Tennis Warehouse Playtest - Dunlop Srixon CX Racquets

[haqq777]

Dunlop Srixon CX Playtest: Review by Haqq777

Hello folk, please find my final review of the Dunlop Srixon CX 16x19 below. But first and foremost, a huge shout out to @TW Staff for giving me the opportunity to playtest this racquet. I really enjoyed it.

Before the actual playtest/review, let me provide some specs for the racquet. I unfortunately did not have access to RDC this time around for this playtest. All specs obtained below were using kitchen scale and table top method.

Strung with Dunlop Silk (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 324g
Balance: 6.5 PT HL

Strung with Volkl Cyclone 16 (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 326g
Balance: 6 PT HL

Unstrung:
Static Weight: 303g
Balance: 9 PT HL

Okay, now without further ado, below is my play test review. Enjoy.

Racquet Received:
Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19

String and tension used for test:
I used multiple string setups on the racquet. I played for about 5 hours with the provided Dunlop Silk which the racquet came pre-strung with. I am not sure what tension it was but it seeme like high fifties (lbs). After 5 hours, I cut out the Dunlop Silk and strung racquet with Volkl Cyclone 16g at 50 lbs.

Tennis experience/background:
I’m a 5’9”, 175lbs, former NCAA Div II college player. Currently in my mid thirties. I regularly play with local college team players who are considered respectable players in their conference. I have a diversified background when it comes to my history of racquets and have tried almost every line of every major brand out there.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am an aggressive baseliner who feels he is slowly transitioning to a somewhat all-court type of a game. Even though my serves are not extremely huge, I have decent groundies with ample (if not excessive) spin. Mostly rely on well-placed flatter 1st big serve and can generally get away with a well-placed but slower slice 2nd serve setting up a put-away forehand. I am consistent, and rate my forehand as my weapon. Extreme eastern forehand grip which sometimes goes semi-western and sometimes more conservative eastern depending on how I am playing. Have a one handed backhand which I tend to shy away from at times. It will always be a work in progress. My favorite shot is inside-out forehand which rarely lets me down.

Current racquet/string setups:
I have multiple racquet setups ready to go my bag. All vary from 330 to 355g (strung) static weight with SW varying from 330-340. I played with 16x19 patterns for over a decade but have slowly shifted to denser patterns. These days my weapon of choice are my Pure Storm Tour GT racquets. As for strings, I am using RS Lyon 17 as well Volkl Cyclone 16 - both strung at around 50lbs mark - in a bunch of my racquets. I am used to the response I get from both these strings and I feel I can adjust easily to them.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Grand total of 15 hours. First 5 hours were with Dunlop Silk it came strung with. Next 10 hours with Volkl Cyclone 16.

Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Feel of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19 is very classic. The racquet - even though being a 16x19 - seems to come off as a control oriented frame rather than a tweener type of frame. I was able to hit with a CV frame recently and I think the CV line is more tweener oriented than CX line. The CX 200 is a low powered frame and it was further evident once I strung it up with my usual poly strings. Groundstrokes required fuller swings and good timing for powerful shots. Since I am used to frames heavier by at least 15-20 grams, my timing was completely off for both forehand and backhands in the beginning. What I did notice was similarity to the very classic Dunlop feel (think Hotmelts, Muscle Weaves and Aerogels).

Stability is okay for its weight. Good balance makes it light and whippy as well on groundstrokes. The groundstrokes were crisp but I did feel any jarring and sometimes vibrations on ball impact out of sweet spot. Stiffness rating on racquet shows as 65 which I am assuming comes to low sixties once strung. With right string setup it is an arm friendly stick.

Control on groundstrokes came back to me once I got my timing down. I lacked depth however and that 'zing' on the ball. All my hitting partners told me my balls were not coming heavy and it was relatively easy for them to hit the ball back to me or even try to put it away. Slices were good and low however lacked that nastiness you can get from some of the control oriented frames.

Spin was average, I felt. This racquet is no spin-monster. I believe adding weight at tips might help with that a bit. Overall I noticed that even though the racquet has six mains, the string pattern becomes denser in center which works more for control than spin. I had to exaggerate my take back and follow through to achieve more spin at times.

-Serves:
As I mentioned earlier, my favored specs are pretty different than stock weight of this racquet. It took a lot of serves and lost games to get my timing down. But when I did, I was hitting serves on target. No issues with placement and slice serves were going in nicely. The flat first serve lacked pace however it was still pretty decent.

Because of it's lighter swingweight, the racquet moves through the air fast so you can really accelerate it into the serve. As with my forehand and backhands, some of my second serves were landing well behind the service line and shorter than usual. Once my confidence was up, I was able to place serves deeper, at angles and even with more kick than usual. I did feel that there was lack of consistent depth and I had to actively focus to get ball in deeper inside the box.

Bottom line here is that for a racquet in it's weight class, this racquet has pretty respectable serving abilities.

-Volleys:
I am not a great volleyer so I am probably not the best person to comment however I felt there was lack of pop and feel at the net. Even though racquet was light weight, maneuverable and whippy, I think feedback at net left much to be desired. There was just no feel and it seemed like ball just was not staying on stringbed (very less dwell time). For me, this was the category this racquet performed worst in.

-Serve returns:
Definitely the best part of the racquet for me. Racquet swings through the air quickly, but is still well balanced and you can tell that it is stable from the ground. I frequently found myself stepping in on deuce court side and attacking my opponents second serve. On ad-court side, I was able to swing enough on backhand to drive ball back with depth. Serve returns is where I find out the most about racquets twist weight and whether it 'flutters'. While CX 200 did flutter at times, I was able to achieve good results. Added weight to hoop might help.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

A few observations:

1. Shadow swinging from day one felt good and racquet seemed very whippy and maneuverable. Extremely easy to swing. For static weight, as mentioned in the very beginning, it came in 2 grams under at 303g. Advertised weight is 305g for this, so well within the tolerance range. Balance was spot on. I will give this a thumbs up as I have seen Wilson QC and at time that has made me shudder.

2. The PJ was fantastic and the racquet is a looker. Paint quality and overall build quality was excellent as well. With the velvet (ish) bag it came in, it definitely had the 'wow' factor while unboxing. Aesthics however are very personal and in the end, how it played mattered more to me.

3. The head shape is a little unusual and head guard is a bit chunkier looking at 10 and 2. The box beam transitioning all the way up top towards the hoop is unique indeed.

Conclusion:
Overall, as stated above, the racquet does need weight in the hoop and handle to be a bit more authoritative and a real weapon. A good platform racquet and I would recommend to all level of players for that classic feel and feedback. Definitely go out and demo this if you are in the market for a new racquet. Thank you again Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop Srixon for this opportunity. Much appreciated.

 

[Big Bagel]

It finally stopped raining here and I got it out on the courts some this weekend. My full review in the proper format will be coming later after I customize it and get some more hours on it.

Initial thoughts on the CX 200 Tour 18x20 strung with Dunlop NT Max Plus at 48 pounds on a constant pull machine:

Very solid control frame. Launch angle is lower than my normal frame (Yonex Duel G 330 customized, strung same/similarly), in between that and my Prince Phantom Pro 93P. I found exceptional spin for the 95" head size and 18x20 string pattern. It is definitely light for me which I think was the cause for the lack of power. I found my groundstrokes struggled to be as consistently deep at first, but got better as I warmed up to the frame.

The serve had great directional control but I struggled to keep it deep in the box, even after playing for a while, unlike with my groundstrokes. The slice was solid for the weight, but nothing special. I think once I add some weight to it these will be fantastic.

Volleys were very solid for me. Touch was above average and my stronger, driving volleys were surprisingly strong and stable for the weight of the frame.

I am now going to add some weight to the frame and put some more hours on court with it. My final review will include aspects of the frame both stock and customized and go more in-depth. Feel free to ask me any questions about my frame thus far. I'm very happy with the frame so far and I think it will be fantastic once customized.

EDIT: Finished customizing, will take it out tonight. New specs are:
Weight: 361g
Balance: 314mm
Swing Weight: 330

Full review still to follow, maybe more customization as well, we'll see. This is more in my zone now, although sometimes I do go heavier. (Side Note: After only adding a heat shrink sleeve for both weight and grip size, static weight and balance were almost identical to my Prince Phantom Pro 93P. Swing weight was way off, about 15 points shy of the 93P, so that's what I added lead at 12 o'clock and 2:30/9:30 (around my sweet spot), with one gram at 12, and 6 grams total centered at 230/930. It got the swing weight very similar to my 93P, just slightly heavier and less head light, but still close.)

 

[Faris]

Dunlop Srixon CX Playtest: Review by Haqq777

Hello folk, please find my final review of the Dunlop Srixon CX 16x19 below. But first and foremost, a huge shout out to @TW Staff for giving me the opportunity to playtest this racquet. I really enjoyed it.

Before the actual playtest/review, let me provide some specs for the racquet. I unfortunately did not have access to RDC this time around for this playtest. All specs obtained below were using kitchen scale and table top method.

Strung with Dunlop Silk (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 324g
Balance: 6.5 PT HL

Strung with Volkl Cyclone 16 (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 326g
Balance: 6 PT HL

Unstrung:
Static Weight: 303g
Balance: 9 PT HL

Okay, now without further ado, below is my play test review. Enjoy.

