Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Wilson Ultra Racquets

[jayserinos99]

Update 2 (Final) – 2 hours of wall hitting and regular hitting with 4.5 players

Hitting: I hit with a variety of 4.5 players this weekend; they were mostly consistent with good spin on either wing. The general consensus was that the topspin groundstrokes I was hitting was a bit easier to get back with the Ultra Tour, but mainly it had to do with the slightly lower sweetspot and I typically hit north of center most of the time. Unfortunately, my slice groundstrokes tended to float because I would open the racquet face at impact a bit too much, which is weird since volleys were good as always. I practiced some overheads at the wall and I was consistently hitting the same spots, so I felt control was good.

I did let a couple of consistent but average powered 4.5 players who typically use the Prestige MP (both use their frames stock) try the frame and they really liked the feel. One guy actually didn’t want to keep hitting with the frame for fear of wanting to pick up the Ultra Tour. Another guy mentioned that the frame felt good, but would rather like a little more heft for his one handed backhand. One note, we were hitting on a very slick hard court, but I didn’t notice either guy hitting any harder than when they used their Prestiges.

 

[SoodS]

Does anyone have the Wilson ultra 100UL? Can anyone confirm whether these rackets have metal shanks in the handles? I was interested in using one of these as a platform racket. Thanks.

 

[392Hemi]

Racquet Received: Ultra 100
303g unstrung
325g playing weight (strung, OG, dampener)

String and tension used for test: Firewire 1.20 / Sliverstring 1.20 at 50/48
(I will also try with multi and add feedback to my review)

Tennis experience/background: Unrated (~3.0-3.5) rec player, singles / doubles

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Older (50s), started playing later in life all court player

Current racquet/string setups: (2) Prince Textreme Warrior 100's #1 Head Velocity 16g / Isospeed Cream @ 54/48, #2 Firewire BOOST 18g at 50/48

How many hours did you play with the racquet? approx 10 .. 4 hours doubles, 2 hours singles, 4 hours hitting / lessons

Comments on racquet performance:

-Groundstrokes: On groundstrokes, I found the Ultra 100 very stable while still being fairly agile. As expected, the launch angle was noticeably lower than my Prince TW100. 2HBH were much flatter and to generate more top spin I had to be more focused on my swing path. Maybe due to the Countervail, the stiff wide-beam frame or both, the feeling of the ball impact was very muted on cleanly hit forehands.

-Serves: As others have said, one of the Ultra's strengths is serving. It has a solid plow through and good control on my first serves and good spin on 2nds

-Volleys: The Ultra feels solid and stable on volleys. I found it to be much more geared towards put-aways than touch volleys. This of course could vary, depending on string setup. Some hits outside of the sweetspot as expected were unpredictable but overall it is a reasonably forgiving racquet to operator error.

-Serve returns: Again, the solid feel of the Ultra 100 was great for blocking back harder first serves. I also felt confident redirecting softer 2nd serves and lob returns in doubles

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I really liked the somewhat muted feel of the Ultra 100, but I think the stiffness crept up on me and gives me more wrist pain than I get from my Prince. To be fair, I had hand surgery a year ago and I have some soreness/weakness with any racquet.

Comparing it to the prior version (both my wife and son play the Ultra 100 v1), the Ultra 100 v2 is more powerful, more stable and overall is more of just about everything, including its more muted feel - presumably from the CV.

I would recommend this racquet to anyone who wants a modern mid-weight point and shoot racquet that does everything well and excels in the serving game. I would not recommend this racquet to anyone with arm / hand sensitivity, given its stiffness which is not immediately apparent due to its muted feel.

It is also worth mentioning, the blue-on-blue cosmetics are great and the dark blue paint texture has a soft satiny feel. It is much more appealing than the flouro colors of the Ultra line's cousins,


** THANK YOU TW for the opportunity to participate in this playtest **

 

[TennisHound]

I think it's safe to say that Wilson thought that CV would allow them to bump up the stiffness with no repercussions.

