100 sq inch "tweeners"

[seanyw]

I have been playing with Prince TT Tour 100 310 and just simply want to try something which is a little lighter and can give me more easy power and spin.

These 4 below have very similar specs. Can anyone give me some insights about how different / similar they are, and their goods and bads?

Babolat Pure Drive - 2025
Wilson Ultra 100 v5 - 2025
Dunlop FX 500 - 2025
Head Extreme MP - 2024

 

[maksp]

I have been playing with Prince TT Tour 100 310 and just simply want to try something which is a little lighter and can give me more easy power and spin.

These 4 below have very similar specs. Can anyone give me some insights about how different / similar they are, and their goods and bads?

Babolat Pure Drive - 2025
Wilson Ultra 100 v5 - 2025
Dunlop FX 500 - 2025
Head Extreme MP - 2024

I've tested all if them . Pure drive if power is most important and fx500 if control is most important in a 100 inch tweener. My son switched to pure drive from vcore 98 and I switched to fx from aero98.

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

I have been playing with Prince TT Tour 100 310 and just simply want to try something which is a little lighter and can give me more easy power and spin.

I would stick to Prince and would get the Beast 100 (Textreme).
Currently, in Europe the Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x19 and 16x20 are on huge sale by Tennis Warehouse Europe, I would grab the 16x20.
In full price, I would only pay for the Dunlop FX 500, I'm sold for Beckett's aka TennCom's high praise of it.

 

[McLovin]

I have been playing with Prince TT Tour 100 310 and just simply want to try something which is a little lighter and can give me more easy power and spin.

These 4 below have very similar specs. Can anyone give me some insights about how different / similar they are, and their goods and bads?

Babolat Pure Drive - 2025
Wilson Ultra 100 v5 - 2025
Dunlop FX 500 - 2025
Head Extreme MP - 2024

I'd add the Solinco Blackout (either V1 or V2) to that list. Personally I prefer the V2 (used the V1 for 3 years before switching to the V2), but I think that's more a feel-dependent thing.

I was on the PD 25 playtest last year, and I really liked it, but honestly there wasn't a noticeable difference between it & my Blackouts. And at $50 cheaper...

I've hit briefly w/ the new Dunlop FX, and it felt nice. Unfortunately, they don't offer extended models, so its a no-go for me. But I know @Soundbyte is enjoying his, and he was also on the PD '25 playtest, and was using the Blackout V2s for a bit.

I think the bottom line is, you'll get more than enough spin & power from any of those frames. It will eventually come down to "feel", and that's something only you can determine. Maybe check out TW's Demo Program and decide for yourself? The great thing about the demo program is, if you decide to buy one of the frames you demoed, your $25 demo fee can be applied to the purchase price.

Demo Program - Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[ChrisJR3264]

I would stick to Prince and would get the Beast 100 (Textreme).
Currently, in Europe the Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x19 and 16x20 are on huge sale by Tennis Warehouse Europe, I would grab the 16x20.
In full price, I would only pay for the Dunlop FX 500, I'm sold for Beckett's aka TennCom's high praise of it.

As much as I love watching Jonas and Beckett on their channels, reviews are still 100% subjective. And play tests of rackets against who these folks hit with should matter.
Plenty of rackets both love and don’t that may or may not suit you.

I agree with your choices being a good option to try - especially the pure strike 100 16x20. But I would try it to make sure the weight/balance suits you to swing. The rest could be fixed by string set up.

 

[ChanterRacquet]

@seanyw

All your blue frames are pretty similar. I lean to the FX 500. Demo would be the only way to differentiate because they feel different.

I found the previous version of the Extreme MP more arm friendly than these blue racquets, but…I’d still go FX despite my history of TE.

In no way would I recommend the PStrike 100 16x20. This would not give more power or spin because of how sluggish it is relative to many other 100” frames. Not much different than a Gravity Pro, for example.

 

[Soundbyte]

I have been playing with Prince TT Tour 100 310 and just simply want to try something which is a little lighter and can give me more easy power and spin.

These 4 below have very similar specs. Can anyone give me some insights about how different / similar they are, and their goods and bads?

Babolat Pure Drive - 2025
Wilson Ultra 100 v5 - 2025
Dunlop FX 500 - 2025
Head Extreme MP - 2024

I haven't hit the Ultra 100 or the Extreme MP. The PD has more power than the Dunlop FX500. I prefer the feel and control and torsional stability of the FX500.

As @McLovin said, it'll come down to slight differences and 'feel' that is rather subjective. Grab a demo box with all 4 of those and give them a go.

I would scratch the Extreme MP and throw in a Blackout V2 instead, and also consider the Babolat Pure Aero Rafa (290g).

 

[Trip]

Babolat Pure Strike 100 16x19 and 16x20 are on huge sale by Tennis Warehouse Europe, I would grab the 16x20.