Racquet Received:
Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19

String and tension used for test:
I used multiple string setups on the racquet. I played for about 5 hours with the provided Dunlop Silk which the racquet came pre-strung with. I am not sure what tension it was but it seeme like high fifties (lbs). After 5 hours, I cut out the Dunlop Silk and strung racquet with Volkl Cyclone 16g at 50 lbs.

Tennis experience/background:
I’m a 5’9”, 175lbs, former NCAA Div II college player. Currently in my mid thirties. I regularly play with local college team players who are considered respectable players in their conference. I have a diversified background when it comes to my history of racquets and have tried almost every line of every major brand out there.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am an aggressive baseliner who feels he is slowly transitioning to a somewhat all-court type of a game. Even though my serves are not extremely huge, I have decent groundies with ample (if not excessive) spin. Mostly rely on well-placed flatter 1st big serve and can generally get away with a well-placed but slower slice 2nd serve setting up a put-away forehand. I am consistent, and rate my forehand as my weapon. Extreme eastern forehand grip which sometimes goes semi-western and sometimes more conservative eastern depending on how I am playing. Have a one handed backhand which I tend to shy away from at times. It will always be a work in progress. My favorite shot is inside-out forehand which rarely lets me down.

Current racquet/string setups:
I have multiple racquet setups ready to go my bag. All vary from 330 to 355g (strung) static weight with SW varying from 330-340. I played with 16x19 patterns for over a decade but have slowly shifted to denser patterns. These days my weapon of choice are my Pure Storm Tour GT racquets. As for strings, I am using RS Lyon 17 as well Volkl Cyclone 16 - both strung at around 50lbs mark - in a bunch of my racquets. I am used to the response I get from both these strings and I feel I can adjust easily to them.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Grand total of 15 hours. First 5 hours were with Dunlop Silk it came strung with. Next 10 hours with Volkl Cyclone 16.

Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Feel of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19 is very classic. The racquet - even though being a 16x19 - seems to come off as a control oriented frame rather than a tweener type of frame. I was able to hit with a CV frame recently and I think the CV line is more tweener oriented than CX line. The CX 200 is a low powered frame and it was further evident once I strung it up with my usual poly strings. Groundstrokes required fuller swings and good timing for powerful shots. Since I am used to frames heavier by at least 15-20 grams, my timing was completely off for both forehand and backhands in the beginning. What I did notice was similarity to the very classic Dunlop feel (think Hotmelts, Muscle Weaves and Aerogels).

Stability is okay for its weight. Good balance makes it light and whippy as well on groundstrokes. The groundstrokes were crisp but I did feel any jarring and sometimes vibrations on ball impact out of sweet spot. Stiffness rating on racquet shows as 65 which I am assuming comes to low sixties once strung. With right string setup it is an arm friendly stick.

Control on groundstrokes came back to me once I got my timing down. I lacked depth however and that 'zing' on the ball. All my hitting partners told me my balls were not coming heavy and it was relatively easy for them to hit the ball back to me or even try to put it away. Slices were good and low however lacked that nastiness you can get from some of the control oriented frames.

Spin was average, I felt. This racquet is no spin-monster. I believe adding weight at tips might help with that a bit. Overall I noticed that even though the racquet has six mains, the string pattern becomes denser in center which works more for control than spin. I had to exaggerate my take back and follow through to achieve more spin at times.

-Serves:
As I mentioned earlier, my favored specs are pretty different than stock weight of this racquet. It took a lot of serves and lost games to get my timing down. But when I did, I was hitting serves on target. No issues with placement and slice serves were going in nicely. The flat first serve lacked pace however it was still pretty decent.

Because of it's lighter swingweight, the racquet moves through the air fast so you can really accelerate it into the serve. As with my forehand and backhands, some of my second serves were landing well behind the service line and shorter than usual. Once my confidence was up, I was able to place serves deeper, at angles and even with more kick than usual. I did feel that there was lack of consistent depth and I had to actively focus to get ball in deeper inside the box.

Bottom line here is that for a racquet in it's weight class, this racquet has pretty respectable serving abilities.

-Volleys:
I am not a great volleyer so I am probably not the best person to comment however I felt there was lack of pop and feel at the net. Even though racquet was light weight, maneuverable and whippy, I think feedback at net left much to be desired. There was just no feel and it seemed like ball just was not staying on stringbed (very less dwell time). For me, this was the category this racquet performed worst in.

-Serve returns:
Definitely the best part of the racquet for me. Racquet swings through the air quickly, but is still well balanced and you can tell that it is stable from the ground. I frequently found myself stepping in on deuce court side and attacking my opponents second serve. On ad-court side, I was able to swing enough on backhand to drive ball back with depth. Serve returns is where I find out the most about racquets twist weight and whether it 'flutters'. While CX 200 did flutter at times, I was able to achieve good results. Added weight to hoop might help.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

A few observations:

1. Shadow swinging from day one felt good and racquet seemed very whippy and maneuverable. Extremely easy to swing. For static weight, as mentioned in the very beginning, it came in 2 grams under at 303g. Advertised weight is 305g for this, so well within the tolerance range. Balance was spot on. I will give this a thumbs up as I have seen Wilson QC and at time that has made me shudder.

2. The PJ was fantastic and the racquet is a looker. Paint quality and overall build quality was excellent as well. With the velvet (ish) bag it came in, it definitely had the 'wow' factor while unboxing. Aesthics however are very personal and in the end, how it played mattered more to me.

3. The head shape is a little unusual and head guard is a bit chunkier looking at 10 and 2. The box beam transitioning all the way up top towards the hoop is unique indeed.

Conclusion:
Overall, as stated above, the racquet does need weight in the hoop and handle to be a bit more authoritative and a real weapon. A good platform racquet and I would recommend to all level of players for that classic feel and feedback. Definitely go out and demo this if you are in the market for a new racquet. Thank you again Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop Srixon for this opportunity. Much appreciated.

Great review! very interesting tht you mentioned this CX is more control oriented as opposed to CV line which is more tweener type. I completly agree. I have hit with new CV and it really suits my game. More thicker beam that CX I believe. Hopefully u can give us a follow up to your review with more weight added to hoop now...

 

[haqq777]

Great review! very interesting tht you mentioned this CX is more control oriented as opposed to CV line which is more tweener type. I completly agree. I have hit with new CV and it really suits my game. More thicker beam that CX I believe. Hopefully u can give us a follow up to your review with more weight added to hoop now...

Thanks, and yes, will follow up here with how racquet plays with added weight as well. I think it will respond well to a little lead tape. I will be very keen to read reviews of those that got the Tour version to playtest. For the CX 200, I will say that it is a great racquet for it's group/class but definitely needs weight to hang with the big boys.

 

[MisterP]

I am not sure I agree with you. There are several factors here you need to consider. A big one being level of play. I am a former DII player and hit with college players regularly. Stock CX 200 is actually harder to use for me. It lacks depth on groundstrokes on heavy exchanges, flutters every now and then and balls not hit in the sweetspots feel harsher compared to 93P because it is not hefty enough. I actually had a much harder time keeping up with good players using CX 200 than 93P because I was having to swing out more on every ball to compensate for lack of depth. Also, 93P might be a 93 square inch on paper but it plays more like a 95 and has a big sweet spot so unless you are playing college level tennis or above, it is absolutely fine defensively. In fact, it is one of the most easiest mids to play with. Different strokes for different folk I guess.

There is a TW playtester who I won’t name, but who likes to swing big, and said the same thing about the 93p. She hit bigger forehands, bigger backhands, and with more spin. Bigger serves with more accuracy. But didn’t like how it felt on the defensive stab so that’s the deal breaker. Doesn’t make any sense to me, but like you said, different strokes.

 

[bigserving]

It is too light. No question. But low swingweight, low static weight means it’s designed for customization. And the good news is that it handles customization nicely.

My customized specs:

Static weight: 346g (12.2 oz)
Swingweight: 327
Balance: 31.2cm (9 points HL)

I added a Babolat Natural Leather replacement grip and 4x 5 inch strips of .25in lead tape to the hoop at 12 o’clock (5 grams). I have a full bed of Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 1.25mm with no dampener. And a Yonex Supergrap overgrip.

This is my ideal spec and this racquet feels perfect to me now. But if you wanted more swingweight, I’m positive it would handle it beautifully.

It seems like it is available for modification. I am going to put some hours on it in stock form to try to get the feel for what Dunlop is putting out there. Hitting few minutes against the wall, even in this stock, light setup, the frame still has some plowthrough.

Your custom setup sounds much like the specs of my Aerogel Tour. Looking forward, it is gonna be fun. Just need some clean, dry air!

 

[DJ-]

Dunlop Srixon CX Playtest: Review by Haqq777

Hello folk, please find my final review of the Dunlop Srixon CX 16x19 below. But first and foremost, a huge shout out to @TW Staff for giving me the opportunity to playtest this racquet. I really enjoyed it.

Before the actual playtest/review, let me provide some specs for the racquet. I unfortunately did not have access to RDC this time around for this playtest. All specs obtained below were using kitchen scale and table top method.

Strung with Dunlop Silk (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 324g
Balance: 6.5 PT HL

Strung with Volkl Cyclone 16 (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 326g
Balance: 6 PT HL

Unstrung:
Static Weight: 303g
Balance: 9 PT HL

Okay, now without further ado, below is my play test review. Enjoy.

Racquet Received:
Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19

String and tension used for test:
I used multiple string setups on the racquet. I played for about 5 hours with the provided Dunlop Silk which the racquet came pre-strung with. I am not sure what tension it was but it seeme like high fifties (lbs). After 5 hours, I cut out the Dunlop Silk and strung racquet with Volkl Cyclone 16g at 50 lbs.

