Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Dunlop FX 2025
- Thread starter TW Staff
- Start date
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
I would 100% agree with that. After my first outing with the 1.20 guage, it was a little too lively. I decided to try 1.23 Pure Rush mains with 1.20 Lynx Tour crosses at 48lbs. You get some of the plushness, pocketing and power of the 1.20 LT but PR reins it in and gives it a more crunchy/crisp feel.
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
We've got rain today, and it looks like Thursday will be my only chance to play before this play test wraps up. My review and opinion of the frame is pretty much baked at this point, so here it is:
Dunlop FX500 Tour Review
String and tension used for test:
FX 500 Tour Specs:
Tennis experience/background: I played growing up since the age of 10. I played on my high school team in the 90s. Then I took a long hiatus, and got back into tennis around 2021. I don’t play a ton of USTA, but fit in at the high 3.5/low 4.0 level.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Counter punching / All court player. I have a good serve that is more focused on variety and placement. A very strong 2H backhand and a FH that ranges from very good to WTF depending on the day. I’m comfortable at net, and have improved volleys a lot in the last 12 months. I prefer singles, but enjoy playing a lot of doubles too.
Current racquet/string setups: My most consistent racquets I’ve played with are Blades. V9 16x19, v8 18x20, Pro Stock 18x19. In 2024/2025, I had stints with the Tecnifibre 305s, Head Gravity Tour 98, Head Gravity Pro, Babolat Strike VS, 2022 EZ98, and Percept 97D.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~20-24 hours (after my first session, I haven’t put it down)
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: The combination of power/control/stability/maneuverability and the ability to produce spin made this a really exciting racquet from the baseline. You get good margin over the net without the ball being loopy. I felt like on the FH side I had all options available without the fear of over hitting. I absolutely loved the FH down the line; it was so easy to hit and has been a big weapon for me with this frame. The stability absorbs pace well, and the extra power means less effort in producing a good, clean ball. I’ve got a strong 2H backhand, and my BH cross court was an immediate weapon. Possibly my biggest weapon with this racquet. I struggled at first going down the line with my BH. I typically hit that shot more flat, and with the FXT I needed more top spin to keep the ball in play. In general, I found that this racquet is a lot easier to play with top spin than to try to flat bash the ball.
-Lobs- Another surprise was how great of a lobbing racquet this is. The extra power gave me the ability to slow my swing down, add top spin and go for placement. This is probably the best lobbing racquet I’ve used. It’s also great for defensive lobs, as just getting the racquet on the ball will get it back in play and give you time to recover.
-Serves: I found serving to be easy, but not exciting. I’m not someone that is going to overpower my opponent with serving, so take this with a grain of salt. I really have not found a strong flat first serve with this racquet. I think it is the lack of tip weight that I’d typically feel flipping over my head that just doesn’t happen with this racquet. However, I am serving as well and as smart as I ever have with this racquet. Slice, kick, and a pace/spin serve are all there. The targeting is fantastic. I can go slice out wide, down the T, to the body as well as any racquet I’ve ever used. My second serve is also much more consistent and threatening. In all of the casual matches I played during this playtest, I rarely had my serve broken. In all, this is a very easy racquet to serve with as long as you aren’t trying to hit flat bombs with every first serve. The maneuverability and low swingweight also make it easy to serve with, and do not contribute to fatigue.
-Volleys: The FXT has just enough feel and touch to make this more than just a power stick at the net. That is not to downplay the power though, as I found just making solid contact was producing point ending volleys. It’s a very direct, point shoot experience with volleys. It’s an easy racquet to handle at the net, and react quickly with. The extra power meant I could quiet my body and just focus on a clean punch into the open court or at an opponent's feet. The only area I didn’t have a ton of success with was a drop volley, but I really don’t hit those much anyway, so the problem is most likely me.
-Serve returns: The FXT is very solid on returns. The stability/power combo makes it easy to drive the ball right back at the server to take away their time. The only return I struggled with was a body serve to my backhand. I just haven’t been able to get around the ball quick enough, and typically find myself hitting that in the lower hoop and sending a nothing ball back over the net. It’s also great defensively on serves, when you might get pulled out wide and just need to get a racquet on it. The stiffness of the hoop does the rest and produces a much better result than my typically player frames.
Dunlop FX500 Tour Review
String and tension used for test:
- Pure Rush 1.23 / Ghostwire 1.27 @ 50lbs
- Pure Rush 1.23 @ 48lbs
- Lynx Tour 1.20 @ 48lbs
- Dunlop Explosive Tour @ 50 lbs
- Tour M8 1.25 @ 46lbs (only set up to give me elbow/shoulder soreness)
- Pure Rush 1.23 x Lynx Tour 1.20 @ 48lbs (my favorite set up of the playtest)
FX 500 Tour Specs:
- Stock: 307.7g / 31.4cm / 288 sw
- Preferred spec: 310.5g / 31.3cm / 293 sw (1g lead at Noon, 2g putty in butt cap)
Tennis experience/background: I played growing up since the age of 10. I played on my high school team in the 90s. Then I took a long hiatus, and got back into tennis around 2021. I don’t play a ton of USTA, but fit in at the high 3.5/low 4.0 level.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Counter punching / All court player. I have a good serve that is more focused on variety and placement. A very strong 2H backhand and a FH that ranges from very good to WTF depending on the day. I’m comfortable at net, and have improved volleys a lot in the last 12 months. I prefer singles, but enjoy playing a lot of doubles too.
Current racquet/string setups: My most consistent racquets I’ve played with are Blades. V9 16x19, v8 18x20, Pro Stock 18x19. In 2024/2025, I had stints with the Tecnifibre 305s, Head Gravity Tour 98, Head Gravity Pro, Babolat Strike VS, 2022 EZ98, and Percept 97D.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? ~20-24 hours (after my first session, I haven’t put it down)
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: The combination of power/control/stability/maneuverability and the ability to produce spin made this a really exciting racquet from the baseline. You get good margin over the net without the ball being loopy. I felt like on the FH side I had all options available without the fear of over hitting. I absolutely loved the FH down the line; it was so easy to hit and has been a big weapon for me with this frame. The stability absorbs pace well, and the extra power means less effort in producing a good, clean ball. I’ve got a strong 2H backhand, and my BH cross court was an immediate weapon. Possibly my biggest weapon with this racquet. I struggled at first going down the line with my BH. I typically hit that shot more flat, and with the FXT I needed more top spin to keep the ball in play. In general, I found that this racquet is a lot easier to play with top spin than to try to flat bash the ball.
-Lobs- Another surprise was how great of a lobbing racquet this is. The extra power gave me the ability to slow my swing down, add top spin and go for placement. This is probably the best lobbing racquet I’ve used. It’s also great for defensive lobs, as just getting the racquet on the ball will get it back in play and give you time to recover.
-Serves: I found serving to be easy, but not exciting. I’m not someone that is going to overpower my opponent with serving, so take this with a grain of salt. I really have not found a strong flat first serve with this racquet. I think it is the lack of tip weight that I’d typically feel flipping over my head that just doesn’t happen with this racquet. However, I am serving as well and as smart as I ever have with this racquet. Slice, kick, and a pace/spin serve are all there. The targeting is fantastic. I can go slice out wide, down the T, to the body as well as any racquet I’ve ever used. My second serve is also much more consistent and threatening. In all of the casual matches I played during this playtest, I rarely had my serve broken. In all, this is a very easy racquet to serve with as long as you aren’t trying to hit flat bombs with every first serve. The maneuverability and low swingweight also make it easy to serve with, and do not contribute to fatigue.
-Volleys: The FXT has just enough feel and touch to make this more than just a power stick at the net. That is not to downplay the power though, as I found just making solid contact was producing point ending volleys. It’s a very direct, point shoot experience with volleys. It’s an easy racquet to handle at the net, and react quickly with. The extra power meant I could quiet my body and just focus on a clean punch into the open court or at an opponent's feet. The only area I didn’t have a ton of success with was a drop volley, but I really don’t hit those much anyway, so the problem is most likely me.
-Serve returns: The FXT is very solid on returns. The stability/power combo makes it easy to drive the ball right back at the server to take away their time. The only return I struggled with was a body serve to my backhand. I just haven’t been able to get around the ball quick enough, and typically find myself hitting that in the lower hoop and sending a nothing ball back over the net. It’s also great defensively on serves, when you might get pulled out wide and just need to get a racquet on it. The stiffness of the hoop does the rest and produces a much better result than my typically player frames.
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
Continued.....
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power- This was the most eye opening aspect of the playtest for me. This isn’t an overwhelming power type of racquet. However, it is significantly more powerful than my Blades and other control sticks I’ve used. Maybe a 9/10 type of ranking. What I really appreciated was being able to hit 80% rally balls that were pretty much like swinging out of my shoes with a Blade v8 18x20. The power level allows me to play more calmly, build points/stay in a rally, and still put pressure on my opponent.
Control- If power is 9/10, control is probably 8.5/10. It’s really the power/control combo that is so enticing. The stiff hoop combined with the string pattern really allowed for accurate targeting. There was rarely a time that I hit a ball exactly how I wanted to and the ball did something unpredictable. I could hit deep to the corners, but also hit more spinny ground strokes out wide.
Top Spin- I had no issues with top spin, but this is definitely not a Vcore or Aero where you are playing a modern spin game. My swing is much more 1990s driving flat/top spin and the FXT fit it like a T. There is definitely the ability to hit solid groundstrokes that dip right before the baseline or rally balls that have more of a driving/take time away type of kick.
Slice- I had to make slice its own line item. I never thought I’d pick up a power oriented frame and find that it hits some of the best slices of any frame I’ve ever hit, but here we are. I found the FXT able to hit very low, penetrating slices with a ton of spin, as well as very capable in hitting drop shots from anywhere on the court with touch and backspin. It also really hits a great attacking slice from the mid court. I typically hit those balls flat or with top spin, but found slices to be easy and very effective to follow in behind.
Comfort- The FXT at 65RA strung is stiffer than my typical frames, but was very comfortable. The hoop feels solid/stiff, with some flex in the throat and overall nice pocketing (string dependent). The only discomfort I had was with TourM8 strung at 46lbs. I’ve had issues with that string in other racquets, so most likely this is just not a string for me. The most jarring area of the racquet is the bottom part of the hoop where the feedback is much stiffer/harsher, and you lose a good amount of power.
Feel- The FXT has good feel for this category. No one will mistake it for a prestige/pro staff, but for a power oriented frame, it has really nice feel. I found that string set up has a pretty big impact on feel with this frame. After trying a bunch of string set ups, I gravitated towards Pure Rush which has a crisp response, which I thought really compliments the feel and dampening tech of the frame. To me it feels like the Whiteout v1 with some dampening tech introduced. You get really good feedback on where the ball is on the string bed. The shot you hit is very much in tune with the feedback the frame gives you.
Maneuverability- I was actually pretty shocked at how maneuverable this frame was. It’s definitely more maneuverable than any of the frames I typically play with. I’m imagine being able to play it at ~335g strung w/ OG + Damp and 325 sw helps, as many of my frames are 340g 330sw. I found the FXT to be very maneuverable at net especially when playing doubles. It’s not the most maneuverable over your head while serving, which I’d assume is the twist weight. There also doesn’t feel like there is a lot of tip weight in the FXT for those that like the feel of the tip coming through on serve (this was an adjustment for me).
Stability- This frame is very stable. I never noticed any twisting in hand, and it deals with pace both at the baseline and at the net very easily. The stability really shows up when on defense as it doesn’t take much to keep the ball deep and recover.
Launch Angle - I found the launch angle to be very comparable to my Blade v9 16x19s. That is to say, fairly low and linear, while not quite as dramatic as a 18x20. While the string pattern isn’t very tight in the center, the mains are fairly evenly spaced all the way out to the frame. The first and last cross are also both close to the frame. Combined with the variable grommets at 3/9, this provides a stable, consistent string bed.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I really loved play testing this racquet. It opened my eyes to the world of ‘power’ racquets. So much so that I have a matched pair in L4 headed my way as I type this review. To me, the FXT retains the all court playability of a Blade 16x19, but does so with more help, more power, easier to use and thus more confidence. If there is a downside to this frame, it might be that the target audience could be small. I’d imagine it’s not in the full power category of a Pure Drive, FX 500 or EZ100. I haven’t hit the 2025 EZ98, but it may not be at that power level either. However, if you like player/control type frames, but just want to make tennis easier on yourself, this is a great option. If you like the EZ98, but want a more traditional feeling mold/geometry, this is a great option. The only real weakness of the frame is the lower hoop. That might be solved with a gram or so at 6. In my experience, hitting with the frame regularly is teaching my muscle memory where I need to strike the ball and this is becoming less of an issue. It’s mostly prevalent on a fast serve to the body where I’m late and reacting. The weight of the FXT also seems to mostly be from 3/9 down to the handle. Some people may like that, some may hate it. It doesn’t feel like a polarized frame at all. I found that I liked 6 sided poly the best so far in this racquet. It gives a little more spin and ball grab, which I liked. I usually prefer round polys.
This racquet played perfectly fine at the stock specs I received. I played it stock for the first week or so and for most people there wouldn't be a need to make any mods. I do like my racquets a little more HL (~7 pts +), and with a touch more swing weight, and I liked the small tweak I made even more than stock. I think Dunlop has a home run on their hands with the FX Tour, and hopefully enough people can get their hands on a demo of this racquet to experience it themself.
The cosmetic also really grew on my during the play test. I do like having a totally unique looking frame that no one knew what it was that I played with.
Thank you Tennis Warehouse Team and Dunlop for allowing me to be a part of this play test.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power- This was the most eye opening aspect of the playtest for me. This isn’t an overwhelming power type of racquet. However, it is significantly more powerful than my Blades and other control sticks I’ve used. Maybe a 9/10 type of ranking. What I really appreciated was being able to hit 80% rally balls that were pretty much like swinging out of my shoes with a Blade v8 18x20. The power level allows me to play more calmly, build points/stay in a rally, and still put pressure on my opponent.
Control- If power is 9/10, control is probably 8.5/10. It’s really the power/control combo that is so enticing. The stiff hoop combined with the string pattern really allowed for accurate targeting. There was rarely a time that I hit a ball exactly how I wanted to and the ball did something unpredictable. I could hit deep to the corners, but also hit more spinny ground strokes out wide.
Top Spin- I had no issues with top spin, but this is definitely not a Vcore or Aero where you are playing a modern spin game. My swing is much more 1990s driving flat/top spin and the FXT fit it like a T. There is definitely the ability to hit solid groundstrokes that dip right before the baseline or rally balls that have more of a driving/take time away type of kick.
Slice- I had to make slice its own line item. I never thought I’d pick up a power oriented frame and find that it hits some of the best slices of any frame I’ve ever hit, but here we are. I found the FXT able to hit very low, penetrating slices with a ton of spin, as well as very capable in hitting drop shots from anywhere on the court with touch and backspin. It also really hits a great attacking slice from the mid court. I typically hit those balls flat or with top spin, but found slices to be easy and very effective to follow in behind.
Comfort- The FXT at 65RA strung is stiffer than my typical frames, but was very comfortable. The hoop feels solid/stiff, with some flex in the throat and overall nice pocketing (string dependent). The only discomfort I had was with TourM8 strung at 46lbs. I’ve had issues with that string in other racquets, so most likely this is just not a string for me. The most jarring area of the racquet is the bottom part of the hoop where the feedback is much stiffer/harsher, and you lose a good amount of power.
Feel- The FXT has good feel for this category. No one will mistake it for a prestige/pro staff, but for a power oriented frame, it has really nice feel. I found that string set up has a pretty big impact on feel with this frame. After trying a bunch of string set ups, I gravitated towards Pure Rush which has a crisp response, which I thought really compliments the feel and dampening tech of the frame. To me it feels like the Whiteout v1 with some dampening tech introduced. You get really good feedback on where the ball is on the string bed. The shot you hit is very much in tune with the feedback the frame gives you.
Maneuverability- I was actually pretty shocked at how maneuverable this frame was. It’s definitely more maneuverable than any of the frames I typically play with. I’m imagine being able to play it at ~335g strung w/ OG + Damp and 325 sw helps, as many of my frames are 340g 330sw. I found the FXT to be very maneuverable at net especially when playing doubles. It’s not the most maneuverable over your head while serving, which I’d assume is the twist weight. There also doesn’t feel like there is a lot of tip weight in the FXT for those that like the feel of the tip coming through on serve (this was an adjustment for me).
Stability- This frame is very stable. I never noticed any twisting in hand, and it deals with pace both at the baseline and at the net very easily. The stability really shows up when on defense as it doesn’t take much to keep the ball deep and recover.