 

[jmacdaununder2]

Yep, looks like more smoke and mirrors unfortunately. No doubt CV, if used judiciously, would have been, like Textreme, a real and useful addition. Instead, judging by the admittedly few demos I've tried, it's apparently being used as a 'bandaid' that allows inherently cheaper manufacturing. The two demos I tried (briefly) were stiff, yet strangely muted - and with annoyingly - for me - high balance points.

 

[CopolyX]

never had the chance, nice reads thou....ultra tour needs to fatted up thou..

 

[mhkeuns]

Well, it looks like the Tour version needs weight. Otherwise, it sounds like a flimsy frame, kind of like the TFight 315 LTD. It isn't a bad thing, but it really doesn't work for a person like me who doesn't have the patience to modify the frames. I still have the TFight 315 that I don't really know what to do with.

As far as the CV is concerned, I really love it on my Blade 98 16x19. Perhaps it works the best with low powered, control oriented frames. Though I love the muted feel of my Blade, I can see how powerful frames like the Ultra 100 CV and the Burn 100 CV can be hard to control without having some sort of feedback/feel.

I'm still in favor of the CV technology and expecting the new Pro Staff CV to play better than the non-CV versions.

 

[dgoran]

I loved cv in blade (I did not like previous blades except gold and black one)

 

[jayserinos99]

First of all, thank you TW for giving us the opportunity to playtest these frames. Please consider this my review of the Ultra Tour in stock form.

Racquet Received: Ultra Tour
String and tension used for test: Tour Bite (TB) 18 @ 50 lb., strung on a Star 5
Tennis experience/background: aspiring 3.5 who happens to have 4.5 hitting moments, former junior player fast approaching 40 years of age and coming back from shoulder injury
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): control and spin oriented lefty all-courter primarily a doubles player nowadays due to lack of footspeed and height (5'7"); switches off b/w 2-hand backhand & 1-hand backhand, sw fh and lefty spin serves are primary weapons, swing speed is medium/fast, swing length is medium, likes consistent pace
Current racquet/string setups: Blade 2015 L3 grip with TB18 @ 48 lb., Pro Tour 280 L3 TK82S pallet with TB18 @50 lb. (for this playtest all were strung by the same stringer, using the same machine; the 2 lb. difference was due to seating of new grommets for the Pro Tour 280 and Ultra Tour; normal tension is 48 lb.), all frames with synthetic grips, no over grips or dampeners
How many hours did you play with the racquet? – 10 hours of singles, doubles, hitting

Comments on racquet performance:

Groundstrokes: The tradeoff between mass and racquet head speed was too great for me to overcome on a consistent basis as this frame in its current state is very underpowered. It is very reminiscent of a stock Tecnifibre TFight 315 Ltd. Both frames share the same flaw of being too light in the head and so each frame felt anemic power wise (it was like hitting with a fly swatter). The plus side to the Ultra Tour is that there is more leeway for customization, especially since the Ultra Tour felt like it swung in the 310s. To get any real sort of power, the operator would need to swing fast and hit the sweet spot consistently. I didn’t think the sweet spot was small, just lower centered on the frame than I’m used to, unfortunately I tend to hit north of center most of the time. As for spin (either top or slice), it was tight and had decent control and not loopy as the launch angle was fairly low. I wouldn’t necessarily say I hit a heavier ball, but this frame enables operators to hit short angled topspin shots pretty easily IMO. The frame was stable enough to counter big shots but off-center shots would flutter and land very short.

Serves: The same issue that plagued the groundstrokes also plagued the serve. While directional control was decent, the lack of power was due to lack of weight in the head. Prior to my shoulder injury, I relied on slice and twist serves to set me up and I used the weight in the head to compensate for not having a really fast swing speed. Unfortunately, the injury doesn't help as far as performance goes, but when I did play points, I was able to win points with varying placement. I believe having a bit more weight in the head helps greatly in producing serves with a little more heft behind them.