Tennis experience/background:
I’m a 5’9”, 175lbs, former NCAA Div II college player. Currently in my mid thirties. I regularly play with local college team players who are considered respectable players in their conference. I have a diversified background when it comes to my history of racquets and have tried almost every line of every major brand out there.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am an aggressive baseliner who feels he is slowly transitioning to a somewhat all-court type of a game. Even though my serves are not extremely huge, I have decent groundies with ample (if not excessive) spin. Mostly rely on well-placed flatter 1st big serve and can generally get away with a well-placed but slower slice 2nd serve setting up a put-away forehand. I am consistent, and rate my forehand as my weapon. Extreme eastern forehand grip which sometimes goes semi-western and sometimes more conservative eastern depending on how I am playing. Have a one handed backhand which I tend to shy away from at times. It will always be a work in progress. My favorite shot is inside-out forehand which rarely lets me down.

Current racquet/string setups:
I have multiple racquet setups ready to go my bag. All vary from 330 to 355g (strung) static weight with SW varying from 330-340. I played with 16x19 patterns for over a decade but have slowly shifted to denser patterns. These days my weapon of choice are my Pure Storm Tour GT racquets. As for strings, I am using RS Lyon 17 as well Volkl Cyclone 16 - both strung at around 50lbs mark - in a bunch of my racquets. I am used to the response I get from both these strings and I feel I can adjust easily to them.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Grand total of 15 hours. First 5 hours were with Dunlop Silk it came strung with. Next 10 hours with Volkl Cyclone 16.

Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Feel of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19 is very classic. The racquet - even though being a 16x19 - seems to come off as a control oriented frame rather than a tweener type of frame. I was able to hit with a CV frame recently and I think the CV line is more tweener oriented than CX line. The CX 200 is a low powered frame and it was further evident once I strung it up with my usual poly strings. Groundstrokes required fuller swings and good timing for powerful shots. Since I am used to frames heavier by at least 15-20 grams, my timing was completely off for both forehand and backhands in the beginning. What I did notice was similarity to the very classic Dunlop feel (think Hotmelts, Muscle Weaves and Aerogels).

Stability is okay for its weight. Good balance makes it light and whippy as well on groundstrokes. The groundstrokes were crisp but I did feel any jarring and sometimes vibrations on ball impact out of sweet spot. Stiffness rating on racquet shows as 65 which I am assuming comes to low sixties once strung. With right string setup it is an arm friendly stick.

Control on groundstrokes came back to me once I got my timing down. I lacked depth however and that 'zing' on the ball. All my hitting partners told me my balls were not coming heavy and it was relatively easy for them to hit the ball back to me or even try to put it away. Slices were good and low however lacked that nastiness you can get from some of the control oriented frames.

Spin was average, I felt. This racquet is no spin-monster. I believe adding weight at tips might help with that a bit. Overall I noticed that even though the racquet has six mains, the string pattern becomes denser in center which works more for control than spin. I had to exaggerate my take back and follow through to achieve more spin at times.

-Serves:
As I mentioned earlier, my favored specs are pretty different than stock weight of this racquet. It took a lot of serves and lost games to get my timing down. But when I did, I was hitting serves on target. No issues with placement and slice serves were going in nicely. The flat first serve lacked pace however it was still pretty decent.

Because of it's lighter swingweight, the racquet moves through the air fast so you can really accelerate it into the serve. As with my forehand and backhands, some of my second serves were landing well behind the service line and shorter than usual. Once my confidence was up, I was able to place serves deeper, at angles and even with more kick than usual. I did feel that there was lack of consistent depth and I had to actively focus to get ball in deeper inside the box.

Bottom line here is that for a racquet in it's weight class, this racquet has pretty respectable serving abilities.

-Volleys:
I am not a great volleyer so I am probably not the best person to comment however I felt there was lack of pop and feel at the net. Even though racquet was light weight, maneuverable and whippy, I think feedback at net left much to be desired. There was just no feel and it seemed like ball just was not staying on stringbed (very less dwell time). For me, this was the category this racquet performed worst in.

-Serve returns:
Definitely the best part of the racquet for me. Racquet swings through the air quickly, but is still well balanced and you can tell that it is stable from the ground. I frequently found myself stepping in on deuce court side and attacking my opponents second serve. On ad-court side, I was able to swing enough on backhand to drive ball back with depth. Serve returns is where I find out the most about racquets twist weight and whether it 'flutters'. While CX 200 did flutter at times, I was able to achieve good results. Added weight to hoop might help.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

A few observations:

1. Shadow swinging from day one felt good and racquet seemed very whippy and maneuverable. Extremely easy to swing. For static weight, as mentioned in the very beginning, it came in 2 grams under at 303g. Advertised weight is 305g for this, so well within the tolerance range. Balance was spot on. I will give this a thumbs up as I have seen Wilson QC and at time that has made me shudder.

2. The PJ was fantastic and the racquet is a looker. Paint quality and overall build quality was excellent as well. With the velvet (ish) bag it came in, it definitely had the 'wow' factor while unboxing. Aesthics however are very personal and in the end, how it played mattered more to me.

3. The head shape is a little unusual and head guard is a bit chunkier looking at 10 and 2. The box beam transitioning all the way up top towards the hoop is unique indeed.

Conclusion:
Overall, as stated above, the racquet does need weight in the hoop and handle to be a bit more authoritative and a real weapon. A good platform racquet and I would recommend to all level of players for that classic feel and feedback. Definitely go out and demo this if you are in the market for a new racquet. Thank you again Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop Srixon for this opportunity. Much appreciated.

Fantastic review my friend. I'm sure many will find it helpful in their racquet searches. Great visuals too very professional.

 

[topspn]

Dunlop Srixon CX Playtest: Review by Haqq777

Hello folk, please find my final review of the Dunlop Srixon CX 16x19 below. But first and foremost, a huge shout out to @TW Staff for giving me the opportunity to playtest this racquet. I really enjoyed it.

Before the actual playtest/review, let me provide some specs for the racquet. I unfortunately did not have access to RDC this time around for this playtest. All specs obtained below were using kitchen scale and table top method.

Strung with Dunlop Silk (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 324g
Balance: 6.5 PT HL

Strung with Volkl Cyclone 16 (With Tourna Megatac OG)
Static Weight: 326g
Balance: 6 PT HL

Unstrung:
Static Weight: 303g
Balance: 9 PT HL

Okay, now without further ado, below is my play test review. Enjoy.

Racquet Received:
Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19

String and tension used for test:
I used multiple string setups on the racquet. I played for about 5 hours with the provided Dunlop Silk which the racquet came pre-strung with. I am not sure what tension it was but it seeme like high fifties (lbs). After 5 hours, I cut out the Dunlop Silk and strung racquet with Volkl Cyclone 16g at 50 lbs.

Tennis experience/background:
I’m a 5’9”, 175lbs, former NCAA Div II college player. Currently in my mid thirties. I regularly play with local college team players who are considered respectable players in their conference. I have a diversified background when it comes to my history of racquets and have tried almost every line of every major brand out there.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I am an aggressive baseliner who feels he is slowly transitioning to a somewhat all-court type of a game. Even though my serves are not extremely huge, I have decent groundies with ample (if not excessive) spin. Mostly rely on well-placed flatter 1st big serve and can generally get away with a well-placed but slower slice 2nd serve setting up a put-away forehand. I am consistent, and rate my forehand as my weapon. Extreme eastern forehand grip which sometimes goes semi-western and sometimes more conservative eastern depending on how I am playing. Have a one handed backhand which I tend to shy away from at times. It will always be a work in progress. My favorite shot is inside-out forehand which rarely lets me down.

Current racquet/string setups:
I have multiple racquet setups ready to go my bag. All vary from 330 to 355g (strung) static weight with SW varying from 330-340. I played with 16x19 patterns for over a decade but have slowly shifted to denser patterns. These days my weapon of choice are my Pure Storm Tour GT racquets. As for strings, I am using RS Lyon 17 as well Volkl Cyclone 16 - both strung at around 50lbs mark - in a bunch of my racquets. I am used to the response I get from both these strings and I feel I can adjust easily to them.

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
Grand total of 15 hours. First 5 hours were with Dunlop Silk it came strung with. Next 10 hours with Volkl Cyclone 16.

Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:
Feel of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 16x19 is very classic. The racquet - even though being a 16x19 - seems to come off as a control oriented frame rather than a tweener type of frame. I was able to hit with a CV frame recently and I think the CV line is more tweener oriented than CX line. The CX 200 is a low powered frame and it was further evident once I strung it up with my usual poly strings. Groundstrokes required fuller swings and good timing for powerful shots. Since I am used to frames heavier by at least 15-20 grams, my timing was completely off for both forehand and backhands in the beginning. What I did notice was similarity to the very classic Dunlop feel (think Hotmelts, Muscle Weaves and Aerogels).

Stability is okay for its weight. Good balance makes it light and whippy as well on groundstrokes. The groundstrokes were crisp but I did feel any jarring and sometimes vibrations on ball impact out of sweet spot. Stiffness rating on racquet shows as 65 which I am assuming comes to low sixties once strung. With right string setup it is an arm friendly stick.

Control on groundstrokes came back to me once I got my timing down. I lacked depth however and that 'zing' on the ball. All my hitting partners told me my balls were not coming heavy and it was relatively easy for them to hit the ball back to me or even try to put it away. Slices were good and low however lacked that nastiness you can get from some of the control oriented frames.