Launch Angle - I found the launch angle to be very comparable to my Blade v9 16x19s. That is to say, fairly low and linear, while not quite as dramatic as a 18x20. While the string pattern isn’t very tight in the center, the mains are fairly evenly spaced all the way out to the frame. The first and last cross are also both close to the frame. Combined with the variable grommets at 3/9, this provides a stable, consistent string bed.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
I really loved play testing this racquet. It opened my eyes to the world of ‘power’ racquets. So much so that I have a matched pair in L4 headed my way as I type this review. To me, the FXT retains the all court playability of a Blade 16x19, but does so with more help, more power, easier to use and thus more confidence. If there is a downside to this frame, it might be that the target audience could be small. I’d imagine it’s not in the full power category of a Pure Drive, FX 500 or EZ100. I haven’t hit the 2025 EZ98, but it may not be at that power level either. However, if you like player/control type frames, but just want to make tennis easier on yourself, this is a great option. If you like the EZ98, but want a more traditional feeling mold/geometry, this is a great option. The only real weakness of the frame is the lower hoop. That might be solved with a gram or so at 6. In my experience, hitting with the frame regularly is teaching my muscle memory where I need to strike the ball and this is becoming less of an issue. It’s mostly prevalent on a fast serve to the body where I’m late and reacting. The weight of the FXT also seems to mostly be from 3/9 down to the handle. Some people may like that, some may hate it. It doesn’t feel like a polarized frame at all. I found that I liked 6 sided poly the best so far in this racquet. It gives a little more spin and ball grab, which I liked. I usually prefer round polys.
This racquet played perfectly fine at the stock specs I received. I played it stock for the first week or so and for most people there wouldn't be a need to make any mods. I do like my racquets a little more HL (~7 pts +), and with a touch more swing weight, and I liked the small tweak I made even more than stock. I think Dunlop has a home run on their hands with the FX Tour, and hopefully enough people can get their hands on a demo of this racquet to experience it themself.
The cosmetic also really grew on my during the play test. I do like having a totally unique looking frame that no one knew what it was that I played with.
Thank you Tennis Warehouse Team and Dunlop for allowing me to be a part of this play test.
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
I can’t wait for this review.Have been hitting the FX 500 Tour with a leather grip and Luxilon Gut 1.20/Yonex Poly Tour Drive Soft 1.25 hybrid at 55lbs for the past weekend and Monday. Used to putting in a little bit of work to move the ball smoothly with my usual setup (A 12oz or sub-12oz 95 sqin frame with an 18x20 pattern) at 50-60%. The extra effort on a more demanding frame on my usual setup's (see bolded text above) is a good way to keep myself honest when nearing the end of a session as it usually means I am tired and have to fight for the last 10-15 minutes.
I have been hitting the ball just as smooth at what feels like 25-30%. It's absolutely amazing how much less intensity I need to strike the ball with to make it move just as well. But this comes at a cost, a big one, pretty much throughout the last 3 sessions with gut/poly; I have felt at risk. If I dont finish the swing I know I'm going to miss long. I probably should have strung at 60-63 lbs.
But man is this thing amazingly sweet. I get power with very little effort. With gut/poly, it's decent feel is buttery and smooth. It is a crisp setup with full poly, but the frames stiffness actually shines more with gut/poly as it can just be stable and retain good feel now.
Sweet, Buttery, and Crisp.
More in the full review to come, but gut/poly elevates this stick from an 8/10 to a 13/10.
ClownCar96
Professional
I'm not on the playtest but got caught up in the hype! I'm alternating between the FX 500 and FXT. Really sweet racquets.... the FX 500 is controlled power, so stable, yet precise and I now I have the confidence to push my opponents around unlike my blades and ezones. I'm earlier in my experimentation with the FXT. It's more whippy feeling, makes me want to take big cuts, yet is connected and controlled. You can really flatten out the ball when you want to push through the court and take time away from your opponent. I need to add a little weight to improve stability and comfort as I got a lower spec, 285 SW (FX 500 was 290). Both of these frames can control the ball with spin using a safer more vertical swing path but shine most when you drive through the ball with tight spin.
Fighting phoenix
Hall of Fame
Review of the FX500 (Regular)
String and tension used for test: Dunlop Explosive Tour, 51lbs mains / 49lbs crosses (first four hitting sessions); O-Toro 51 mains, Sync 49 crosses for all subsequent hitting sessions.
Customization: played the racquet stock for ~ 4 hours, but sw was underspec (as measured on my briffidi), so I added ~2 grams of lead at 12 to get the SW to ~316, and added 5 grams under the butt cap to get the balance to 31.5cm.
Tennis experience/background: played juniors and low level D1 college tennis, played very sporadically through my 20s to mid 40s, started coming back to tennis about 8 years ago and 4 years ago started playing 4/5x per week, USTA leagues and Tournaments; started out as a 4.0, bumped to 4.5, UTR is 7.2 and prefer singles but starting to play more doubles to preserve my body and due to the structure of USTA tennis
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): lefty all court player (opponents constantly complain about me as that "crafty lefty") - big slice/kick serves are my biggest weapon, two-handed backhand (weak) but most often I hit slice one-handers (effective), love hitting forehands, enjoy coming to the net and comfortable there, like to be on the attack (grew up emulating Agassi's approach of hugging the baseline and taking balls on the rise)
Current racquet/string setups: recently transitioned from more players/control frames (Vcore 98, TFight 305S) to power frames to help me keep up with big hitters given my age - recently switched to the 2025 Ezone 100 after a long comparison with the PD100, prefer that racquet with a crisper string (Lynx Tour 1.20 is my favorite, ~50lbs)
How many hours did you play with the racquet? about 20 hours of drills, singles match play and drilling, some doubles
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:
-Groundstrokes: really solid performer on groundstrokes - especially two-handed and slice backhands - but forehands felt great as well. Launch angle is a tad lower than both the Ezone 100 and PD, but I think directional control is better than both of those frames. Slightly lower powered than Ezone/PD as well, but I would say that difference is fairly minimal and overall this racket gave me a ton of confidence from the baseline to go for my spots with power and authority without fear of hitting flyers.
-Serves: It took me one session to adjust to what felt like a little bit slower through the air than what I'm used to, but after a brief adjustment period I had no issues going for powerful slice serves with good precision and effective second serves and kickers as well. Pretty much on par with the power racquet competition, but felt a little more natural for me over time compared to the Yonex - it has an old school feel to it that reminded me of racquets I played with way back in the day, but with of course more modern whippiness and power. Great serving stick for sure
-Volleys: this is where I feel like the FX500 really stands out vs. other power racquets. Great directional accuracy, touch and feel are much better, and generally feels like a more natural net performer than what I experienced with the Ezone and PD. Part of that is a more defined sweet spot, but also the more raw graphite feel vs. the muted nature of other recent frames. Honestly it felt more like a 98in frame at the net in terms of control/feel, but still with the extra punch I'd expect from a power racquet.
-Serve returns: very stable on returns, and the slightly lower launch/controllable power gave me confidence to swing out and attack off the return. The Ezone I find better on returns, as I feel like I can do a half swing with that one and the racquet does the rest, but still very good and more of a players racquet feel in that regard.
Racquet performance by category:
Power/Control- to me the perfect balance of extra power but with better than average control, especially for a racquet in this category. Maybe slightly less powerful than its competitors, but still very forgiving and better control - some of that again is due to the more defined sweet spot, but also the old school feels I was getting with it. Honestly, control wasn't much different than I experienced with the Blade, more controlled than the Vcore 98, slightly less control than the 305S (but more power than all 3 for sure).
Top Spin/Slice- I agree with others that this racquet isn't as conducive to hitting with a ton of easy topspin like the Ezone for sure as well as the PD. This I don't mind however, as I generate a lot of topspin on my own, and I appreciate how natural it felt to swing through the ball in a more penetrating way than spin-oriented racquets do. Slice backhands were great, and slap-shot defensive slice forehands were very effective, better than the competition in fact as I still struggle to keep those shots low and in the court with the Ezone 100.
Comfort- definitely a firm feeling frame, a product of being fairly stiff and without any real noticeable dampening tech. I liked Explosive Tour in this frame, but believe the racquet feels better with a softer poly (opposite of Ezone) like w/ the second setup I went with. Since I string in the high 40s/low 50ish range, and cut out my polys after about 8 hours of play (benefits of stringing myself), I don't really have arm issues any more, and didn't have any issues with this one. Even though the Ezone 100 feels softer and more comfortable, I get more forearm fatigue from playing with that one vs. the FX500 for some reason (probably cause the Ezone feels slightly bulkier/less natural to me).
Feel- the stand out feature of this frame. Defined sweet spot, which is one of my biggest beefs with its competition, and more of a raw graphite feel. Coming from players frames my whole tennis life, this made this racquet feel like a more natural progression to a power frame for me, since it felt like a players frame but with all the extra juice and forgiveness I'm looking for.
Maneuverability- okay maneuverability, not great. Not as maneuverable and whippy as the Pure Drive, about the same as the Ezone. Adding some weight under the butt cap helped in this regard, but still is one of the weaker aspects of the frame and impacts the spin production issue I mentioned previously. Thankfully it's a fair trade off with the additional stability and forgiveness the frame provides.
Stability- very stable, both on off center shots and at the net. I like how the stability helps with forgiveness for sure, but still lets me know when I hit outside the sweet spot, something I can't always judge very well with the Ezone.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: this is an excellent racquet for anyone considering upgrading to a more powerful frame, but still want the feel/control they get from a more traditional players racquet. Going back to my Ezone is going to be very difficult given the dramatic difference in feel, defined sweet spot, and confidence at net - I'm going to spend more time comparing the two and decide if I need to sell my Ezones and switch to this one for 2026 (the annoying part of participating in these playtests ;-)). Thank you so much Dunlop and TW for the opportunity to participate, and I'm so glad Dunlop is able to make such a competitive contender to the market leaders in power sticks! (side note - my early high school racquet was the Max 300i, so I definitely have love/nostalgic feels for the brand)
String and tension used for test: Dunlop Explosive Tour, 51lbs mains / 49lbs crosses (first four hitting sessions); O-Toro 51 mains, Sync 49 crosses for all subsequent hitting sessions.
Customization: played the racquet stock for ~ 4 hours, but sw was underspec (as measured on my briffidi), so I added ~2 grams of lead at 12 to get the SW to ~316, and added 5 grams under the butt cap to get the balance to 31.5cm.
Tennis experience/background: played juniors and low level D1 college tennis, played very sporadically through my 20s to mid 40s, started coming back to tennis about 8 years ago and 4 years ago started playing 4/5x per week, USTA leagues and Tournaments; started out as a 4.0, bumped to 4.5, UTR is 7.2 and prefer singles but starting to play more doubles to preserve my body and due to the structure of USTA tennis
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): lefty all court player (opponents constantly complain about me as that "crafty lefty") - big slice/kick serves are my biggest weapon, two-handed backhand (weak) but most often I hit slice one-handers (effective), love hitting forehands, enjoy coming to the net and comfortable there, like to be on the attack (grew up emulating Agassi's approach of hugging the baseline and taking balls on the rise)
Current racquet/string setups: recently transitioned from more players/control frames (Vcore 98, TFight 305S) to power frames to help me keep up with big hitters given my age - recently switched to the 2025 Ezone 100 after a long comparison with the PD100, prefer that racquet with a crisper string (Lynx Tour 1.20 is my favorite, ~50lbs)
How many hours did you play with the racquet? about 20 hours of drills, singles match play and drilling, some doubles
Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:
-Groundstrokes: really solid performer on groundstrokes - especially two-handed and slice backhands - but forehands felt great as well. Launch angle is a tad lower than both the Ezone 100 and PD, but I think directional control is better than both of those frames. Slightly lower powered than Ezone/PD as well, but I would say that difference is fairly minimal and overall this racket gave me a ton of confidence from the baseline to go for my spots with power and authority without fear of hitting flyers.
-Serves: It took me one session to adjust to what felt like a little bit slower through the air than what I'm used to, but after a brief adjustment period I had no issues going for powerful slice serves with good precision and effective second serves and kickers as well. Pretty much on par with the power racquet competition, but felt a little more natural for me over time compared to the Yonex - it has an old school feel to it that reminded me of racquets I played with way back in the day, but with of course more modern whippiness and power. Great serving stick for sure
-Volleys: this is where I feel like the FX500 really stands out vs. other power racquets. Great directional accuracy, touch and feel are much better, and generally feels like a more natural net performer than what I experienced with the Ezone and PD. Part of that is a more defined sweet spot, but also the more raw graphite feel vs. the muted nature of other recent frames. Honestly it felt more like a 98in frame at the net in terms of control/feel, but still with the extra punch I'd expect from a power racquet.
-Serve returns: very stable on returns, and the slightly lower launch/controllable power gave me confidence to swing out and attack off the return. The Ezone I find better on returns, as I feel like I can do a half swing with that one and the racquet does the rest, but still very good and more of a players racquet feel in that regard.
Racquet performance by category:
Power/Control- to me the perfect balance of extra power but with better than average control, especially for a racquet in this category. Maybe slightly less powerful than its competitors, but still very forgiving and better control - some of that again is due to the more defined sweet spot, but also the old school feels I was getting with it. Honestly, control wasn't much different than I experienced with the Blade, more controlled than the Vcore 98, slightly less control than the 305S (but more power than all 3 for sure).
Top Spin/Slice- I agree with others that this racquet isn't as conducive to hitting with a ton of easy topspin like the Ezone for sure as well as the PD. This I don't mind however, as I generate a lot of topspin on my own, and I appreciate how natural it felt to swing through the ball in a more penetrating way than spin-oriented racquets do. Slice backhands were great, and slap-shot defensive slice forehands were very effective, better than the competition in fact as I still struggle to keep those shots low and in the court with the Ezone 100.
Comfort- definitely a firm feeling frame, a product of being fairly stiff and without any real noticeable dampening tech. I liked Explosive Tour in this frame, but believe the racquet feels better with a softer poly (opposite of Ezone) like w/ the second setup I went with. Since I string in the high 40s/low 50ish range, and cut out my polys after about 8 hours of play (benefits of stringing myself), I don't really have arm issues any more, and didn't have any issues with this one. Even though the Ezone 100 feels softer and more comfortable, I get more forearm fatigue from playing with that one vs. the FX500 for some reason (probably cause the Ezone feels slightly bulkier/less natural to me).
Feel- the stand out feature of this frame. Defined sweet spot, which is one of my biggest beefs with its competition, and more of a raw graphite feel. Coming from players frames my whole tennis life, this made this racquet feel like a more natural progression to a power frame for me, since it felt like a players frame but with all the extra juice and forgiveness I'm looking for.
Maneuverability- okay maneuverability, not great. Not as maneuverable and whippy as the Pure Drive, about the same as the Ezone. Adding some weight under the butt cap helped in this regard, but still is one of the weaker aspects of the frame and impacts the spin production issue I mentioned previously. Thankfully it's a fair trade off with the additional stability and forgiveness the frame provides.
Stability- very stable, both on off center shots and at the net. I like how the stability helps with forgiveness for sure, but still lets me know when I hit outside the sweet spot, something I can't always judge very well with the Ezone.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: this is an excellent racquet for anyone considering upgrading to a more powerful frame, but still want the feel/control they get from a more traditional players racquet. Going back to my Ezone is going to be very difficult given the dramatic difference in feel, defined sweet spot, and confidence at net - I'm going to spend more time comparing the two and decide if I need to sell my Ezones and switch to this one for 2026 (the annoying part of participating in these playtests ;-)). Thank you so much Dunlop and TW for the opportunity to participate, and I'm so glad Dunlop is able to make such a competitive contender to the market leaders in power sticks! (side note - my early high school racquet was the Max 300i, so I definitely have love/nostalgic feels for the brand)
Jwdalton0713
Rookie
Thanks for sharing your feedback! good review. I'm an EZone guy currently and I might need to give that stick a try
diredesire
Moderator
Review for FX500 '25 (normal)
String and tension used for test:
Topspin Cyber Blue 1.25mm (59 lbs): Strung this to get a baseline on frame power and tension with a string I was already familiar with. I'd normally use Signum PPP, but it was just too ugly. I found the frame/string combo to be rather muted and disconnected, to the point where I cut it out after one session. I found the power level to be around the right level, so I didn't drop tension dramatically. I've played full poly and hybrids up into the mid-low 60s forever, and even though my body isn't happy about it now, I find that frames are rather powerful where I've just stayed there without much afterthought since (which informs my tensions below). Other feel comments in the strokes section.
Dunlop Explosive Tour 1.25mm (58 lbs): I wanted to try out the supplied strings partly because I've been "out of the game" so long (stringing-wise!), I was hoping there'd have been leaps and bounds of improvements in poly strings in the last ten years, but alas. This one wasn't it. It's hard to discern how much of this opinion was (new) frame and new string, but I was a little disappointed with the feel. It was really reminiscent of Ashaway Monogut in the stretch. I don't want to take up a ton of space in this post for string comments, but I thought this string/frame combo had better "synergy" with the FX 500 than my baseline TCB. The dampened/muted feel was still there, but it turned into more of a pleasant, firm strike sensation. I still felt a little too disconnected (I like raw/direct feedback). I swapped over to a leather grip as a sanity check. It helped (more below).
