Head Delta Pro 2024

The Delta Pro is what happens when a brand stops chasing extremes and just makes something good. It's a teardrop, but a gentle one — the sweet spot is higher than on a round, but not so high that you punish yourself every time you mis-hit.

We played with this for four sessions across two players: one defensive, one aggressive. Both came away happy, which almost never happens. The defensive player liked that block volleys came back deep and stayed in the court; the aggressive player liked that smashes still had pop, even if they weren't quite Vertex-level.

At 365g, it's middle-of-the-road weight. We'd recommend it for anyone in the 3.5–4.5 range who is still figuring out what kind of player they want to be. It will let you play any style without actively fighting you, and that's rarer than you'd think in a market full of specialist rackets.

Two complaints: the stock grip is mediocre — wrap it on day one — and the paint job is more delicate than the price suggests. After a few scrapes against the cage you'll have battle scars. Performance isn't affected, but if you care how your racket looks, prepare yourself.

At $229 it sits in a sweet spot of the market where most competitors are either a step down in build or $80 more. If you're not sure yet what you want, you almost certainly want this.