Yonex EZONE 100+ Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

On paper, the specs of the EZONE 100+ promised power, spin and plow through from the baseline — all of which rang true for our playtesters. Finding herself on playtests of both the EZONE 100+ and 98+, Michelle tested the two side by side. She said, "I initially hit both of these offerings without knowing any of the specs. I found that the 100+ swung easily, and the ball sunk into the stringbed. I could generate deep balls loaded with pace and spin. The feel at contact was not at all jarring, and although it was a bit muted, I liked it. The EZONE 100+ instantly made tennis fun and even feel easy! When I saw the specs I was expecting the swingweight and stiffness to read lower. I didn't think the EZONE 100+ felt as stiff as it measured on the RDC, and the racquet swung fast enough that I was never too sluggish getting it around the ball. I could hit for hours with this racquet. However, once I got into a point situation the EZONE 100+ could be too powerful at times, and I tended to start overhitting and slapping the ball a bit. Even with a poly at 56 pounds, I found I was starting to spray balls in point situations. This happened when I took a big swing and went for a small target; I was making too many errors and had to adjust accordingly to bigger targets."

With the standard EZONE 100 being Brittany's preferred racquet, she had a pretty good idea what to expect from this EZONE 100+. "I was not disappointed," she began. "I had added power from the baseline and easy depth on my groundstrokes. In fact, I could really put a lot of pace behind my strokes, especially on my approach and put-away shots. I felt like Michelle on a couple big forehands. It's safe to say that it was a lot of fun. As with any extended-length racquet, I did have an adjustment period, especially on my backhand. Even toward the end of the playtest, I wasn't fully clicking with it and did not feel 100 percent confident. I was struggling to get the racquet's hefty swingweight around and whip my wrist. Therefore, I wasn't able to hit one of my favorite shots, the short-angled backhand, and I had the ball launch on me a couple times. I also wasn't connecting with my slice backhand, so I avoided hitting that unless absolutely necessary on a defensive shot."

It took Jason longer to get used to this racquet compared to the standard-length version, but he found an immediate bump in power and depth once he did. He explained, "That was the positive result of the added length. The downside was that the racquet was less maneuverable and less whippy. When I was really trying to put away a shot, I had to make sure I was putting plenty of spin on the ball because it was easy to overhit. I also found it more difficult when I only had time to flick my wrist, like shots right at my feet."

The EZONE DR 100+ stands as one of Tiffani's favorite Yonex racquets to date, so she was eager to get this update out on the court. She said, "After a couple months off the court I was feeling a bit rusty as I started this playtest, but I almost immediately found the ball pocketing that I longed for. This racquet just seemed to absorb the incoming ball and spit it back out with tons of power and plow through. I did struggle to find spin to help me gauge my depth, so I was missing quite a few long. With a swingweight above 330, this racquet also lagged a bit, so I found myself late on my shots more often. To compensate, I aimed more toward the middle of the court to give myself some added room. Despite the struggles, this racquet's power is hard to say no to. The way it feels when it loads the ball up is rather intoxicating."

Volleys - Score: 81

The EZONE 100+ proved to be a very stable volleying racquet, though it wasn't always as maneuverable as our playtesters would have liked. One of Brittany's favorite things about the EZONE series is the feel, and that continues with this extended version. She said, "I felt very connected to the ball and enjoyed the solid response on my volleys. I could punch the ball deep or soften my hands and throw in shorter volleys if needed, and I appreciated the extra length on a couple of reaching volleys. With that length and the higher swingweight, I did have to be cognizant when the ball was hit right at me since it took a little more effort to get the racquet into position in front of my body."

"The added length and higher swingweight made it a little more difficult for me to hit clean volleys," said Jason. "My timing was a little off. I tend to swing too much on my volleys, and this racquet kind of magnified the problem. When I was able to make clean contact, I loved being able to punch the ball with more pop than I'm accustomed to."

Stability and feel were the standout features at net for Tiffani. She said, "I was struggling with getting the racquet into position when shots were coming at my body. I had more success when I remembered to choke up a bit on the handle. It made the racquet maneuver more quickly, and although I gave up some of the benefits of the added reach, I just felt more comfortable."

Michelle had a few maneuverability issues at net with this racquet as well, saying, "Nothing crazy, but the extended length showed when balls were hit directly into my body. Aside from that, volleying was seamless. Point and shoot, in and out. Easy power, easy depth, great stability. There was not as much feel as the EZONE 98+, but it was solid, no doubt! It was easy to block back balls, and I always love that extra reach."

Serves - Score: 85

Serving with the EZONE 100+ brought each playtester extra power. With the added length and higher swingweight, Jason was able to get more pop on his serves than with his racquet of choice. He described the results, saying, "When serves went in, I'd win more easy points. I would say that my percentage rate did dip, though."

Like with groundstrokes, when the stars aligned, Tiffani's flat serve felt like it was loaded with power. She explained, "The racquet had this ability to plow through the strike zone and give me the power I crave on serve. However, due to the higher swingweight, I also struggled with spin at times. I just didn't have the technique to have a reliable slice serve with this racquet."

"I have found extended racquets help me produce some serious power on my serves, and my fastest serves come from an extended racquet," Michelle noted. "That's why it's not surprising that this EZONE 100+ brought the power to my serves! Spin was simple to access as well, but I really loved going big and flat with this racquet. The extra half inch allowed me to really snap on top of the ball. I had no complaints when serving with this racquet."

Flat first serves were a highlight of Brittany's time with the EZONE 100+. She said, "Once I got the racquet moving and over my head, I was able to generate a ton of pace, and the serves were landing deep in the service box. Not only was I able to hit with increased speed, but I was also able to be fairly accurate. I had to really make an effort with second serves to snap my wrist and add extra spin to bring the ball down into the box. If I didn't, I was missing a lot of second serves long. With the higher swingweight, I did notice some arm fatigue toward the end of a match or hit, which resulted in more missed first and second serves."

Returns - Score: 83

With its higher swingweight, the EZONE 100+ brought dependable stability on returns. Unfortunately, as with volleys, it also led to maneuverability issues for some. Tiffani explained, "It took me a while to dial in my timing on returns, and I found myself hitting late a lot initially. A shorter stroke helped me get the racquet around on time, and I had fun picking my spots and trying to crush returns."

"Depending on the serve I was returning, this racquet had the potential to be a weapon of mass destruction," Michelle said. "Power and mass came easily with big swings — sometimes too much power. But I loved the ability to carve out angles as well, and I had no maneuverability issues in that regard. Because I have a pretty hefty swingweight with my racquet of choice, this EZONE 100+ still felt maneuverable to me. It was also very stable against big servers, and I was able to block balls back easily."

For the most part, Brittany loved the EZONE 100+ on returns, and she had the most success blocking first serves back. She added, "This resulted in easy power and depth. The racquet was stable enough that no matter how hard the serve, I never once felt the EZONE 100+ flutter in my hands. On seconds serves, I could step in and take a crack at the ball. I did have to be careful to not overhit, so I found I was aiming deep toward the middle for a lot of returns. One other thing I had to keep in mind on both first and second serve returns was to take a compact swing, otherwise I might be late to the ball."

Jason also really enjoyed returning with this racquet. He said, "With more firepower and reach, I was able to attack more. Like with my groundstrokes, the only notable negative was the lack of maneuverability, which only came into play against hard-hit first serves into my body."

Overall - Score: 84