Tennis Warehouse: Dunlop SX Playtest

[TW Staff]

Attention Talk Tennis Members:

It is a great time to be a playtester here at Tennis Warehouse as we have another playtest for you guys! We have a limited number of SX 300 and 300 Tours. Both are available in a grip size 3. This playtest is open to USA Talk Tennis members only.

VERY IMPORTANT: Playtesters will be required to get their test racquet strung. Each racquet will be shipped with a set of Explosive Tour 16 and a set of Iconic ALL 16 strings.

Application period is closed. Selected playtesters will be notified via email by Tuesday, January 4, 2022.

We have a very limited quantity of racquets to playtest. We select playtesters based on a number of factors, including message board participation and performance on past playtests.

Your review is due by February 4th, 2022 by 5 pm PST

Posting a full review by the deadline is necessary to remain in good standing for future playtests. Reviews lacking sufficient effort will resort in disqualification from the playtest program.

Include the following in your review:

String and tension used for test:
Tennis experience/background:
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
Current racquet/string setups:
How many hours did you play with the racquet?

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes:
-Serves:
-Volleys:
-Serve returns:

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control-
Top Spin/Slice-
Comfort-
Feel-
Maneuverability-
Stability-

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

TW Staff

We will delete “request sent” emails, but encourage a lively “pre-game” discussion on the racquets.

 

[A_Instead]

Good luck y'all.. and give props to TW and the racket mfgs to let us test new rackets and help grow the game we love..
The New Tour in 98 sounds like a winner..

 

[mogo]

SX Tour version sounds promising!

 

[time_fly]

I was on the original SX playtest and, after switching through a couple other frames, it’s my current match racquet. Too bad I’m on the 2022 Ezone 100 playtest already. Then again, on paper I don’t necessarily appreciate the changes that Dunlop says they made to the SX so maybe it’s just as well. I will definitely demo the new one at some point though.

 

[A_Instead]

The 98 segment is very competitive..if any mfg can offer a 98 with the same pop and ease of play of a 100 but with more control and benefits of a 98.. they will prosper..

 

[fed1]

I was on the original SX playtest and, after switching through a couple other frames, it’s my current match racquet. Too bad I’m on the 2022 Ezone 100 playtest already. Then again, on paper I don’t necessarily appreciate the changes that Dunlop says they made to the SX so maybe it’s just as well. I will definitely demo the new one at some point though.

It sounds like the string pattern is going to be a bit more open than the outgoing model.

 

[taylor15]

Dunlop has the goat grip shape, and if the yellow is done anywhere near as nice as the red on the CX line they will be lookers for sure

 

[BallBasher247]

Dunlop has the goat grip shape, and if the yellow is done anywhere near as nice as the red on the CX line they will be lookers for sure

+1 to that; Their grip shape’s up there with Prince for me. Really curious about the new SX300 Tour; I like that it’s a 98 now, but what’s interesting is it has the same beam thickness as the 100. Would love to see how that plays out. Also here’s to hoping their banana is a pretty one

 

[taylor15]

+1 to that; Their grip shape’s up there with Prince for me. Really curious about the new SX300 Tour; I like that it’s a 98 now, but what’s interesting is it has the same beam thickness as the 100. Would love to see how that plays out. Also here’s to hoping their banana is a pretty one

Yeah the tour is the one I am interested in also. Could be a great playing tweener - which I don’t currently have in my arsenal. With the shape I think it could possibly be what the PD VS should have been

 

[BallBasher247]

Yeah the tour is the one I am interested in also. Could be a great playing tweener - which I don’t currently have in my arsenal. With the shape I think it could possibly be what the PD VS should have been

What I wanna see from the Tour is a PAVS alternative that’s a little softer and hopefully isn’t $260. If you want a good control tweener the FX500 Tour might be a good option; easy on the pockets too compared to most other rackets

 

[Tennisist]

It would be nice if somebody could make a meaningful side-by-side comparison of SX 300 Regular vs. Tour. Can you guys in CA organize yourselves for a joint testing?

 

[Kawasaki Kanagawa]

Where can I find the specs on these?

 

[jwocky]

SX 300 Tour (2022)
68.6 / 27 Length (cm / in)
632 / 98 Head size (cm² / in²)
16x19 String pattern
305 / 10.9 Unstrung weight (g / oz)
23-26-23 Beam width (mm)
68 Stiffness (RA)
315 Unstrung balance (mm)

@BallBasher247 - the SX Tour is the same beam width as the SX and Bab PA (the PA VS is narrower beam and one point lower RA FWIW)

The SX is a smidge head heavier (320mm unstrung) and 5g lighter than the SX Tour.