Spin was average, I felt. This racquet is no spin-monster. I believe adding weight at tips might help with that a bit. Overall I noticed that even though the racquet has six mains, the string pattern becomes denser in center which works more for control than spin. I had to exaggerate my take back and follow through to achieve more spin at times.

-Serves:
As I mentioned earlier, my favored specs are pretty different than stock weight of this racquet. It took a lot of serves and lost games to get my timing down. But when I did, I was hitting serves on target. No issues with placement and slice serves were going in nicely. The flat first serve lacked pace however it was still pretty decent.

Because of it's lighter swingweight, the racquet moves through the air fast so you can really accelerate it into the serve. As with my forehand and backhands, some of my second serves were landing well behind the service line and shorter than usual. Once my confidence was up, I was able to place serves deeper, at angles and even with more kick than usual. I did feel that there was lack of consistent depth and I had to actively focus to get ball in deeper inside the box.

Bottom line here is that for a racquet in it's weight class, this racquet has pretty respectable serving abilities.

-Volleys:
I am not a great volleyer so I am probably not the best person to comment however I felt there was lack of pop and feel at the net. Even though racquet was light weight, maneuverable and whippy, I think feedback at net left much to be desired. There was just no feel and it seemed like ball just was not staying on stringbed (very less dwell time). For me, this was the category this racquet performed worst in.

-Serve returns:
Definitely the best part of the racquet for me. Racquet swings through the air quickly, but is still well balanced and you can tell that it is stable from the ground. I frequently found myself stepping in on deuce court side and attacking my opponents second serve. On ad-court side, I was able to swing enough on backhand to drive ball back with depth. Serve returns is where I find out the most about racquets twist weight and whether it 'flutters'. While CX 200 did flutter at times, I was able to achieve good results. Added weight to hoop might help.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

A few observations:

1. Shadow swinging from day one felt good and racquet seemed very whippy and maneuverable. Extremely easy to swing. For static weight, as mentioned in the very beginning, it came in 2 grams under at 303g. Advertised weight is 305g for this, so well within the tolerance range. Balance was spot on. I will give this a thumbs up as I have seen Wilson QC and at time that has made me shudder.

2. The PJ was fantastic and the racquet is a looker. Paint quality and overall build quality was excellent as well. With the velvet (ish) bag it came in, it definitely had the 'wow' factor while unboxing. Aesthics however are very personal and in the end, how it played mattered more to me.

3. The head shape is a little unusual and head guard is a bit chunkier looking at 10 and 2. The box beam transitioning all the way up top towards the hoop is unique indeed.

Conclusion:
Overall, as stated above, the racquet does need weight in the hoop and handle to be a bit more authoritative and a real weapon. A good platform racquet and I would recommend to all level of players for that classic feel and feedback. Definitely go out and demo this if you are in the market for a new racquet. Thank you again Tennis Warehouse and Dunlop Srixon for this opportunity. Much appreciated.

Well done @haqq777 A well nuanced review that people should be able to get an understanding from

 

[tennisgurl]

Wow only one review so far? Cmon guys eagerly waiting for more reviews Especially interested in 18x20 non tour.

 

[fed1]

Wow only one review so far? Cmon guys eagerly waiting for more reviews Especially interested in 18x20 non tour.

There is no 18x20 non tour.

 

[time_fly]

There is no 18x20 non tour.

Could be waiting a while for that one.

I have five sessions with my CX 200 so far, mostly in doubles. I want to try some singles with it in stock form, then I will probably add some weight. I don't want to announce any conclusions until I've played more.

 

[tennisgurl]

There is no 18x20 non tour.

I'm sorry my bad was typing from phone and phone must have auto corrected. I meant the 18x20 tour I know the four versions of CX 200 that are being playtested. Thanks

 

[Faris]

I'm sorry my bad was typing from phone and phone must have auto corrected. I meant the 18x20 tour I know the four versions of CX 200 that are being playtested. Thanks

I remember you asking abt new tour 18x20 in another thread...would be interesting to compare to ur weighted up speed pro

 

[McLovin]

Wow only one review so far? Cmon guys eagerly waiting for more reviews

It’s been a bad week for me. Had a tournament last weekend and didn’t want to mess w/ my head any before my matches, and I’ve been on vacation this week (whirlwind tour of the US: Virginia -> Vegas -> Hoover Dam -> Grand Canyon-> Sedona-> New Mexico-> Oklahoma (dropping off my daughter back at college) -> Virginia).

But, I plan on hitting w/ the CX200 + exclusively for the next 2 weeks.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

I’ve put in some good time with the CX200 Tour 16x19 with the Dunlop Silk it came strung with. I think I really like the racquet and feel like my 1hbh really vibes with this racquet. Now, I really wasn’t a fan of the string job. It felt pretty tight and sticky. So I’ve cut it out and restrung with something more familiar at a tension that I’m comfortable with.

Before cutting out, after 7 sets and some hitting sessions, RacquetTune showed this:

That convinced me the stringjob was tight. A 48.6 reading after all that play surprised me. I’ll get back out there with RIP Control 17 strung a little looser and see what happens.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tennisgurl]

It’s been a bad week for me. Had a tournament last weekend and didn’t want to mess w/ my head any before my matches, and I’ve been on vacation this week (whirlwind tour of the US: Virginia -> Vegas -> Hoover Dam -> Grand Canyon-> Sedona-> New Mexico-> Oklahoma (dropping off my daughter back at college) -> Virginia).

But, I plan on hitting w/ the CX200 + exclusively for the next 2 weeks.

Very cool, my younger bro graduated last year from OU and my uncle is OK State alum from 80s. Makes for some fun banter at family get togethers. We're from FL so its even funnier since no one understands why those two are at it.

Look fwd to your review

 

[McLovin]

Very cool, my younger bro graduated last year from OU and my uncle is OK State alum from 80s. Makes for some fun banter at family get togethers. We're from FL so its even funnier since no one understands why those two are at it.

Look fwd to your review

Cool. My youngest is a freshman at OK State, my oldest is a senior at FSU. She’s actually president of the club team this year, and helps manage the men’s D1 team. And she interned at the USTA National Campus this past summer. She’s trying to get a job there, and we’re hoping to have an inside contact at the USTA

 

[MisterP]

Planning on posting my review for the CX200 Tour 16x19 later this week. Really impressive frame from Dunlop. Got me thinking about makin the switch!

Hey @TW Staff when is the video review going up for the Tour 16x19?

 

[McLovin]

@TW Staff, do you know if there will be a new line of Dunlop/Srixon bags accompanying these frames? Because, if you're going to change frames, you obviously need a bag to go w/ them...

 

[Big Bagel]

I'm sorry my bad was typing from phone and phone must have auto corrected. I meant the 18x20 tour I know the four versions of CX 200 that are being playtested. Thanks

I'll answer questions about the 18x20 Tour. I posted my initial thoughts on it, but I want to wait longer for my full review and get more hours with it since I still have some time. I think I'm gonna customize mine a little more too.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

Now, I really wasn’t a fan of the string job. It felt pretty tight and sticky. So I’ve cut it out and restrung with something more familiar at a tension that I’m comfortable with. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quoting myself just to respond that I played with the restrung CX 200 Tour 16x19 last night and it felt way softer/better. Not that it was bad before, but I felt it was strung too tight. Last night the temps dipped down to about 40 degrees and I played without a dampener. Feel was super comfy and power level was still controlled. More to come, hopefully when conditions are a little friendlier.

 

[Big Bagel]

Quoting myself just to respond that I played with the restrung CX 200 Tour 16x19 last night and it felt way softer/better. Not that it was bad before, but I felt it was strung too tight. Last night the temps dipped down to about 40 degrees and I played without a dampener. Feel was super comfy and power level was still controlled. More to come, hopefully when conditions are a little friendlier.

Yeah, good call. I never play with factory-strung string jobs or anything like that. I gotta string it myself to make sure that it's quality as well as a setup that I enjoy using. I was glad they sent us a set of Dunlop NT Max Plus strings with the racquet, I've used them before and I love them!

 

[seftelos81]

So guys... has anyone tried the extended CX200+?

 

[McLovin]

So guys... has anyone tried the extended CX200+?

I'm playtesting the 200+. What did you want to know?

Here are my initial thoughts on it: https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...rixon-cx-racquets.630348/page-2#post-12880842

 

[seftelos81]

Oh i haven't noticed that... Your initial thoughts seem good! I wanted to know about power/spin, control and maneuverability. I have tried Yonex DR98+ and the latest Ezone 98+ from extended length racquets and i would like to hear a comparison from someone who has hit with them too. I would like to try an extended racquet with thinner beam and i think CX200+ may worth a look.

 

[time_fly]

I've added some lead at 3 and 9 and counter-balancing blue tack to my CX 200 to bring it to just shy of 12oz and 8pt HL (strung + OG and O-ring dampener). I will write my review mostly about the unmodified version, but I think many users will want to add some weight. With the 305g starting weight with a synthetic grip, it doesn't take much to get to into the low to mid 12oz range. In fact it took me effort to keep the weight under 12oz, the balance nicely head light, and still get a noticeable amount of lead on the hoop.

I know the 18x20 Tour comes with leather stock; how about the 16x19 Tour?

