Dunlop Srixon CX 200 + Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

With a strung weight of 11.4 ounces and a swingweight of 340, the Srixon CX 200+ can feel heavy to swing, but it's very stable and will reward players who can handle it. Out of all the CX 200 racquets, Chris found this extended-length version to offer the most plow through. He explained, "The added length gave this racquet a hefty swingweight, which was perfect for pounding groundstrokes. The downside was that it took a little more time to set up shots properly. On the upside, it felt more forgiving than the Wilson Ultra 95, which has a similar swingweight, is a quarter-inch shorter and has a slightly smaller headsize. I also thought the CX 200+ had vastly better comfort and feel. Getting spin out of the Srixon CX 200+ proved easy, which helped add control to all of that power. I liked the response of the racquet on my backhand slice the most. The added length gave me lots of leverage to find depth effortlessly. I had plenty of control and feel on my slice as well, which made me feel very dialed in. I was able to mix deep backhand slices with short angles and drop shots to keep my opponents on their toes."

"This might just be the racquet I've been dreaming of over the past year," began Michelle. "It checks all the right boxes for me. It's stable and loaded with plow through, power and control. I loved how beastly the Prince Beast 100 LB was when we playtested it, but it was just too much at times. I have been pining for an extended-length Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, knowing that probably will never happen. Then I heard about this Srixon CX 200+ and had a feeling I would like it. Off the ground, I could really penetrate through the court, and my opponents felt the heft pushing them back. The 340 swingweight felt fairly manageable most of the time. Even if I caught the ball late, the racquet was so stable I could still hit a decent shot to keep me out of trouble. I could work the point and take my time to attack the right shot because my rally balls were deep, so I never felt rushed or forced to attack too early. The 16x19 string pattern was nice as well; I could get some good spin and arch on the ball when needed. Even my slice shots were penetrating the court and staying low. I thought I had my trusty RF97 in hand at times; this racquet was just as effective!"

Troy also thought the Srixon CX 200+ packed loads of plow through and offered a responsive feel. He said, "I have playtested a lot of extended-length racquets recently, and this CX 200+ tops the charts when it comes to feel and control. It played like a player's racquet should when it came to control and feel, and it offered some added punch from the extra length and swingweight. I could pancake the ball when I flattened out my shots, and I had enough control to keep it in the court. The high swingweight and balance made it a bit difficult to generate spin on running forehands. When I had time to set my feet and step into my shots, I was able to hit heavy, penetrating balls. As Chris would say, the backhand slice was very 'dirty' and stayed low and deep on my opponents. The flex of this racquet felt nice and firm, but it still maintained good comfort thanks to the Sonic Core with Infinergy. I would likely try tail-weighting this racquet with some Tennis Warehouse Tungsten Putty to make it more head light."

Since the CX 200+ is a new racquet in Dunlop's line, Mark brought the CX 200 Tour (16x19) along to get a comparison from the baseline. He detailed, "The difference in stability and power was evident within a half dozen swings compared to the already-stable CX 200 Tour (16x19). Deep shots with lots of topspin required little effort with this CX 200+. I found myself using my slice backhand more than usual, and I was able to change directions with it effectively. I definitely put the new CX 200+ in the guilty pleasure category."

Volleys - Score: 80

Our team liked how solid and stable the Srixon CX 200+ felt on volleys. Troy always appreciates racquets that have enough mass and swingweight to block volleys back with little work, and he found this racquet to epitomize that. He described, "Similar to the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, the racquet did the work no matter how hard the ball was drilled at me, as long as I met the ball out in front. On the flipside, the maneuverability wasn't great. Whenever I had to react quickly I would choke up on the handle for a little more speed. The relatively thin beam provided a lot of feel, and I executed drop volleys confidently. There was plenty of power on tap when I needed to put a volley away."

"Although the extra length of this racquet challenged and hindered my return of serve, those same traits complemented the majority of my volley attempts," added Mark. "The extra half inch in length helped afford me a high degree of stability."

Chris really appreciated the feel and comfortable response at net. He said, "I was able to place my volleys very well with this racquet. Getting depth was also easy thanks to the power offered up by the added length. Anything left hanging could quickly be volleyed away with the CX 200+. The power level of the racquet also helped add some extra juice on overheads."

