Comments: This racquet is awesome. I have been using Head youtek speed IG mp and I like every aspect of the Head speed racquet except the return and volleys. X-blue 99 shines in every area including the areas where head speed falls short. It has very good swing weight, produces excellent top-spin(takes a little time to adjust the swing to produce topspin and serves if you are switching from a different racquet). The ground strokes are very good and the stick is very stable even with off-center shots(more forgiving than expected). Serve returns are very good and the ball is returned back deep near the baseline. Slices are very effective, goes deep, stays very low and has additional pop/bite compared to Head. First serves are accurate and second serves with topspin have significant kick and extra pop than expected. The performance of this in stock form is very good and it has the combined behavior of k6.1 tour 90, Head youtek speed IG mp and Babolat Aeropro Drive w/ cortex. With price vs performance aspect, I am very happy I made the choice to buy this racquet.
From: Ekan, 4/12

Comments: I am a former Head Pro Tour 280 and Tecnifibre T-fight user. I love heavy flexible frames that have a solid feel and pocket the ball well on the string bed. This frame definitely delivers on that and more. After trying every weighting combination imaginable, I found the perfect weighting for my game with the 5 gram butt cap and 2 of the 3 gram weighting strips on the top of the hoop (meeting at 12 o'clock). The plow through and stability are insane now and it delivers equal amounts of topspin and power the harder I swing. The frame did have too much power strung at 52 lbs with Babolat RPM Blast but when I moved it up to 55, it felt perfect. The tighter tension kept the ball inside the baseline and creates some extra kick on all my ground strokes after they hit the court. Even though 55 is listed as the max, I feel I could go a few lbs tighter and still get great response. I can't wait to get a few more.
From: Shawn, 9/11
String type and tension: Babolat RPM Blast 17 at 55 lbs.
NTRP Rating: 4.0

Comments: The first posting I think is spot on regarding the initial feel of this stick. "Buttery smooth from a solid (stable) construction". I played with the Wilson Pro Staff line for the past 25 years starting with Pro Staff 85 and ending with K Six One 90. I demoed about 50 player racquets over the years and never found a racquet that matched the solidness, comfort and precision of the Pro Staff line. That ended with this racquet. The Donnay Blue feels like Wilson K 90 tour only more buttery yet just as firm with more power and more precision. I tried the whole X line for the 94 and 99 and the only other stick that comes close is the Red 99 which feels extremely smooth but does not spin as well as the Blue and is too powerful hence less control.I n my opinion all the 94 have too small of a sweetspot and are simply unstable on slightly off the center shots. The Black 99 is just a less stable less powerful version of the Blue 99. The Blue 99 simply rocks.
From: Andre, 8/11
String type and tension: RPM Blast at 53 lbs
NTRP Rating: 5.0

Comments: Fantastic racquet, it has a buttery smooth feel from the solid construction and it's very flexible yet incredibly powerful. I've never played a racquet that is this powerful without being rigid and stiff. Very maneuverable and spin friendly. Had been using k6.1t our and wanted a more powerful, forgiving frame. Extensively tried several racquets including: PB10mid, Pro Tour, Pro Open, Dunlop4d200 and 300t, APDGT (and+), PSGT, Exo Tour. This combines the best attributes all in one place. The power and maneuverability of a tweener, the control and stability of much heavier/demanding sticks. I tried the black, dark red and red also (in 94 and 99 flavors). Did not feel I lost any control with this compared to any of the others, but gained back-up power. I went looking for more forgiveness and power, and found it, but also more control. There were other sticks that I liked certain aspects, but not others. This is the only one that for me truly had no downside.
From: Jason, SoCal, USA, 02/11
String type and tension: Natural Gut @ 57/Signum PPP @ 55
Headsize: 99
NTRP Rating: 5.5

