Dunlop Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 82

On groundstrokes, the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 delivered surgical control and outstanding feel. Mark was definitely impressed. He said, "As usual, I try to first play with a new test racquet knowing very little about its featured technologies and overall specs. However, when a racquet is highly anticipated, like the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour, there is enough buzz around the office that even if I were to plug my ears all day long I would still be able to hear Troy whisper, 'stock leather grip with an 18x20,' or Chris call it 'a mid-11 oz, box beam masterpiece.' From the baseline, the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour (18x20) proved to be exactly that for me, a low powered, box beam masterpiece. At first I aimed at larger targets (either half of the court), but the more I played with it from the baseline the more I was able to accurately aim groundstrokes toward the sidelines, keeping my opponents on the run. The Srixon CX 2.0 Tour's 95 square-inch hoop and tight 18x20 pattern kept me feeling connected to the ball, making tight topspin rotation on the ball easy to develop. Those same traits also complemented my drop shot and backhand slice."

Having hit nearly every Dunlop player's racquet this side of the Max 200G, Chris appreciated this addition to the family. He reminisced, "From the first hit, this racquet reminded me of a classic Dunlop 200 series racquet. The old M-Fil 200 Plus had a very similar spec, and lots of the classic 200s were very head light with low swingweights, like the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20. As expected, control was excellent. I liked the feel from the 18x20 stringbed and thought it complemented the thin, control-oriented beam very well. My backhand slice felt very dialed in with this racquet. I was also getting lots of spin on my topspin shots thanks to the low and maneuverable swingweight. The only downside was the extra work that was required to get the ball to penetrate the court well. To fix this we added weight to one frame, and it responded very, very well. With enough weight added to get the swingweight in the high 320s the Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 felt even more suited to my game. Plow through was much improved, and I was able to hit bigger groundstrokes. I loved it!"

"From the first strike of the ball, this racquet took me back," said Troy, who loved this racquet's control and feel. "This racquet possesses some of the feel that I recall from the M-Fil and Aerogel 4D 200 racquets. With the swingweight coming in at roughly 315 and a flex rating of 61, this stick has adequate stability and pop in stock form. During my first couple of hitting sessions the fast feel caused me to be a bit early, and I wasn't completely finding my targets. After I adjusted my timing this racquet started to shine, and the response was very precise and predictable. Anytime I wanted to unload on a forehand I felt total confidence. Even with the dense string pattern, I was able to generate ample spin. The fast and whippy feel allowed me to ramp up head speed to generate heavy topspin. I was able to knife my backhand slice with ease and hit my targets consistently. The downside of the CX 2.0 Tour was that it lacked some put-away power, and I occasionally found it difficult to hit penetrating groundstrokes. This was easily fixed with the addition of some mass to the hoop."

In stock form, the CX 2.0 Tour didn't have quite enough power or plow through for Michelle. However, with the passage of time and the addition of tungsten weight strips, all was forgiven. She explained, "This racquet really grew on me the more I used it, and I made slight modifications to the racquet every time I picked it up. I don't normally like 18x20 racquets, and I prefer more modern feeling racquets rather than classic ones. Also, I'm an offensive player, and this racquet felt more like a control racquet. But, by the end of this playtest I really loved using this racquet! It initially felt very low powered, and I struggled to enjoy the feel. The tighter stringbed was hard to get accustomed to. I felt like I needed a softer string to combat that issue, but I also loved how low my ball skimmed over the net because of that tighter pattern, and I felt like I couldn't miss long. I was surprised with how I could angle balls off the court. That said, I felt like I was trying to swing too hard because it was so low powered. This racquet felt more taxing on my arms, and it was harder to be effective with my offensive game. After a week of playing with this racquet I added a healthy amount of tungsten tape to the tip of the head. This modification made the racquet come a bit more alive for me, and I was able to be more effective with my shots. I started to trust the racquet and work the points. When I have a more powerful racquet in hand I can construct a point with two shots; with this more controlled frame, if I was able to effectively hit two to three shots, I could attack on the fourth ball. I was gaining good depth and precision, and I liked how I could swing out and be rewarded. Slices didn't have as much plow through, but they stayed very low and were effective. One of my main issues with this racquet was the lack of stability when I was pulled wide on my backhand. On my stab, one-handed backhand it just didn't have enough to get me back into the point. At one point in the playtest I had some slight discomfort. Because I'm not accustomed to playing consistently with lower powered racquets I was gripping the racquet too hard and trying to rip balls, which left the bottom of my wrist a little sore. However, the more time I spent with the CX 2.0 Tour the more I realized that it really was a weapon in my hands and that it enhanced my flat, aggressive game style."

Volleys - Score: 83

The Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 earned a solid score for volleys. In stock form it had an impressive combination of speed, precision and feel. However, with the simple application of weight strips to the upper hoop this stick came alive for Chris. He explained, "The control and feel at net were fantastic with the Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20. In stock form the racquet felt very light and fast. Stability was decent, but not great. Again, the weighted up version felt spot on. I found enough stability to be able to relax my grip for even more feel and control. I enjoyed this racquet so much at net that I found myself pushing forward at every opportunity."

Although she could have used a tad more stability, Michelle couldn't argue with this racquet's speed and precision at net. She explained, "I liked volleying with this racquet. However, it is a bit lighter than what I prefer, and I was craving more stability. Still, it was easy to absorb power off my opponent's shots, and I really could place my volleys effectively. With that tighter string pattern I could keep my volleys low, which prompted my opponent to pop balls up so I could be aggressive on the next shot. It was maneuverable and quick to get in position, and I felt fairly effective with this racquet at the net. This racquet enhanced my net game."