Michelle found the net to be a bit of a challenging area with the CX 200+. She said, "It wasn't very maneuverable up there. I focused on keeping the racquet up and out in front at the net, but I found it to be a bit demanding at times. I was playtesting the Pure Aero Tour at the same time and had the opposite experience; I felt like I couldn't miss a volley with the Aero Tour, which made the CX 200+'s shortcomings on volleys stand out more. I did manage to get some good touch and drop volleys with this racquet, though, and the reach and stability were appreciated."

Serves - Score: 87

The Srixon CX 200+ was a weapon in the hands of our playtesters on serves. Michelle described, "While I may have had some issues with maneuverability at net, there were no problems to report when serving. Sometimes extended-length racquets can take a bit of an adjustment period, but I was dialed in from the start with the CX 200+. I have been focusing a lot on executing certain parts of my serve better, which helped me feel confident serving with this racquet. Not only was I able to hit my targets with force, but I also felt confident and consistent. If my mechanics were correct, both my first and second serves were very effective. I felt precise and in control of the point. I recall really enjoying the Beast 100 LB on serve, but I also remember struggling at times because the swingweight is 11 points higher. I experienced less struggle and more success with this racquet."

Troy loved the extra reach and plow through he got on flat first serves. He explained, "The response with this Dunlop Srixon CX 200+ was very similar to the Yonex VCORE 98+ in regards to generating power on my serves. The upside with this racquet was I felt a bit more connected to my targets and found a nice blend of power and precision. Although my flat first serves were very effective, I initially struggled to generate topspin and hit effective kick serves. It was a bit cumbersome for me to access extra spin from my wrist snap, and I tended to hit my spin serves long. I dialed in my range, but there was a definite adjustment period. Maybe with some added weight in the handle the more head-light balance would help with this issue."

The serve was Mark's favorite shot to hit with this racquet. He said, "My serve velocity did not increase much, but I was able to begin points with an extremely consistent and reasonably effective delivery. That helped make the rest of the point a little easier to construct."

Just like on volleys, Chris didn't need to make any adjustments to find his groove when serving with this racquet. He said, "I served well, and I loved the power I could generate with the CX 200+. I definitely felt more aggressive on my service games with this racquet in my hands. The CX 200+ offered easy access to spin, and my slice serve was working well. I liked my serve down the T with this racquet too. I found solid pace and felt like I could hit a flatter, faster serve without losing much in the way of consistency."

Returns - Score: 83

The higher swingweight of the Srixon CX 200+ helped our playtesters block back big serves and redirect power, but in some cases it was a little demanding. When returning, Chris could feel the length of the racquet working against him a little. He said, "At times it just felt like I had a lot of racquet to get around my body. I got more used to the CX 200+ as the test wore on, and my sense of the racquet's maneuverability improved. As from other areas of the court, I enjoyed the power level of the racquet. I could drive the ball with solid pace and add spin to keep shots under control. Even on compact block returns, the Srixon CX 200+ seemed to offer a little more leverage to punch the ball with depth."

"Returning with an extended-length racquet is sublime," added Michelle. "That extra half inch made me feel like I could counter any serve given to me. With this racquet in hand, I really couldn't do wrong. I could block back big serves and take bigger cuts off weaker ones. I loved drilling returns down the line or deep cross court. Although I couldn't dip angles as effectively due to the higher swingweight and extra length, I still felt effective pulling my opponents off the court with power and precision. Even on the toughest serves that took me off my center, this racquet was stable enough to let me stab at the ball effectively."

Troy continued to take advantage of the CX 200+'s stability and plow through while returning. He noted, "With a short, compact swing, this racquet provided easy depth on my returns. Anytime my opponent brought the heat and I had little time to react, I could chip the ball back for an effective reply. My two-handed backhand returns gained a boost in power and depth. When I had time to take a backswing on my forehand returns, I punished the ball and put my opponent on their back foot. it was a bit more difficult to flick my wrist and hit a lob return when I was in a defensive position on returns, but there was enough comfort built into this racquet that it was comfortable when absorbing the pace of hard-hit serves."

This was the one shot where Mark felt the extra length of the CX 200+ was working against him. He concluded, "I was relegated to carving under the ball more often than over it. The extra reach was valuable in terms of dealing with wider serves, but overall I was challenged returning serve with the CX 200+ more than I'd prefer to admit."

Overall - Score: 84