Comments: Just received my second racquet, wow what a stick! I tried many of Donnay lineup as well as some other brands, but I must say that I do believe that The Blue 99 is the best racquet that I have tried in a long while. I find it extremely easy to serve with and my volleys have not been this good in a long time. If you're looking for a new racquet and prefer the feel of a players stick, but are getting older and need something more comfortable and easier to play with at the net... Try this racquet out! I have added the 10oz butt cap to the frame and have replaced the leather grip with Babolat's new Skins grip... big difference! I have been a Wilson guy for most of my life but I must say that this Donnay is better than any Wilson I have played with and that includes the all the BLX models. I truly recommend a demo....
From: Ron, Springfield, MO, USA, 01/11
String type and tension: Babolat VS Gut and Kirschbaum
Headsize: 99

Comments: Ok 3rd day of hitting with this demo I added the side weights. In my opinion the side weights weren't pinpoint enough compared to lead. The racket did respond to weighting but not as much as I had hoped. Overall, the feel of this frame can be described as "Thuddy" in that it's very solid with good feel. It was great at the net for reaction volley's BTW and though I think I'll be getting a Prestige MP or Pro, maybe a Dunlop Bio 200+ I can recommend this to serious doubles players. It just didn't suit my fill eastern backhand as much as some other frames (I'm having trouble ever since I stopped using the Max 200 G and this is a more pro staff feeling frame only way more maneuverable and greater spin potential). If you play with an eastern or continental grip BH and are 4.0 + with a control occasional + power game this is certainly worth checking out. If you love the reaction volley for doubles this line is a must demo.
From: John, USA, 12/10
Headsize: 98
NTRP Rating: 4.5 (former 5.5 getting back into the game after college injury 18 years ago)

Comments: Well it looks incredible and at first, I wasn't really able to serve with any pace with it (the demo strings seemed brand new). Then after some rallies I added weight to the handle and I was hitting my trademark flat 1st serves in the mid 120's (I can hit 130+ on good days with new strings). The Blue 99 is great for kick second serves, it can do ridiculous things. Overall this is very stable in stock form (not quite as much as the Head Prestige MP).
It has way more spin potential than the Head though and a tad more powerful on 1st serve. It returns well and I can really jump on short balls, slices are very nice but perhaps not as quite as good as the Head P-MP's (which might just be a balance tuning factor).
Tomorrow I'll try the side weights. Previously, I've played with a PDR and I just can't handle the elbow shock; I grew up with the Max 200G. An accurate description of this racket: this is nearly as plush as the Head P-MP with a tad more pop and infinitely more spin but it takes some getting used to and experimentation with the balance. I'll have to check out the prestige pro too but this is growing on me, it responds well to customization.
From: John, USA, 12/10
String type and tension: TW demo- alu power mains? 50 lbs?
Headsize: 98
NTRP Rating: 4.5

Comments: Right out of the demo box, it's got the most incredible feel of any racquet I have ever laid my hands on. The handle is quite square like a Wilson, and suits a semi western forehand perfectly. The thin beam cuts through the air like no other and that is a compliment being that my main axe at the moment is the (Nadal) Aeropro drive w/cortex. After test-driving this baby, I will say that it is a precision stick like none other. Slightly harsh as far as vibrations go (maybe due to the all poly string bed and 16mm beam). The Wilson BLX, which I'll compare to, is def more solid feeling, but this racquet has much more spin potential, and just needs some getting used to. I am a Donny believer, and will demo the red 99 and black 99 to make my decision as to which I will go for. This is a definite must demo, and believe me there is no cooler racquet in the world as far as looks. Try it out. Enjoy!
From: Dan, Long Branch, NJ, USA, 12/10

Comments: I am not sure your RA measurement is correct. The Blue 99 is supposed to be RA67.
From: Mark, Jacksonville, FL, USA, 11/10
(Mark, we measure our specs based off of the stock we receive from the manufacturer; we averaged a RA rating of 59 from the set we sampled--TW Staff)