Dunlop Iconic All 1.30mm (62 lbs): I haven't seriously played with a multi as a main string for a long time, but I really liked this string in this frame. I'm glad I strung it tighter, this combo smoothed out the ball strike response a lot (which I'd normally not like!), but has a surprising amount of grip for the gauge, and the firm (but) disconnected feel just became firm. I could say more, but I'll take it elsewhere if someone's interested.
Tennis experience/background: I've been playing since I was a wee lad, peaked in high school (~4.5?), wasn't ever really a competitive junior/tournament player, I've come to realize I don't really enjoy competition much. Court/playtime took a big time nosedive during university (Electrical Engineering), and due to RSI/injuries (and switching to climbing), I've played pretty sporadically since probably 2012 or so. A couple of years ago, I started playing "casual" recreational play, which basically means I'm an off-the-couch ~3.5 NTRP that doesn't practice much (at all).
Playing Style: I like low percentage shot-making, and have always relied on foot speed. I prefer doubles, enjoy net play. Full western forehand, 2HBH, although I slice plenty on both wings. I also don't mind my fair share of junk balling, wristy dippers, and I really love sharp angles and drop volleys.
Current racquet/string setups: This is actually kind of complicated... Since slowly picking tennis back up (handful of times a year) in ~2020, I've been playing most consistently with a Prince Tour 100L (2015) mainly because they were cheap, and I wanted to experiment with Prince frames again, AND I wanted a light platform to customize from (~290g!). I've also since played with Tecnifibre Tempo 285s (EU, briefly - my wife stole these from me), 298s (iga), and also temporarily switched over to the Dunlop SX 300 LS (older yellow model). I demoed the FX 500 LS (older) and wanted to like it, but felt that it was too powerful, and the hand feel was just... off. I didn't have it long enough to figure out why enough to articulate it, though.
(more) Sidebar on past frames:
I've played with the whole gamut of frames from ultra-light/sub-9oz frames to 13+oz 90si frames and have also gone from 4 1/8" handles to 4 5/8" for various reasons (insanity, bad decisions, low-consequence used frames). My most recent mental model on what I think I prefer is: ~1/4 grip, <300g strung, fairly headlight frames (i.e. lower swingweight). I've found QC on most brands across 2-3 frames to be so bad that I often need many, many grams of lead to get my frames balance/static weight matched. I haven't even tried to SW match sets of frames. I used to break strings often enough where I will just default always buy 2-3 frames at a time, even though I have no justifiable need for it these days. I probably have a mild mental illness when it comes to tennis gear... Dunlop has been one of the brands that I've flirted with the most over the years. I played the Bio 200L, Aerogel 100, 200, 500 tour, HM 200G XL, and probably others I'm forgetting. I didn't expect to (and didn't want to) like the AG 500 tour as much as I did, so I was super excited to try a supposedly improved FX 500.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I ended up at (only) 9 hours on this frame - I had some tendonitis that I'm pretty sure is/was a side-effect of a recently broken hand come up that caused me to end it early on this playtest (see comfort)
Stroke notes:
-Groundstrokes: I expected launch angle to be dramatically higher than it was for the string pattern. I really appreciated that it wasn't. With that said, I still felt that I was able to generate a lot of movement and dip on balls that I tried to dip (very) short in doubles. I've always been a rather timing-sensitive style player, and getting the FX 500 moving and in place was very easy. Too easy, in fact. My stroke path felt "floaty," and the frame came through the contact zone a little too early. I hate to say it (since I've been leaning towards mid-light frames more recently), but I wish I had a little more time to customize and weight this puppy up. I'll probably come back to this thread to add (brief, i promise!) notes on this later. Wrist flicks and reflex stabs were great, I had a lot of confidence hitting offensive lobs knowing my ball would dip (as a side note, this meaning I felt more control on trajectory, not just spin potential). I've been pretty bad in recent years about good fundamental foot work and (swing) prep, and I didn't feel nearly as penalized as I have with other frames with similar specs. I did feel that this frame did not have the knife-through on slices that I really, really prefer. I think this would be tweaked easily with a little lead - again, slightly too maneuverable here. I didn't feel any penalties from a stability POV. I think it was actually pretty outstanding in that regard. I slice... a lot on my backhand side, but no real notes on topspin drives. They were above average in results (consistency, depth on off-center strokes, directionality). Groundstrokes-wise, this frame was surprisingly point-and-shoot when playing aggressive (faster head speeds). It just felt slightly off in positioning it just right where reflex stabs/volleys/touch droppers often sailed or were totally unpredictable. TL;DR: Groundstrokes good - play and swing confidently! You'll be rewarded. Much better than the former FX 500 (LS) in this regard. I will note that I wasn't able to restring that LS, but I still think it'd have been too powerful.
-Serves: I experienced a lot of depth-control problems with my serve. First session, everything felt deeper than expected, and I think it was from not getting enough racquet head speed. I (top)spin my second serve pretty aggressively, and I dumped several short that I thought I struck pretty well. This got better as I adjusted to the frame, and I was getting my pace up, but my confidence was never more than average when stepping up to the baseline. I felt that pinpoint control and placement was well below average here. Definitely a weak point in my playtest. I'm really curious if others found the same.
-Volleys: Above average, maybe even well above average. I found this frame to be super stable and comfortable even on off-center stabs at net. Half volleys... and now that I think about it... all net strokes had (notably) low trajectory. I felt like this frame played more controlled akin to a smaller head-size player's frame, except that the power level gave me a lot more free performance (than I even wanted). I had a lot of trouble with high floating backhands and getting the right punch timing (I swing a little more than I should these days). I suspect this is actually due to the grip shape, which feels like it runs (at least a half size?) large.
-Serve returns: A+*. I had way higher confidence swinging big on returns, but if I misjudged the pace of the serve, micro-adjustments with low time to react ended up with some really comical results. I aggressively hit the ball into the ground on my side of the net multiple times. This is one of the unfortunate downsides of my wacky forehand grip, but a serve coming in just a fraction of a second slower than I anticipated with the timing/swing(weight) issues I mentioned above caused a lot of head scratcher moments for me. Forehand chip returns against big servers floated up and dropped short as well. I think almost all of my issues would be resolved with just a tiny bit of lead. I tried to minimize customizations with such little on-court time, though.
String and tension used for test:
Topspin Cyber Blue 1.25mm (59 lbs): Strung this to get a baseline on frame power and tension with a string I was already familiar with. I'd normally use Signum PPP, but it was just too ugly. I found the frame/string combo to be rather muted and disconnected, to the point where I cut it out after one session. I found the power level to be around the right level, so I didn't drop tension dramatically. I've played full poly and hybrids up into the mid-low 60s forever, and even though my body isn't happy about it now, I find that frames are rather powerful where I've just stayed there without much afterthought since (which informs my tensions below). Other feel comments in the strokes section.
Dunlop Explosive Tour 1.25mm (58 lbs): I wanted to try out the supplied strings partly because I've been "out of the game" so long (stringing-wise!), I was hoping there'd have been leaps and bounds of improvements in poly strings in the last ten years, but alas. This one wasn't it. It's hard to discern how much of this opinion was (new) frame and new string, but I was a little disappointed with the feel. It was really reminiscent of Ashaway Monogut in the stretch. I don't want to take up a ton of space in this post for string comments, but I thought this string/frame combo had better "synergy" with the FX 500 than my baseline TCB. The dampened/muted feel was still there, but it turned into more of a pleasant, firm strike sensation. I still felt a little too disconnected (I like raw/direct feedback). I swapped over to a leather grip as a sanity check. It helped (more below).
Dunlop Iconic All 1.30mm (62 lbs): I haven't seriously played with a multi as a main string for a long time, but I really liked this string in this frame. I'm glad I strung it tighter, this combo smoothed out the ball strike response a lot (which I'd normally not like!), but has a surprising amount of grip for the gauge, and the firm (but) disconnected feel just became firm. I could say more, but I'll take it elsewhere if someone's interested.
Tennis experience/background: I've been playing since I was a wee lad, peaked in high school (~4.5?), wasn't ever really a competitive junior/tournament player, I've come to realize I don't really enjoy competition much. Court/playtime took a big time nosedive during university (Electrical Engineering), and due to RSI/injuries (and switching to climbing), I've played pretty sporadically since probably 2012 or so. A couple of years ago, I started playing "casual" recreational play, which basically means I'm an off-the-couch ~3.5 NTRP that doesn't practice much (at all).
Playing Style: I like low percentage shot-making, and have always relied on foot speed. I prefer doubles, enjoy net play. Full western forehand, 2HBH, although I slice plenty on both wings. I also don't mind my fair share of junk balling, wristy dippers, and I really love sharp angles and drop volleys.
Current racquet/string setups: This is actually kind of complicated... Since slowly picking tennis back up (handful of times a year) in ~2020, I've been playing most consistently with a Prince Tour 100L (2015) mainly because they were cheap, and I wanted to experiment with Prince frames again, AND I wanted a light platform to customize from (~290g!). I've also since played with Tecnifibre Tempo 285s (EU, briefly - my wife stole these from me), 298s (iga), and also temporarily switched over to the Dunlop SX 300 LS (older yellow model). I demoed the FX 500 LS (older) and wanted to like it, but felt that it was too powerful, and the hand feel was just... off. I didn't have it long enough to figure out why enough to articulate it, though.
(more) Sidebar on past frames:
I've played with the whole gamut of frames from ultra-light/sub-9oz frames to 13+oz 90si frames and have also gone from 4 1/8" handles to 4 5/8" for various reasons (insanity, bad decisions, low-consequence used frames). My most recent mental model on what I think I prefer is: ~1/4 grip, <300g strung, fairly headlight frames (i.e. lower swingweight). I've found QC on most brands across 2-3 frames to be so bad that I often need many, many grams of lead to get my frames balance/static weight matched. I haven't even tried to SW match sets of frames. I used to break strings often enough where I will just default always buy 2-3 frames at a time, even though I have no justifiable need for it these days. I probably have a mild mental illness when it comes to tennis gear... Dunlop has been one of the brands that I've flirted with the most over the years. I played the Bio 200L, Aerogel 100, 200, 500 tour, HM 200G XL, and probably others I'm forgetting. I didn't expect to (and didn't want to) like the AG 500 tour as much as I did, so I was super excited to try a supposedly improved FX 500.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I ended up at (only) 9 hours on this frame - I had some tendonitis that I'm pretty sure is/was a side-effect of a recently broken hand come up that caused me to end it early on this playtest (see comfort)
Stroke notes:
-Groundstrokes: I expected launch angle to be dramatically higher than it was for the string pattern. I really appreciated that it wasn't. With that said, I still felt that I was able to generate a lot of movement and dip on balls that I tried to dip (very) short in doubles. I've always been a rather timing-sensitive style player, and getting the FX 500 moving and in place was very easy. Too easy, in fact. My stroke path felt "floaty," and the frame came through the contact zone a little too early. I hate to say it (since I've been leaning towards mid-light frames more recently), but I wish I had a little more time to customize and weight this puppy up. I'll probably come back to this thread to add (brief, i promise!) notes on this later. Wrist flicks and reflex stabs were great, I had a lot of confidence hitting offensive lobs knowing my ball would dip (as a side note, this meaning I felt more control on trajectory, not just spin potential). I've been pretty bad in recent years about good fundamental foot work and (swing) prep, and I didn't feel nearly as penalized as I have with other frames with similar specs. I did feel that this frame did not have the knife-through on slices that I really, really prefer. I think this would be tweaked easily with a little lead - again, slightly too maneuverable here. I didn't feel any penalties from a stability POV. I think it was actually pretty outstanding in that regard. I slice... a lot on my backhand side, but no real notes on topspin drives. They were above average in results (consistency, depth on off-center strokes, directionality). Groundstrokes-wise, this frame was surprisingly point-and-shoot when playing aggressive (faster head speeds). It just felt slightly off in positioning it just right where reflex stabs/volleys/touch droppers often sailed or were totally unpredictable. TL;DR: Groundstrokes good - play and swing confidently! You'll be rewarded. Much better than the former FX 500 (LS) in this regard. I will note that I wasn't able to restring that LS, but I still think it'd have been too powerful.
-Serves: I experienced a lot of depth-control problems with my serve. First session, everything felt deeper than expected, and I think it was from not getting enough racquet head speed. I (top)spin my second serve pretty aggressively, and I dumped several short that I thought I struck pretty well. This got better as I adjusted to the frame, and I was getting my pace up, but my confidence was never more than average when stepping up to the baseline. I felt that pinpoint control and placement was well below average here. Definitely a weak point in my playtest. I'm really curious if others found the same.
-Volleys: Above average, maybe even well above average. I found this frame to be super stable and comfortable even on off-center stabs at net. Half volleys... and now that I think about it... all net strokes had (notably) low trajectory. I felt like this frame played more controlled akin to a smaller head-size player's frame, except that the power level gave me a lot more free performance (than I even wanted). I had a lot of trouble with high floating backhands and getting the right punch timing (I swing a little more than I should these days). I suspect this is actually due to the grip shape, which feels like it runs (at least a half size?) large.
-Serve returns: A+*. I had way higher confidence swinging big on returns, but if I misjudged the pace of the serve, micro-adjustments with low time to react ended up with some really comical results. I aggressively hit the ball into the ground on my side of the net multiple times. This is one of the unfortunate downsides of my wacky forehand grip, but a serve coming in just a fraction of a second slower than I anticipated with the timing/swing(weight) issues I mentioned above caused a lot of head scratcher moments for me. Forehand chip returns against big servers floated up and dropped short as well. I think almost all of my issues would be resolved with just a tiny bit of lead. I tried to minimize customizations with such little on-court time, though.
diredesire
Moderator
<FX 500 review, cont'd>
Power/Control- I actually really enjoyed the balance of the two on this frame. The 500 series has always felt, or conceptually been a little too zippy/powerful for me, but at the same time, the headsize/swing pattern/swingability of the series has also always allowed me to drop the ball into the court in ways I don't expect. I have a weird love/not-quite-hate relationship with the 500s. They perform so well, but I don't want to like them! I'm glad to report that this FX 500 is back inline with my expectations! The former FX 500 LS felt to me that no setup was going to bring it to the point where I'd be confident to take it into a match and have it do what I expected it to do. This one feels juuuuuust right, but heavily leaning towards the poweful side. It might also be worth mentioning that I've never liked the Pure Drive series, and I never understood why they were so popular. This frame (or series) being ostensibly a copycat (on paper) of those frames gives me an automatic bias against it. What can I say? I'm a contrarian by nature... That might be where my bias comes from.
Top Spin/Slice- I want to comment on feel first, but the spin results don't lie. I've always been addicted to big cuts and making the ball move around with spin (maybe to a comical degree). This frame gives a lot of motion and enough to tame the generous amount of power. I think dialing this frame in for me looks like going up to (for most people, concerningly) high tensions like ~63-65 full poly to reign in the ball depth (although maybe this is a launch-angle effect rather than real depth), and then hitting further out into the opponent's side of the court. While the slice RPMs are plenty high, the chop/knifing motion was just a little miscalibrated for me. When struck clean, it's a great slice performer, but I need to make some frame adjustments before i can say I'd 100% switch to this frame. Slicing and underspin chops/blocks are important to me - but where I lacked confidence in my "go-to" chips, I was paid back when I really went for topspin drives.
Comfort- Even though I ended my playtest sooner than I wanted due to (golfer's elbow!) tendonitis, I do feel that this frame is remarkably tuned for what it is. I've always liked stiffer frames, and this one plays like a much lower RA just due to the impressive dampening. It's actually a little too dampened/smooth for my taste, but I can tell that my preferred lower-powered poly + high tension setup is going to really shine due to stability and frame response. I've never had this type of elbow pain in the past, and as mentioned before, I'm pretty confident this is from lifting/holding a toddler a lot and my dominant/hitting hand having been broken very recently. I think I was compensating for lack of use of said hand by weighting my arm instead.
Feel- Below average! I started out my playtest feeling concerningly disconnected from the frame. I was just coming back from the broken hand, so I A/Bed the frame with my usual Prince Tour 100L. Feel was still good, so that's when I ended up tweaking grip/string setup (a lot). With a leather grip, the frame starts to feel "pleasant" and really smooth. I swapped to the Iconic with the leather, so I'm pretty confident with a little extra time and a little firmer setup, this might jump up to the "I hate to say I like this a lot" territory (since I usually prefer a lot of feedback and raw vibration). I think I'm at that point in my life where I need to admit to myself that driving the luxury sedan (or minivan...