SX 300
68.6 / 27 Length (cm / in)
645 / 100 Head size (cm² / in²)
16x19 String pattern
300 / 10.6 Unstrung weight (g / oz)
23-26-23 Beam width (mm)
68 Stiffness (RA)
320 Unstrung balance (mm)

 

[joah310]

Interesting that they lowered the weight of the tour from 315 to 305. Guess 305 is pretty much standard 98sqin racket weight now.

 

[Notorious_Junkballer]

Interesting that they lowered the weight of the tour from 315 to 305. Guess 305 is pretty much standard 98sqin racket weight now.

The previous Tour had a really beefy sw. A bit too much for many, considering it's supposed to be a spin frame with high rhs. Has anyone seen the sw figures on these new ones?

 

[Matthew Lee]

Hope I get picked on this playtest. Really curious to see how the 300 Tour compares to the Ezone 98.

 

[A_Instead]

For those who haven't tried a newer version of a Dunlop (srixon).. you should be pleasantly surprised...depending on what model you try..
I have a CX 200os that I use from time to time.. the cx400 tour is also a favorite...

 

[ChanterRacquet]

Been playing the CX 200 OS for some time now, only frame I own 2 of. Got to hit regular and tour CX models over the weekend and they’re both great too. FX 500 was a solid hit also. Dunlop is making solid frames and I’m certainly curious about the SX line.

Curious the new SX 600 and 300 Lite with stiffness inverted from the rest of the 300s. 300 RAs went stiffer from 64 to 68 in the new version whereas the 300 Lite and 27.25” 600 went down from 68 to 64 from previous gen. Lite and 600 also listed at 16x18.

Products - Tennis Rackets

Find out more about Dunlop’s range of tennis rackets.

dunlopsports.com

 

[PhxRacket]

Many of us on this forum have spent time with different Dunlop models in the last year or two. The sticks have had different reviews. For me, I have played with the CX Tours, I prefer the 16x19, but the 18x20 was no slouch. And a teammate of mine allowed me to hit with the 400 Tour and it was a wow moment. If you like a larger head, that’s the ticket. I’m hoping to see what the SX update has to offer.

 

[Jbloc11]

Crossing my fingers for this one as well. Dunlop has made some really nice sticks as of late. Was able to play with the CX Tour 16x19 and thought it was a great! Paintjob looked amazing and weight/balance was on spec. Curious how this range plays (particularly the 300 Tour) and see how it stacks up to the spin-oriented frames of other companies (Aero, Vcore, etc).

 

[taydbear7]

Good luck to everybody. The stiffness is too high for me but I will be following this thread.

 

[mogo]

For those who haven't tried a newer version of a Dunlop (srixon).. you should be pleasantly surprised...depending on what model you try..
I have a CX 200os that I use from time to time.. the cx400 tour is also a favorite...

Been playing the CX 200 OS for some time now, only frame I own 2 of. Got to hit regular and tour CX models over the weekend and they’re both great too. FX 500 was a solid hit also. Dunlop is making solid frames and I’m certainly curious about the SX line.

Curious the new SX 600 and 300 Lite with stiffness inverted from the rest of the 300s. 300 RAs went stiffer from 64 to 68 in the new version whereas the 300 Lite and 27.25” 600 went down from 68 to 64 from previous gen. Lite and 600 also listed at 16x18.

Products - Tennis Rackets

Find out more about Dunlop’s range of tennis rackets.

dunlopsports.com

I was on the Dunlop CX Tour 18x20 playtest and the racquet was awesome for control and spin. CX line had great control overall. I have a PA plus and I think the SX 300 and SX 300 tour are probably the closest model to rival the PA line.

 

[Chezbeeno]

Seems like there aren't too many interested in the normal SX300, everyone seems keen on the Tour. For a while I've suspected that an Aero-esque frame would suit me really well, and I've been super interested to test out recent Dunlop frames - it seems like they're doing some really cool stuff. So this is a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Good luck to everyone who enters, I'll be interested to hear feedback from everyone!

 

[mhkeuns]

I think the Tour looks more interesting because being just five grams different from the regular version (*which is pretty odd), it appears to have the necessary mods already built-in. So..., are these supposed to compete with the Pure Aero VS?

 

[FoldingChair]

Banana yellow will always have a place in my heart. I’ve been away from Dunlop frames for a while now, does the qc on their sticks still hold up?

 

[BallBasher247]

Banana yellow will always have a place in my heart. I’ve been away from Dunlop frames for a while now, does the qc on their sticks still hold up?

