Dunlop iDapt Force 100 Racquet Review

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Dunlop iDapt Force 100 Scores
Power	85
Comfort	81
Touch/Feel	75
Serves	84
Groundstrokes	83
Returns	82
Slice	76
Topspin	79
Volleys	78
Overall	83

Upsides

• Ability to customize
• Powerful
• Easy to hit with depth

Downsides

• Nothing we could agree on

Summary

Customizing the racquet of your dreams just got easier! Dunlop changes the racquet game with iDapt technology, which creates seemingly endless possibilities for their Force line of racquets. The iDapt Force 100 in "stock" form is the ideal platform for players who enjoy modern player's racquets - 100 square inches with a stiffness rating around 69 and a 16x19 string pattern. However, that's just the beginning! From there, this racquet can be customized to meet your needs. Start with the length - whether you choose the standard length (27 inches) or extended length (27.5 inches), which changes swingweight, balance and static weight. After that, players can choose between a firm, medium or soft feel when it comes to shock absorption. Do cosmetics matter to you? Take your pick from three completely different, but awesome paint jobs. You can imagine how enthused our team was when beginning this playtest. They all spent hours on the court finding their ideal customized version of the iDapt Force 100, and the results were positive!

How iDapt works

Dunlop calls its iDapt technology: Individual, adaptable, performance.

We call it: Game changing.

What makes iDapt unique is that each racquet can be customized to suit the taste of the player. For instance, each racquet comes with three cosmetic options ranging from mild to wild. The feel of the racquet can be altered depending on the Shock Sleeve selected. For comfort, choose the red version, the blue for a blend of comfort and feedback and the green version for the most feedback. There are two handle lengths to choose from. One creates a standard 27-inch length racquet, the other a longer 27.5 inch length racquet. Once you have chosen the set up you'd like, we build the racquet for you and send it out.

Not sure which iDapt racquet or set up to go with? No problem. You can demo any iDapt racquet right here at Tennis Warehouse.

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

Our team of flat hitting ball strikers found the iDapt Force 100 had a feel similar to the Babolat Pure Drive, or one of the many racquets inspired by the Pure Drive. After taking the time to fine tune their setups, each playtester found a favorable experience with this racquet. They found explosive power and excellent maneuverability in both the standard and extended length frames, but there were some differences. Tiffani explained, "I really loved the heavier shots I could hit with the Force 100 when it was set up at 27.5 inches long, but it became cumbersome for me after hitting for a while. As I tired out, I began to hit too many shots late. My shots weren't as penetrating with the standard length frame, but I still hit with good depth and pace -- plus I was much more consistent. I liked the middle of the road green Shock Sleeve. It was crisp, yet comfortable."

Brittany experimented with the different lengths to find her optimal setup. She said, "The standard length racquet gave me good pop and maneuverability on my groundstrokes. I felt very comfortable playing with it from the get-go, and it was easy to use. Surprisingly, I also enjoyed the racquet when I sliced as well. I found extra pop when I went to the extended length, but at a price. I had a difficult time getting the racquet around my body, and I had to use a lot more energy to swing it."

The different options made this playtest fun and unique for Michelle, and the iDapt Force 100 even had her considering adopting an extended length racquet into her game. She said, "In its standard length setup I found this racquet to be pretty similar to a Pure Drive. It was easy for me to use and enjoy with its simple power and maneuverability. Its maneuverability made it effortless to swing fast and play offensively. However, when I hit with the extended length version I was sold! It became my favorite setup because the swingweight was beefed up a bit with that extra half-inch. I could really add more pace when hitting off the ground, and I quickly realized that this could be a new weapon. Since I love to crush the ball, I had a great time drilling forehands and backhands with this racquet. Even with the extra length. The iDapt Force 100 remained maneuverable for me, so it was simple to go from defense to offense. I must say, I really enjoyed the extended length version of the iDapt Force 100 and would pick that for my setup."

Volleys - Score: 78

The mix of power and maneuverability in the iDapt Force 100 made it easy to finish off points at the net. "Volleying with this racquet in standard length was a breeze," began Brittany. "I felt very comfortable moving forward to hit my put away volley. The racquet shone in maneuverability and felt stable when I had to volley a heavier shot. I enjoyed a little extra power (and length!) when I was reaching for a shot with the extended version."

Michelle found it easy to hit "point and shoot" volleys with this racquet. She commented, "In all honestly, there was not a lot of feel in these racquets, but I don't gravitate toward racquets with feel, so that was just fine for me. It was really stable at net. Blocking balls back was easy, as was hitting aggressive volleys. Cute touch shots or drop volleys just weren't this racquet's forte."

Like the other Dunlop Force racquets Tiffani tested, she enjoyed the feel of the ball off the stringbed of the iDapt Force 100 at net. She explained, "This racquet was responsive, yet controllable. The longer version felt more solid, but I just couldn't maneuver it as well as the standard length version, and I preferred the faster feel of the regular length. I could direct my shots where they needed to go."

Serves - Score: 84

While each of our playtesters gravitated toward a slightly different setup when it came to building her own iDapt Force 100, all agreed that this racquet could do some damage! Again, Michelle found the standard length to be good but the extended length to be better. She stated, "This racquet suited my serve well and felt similar to a Pure Drive. It worked well on first and second serves. I was smashing big first serves with the longer version, and I really felt dangerous when starting the point with a big, flat serve. I could get my kick jumping on second serves, and I got my slices out wide moving off the court. A lot of times, extended length racquets get cumbersome for me when I'm serving, but the iDapt Force 100 was a perfect fit in my hands!"

"Although I usually like serving with longer length racquets, I did have some issues getting this one up over my head," said Tiffani. "I felt like there was more power to tap into, but I couldn't muster enough racquet head speed to take full advantage of it. The standard length racquet was my preference here because I could hit the serves I wanted to hit without trouble."

Brittany thoroughly enjoyed stepping up to the line and taking a crack at a big first serve with the iDapt Force 100. She offered, "I felt very comfortable going up and after my first serve, whether I was serving a flat serve up the tee or slicing the ball out wide. I had enough spin on my second serves to consistently hit my kick serves into the body and out wide. However, the extended length version was too much racquet for me. I was having a hard time getting the racquet up and over my head, and my arm was becoming fatigued about halfway through a set or hitting session."

Returns - Score: 82

The two aggressive players and one counter puncher on this playtest enjoyed returning serves with the iDapt Force 100. Each player dialed into her preferred setup and enjoyed how quickly she could swing the racquet to start the point. Tiffani enjoyed how the standard length racquet fit her counter punching game. She said, "The standard length version wasn't as stable as the longer one, but I felt like I could get my racquet on most serves and return effectively. Although the longer racquet was more stable, I was erratic. When I swung late I really missed, so I appreciated the quicker response of the standard length racquet."

Brittany didn't have any issues when returning serves. She explained, "I thought this racquet performed well enough when returning first and second serves. I got good pop when I was aggressive on seconds, and I could take a short backswing and control the ball when returning a first serve."

"Hitting an aggressive return is always how I like to begin the point, and that is exactly what I could do with this racquet," stated Michelle. "It was quick and stable and I could attack or block a return back. Again, I enjoyed both lengths but found the extended length to really compliment and enhance my game."

Overall - Score: 83

Scores

(Scores are determined by averaging individual play test scores)

Playtester Profiles

Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE Ai 100.

Michelle: Open level baseline player with a semi-western forehand and a two handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick.

Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semiwestern grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Donnay Formula 100.

Review date: August 2014. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.

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