Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 85

Our playtesters were able to take full swings from the baseline with the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19, which resulted in precise groundstrokes and a great feel upon impact. Troy has plenty of experience with racquets in this spec range. He started, "I was very precise and dialed in when hitting my groundstrokes. I felt confident taking full swings and driving through the ball when I needed to flatten out my shots. This Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19 felt very fast and maneuverable in comparison to my Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330). The 16x19 pattern provided a slightly higher launch angle when compared to the 18x20 version and made it easy for me to hit cross-court angles. I got a lot of precision and feel on my backhand slice, but it lacked some plow through. I would have liked some added mass, specifically in the hoop, to help me achieve easier depth and put-away power on my groundstrokes."

"I quickly found the groove with this racquet from the baseline," added Chris. "The weight and balance fit my swing style very well. Although this CX 200 Tour 16x19 is more of a control racquet compared to my more powerful Tecnifibre TFlash 300 PS, I still felt very at home with it. The lower power level encouraged me to hit through the ball and take full cuts. In that regard, I found it very confidence inspiring. I could hit aggressively without fear of overhitting. The downside was less power to help me put the ball away or dig myself out of trouble. It was also easier to accidentally drop the ball too short in a rally and give my opponent an opportunity to attack. However, the sweetspot felt generous for a 95-square-inch racquet, and I found good comfort. I also had great control and feel on my slices, lobs, angles and drop shots."

Mark is comfortable with a variety of head sizes, ranging from 93 to 104 square inches, so he was excited to give the CX 200 Tour 16x19 a shot. He said, "I always have liked the way smaller head sized frames cut through the air, making even racquets that weigh more than 12 ounces a little easier to swing. From my first baseline exchange with the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19, I was treated to a solid feel and a predictable response. Its 16x19 pattern is tight enough for me to be able to keep my backhand slice low over the net, yet open enough to develop a tight topspin rotation on the ball. Redirecting pace and developing a bit of my own is the closest thing I have to owning a weapon from the backcourt, and the CX 200 Tour 16x19 helped make it easier to do so."

Erik felt connected to the ball with the CX 200 Tour 16x19 in his hands. He said, "I was able to generate a good amount of topspin, nothing huge, but solid spin. My slice was staying very low with this racquet, and it was fun to be able to knife the ball super low and effectively. There was a ton of control with this racquet, and sometimes I couldn't get as much mass behind the ball as I wanted. The CX 200 Tour 16x19 was extremely maneuverable thanks to the smaller head size, and I was able to generate a ton of racquet head speed as a result, which made it easy to get into position. This racquet worked well with my game style, but I occasionally found myself hitting the ball quite short."

Volleys - Score: 83

The Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19 was not only easy to maneuver at net, but also surprisingly stable. With his all-court game, Erik ends a majority of his points up at net. He was impressed with this racquet, saying, "I had no problem maneuvering the CX 200 Tour 16x19, and it was extremely quick up at net due to the smaller head size. This racquet was very responsive and very comfortable. I felt connected to the ball and could hit volleys deep or short. I enjoyed hitting touch volleys with this racquet as well."

"This is yet another part of my game that benefited from the CX 200 Tour 16x19, and this is where I began to notice the new Sonic Core with Infinergy material used at 10 and 2 o'clock on the hoop," continued Mark. "Although Sonic Core is described as increasing rebound properties, I felt it helped stabilize the frame as well, especially when ball contact was out toward the tip or a little off center."

Chris loved this racquet at net, saying, "I had a ton of feel and control, which allowed me to volley aggressively. Again, the racquet was very confidence inspiring. I liked how easy it was to get into position. I could snap away high volleys and get away with a little more swing in my volley technique. There was enough mass for me too, and I never felt the desire to add weight to the racquet."

For Troy, the CX 200 Tour 16x19 provided plenty of feel and precision when he went to the net. He explained, "I felt in total command of the ball when placing my volleys throughout the court. There was plenty of feel, which helped me execute drop volleys and acute angles. The speed of this racquet made it easy to react during quick exchanges at the net while playing doubles. The control and feel were on par with my VCORE Pro 97 (330), but this CX 200 Tour 16x19 was not as stable on contact. Against big hitters, I felt that the stability was decent but not quite up to par with the heavier player's racquets that I prefer. A little extra weight up in the hoop of this racquet would help with stability and add some extra power for put-away volleys."