) is probably better suited to where I'm at than the road feel and noise of the sports car, if that analogy makes sense to anyone. Don't, uh... read into this projection too much. I'm fine.
Maneuverability- IMHO, touch comments belong largely in the "feel" category, but I need to place those here. The maneuverability of this frame was way "better" than I expected with the paper specs of this frame. I had too many instances where the frame came through the contact point way early. I'm an equipment blamer, so I'm calling this a swingweight problem. Don't judge me. I like to mix in a lot of drop shots and soft hands into my play, and more times than not, the frame was just there too early and I (totally) mishit the very slow, intentional stroke. Admittedly, I've never been a great ball-watcher, but I'm denying the problem is me. I said it.
Stability- Wonderful - I haven't really matched up real-world playing with more modern metrics like "twist weight," etc., so I can't confidently say this frame is great in that regard. This might also be a side effect of the great dampening, but I really didn't notice any notable jarring behavior on off center strokes. Let's just say I also hit a lot of off-center strokes due to the maneuverability/timing issues, so I think I'd have noticed. I have to give the FX 500 high marks in this category. Plow through might be average to below average, with that said.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
As is customary with me and the 500 series (just like in the past with the Aerogel 500 tour), I liked this frame and playtest more than I expected. Because I've had this experience in the past, I wanted to see if that was still the case. It really was. Power level (and depth) still tends towards the high side, spin also on the (even) high(er) side. This combo rewards confidence, and just trusting the equipment. I like that. Feel wasn't where I love it, but I can say this is a step up from the former 500 (LS). It's firmer (not to say it's stiffer) in feel, and the vibration profile is dampened, but brief. Due to the (surprising) maneuverability, I got a lot of free performance when trying to really whip the frame around (late and/or aggressive, wristy swings), but I had a lot of trouble with timing on bread and butter strokes (slices, drops, reaction volleys). Swing weight AFAICT is low on my copy (didn't measure or calculate due to very low free time). Serves were a weak point, but not notably bad. Returns and aggressive baselining were way above average. Unfortunately, I don't do a lot of aggressive baselining, so I'm not sure I'm going to reap the rewards of those benefits on a regular basis.
I've been really not picky about my equipment since I'm really not seriously playing nowadays. That is to say, I've been buying and "switching" between frames probably way-too-casually. As weird as it is to say, I might actually switch to this frame and commit to tweaking it and getting it right where I want it because the results are better than what I feel/expect they should be. I switched to the SX 300 LS when it was on (mega) sale, but I started to feel really penalized when I was caught flat footed or unprepared (which nowadays is kind of a lot). My Tecnifibre excursion felt the same way with (poor) prep penalties with the Iga, and my experiment with the Tempo 285s (closest [identical?] US frame is the TF X1 285) never got off the ground due to my broken hand and robber wife. My Tour 100Ls are tired and boring, and lack the sting/zip I feel I'm missing. I don't love spending my time nowadays chasing perfection, and this 500 is super close in all the areas that really count. If my low-effort mods get me there, I might just switch!*
*OK, let's be real. I also tried a buddy's Solinco blackout, which is also super similar on paper, and the feel/response is a little crisper, and it swings just right without having to agonize about mods and slightly-high power levels. I'm going to compare these head to head and probably just end up buying a pair of whichever one wins. The FX 500 is on the shortlist, though.
Power/Control- I actually really enjoyed the balance of the two on this frame. The 500 series has always felt, or conceptually been a little too zippy/powerful for me, but at the same time, the headsize/swing pattern/swingability of the series has also always allowed me to drop the ball into the court in ways I don't expect. I have a weird love/not-quite-hate relationship with the 500s. They perform so well, but I don't want to like them! I'm glad to report that this FX 500 is back inline with my expectations! The former FX 500 LS felt to me that no setup was going to bring it to the point where I'd be confident to take it into a match and have it do what I expected it to do. This one feels juuuuuust right, but heavily leaning towards the poweful side. It might also be worth mentioning that I've never liked the Pure Drive series, and I never understood why they were so popular. This frame (or series) being ostensibly a copycat (on paper) of those frames gives me an automatic bias against it. What can I say? I'm a contrarian by nature... That might be where my bias comes from.
Top Spin/Slice- I want to comment on feel first, but the spin results don't lie. I've always been addicted to big cuts and making the ball move around with spin (maybe to a comical degree). This frame gives a lot of motion and enough to tame the generous amount of power. I think dialing this frame in for me looks like going up to (for most people, concerningly) high tensions like ~63-65 full poly to reign in the ball depth (although maybe this is a launch-angle effect rather than real depth), and then hitting further out into the opponent's side of the court. While the slice RPMs are plenty high, the chop/knifing motion was just a little miscalibrated for me. When struck clean, it's a great slice performer, but I need to make some frame adjustments before i can say I'd 100% switch to this frame. Slicing and underspin chops/blocks are important to me - but where I lacked confidence in my "go-to" chips, I was paid back when I really went for topspin drives.
Comfort- Even though I ended my playtest sooner than I wanted due to (golfer's elbow!) tendonitis, I do feel that this frame is remarkably tuned for what it is. I've always liked stiffer frames, and this one plays like a much lower RA just due to the impressive dampening. It's actually a little too dampened/smooth for my taste, but I can tell that my preferred lower-powered poly + high tension setup is going to really shine due to stability and frame response. I've never had this type of elbow pain in the past, and as mentioned before, I'm pretty confident this is from lifting/holding a toddler a lot and my dominant/hitting hand having been broken very recently. I think I was compensating for lack of use of said hand by weighting my arm instead.
Feel- Below average! I started out my playtest feeling concerningly disconnected from the frame. I was just coming back from the broken hand, so I A/Bed the frame with my usual Prince Tour 100L. Feel was still good, so that's when I ended up tweaking grip/string setup (a lot). With a leather grip, the frame starts to feel "pleasant" and really smooth. I swapped to the Iconic with the leather, so I'm pretty confident with a little extra time and a little firmer setup, this might jump up to the "I hate to say I like this a lot" territory (since I usually prefer a lot of feedback and raw vibration). I think I'm at that point in my life where I need to admit to myself that driving the luxury sedan (or minivan...
) is probably better suited to where I'm at than the road feel and noise of the sports car, if that analogy makes sense to anyone. Don't, uh... read into this projection too much. I'm fine.Maneuverability- IMHO, touch comments belong largely in the "feel" category, but I need to place those here. The maneuverability of this frame was way "better" than I expected with the paper specs of this frame. I had too many instances where the frame came through the contact point way early. I'm an equipment blamer, so I'm calling this a swingweight problem. Don't judge me. I like to mix in a lot of drop shots and soft hands into my play, and more times than not, the frame was just there too early and I (totally) mishit the very slow, intentional stroke. Admittedly, I've never been a great ball-watcher, but I'm denying the problem is me. I said it.
Stability- Wonderful - I haven't really matched up real-world playing with more modern metrics like "twist weight," etc., so I can't confidently say this frame is great in that regard. This might also be a side effect of the great dampening, but I really didn't notice any notable jarring behavior on off center strokes. Let's just say I also hit a lot of off-center strokes due to the maneuverability/timing issues, so I think I'd have noticed. I have to give the FX 500 high marks in this category. Plow through might be average to below average, with that said.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
As is customary with me and the 500 series (just like in the past with the Aerogel 500 tour), I liked this frame and playtest more than I expected. Because I've had this experience in the past, I wanted to see if that was still the case. It really was. Power level (and depth) still tends towards the high side, spin also on the (even) high(er) side. This combo rewards confidence, and just trusting the equipment. I like that. Feel wasn't where I love it, but I can say this is a step up from the former 500 (LS). It's firmer (not to say it's stiffer) in feel, and the vibration profile is dampened, but brief. Due to the (surprising) maneuverability, I got a lot of free performance when trying to really whip the frame around (late and/or aggressive, wristy swings), but I had a lot of trouble with timing on bread and butter strokes (slices, drops, reaction volleys). Swing weight AFAICT is low on my copy (didn't measure or calculate due to very low free time). Serves were a weak point, but not notably bad. Returns and aggressive baselining were way above average. Unfortunately, I don't do a lot of aggressive baselining, so I'm not sure I'm going to reap the rewards of those benefits on a regular basis.
I've been really not picky about my equipment since I'm really not seriously playing nowadays. That is to say, I've been buying and "switching" between frames probably way-too-casually. As weird as it is to say, I might actually switch to this frame and commit to tweaking it and getting it right where I want it because the results are better than what I feel/expect they should be. I switched to the SX 300 LS when it was on (mega) sale, but I started to feel really penalized when I was caught flat footed or unprepared (which nowadays is kind of a lot). My Tecnifibre excursion felt the same way with (poor) prep penalties with the Iga, and my experiment with the Tempo 285s (closest [identical?] US frame is the TF X1 285) never got off the ground due to my broken hand and robber wife. My Tour 100Ls are tired and boring, and lack the sting/zip I feel I'm missing. I don't love spending my time nowadays chasing perfection, and this 500 is super close in all the areas that really count. If my low-effort mods get me there, I might just switch!*
*OK, let's be real. I also tried a buddy's Solinco blackout, which is also super similar on paper, and the feel/response is a little crisper, and it swings just right without having to agonize about mods and slightly-high power levels. I'm going to compare these head to head and probably just end up buying a pair of whichever one wins. The FX 500 is on the shortlist, though.
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
I’m sure my 10 million word review covered this but I can’t say enough good things about the FX500 Tour. I’ve got a regular that I play with that is in the aging (50+) 4.0 realm and I have been absolutely smoking him once I switched to this racquet. He’s very much someone that I like to play because he gives me variety and has great passing shots. He’s the kind of player that you have to beat as opposed to beating himself. The consistency and ability to take away his time that I get with the FXT is really impressive.
If anyone is playing with a Blade, Radical, Prestige, Pro Staff, Percept or any of those types of racquets and is wondering if there is a similar racquet but much easier to use, this is worth getting your hands on.
If anyone is playing with a Blade, Radical, Prestige, Pro Staff, Percept or any of those types of racquets and is wondering if there is a similar racquet but much easier to use, this is worth getting your hands on.
EastAngels2014
Semi-Pro
Dunlop FX500 Tour 98
String and tension used for test: Restring zero @ 50lbs and OToro Mint @50lbs
Tennis experience/background: Been playing since high school, now a 4.5 league and tournament player.
Describe your playing style: Aggressive baseliner, working on coming net more but much more comfortable hitting from back of the court.
Current racquet/string setups: normal gravitate towards control player racquets (Blade 98 18x20, Whiteout 18x20) been mostly playing this year with the 305s, trying to find a racquet that gives me a little more power and margin in my game.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Played around 20hr, mixture of singles, doubles and hitting in ball machine.
-Groundstrokes: Groundstrokes are where this racquet stood out to me. I felt that I couldn’t miss from the back of the court with this racquet, there was always a good trajectory on the ball and easy access to depth. I did sometimes feel that for being a power racquet it didn’t have the put away power I was expecting. Been hitting some with the Ezone 98 2025, and that felt to have much more power. But compared ti my normal racquets this had much more power. I would call it controllable power. Never felt erratic, like other power frames I have tried (Pure Drive, Ezone 100)
-Serves: loved this racquet on kick serves, the 16x19 string pattern really helped me find my outside kick serve on the add side. Felt there was enough there on flat serves to hit good pace but again nothing that was going to dominate. The balance of the racquet really suited serving well for me, never got tired or felt that the racquet was going to be difficult to pronate with.
-Volleys: Volleys were solid, always was able to redirect pace, but also enough ball pocketing to hit drop volleys if necessary. Felt like I could stick volleys deep is necessary and without much effort.
-Serve returns: The stability on returns surprised me, compared to my normal racquets that are heavier the FX Tour still was able to deal with my opponents big serves and redirect with easy. On kick serve returns there was enough forgiveness and large sweet spot that if the spin moved the ball in the string bed I felt comfortable still swinging out and being aggressive.
Power/Control- There is a great blend of power and control on this racquet. As I said earlier never felt like the ball was going to spray off the string bed, but it was a point a shoot racquet. Played much better when trying to hit heavy shot to big target. I could hit sharp angles and redirect no problem but never felt like I could hit a shot on a dime like some of my prior racquet’s, especially the 305s. There is enough power here but as I said earlier didn’t feel like it was something that blew me away. My racquet did come under spec a little from a SW perspective and so that did impact how I felt the power played again bigger hitter.
Top Spin/Slice- Spin in general was great. Slices knifed through the court and stayed really slow especially for a fairly open 16x19. Topspin was great here, could easily dial up a very heavy shot for defense, or hit a general rally ball that would jump off the court. Being a little cold currently I am excited to see how this plays when it’s warm and the ball will really jump.
Comfort- Very comfortable racquet, normally o play with more flexible frames so expect to not like the comfort on this racquet with a slight high RA than I am used to. To my surprise it was more comfortable than my 305s, even with stiffer string like Zero. At time shoes outside the sweet spot did give some jarring feeling.
Feel- Feel was good, always felt connected to the ball. Was able to always tell where I was hitting the ball on the string bed. There was a decent about of ball pocketing. I didn’t feel this stiffness of this racquet which was nice. Overall a good feeling racquet.
Maneuverability- I had no issue with maneuverability with this racquet, I normally do play with a more headlight frame so was expecting to feel it be sluggish but not the case. If I was trying to hold my ground on the baseline and had to bring the racquet through contact quickly, or in a tough spot for a volley in doubles never felt like I was going to be late because of the racquet.
Stability- Stability was a stand out for me on this racquet, at a lower SW and static weight. I never felt like I was getting pushed around with this racquet. Had the stability to play good defense and block balls back. The 65RA was noticeable here.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall a very strong racquet, great balance of power and control. This is very much a contender for me for a new racquet. Might need to boost the SW a little but other than that very happy with this racquet. Thank you Dunlop and TW!!!
String and tension used for test: Restring zero @ 50lbs and OToro Mint @50lbs
Tennis experience/background: Been playing since high school, now a 4.5 league and tournament player.
Describe your playing style: Aggressive baseliner, working on coming net more but much more comfortable hitting from back of the court.
Current racquet/string setups: normal gravitate towards control player racquets (Blade 98 18x20, Whiteout 18x20) been mostly playing this year with the 305s, trying to find a racquet that gives me a little more power and margin in my game.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Played around 20hr, mixture of singles, doubles and hitting in ball machine.
-Groundstrokes: Groundstrokes are where this racquet stood out to me. I felt that I couldn’t miss from the back of the court with this racquet, there was always a good trajectory on the ball and easy access to depth. I did sometimes feel that for being a power racquet it didn’t have the put away power I was expecting. Been hitting some with the Ezone 98 2025, and that felt to have much more power. But compared ti my normal racquets this had much more power. I would call it controllable power. Never felt erratic, like other power frames I have tried (Pure Drive, Ezone 100)
-Serves: loved this racquet on kick serves, the 16x19 string pattern really helped me find my outside kick serve on the add side. Felt there was enough there on flat serves to hit good pace but again nothing that was going to dominate. The balance of the racquet really suited serving well for me, never got tired or felt that the racquet was going to be difficult to pronate with.
-Volleys: Volleys were solid, always was able to redirect pace, but also enough ball pocketing to hit drop volleys if necessary. Felt like I could stick volleys deep is necessary and without much effort.
-Serve returns: The stability on returns surprised me, compared to my normal racquets that are heavier the FX Tour still was able to deal with my opponents big serves and redirect with easy. On kick serve returns there was enough forgiveness and large sweet spot that if the spin moved the ball in the string bed I felt comfortable still swinging out and being aggressive.
Power/Control- There is a great blend of power and control on this racquet. As I said earlier never felt like the ball was going to spray off the string bed, but it was a point a shoot racquet. Played much better when trying to hit heavy shot to big target. I could hit sharp angles and redirect no problem but never felt like I could hit a shot on a dime like some of my prior racquet’s, especially the 305s. There is enough power here but as I said earlier didn’t feel like it was something that blew me away. My racquet did come under spec a little from a SW perspective and so that did impact how I felt the power played again bigger hitter.
Top Spin/Slice- Spin in general was great. Slices knifed through the court and stayed really slow especially for a fairly open 16x19. Topspin was great here, could easily dial up a very heavy shot for defense, or hit a general rally ball that would jump off the court. Being a little cold currently I am excited to see how this plays when it’s warm and the ball will really jump.
Comfort- Very comfortable racquet, normally o play with more flexible frames so expect to not like the comfort on this racquet with a slight high RA than I am used to. To my surprise it was more comfortable than my 305s, even with stiffer string like Zero. At time shoes outside the sweet spot did give some jarring feeling.
Feel- Feel was good, always felt connected to the ball. Was able to always tell where I was hitting the ball on the string bed. There was a decent about of ball pocketing. I didn’t feel this stiffness of this racquet which was nice. Overall a good feeling racquet.
