Yonex EZONE 98 (305g) Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 84

Our team had some issues with the feel of the EZONE 98 (305g) from the backcourt, and there were some familiar calls for more weight and plow through. However, the majority of our crew had success with this stick on groundies, including Chris. He said, "This racquet offered a very crisp and precise feel from the baseline. Compared to the EZONE DR 98 that it replaces, I found more pop and a firmer feel, but less ball pocketing and control/feel. It felt like the ball was getting in and out of the stringbed quicker — not VCORE SV 98 quick, but crisper and quicker than the DR 98. Either way, I played well with this racquet. My groundstrokes felt solid, I hit with plenty of pace and was very happy with the topspin I could generate. My slice backhand also felt pretty dialed in when I was driving the ball deep. I didn't get the soft and plush feel I enjoy from the DR 98 on drop shots, but I was still able to find my targets. The EZONE 98 (305g) also felt firmer and less forgiving toward the upper hoop."

For Troy, who typically plays with a heavier, more stable racquet, the EZONE 98 (305g) was a bit of a mismatch. However, he definitely appreciated this racquet's speed and precision. He explained, "I was ramping up the racquet head speed from the baseline due to the very fast and maneuverable feel of this racquet. Because the EZONE 98 (305g) weighs less than my racquet of choice I had to adjust my swings to time the ball properly. Once I adjusted my timing I could strike the ball cleanly and take advantage of the extra racquet head speed I was generating. The EZONE 98 (305g) had a noticeably modern firm feel, which provided a good amount of pop on my groundies. I was surprised to find that even with the firm feel of this racquet it maintained good control and precision. I felt dialed in to my targets any time I needed to hit a cross court dipper or flatten one out down the line. Because it's lighter than I'm used to, this racquet lacked plow through, especially on my backhand slice. I think some added weight up in the hoop of this racquet would really help me get better depth and penetration."

"Of all the Yonex racquets I've playtested, this is my favorite," said Hannah, who was ultimately able to tap into this racquet's considerable charm. "It was so easy to pick it up and play with it, and it was a seamless transition from my Babolat Pure Strike 16x19. The best part about the baseline portion of this playtest was the large, predictable sweetspot. By week two of playing with this racquet I was having fun swinging fast and big from the baseline, and although it did feel stiff at first, I adjusted to the feel and was striking the ball with confidence. Power, maneuverability and spin potential were at my disposal, allowing me to mix up my shots and integrate variety. In addition, the overall power and trajectory of my shots were increased after testing this racquet side by side with the EZONE 98 (305g). The feel is also different, mostly due to the extra stiffness in the upper hoop. The only other observation I have, which is just a personal adjustment or preference, is that I found myself slightly overhitting with this racquet. I wasn't as accurate as I normally am during points. I think this is mostly because I wasn't completely used to the high trajectory and force this racquet was giving me on my groundstrokes."

Michelle had trouble adjusting to the feel of the EZONE 98 (305g) when hitting groundies. She explained, "There are a couple things I noticed right away when hitting with this update; the sweetspot didn't feel as large to me and it felt like it had moved lower in the stringbed. I'm not sure if this is due to tweaks in the Isometric head shape or if the sweetspot was positioned lower in the racquet, but the racquet felt stiff if I hit near the upper hoop (where I normally make contact), like I was missing the sweetspot. It felt different than the previous generation, where the whole stringbed felt plush at contact. In addition to its stiffer feel up high, this update was a tad more powerful. This was tough for me because I think Yonex had big shoes to fill after producing the stellar DR 98, which was a great option for the player looking for power, feel and precision. I actually enjoyed hitting groundstrokes more with the the lighter EZONE 98 (285g), mainly because the sweetspot felt larger and more forgiving. The maneuverability was working really well for me, too. I don't normally enjoy fast, quick racquets, but the EZONE 98 (285g) was playing right into my game. I found it easy to step up and crack groundies and play a bit more consistently than I could with the heavier version."

Volleys - Score: 80

Our playtesters were very impressed by the EZONE 98 (305g) at net. Granted, there were some familiar complaints about the feel, but this racquet's raw speed and user-friendly playability won the day. Hannah was impressed. She said, "'Effortless' is the word that describes my experience volleying with the new Yonex EZONE 98 (305g). At net the sweetspot was responsive, crisp and precise. I never found myself craving more stability, and at the same time it was so maneuverable in my hands. During points I had complete trust in this racquet when I transitioned to the net, and I found it easy to close out points."

Chris found a nice combination of power, stability and accuracy on his volleys. He said, "I appreciate the point-and-shoot feel that crisp racquets like the EZONE 98 (305g) offer at net. I definitely got that with this racquet. I felt like my volleys would zip away to wherever I pointed the strings. The racquet felt adequately stable, and I never got myself in a situation where I felt like the racquet was getting overpowered. I really liked the racquet's response on low volleys. I found the kind of punch I used to get from the Babolat Pure Drive Plus and find now from my weighted up EZONE DR 98+."

Despite some issues with the feel, Michelle appreciated this racquet's speed at net. She said, "At net, the upper hoop still felt firm. However, for the most part, this racquet was pretty simple to volley with, and it was stable enough against bigger hitters. I found it to be quite maneuverable, and I could get it into position when I needed to."

