United States strongly condemns yesterday’s deadly terrorist attack in Moscow. We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and all affected by this heinous crime. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life from this horrific event."

Putin plans to use Moscow attack to mobilize for war, historian says

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to use yesterday's attack on Moscow as a means to mobilize for war and to repress Russian citizens, said Sergey Radchenko, a historian and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Putin has delivered a public address following the attack, and accused Ukraine of preparing a “window” to help the suspects escape. Kyiv has staunchly denied any role in the attack.

"Terrorism is a familiar threat to Russians, and Putin has a history of opportunistically using their fear of terrorism to consolidate his grip on power. (That’s a benign view, of course, but there’s no absolute need to embrace conspiracy theories to make this point)," Radchenko wrote on X .

Radchenko said Putin's goal is "clear" : "more internal repression" and "mobilization of war."

"Russia has become a giant outhouse, and things are certain to get much, much worse for Russians and for the unfortunate weakness of Russia’s terminal illness," he wrote . "To be fair, the trends have long pointed in this direction."

ISIS-K no stranger to U.S. intelligence

The terrorist organization believed to be behind the deadly Moscow concert hall attack is the same group that killed more than a dozen U.S. service members and dozens of civilians in 2021 during the American evacuation from Afghanistan.

The Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, is the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State terror group, which has publicly beheaded foreign journalists and inflicted all kinds of brutalities on captured Kurds and others in Iraq and Syria.

ISIS-K also has a penchant for going after civilians it regards as infidels, experts told NBC News in the aftermath of the surprise suicide attack that stunned the Biden administration.

In the 2021 incident, a suicide bomber set off a blast near a checkpoint where Marines were checking the documents of people being allowed into the Kabul airport to escape the Taliban takeover of the country.

Read more about ISIS-K here .

No Americans killed in Moscow attack, U.S. official says

No Americans are believed to have been killed in yesterday's attack on Moscow, according to a U.S. official.

The official also said the U.S. "has no reason to doubt the ISIS claim of responsibility" for the attack.

"It has a long-demonstrated history of targeting Russia and neighboring countries," the official said. "There are no indications of Ukrainian involvement in the attack."

Photos: Mourners in Europe pay tribute outside Russia's embassies

Russian attempts to connect Ukraine to Moscow attack are 'absolutely untenable,' Ukrainian official says

Russian attempts to connect Ukraine to yesterday's attack on Moscow are "absolutely untenable," said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of preparing a “window” to help the suspects escape. Kyiv has staunchly denied any role in the attack.

"Ukraine has not the slightest connection to this incident," Podolyak wrote on X. "Ukraine has a full-scale war with #Russia and will solve the problem of Russia’s aggression (aggression, by the way, with a deliberate terrorist component) on the battlefield. The versions of Russian special services regarding Ukraine are absolutely untenable and absurd."

Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, shared similar sentiments in remarks he delivered during the National Telethon.

"You don’t have to be a security expert to understand this," he said. "A full-scale war has been going on for over two years, border territories are full with enemy troops, special agents, representatives of intelligence services, and law enforcement. The borderline is mined, surveillance is conducted by all means, including aerial reconnaissance, from both sides. Regions like Belgorod and Kursk are currently active combat zones after the recent events."

Death toll rises to 133 people killed

The death toll from yesterday’s attack in Moscow has now risen to 133 people, officials confirmed.

The Russian Investigative Committee said more bodies were found as emergency responders cleared the rubble from the fiery attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall. The search operation at the venue is still underway.

At least 107 people, including three children, are currently in Moscow hospitals with injuries, according to Tatyana Golikova, deputy chairman of the Russian government.

The latest death toll officially marks the attack as one of the worst terrorist acts in Russia’s modern history, surpassing the casualty number of the hostage crisis at Moscow’s Dubrovka Theater in 2002, where 130 people died. Over 330 people were killed in the Beslan school siege in 2004.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson appears to hit out at the West after attack

Chantal Da Silva

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, appeared to hit out at the U.S. and the West today over yesterday's attack.

“The main point is that American authorities don’t forget how their information and political environment linked the terrorists who shot people in Crocus City Hall to the banned terrorist organization ISIS," she said in a statement posted to Telegram.