 

[McLovin]

Oh i haven't noticed that... Your initial thoughts seem good! I wanted to know about power/spin, control and maneuverability. I have tried Yonex DR98+ and the latest Ezone 98+ from extended length racquets and i would like to hear a comparison from someone who has hit with them too. I would like to try an extended racquet with thinner beam and i think CX200+ may worth a look.

Well, its been a while since I hit w/ the DR98+, but from what I remember, the CX200+ has slightly less power and slightly less spin. I say this because I had some troubles keeping the ball in the court w/ the DR98+, but this is not an issue w/ the CX200+ (so far). My normal racquet is the Fischer Black Granite Pro No 1 that I extended to 27.5", and I love that frame, but like you, I'm looking for a thinner beam '+' frame as I feel I volley better w/ them.

Believe it or not, the CX200+ has a bit more power than my Fischer, but in the 16x19 pattern, seems to have a bit more spin, so I'm not hitting things as long. Not sure about maneuverability at the net as I haven't played much doubles with it yet, not have I served much. I plan on playing a bunch this weekend.

 

[Big Bagel]

I've added some lead at 3 and 9 and counter-balancing blue tack to my CX 200 to bring it to just shy of 12oz and 8pt HL (strung + OG and O-ring dampener). I will write my review mostly about the unmodified version, but I think many users will want to add some weight. With the 305g starting weight with a synthetic grip, it doesn't take much to get to into the low to mid 12oz range. In fact it took me effort to keep the weight under 12oz, the balance nicely head light, and still get a noticeable amount of lead on the hoop.

I know the 18x20 Tour comes with leather stock; how about the 16x19 Tour?

The 16x19 does NOT come standard with a leather grip.

I have been very generous with my lead tape so far, and I might not be done yet. I like racquets heavy, so I'm not shying away from my lead. I love the balance that it comes with though, so I do have to be a little careful.

 

[seftelos81]

Well, its been a while since I hit w/ the DR98+, but from what I remember, the CX200+ has slightly less power and slightly less spin. I say this because I had some troubles keeping the ball in the court w/ the DR98+, but this is not an issue w/ the CX200+ (so far). My normal racquet is the Fischer Black Granite Pro No 1 that I extended to 27.5", and I love that frame, but like you, I'm looking for a thinner beam '+' frame as I feel I volley better w/ them.

Believe it or not, the CX200+ has a bit more power than my Fischer, but in the 16x19 pattern, seems to have a bit more spin, so I'm not hitting things as long. Not sure about maneuverability at the net as I haven't played much doubles with it yet, not have I served much. I plan on playing a bunch this weekend.

Τhanks for the info. I couldn't hit with as much spin i would like to with DR98+ and i am a little concerned if you think that the CX200+ has even less spin. The better control is good though. I am more curious about the maneuverability on groundstrokes as i don't come to the net too often. Anyway i hope that you can give us a little more feedback after the weekend!

 

[MisterP]

I've added some lead at 3 and 9 and counter-balancing blue tack to my CX 200 to bring it to just shy of 12oz and 8pt HL (strung + OG and O-ring dampener). I will write my review mostly about the unmodified version, but I think many users will want to add some weight. With the 305g starting weight with a synthetic grip, it doesn't take much to get to into the low to mid 12oz range. In fact it took me effort to keep the weight under 12oz, the balance nicely head light, and still get a noticeable amount of lead on the hoop.

I know the 18x20 Tour comes with leather stock; how about the 16x19 Tour?

The Tour 16x19 came with a regular synthetic grip.

 

[MisterP]

Τhanks for the info. I couldn't hit with as much spin i would like to with DR98+ and i am a little concerned if you think that the CX200+ has even less spin. The better control is good though. I am more curious about the maneuverability on groundstrokes as i don't come to the net too often. Anyway i hope that you can give us a little more feedback after the weekend!

I would hold off on that spin judgement till you hit with one. There is some sort of witchy thing Dunlop is doing with the string pattern on these CX frames. The mains are spaced wider than the crosses around the sweetspot. So it actually generates a heavy ball if you swing fast but the tighter crosses give it a lower trajectory. It’s really interesting.

 

[Big Bagel]

I would hold off on that spin judgement till you hit with one. There is some sort of witchy thing Dunlop is doing with the string pattern on these CX frames. The mains are spaced wider than the crosses around the sweetspot. So it actually generates a heavy ball if you swing fast but the tighter crosses give it a lower trajectory. It’s really interesting.

I agree. It's not exactly a spin-oriented racquet, but it's probably the spinniest 18x20 I've ever used. I've got more hitting to do, but it might even get more spin than my usual 16x20 racquet.

 

[McLovin]

@TW Staff, do you know if there will be a new line of Dunlop/Srixon bags accompanying these frames? Because, if you're going to change frames, you obviously need a bag to go w/ them...

Quoting myself as a little sleuthing produced very positive results. I'm hoping this image isn't blocked, but I found the 2019 line of bags from a Japanese site:

Very similar graphics to the frames themselves.

 

[haqq777]

Quoting myself as a little sleuthing produced very positive results. I'm hoping this image isn't blocked, but I found the 2019 line of bags from a Japanese site:

Very similar graphics to the frames themselves.

Good looking bag.

 

[tennisgurl]

I'll answer questions about the 18x20 Tour. I posted my initial thoughts on it, but I want to wait longer for my full review and get more hours with it since I still have some time. I think I'm gonna customize mine a little more too.

Thanks, will keep a lookout for your review!

 

[fed1]

Bags will be available in mid January.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

I hit with a 5.0 buddy of mine today (I am 4.0), me using the CX Tour 16x19 strung with RIP control 17. This was the first time i’ve played without my Wrist Widget since my injury in August 2017. My wrist felt fine during and after. So i’ll be giving high marks for comfort.

The racquet felt stable enough, but he said he felt like I hit a heavier ball with my Angell TC95. The Dunlop is about 20 grams lighter than the Angell, so that is to be expected. Now I’ll probably do some mods to close the gap.

 

[Wall Ball Wizard]

Hi all!

This is my first attempt at a written racquet review to share with others. I hope I'm able to provide some useful insights into the performance of the racquet, or at the very least make you want to demo it! And here we go..

Racquet:
Dunlop Srixon CX 200 + (plus)

String & tension:
Dunlop Silk 16g black. Racquet came pre-strung from TW, most likely at mid-tension. Racquet recommended tension range is 45-60.


Tennis experience and background:
I started playing at around age 11 and played religiously till about age 20. This included playing high-school varsity and JV.. also junior college club tennis. I then regrettably stopped playing for the next 20 years! I have since picked up the game five years ago, and am back to playing at religious levels! And a serious case of Racquetholism...

Style:
Baseliner. I can both employ an aggressive and counter-punching game plan. Although 48, I really don't look a day over 30! I'm 5'8 at 145 pounds and usually out run players at my age group. One of my main hitting partners is literally 20 years younger. I was rated 4.0 level at the National tennis center in NYC. I hit with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand.. think a very poor man's Gilles Simon! I started with a one-handed backhand, so I'm able to use a one-handed slice to good affect. I'm not a big server, I usually rely on good placement and keeping double faults at bay on serve. My net play is improving, but remains my Achilles heel... .

Current racquet:
Hmm, well I'm a Holic, so take this with a grain of salt. Before being selected for this playtest, I was really grooving with my Wilson Ultra Tour. In the past week I finally pulled the plug on a Head Pro Tour 280! As for string I'm mainly a poly user... Lux ALU power and Hyper G are mainstays.

Playtest Hours:
About 10.

Racquet performance:
- Groundstrokes: Best part of the playtest. Due to the racquets very manageable static and swing weight, maneuverability was the name of the game on groundies. After a 1 -2 hour adjustment period to the extended length, I had no problems ramping up the racquet head speed to apply spin. Like most extended length racquets I've tried, the extra half inch quickly became a guilty pleasure on my two-hander. The extra leverage just makes everything better. I became more aggressive on that wing and wasn't afraid to rip shots cross court or down the line. At one point I started running around forehands! Ditto on slices.. as Chris says, "dirty slice". A normally defensive shot easily became offensive. It took slightly longer to gel on the forehand due to the extra length. It wasn't really a racquet maneuverability issue, it was more me having to adjust to the racquet. I found myself at first overrunning shots on that wing and catching the ball lower on the stringbed if that makes any sense. After a couple of hours this went away. It's not often you can get very wristy with 27.5 in racquet, but not a problem with CX 200+. Flicking shots on the run were easy. A shot I started to love on the forehand wing was the squash shot. Like the backhand slice, I was able to bail myself out of trouble and at times put my opponent in awkward positions. The feel on contact was fairly modern... a somewhat slightly muted feel. There was a hint of vibration at contact, but this gave me some much appreciated feedback... just don't expect the Prestige feel of yore though. I had absolutely no comfort issues.. very arm friendly in my opinion. I did find some instability at times against pace, mainly towards the tip of the racquet... I'm confident some lead at 12 will cure this. Even in stock form, the racquet has descent plowthrough. I never really encountered any problems with depth or power. I also found the sweetspot to be very generous. The soft flex gave it very nice touch, I could notice a nice ball pocket on impact... dropped a couple of sweet drop shots!

- Serves: Second best part of the playtest. At 5'8, that extra half is very welcome. Flat first serves down the T were sick. There was an adjustment period with the second serve... a shot that requires a little more wrist action. Again this is something common to extended frames. The racquet's maneuverability though kept this adjustment period short... by the 3rd / 4th hour I was not really having any problems. I found the same instability at the tip as in groundies.. lead at 12 should fix that. I really believe big serving players will inflict some serious damage with this frame!