Maneuverability- I had no issue with maneuverability with this racquet, I normally do play with a more headlight frame so was expecting to feel it be sluggish but not the case. If I was trying to hold my ground on the baseline and had to bring the racquet through contact quickly, or in a tough spot for a volley in doubles never felt like I was going to be late because of the racquet.
Stability- Stability was a stand out for me on this racquet, at a lower SW and static weight. I never felt like I was getting pushed around with this racquet. Had the stability to play good defense and block balls back. The 65RA was noticeable here.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall a very strong racquet, great balance of power and control. This is very much a contender for me for a new racquet. Might need to boost the SW a little but other than that very happy with this racquet. Thank you Dunlop and TW!!!
ClownCar96
Professional
do you know what the SW is on your demo?
EastAngels2014
Semi-Pro
Strung came in at 314. Did put a few grams at 12 to bring it up to spec. Still felt a little low for me.
ClownCar96
Professional
I'm hitting with D1 kid tomorrow with the FX 500 Tour! It's a paid thing so hopefully he'll be nice haha. I restrung with 1.2 Lynx Tour 52/50, dropped down from my regular 1.25 LT to see if I can get a little more shape. Also added 2 grams to 10 and 2 to bring SW up to 321. I had some arm discomfort the last hit, hopefully the mods help!
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
I totally agree about the curiosity of playing this racquet in warmer weather and the ball jump. I’d expect that warmed weather makes it even more potent.
Chris Wilson
Rookie
Review of Dunlop FX500 Tour
String and tension used for test: I tried a few set-ups for this playtest:
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I’m a committed baseliner, with a big and heavy forehand, a knifing slice backhand (aiming to be Steffi there), a reliable if unremarkable two-handed backhand, and an occasionally brilliant but rarely used one-handed drive backhand. I don’t voluntarily venture to the net (except in doubles), but my volleys are solid enough. My serve is my weakest shot right now, thanks to a snapped tendon in my shoulder several years back that forced me to alter my technique.
Current racquet/string setups: I grew up with the Pro Staff 6.1, then played with various control frames (most notably the Blade 18x20). This playtest is well timed, as I started on a journey for a more powerful racket several years ago, cycling through a variety of tweener frames (last gen FX500 Tour, Ezone 98 (prior gen), Shift Pro, Solinco Whiteout V2). For the past five or six months, I have been using the new Pure Drive 98. I like the PD98, but it is demanding. I’ll try to offer up some comparisons of the new Dunlop against the PD98 and Ezone (last gen), as those are likely the FXT’s closest competitors.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? More than 25, singles, doubles, drills
Groundstrokes: Very solid performance on ground strokes. The FXT has good, controllable power, has easy access to spin while allowing for flat shots, and is quite stable against big hitters, including big serves. It felt very versatile from the back of the court, accommodating different groundstroke styles pretty well. On my forehand, I was able to hit with heavy-spin or to flatten out my shot, and the FXT accommodated my flat two-hander, my spinnier one-hander and my slice equally well. The FXT also feels quite maneuverable in-hand, so it lends itself well to some “wristy” improvisation form the baseline when needed. “Touch” shots (e.g., drop shots and topspin lobs) were also available.
To compare it to some other frames, I would say it has noticeably less power than both the PD98 and Ezone98, but still has plenty of power (and more power than control-oriented frames like the Whiteout). Compared to the Ezone 98 (prior gen), the FXT offers much, much better spin and has a higher launch angle. Both spin and launch angle are similar to the PD98, but the FXT is easier to swing. Compared to the PD98, there was more dwell time on the FXT stringbed, so drop shots and lobs were easier to produce. I do think the PD98 offers more plow than the FXT, so I would probably add a bit of lead in the hoop to the FXT to help me hit through my two-hander.
I would probably sum up my ground stroke evaluation with the word “versatile.” As much as I like the PD98, it forces me to play a specific type of big-hitting, aggressive tennis. With the FXT, it was easier to play with more variety.
Serves: Serving with the FXT was solid. As I mentioned, I’m still trying to regain my form after a shoulder injury, but I got plenty of help from the FXT. Accuracy was quite good, and I was able to hit my spots pretty consistently. Top-spin was also readily available, enough so that I caught some regular hitting partners off-guard with the kick. Slice was easy, but I had a bit more trouble generating pace with flatter serves. Not sure why. I’d say that my serves with the PD98 had more pace and weight than with the FXT, but I hit spots better with the FXT.
Volleys: Volleys were solid. The racket is maneuverable (which made placing volleys easy) and stable against big shots. The FXT didn’t have the put-away power on volleys that the PD98 has, but drop volleys and short angles were easier with the FXT.
Serve returns: The FXT was solid on returns, thanks to good stability, decent power and good maneuverability. The stability gave me confidence swinging through against bigger serves, but also made the racket more forgiving when I didn’t quite get the return in the sweetspot. When I had time on the return, the control/power blend let me crack weaker second serves to the corners. I would probably rate the Ezone’s returns a bit higher for my game; the lower launch angle gives me more confidence on returns, but I’m not sure those lower returns were any more effective. The FXT’s greater maneuverability also made returns a bit easier than the PD98, although my returns were definitely bigger with the PD98.
String and tension used for test: I tried a few set-ups for this playtest:
- Lynx Tour 1.25 @ 48lbs (first few hours)
- Toroline SuperToro 1.23 @50 lbs (about 10 to 12 hours)
- Toroline O-Toro 1.23 @50lbs (about 10 hours)
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I’m a committed baseliner, with a big and heavy forehand, a knifing slice backhand (aiming to be Steffi there), a reliable if unremarkable two-handed backhand, and an occasionally brilliant but rarely used one-handed drive backhand. I don’t voluntarily venture to the net (except in doubles), but my volleys are solid enough. My serve is my weakest shot right now, thanks to a snapped tendon in my shoulder several years back that forced me to alter my technique.
Current racquet/string setups: I grew up with the Pro Staff 6.1, then played with various control frames (most notably the Blade 18x20). This playtest is well timed, as I started on a journey for a more powerful racket several years ago, cycling through a variety of tweener frames (last gen FX500 Tour, Ezone 98 (prior gen), Shift Pro, Solinco Whiteout V2). For the past five or six months, I have been using the new Pure Drive 98. I like the PD98, but it is demanding. I’ll try to offer up some comparisons of the new Dunlop against the PD98 and Ezone (last gen), as those are likely the FXT’s closest competitors.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? More than 25, singles, doubles, drills
Groundstrokes: Very solid performance on ground strokes. The FXT has good, controllable power, has easy access to spin while allowing for flat shots, and is quite stable against big hitters, including big serves. It felt very versatile from the back of the court, accommodating different groundstroke styles pretty well. On my forehand, I was able to hit with heavy-spin or to flatten out my shot, and the FXT accommodated my flat two-hander, my spinnier one-hander and my slice equally well. The FXT also feels quite maneuverable in-hand, so it lends itself well to some “wristy” improvisation form the baseline when needed. “Touch” shots (e.g., drop shots and topspin lobs) were also available.
To compare it to some other frames, I would say it has noticeably less power than both the PD98 and Ezone98, but still has plenty of power (and more power than control-oriented frames like the Whiteout). Compared to the Ezone 98 (prior gen), the FXT offers much, much better spin and has a higher launch angle. Both spin and launch angle are similar to the PD98, but the FXT is easier to swing. Compared to the PD98, there was more dwell time on the FXT stringbed, so drop shots and lobs were easier to produce. I do think the PD98 offers more plow than the FXT, so I would probably add a bit of lead in the hoop to the FXT to help me hit through my two-hander.
I would probably sum up my ground stroke evaluation with the word “versatile.” As much as I like the PD98, it forces me to play a specific type of big-hitting, aggressive tennis. With the FXT, it was easier to play with more variety.
Serves: Serving with the FXT was solid. As I mentioned, I’m still trying to regain my form after a shoulder injury, but I got plenty of help from the FXT. Accuracy was quite good, and I was able to hit my spots pretty consistently. Top-spin was also readily available, enough so that I caught some regular hitting partners off-guard with the kick. Slice was easy, but I had a bit more trouble generating pace with flatter serves. Not sure why. I’d say that my serves with the PD98 had more pace and weight than with the FXT, but I hit spots better with the FXT.
Volleys: Volleys were solid. The racket is maneuverable (which made placing volleys easy) and stable against big shots. The FXT didn’t have the put-away power on volleys that the PD98 has, but drop volleys and short angles were easier with the FXT.
Serve returns: The FXT was solid on returns, thanks to good stability, decent power and good maneuverability. The stability gave me confidence swinging through against bigger serves, but also made the racket more forgiving when I didn’t quite get the return in the sweetspot. When I had time on the return, the control/power blend let me crack weaker second serves to the corners. I would probably rate the Ezone’s returns a bit higher for my game; the lower launch angle gives me more confidence on returns, but I’m not sure those lower returns were any more effective. The FXT’s greater maneuverability also made returns a bit easier than the PD98, although my returns were definitely bigger with the PD98.
Chris Wilson
Rookie
<Cont. – Review of FX 500 Tour>
Power/Control- The FXT has a great blend of power and control I saw another reviewer on line refer to it as a “control stick with power,” and I think that’s not a bad way to think of the frame. As mentioned above, it is less powerful than the PD98 or Ezone, but more powerful than the control sticks I usually gravitate to. I was most surprised by the control the frame provides given the decent power. I felt comfortable aiming for much smaller targets than I do with my PD98, though of course the FXT is definitely less precise than genuine control frames.
Top Spin – Spin was great all around with the FXT. Topspin was easy to generate. Indeed, probably the biggest difference between the FXT and the Ezone for me was ready access to top spin. With the FXT, my forehands would kick up high on my opponents, and the top spin made angles easy. The PD98 to me generated similar topspin, but I found it easier to produce with the FXT.
Slice – I rely on the slice backhand a lot these days, and the FXT’s slice backhand was fantastic – much better than the PD98. I hit a few slice passing shots that drew gasps from my opponents. (Or maybe I just imagined that.)
Comfort- I have never really had arm issues with rackets, but I found the FXT to be pretty comfortable. There was never any harshness or excessive vibrations, even on off-center shots. It felt MUCH more arm friendly than the PD98, which has much more vibration.
Feel- I found the feel of the FXT to be quite good, particularly given its general focus on power. It did not feel overly muted the way so many frames do these days (see: Solinco Whiteout or new Ezone), but rather felt direct without being harsh. I always felt like I knew where on the stringbed I was making contact, and there seemed to be just enough dwell time to give me a good sense of the ball.
Maneuverability-It may be because I am accustomed to using heavier frames, but the FXT felt very maneuverable. Much moreso than the PD98 or my old Blade 18x20s. I found this maneuverability most evident at net, where quick reflex volley reactions were pretty easy.
Stability- Stability was good. I hit with some pretty heavy hitters (former D1s, a couple of former touring pros) over the course of the month, and never noticed any issue with stability (either at net or at the baseline), even though this frame is a bit lighter overall than my normal frames. I do think I might add some weight in the hoop to improve plow and provide a bit more mass, though.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, I found this to be an excellent racket, and a strong entry into the 98 sq in power category. I suspect that this frame will appeal to a lot of different players --- it is easier to use than the PD98, it has better spin and feel than the Ezone (in my view), and it is all-around versatile. I’m not completely sold on a permanent switch, but I’m strongly considering it.
Thank you Dunlop and TW for including me in the playtest!
Power/Control- The FXT has a great blend of power and control I saw another reviewer on line refer to it as a “control stick with power,” and I think that’s not a bad way to think of the frame. As mentioned above, it is less powerful than the PD98 or Ezone, but more powerful than the control sticks I usually gravitate to. I was most surprised by the control the frame provides given the decent power. I felt comfortable aiming for much smaller targets than I do with my PD98, though of course the FXT is definitely less precise than genuine control frames.
Top Spin – Spin was great all around with the FXT. Topspin was easy to generate. Indeed, probably the biggest difference between the FXT and the Ezone for me was ready access to top spin. With the FXT, my forehands would kick up high on my opponents, and the top spin made angles easy. The PD98 to me generated similar topspin, but I found it easier to produce with the FXT.
Slice – I rely on the slice backhand a lot these days, and the FXT’s slice backhand was fantastic – much better than the PD98. I hit a few slice passing shots that drew gasps from my opponents. (Or maybe I just imagined that.)
Comfort- I have never really had arm issues with rackets, but I found the FXT to be pretty comfortable. There was never any harshness or excessive vibrations, even on off-center shots. It felt MUCH more arm friendly than the PD98, which has much more vibration.
Feel- I found the feel of the FXT to be quite good, particularly given its general focus on power. It did not feel overly muted the way so many frames do these days (see: Solinco Whiteout or new Ezone), but rather felt direct without being harsh. I always felt like I knew where on the stringbed I was making contact, and there seemed to be just enough dwell time to give me a good sense of the ball.
Maneuverability-It may be because I am accustomed to using heavier frames, but the FXT felt very maneuverable. Much moreso than the PD98 or my old Blade 18x20s. I found this maneuverability most evident at net, where quick reflex volley reactions were pretty easy.
Stability- Stability was good. I hit with some pretty heavy hitters (former D1s, a couple of former touring pros) over the course of the month, and never noticed any issue with stability (either at net or at the baseline), even though this frame is a bit lighter overall than my normal frames. I do think I might add some weight in the hoop to improve plow and provide a bit more mass, though.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: Overall, I found this to be an excellent racket, and a strong entry into the 98 sq in power category. I suspect that this frame will appeal to a lot of different players --- it is easier to use than the PD98, it has better spin and feel than the Ezone (in my view), and it is all-around versatile. I’m not completely sold on a permanent switch, but I’m strongly considering it.
Thank you Dunlop and TW for including me in the playtest!
Racquet received:
FX 500 standard.299g unstrung, 301g with the rubber- band grip collar - so pretty much on spec
318g strung without overgrip or dampener
324g strung with overgrip and dampener
String and Tension Used for Test
I strung the racquet with the provided Dunlop Explosive Tour in the mains and Yonex Dynawire 16 in the crosses, as I’ve had some arm trouble in the past year. Both mains and crosses were strung at 48 lbs.Tennis Experience/Background
I was a player on my HS team all 4 years, varsity for the last two. Active USTA league player. I spent 2019-24 as a 4.5 and now am back to 4.0. I play exclusively doubles in league matches but will practice and drill singles at times.Playing Style Description
All-court game with an Eastern forehand, two-handed backhand, and a slice one-handed backhand (that I deploy probably too much). Play more flat than spinny. In doubles, I’m looking to come to net and finish points there. I am old-school in the sense that I like slicing, dicing, and lobbing too. My game relies more on placement and tactics than power or baseline-bashing.Current Racquet/String Setups
As of this writing, my daily driver is a Prince Phantom 107G (2020) with Hyper G Round in the mains at 42 lbs and Kirschbaum syn gut in the crosses at 43 lbs. Earlier this year, I also used the Yonex Ezone 100 (2025) with PolyTour Pro 1.20 at 47 lbs and the Prince Graphite Classic 107 (aka POG) strung with TruPro Black Knight 1.23 at 46 lbs. Yes, I am all over the place when it comes to strings.Hours Played with the Racquet
About 10 hoursGroundstrokes
Solid. The racquet delivered a satisfying blend of depth and precision from the baseline. My forehands felt crisp with plenty of bite, letting me generate aggressive topspin or flatten out shots for winners. Backhands were equally reliable, offering solid feedback on both slices and drives. The string setup enhanced my ability to shape shots, making crosscourt angles and down-the-line placements more accurate. Even on defensive stretches, I could redirect pace and recover the point without feeling overwhelmed.Serves
Wow. Serves were just LOL with this racquet. It was incredibly easy to serve flat bombs and also nasty kicks with basically zero adjustment from my other sticks. Pace was very easy to generate with the light weight and thick beam. It was even easier to serve with this than the Ezone 100. 10/10, no notes.Volleys
Volleys were decent. At the net, the racquet rewarded quick reactions and clean contact. Both punch and drop volleys landed with precision; the frame’s maneuverability let me transition between forehand and backhand volleys swiftly. I was able to absorb pace from opponent’s passing shots and redirect with confidence. I may tinker and add a little weight to counter the instability I felt on certain volleys. If I didn’t catch the ball right or punch it well, volleys could land short or the frame would wobble.Serve Returns
Good, but you need to prepare and make good contact to have the best results. I felt it could redirect pace well but I really had to work hard to send serves back with interest. Most shots I hit I felt I was neutralizing the serve rather than going on the offensive unless I took a huge swing.Performance Areas
- Power/Control: The FX 500 feels on par with the Ezone 100; neither is a rocket launcher and you can still get decent control. However, at times if I wasn’t careful with following through, the FX 500 would launch a ball into the fence. Control was OK for a power stick as long as you target big windows.