U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News that they had been gathering intelligence for months that ISIS could launch a major attack in Russia.

"Now we know in which country these bloody bastards planned to hide from persecution — Ukraine," Zakharova said. "The same country which for ten years has been turning via Western liberal regimes into a center of terrorism spread in Europe," she said, referring to findings that the attackers planned to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border after the attack.

Mikhail Sheremet, an MP of the State Duma, Russia’s lower chamber of parliament, separately accused Ukraine of possible involvement in the attack without providing any evidence, in comments made to RIA Novosti. "One shouldn’t rule out a Ukrainian trace in organizing the terrorist attack," Sheremet said.

Ukraine has staunchly denied any involvement in the attacks.

Putin says a 'window' was prepared on Ukrainian side for attackers' escape

Putin condemned yesterday's attack as a "barbaric terrorist act" in a public address today as he alleged that a "window" had been prepared "on the Ukrainian side" to help the attackers escape.

The Russian leader did not provide evidence for the claim, but cited preliminary data in Moscow's ongoing investigation into the deadly attack.

Russian officials have said the attackers were planning to escape across the Russia-Ukraine border following the assault. Kyiv has denied having any role.

Putin said medics were still fighting to save the lives of those wounded in the attack, which he said has prompted officials in Moscow and several other regions to introduce new anti-terrorism measures.

He said tomorrow, March 24, would be a national day of mourning for the more than 115 people killed.

"I express my deep, sincere condolences to everyone who lost their loved ones," he said. "The whole country, our entire nation, mourns with you."

Russians lay flower tributes for victims of the attack

People laid flowers in tribute to the victims of the attack at memorials that have popped up across Russia, as lines outside hospitals in Moscow grew with those seeking to donate blood.

'We heard shots and smelled smoke': Witnesses evacuated from city hall describe ordeal

Two people who were among many evacuated from Crocus City Hall following yesterday's attack described the harrowing ordeal as they praised first responders for helping keep everyone calm.

Nadezhda Erastova and Andrei Telnov were in the city hall for a sports dance championship, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

"We were not in the concert hall. We were in another part of the building, but we heard shots and smelled smoke," Telnov told the agency. "People, of course, were worried and scared. I myself was not in the best emotional state. Yesterday was one of the hardest days of my life, one might say."

Erastova separately told Tass that "everyone was a hero in this situation."

"They did not panic and were able to get out,” she said, praising police for escorting people to public transport safely.

Death toll rises to 115 people killed

The death toll from yesterday's attack has now risen to 115 people, officials confirmed.

The Russian Investigative Committee said more bodies were found as emergency responders cleared the rubble from the fiery attack at the Crocus City Hall concert hall.

A search operation at the venue is still underway, it said.

Photos reveal extent of the destruction at burned-out concert hall

Matthew Mulligan

Photos released by Russian authorities reveal the extent of the destruction at Crocus City Hall following last night's attack.

Firefighters can be seen making their way through the burned-out concert hall, much of it in ruins in the photos taken by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The attack was carried out with automatic weapons, but also with "flammable liquid," which was used to set the concert hall ablaze, the Russian Investigative Committee said.

Firefighters evacuated people from the basement and roof of the building, but more than 100 people were killed in the attack.

Attackers planned to cross Russian-Ukrainian border, state media reports

Suspects in yesterday's attack intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border following the assault and had contacts on the Ukrainian side, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

NBC News was not immediately able to independently verify the reporting. It is not clear how the attackers planned to cross the border, an endeavor that would have been complicated by Russia’s war in Ukraine.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, without providing any proof. Kyiv has explicitly denied any role in the assault.

“Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall," Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said in a statement on X yesterday, adding: "It makes no sense whatsoever."

Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military intelligence directorate, separately told the BBC the border area with Ukraine is “full of special services and military."

"Also the latest events in Belgorod region and Kursk — where there is military activity — mean this is a front line," Yusov noted, adding: “To suggest the suspects were heading to Ukraine would suggest they were stupid or suicidal.”