- Volley: Well this was the head scratcher part of the test. I'm not the cleanest volleyer out there... this the weakest part of my game. So I'll admit the user was 70/30 part of the issue here. On the positive side was the racquet's inherent maneuverability. To my surprise I did not find myself handcuffed too much due to the length.. something I usually encounter with most other 27.5 frames. When I had time to line up the shot, I was usually able to place the volley beyond my opponent. The instability issue I had found on groundies and serve did seem to be more profound at net.. especially against incoming pace. The combination of low flex, extended length, 11.4 oz static weight I believe, contributed to this. Any volleys hit outside the sweetspot, I could feel the racquet twist. My volleys hit in this manner just either ended up at the net or floated harmlessly for my opponent to feast on. I believe extra weight on the head is needed here for the racquet to be useful for a net player. Again, this not the strongest part of my game. The soft flex and touch could be a boon for a polished volleyer.. I can see how touch volleys could be magical with the CX 200+! Oddly, I found success on overheads. I was able to stick a few with good success. The extra torque was very welcomed!

- Returns: Overall not too many complaints here. This was a sort of a combo of my groundstrokes and volley findings. The maneuverability of the frame helped me to get the stick around very quickly on both wings. I was very aggressive on most returns and it usually put me in control of the point. The only complaint was on chip returns where a little more mass would help. I ended up mostly hitting topspin returns during the test.. not necessarily a bad thing.

Continued...

 

[Wall Ball Wizard]

Comments on overall performance:

The Dunlop Srixon CX 200 + is an extended length frame with great maneuverability and feel. Like a true players frame, the racquet gives the user whatever the user does with the racquet. If you hit with spin and power, the racquet gives you that. Take something off, you can finesse the ball. It doesn't offer you, in my opinion, an over abundance of free power or spin... I personally prefer that in a racquet. The lighter spec is primed for customization. The CX 200 + feels pretty solid in stock form, but I did find some instability outside the sweetspot... not a deal breaker whatsoever, lead in the hoop should fix that. Honestly anyone demoing 98 sq inch standard length frames should include the CX 200 +... it's unlike most plus length frames on the market today. Unfortunately I do not string my own racquets, so the test was conducted on only using Dunlop Silk. I finally was able to take it to a stringer as of posting this review. I will chime in later with my findings using a co-poly. I must say I was quite blown away by the performance of the CX 200 + with a soft multi! It never held held me back in terms of control or spin.

Conclusion:

If I had to summarize the Playtest of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 + into one phrase, it would be "Ease of Use". This phrase is not uncommon with standard length frames.. there are a few. But with 27.5 inch frames, it can be a bit more difficult. The attributes of a Plus length frame have always been appealing to my game. But finding the right one has been a mix bag at best for me. For whatever reason, modern day frames that get extended by manufacturers are of the already spin friendly / power variety. You know them already, the PD's, PA's, Ezones, Vcores, ... and of course The Bisner. Power frames turned into howitzers. These racquets also come with already factory high swingweights and thicker beams... customization is limited. You get what you get! For those who can control these frames, the world is yours! Unfortunately, I'm not one of the few. The Babolat Pure Aero Plus was fun for a bit, but touch and finesse wasn't there.... it limited me as a player. I would mostly end up trying to blast away at will into big targets on the court. Not me. The Head Liquidmetal Instinct Tour XL came pretty darn close. But I just wasn't a fan of the feel. Yonex has extended the Ezone and Vcore lines, but I'm just not a fan of them. The DR 98 standard length is very well received frame, but the Plus just felt awkward. I believe someone on this forum once compared the feel to Tupperware... agreed. Which brings me to the CX 200+. This racquets name is maneuverability and touch... very unlike the aforementioned frames. After really one hitting session, I gelled quickly with the racquet. I was confident and comfortable enough to hit a wide range of shots, both power and finesse. I was also going for the lines and more acute angels on shots. This frame made me more of an aggressive baseliner than counter puncher. The overall lower weight is primed for customization. This I believe might really help the CX 200 + stand apart from extended frame bunch. You can make it your own... keep it light or beef it up. During the test I kept thinking if there was a racquet I had tried before that reminded of the CX 200+, then mid-way through my second session it hit me. The Head i Prestige Xtra-long. The combination of feel, touch, maneuverability, the extra leverage of the 27.5 inch length was all there. Despite having a 18x20 stringbed, I could really ramp up the spin and have the ball dive at the line with the Xtra-long. Funny the Xtra-long also had the same type of instability as the CX 200+. As to why I never weighted it up and worse, SOLD IT is beyond me. Racquetholism is a disease! Luckily, I suppose, there is now the CX 200+! Now before The Head Prestige faction jump on me, no the "feel" is not the same. But it does share some of the same attributes in control, comfort, spin, ease of use, low flex, thin beam and touch as the Xtra-long. Not many extended frames can say that these days. The CX 200 + does have the edge on forgiveness, pop, and is more stable in stock form than the Head. So in many ways, the CX 200+ is a modern day evolution of the Xtra-long.. IMO. Am I switching? Not sure, I just got Anakin's lightsaber.. the PT 280. But without a shadow of a doubt, the CX 200+ now sits at the top of my 27.5 frame list. I AM NOT SELLING THIS ONE.

Well everyone there you have it. It truly was a blast using the CX 200 +... very impressed. I sincerely hope I was able to add some food for thought to the discussion of the frame... of course this is one giant IMO. I look forward to reading other playtesters experiences with this frame.

Many thanks to TW and Dunlop Srixon for this opportunity!

All my best..

 

[seftelos81]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the extensive review. Racquetholism awakening... I guess the CX200+ would be a strong candidate for my next racquet of choice!

 

[ttgrinder]

Review of Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20
=====================================

Racquet Received
CX Tour 18x20

String and tension used for test:
The test racquet came strung with Dunlop Silk at possibly 55lb, and used that for around 6 hrs. Then used Volkl Cyclone17 54lb mains / 52lb crosses for another 14 hrs.

Tennis experience/background:
Late bloomer. Never picked up a racket till friends introduced me to it during middle age, and picked it up gradually over 10 years time to be at 4.5, where I think I saturates. In general I love talking tennis.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
I like to think myself as a counter puncher. Even though some of my friends think I am too offensive, I think it is because I finish many points in offense. But I get there (into offense) by counter punching unbalanced opponents.

Current racquet/string setups:
Yonex MP Tour 1 mid. Volkl Cyclone17 54lb mains / 52lb crosses

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
20hrs

Comments on racquet performance:
Even though the specs are slightly different, this racquet has a lot of similarity to Dunlop F3.0 Tour I have, which is apparently a 98 sq.inch racket. Surprisingly the CX tour with a 95 sq inch felt bigger than that in practical use, and also it felt slightly more flexy in practice than the stiffness specs indicate.

-Groundstrokes:
9/10
Excellent. Overall felt solid in stock form for baseline battle. Have enough juice to keep the balls deep in defensive situations, and also have the accuracy and control to provide that confidence to go for it in offensive. Also as from my hitting partner’s feed back it looks I am generating more spin than I thought. I think the shape/curve on the shot is not same as you expect on high revolution ball. Also the string bed is very consistent, and change of directions were easy and consistent. So pretty much very impressed with the ground stroke performance.


-Serves:
6/10
Serve does have good rotations and slice serves were coming in better than my other frames for some reason. But I had some issue to tune in to get the same pop and kick on the serve from this racket at least from a visual perspective. In practice sets I played I did not find any real issues in holding serves. So it might be just some difference in trajectories I have to get used to.

-Volleys:
7/10
Since it felt very flexible during the ground strokes, I went with a mind set that it probably was not going to hold well in volleys. But had no issues with volley. Especially touch volleys and drop volleys came in easy. Had some issues with reaction volleys, probably just me. Really loved how it felt on defensive low volleys.

-Serve returns:
9/10
Excellent. Felt very confident with block returning heavy serves. The racquet has just enough mass to hold up to any rec level serves at my level, and at the same is not difficult to manure around to get in position quickly against those big servers. Also when I need to, it was super easy to step in and smack one back on some of the second serves. Essentially the right balance of mass and maneuverability, for excellent returns. Also the control oriented aspects of the racket shows off in the returns.


General reaction/comments on overall performance:

Overall: 8/10. Yes, if I am changing my racquets I would consider switching to a Dunlop CX200 Tour 18x20. I still have some getting used to do, but I am confident that it will hold up to my expectations.

I can see that folks coming from Wilson/Babolat racquets may see a bit odd with the flex and feel of the CX Tour. But if you try it, make sure to hit long enough to see the good results. Even though I am a regular 18x20 user, it still took time for me to dial in with the CX Tour 18x20. Still I am not fully dialed in with the serve for example. Like I mentioned before, it is comparable to a larger head sized Dunlop F3.0 Tour. Another noticeable thing is that it is easy to customize this racquet if you need some extra mass/stability. Love the feel of the leather grip, when I did hit with it. But most of the playtest I used two overgrips, to match the same grip feel as my other regular racquets. It is also worth mentioning that, the RF97 kind of black matte paint job, along with the touch of red, gives it a nice look. I just like how the non-dominant hand feels on that paint on the throttle. Overall quality of work on the frame is excellent.

Excellent job, Dunlop.

 

[macguyvur]

Great reviews! Does anyone know, or can anyone estimate, when the CX 200 / Tour 16x19 will be available for demo/purchase?