Volleys: There was good feel on touch volleys and good depth on punch volleys provided you hit clean. Directional control is decent as well as I was able to dictate where I wanted to go with the ball most of the time. Because this frame is so easy to get into position, volleys/half volleys/drop volleys are easier to execute as you feel you have more time to execute shots. Only issue I can see is on reaction volleys that aren't cleanly struck, the frame wouldn't bail you out due to the inherent lack of weight and/or power.

Serve returns: Due to the lack of weight in the head, it's very easy (and tempting) to take big cuts on returns. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that taking big cuts on returns produced shots that were any more difficult for the opponent to counter. In my case, I just tried to hit the sweetspot on returns and hope that the return was good enough to start the point in neutral and allow me to get to the net.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: As I was hitting with the Ultra Tour, my initial thoughts didn’t really change in the 10 hours I used the frame in stock form. I still believe that this frame is a platform frame. My preferred strung specs are 325g-340g, 6-8pt HL, and 320sw-330sw. I prefer frames with a little weight in the head and already prepared the Ultra Tour with 3g at 10/2, plus an entire over grip (additional 5g); it’s a start to customizing the frame to my preference. I didn’t include the Blade 2015 and Pro Tour 280 in this playtest as I felt the Ultra Tour in stock form wasn’t comparable due to the lack of weight in the head.

I’d recommend this frame to someone that likes/wants:

• Faster swinging frames which enable them to take big cuts at the ball
• A more precise control-oriented response from their frame
• A comfortable and customizable frame

To sum up, the positives are:

• Specs wise, very customizable
• Decent feel and comfort
• Who doesn’t like knowing that they’re playing with a pro stock-based frame?

The negatives are:

• Lack of weight in the head
• Slight ping without dampener (didn’t affect performance, but it’s something an operator would notice)

I’ll follow-up with another review with the customized Ultra Tour, please stay tuned!

 

[mhkeuns]

First of all, thank you TW for giving us the opportunity to playtest these frames. Please consider this my review of the Ultra Tour in stock form.

Racquet Received: Ultra Tour
String and tension used for test: Tour Bite (TB) 18 @ 50 lb., strung on a Star 5
Tennis experience/background: aspiring 3.5 who happens to have 4.5 hitting moments, former junior player fast approaching 40 years of age and coming back from shoulder injury
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): control and spin oriented lefty all-courter primarily a doubles player nowadays due to lack of footspeed and height (5'7"); switches off b/w 2-hand backhand & 1-hand backhand, sw fh and lefty spin serves are primary weapons, swing speed is medium/fast, swing length is medium, likes consistent pace
Current racquet/string setups: Blade 2015 L3 grip with TB18 @ 48 lb., Pro Tour 280 L3 TK82S pallet with TB18 @50 lb. (for this playtest all were strung by the same stringer, using the same machine; the 2 lb. difference was due to seating of new grommets for the Pro Tour 280 and Ultra Tour; normal tension is 48 lb.), all frames with synthetic grips, no over grips or dampeners
How many hours did you play with the racquet? – 10 hours of singles, doubles, hitting

Comments on racquet performance:

Groundstrokes: The tradeoff between mass and racquet head speed was too great for me to overcome on a consistent basis as this frame in its current state is very underpowered. It is very reminiscent of a stock Tecnifibre TFight 315 Ltd. Both frames share the same flaw of being too light in the head and so each frame felt anemic power wise (it was like hitting with a fly swatter). The plus side to the Ultra Tour is that there is more leeway for customization, especially since the Ultra Tour felt like it swung in the 310s. To get any real sort of power, the operator would need to swing fast and hit the sweet spot consistently. I didn’t think the sweet spot was small, just lower centered on the frame than I’m used to, unfortunately I tend to hit north of center most of the time. As for spin (either top or slice), it was tight and had decent control and not loopy as the launch angle was fairly low. I wouldn’t necessarily say I hit a heavier ball, but this frame enables operators to hit short angled topspin shots pretty easily IMO. The frame was stable enough to counter big shots but off-center shots would flutter and land very short.