At least 115 people hospitalized, including 5 children, officials say

At least 115 people were hospitalized in connection with yesterday's attack, including five children, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said, according to Tass.

At least 60 people are in severe condition, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said separately, according to the Russian state news agency. She said almost all necessary surgeries had been performed.

11 people reportedly detained in connection with attack 

At least 11 people have been detained in connection with yesterday's attack, including four people directly involved, the Kremlin said.

Alexander Bortnikov, director of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) informed Putin of the detentions, it said.

Bortnikov also updated the Russian president on the FSB's efforts to identify the accomplices of those who carried out the attack.

Death toll rises to 93, expected to increase

Aurora Almendral Aurora Almendral is a London-based editor with NBC News Digital.

Russia's Investigative Committee said this morning that the number of people confirmed dead in last night's attack has risen to 93, and said "the death toll will rise further."

According to preliminary data, the causes of death were gunshot wounds and "poisoning by combustion products," the Investigative Committee said.

Three children among those killed, state media reports

Three children were among the more than 60 people killed in yesterday’s attack at Crocus City Hall, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Health.

Officials have warned that the death toll connected to the deadly incident may increase as the investigation continues.

Moscow bloodshed comes two decades after some of worst attacks in Russia

Phil Helsel

The attack in Moscow is the latest in a series of deadly terror attacks in the country since the 2000s.

In 2004, militants from Chechnya and elsewhere took hostages at a school in Beslan in southern Russia.

The militants demanded a withdrawal from Chechnya. Hostages were kept in a gymnasium, and 334 died — half of them children — when gunfire and explosions erupted when it was stormed. Hostages’ families were critical of the rescue operation. Russian prosecutors later cleared authorities .

Two years prior, in 2002, Chechen separatists attacked the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow and took more than 700 people hostage. Russian forces used gas, and 129 hostages died. The attackers were killed.

More recently, in 2017, a suicide bomber from Kyrgyzstan killed 15 people as well as himself in an attack on a St. Petersburg subway. In 2013, two bombers killed a combined 34 people in attacks on a railway station and a trolleybus in Volgograd.

The group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attacks Friday at the Crocus City Hall venue.

Putin wishes victims well, deputy prime minister say

President Vladimir Putin is thinking of those injured in today’s attack and thanked doctors, a Russian government official said, according to state media.

State media Tass reported that “Putin wished all those injured in the emergency at Crocus City Hall to recover and conveyed his gratitude to the doctors, Golikova said,” referring to Tatiana Golikova, deputy prime minister for social policy, labor, health and pension provision.

U.S. warned Russia about planned terrorist attack in Moscow, NSC says

Monica Alba

The United States shared information about a potential terrorist attack in Moscow with Russia’s government earlier this month, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

The U.S. Embassy in Russia on March 7 warned U.S. citizens to avoid crowds and said it was monitoring reports that extremists might attack large gatherings in Moscow.

“Earlier this month, the U.S. Government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow — potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts — which prompted the State Department to issue a public advisory to Americans in Russia,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

“The U.S. Government also shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy,” Watson said.

Putin recently dismissed ‘provocative’ warning about potential attacks

In remarks that aired three days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of “provocative statements” about potential terror attacks in Russia, and dismissed them.

“I’ll remind you of recent, let’s say directly, provocative statements of certain official Western structures about potential terror attacks in Russia,” Putin said.

“All of this looks like obvious blackmail and an attempt to intimidate, destabilize our country,” he said before the state security agency FSB.

Putin in those remarks did not specify a country or warning. The U.S. Embassy in Russia on March 7 warned U.S. citizens to avoid crowds .

“The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the U.S. Embassy warned.

Some Moscow concertgoers filmed events as they unfolded Friday night, when gunmen opened fire inside a theater and people ran to take cover in fear for their lives.