Although he appreciated the maneuverability, Troy ultimately needed more stability. He commented, "The maneuverability and speed of this racquet made it easy to fend off shots during fast exchanges at the net. I found a high level of control, which enabled me to pick targets close to the lines. When I made contact in the sweetspot the feel was plush and responsive. With that said, anytime I hit a volley slightly outside the sweetspot the response was dead and a bit jarring. Against heavy shots this racquet got pushed around more than I would have liked. Compared to my Wilson Six.One 95 (18x20), the EZONE 98 (305g) lacked stability. When I'm hitting volleys I love a racquet that has enough mass and stability to block the ball back with ease. With this racquet I had to attack my volleys and swing more to get ample depth."

Serves - Score: 89

Our team gave the EZONE 98 (305g) an outstanding score for serve. The easy acceleration translated seamlessly into power, and the spin-friendly precision brought the ball down on target. Let's just say Troy was impressed. He said, "My flat first serves were coming in hot with the Yonex EZONE 98 (305g) in my hand. Because this racquet is so light and fast I found a big boost in racquet-head speed, and I was finding a few extra MPHs on my first serves. Even with that boost in power, I still had enough control to paint the corners of the service box and keep my opponent out of rhythm. I found easy access to spin on my second serves. On my topspin and kick serves this racquet helped me get the ball jumping above my opponent's shoulders. When I was hitting big first-serve aces this racquet had me feeling a bit like Nick Kyrgios ... -30 MPH!"

Also finding plenty of success on serve was Chris also found plenty of success serving with the EZONE 98 (305g), saying, "I served well with this racquet. Did I miss the added length of my DR 98+? Yes, but I was still happy with the pace and spin I found here. My only adjustment was getting used to having slightly less angle down into the box and having to add just a smidgen of spin to get my margin for error back compared to my extended racquet. I liked the spin I found on my slice serve, and I had success getting the ball away from the returner or jamming it into their body to tie them up. I remained aggressive on second serves and found better pace and spin production compared to the DR 98 that this racquet replaces."

Michelle had no problem generating power and hitting her targets on serve. She said, "I had a pretty easy time hitting big, flat first serves and kicking second serves with the EZONE 98 (305g). It was easy to get it up and moving quickly. Luckily, any sweetspot issues I had on my groundstrokes weren't as evident on serves. I've been trying to get more power into my serves and remain consistent, and this racquet definitely helped in that area."

Although she wasn't in love with the feel, Hannah served great with the EZONE 98 (305g). She said, "Power and spin were accessible on my serve. These tools and the responsive sweetspot contributed to a clean shot almost every time. I could really mix up my serves and get some good wrist snap and racquet head acceleration with this frame. The results were great. On contact I had good pop and responsiveness, but I think the stiffer feel was slightly different from what I was hoping for in comparison to both the DR 98 and my Pure Strike, both of which seem to pocket the ball a little better."

Returns - Score: 80

Our team had mixed opinions about the EZONE 98 (305g) on returns. As with groundstrokes, there were some problems with the feel coupled with cries for more stability and plow through. However, this racquet's speed, power and spin proved hard to resist. Michelle had the most success when shifting into attack mode. She said, "For the most part, I was returning well with the EZONE 98 (305g). I could swing out and attack returns. If I was swinging fast enough I didn't have the erratic feel at the top of the hoop, but I also wasn't completely confident with the racquet in my hands. It was quick, but I would have liked a little more plow through. I really enjoyed returning with it when I was moving forward because I was able to attack and use angles well to start the point off offensively."

This racquet's maneuverability worked well for Hannah on returns. She explained, "Serve returns felt natural, and I wasn't thinking about the racquet in my hands when I stepped up to the baseline to return. I think this can mostly be attributed to the confidence I got from hitting the sweetspot combined with the maneuverable, whippy nature of this racquet. The EZONE 98 (305g) was plenty stable even if I shortened my swing, and it was easy to come around and add spin off of the return."

Although he had some minor issues with the feel, Chris definitely had the necessary ingredients for effective service returns. He explained, "Pace, spin and solid directional control were all easily attained with this racquet on returns. I did find the racquet a tad firm and not as comfortable when I caught returns up by the tip of the racquet. That was my only knock, however. I felt confident taking a big cut at the ball, and I also felt I could find my targets when looking to place the ball with more control."

Given his penchant for heavy racquets with beefy swingweights, it's not surprising that Troy wanted more plow through from the EZONE 98 (305g) on returns. He explained, "I was craving a bit more mass and plow through when I was returning with this EZONE 98 (305g). Against big serves this racquet was fluttering in my hand. When I was hitting my backhand chip return the ball was landing short more than I would have liked. When I used a compact stroke I struggled to get my returns deep, and often times this lead to me losing the point. On a positive note, the fast feel of this racquet allowed me to take bigger swings on my returns. On my two-handed backhand returns I was getting better maneuverability than usual. I was really dialed in on my cross-court backhand returns while playing doubles."

Overall - Score: 82