Like the other playtesters, Mark enjoyed volleying with the CX 2.0 Tour, but he too recognized the virtues of weight customization. He said, "For the most part, the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 really shone anywhere near the net, but it was also the part of this playtest when I thought about modifying its stock sub-320 swingweight and 9-point tip light balance. The volley was one of my favorite shots to hit with the Revo CX 2.0 Tour as long as I made contact in the center of the stringbed, but admittedly, I am not that surgical, and a little extra weight in the hoop would probably cure my issue."

For Troy, the CX 2.0 Tour proved to be a very precise weapon at net. He explained, "I felt very dialed-in at net with this racquet. When I think of the racquets Granville has described as 'scalpel-like' over the years, this Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 fits right in. I was surprised to find decent stability on my volleys considering the maneuverable feel. Although it's not as stable as the Wilson Six.One 95, the Pro Staff RF97 Autograph and the Yonex VCORE Duel G 97 (330g), I was pleased with how it held up against heavy balls. I felt very dialed in and connected to the ball when I was hitting drop volleys and sharp angles. I was finding good depth control, but there were times when I was craving some added weight in the head of this racquet. With racquets like the Wilson Six.One 95 18x20 I can utilize the mass of the racquet to get easy depth on my volleys. With the lighter Srixon I occasionally needed more of a punch at the ball to hit a penetrating volley."

Serves - Score: 82

With its speedy delivery and easy targeting, our team found the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 to be a great serving racquet. Although it lacks the mass-based power of a heavier player's racquet, the majority of our team was able to squeeze decent pace from this racquet in stock form. Troy was dialed-in. He said, "What this racquet lacked in power it made up for in precision and maneuverability. I typically refer to myself as a good spot-server, as opposed to someone with raw power. This racquet allowed me to use my placement to the best of my ability. Whether I was going for kick serves or flat serves, I was locating my targets with good consistency. Initially, I thought this racquet was lacking some power on flat first serves. After a few hitting sessions, I was able to find decent power from the fact that I could generate easy racquet head speed. Based on my PlaySight data I was within a few MPHs from my personal highest speed. The fact that I could get close to my highest serve speed while increasing my consistency was a good trade-off in my opinion. If I had to say something bad about this racquet on serves, it would be that I couldn't generate spin quite as easy as I can with more open string patterned racquets. Although, my ability to generate a lot of racquet head speed and control the ball allowed me to attack my kick serves effectively. It turned out to be the serve I relied on the most with this racquet."

"The Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 provided surprising pace and spin on serves," said Chris, who settled into quite a groove with this racquet. "I liked the racquet both at its stock weight and with extra weight added. My slice serve had plenty of action on it, and I got enough spin to be very aggressive with my targeting. Even when looking to max out the pace of my serves I felt like I could get enough spin to keep my serves inside the box and on target."

Although she could have used a tad more pop, Michelle definitely appreciated this racquet's precision on serves. She explained, "This would probably be the place I liked the racquet the least, mainly because there wasn't as much free power. It was precise, though. As the playtest went on I didn't seem to have too many issues generating decent pace. Plus, the precision was helping me out as I could really get the ball where I wanted it, whether it was into my opponent's body or pulling him or her off the court."

Mark served great with the customized version of the CX 2.0 Tour, but he ultimately preferred the mobility of the stock version. He explained, "I played with both the stock version at 11.6 oz with a swingweight around 315, and the other modified to a 325 swingweight. During this playtest I was also swinging the Dunlop 4D 200, and I have to say that, particularly on serve, that it was very easy for me to switch back and forth. Although I preferred the heavier, modified version on serve, I did have a harder time making the transition to the next shot with it, so overall, it was the stock version that I felt more effective with for both serves and overheads."

Returns - Score: 77

The Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20 came around extremely fast on service returns to deliver a very accurate ball. The upshot, according to Michelle, was confidence. "This is where this racquet shone for me. I am a sucker for taking big rips on returns. Most of the time it rewards me, but there are many times that I get stuck and overhit. The low-powered feel combined with the control of the 18x20 string pattern really allowed me to hit the ball with confidence."

For Chris, both the stock and the customized version of the CX 2.0 Tour came with advantages. He explained, "On my service returns I continued to exploit the spin friendliness of the Revo CX 2.0 Tour 18x20. The racquet responded very well to a fast swing because it felt more stable. On block returns I needed the added mass of the weighted up version to help with both stability and depth."

Although Mark lacked some pop, he was able to hit effective returns with this racquet. He said, "Compared to the racquet I'm using now, I wasn't quite getting the easy depth of shot with the Srixon Revo CX 2.0 Tour on my return. Even so, I was still able to redirect pace, keeping my returns low and away from my opponent."

"Most of the time I was able to use this racquet's maneuverability and control to hit effective returns," said Troy. "When I had time to take a decent swing at the ball I was hitting my returns deep and in the corners of the court, which allowed me to take control of points. The directional control helped in doubles, where I found it easy to keep the ball away from my opponents. The downside came when I was on the defensive and forced to block the serve back. The lack of mass in the head made it harder for me to keep the ball deep, resulting in a sitter for my opponent. This problem was easily fixed by adding some tungsten weight strips to the head of the racquet. After adding some weight I felt completely dialed-in on my returns."

Overall - Score: 84