Our TW playtesters raved about the first Head Extreme Tour, which gave this Extreme Tour 2022 update some big shoes to fill. Head's answer is to utilize Auxetic construction in the yoke of this racquet. According to Head, the Auxetic update optimizes the feel and response of the racquet according to how hard you are hitting the ball. Another goal with this update is an expanded sweetspot for a more consistent response on off-center hits. Spin grommets have been included in this generation to help generate more spin from greater string movement. The Extreme Tour 2022 stands out from other spin racquets by providing a plush 63 RA stiffness rating that offers players more comfort throughout long hitting sessions and matches. Aside from excellent spin, our team was pleasantly surprised by the amount of stability they found. For a 317 swingweight racquet, the Extreme Tour held its own against powerful hitters. Overall, Head improves on the Extreme Tour while maintaining the aspects that already made it shine. Our playtesters recommend this racquet for players who want controllable spin with maximum comfort and speed.

• Maneuverability
• Effortless depth
• Low stiffness for spin racquet
• Love it or hate it cosmetic

Intermediate to advanced players

Groundstrokes - Score: 81

As our team expected, the Head Extreme Tour 2022 offers a massive amount of spin to players. With the spin grommets and ultra-fast swingweight, this racquet let our playtesters easily ramp up speed when necessary. With her background on clay courts, Zsofi loved how much spin she could generate when hitting with the Extreme Tour. She said, "I really enjoyed the easy depth I was getting with the new Extreme Tour on the baseline! It was one of the first things that stood out for me when I picked up the racquet. I was able to easily open up the court with more aggressive angles and move my opponents around. I grew up playing on the red clay courts of Europe, so I especially appreciate a racquet that is able to give me that extra spin I am looking for, and the new Extreme Tour did just that. It's a super spin-friendly racquet, so if that is something that you are looking for, give this one a go!"

Michelle found it simple to shape the ball to keep her opponents deep in the court. She said, "The first thing I realized about this racquet was how fast it played. It was explosive, but still stable for its weight. I tested this Extreme Tour after playtesting some extended-length racquets that were on the beefier side and a bit hefty to swing, and this racquet was quite the opposite, so it was a nice change of pace! I did note at times that I was missing some mass in the racquet's head and could have used that extra weight to push through the ball. I like to lead with the tip of my racquet through the ball and felt like the tip was struggling to come through when I went for bigger shots. For me, this was an easy sign that this racquet would perform well with a tiny bit of customization. The sweetspot, however, did feel forgiving, and it was easy to get some arch on the ball. I enjoyed working on shots with more topspin, pushing my opponents back with the ball jumping up rather than penetrating through the court."

Among a long list of positives, the standout feature for Andrew was how comfortable the racquet felt. He explained, "The Head Extreme Tour meshed well with my play style from the baseline. I found it easy to maneuver for my topspin forehands and stable enough for my slice and flatter backhands. The lower RA was noticeable and made my hitting experience comfortable compared to other spin racquets, which is a huge advantage. The response was not lacking even though the racquet offered more flexibility. As it does with other racquets, Auxetic technology seemed to make the sweetspot large and consistent — a huge bonus since it is pretty easy for me to hit outside the sweetspot when ramping up on spin. Lastly, the lower swingweight made it simple to get the racquet moving when I was on the run or in defensive scenarios."

Mark took note of how well the Extreme Tour handled slice and topspin backhands. He said, "I spend most of my tennis time playing from the baseline, so I look for racquets that are heavy enough to be stable, yet light enough to maneuver during long matches and groundstroke exchanges. Overall, my groundstrokes were sound; however, the new Head Extreme Tour errs slightly on the side of maneuverability and not stability, so I was feeling the weight of the ball on my stringbed more. After the second hour of play, the issue was cured with an increase in swing speed to get the shot depth I need. Lastly, its 16x19 pattern looks and feels tighter than the Extreme MP's, yet it still allows for easy generation of topspin and complements my backhand slice better than expected."

Volleys - Score: 80

At net, our playtesters found the Head Extreme Tour 2022 to offer quick maneuverability and sufficient stability against heavy hitters. Michelle and Zsofi both play high-level doubles, and the Extreme Tour easily handled their quick exchanges. Michelle said, "At net, I found this racquet fairly easy to use. However, I did find it more effective to really punch volleys to make sure they had some snap behind them. It was super maneuverable, and I didn't have any issues with stability even against the big hitters — no wobbles luckily!"