- Top Spin/Slice: The open string pattern and frame geometry produced ample topspin, allowing for heavy rally balls and sharp angles. Slice shots were OK and could float a bit if you didn’t make good contact; I feel this is a major downside of lighter sticks as they don’t have the plow-through of heavier racquets.
- Comfort: Good. I think the thick beam helped here. Despite being less muted than the Ezone, I didn’t feel any discomfort while playing with the hybrid setup or after. The racquet absorbed shock well.
- Feel: Good. This stick felt much more connected than the rather-muted Ezone 100. Feedback was clear and pleasant, with the racquet transmitting enough vibration to gauge shot quality without discomfort. Touch shots and drop volleys were easy to execute, giving me a sense of connection to the ball.
- Maneuverability: The racquet excelled in quick exchanges, letting me adjust grip and position seamlessly. Its balanced weight made it easy to swing through groundstrokes and react at net. I may add a leather grip later on to see how it plays with a more head-light setup.
- Stability: Good for a ~320g stick although certain volleys could make the frame wobble if hit off-center. Overall in most situations, it felt like a pretty stable frame given the thickness of the beam. This made it an easy stick for serves and ground strokes.
Overall, this was a fun playtest as I typically play with heavier, more controlled sticks. But it was good to compare it with the other super-popular power stick of 2025, the Ezone 100. The FX 500 was versatile and shouldn’t be siloed into a strict “game-improvement” area. I feel it is well-rounded enough for intermediate and advanced players who are looking for a bit more power but still want to retain some semblance of control. This is definitely worth a look if you want the extra power but also better feedback than the Ezone 100.
Thank you to TW and Dunlop for this opportunity to test out the FX 500! As I said earlier, I will probably tinker with it to see how it plays with a leather grip in a more head-light setup.
GriekspoorGroupie
Rookie
FX 500 (100sqin) Review! Thank you TW & Dunlop. I had such a fantastic time writing this!
String and tension used for test: Hyper-G 125 @ 50lbs
Tennis experience/background: 27yo, adult intermediate club player. I have been playing for around two years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-Court. OHBH, full western driving forehand
Current racquet/string setups: VCORE 95 w/ PolyTour Strike or PS97 w/ 4G
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Approx. 10
Strokes
- Groundstrokes: Groundstrokes were lovely with this racquet, backhands surprisingly so. The forehand was great, as I expected. I didn’t have to think about depth at all and instead could really try to whip the ball a bit more. I did not have any problems with hitting long. On the backhand, I was stunned. It was a really great stick with my one-handed backhand. I want to explain: it does not have that classic head-light, ultra-maneuverable feel often preferred by my people (OHBHers). Still, it was more than doable and felt good. If you have a 2HBH but are OHBH curious, this is a great stick to pick up.
- Serves: I am not a *fantastic* server, so sticks like this are always appreciated. Power was effortless and I was never framing the ball like I do with my VCORE 95s from time to time. Even with the major change in overall ball feel from my racquets of choice, it did not take long for my serve to adjust to this racquet. It had the power I needed, without really feeling a loss of accuracy.
- Volleys: This racquet is plenty capable for volleys. Volleys were not all that crisp, but the racquet was also not bending much at all. It was a very nice middle ground. I felt in complete control of where the ball was going, even though it lacked that sort of volley punch feeling I get from my other racquets. This racquet is exceedingly competent at the net.
- Serve returns: The racquet is stable enough against big hitters. Still, as someone coming from heavier (in some cases, much heavier) frames, I could never quite get used to the feeling of making contact with an exceptionally strong serve with this 300 gram racquet. Comparing it to other 300 gram options I’ve used for a few hours, I do feel it is a notch up in feel and stability. Once again, incredibly competent.
Areas of Performance
Power/Control- The FX500 had a perfect mix of power and control. It was punchy and powerful in a way that made me smile, but did not lead to a surplus of long balls. I think this racquet really is the one to beat if you want the best of both power and control. It does what you ask of it, but with a little additional flair. It is very *fun* without feeling like a racquet that you only want to use for casual sessions.
Top Spin/Slice - Top spin was very, very good. I felt that the spin I was getting off of this racquet was largely what made the “control” so impressive. It wasn’t overly loopy, and really responded when you drove through the ball. The spin profile clicked so much with the rest of the frame -- it really make the FX500 a complete and unique package.
Comfort - Comfort is adequate. This racquet is much more connected feeling than other frames in its class, and it does that while maintaining a sense of comfort. I rarely had the feeling that this racquet didn’t absorb enough vibration when my wrist was in an odd position at contact. It was plenty comfortable without being a mush-fest. What more can you ask for in this aspect?
Feel - Feel has been a big area of coverage in reviews for this frame. It is good. I would go so far as to say it is quite good! However, it is nothing like a Pro Staff, older Blades, or other “classic” feeling racquets. To me, it feels more like the rare undampened power frame, like the Pure Aero Rafa. There’s a lot to love: you can feel where the ball is on the strings and it gives you a full-bodied response that is not artificial. On the flip side, it does not feel like a thin, flat beamed player’s stick. In my opinion, that is just fine. As much as players (including myself) want that “classic” feel, it just isn’t right for this category. I think this racquet absolutely sings at contact, especially compared to its peers.
Maneuverability - Maneuverability is a definite downfall for this racquet. Let me be clear, it isn’t bad. This racquet excels at many things, and something had to give. It simply does not have world class maneuverability -- but I do think it is plenty maneuverable for most players. This is an aspect that I believe will keep devout OHBHers from switching to the FX 500 full-time.
Stability - This racquet is very stable. Its stability allowed me to go for shots in the mid-court with my arm in a sort of t-rex position that I never would’ve attempted with my daily drivers. Good stability in a racquet is a salve for lackluster technique. I am only an intermediate player, but I do feel that almost all of us have technique that breaks down every once in a while, or towards the end of a long hitting session. This racquet really shines in these situations: when you’re asking for more from it than you can give in return. So much of that is due to its stability.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I loved this racquet! Will I switch to it? No. I just love my tiny, inaccessible, low-power player’s frames. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a ridiculous amount of affection for Dunlop’s FX 500. It is, to me, the platonic ideal of the 100 sqin power frame. Often, I think, the community thinks of this category as being the ideal entry point for those growing into a 300g stick. 100sqin frames, as a category, have loads of forgiveness, tons of power, spin, and something for just about everyone. For a newbie, though, or a kid getting used to an adult racquet, there is nothing more frustrating than constantly hitting out. This racquet addresses that frustration better than any of its brethren. You get that zip, that confidence, and that panache trademark in the category, but with enough zero-effort spin to keep the ball in the court. For many players, that feeling is priceless. I think Dunlop has really created the 100sqin power frame with this edition of the FX 500. I’m just hoping they can market this great product effectively.
String and tension used for test: Hyper-G 125 @ 50lbs
Tennis experience/background: 27yo, adult intermediate club player. I have been playing for around two years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-Court. OHBH, full western driving forehand
Current racquet/string setups: VCORE 95 w/ PolyTour Strike or PS97 w/ 4G
How many hours did you play with the racquet? Approx. 10
Strokes
- Groundstrokes: Groundstrokes were lovely with this racquet, backhands surprisingly so. The forehand was great, as I expected. I didn’t have to think about depth at all and instead could really try to whip the ball a bit more. I did not have any problems with hitting long. On the backhand, I was stunned. It was a really great stick with my one-handed backhand. I want to explain: it does not have that classic head-light, ultra-maneuverable feel often preferred by my people (OHBHers). Still, it was more than doable and felt good. If you have a 2HBH but are OHBH curious, this is a great stick to pick up.
- Serves: I am not a *fantastic* server, so sticks like this are always appreciated. Power was effortless and I was never framing the ball like I do with my VCORE 95s from time to time. Even with the major change in overall ball feel from my racquets of choice, it did not take long for my serve to adjust to this racquet. It had the power I needed, without really feeling a loss of accuracy.
- Volleys: This racquet is plenty capable for volleys. Volleys were not all that crisp, but the racquet was also not bending much at all. It was a very nice middle ground. I felt in complete control of where the ball was going, even though it lacked that sort of volley punch feeling I get from my other racquets. This racquet is exceedingly competent at the net.
- Serve returns: The racquet is stable enough against big hitters. Still, as someone coming from heavier (in some cases, much heavier) frames, I could never quite get used to the feeling of making contact with an exceptionally strong serve with this 300 gram racquet. Comparing it to other 300 gram options I’ve used for a few hours, I do feel it is a notch up in feel and stability. Once again, incredibly competent.
Areas of Performance
Power/Control- The FX500 had a perfect mix of power and control. It was punchy and powerful in a way that made me smile, but did not lead to a surplus of long balls. I think this racquet really is the one to beat if you want the best of both power and control. It does what you ask of it, but with a little additional flair. It is very *fun* without feeling like a racquet that you only want to use for casual sessions.
Top Spin/Slice - Top spin was very, very good. I felt that the spin I was getting off of this racquet was largely what made the “control” so impressive. It wasn’t overly loopy, and really responded when you drove through the ball. The spin profile clicked so much with the rest of the frame -- it really make the FX500 a complete and unique package.
Comfort - Comfort is adequate. This racquet is much more connected feeling than other frames in its class, and it does that while maintaining a sense of comfort. I rarely had the feeling that this racquet didn’t absorb enough vibration when my wrist was in an odd position at contact. It was plenty comfortable without being a mush-fest. What more can you ask for in this aspect?
Feel - Feel has been a big area of coverage in reviews for this frame. It is good. I would go so far as to say it is quite good! However, it is nothing like a Pro Staff, older Blades, or other “classic” feeling racquets. To me, it feels more like the rare undampened power frame, like the Pure Aero Rafa. There’s a lot to love: you can feel where the ball is on the strings and it gives you a full-bodied response that is not artificial. On the flip side, it does not feel like a thin, flat beamed player’s stick. In my opinion, that is just fine. As much as players (including myself) want that “classic” feel, it just isn’t right for this category. I think this racquet absolutely sings at contact, especially compared to its peers.
Maneuverability - Maneuverability is a definite downfall for this racquet. Let me be clear, it isn’t bad. This racquet excels at many things, and something had to give. It simply does not have world class maneuverability -- but I do think it is plenty maneuverable for most players. This is an aspect that I believe will keep devout OHBHers from switching to the FX 500 full-time.
Stability - This racquet is very stable. Its stability allowed me to go for shots in the mid-court with my arm in a sort of t-rex position that I never would’ve attempted with my daily drivers. Good stability in a racquet is a salve for lackluster technique. I am only an intermediate player, but I do feel that almost all of us have technique that breaks down every once in a while, or towards the end of a long hitting session. This racquet really shines in these situations: when you’re asking for more from it than you can give in return. So much of that is due to its stability.
General reaction/comments on overall performance: I loved this racquet! Will I switch to it? No. I just love my tiny, inaccessible, low-power player’s frames. That doesn’t mean that I don’t have a ridiculous amount of affection for Dunlop’s FX 500. It is, to me, the platonic ideal of the 100 sqin power frame. Often, I think, the community thinks of this category as being the ideal entry point for those growing into a 300g stick. 100sqin frames, as a category, have loads of forgiveness, tons of power, spin, and something for just about everyone. For a newbie, though, or a kid getting used to an adult racquet, there is nothing more frustrating than constantly hitting out. This racquet addresses that frustration better than any of its brethren. You get that zip, that confidence, and that panache trademark in the category, but with enough zero-effort spin to keep the ball in the court. For many players, that feeling is priceless. I think Dunlop has really created the 100sqin power frame with this edition of the FX 500. I’m just hoping they can market this great product effectively.
ShahofTennis
Hall of Fame
ShahofTennis
Hall of Fame
Hello Everyone! I’d like to begin by thanking Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop for such a fun and enjoyable playtest opportunity. It’s always nice to try new offerings, and the FX 500 Tour was no exception.
String and Tension used for Playtest:
I began the playtest with Dunlop’s Explosive Tour polyester. I installed that into the frame as a full bed at 52 lbs. I used that setup for about 1.5 weeks of the playtest, and then installed Luxilon Natural Gut 1.20(mains)/Yonex Poly Tour Drive Soft 1.25(crosses) at 55lbs with a 10% pre-stretch.
Tennis Experience:
Decent junior player, played for my highschool, club in college, and now play recreational tourneys when I have time but put a lot of time in as an academy coach. Luckily I get to be around a lot of talented juniors and adults.
Describe Your Playing Style:
All court player, I’ll go wherever the ball goes and play with a plan. Tennis has sort of become a more out of body experience for some reason. Lots of 2-shot tennis (Serve and Volley, Serve +1, Return +1, the occasional chip and approach, or even a chip and camp), but I love to get into long rallies and letting the ball decide who gets the bacon.
Current Racquet Strings and Setup:
I play a lot of 18x20 95’s. Prestige IG MP’s, Prince Tour 95’s (O-Ports), Dunlop CX 200 Tours, Wilson Six.One 95s, Babolat Pure Control/Storm Ltd’s (To name them ALL! but I probably missed a few). All of these are stung with Gut/Poly Hybrids right around 51 or 53lbs year round. I should mention that every now and again I’ll play with Blade 93’s, also 18x20’s, but negligibly smaller at 93 square inches than 95 square inches.
How Many Hours Did You Play With the Racquet?
All told I played about 45 hours over 3 weeks. About half and half with Explosive Tour full bed, and the Gut/Poly hybrid.
PERFORMANCE FOR EACH STROKE
Groundstrokes:
I really enjoyed this sustained usage of the Dunlop FX 500 Tour. There’s inherently way more power with this stick compared to my usual setup range. It was very fun if I just played one track mindedly and just hit everything at the same pace and just stuck to my fundamentals. More than once, I was told that my shots were just so much prettier with the new frame. My observation in the matter is that the FX 500 Tour just doesn’t make me work as hard, no surprise there. But where I will praise it is that it’s a very control-oriented stick. The only times I sailed a ball out was when I just didn’t get that last 5-10% of swing into the ball, which is totally human. That doesn’t happen as much because I. Always. Finish. My. Stroke! … But in that rare mortal moment when I don’t, I at least have a frame that is so headlight and heavy (control oriented) that what I do have will still make the ball begrudgingly touch the baseline. The FX 500 Tour would take a 90% completed stroke and give it a couple feet of clearance past the baseline. Very Sweet stick, more power than I know what to do with for sure.
I liked the FX 500 Tour off both wings. I felt that the lower static weight threw me off on the backhand for some time, but I eventually figured out how to drive it again and then all was well. Forehands were very sweet with loads of power. Backhands were where stick surprised me the most though. Usually, I have to take the backhand stroke for a long and scenic drive before It sets sail over the net, but with the FX 500 Tour I found that all I had to do was give it a nudge or half-hearted wave and the ball would be sent on its way. The FX 500 Tour was also very stable off both wings, there weren’t too many times when I felt the frame was getting pushed around. Again, though, I did not have much luck juicing this frame for more. I think I may have successfully swung out on it once. But it just looked the same as everything else. It’s a point and shoot frame, I guess. No need to provide your own pace when the frame is chalk-full of it.
Serves:
My serves liked this racquet. I didn’t as much because I am so used to the feel of a heavier frame in hand. I cant argue with numbers and ball quality though. The Dunlop FX 500 Tour sends the ball whistling. All else being the same, the FX 500 Tour gives me more power and speed by virtue of stiffness, and increased power available in the stringbed. Spot serving was tricky with Poly at Low tension, but with Gut/Poly at 55 I was hitting spots reliably, but with a little turbo action because I wasn’t using a wet heavy noodle. My favorite serve with this frame was definitely the slice serve. More action on a ball that will die soon after the bounce? I'll go for that!
Volleys:
Oh man, does this thing volley well? I have never enjoyed a frame more on the volley. In addition to the FX 500 Tour being the epitome of a point and shoot frame in almost every single regard (EXCEPT ONE!), the volleys I was hitting with this were just sensational on a different level! A big part of the playtest was me teaching with this stick, and when I teach, I volley a lot of balls back to mimic a high tempo rally for my students. I honestly think I may have gotten carried away with it though because I could move the ball really well with this stick on the volley, and I was working my student’s too hard. I think that’s a testament to this frame to some extent, but I would absolutely take this frame into a doubles match. It’s a confidence inspiring frame on the volley and overhead. The FX 500 Tour is very forgiving on the volley, and its stiffness and good feel make the volley feel very buttery and crisp. I have to give this frame a 10/10 on the volley.
Serve Returns:
Another thing this frame is very good for is returning serves. I found that this frame enhanced my block and block/backspin return. It made it easier to return serves and play the right shot after getting a read on my opponents +1. In addition to this, I again, didn’t even attempt to hit the return hard. The ball got to moving as soon as I hit contact so breaking serve was even easier than what I am used to. The frame did feel a little sluggish on returns where I was on the stretch though. I attribute this to the larger headsize, less maneuverability. But it wasn’t too bad. Still a great returning stick. 9.5/10.