Serves - Score: 85

Our team found that the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19 provided spin and precision on their serves, and some surprising power. Mark used the unique specs of the racquet to his advantage. He explained, "The smaller head size and wind-cheating beam width made accelerating the CX 200 Tour 16x19 very easy for me. Besides those favorable aspects, the racquet's 11.5-ounce strung weight packed plenty of power, and the 16x19 pattern provided a predictable grip on the ball, making it one of my favorite racquets to serve with."

"I was hitting my targets with pinpoint accuracy on serves," Troy said. "Whether I was aiming for the T or going out wide, this racquet allowed me to place my serves close to the lines. The fast feel together with the 16x19 string pattern helped me generate a lot of spin on my slice and kick serves. My strength when serving is my ability to hit my targets and generate a high kicking ball, and this CX 200 Tour 16x19 helped me maximize that. I would compare this racquet to the Head Graphene Touch Prestige Pro, Tecnifibre TFight 315 Ltd. XTC (16x19) and Prince Textreme Tour 95 for the amount of control and spin they gave me on my serves. When I needed to ramp up the power on a first serve I could generate a lot of racquet speed. With that being said, power did not come as easily as it did with the Babolat Pure Aero Plus 2019, which I recently playtested."

Erik agreed, adding, "I had a ton of control on my serves and was able to generate a good amount of spin. I was very confident hitting serves, and I felt like I could swing out effectively without worrying about hitting long. My favorite serves to hit were the T serve on the deuce side and the kick serve out wide on the ad side."

Chris had success on both first and second serves. He said, "I was surprised how well I served with this racquet. I didn't expect to get as much pace, but the racquet came through contact very quickly. I was also able to turn some of the racquet head speed into spin, and was working my slice serve very well. With my wide serve on the deuce side feeling especially dialed in, I hit more aces than expected. My second serves were also feeling good thanks to the easy access to spin."

Returns - Score: 80

With its dangerous pinpoint accuracy and stability, the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 16x19 proved to be a real weapon on returns, allowing our playtesters to fire back any serve hit at them. This racquet helped Chris start points off on the attack with his return. He said, "The CX 200 Tour 16x19 offered me a great blend of stability and maneuverability. The weight and balance just felt right on my returns. I think the controlled response dictated that I take a fast swing to gain power, and that aided the racquet's response. I was encouraged to drive through the ball, and it never felt like the racquet was getting pushed around. I was able to generate ample spin from my fast swings, which had me feeling confident that my shots would drop well inside the lines."

Mark also felt confident returning with the CX 200 Tour 16x19. He added, "Whether I hit over or under the ball on my return of serve, I received a predictable response with the CX 200 Tour 16x19. The strung weight of around 11.5 ounces is plenty of mass to keep the racquet stable on my chip return, yet light enough to crack a topspin return if I prepare early enough."

Troy appreciated the maneuverability and comfort that the CX 200 Tour 16x19 added to his returns. He said, "The fast feel made it easy for me to flick my wrist whenever I was stretched out and needed to throw up a lob return. Against big-hitting servers, the maneuverability made it easy for me to get my racquet on the ball. I also enjoyed the comfortable feel of this racquet when I needed to block back a hard-hit serve, and I found it much more comfortable than the Pure Aero Plus 2019 that I recently playtested. The downside of this racquet having a lower swingweight was that I had to work harder to get my returns to land deep in the court. With my VCORE Pro 97 (330), I can use the mass and swingweight to block my returns back with easy depth. The precision was good, which I took advantage of when I needed to fit my returns through a small window while playing doubles. Once again, a little added weight in the hoop would help with plow through and stability."

Depending on the serve, Erik had conflicting feelings on returns. He concluded, "On first serves, I felt like I could take bigger cuts at the ball and my return would drop in, no problem. However, my shots tended to drop short when I was stretched out wide, and I couldn't get much depth on the run. When returning second serves, I was very confident attacking the ball and felt like I couldn't miss. I could get this racquet around my body extremely easily and get it into position quickly. It has excellent maneuverability."

Overall - Score: 84