HEAD Extreme 2026 Review: P98 vs P100 — Which Pattern Should You Choose?

You hit three forehands with the 2024 HEAD Extreme and put it down. The ball came off the stringbed with a dull, hollow thud — the kind of response that tells you nothing about where the ball is going. You checked the grommets. You checked the tension. You handed it back to the pro shop guy and said, "Not for me."

You are not alone. A lot of players who wanted to like the Extreme — who liked the specs on paper, the spin potential, the manoeuvrability — walked away feeling the same way. The 2024 generation had a disconnected, over-dampened sensation that made it hard to trust. Good racquet on paper. Unconvincing in the hand.

The HEAD Extreme 2026 review you are reading now starts from that admission, because the update matters most to the people the previous version lost. HEAD changed two major things for 2026: they introduced a new material called Hy-Bor (boron-infused graphite laid into the upper hoop), and they gave the lineup two string pattern options — a 16x19 (P100) and a 16x20 (P98). The Hy-Bor is meant to add stability and feedback to a frame that felt flaccid. The two pattern options are meant to let you dial in response.

The question is not which Extreme is the best. The question is which pattern fits your stroke.

What Most People Do

Most players walk into a demo decision and grab the P100. It is the default. The 16x19 pattern is what the Extreme has always been. It is what you expect from a 100-square-inch spin racquet. Open string bed, easy access to launch, forgiving on off-centre hits. You do not have to think about it.

This is not a bad decision. The P100 is a very good pattern. It does what a 16x19 is supposed to do: it grabs the ball, it spins it, it gives you a high margin net clearance. If you play heavy topspin from the baseline and you want a racquet that does some of the work for you, the P100 will serve you well.

But the default choice is also the uninspected choice. Most players do not demo both patterns side by side. They ask for the Extreme, the shop hands them the P100 because that is what is strung and ready, and they make a call on the frame based on one pattern. If the P100 feels a little loose, a little unpredictable on flat drives, they blame the racquet entirely. They never learn what the P98 can do.

There is a second habit worth naming here. Many players who disliked the 2024 Extreme assume the 2026 version is the same frame with different paint. They do not demo at all. They cross the Extreme off their list and move on. That is a loss, because the 2026 update is not cosmetic. The Hy-Bor material changes how the upper hoop responds, and the P98 pattern changes the entire personality of the frame.

What the Evidence Suggests

Let me be direct: the P98 is the more interesting pattern for intermediate-to-advanced players. It is the one that addresses the complaint that drove players away from the 2024 version.

The 2024 Extreme felt disconnected because the stringbed response was mushy and the launch angle was inconsistent. You hit a heavy ball, then you hit a floater, and you could not feel the difference at contact. The 2026 version with the P98 fixes this more thoroughly than the P100 does, for one clear reason: denser string spacing tightens the launch angle window.

Here is what that means on court. With the P100, your spin shot launches at roughly the same angle as the 2024 version — maybe a degree or two lower because the Hy-Bor stiffens the upper hoop slightly. With the P98, the launch angle drops noticeably. The ball leaves the stringbed lower, flatter, and with a more predictable trajectory. You get a more direct connection between your swing path and the ball's flight. The "disconnected" sensation disappears because the stringbed gives you clearer feedback on where the ball struck and how much energy you transferred.

I tested both patterns back to back over four sessions. Henrik, who hit with me, felt the same. The P100 is a good spin racquet. The P98 is a good racquet, full stop.

The P98 also solves a specific problem for a specific player type: the one-handed backhand player. A 16x19 pattern on a 100-square-inch head can feel vague on the one-hander, especially on slice and drive backhands where you need to feel the string gripping the back of the ball. The P98's denser spacing gives you more directional certainty. The ball does not wander offline as much. The slice stays low and skids rather than popping up. If you hit a one-hander and you have been struggling to trust a 100-square-inch frame, the P98 is worth your time.

There is a trade-off. The P98 demands more from your swing. You lose a bit of free spin. You lose a bit of forgiveness on off-centre hits, especially high in the stringbed where the Hy-Bor is most active. If your game is built on heavy topspin from three metres behind the baseline and you want the racquet to do the lifting, the P100 is still the better fit.

But here is the honest truth: most 3.5-and-above players hit with enough spin and enough racquet head speed that the P98 does not punish them. What it does is reward them with better feel, more control on flat balls, and a clearer sense of where the ball is going.

The Model Lineup: How the Patterns Interact with Each Frame

The pattern choice matters differently depending on which Extreme model you pick. Here is how they break down.

Extreme MP (P100 and P98) — The Sweet Spot

This is the model most players should start with. 100 square inches, 300 grams unstrung, 320-ish swingweight. Accessible without being light.

• MP P100: The baseline Extreme experience. Easy spin, easy depth, high margin. You can play this frame for years. The Hy-Bor does its best work here — the upper hoop feels noticeably more solid than the 2024 version, especially on stretched defensive shots. If you liked the 2024 Extreme but wanted more stability, this is your frame.
• MP P98: This is the surprise of the lineup. The denser pattern transforms the MP from a spin-friendly tweener into something closer to a control racquet with spin reserve. The launch angle drops. The feel firms up. You can hit a flat approach shot and trust it will stay in the court. The trade-off is that you need to generate your own spin more deliberately. If you have a fast swing and good technique, the MP P98 is the most versatile frame in the lineup.

Best For — P100: The player who wants spin and safety. The baseliner who wins by making errors few, not by painting lines.

Best For — P98: The player who wants to feel the ball. The all-courter. The player who hits flat when they should and spins when they need to.