Slice …My One Point of Contention.
Ok, let me be fair, this thing is weird on slice. But hear me out, I know why that is. It’s too powerful for me. I don’t like it when my slice sails too high, and for me that’s anything over 48 inches above the ground as it passes the net. I’m not trying to brag here, but I play with folks who will fry me up and serve me to their pets if I give them too much height under the bounce. This frame’s Achilles heel turned out to be slice, the launch angle is inherently too high. Not a real knock though, because; 1. My technique just needs to improve on that one detail. And 2. I could just up the tension. So thats really my only issue with this stick.
Review Continues on Next Post Below
String and Tension used for Playtest:
I began the playtest with Dunlop’s Explosive Tour polyester. I installed that into the frame as a full bed at 52 lbs. I used that setup for about 1.5 weeks of the playtest, and then installed Luxilon Natural Gut 1.20(mains)/Yonex Poly Tour Drive Soft 1.25(crosses) at 55lbs with a 10% pre-stretch.
Tennis Experience:
Decent junior player, played for my highschool, club in college, and now play recreational tourneys when I have time but put a lot of time in as an academy coach. Luckily I get to be around a lot of talented juniors and adults.
Describe Your Playing Style:
All court player, I’ll go wherever the ball goes and play with a plan. Tennis has sort of become a more out of body experience for some reason. Lots of 2-shot tennis (Serve and Volley, Serve +1, Return +1, the occasional chip and approach, or even a chip and camp), but I love to get into long rallies and letting the ball decide who gets the bacon.
Current Racquet Strings and Setup:
I play a lot of 18x20 95’s. Prestige IG MP’s, Prince Tour 95’s (O-Ports), Dunlop CX 200 Tours, Wilson Six.One 95s, Babolat Pure Control/Storm Ltd’s (To name them ALL! but I probably missed a few). All of these are stung with Gut/Poly Hybrids right around 51 or 53lbs year round. I should mention that every now and again I’ll play with Blade 93’s, also 18x20’s, but negligibly smaller at 93 square inches than 95 square inches.
How Many Hours Did You Play With the Racquet?
All told I played about 45 hours over 3 weeks. About half and half with Explosive Tour full bed, and the Gut/Poly hybrid.
PERFORMANCE FOR EACH STROKE
Groundstrokes:
I really enjoyed this sustained usage of the Dunlop FX 500 Tour. There’s inherently way more power with this stick compared to my usual setup range. It was very fun if I just played one track mindedly and just hit everything at the same pace and just stuck to my fundamentals. More than once, I was told that my shots were just so much prettier with the new frame. My observation in the matter is that the FX 500 Tour just doesn’t make me work as hard, no surprise there. But where I will praise it is that it’s a very control-oriented stick. The only times I sailed a ball out was when I just didn’t get that last 5-10% of swing into the ball, which is totally human. That doesn’t happen as much because I. Always. Finish. My. Stroke! … But in that rare mortal moment when I don’t, I at least have a frame that is so headlight and heavy (control oriented) that what I do have will still make the ball begrudgingly touch the baseline. The FX 500 Tour would take a 90% completed stroke and give it a couple feet of clearance past the baseline. Very Sweet stick, more power than I know what to do with for sure.
I liked the FX 500 Tour off both wings. I felt that the lower static weight threw me off on the backhand for some time, but I eventually figured out how to drive it again and then all was well. Forehands were very sweet with loads of power. Backhands were where stick surprised me the most though. Usually, I have to take the backhand stroke for a long and scenic drive before It sets sail over the net, but with the FX 500 Tour I found that all I had to do was give it a nudge or half-hearted wave and the ball would be sent on its way. The FX 500 Tour was also very stable off both wings, there weren’t too many times when I felt the frame was getting pushed around. Again, though, I did not have much luck juicing this frame for more. I think I may have successfully swung out on it once. But it just looked the same as everything else. It’s a point and shoot frame, I guess. No need to provide your own pace when the frame is chalk-full of it.
Serves:
My serves liked this racquet. I didn’t as much because I am so used to the feel of a heavier frame in hand. I cant argue with numbers and ball quality though. The Dunlop FX 500 Tour sends the ball whistling. All else being the same, the FX 500 Tour gives me more power and speed by virtue of stiffness, and increased power available in the stringbed. Spot serving was tricky with Poly at Low tension, but with Gut/Poly at 55 I was hitting spots reliably, but with a little turbo action because I wasn’t using a wet heavy noodle. My favorite serve with this frame was definitely the slice serve. More action on a ball that will die soon after the bounce? I'll go for that!
Volleys:
Oh man, does this thing volley well? I have never enjoyed a frame more on the volley. In addition to the FX 500 Tour being the epitome of a point and shoot frame in almost every single regard (EXCEPT ONE!), the volleys I was hitting with this were just sensational on a different level! A big part of the playtest was me teaching with this stick, and when I teach, I volley a lot of balls back to mimic a high tempo rally for my students. I honestly think I may have gotten carried away with it though because I could move the ball really well with this stick on the volley, and I was working my student’s too hard. I think that’s a testament to this frame to some extent, but I would absolutely take this frame into a doubles match. It’s a confidence inspiring frame on the volley and overhead. The FX 500 Tour is very forgiving on the volley, and its stiffness and good feel make the volley feel very buttery and crisp. I have to give this frame a 10/10 on the volley.
Serve Returns:
Another thing this frame is very good for is returning serves. I found that this frame enhanced my block and block/backspin return. It made it easier to return serves and play the right shot after getting a read on my opponents +1. In addition to this, I again, didn’t even attempt to hit the return hard. The ball got to moving as soon as I hit contact so breaking serve was even easier than what I am used to. The frame did feel a little sluggish on returns where I was on the stretch though. I attribute this to the larger headsize, less maneuverability. But it wasn’t too bad. Still a great returning stick. 9.5/10.
Slice …My One Point of Contention.
Ok, let me be fair, this thing is weird on slice. But hear me out, I know why that is. It’s too powerful for me. I don’t like it when my slice sails too high, and for me that’s anything over 48 inches above the ground as it passes the net. I’m not trying to brag here, but I play with folks who will fry me up and serve me to their pets if I give them too much height under the bounce. This frame’s Achilles heel turned out to be slice, the launch angle is inherently too high. Not a real knock though, because; 1. My technique just needs to improve on that one detail. And 2. I could just up the tension. So thats really my only issue with this stick.
Review Continues on Next Post Below
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ShahofTennis
Hall of Fame
Review Continued....
PERFORMANCE QUALITIES
Power/Control:
This racquet walks a pretty good line between Power and Control. It does have enough power where it can realistically be considered ‘uncontrollable’ to some. But I didn’t experience that. I think that even with Gut/Poly, this frame was controllable and offered great power even when just applying enough force for a baseline swing. That metric will obviously be different for people, but overall I think its workable and the power and control this frame offers can be used for success. Very “Sweet” frame in that a lot of power is available in this frame, and all it really requires is a consistent swing.
Top Spin/Slice:
To simply allege that this frame, with its open string pattern and novel grommets system, is ‘ok’ for topspin, and backspin (Slice) would be a serious offense. When it is necessary, the FX 500 Tour produces a crazy amount of spin. Pushing my opponents back on a high and heavily spun ball was almost too easy in the sense that the feedback I’m used to when making that happen was substantially dialed down due to how much higher the launch angle and spin potential is on the FX 500 Tour compared to my usual setup. But while this is a plus on topspin, it increasingly became a hindrance on slice and other shots where I don’t want the ball bouncing as high after the bounce. It’s a situation where the sweetness (read “Power”) in the frame was a little too high where I had it. I had to rely on a more defensive slice style to compensate for the launch angle. I also had to kind of settle for using top spin on everything as lower trajectory topspin shots were kind of just defaulting towards floating a little too high. As a result, I was picking bigger targets or just moving the ball a little flatter. Those sat up in the back court anyway as flat shots tend to do… but hey, I just juiced a little more and the ball got through the court faster.
Comfort:
The FX 500 Tour was, in my experience, a very comfortable racquet. I did have a little bit of hand pain after a marathon day of volleying, but that was also because I was using a full poly setup. With gut/poly, the comfort was dialed to a 10 or above. That’s where I would use the term buttery. The frame was very buttery in how it hit. There was no jarring feedback, nor was their any soreness in the arm or shoulder. 10/10 ride.
Feel:
I think the feel of the frame will depend on what type of string is used and what tension is selected. When I used Explosive Tour; I definitely got a more dead sensation from the stringbed and racquet compared to Gut/Poly. However, It wasn’t unpleasant or harsh, it was just firm. I succinctly felt the stiffness of the frame and deadness of the strings simultaneously. What was notable about the stiffness of the frame is that it does not feel as stiff as a Pure Drive. It feels a little more flexible, but still overall stiff. Once I put gut/poly in it was a game changer. The dead response of the string was replaced by a plush and silky stringbed. The gut/poly hybrid really elevated the frame to a crispy but buttery sensation.
Maneuverability and Stability:
The FX 500 Tour is a pretty stable and maneuverable frame. It’s static weight and stiffness kept it solid on stretches and off-center hits. In terms of maneuverability, it was very easy to move, and I could get it into position for topspin, volleys, and the overheads pretty well. The only place where I felt maneuverability suffered was mid swing, as the frame is a little too head heavy for my liking in stock form. I mostly eliminated this issue by putting on a leather grip, but the balance never really got to where I wanted it with my limited customization. Overall it wasn’t bad though.
GENERAL REACTION/COMMENTS ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE
This is a great frame, it performs really well in almost every aspect I value, save the launch angle on certain shots and variations of shot. But no biggie, I think that this frame does everything well. It allowed me to play my game to a very high level and required less input from me to boot. So, I would call this playtest very very very satisfactory and I would highly encourage anyone to try this frame. I even let a few of my juniors try it out and now they are in the market to get some FX500’s and FX500 LS’s of their own. This frame has left another fantastic impression of Dunlop for me. I love their recent iterations of the CX 200 Tours, but now I know the FX 500’s are crazy good as well.
SWEET! BUTTERY! AND CRISP!
PERFORMANCE QUALITIES
Power/Control:
This racquet walks a pretty good line between Power and Control. It does have enough power where it can realistically be considered ‘uncontrollable’ to some. But I didn’t experience that. I think that even with Gut/Poly, this frame was controllable and offered great power even when just applying enough force for a baseline swing. That metric will obviously be different for people, but overall I think its workable and the power and control this frame offers can be used for success. Very “Sweet” frame in that a lot of power is available in this frame, and all it really requires is a consistent swing.
Top Spin/Slice:
To simply allege that this frame, with its open string pattern and novel grommets system, is ‘ok’ for topspin, and backspin (Slice) would be a serious offense. When it is necessary, the FX 500 Tour produces a crazy amount of spin. Pushing my opponents back on a high and heavily spun ball was almost too easy in the sense that the feedback I’m used to when making that happen was substantially dialed down due to how much higher the launch angle and spin potential is on the FX 500 Tour compared to my usual setup. But while this is a plus on topspin, it increasingly became a hindrance on slice and other shots where I don’t want the ball bouncing as high after the bounce. It’s a situation where the sweetness (read “Power”) in the frame was a little too high where I had it. I had to rely on a more defensive slice style to compensate for the launch angle. I also had to kind of settle for using top spin on everything as lower trajectory topspin shots were kind of just defaulting towards floating a little too high. As a result, I was picking bigger targets or just moving the ball a little flatter. Those sat up in the back court anyway as flat shots tend to do… but hey, I just juiced a little more and the ball got through the court faster.
Comfort:
The FX 500 Tour was, in my experience, a very comfortable racquet. I did have a little bit of hand pain after a marathon day of volleying, but that was also because I was using a full poly setup. With gut/poly, the comfort was dialed to a 10 or above. That’s where I would use the term buttery. The frame was very buttery in how it hit. There was no jarring feedback, nor was their any soreness in the arm or shoulder. 10/10 ride.
Feel:
I think the feel of the frame will depend on what type of string is used and what tension is selected. When I used Explosive Tour; I definitely got a more dead sensation from the stringbed and racquet compared to Gut/Poly. However, It wasn’t unpleasant or harsh, it was just firm. I succinctly felt the stiffness of the frame and deadness of the strings simultaneously. What was notable about the stiffness of the frame is that it does not feel as stiff as a Pure Drive. It feels a little more flexible, but still overall stiff. Once I put gut/poly in it was a game changer. The dead response of the string was replaced by a plush and silky stringbed. The gut/poly hybrid really elevated the frame to a crispy but buttery sensation.
Maneuverability and Stability:
The FX 500 Tour is a pretty stable and maneuverable frame. It’s static weight and stiffness kept it solid on stretches and off-center hits. In terms of maneuverability, it was very easy to move, and I could get it into position for topspin, volleys, and the overheads pretty well. The only place where I felt maneuverability suffered was mid swing, as the frame is a little too head heavy for my liking in stock form. I mostly eliminated this issue by putting on a leather grip, but the balance never really got to where I wanted it with my limited customization. Overall it wasn’t bad though.
GENERAL REACTION/COMMENTS ON OVERALL PERFORMANCE
This is a great frame, it performs really well in almost every aspect I value, save the launch angle on certain shots and variations of shot. But no biggie, I think that this frame does everything well. It allowed me to play my game to a very high level and required less input from me to boot. So, I would call this playtest very very very satisfactory and I would highly encourage anyone to try this frame. I even let a few of my juniors try it out and now they are in the market to get some FX500’s and FX500 LS’s of their own. This frame has left another fantastic impression of Dunlop for me. I love their recent iterations of the CX 200 Tours, but now I know the FX 500’s are crazy good as well.
SWEET! BUTTERY! AND CRISP!
Dunlop300g
Semi-Pro
Thanks to all you all for writing these great reviews! I can't wait to get my hands on both the new FX 500 Tour and FX 500 regular to demo in the new year! I'm currently playing with the last gen FX 500 Tour so I'll have that to compare.
Chris Wilson
Rookie
I think you'll like the new one! Better in every way than last gen (except maybe the paintjob).
Definitely better than last gen.
And I know you hear this frequently on here, but honestly the racket looks better in person. It's not gong to win any awards, but I certainly don't hate it (cough..Pro Kennex car PJs)
Chris Wilson
Rookie
Ha, you're right. It does look better in person. I actually briefly considered trying Toroline's new "Stevie" blend (purple and blue) to match the frame.
Restring Zero matches the blue perfectly
EastAngels2014
Semi-Pro
I have a pack of this and 100% putting it in my Fx Tour
Chris Wilson
Rookie
Let me know how it plays!
Chris Wilson
Rookie
I just restrung the Tour with Zero, and you're right - perfect color match. Zero also fits the racket really well -- better than SuperToro or O-Toro I think. It was weird, Zero didn't work at all for me in the prior gen FX Tour for some reason, but it feels good in this one. I think I'd opt to string it a bit lower than I normally do (which is 50 pounds) -- maybe 48 or so.
I wasn't officially on this playtest, but I've played a bunch with the FX500 and have officially made the switch, so I thought I would leave some thoughts here.
Dunlop FX500 review: A foray into the realm of POWER
String and Tension used for Playtest:
I’ve been playing around with a bunch of [ ]/Sync hybrids, including O-toro Tour (mint), Tour Sniper, and the new Grapplesnake Soldier. Of these, I’ve probably enjoyed the performance of OTT the most, but I do feel a little buzzing in my arm afterwards. Sniper and Soldier are also great and I’m not unhappy playing either, but I feel like I get a little more spin with OTT. I’ve ordered some of the neon green version (still in 1.23mm), as the numbers suggest it is less stiff.
Tennis Experience:
Played as a junior (not at particularly high levels of competition, but learned my way around a court). I took a break during college and picked it up again afterwards. Now I play recreationally, though looking to get into some local leagues once I can find the time. I play around a 4.0 level.
Describe Your Playing Style:
Interesting question as this has actually somewhat changed as I’ve played more with this frame. I grew up playing heavy control frames. My groundstrokes were typically lower and through the court. I definitely loved going for the low-percentage, highlight reel shots.
The FX500 is probably the first bona fide “power racquet” that I’ve spent any serious time with, and it’s been quite enlightening. With this stick I’ve made a conscious effort to improve my groundstroke shape and rally tolerance. I’m now working to be a much steadier baseline player, hitting heavy shots to larger targets and being more patient before pulling the trigger. I still love to attack, but I’m trying hard to improve my shot discipline and patience.
I’ve never been a big net player, but at some point I would love to develop this facet of my game. I actually think I have decent volleys but lack the instinct to move in at appropriate times and a general comfort level at the net.
