Yonex EZONE 100+ (300g) Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

The Yonex EZONE 100+ (300g) features plenty of power and plow through from the baseline. The standard-length EZONE 100 (300g) is Brittany's current racquet of choice, so she couldn't wait to see how the extended-length version compared. She started, "Having playtested the previous version, I had an idea of what to expect. As soon as I hit the court my suspicions were confirmed. The EZONE 100+ offered a powerful response with tons of plow through and plenty of stability. It is definitely harder to maneuver due to the extra half-inch of length. However, once I got the racquet moving — boy, could I get some easy power and depth! I did have to work a little harder to keep my groundstrokes deep in the court when I was on the defensive, though. I was surprised to find that the EZONE 100+ clicked with my backhand faster than other extended-length racquets I've hit in the past; for whatever reason, I was able to get my timing down a lot quicker with this one."

"With the review of the EZONE DR 100+ not too far removed, I was excited to see how the longer version of the EZONE 100 would feel," continued Tiffani. "With the DR 100+, I liked how the extra length seemed to change the flex point on the racquet, and I was hoping that would be the case here too, because I found the standard EZONE 100 to be a bit too rigid for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't really notice any change in how the EZONE 100+ felt in terms of flex compared to the standard EZONE 100. Although I prefer the EZONE DR 100+ because it felt a little more versatile in terms of shot selection, the EZONE 100+ delivers big time in the power department. When I was given the time, I could hit with much more plow through than I normally would. I lost the ability to pick up balls hit right at my feet because of the higher swingweight, but with a proper setup and swing, this racquet just pulled itself through the hitting zone. I hit with the EZONE 98+ some, and I found that it felt quicker through the air than the 100+. If you demo the EZONE 100+ (300g) and find it a bit too powerful, try the EZONE 98+. It offers slightly more control and a more flexible feel."

Hannah was surprised to find that the EZONE 100+ felt almost exactly the same as the DR 100+ that it replaces. She explained, "Looking back on my comments for the DR 100+ playtest, my experience was nearly identical with this update. This racquet is a beefy version of the EZONE 100, and it won't disappoint those who are searching for extra power and stability to complement the EZONE feel. One of the best things about this racquet from the baseline is the easy depth. I started taking it for granted until I switched back to my standard-length racquet, when it felt like every ball was landing short in comparison. The comfortable, yet crisp, feel and the large sweetspot were more potent than ever in this Yonex. As discovered in the most recent EZONE 98 review, the updated version without DR technology does feel slightly stiffer in the upper hoop, and in my opinion it offers additional power and a slightly higher trajectory from the baseline. Although the power levels are through the roof, I was happy to find my balls landing inside the baseline more often than expected. My one knock on this racquet is the loss in maneuverability. Although this racquet has good handling considering its specs, my game requires more spin than I was able to generate. Getting under the ball and whipping my wrist around it was just not possible at the racquet head speed I typically employ."

With his counterpunching game style, Mark is a fan of extended length racquets. He said, "Perched at the backcourt, I look for a racquet that allows me to easily arc the ball over the net, particularly when I'm in a defensive position. With the latest Yonex EZONE 100+ (300g), I immediately got the 'guilty pleasure' feeling that I so often get from a plus-length frame, and I found it was very easy to land my shots near my opponent's baseline. I was also very effective applying topspin to my forehand, though I did struggle a bit developing similar levels of topspin on the backhand wing, which made me rely on my backhand slice more than usual. Lastly, I should mention that the new EZONE 100+ (300g) is extremely stable against excessive pace and spin, especially for a player's racquet that doesn't weigh much over 11 ounces."

Volleys - Score: 84

While the extended length gave the playtesters extra reach and offered a stable feel at net, the EZONE 100+ (300g) was a little tough to maneuver for some. Hannah had no complaints on volleys. She said, "I loved the extra stability, and I found volleying a breeze with this racquet. I felt that my accuracy toward small targets was really good too. The lack of maneuverability that I found on groundstrokes didn't seem carry over to my volleys. I felt like I could handle the racquet well and keep it out in front of me. That extra half-inch really did make a difference when I was digging out volleys at my feet or reaching for higher shots in doubles, and it should persuade a lot of players to give this EZONE 100+ (300g) a chance."

The EZONE 100+ (300g) did everything Mark wanted it to at net. He detailed, "In my experience, you often have to sacrifice a bit of one frame trait to get the best of another. However, when I was at the net with the new EZONE 100+ (300g) I didn't have to compromise much at all. Though the maneuverability may have been diminished a touch, the extra reach seemed to more than make up for it. I was able to convert enough points at net to make me feel pretty offensive anywhere inside the service lines."

