HEAD Brandography

Sitting in the shadows of the Austrian Alps, the small town of Kennelbach is home to HEAD’s global headquarters. Although now based in Europe, the brand began when Howard Head, an American aeronautical engineer and avid skier, was looking for ways to innovate the contemporary wooden ski products. He looked to other industries for inspiration, and his search led him to explore metals and plastics to modernize the ski equipment. After two years of experimentation, the HEAD Standard ski was born, and the brand was established in 1950 in Maryland.

Head’s constant push for innovation eventually led him to Kennelbach in 1969. Located near Lake Constance, which is bordered by Austria, Switzerland and Germany, the town is filled with outdoor enthusiasts. Beyond its natural beautyKennelbach provided everything the brand needed: the right atmosphere to test the product, the warehouse to manufacture it and ultimately, the right people to create and shape the brand.

HEAD began manufacturing tennis products in 1970. The brand’s commitment to innovation extended to the racquets it created. HEAD made the first aluminum tennis frame, the iconic Arthur Ashe Competition, which Ashe used to defeat Jimmy Connors at Wimbledon in 1975. In the following decades, legends from Guillermo Vilas to Thomas Muster played and won using HEAD tennis racquet. HEAD continued to innovate and introduced the groundbreaking Titanium racquets in 1998. Today, its Graphene technology is one of the most recognized and widely played worldwide.

Although HEAD has established itself in both the tennis and ski worlds, the logo is a ski tip as a nod to its ski heritage.

The people at HEAD have continued their quest for innovation, with a team of aerospace engineers, physicists, tour pros and experts alike.

We’ve had the opportunity to visit brands all over the world, and one thing that stood out to us when visiting HEAD was the overall atmosphere. It didn’t feel like a large corporation, but rather a close-knit family of tennis enthusiasts who immediately welcomed us in as their own. It was obvious that for HEAD employees, tennis isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle. Many of the employees have played tennis their entire lives and now use their knowledge and skills to improve the product. We’ve had the pleasure of working with HEAD members not only in Austria but also in London and in the U.S. The feeling is the same no matter the location. They are passionate about their sport, and their goal is clear: to make better products for all tennis players, not just the pros. That means listening to consumers. We’ve had a great working relationship with HEAD over the years, and we’ve been honored to help share your voice to a brand that genuinely wants to listen.

Ultimately, as a consumer, your relationship with a brand is largely based on your experience with the product. If the performance isn’t there, it doesn’t serve your game. HEAD has brought in skilled men and women to create tennis products from head to toe, so you can rely on HEAD for all your gear needs. Time and time again HEAD shoes (specifically the Sprint Pro) have made our list of top playtester picks. One of our favorite polyester strings in the market is HEAD’s Lynx Tour. The team works directly with our playtesters for feedback and are constantly looking to improve performance, but more importantly, feel. We’ve seen the results of those efforts in the new Gravity and Speed lines. If you haven’t tried out some of HEAD’s products from other categories, we highly recommend it.