Serves: The same issue that plagued the groundstrokes also plagued the serve. While directional control was decent, the lack of power was due to lack of weight in the head. Prior to my shoulder injury, I relied on slice and twist serves to set me up and I used the weight in the head to compensate for not having a really fast swing speed. Unfortunately, the injury doesn't help as far as performance goes, but when I did play points, I was able to win points with varying placement. I believe having a bit more weight in the head helps greatly in producing serves with a little more heft behind them.

Volleys: There was good feel on touch volleys and good depth on punch volleys provided you hit clean. Directional control is decent as well as I was able to dictate where I wanted to go with the ball most of the time. Because this frame is so easy to get into position, volleys/half volleys/drop volleys are easier to execute as you feel you have more time to execute shots. Only issue I can see is on reaction volleys that aren't cleanly struck, the frame wouldn't bail you out due to the inherent lack of weight and/or power.

Serve returns: Due to the lack of weight in the head, it's very easy (and tempting) to take big cuts on returns. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that taking big cuts on returns produced shots that were any more difficult for the opponent to counter. In my case, I just tried to hit the sweetspot on returns and hope that the return was good enough to start the point in neutral and allow me to get to the net.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: As I was hitting with the Ultra Tour, my initial thoughts didn’t really change in the 10 hours I used the frame in stock form. I still believe that this frame is a platform frame. My preferred strung specs are 325g-340g, 6-8pt HL, and 320sw-330sw. I prefer frames with a little weight in the head and already prepared the Ultra Tour with 3g at 10/2, plus an entire over grip (additional 5g); it’s a start to customizing the frame to my preference. I didn’t include the Blade 2015 and Pro Tour 280 in this playtest as I felt the Ultra Tour in stock form wasn’t comparable due to the lack of weight in the head.

I’d recommend this frame to someone that likes/wants:

• Faster swinging frames which enable them to take big cuts at the ball
• A more precise control-oriented response from their frame
• A comfortable and customizable frame

To sum up, the positives are:

• Specs wise, very customizable
• Decent feel and comfort
• Who doesn’t like knowing that they’re playing with a pro stock-based frame?

The negatives are:

• Lack of weight in the head
• Slight ping without dampener (didn’t affect performance, but it’s something an operator would notice)

I’ll follow-up with another review with the customized Ultra Tour, please stay tuned!

Nice review. Answered some questions I had on the Tour version.

 

[natygomez]

So far I like CV in the new Ultra 100. I own the previous version as well and this one feels a bit more sturdy and I'm getting better serves, returns and groundstrokes. I think I've got a bit of adjustment to do on finesse, drop shots, touch volleys, but I'll get there.

 

[ed70]

First of all, thank you TW for giving us the opportunity to playtest these frames. Please consider this my review of the Ultra Tour in stock form.

Racquet Received: Ultra Tour
String and tension used for test: Tour Bite (TB) 18 @ 50 lb., strung on a Star 5
Tennis experience/background: aspiring 3.5 who happens to have 4.5 hitting moments, former junior player fast approaching 40 years of age and coming back from shoulder injury
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): control and spin oriented lefty all-courter primarily a doubles player nowadays due to lack of footspeed and height (5'7"); switches off b/w 2-hand backhand & 1-hand backhand, sw fh and lefty spin serves are primary weapons, swing speed is medium/fast, swing length is medium, likes consistent pace
Current racquet/string setups: Blade 2015 L3 grip with TB18 @ 48 lb., Pro Tour 280 L3 TK82S pallet with TB18 @50 lb. (for this playtest all were strung by the same stringer, using the same machine; the 2 lb. difference was due to seating of new grommets for the Pro Tour 280 and Ultra Tour; normal tension is 48 lb.), all frames with synthetic grips, no over grips or dampeners
How many hours did you play with the racquet? – 10 hours of singles, doubles, hitting

Comments on racquet performance:

Groundstrokes: The tradeoff between mass and racquet head speed was too great for me to overcome on a consistent basis as this frame in its current state is very underpowered. It is very reminiscent of a stock Tecnifibre TFight 315 Ltd. Both frames share the same flaw of being too light in the head and so each frame felt anemic power wise (it was like hitting with a fly swatter). The plus side to the Ultra Tour is that there is more leeway for customization, especially since the Ultra Tour felt like it swung in the 310s. To get any real sort of power, the operator would need to swing fast and hit the sweet spot consistently. I didn’t think the sweet spot was small, just lower centered on the frame than I’m used to, unfortunately I tend to hit north of center most of the time. As for spin (either top or slice), it was tight and had decent control and not loopy as the launch angle was fairly low. I wouldn’t necessarily say I hit a heavier ball, but this frame enables operators to hit short angled topspin shots pretty easily IMO. The frame was stable enough to counter big shots but off-center shots would flutter and land very short.

Serves: The same issue that plagued the groundstrokes also plagued the serve. While directional control was decent, the lack of power was due to lack of weight in the head. Prior to my shoulder injury, I relied on slice and twist serves to set me up and I used the weight in the head to compensate for not having a really fast swing speed. Unfortunately, the injury doesn't help as far as performance goes, but when I did play points, I was able to win points with varying placement. I believe having a bit more weight in the head helps greatly in producing serves with a little more heft behind them.

Volleys: There was good feel on touch volleys and good depth on punch volleys provided you hit clean. Directional control is decent as well as I was able to dictate where I wanted to go with the ball most of the time. Because this frame is so easy to get into position, volleys/half volleys/drop volleys are easier to execute as you feel you have more time to execute shots. Only issue I can see is on reaction volleys that aren't cleanly struck, the frame wouldn't bail you out due to the inherent lack of weight and/or power.

Serve returns: Due to the lack of weight in the head, it's very easy (and tempting) to take big cuts on returns. Unfortunately, it didn't seem that taking big cuts on returns produced shots that were any more difficult for the opponent to counter. In my case, I just tried to hit the sweetspot on returns and hope that the return was good enough to start the point in neutral and allow me to get to the net.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: As I was hitting with the Ultra Tour, my initial thoughts didn’t really change in the 10 hours I used the frame in stock form. I still believe that this frame is a platform frame. My preferred strung specs are 325g-340g, 6-8pt HL, and 320sw-330sw. I prefer frames with a little weight in the head and already prepared the Ultra Tour with 3g at 10/2, plus an entire over grip (additional 5g); it’s a start to customizing the frame to my preference. I didn’t include the Blade 2015 and Pro Tour 280 in this playtest as I felt the Ultra Tour in stock form wasn’t comparable due to the lack of weight in the head.

I’d recommend this frame to someone that likes/wants:

• Faster swinging frames which enable them to take big cuts at the ball
• A more precise control-oriented response from their frame
• A comfortable and customizable frame

To sum up, the positives are:

• Specs wise, very customizable
• Decent feel and comfort
• Who doesn’t like knowing that they’re playing with a pro stock-based frame?

The negatives are:

• Lack of weight in the head
• Slight ping without dampener (didn’t affect performance, but it’s something an operator would notice)

I’ll follow-up with another review with the customized Ultra Tour, please stay tuned!

Good review that, I also find the sweet spot to be lower in the hoop than my current frame Angell tc97 16x19 find it an easy adjustment when playing. I customized my UT to match my TC 97 balance and swingweight only needed 5g towards top of handle and 2g at 12, makes a huge difference from stock, nice flex and control with enough power if you have good technique/timing.

 

[Tommy Haas]

Good review that, I also find the sweet spot to be lower in the hoop than my current frame Angell tc97 16x19 find it an easy adjustment when playing. I customized my UT to match my TC 97 balance and swingweight only needed 5g towards top of handle and 2g at 12, makes a huge difference from stock, nice flex and control with enough power if you have good technique/timing.

Did you notice the sweet spot being raised after you added lead to 12 o'clock? Did you also notice any vibrations or you play with a string dampener? TWU reports the UT having a higher vibration frequency compared to other control oriented frames.