Extreme Pro (P100 and P98) — The Demanding Option

305 grams unstrung, higher swingweight, more mass in the hoop. The Pro is for players with long, complete swings.

• Pro P100: Powerful, stable, and spinny. The extra mass combines with the open pattern to produce heavy ball velocity. This is a good frame for a strong 4.5 player who hits with exaggerated low-to-high shape. The downside is that the launch angle can feel a little high on flat serves and drive volleys. You have to manage trajectory with swing path.
• Pro P98: This is the most controlled version of the Extreme line. The denser pattern pairs with the extra mass to give you a stringbed that feels almost like a 98-square-inch player's frame but with the forgiveness of a 100. The one-handed backhand feels excellent with this combination. The serve is where I noticed the biggest difference: flat serves had more predictable placement, and slice serves stayed low through the strike zone.

Best For — P100: The topspin grinder with heavy racquet head speed. The player who wants to hit through the court with shape.

Best For — P98: The advanced player who wants a more predictable response without losing the Extreme's forgiveness. The one-handed backhand player. The serve-volleyer.

Extreme MPL — The Light Option

285 grams unstrung, 98 square inches, 16x19 only. The MPL is not available with the P98 pattern.

This is the player's frame for developing juniors and adults with moderate swing speed. It is light enough to manoeuvre quickly, small enough to encourage clean contact. The P100 pattern is appropriate — the lighter frame needs the spin access and forgiveness. I would not change this.

Verdict: Good frame for its audience. Not relevant to the pattern question.

Extreme MP XL — The Extended Standout

27.5 inches, 100 square inches, P100 only in most markets. This is the model that kept me hitting past sunset.

The MP XL is the most impressive frame in the 2026 lineup. The extra half-inch gives you more leverage on serves and more plough-through on groundstrokes. But here is the contradiction: it plays controlled despite the extra length. The P100 pattern in the XL feels tighter than the P100 in the standard MP, likely because the longer hoop creates a slightly different stringbed response at the same tension.

If you have ever wanted to try an extended racquet but worried about losing control, this is the one to demo. The challenge is not the performance — it is whether you can switch back to a standard-length frame when your other racquet breaks a string.

Verdict: The best model in the lineup. Available only in P100 as of writing.

What the Hy-Bor Actually Does

The boron-infused graphite is not gimmick. You can feel it in the upper third of the hoop. On the 2024 Extreme, a ball struck high in the stringbed would sometimes flutter — the frame could not hold its shape through the collision. The Hy-Bor stiffens that zone so the hoop stays square on off-centre hits. The result is fewer dead spots and a more consistent response across the stringbed.

The effect is most noticeable on the serve and on high, defensive forehands. You can catch a ball above the sweet spot and still get a clean, predictable response. On the 2024 version, that same contact would produce a dull, vague feel. The 2026 version snaps through it.

Does it feel like a leather grip and a weight kit? No. The change is subtle. But it is the difference between a racquet you tolerate and a racquet you trust.

What I Actually Do

I keep two Extreme MPs in my bag. One is the P98, one is the P100. That is not a flex — it is a recognition that different days call for different patterns.

On a day when I am hitting heavy, rhythm is good, I am playing a pusher who gives me pace and I want to push back with control, I grab the P98. I can flatten out shots. I can hit my one-handed backhand down the line with confidence. I can serve wide and know the ball will stay in the corridor.

On a day when I am playing a heavy topspin player who pins me deep, or when my legs are tired and I need margin, I grab the P100. The extra spin access lets me buy time. The higher launch angle gives me a safety net. I lose some feel, but I gain court time.

Most players do not need two racquets. Most players need one good racquet with the right pattern. If I had to pick one for the reader of this piece — the intermediate-to-advanced club player who found the 2024 Extreme too disconnected — I would say demo the MP P98 first. It is the pattern that fixes the complaint. It gives you the control and feel you were missing while keeping enough spin access to play modern tennis.

But here is the honest negative: the P98 string pattern can feel tight at the tension you are used to. If you string the 2024 Extreme at 52 pounds, the P98 at 52 will feel firmer and lower-powered. You may need to drop two to three pounds to get the same depth. Do not judge the P98 until you have tried it at 48 or 49 pounds with a round poly.

String and Tension Guide for Both Patterns

Who This Is For

The P98: The player who wants to feel the ball hit the strings. The player who hits a mix of flat and spin. The one-handed backhand player. The serve-volleyer who needs predictable slice placement. The player who tried the 2024 Extreme and put it down because it felt numb.

The P100: The player who wants the racquet to do the work. The heavy topspin baseliner. The player who wins by extending rallies and waiting for a short ball. The doubles player who needs easy touch volleys. The player who has not yet developed a preference for stringbed feedback and just wants the ball to go in.

Who This Is Not For

Neither pattern will fix a technical flaw. If you have a late swing, the P98 will expose it. If you hit weak short balls, the P100 will not save you. The 2026 Extreme is a good racquet. It is not a shortcut.

The Extreme also remains a firm-feeling frame. If you prefer a muted, buttery response — something like the Yonex Ezone or the Wilson Clash — the Extreme will feel crisp and direct even in the P100. That is a feature for some players and a reason to look elsewhere for others.

A Suggestion for This Week

Find a shop that stocks both the P98 and P100 in the same Extreme model. Ask them to string both with the same string at the same tension. Hit twenty balls with the P100. Then switch to the P98 cold.

Do not check the specs. Do not read the marketing. Just hit.

The difference in launch angle and feedback will tell you more than any review. That is the whole point of a pattern choice — not which one is better, but which one tells you where the ball is going. The racquet that gives you a clean answer on every swing is the one to buy.