Current Racquet Strings and Setup:
I’m now playing with the FX500, modded to about 332g/32.6cm/328SW. Before that, I had a brief stint with the Nordicdots 98 Pro weighted 337g/32.6cm/336SW, and before that I spent a few years with the Blade Pro, somewhere around 343g/32.3cm/335SW.
Strings have varied but typically I enjoy low-powered full poly. More recently I’ve been liking a more spin-friendly shaped main with a slick round cross. Before this stick I usually strung somewhere in the 40s, but I’m stringing the FX500 at 50-52lbs.
For those willing to mod, I noticed adding about 5g to the 7-inch point on the racquet dramatically improved the swingfeel and steadiness of the racquet through the stroke.
How Many Hours Did You Play With the Racquet?
20-25
Dunlop FX500 review: A foray into the realm of POWER
String and Tension used for Playtest:
I’ve been playing around with a bunch of [ ]/Sync hybrids, including O-toro Tour (mint), Tour Sniper, and the new Grapplesnake Soldier. Of these, I’ve probably enjoyed the performance of OTT the most, but I do feel a little buzzing in my arm afterwards. Sniper and Soldier are also great and I’m not unhappy playing either, but I feel like I get a little more spin with OTT. I’ve ordered some of the neon green version (still in 1.23mm), as the numbers suggest it is less stiff.
Tennis Experience:
Played as a junior (not at particularly high levels of competition, but learned my way around a court). I took a break during college and picked it up again afterwards. Now I play recreationally, though looking to get into some local leagues once I can find the time. I play around a 4.0 level.
Describe Your Playing Style:
Interesting question as this has actually somewhat changed as I’ve played more with this frame. I grew up playing heavy control frames. My groundstrokes were typically lower and through the court. I definitely loved going for the low-percentage, highlight reel shots.
The FX500 is probably the first bona fide “power racquet” that I’ve spent any serious time with, and it’s been quite enlightening. With this stick I’ve made a conscious effort to improve my groundstroke shape and rally tolerance. I’m now working to be a much steadier baseline player, hitting heavy shots to larger targets and being more patient before pulling the trigger. I still love to attack, but I’m trying hard to improve my shot discipline and patience.
I’ve never been a big net player, but at some point I would love to develop this facet of my game. I actually think I have decent volleys but lack the instinct to move in at appropriate times and a general comfort level at the net.
Current Racquet Strings and Setup:
I’m now playing with the FX500, modded to about 332g/32.6cm/328SW. Before that, I had a brief stint with the Nordicdots 98 Pro weighted 337g/32.6cm/336SW, and before that I spent a few years with the Blade Pro, somewhere around 343g/32.3cm/335SW.
Strings have varied but typically I enjoy low-powered full poly. More recently I’ve been liking a more spin-friendly shaped main with a slick round cross. Before this stick I usually strung somewhere in the 40s, but I’m stringing the FX500 at 50-52lbs.
For those willing to mod, I noticed adding about 5g to the 7-inch point on the racquet dramatically improved the swingfeel and steadiness of the racquet through the stroke.
How Many Hours Did You Play With the Racquet?
20-25
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(cont...) Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: A pleasure to hit. Easy to generate depth, pace, and spin, with a pretty linear response between input and the resulting shot. I know that some have said this racquet isn’t quite as spinny as others in its class, but compared to the sticks I’m used to this thing generates gobs of RPMs without much additional effort. The inherently higher velocity and launch angle coming off the racquet make it much easier for me to focus on generating a heavy, consistent, high-margin ball. It is a very stable racquet owing to high twistweight, which has plusses and minuses but overall I think helps me remain steady even when I’m a bit off-center. When the opportunity presents itself, I feel I have enough control to flatten out and go for a more aggressive putaway. It does not have the pinpoint precision of the frames I used to use, but what I lose in control (which is, to be clear, not nearly as much as I once might have expected), I gain in the ability to bring steady, controlled aggression to my baseline game.
-Serves: Due to technical issues my serve lags behind the rest of my game, and is something I’m working to improve. However, I’ve found that this stick helps a LOT in compensating for those technical limitations to generate a ball that is less of a liability in point play. Easy power and easy spin. I’ve never been a spot server, but I do not notice any significant drop in my ability to target serves compared to with my previous frames.
-Volleys: The racquet’s inherent stability makes volleys pretty simple here. Things are very point in shoot -- get the racquet in position and it will do the rest. It is not quite as good at carving out the thin angles and droppers, but once you adjust to the response, those shots are still accessible. Compared to my heavier frames it is reasonably maneuverable, with the larger head and high twistweight being somewhat offset by the lower static and swingweight. Not the most maneuverable racquet, but at the same time I never felt that maneuverability was a liability.
-Serve returns: The stability really helps the racquet shine on returns, no matter if you’re just blocking the ball back into play or going for a more aggressive swing. It is easier to take the serve and put it back into play, to a spot where you’re not going to get crushed on the +1. If you want to swing out, I think the key is to be aggressive to larger targets, and count on the racquet’s power to take time away from the server.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power- Power is the name of the game with this racquet but it is not uncontrollable, and compared to more control-oriented frames the power is easier to access. The energy I now no longer use to generate pace, I use to generate height and spin, resulting in a ball that is higher, heavier, AND more consistent. If power is what you seek, you will not be disappointed.
Control- What really surprised me with this racquet was how little I felt like I lost in control when coming from my “control” sticks. Sure, it is harder to pinpoint shots to the lines and corners compared to racquets with smaller heads, thinner beams, and tighter string patterns. However, if your goal is to reliably direct the ball to reasonably-sized targets within the court, this racquet is more than capable. In the end, I think people’s impression of this racquet’s control is going to depend on their ability to generate the spin needed to keep the ball in the lines. To be clear, you don’t need to have a Rafa-esque stroke to accomplish this (I certainly don’t). However, players with really flat technique, or perhaps just underdeveloped strokes who can’t generate a certain amount of topspin may find control harder to come by. I also imagine this is common among all racquets in this segment.
Top Spin- I can’t speak much to other frames within this 100 sq-in, thick beam power/spin segment. This might not be a VCore or Aero, but for me topspin is still easy to generate compared to my heavier control frames. I consciously hit with more topspin using the FX500 than I did with my previous frames, and while this has required some tweaks to my default swingpath, I certainly do not feel like I need to “force” the stroke to generate enough topspin. In general, spin for me is a way to keep the ball in, and not necessarily a weapon in and of itself. If that also describes you, then I think you’ll do fine with this racquet.
Comfort- Comfort is such an individual thing it’s hard to say much in a review. To me it is… fine. It is far from the most comfortable stick I have used. It is stiff, direct, and without much dampening tech. With really stiff polys I feel it in my arm afterwards. However, with even moderately stiff full poly I can get by without significant issue. But again, it’s hard to generalize something like comfort and so your mileage may absolutely vary.
Feel- The feel of this frame is ultimately what allowed me to make the switch. Unlike many frames in the segment, the feel here is relatively undampened, and what you lose in comfort, you gain in the communication between the ball and your hand. I rely a lot on ball feedback to determine what adjustments I need to make when hitting, which is why I’ve been unable to gel with many more popular power frames (looking at your Ezone 100). The sweetspot here is defined and you know when you miss it. To be clear, nobody is going to confuse this with a Prestige or a Prostaff. I’m not sure I would say that the racquet feels “good,” but it is communicative, which is an absolute must for me when considering a switch.
Maneuverability- Coming from the land of 12oz+, 330SW+ racquets, to me this maneuvers just fine. However, this racquet does have a higher twistweight, and so players coming from lighter, thinner, smaller racquets (esp if not weighted up) may find this to be a bit clunky. That all said, I’ve never felt like the maneuverability of this racquet held me back from a shot.
Stability- What the twistweight costs in maneuverability, it gains in stability. There is very little twisting in the hand. The combination of power and stability makes it a breeze to block shots back deep. I love a stable stick and this one is rock solid.
Launch Angle- The launch angle here is probably moderate. It’s higher than what I was previously used to, but what I was used to were lower launch angle sticks. That said, I think that more important than the racquet’s general launch angle is how easy it is to predict that launch, and here I think FX500 is very consistent. It is rare that the ball shoots off at an angle that surprises me based on the contact.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
The FX500 has been my foray into the world of power racquets, and honestly now that I’m here, I regret not making this change earlier. I think that for a long time I’ve been wrapped up in this identity of using heavy, lower-powered frames, with a riskier shotmaking style where I was inclined to pull the trigger on aggressive placements too early in points. My matches had high ceilings, but also low floors.
With the FX500, it is just *easier* to play solid, consistent tennis, and without being hyperbolic I feel like it’s changed my entire approach to point construction and allowed me to have much more patience before pulling the proverbial trigger. I’ve really embraced the mindset of hitting aggressive balls with high margin to big targets, forcing my opponent to cough up a weak ball before pulling the trigger. I won a match last week 6-2 6-3 really focusing on these ideas, and it was really neat to feel like I didn’t need to hit anything remotely spectacular to put myself in a winning position. I’m excited to see where this leads me.
I did consider that maybe this change in mindset was all I actually needed, and the racquet didn’t actually matter. Towards the end of deciding whether to make the switch, I pulled out my ND 98 Pro for some point play and tried to replicate this more solid, higher-margin brand of tennis. And you know what? It was HARD. Turns out, using a heavier, less-forgiving, less powerful frame to maintain consistent rallies of deep, heavy balls in point situations is not an easy thing to do! It actually makes me wonder if my previous style of higher-risk shotmaking (or at least shot-attempting) was partially a bailout because I couldn’t maintain a high enough rally tolerance with those more demanding frames.
Are there downsides? Certainly. The control isn’t as pinpoint. The sensation is not as sweet. The feel is a little more harsh. But to me, the upsides to performance dramatically outweigh those downsides. Sure, sometimes I do miss that sweet sweet sensation you can only get from the ball sinking into the dime-sized sweetspot of a thin-beamed, flexible, player frame.
But I like winning more
.
-Groundstrokes: A pleasure to hit. Easy to generate depth, pace, and spin, with a pretty linear response between input and the resulting shot. I know that some have said this racquet isn’t quite as spinny as others in its class, but compared to the sticks I’m used to this thing generates gobs of RPMs without much additional effort. The inherently higher velocity and launch angle coming off the racquet make it much easier for me to focus on generating a heavy, consistent, high-margin ball. It is a very stable racquet owing to high twistweight, which has plusses and minuses but overall I think helps me remain steady even when I’m a bit off-center. When the opportunity presents itself, I feel I have enough control to flatten out and go for a more aggressive putaway. It does not have the pinpoint precision of the frames I used to use, but what I lose in control (which is, to be clear, not nearly as much as I once might have expected), I gain in the ability to bring steady, controlled aggression to my baseline game.
-Serves: Due to technical issues my serve lags behind the rest of my game, and is something I’m working to improve. However, I’ve found that this stick helps a LOT in compensating for those technical limitations to generate a ball that is less of a liability in point play. Easy power and easy spin. I’ve never been a spot server, but I do not notice any significant drop in my ability to target serves compared to with my previous frames.
-Volleys: The racquet’s inherent stability makes volleys pretty simple here. Things are very point in shoot -- get the racquet in position and it will do the rest. It is not quite as good at carving out the thin angles and droppers, but once you adjust to the response, those shots are still accessible. Compared to my heavier frames it is reasonably maneuverable, with the larger head and high twistweight being somewhat offset by the lower static and swingweight. Not the most maneuverable racquet, but at the same time I never felt that maneuverability was a liability.
-Serve returns: The stability really helps the racquet shine on returns, no matter if you’re just blocking the ball back into play or going for a more aggressive swing. It is easier to take the serve and put it back into play, to a spot where you’re not going to get crushed on the +1. If you want to swing out, I think the key is to be aggressive to larger targets, and count on the racquet’s power to take time away from the server.
Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power- Power is the name of the game with this racquet but it is not uncontrollable, and compared to more control-oriented frames the power is easier to access. The energy I now no longer use to generate pace, I use to generate height and spin, resulting in a ball that is higher, heavier, AND more consistent. If power is what you seek, you will not be disappointed.
Control- What really surprised me with this racquet was how little I felt like I lost in control when coming from my “control” sticks. Sure, it is harder to pinpoint shots to the lines and corners compared to racquets with smaller heads, thinner beams, and tighter string patterns. However, if your goal is to reliably direct the ball to reasonably-sized targets within the court, this racquet is more than capable. In the end, I think people’s impression of this racquet’s control is going to depend on their ability to generate the spin needed to keep the ball in the lines. To be clear, you don’t need to have a Rafa-esque stroke to accomplish this (I certainly don’t). However, players with really flat technique, or perhaps just underdeveloped strokes who can’t generate a certain amount of topspin may find control harder to come by. I also imagine this is common among all racquets in this segment.
Top Spin- I can’t speak much to other frames within this 100 sq-in, thick beam power/spin segment. This might not be a VCore or Aero, but for me topspin is still easy to generate compared to my heavier control frames. I consciously hit with more topspin using the FX500 than I did with my previous frames, and while this has required some tweaks to my default swingpath, I certainly do not feel like I need to “force” the stroke to generate enough topspin. In general, spin for me is a way to keep the ball in, and not necessarily a weapon in and of itself. If that also describes you, then I think you’ll do fine with this racquet.
Comfort- Comfort is such an individual thing it’s hard to say much in a review. To me it is… fine. It is far from the most comfortable stick I have used. It is stiff, direct, and without much dampening tech. With really stiff polys I feel it in my arm afterwards. However, with even moderately stiff full poly I can get by without significant issue. But again, it’s hard to generalize something like comfort and so your mileage may absolutely vary.
Feel- The feel of this frame is ultimately what allowed me to make the switch. Unlike many frames in the segment, the feel here is relatively undampened, and what you lose in comfort, you gain in the communication between the ball and your hand. I rely a lot on ball feedback to determine what adjustments I need to make when hitting, which is why I’ve been unable to gel with many more popular power frames (looking at your Ezone 100). The sweetspot here is defined and you know when you miss it. To be clear, nobody is going to confuse this with a Prestige or a Prostaff. I’m not sure I would say that the racquet feels “good,” but it is communicative, which is an absolute must for me when considering a switch.
Maneuverability- Coming from the land of 12oz+, 330SW+ racquets, to me this maneuvers just fine. However, this racquet does have a higher twistweight, and so players coming from lighter, thinner, smaller racquets (esp if not weighted up) may find this to be a bit clunky. That all said, I’ve never felt like the maneuverability of this racquet held me back from a shot.
Stability- What the twistweight costs in maneuverability, it gains in stability. There is very little twisting in the hand. The combination of power and stability makes it a breeze to block shots back deep. I love a stable stick and this one is rock solid.
Launch Angle- The launch angle here is probably moderate. It’s higher than what I was previously used to, but what I was used to were lower launch angle sticks. That said, I think that more important than the racquet’s general launch angle is how easy it is to predict that launch, and here I think FX500 is very consistent. It is rare that the ball shoots off at an angle that surprises me based on the contact.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
The FX500 has been my foray into the world of power racquets, and honestly now that I’m here, I regret not making this change earlier. I think that for a long time I’ve been wrapped up in this identity of using heavy, lower-powered frames, with a riskier shotmaking style where I was inclined to pull the trigger on aggressive placements too early in points. My matches had high ceilings, but also low floors.
With the FX500, it is just *easier* to play solid, consistent tennis, and without being hyperbolic I feel like it’s changed my entire approach to point construction and allowed me to have much more patience before pulling the proverbial trigger. I’ve really embraced the mindset of hitting aggressive balls with high margin to big targets, forcing my opponent to cough up a weak ball before pulling the trigger. I won a match last week 6-2 6-3 really focusing on these ideas, and it was really neat to feel like I didn’t need to hit anything remotely spectacular to put myself in a winning position. I’m excited to see where this leads me.
I did consider that maybe this change in mindset was all I actually needed, and the racquet didn’t actually matter. Towards the end of deciding whether to make the switch, I pulled out my ND 98 Pro for some point play and tried to replicate this more solid, higher-margin brand of tennis. And you know what? It was HARD. Turns out, using a heavier, less-forgiving, less powerful frame to maintain consistent rallies of deep, heavy balls in point situations is not an easy thing to do! It actually makes me wonder if my previous style of higher-risk shotmaking (or at least shot-attempting) was partially a bailout because I couldn’t maintain a high enough rally tolerance with those more demanding frames.
Are there downsides? Certainly. The control isn’t as pinpoint. The sensation is not as sweet. The feel is a little more harsh. But to me, the upsides to performance dramatically outweigh those downsides. Sure, sometimes I do miss that sweet sweet sensation you can only get from the ball sinking into the dime-sized sweetspot of a thin-beamed, flexible, player frame.
But I like winning more
.
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ClownCar96
Professional
Great write up, thanks for sharing your insights!