 

[bigserving]

I was concerned that the light static weight would present problems with comfort,stability, power, and plow through. I have been pleasantly surprised at the playability of the Tour 16 x19 in it's stock form.

 

[Unforced Terrors]

Comments on overall performance:

During the test I kept thinking if there was a racquet I had tried before that reminded of the CX 200+, then mid-way through my second session it hit me. The Head i Prestige Xtra-long. The combination of feel, touch, maneuverability, the extra leverage of the 27.5 inch length was all there. Despite having a 18x20 stringbed, I could really ramp up the spin and have the ball dive at the line with the Xtra-long. Funny the Xtra-long also had the same type of instability as the CX 200+. As to why I never weighted it up and worse, SOLD IT is beyond me. Racquetholism is a disease! Luckily, I suppose, there is now the CX 200+! Now before The Head Prestige faction jump on me, no the "feel" is not the same. But it does share some of the same attributes in control, comfort, spin, ease of use, low flex, thin beam and touch as the Xtra-long. Not many extended frames can say that these days. The CX 200 + does have the edge on forgiveness, pop, and is more stable in stock form than the Head. So in many ways, the CX 200+ is a modern day evolution of the Xtra-long.. IMO. Am I switching? Not sure, I just got Anakin's lightsaber.. the PT 280. But without a shadow of a doubt, the CX 200+ now sits at the top of my 27.5 frame list. I AM NOT SELLING THIS ONE.

All my best..

If I was a talent recruiter for a business, your review would have hit all the keywords for me. I've always wanted something similar to my 15+ year old Head I Prestige XL's. I just switched to the Prince Beast Pro 100 LB which is also extended and has no stability issues but I've gotta try the new 200+ from Dunlop.

 

[fed1]

Great reviews! Does anyone know, or can anyone estimate, when the CX 200 / Tour 16x19 will be available for demo/purchase?

Mid January

 

[MisterP]

Racquet Received:
Dunlop Srixon CX Tour 16x19

String and tension used for test:
Originally received with Dunlop Silk 1.30mm, likely strung mid tension. However, I cut this string out fairly early and strung with my preferred Tecnifibre Black Code 4S 17 at 52lbs so that I could make a more accurate comparison between this frame and others.

Tennis experience/background
4.0 all-court player currently using a customized Prince Textreme Tour 95. I’m as happy to S&V as I am to stay back and rally. I have an extreme eastern forehand and a two handed backhand, but am known to rip a one hander on occasion. I rely on touch shots a lot. Love the dropper.

Current racquet:
Prince Textreme Tour 95 with Babolat Natural Leather grip, 6g of lead tape at 12 oclock. Static weight is 346, SW is 326, balance is 10 pts HL. Strung with Tecnifibre Black Code 4s 17 at 52 lbs on an Alpha Pioneer DC+ (dropweight).

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
A lot! Originally, I put probably 10 hours on the racquet in stock form. That was a mixture of clinics, singles and doubles. I probably have an additional 20 hours on it in its current customized form.

Racquet performance:

Groundstrokes -87- Initially I enjoyed the frame off my backhand wing, because I drive my backhand more than my forehand. But, my forehands were landing shorter in the court, and just didn’t have the weight that I am used to. The example that I received came in at a very low 309 swingweight in stock form, so that explains the lack of court penetration. Once I added a leather grip and some lead at 12 o’clock that problem was solved. With a swingweight of 327 this frame gave me a lot of confidence on my forehand. The low trajectory meant I was able to carve angles or blast flat winners on both the forehand and backhand wings with relative ease. The tight stringbed produces a low, knifing backhand slice and the power of the frame provides good depth into the court. Maneuverability was very good, especially in defensive situations, I had no problems picking up difficult half volleys or stabbing a squash shot to stay in the point. The frame stiffness and generous sweetspot gave this racquet better than average stability and forgiveness off the ground. The only knock I can give this frame is that in stock form it was too light for me, but I believe Dunlop knows that the intended customer will likely customize.

Volleys -87- Everything that makes this a great stick off the ground translates to the volleys as well. Improved frame power and a good sized sweetspot means it can stick a volley winner with the best of them. Off center hits still come off the stringbed with power. The control-oriented string pattern yields a nice low slice volley, and the excellent feel of the racquet will allow you to produce touch shots with ease. It’s hard to fault this frame. Again, in stock form, it suffered from a lack of stability and penetration, but once customized it is a real weapon.

Serves -85- This is a control oriented frame, so what you see is what you get. If you have solid serve mechanics, you’ll be able to bomb a serve as well as you can place it with this frame. I don’t have a Playsight court to back me up on this, but I feel like my first serve percentage was higher with this racquet. I believe it’s the lower trajectory that provides more reliable placement, but there is a tradeoff for sure. A slightly more open pattern is going to produce a lot of jump off the court with the second serve, but you’re giving up some control. I could probably adjust the lead tape and string setup to get more spin if I wanted to.

Returns -87- I had problems getting pushed around on big first serves in stock form. Although the frame has decent stiffness, it’s not high enough to support a 309 swingweight when you’re receiving 100+ mph serves. Once, the swingweight got up to a decent range it was up to the task. Again, the inherent control of the frame combined with good maneuverability and a generous sweetspot means you can go after your returns. On second serve returns, I really felt confident in going for angled winners on both wings. I like to use the slice return a lot, especially in doubles because I can keep the ball low and come in behind it, and this frame doesn’t disappoint in that regard.

Final Thoughts:
This is my first experience with a Dunlop frame. It has elements that remind me of the Wilson Ultra Tour, the Babolat Project One7 and of course my Prince Textreme Tour 95. In stock form, it is lacking for my game. But the good news is that it handles customization beautifully. The biggest accolade I can give this racquet is that I have played several league matches with it and have not switched back to my trusty Prince yet. A lot of that confidence comes down to the feel of this racquet. Feel is a totally underrated specification in modern tennis, and most manufacturers have gotten it completely wrong. They start with an overly stiff frame and then attempt to counter that by adding dampening technologies. This technology does a good job of eliminating high frequency vibration, but not the damaging low frequency vibration. What you end up with is a frame that still gives you tennis elbow, but completely removes all feel. This works for well for one type of tennis player: the baseline basher. For anyone who actually values knowing where the ball will land after you hit it, it’s a recipe for having to buy a new racquet in a few months. Dunlop has hit the nail on the head with the feel of this frame. It does have a slightly muted feel, but the base layup is pretty flexible so it still has great touch.

The other key to the success of this frame for me was that tighter cross string pattern. I don’t know that I have seen any other frames where the crosses are tighter than the mains, but it works for me in this application. I measured the size of the gaps through the middle of the stringbed and it's actually tighter than the 18x20 Wilson Ultra Tour. I used to use open string racquets a lot because I believed the hype that “moar spin!!!” is always better. It isn’t. More open string pattern equals a higher launch angle, which theoretically equals a deeper ball. But, a lot of time you just end up swatting the ball way long, especially on approach shots where you don’t have as much court to hit into and you need a flatter stroke. These modern players racquets are going back to the formula of control over power/spin. The interesting thing is that it has both more control and more power than my Textreme Tour 95 and is equally comfortable. What a combo! Probably making the switch!

Huge thanks to @TW Staff and Dunlop Srixon for this opportunity. I can’t say enough good things about them. You have earned a new Dunlop customer, and I’m very much looking forward to the matching 12 pack bag.

 

[McLovin]

Racquet Received:

Dunlop/Srixon CX 200 +​

String and tension used for test:

• First 10 hours: 1.25mm Yonex Poly Tour Pro at 48lbs
• Last 8 hours: 1.25mm Luxilon Natural Gut mains, 1.25mm Yonex Poly Tour Pro (aka YPTP) crosses at 52/50

Tennis experience/background:

I've been playing for over 40 years, starting around age 9, playing D3 college, USTA tournaments, and USTA leagues. I've also coached high school tennis, and help out occasionally with clinics and lessons at my local club. I also string racquets for the majority of players at my club.​

​

Describe your playing style:

I'm a 4.5/5.0 level player. In singles, I'm predominately an aggressive baseliner, taking the ball early and trying to move my opponent around the court, looking for a short ball to come in on & put away at the net. I have a 2 handed backhand (grip similar to Agassi) and my forehand is flatter than most (I hit with an Eastern grip). I don't generate a ton of power from the ground, but I do absorb & redirect my opponent's power well. Being 5' 9", I'm more of a 'spot server', moving it around the box and trying to not give my opponent the save serve.​

​

In doubles, I'm 100% serve & volley off both serves. I'm extremely aggressive off the return, and will look for my first opportunity to come to net, although admittedly volleying is probably the weakest part of my game.​

​

Current racquet/string setups:

I've been fiddling for the last year, trying to find the right frame that fits my different playing styles from singles to doubles. As a result, I've been using the Fischer Black Granite Pro No 1 (295g version, extended to 27.5" and leaded up to 315g, 9pts HL) with YPTP at 48lbs for singles, and the Pacific X Tour 97 (also extended to 27.5") with 17g Pacific Classic mains and YPTP crosses at 52/50.​

​

How many hours did you play with the racquet?