Not bad, better than Wilson, Bab and Tec. Not there with Yonex though.

 

[fed1]

Seems like there aren't too many interested in the normal SX300, everyone seems keen on the Tour. For a while I've suspected that an Aero-esque frame would suit me really well, and I've been super interested to test out recent Dunlop frames - it seems like they're doing some really cool stuff. So this is a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Good luck to everyone who enters, I'll be interested to hear feedback from everyone!

My heart said go for the 300 Tour but my head said the regular based on where I think my game is headed, need a bit more extra pop and spin.

 

[PBODY99]

The regular SX 300 interests me for an "old man's" S & V stick.

 

[puppybutts]

man i'm always too late for these. love dunlop frames....really hoping i can catch the new CX one that blake is helping develop.

looks-wise this SX update is definitely better than the messy styling they had before. i just wish they didn't copy the same yellow color as babolat. the CX is really gorgeous in person and dunlop definitely could have transferred that to their own signature color for the SX line. i'm caught thinking of wilson's minion racquet and the pure aero lol.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

Interested to see how the reviews are. Not applying this time. Going to take the winter off.

 

[Chezbeeno]

My heart said go for the 300 Tour but my head said the regular based on where I think my game is headed, need a bit more extra pop and spin.

Haha I like the honesty! I coach all the time, so having something a little lighter and more powerful is nice, so I don't have to work quite as hard lol

 

[Pronate]

Good luck to everyone applying! The yellow colorway looks sharp

 

[n80aoag]

For TW Playtests how long do you get to test out the racquet before sending back?

 

[BallBasher247]

For TW Playtests how long do you get to test out the racquet before sending back?

You get to keep it

 

[n80aoag]

You get to keep it

Wow, I need to get in on these playtests then

 

[time_fly]

Wow, I need to get in on these playtests then

Depends on where you are. Since these playtests are almost always during our indoor season, I buy enough extra court time to give the frame enough hours within the playtest duration that I end up paying for most of it anyway.

 

[SteveI]

You get to keep it

Was not always true. I have been on play tests where you had to return the frame.

 

[fed1]

I am in on the standard 300 !! Looking forward to this test, thanks TW.

 

[mogo]

Looking forward to the reviews! Congratulations to all selected.

 

[badmice2]

The regular SX 300 interests me for an "old man's" S & V stick.

I was on the last SX test, and took some time for me to get around to really feel it. Had to get the right string / tension to get dialed in; but to your point about old man's stick, it would agree with that and boy it performed well. It provides easy access and spin, of which as I'm aging it definitely makes "keeping up with the competition" easier. Curious to whether the new mold will change anything.

 

[Kawasaki Kanagawa]

Damn it!

 

[Matthew Lee]

I definitely don't play any "old-school" tennis, but I will try to incorporate a bit of S & V in my game and other things that I haven't done in so long.

If I fail, I'm definitely gonna blame the racket and not my game

 

[Cindysphinx]

Ah, it looks like I was passed over again.

OK, TT. I can take a hint.

 

[mhkeuns]

Looking forward to reading the reviews for the Tour version. Seems like Dunlop is inching its way back with nice products and cosmetics.

 

[TW Staff]

We have sent out an email to those selected to participate in the Dunlop SX playtest and received confirmation. For those that have received the email, congrats and we received all your confirmation emails! Your racquets will be shipping today and should be arriving shortly.

For those that were not selected, thank you so much for applying. We only had a small selection to give out and a lot of deserving participants. However, don't fret, we have a packed playtest schedule for the next two-three months. Look for another sign up in just a week or so.

We always like to leave these tips here:

Apply for string playtests first and leave detailed, thorough reviews. We generally have a larger amount of strings to send out for playtests and your chances are much higher of being selected. Additionally, it helps if you have a good history on the message board and are participating in a positive way especially in the shoe, string and racquet sections (bonus points if it is in threads related to the specific playtest).

Lastly, we like to make sure to spread the wealth. We try to give members a chance who were not selected to be on one of the last couple major playtests (racquet/shoe). If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at discussadmin@tennis-warehouse.com and we would be happy to help.

Thanks,
TW Staff

 

[badmice2]

OMG....just got my deliver!

 

[taylor15]

OMG....just got my deliver!

How does the yellow look?

 

[badmice2]

How does the yellow look?

Unlike its predecessor (highlighter yellow), this one is more palatable.

 

[MomentumGT]

That's a sharp looking racquet!

 

[BallBasher247]

Pretty banana