Zsofi added, "I play a lot of doubles nowadays, and I really appreciated the extreme stability of this racquet at net. Even if I only had time for a quick reflex volley, I still felt stable during the shot and could trust the Extreme Tour to do its job."

Mark had to put in some extra effort to find success on volleys with this racquet. He said, "As I mentioned with regards to play from the baseline, could feel the weight of the ball on the stringbed of the Extreme Tour 2022 a little more than I do with racquets that feature a higher swingweight. So, where I would typically just make contact with the volleyed shot, I had to punch forward with the Extreme Tour to keep my volleys from being pounced on by my opponent."

While he generally prefers to stay on the baseline, Andrew was able to utilize a wide variety of shots at net with the Extreme Tour. He said, "Although I don't prefer the net in most cases, the Extreme Tour offered quick speed and easy playability in situations when I had to move up. My biggest concern when initially hitting the Extreme was the speed-to-stability ratio. With a sub-320 swingweight, the Extreme Tour held up surprisingly well when blocking back powerful shots. I never felt the racquet twisting, unless I really messed up and hit near the edge of the frame. Otherwise, I was able to volley with a good amount of variety, from drop touch shots to deep, penetrating volleys."

Serves - Score: 82

Out of all the parts of this playtest, our team thought the Head Extreme Tour 2022 performed best on serves. The swing speed made it easy to generate racquet head speed, and the spin grommets boosted kicks and slices. Andrew favored serving with the Extreme Tour over other spin racquets due to its low RA and the comfort he found from the Auxetic technology. He said, "I have had some shoulder and wrist issues in the past, but the quickness and power potential made the Extreme Tour super easy to serve with. I found my favorite serve to be my slice serve. The racquet was fast, yet controllable enough to keep the ball in play when pushing serves out wide. Of course, with the spin grommets, I could also get the ball to kick up on topspin serves, which gave me some serving versatility. The serve I really had to focus on was my flat serve. With the Extreme Tour's depth generation, I had to pay attention to my contact to keep the ball from landing out."

Zsofi felt very confident with this racquet in her hands and was able to go for riskier serves with more success than usual. She said, "The new Head Extreme Tour was awesome on my serves! My serve is not normally a shot I lean on as a strong weapon, but with the new Extreme Tour I felt brave enough to pick riskier targets, and I was able to generate easy power."

Michelle and Mark both found serves to be their favorite shot of the playtest. Mark described, "As with every other shot I hit with Head's new Extreme Tour, I found myself having to use more tip speed to get an effective level of pace and spin on my serves. Where I maybe struggled a bit more at net and from the baseline with this racquet, the fast-swinging nature of the Extreme Tour catered to good action and pace on the ball, making the serve my best shot of the playtest."

"This was one of the bright spots of the playtest for me because the lower swingweight reacted really well to every serve," Michelle added. "The targeting felt very dialed in as well. I could flatten out serves easily, but I also really enjoyed hitting second serves with this racquet. It wasn't demanding at all, and I could really get momentum going through the ball. I loved hitting big flat 'T' serves on both sides!"

Returns - Score: 76

With its high swing speed, the Head Extreme Tour 2022 had our playtesters questioning if the stability would provide enough confidence to return against big servers. By the time testing was through, they were happy to find that the Extreme Tour performed extraordinarily well for its sub-320 swingweight. The Extreme Tour made it simple to get in front of the ball, allowing the user to be more spin-aggressive than with racquets with higher swingweights. Andrew usually hits a counter-punch return, but he was able to return more serves with topspin and angles with the Extreme Tour 2022. He described, "The Extreme Tour was great on returns. Typically, I like to return with a chip or flat counterpunch, but the Extreme Tour gave me so much confidence to hit with spin that I was slicing or adding topspin to most of my returns. Flat returns were still there when I wanted them, but I really enjoyed being able to comfortably use spin to angle my returns off the center of the court. As with other shots, the Tour held up well against big serves for how fast it was. Overall, this is one of the better racquets I've hit this year for serve returns."