"The EZONE 100+ is stable and sturdy up at net," added Brittany. "I was never worried about the racquet twisting in my hands, even against the heaviest of passing shots. I'm not sure if it's completely mental, but I felt like my reach was extended by a couple inches (even though the racquet is only half an inch longer!). The only downside is that this racquet was a little difficult to maneuver around my body, and I was occasionally late getting it into position — especially on shots hit right at me."

Tiffani craved more maneuverability. She said, "Like I do with most extended-length racquets, I struggled with the EZONE 100+ in quick volley exchanges. I needed to choke up on the racquet when I was trying to trade volleys with my opponent. The length wasn't an issue when it was a quick trip to the net for an easy put-away. In those instances I enjoyed the solid feel and punch this racquet delivered."

Serves - Score: 85

The Yonex EZONE 100+ (300g) was a real weapon for the playtesters on serves. Mark thoroughly enjoyed laying down serve after serve with this extended-length racquet. He said, "I have been working on my service motion lately, and this was yet another part of my game that was complemented by the EZONE 100+ (300g). My service velocity was not drastically increased, but control and consistency were spot on, making this my favorite part of this playtest."

"Just like the advantage I found on volleys, the EZONE 100+ gave me a lot of extra serving power and leverage when starting off points," said Hannah. "I had no trouble whipping the racquet up to get good spin and acceleration on all of my serves. I also really appreciated the comfort and forgiveness of the large sweetspot. For me, the best part about the serving portion of this playtest was that I didn't experience an adjustment period at all. I could pick up this EZONE 100+ (300g) and serve with confidence and consistency right from the start. That isn't usually the case when I serve with a new racquet."

Once Tiffani focused on generating racquet head speed she was able to tap into the serving potential of the Yonex EZONE 100+ (300g). She said, "The key for me when serving with this EZONE 100+ (300g) was getting it moving; I couldn't be lazy. When I put in the effort, this racquet brought the added oomph I seek for my serve, which is generally one of my weaker shots."

Brittany liked how much mass the EZONE 100+ added to her serves. She described, "I felt like my first serves were heavy and penetrating through the court, making it tough for my opponents to hit an offensive return. My serve was effective even when I wasn't getting as much easy pace, especially in doubles. I needed to make an effort on my second serves to get the racquet up and over my head. If I were at all tentative, the ball wouldn't get enough height over the net and I would most likely hit a fault. Later in matches my arm started getting fatigued, and the double faults crept in more than I'd like."

Returns - Score: 78

All the playtesters agreed that the EZONE 100+ (300g) lacked maneuverability on their returns. Tiffani had ups and downs when returning. She said, "When I was returning with this racquet I needed to be sure to keep the backswing short or else I was likely to catch the ball late. When I did catch the ball late it was difficult to control the depth of my shots, and they tended to fly long because I couldn't get any spin. I appreciated the stability and power I could get behind the ball when I was hitting on time, though. When I connected correctly with a return it was powerful and offensive."

"Although I typically love to hit my return of serve, I struggled to find my rhythm with the EZONE 100+," said Brittany. "On one hand, the racquet felt like a beast and was extremely stable. However, like with some of the other strokes, it was a little tough to get the racquet around my body, and there were times my returns were landing short or I was hitting a little late. If I focused solely on getting the racquet around my body and into position early then there would be a lot of mass behind my balls and the returns were flying long. I had to find sort of a middle ground, and that took a bit of an adjustment."

Mark couldn't quite get all of his return options dialed in. He said, "This was the one part of the playtest where I felt like maneuverability was a slight issue for me. Returning serves with topspin was a struggle, so I relied more on slice or chip returns."

Hannah agreed with the other playtesters about the maneuverability difficulties. She wrapped up the playtest saying, "I felt that the lack of maneuverability was a bit of a issue on my returns. When I was playing sets I lost some confidence on my returns, mostly because I felt like I wasn't able to prepare the racquet as quickly as I needed to. Don't get me wrong, when I made proper contact on my returns the stability was amazing and the sweetspot was easy to find. It was just that moment of pressure when I was waiting for the serve that I knew there was a good chance I would be catching the ball late. I also like to take a lot of my returns up the middle with a good amount of spin, especially off of first serves. With the EZONE 100+ (300g) I could access depth with no problems, but spin didn't come easily."

Overall - Score: 84