Wilson Burn FST 99S Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

The Wilson Burn FST 99S delivers an entirely new experience from the baseline compared to the previous Burn racquet family. Brittany playtested the Burn FST 99 and Burn FST 99S together, saying, "The main difference was the easier access to power with the Burn FST 99S. I was able to generate racquet head speed with ease, and with the spin friendly string pattern's higher launch angle I was able to get my groundstrokes to land deep in the court with little effort. However, I was struggling at times with the stringbed playing erratically. When I missed with my groundstrokes they were usually landing behind the baseline. One thing that surprised me when comparing the two racquets was the spin potential. I expected significantly more spin with the Spin Effect 18x17 string pattern, so I was surprised that the two racquets were pretty similar. However, I would give a slight edge in spin edge to the Burn FST 99S."

Jason, who has been a fan of the Spin Effect racquets, said, "The 99S version of the Burn FSTs definitely provided my shots with more power and spin than the Burn FST 99 thanks to the 18x17 string pattern. However, the stringbed ended up being erratic. There were many instances when I would expect my shot to drop in because of the spin and it just sailed long. The Burn FST 99S gave my shots more spin than the 99, but this 99S wasn't anything like the Steam 99S from a few years ago."

"My first try with the Wilson Burn FST 99S racquet was with Chris on the indoor court, and since I've been playing with a racquet that weighs 12 ounces, I figured a little transition period would be required to get used to the lighter set up," Mark said. "However, sometimes it feels good to be so wrong; the newer FST Burn 99S fit my swing extremely well from the baseline. Usually I want my own racquet when I get into groundstroke rallies with Chris because if I give an inch he'll run me for a mile. However, within five minutes of rallying I was confident enough to mix it up with him. My first session with the FST Burn 99S was so positive that I tried not to expect too much on the second. I now have around 20 hours of play time with the Burn FST 99S, and I have to say that it is one of the best racquets I have ever played with from the backcourt. With its 18x17 string pattern, I felt very connected to the ball, while still being able to generate plenty of spin. My backhand slice was also complemented by the Burn FST 99S."

Tiffani playtested the previous Wilson Burn racquets and was surprised with what she found with the Burn FST 99S. She said, "First things first. Don't pick up this Burn FST thinking it's going to play like the original Burn racquets. The Burn FST is not like the very powerful Burn line of racquets. This Burn FST 99S ended up being more control oriented than I expected. Once I started to swing through the ball (rather than being timid because of the power I expected), I really enjoyed this racquet from the baseline. I wasn't hitting with my normal pace, but I was accurate and hitting my targets. Both my topspin and slice shots were seeing more RPMs than usual, according to my PlaySight data. I've found that the 18x17 Spin Effect string pattern is the one for my game."

Volleys - Score: 80

There were some mixed reviews when volleying with the Wilson Burn FST 99S, but Mark had nothing but positives. He raved, "The way all the traits of the new Wilson FST Burn 99S came together not only allowed me to keep volleys in play, but also place them in a desirable court location. Suffice it to say, it is a great stick anywhere near the net."

Tiffani had some ups and downs. She said, "I liked the mobility and directional control I felt on my volleys. Although I didn't feel it from the baseline, this racquet fluttered a bit when I hit high outside the sweetspot when I was at net. That wasn't enough to deter me from volleying, though."

"When I hit a volley cleanly, it was fine, but when I didn't the Burn FST 99S left me really wanting to add lead tape to the hoop," Jason added. "In my opinion, the racquet needs to be less head light or it needs a thicker beam, but not both. Looking at the positives, though, I liked it for hitting overheads because it was very maneuverability and whippy."

Brittany said, "When I was at the net I noticed excellent maneuverability with the Burn FST 99S. I had the most success punching my volleys deep in the court to end points. I wasn't as dialed in on the feel and felt a little disconnected when the ball made contact with the stringbed. I'm not known for my touch shots, so this is something I can live with in a racquet."

Serves - Score: 80

The playtesters noticed an increase in spin when hitting serves with the Wilson Burn FST 99S. Jason found a consistent response. He explained, "The good news was that I felt like I could hit my second serves all day. The bad news was that there wasn't really much behind my serves. I'd say the control was above average, as was the spin. Because of these two aspects, I preferred serving with this 99S version over the regular 99."

Brittany said, "I used the more open string pattern to hit slice and kick serves that pulled my opponent off the court. There was plenty of power available to hit a flatter, harder first serve, but I wasn't as consistent with it. I was very conservative with my second serve, aiming mostly for the middle of the box with plenty of height and spin."

"I was seeing a little less pace on my top end speed numbers, according to PlaySight, but my average serve speed was in line with other racquets," stated Tiffani. "Where I did see a jump was spin, though. So although I was missing a little bit of power when I wanted to try for a bigger serve, I could get through my service games with moderate pace and better than average spin."

The serve was the one stroke where Mark would have liked a little extra weight on the Burn FST 99S. He explained, "My serve was consistent with the Burn FST 99S, but as with other low 11-ounce racquets, I always felt as though I had to exert a bit more effort to really get the ball moving."

Returns - Score: 81

The TW playtesters found a quick, fast response when returning with the Burn FST 99S. After a small adjustment Tiffani was able to return successfully. She said, "This racquet swings fast through the air, and it was really noticeable on my returns. I found myself ahead of the ball on some second serves and had to adjust a little, but I enjoyed the fast, control oriented feel. I never felt like I was going to hit winners off my returns, but I could start the point off well enough to be in a neutral position."

Mark couldn't be happier with his returns. He praised, "This was another part of the playtest where the Burn FST 99S really shined. It is a very fast and easy swinging racquet, which catered to both a defensive or offensive return."

"With a conscious effort to add a little extra spin to the ball to keep it in play, I could really go after my returns," Brittany continued. "I definitely was aiming for bigger targets and found myself hitting a lot of returns deep up the middle to start the point. The racquet came around my body quickly, so I had no issues timing the ball."

Jason felt like he had to attack the ball to get depth and pace. He said, "I couldn't sit back and simply block serves back because that usually resulted in me trying to chase down the next shot. But because the Burn FST 99S was so maneuverable, I could get it into position quickly and take a good cut at the ball."

Overall - Score: 83