The Extreme Tour was able to give Michelle the classic 'one-two' winner combo. She said, "It was fun to swing big on returns with this Extreme Tour. I felt pretty good about hitting my targets and loved going for a big ball down the line, but I also liked hitting angles off the outer wings to move my opponent off the court and create an opening for a one-two combo. The racquet was fairly forgiving, and even if I didn't always find the sweetspot, I felt like I was OK."

With the Extreme Tour's power potential, Zsofi was able to hone her tactics to get the most out of her returns with this racquet. She said, "Because of the great stability of the Extreme Tour 2022 and the easy depth I was able to generate, my returns felt great and very stable. The launch angle was a bit higher than I am used to, so I had to keep it in mind and dial my returns back a bit sometimes, but once I got used to that, it really wasn't a problem."

Mark had mixed results when it came to return of serve. He wrapped up the playtest, saying, "Other than the volley, the return of serve was the shot where I could really feel the weight of the ball on the racquet, basically demanding that I ditch my chip return and swing through contact of the ball. As a result, my return of serve was a little erratic."

Overall - Score: 81

Mark - "The Extreme Tour 2022 is very fast, comfortable and easy to swing from anywhere on the court. It is surprisingly stable for a racquet with an inertia number lower than 320. Specifically, the new Extreme Tour forces me to play more assertively off the first ball, instead of always relying on long point strategies. I also like the more subtle used-tennis-ball tone of yellow for the 2022 cosmetic over the brighter new-ball yellow of the prior iteration."

Zsofi - "The racquet not only looks great but performs amazingly as well! I really need something stable that gives me that 'extra' I'm looking for, and this racquet does just that. Easy depth, crazy spin and outstanding stability on all shots."

Andrew - "It's super fast and still has plenty of stability for my game. Spin is easily accessible, and the racquet is even more comfortable with Auxetic tech and a lower RA."

Michelle - "Super speedy and stable for its weight. Easy access to spin. Fun to serve with and target different spots in the box. A good platform racquet for customization."

Mark - "Ironically, the benefits the Extreme Tour affords me are the same traits that challenge me. I have a harder time playing defensively due to the sub-320 swingweight and the degree of head-light balance. This encourages me to play more of a first-strike style of tennis, which does not come naturally to me. I am certain adding a smidge of weight to the hoop would cure that and allow me to more easily play my counterpunch style of tennis."

Zsofi - "The only somewhat negative note I can think of is that I sometimes struggle with bringing the racquet head around fast enough on my backhands. Basically, maneuverability wasn't always that easy for me, but once I spent more time with the racquet and got more dialed in, this wasn't really an issue."

Andrew - "Nothing really stands out as a dislike; it does everything I want it to do."

Michelle - "It's a bit light for my personal tastes, and I crave a bit more mass behind the head."

Comparing the racquet to others they've tried, our testers said:

Mark - "The Yonex EZONE 98 exhibits a set of specs that are pretty comparable with this Extreme Tour 2022 , as does the Dunlop CX 200 and the Volkl C10 EVO. Although the swingweight of the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98 is just over 320, it is similar otherwise."

Zsofi - "The new Head Extreme Tour feels a bit plusher than previous versions. Otherwise, it feels a bit similar to the Yonex VCORE 98 or maybe even the Tecnifibre TFight 305 16x19."

Andrew - "In comparison to previous models, this Extreme Tour has just a bit more flex and comfort. If you are into spin-friendly racquets like the Babolat Pure Aero VS, Pure Aero standard and Yonex VCORE 98, but want more comfort, this is the racquet for you."

Michelle - "I initially wanted to compare this Extreme Tour 2022 to the Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98, but I find that racquet to offer a bit more plow through and this one to be much whippier. It would be comparable to the Yonex VCORE 98, but again, the Extreme Tour is a bit faster through the ball, so it is ideal for players who like a faster swinging racquet, or for players who like to build their own spec."

Playtester Profiles

Zsofi: Open level all court player with a semi-western forehand and a one-handed backhand. She currently plays with a Tecnifibre TF40 305 16x19.

Andrew: 4.0 level all court player with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Head Speed MP 2022.

Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph.

Mark: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with the Head Boom Pro 2022.

Review date: October 2022. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us. All content copyright 2022 Tennis Warehouse.

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