Around 18 hours​

​

Comments on racquet performance:

• Groundstrokes: 9/10

On the 2 handed backhand, this frame was exceptional. Extremely stable and well balanced. I had absolutely no problems coming through the ball, and was able to take it up the line, roll it cross court, or step in to attack. I don't hit a lot of spin on my backhand, but I had no issues generating it when I needed to. Depth and pace were fairly consistent, allowing me to keep my opponents pinned down in the backhand portion of the court.​

​

Initially on the forehand I felt a tad late coming around. I suspected this was due to the difference in balance between my Pro No 1s and the CX 200+, and sure enough, my Pro No 1s were ~ 3 pts more headlight. So, I focused on preparing earlier and was rewarded appropriately. The frame has excellent stability & plow, provided you have the frame moving. Like on the backhand, cross court rally shots had consistently good depth, pace, and spin, and I was able to not only rip some good passing shots up the line, but also a few dipping cross court angles.​

​

Slices were also excellent. Again, at only 305g, it is extremely stable. With my aging body, hitting balls above my shoulder on the forehand can give me problems, especially against some of the younger players who hit heavy, looping topspin. I don't like to back off the baseline, so I simply hold my ground, change to a Continental grip, and bunt/slice it back. Absolutely no issues doing that with this frame.​

• Serves: 10/10

What can I say, I loved serving with this. Obviously the extended length helped, but for all of my matches I was serving like my 6' 2" 5.0 hitting partner. In the deuce court, I was effortlessly hitting flat up the tee, then slicing out wide the next time. The big difference is the added power & spin, as compared to my Pro No 1s. I have a 'sneaky good' slice out wide, but the CX 200 + 'kicked it up a notch'. Essentially, I was getting a few more MPHs on the wide serve, turning what is usually a weak response from my opponent into an ace or a service winner. Second serves had some added kick, and when accompanied by depth & spin, my opponents were baffled. Its not as they hadn't seen serves like this, its that they hadn't seen them from me.​

​

Serving to the ad court provided similar results. Flat out wide, I was able to get a little more angle without sacrificing pace. Also, one my regular hitting partners hits a slice up the tee that results in me making contact 5ft to the right of the center hash. I've been trying to hit that serve for over a year with inconsistent results. While not perfect, I was definitely hitting that serve more consistently with this frame.​

• Volleys: 8/10

Probably the weakest part of my game, so take this rating with a grain of salt. As you may garner from what I've said before, the CX 200 + is a stable frame from the ground, and the same adjective applies to the net. Good feel around the net, and while its not a nimble as my X Tour 97, it isn't as clunky as my Pro No 1.​

​

In singles, most of my volleys were off weaker shots as I normally only come in off short balls that I've hit to the corner. In those cases, putting the volley away was a breeze. Solid at contact, and stable through the finish. Good directional control as I was able to go cross court or behind my opponent confidently. No issue with high volleys either, especially off the backhand side.​

​

In doubles, I was able to defend well against some hard-hit ground strokes with barely any twisting. Meeting the ball out front, I was able to hit consistent, deep, aggressive volleys off weaker shots. It was solid on low volleys, although I would stop short of calling a 'scalpel' (which is how I refer to the X Tour 97). Again, better than my Pro No 1, but not quite as good as the X Tour Pro. I did have some issues on my low backhand volley at first, but I'm going to chalk that up to lack of confidence in the frame. Once I got a set of doubles under my belt, I stopped breaking my wrist and popping things up.​

​

All in all, a solid frame at the net.​

• Serve returns: 10/10 (backhand) 8/10 (forehand)

Everyone feels they had a 'signature shot', and for me this is the backhand return from the ad side, especially in doubles. From the first swing I knew this would not disappoint in this category. For the record, I feel as though I could hit this shot with pretty much any frame, but the feel of this was perfect for me. I compare it to hitting the sweet spot on a driver: You barely notice you hit the ball. It was extremely stable against big servers, allowing me to 'grip it and rip it' back at my opponent's feet, as well as step in and take their 2nd serve on the rise and drive it either cross court or up the line. Similar results from the deuce court, and its stability allowed me to fend off some good serves into the backhand-body.​

​

On the forehand from the ad side, I was able to hit good inside-out returns, keeping the ball low with good pace. However, I was a tad late trying to go up the line off hard first serves. My biggest issue was returning from the deuce side in doubles. I normally return from the ad, but one set I changed it up and noticed I was not getting in front of the ball on big first serve returns, so some of my shots were right at the net person, resulting in a fairly routine forehand volley. But, moving back a step gave me that extra 1/2 second to get it cross-court.​

​

Note that this is only an issue for me in doubles. In singles, its not as important that I get the returns cross-court. In fact, in many cases it helps me hit a better return in singles: Hitting deep down the middle of the court takes away my opponent's angles, and more often than not, puts me in a neutral position at worst, off of what is an extremely good serve.​

 

[McLovin]

...continued...

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

Top marks from me on this frame. If anyone out there is lamenting the 'days of old' of the Babolat Pure Control +/Pure Storm +, you most definitely need to give this a swing. Very similar feel in a lighter stock package (which I presume will take customization well). The only thing I did in the way of 'customization' is I added a 2nd overwrap as I prefer a 4 1/2" grip.​

​

As mentioned, the first part of the playtest was full YPTP at 48lbs and all singles play, along with a few hours of drilling. The feel was somewhat muted, but firm. Off-center shots certainly experienced a loss of power, but there was minimal twisting, and no annoying 'buzz' or vibration. I'd likely stick with this string/tension going forward for singles play.​

​

The second part was gut/YPTP at 52/50 and predominately doubles, along with an hour or so of drilling. Feel was slightly softer, with an expected small uptick in power (most likely due to the gut mains). Since my doubles play is usually quick, hard hitting points, its hard to say how this setup would do on the singles court, but for the doubles it was the right combination.​

​

Aesthetically, it is a beautiful frame. As mentioned before, I really like the mix of flat black and gloss red, although it did seem to chip easily at 3 & 9 (I'll post some pics later, and hopefully some video).​

​

Another thing to note is that this past February I experienced Tennis Elbow for the first time in my life (due to Luxilon 4G Rough). I did PT for a couple months, and ended up getting a Cortisone shot around mid-May. Still, it took me until just recently to completely heal. This frame is spec'd as 65 RA, and I had absolutely no issues. In fact, I played 6 long sets in back-to-back days vs an extremely fit 4.5 'human backboard' using this frame, and while the remainder of my body was shot, my forearm/elbow felt fine.​

​

Its not often I playtest something and come away thinking 'this is the one', but honestly, that is my mindset right now. I've been on the hunt for something that I feel comfortable playing both singles and doubles with, and this seems to check all the right boxes. In all honesty, I've been eyeing this frame for almost a year & a half (see https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...g-a-srixion-distributor.582932/#post-11230263). My plans are to continue using this for the remainder of the year, and make my final decision once they are released (I've heard early January?). But if I had to make a decision right now, I'd be buying a couple more (...along with that new bag ).​

​

Thanks again to TW and Dunlop/Srixon. I would have eventually demo'd this frame on my own, but having the ability to string it with my string/tension and not feel rushed to make a decision after a week will most likely result in a new Dunlop/Srixon user.​

 

[SpinToWin]

...continued...

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

Top marks from me on this frame. If anyone out there is lamenting the 'days of old' of the Babolat Pure Control +/Pure Storm +, you most definitely need to give this a swing. Very similar feel in a lighter stock package (which I presume will take customization well). The only thing I did in the way of 'customization' is I added a 2nd overwrap as I prefer a 4 1/2" grip.​

​

As mentioned, the first part of the playtest was full YPTP at 48lbs and all singles play, along with a few hours of drilling. The feel was somewhat muted, but firm. Off-center shots certainly experienced a loss of power, but there was minimal twisting, and no annoying 'buzz' or vibration. I'd likely stick with this string/tension going forward for singles play.​

​

The second part was gut/YPTP at 52/50 and predominately doubles, along with an hour or so of drilling. Feel was slightly softer, with an expected small uptick in power (most likely due to the gut mains). Since my doubles play is usually quick, hard hitting points, its hard to say how this setup would do on the singles court, but for the doubles it was the right combination.​

​

Aesthetically, it is a beautiful frame. As mentioned before, I really like the mix of flat black and gloss red, although it did seem to chip easily at 3 & 9 (I'll post some pics later, and hopefully some video).​

​

Another thing to note is that this past February I experienced Tennis Elbow for the first time in my life (due to Luxilon 4G Rough). I did PT for a couple months, and ended up getting a Cortisone shot around mid-May. Still, it took me until just recently to completely heal. This frame is spec'd as 65 RA, and I had absolutely no issues. In fact, I played 6 long sets in back-to-back days vs an extremely fit 4.5 'human backboard' using this frame, and while the remainder of my body was shot, my forearm/elbow felt fine.​

​

Its not often I playtest something and come away thinking 'this is the one', but honestly, that is my mindset right now. I've been on the hunt for something that I feel comfortable playing both singles and doubles with, and this seems to check all the right boxes. In all honesty, I've been eyeing this frame for almost a year & a half (see https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...g-a-srixion-distributor.582932/#post-11230263). My plans are to continue using this for the remainder of the year, and make my final decision once they are released (I've heard early January?). But if I had to make a decision right now, I'd be buying a couple more (...along with that new bag ).​

​

Thanks again to TW and Dunlop/Srixon. I would have eventually demo'd this frame on my own, but having the ability to string it with my string/tension and not feel rushed to make a decision after a week will most likely result in a new Dunlop/Srixon user.​

DROOL INTENSIFIES

 

[seftelos81]

Oh come on guys... Now i will have to take my pills for my holism again! I will count the days one by one but not for happy new year... for happy CX200+ launching