Neither Strike is going to offer that much, if any, more power or spin per unit spec than a TT 100 310. Decent pleener 100's, but not the right recommendation in this instance.

@seanyw - Having owned and played extensively with the 2019 TT 100 310 myself, and having tried all of the frames on your list, I think I've got a decent handle on this.

First, let's remind people of what you're used to: a 100" classically-oval-shaped, hybrid-box-beam pleener, with a very open 16x18 pattern. This combo plays very spinny, yet also decently controlled/predictable from the consistent cell sizing across the face and hybrid-box beam. Lateral stability and twist-weight range from very high (2019 version) to moderate (2022 version), and power-per-unit-hitting-weight is similar to a Dunlop CX 400 Tour (if the TT100 is the 2019) or a Head Speed MP (if the TT100 is the 2022).

All of that considered, if picking from your shortlist, I'd go Pure Drive first and foremost, mainly due to having more TT100-like facial consistency than the FX 500, and a more direct feel and transmissive impact response than the Ultra, with the Extreme MP as an outlier option, if you think you may want to tilt your play style and/or mechanics towards a more spin-first approach. Additionally, if you end up favoring the Extreme for such reasons, you might want to give additional consideration to more options from actual spin silos — namely the Pure Aero 100, which is class-leading and right up there with the Extreme MP, if not better in certain aspects, especially if you have the 2019 version of the TT 100 310, which is very similar to the Aero 100 in terms of firmness of flex, crispness of feel and high twist weight.

Hope that helps add some clarity. Any questions, feel free.

 

[jimdontcare]

I main the TT310 as well. The current Pure Drive is my favorite tweener on the market and I think that will be true for the median player. Like the TT310, it is very easy to understand what it wants from you. It is consistent and has a uniform flex like the TT310 does (albeit stiffer, but so will all these tweeners).

Like Trip mentioned you may be interested in testing a spin tweener too, as they will have a little more of the pocketing you're used to in the TT310 as well as the very natural easy spin. The Aero is the only spin tweener that is in the ballpark of the TT310's consistency, in my opinion.

 

[jimdontcare]

Relevant:

 

[JordanWinning]

Of the four listed I have only played/hit with the Wilson, but I can speak to the pros and cons. For context, my previous racquet was the Clash Tour/Pro weighted up to about 12oz and a 340 swingweight.
Pro: Easy power and above average spin (for my strokes). I think it hits a decently heavy ball for the specs. MUCH more comfortable than previous iterations. Still wouldn't put a stiff poly strung high in it, but overall much easier on the arm. The whip and easy power helped me be much more consistent because I wasn't overhitting or pushing nearly as much (this is certainly the subjective part). I'm not a small target guy from the baseline, so for me control wasn't an issue or a downgrade. Easy whip was great for my serve (mostly hit a slurvie kick/slice thing) but was still easy to pound serves flat body. Also a great stick for feeding drills if you do much of that.
Cons: It's still an Ultra. If you like the Ultra/Pure Drive family it's a great offering, if you went with a Prince because those aren't your jam, this one won't be either. As you're adjusting, you may send some balls long and wide. If you struggle with elbow issues, you'll definitely want to start with a multi while you get it dialed in.

Legitimately no glaring downsides but also can't do an apples to apples comparison for anything. I recommend it to try for everyone I know changing or updating their racquets because of how much it's improved feel, comfort, and control. If nothing else, it's a great data point for racquet shopping.

 

[L87621]

Would like to ask whether the solinco blackout v2 is better than head instinct mp 2025, any comment

 

[guardian2002]

I have been playing with Prince TT Tour 100 310 and just simply want to try something which is a little lighter and can give me more easy power and spin.

These 4 below have very similar specs. Can anyone give me some insights about how different / similar they are, and their goods and bads?

Babolat Pure Drive - 2025
Wilson Ultra 100 v5 - 2025
Dunlop FX 500 - 2025
Head Extreme MP - 2024

Pure Drive has easy power, stable and forgiving but I find it can be a little "launchy" or unpredictable. Ultra is a less powerful version of the PD and less stable and feels harsh to me. FX500 has very good feel (direct not muted), less power than Pure Drive but just as stable and plays more controlled and precise than PD or Ultra. Extreme MP isn't as much of a power frame as the rest but has more cushioned feel (relatively speaking).

 

[A_Instead]

26 Pure Aero 100 would be recommendation..

 

[ariwibowo]

Let me if you have found replacement for the TT100 310 because I have not.

 

[MathiACE]

Hi,

I'm using this thread because it already exists and contains both rackets I'm interested in!

I have the PD '25 and the FX500 '25/26, both the 100 version. I'm finding it hard to choose between them. I've strung both with Topspin Cyberflash (53/50 lb (24/23kg) ) and find the spin on the FX 500 better.

However, with my OHBH , I often hit the ball too long—this happens with both rackets—it's probably due to my technique.

Which of the two would you choose if it's purely about spin and maneuverability?