 

[ed70]

Sweet spot is still the same area as before I added 2g at 12, I play with an rs Lyon dampner which are quite small and fit nice and snug.
I also got rid of the standard Wilson grip which I really do not rate and put on a white head comfort grip, slightly thicker at 2.1mm and better comfort and tackiness. No vibrations with or without dampner. 328g strung, 325sw. Plays really nice.

 

[n8dawg6]

Folks, here is my review. I have struggled with this one, but please read on.

Racquet Received: Wilson Ultra Tour (the 97 big baller)

String and tension used for test: Luxilon 16L big banger supplied with the racquet. Full bed at 50 lbs which relaxed nicely after an hr or two of hitting.

Tennis experience/background: Interesting, I have come a long way since my first play test, which was the Pure Aero about 2 yrs ago. I played as a kid without a lot of formal instruction, but have really been back in the game for the last 3 years. I took individual lessons from an open level coach for about half that time. For the last 2.5 yrs or so I have been playing USTA league. My level is that oft-repeated 3.5-4.0. I play against 4.5s and can take games off them, but I can't beat them. Right now I play a mixture of league (doubles and singles), friendly competition, internal leagues at my club, 4.0 drills, weekend tournaments, and individual lessons here and there. I play an average of 3 times a week, sometimes up to 5 times a week. I definitely prefer singles but always seem to end up playing doubles because that's what everyone else prefers. I am in my late 30s.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): This is also an interesting question, because my game is pretty well defined now as compared to when I first wrote a review. I have a basic b*tch game, meaning that I rely on the energy of my serve and my forehand to win points. I have developed a remarkably average kick serve that gets me into a lot of points, but I have a flat serve to hit into the body of my opponents if they start stepping in and catching the kick serve early. Also can hit a flat serve out wide in doubles and get free points that way. No question I damage my opponents by means of the topspin forehand more often than not. I have a two-handed backhand and a backhand slice which are mostly defensive at this point, although I'm always working to change that. I like to finish points by getting a short ball or a short lob and putting it away with a forehand or overhead (I am not afraid of smashing an overhead, which seems to be a strange preoccupation with others at my level). I'm also a short dude (5'8") so I have to do a lot of retrieving when I get pressed. I have decent wheels for my age. I run around a backhand every time I get a chance. semi-western bordering on jack sock western forehand, and a less extreme/less westerner 2HBH grip.

Current racquet/string setups: Really too many to mention. I have tried everything. The racquets I have played the most with since spring league started have been the Speed Touch Pro and the XT prestige pro. I have spent a lot of time with the Speed MP, Radical MP, Pure Drive, and Pure Aero. I use a full bed of poly in everything and usually prefer the 16 g Sonic Pro Edge. String between 50 and 52 lbs, depending on headsize and how open the pattern is. I'll reiterate that the Speed Pro is mostly my cup of tea, although I would prefer a little more open pattern.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? So far, about 15 hrs, which has been about the life of this stringbed. The big banger was awful at first but softened just a little after the first hour and the feel became quite nice. That's a combination of league doubles and rec play in informal leagues at my club and just hitting around with friends at a similar or higher level.

Comments on racquet performance: First of all, I will use this as an area to give general comments before I give general comments at the end. This is a beautiful racquet with a gloss paintjob in subtle, yet very appealing hues of blue. I mean it looks fantastic. Second, the grip has never felt right to me. I am used to a 4 1/4 grip on a Head racquet. This is much more like a 4 1/4 on a babolat, just not as cushioned/squishy. Which is fine, I prefer a firm grip ... this one has always felt just a little big. Third, this racquet is above my pay grade in terms of performance. Perhaps a warning to other 3.5s and 4.0s, but perhaps also a challenge. I have had to force myself sometimes to play with this racquet because I'd rather use something easier. But if it is used correctly, it is fascinating how good your game can be. Now, on to to the specifics:

-Groundstrokes: This racquet has a small sweetspot and very low power. I have played the redondo, I have played the microgel rad MP ... in stock form, this racquet will challenge any of them in terms of low power. That being said, if I set my feet and drive the forehand and two-handed backhand with top RHS (really taking a solid swing at the ball from the legs and core), this thing delivers. This racquet WILL produce as much pace and/or topspin as anything else I have ever used, provided i set my feet, load, swing fast and follow through, and pure the sweet spot. The advantage of this is that you know EXACTLY what to expect from the tool on every shot. The DISADVANTAGE is that the ball will die and plop into the net if you mishit or fail somewhere in the kinetic chain of swing. And if you start opening up the face of the racquet to compensate, you'll float it long. The racquet demands complete commitment on every shot and as much RHS as you can properly generate. Obviously this can become a liability later in a match when you're tired and the form starts to break down ... it can also serve to focus your thinking and keep you going with better aggressiveness and form.

-Serves: I read the reviews stating that this racquet is anemic on serves. I would generally agree. However, I found that, just like groundstrokes, if I put 100% into each serve, the racquet delivers. I have hit reliable kick serves that reverse direction and/or fly over opponents heads with this racquet. Again, though, it demands high RHS and a hit in the sweet spot. You WILL NOT consistently hit the sweet spot on this racquet unless your form is on point.

-Volleys: Volleys are sublime when struck correctly and garbage if you miss the sweet spot. Have I mentioned that this frame is honest? Quick eyes, quick hands, quick feet make this racquet a weapon at the net. The feel is absolutely predictable, provided you don't mishit on the edge of the stringbed. Smashing overheads feels magical, and drop shots are easy to dial in. You've got to be on your game though ... especially against any sort of pace.

-Serve returns: You have to move the racquet forward and collide with the ball. No sticking it out and blocking the ball like a pure drive. I mean you can, it's just more likely that it will float and get killed by the net guy. Take a short compact swing with this racquet on return and drive the ball. Make sure you hit the sweet spot ...

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I was really looking forward to this playtest, but it humbled me. The Pure Aero was easy, but this racquet was a challenge. It makes me play tennis. I think all of us who play the game can say that, no matter how good we're doing, there's always something or someone better who can whoop our *ss. This racquet has sorta whooped my *ss. Every time I use it, I find myself looking for just a little more help. When I am on my top notch game and pureing each shot, we are best friends. When I'm dinking what I thought was a perfectly good shot into the net ... well, I'm thinking hard about where my form broke down or why I'm not holding the speed pro or a pure drive. I will say that the racquet NEEDS a little weight. After the first few hours I added a little lead at 3 & 9. Not enough to significantly change the balance, but enough to make it plow a little better. Regardless, the name of the game with this racquet is: proper footwork and prep, FULL fast swing on groundstrokes. hit the sweetspot and be rewarded!

Also, I played the same racquet with a hybrid of nxt and big banger on one afternoon during a wilson demo day. I thought it was too light in the head, which was part of my decision to go full poly. After playing the racquet both ways, I didn't think that the addition of a multi in the mains significantly increased the power, forgiveness, or playability of the racquet. It requires fast swings and direct hits no matter what string you have in it.

I will express no opinion here as to individualized weighting of the racquet. The reviewers asked us to review in stock form and that's what I did ... mostly. As I said I had to add at least a little lead at 3 & 9, which is what I've had to do on the Speed MP as well. If you are a higher level player, and if you know how to lead a frame to get the balance you want, I can imagine this would turn into a completely different frame. In a day and age of increasingly polarized frames, though, this one is NOT. Very linear weight and balance. Really too light for what it is, but I suppose that is part of the point.

Please feel free to ask me any questions. All I've got for ya is brutal honesty ... some humility ... from my experience and playing level. Which I think is a reflection of this racquet ... it is brutally honest!

P.S. no videos of me hitting, although I applaud those who are willing to throw themselves to the wolves.

P.P.S. This racquet has a fantastic plush feel when struck well in the sweetspot, even with a full bed of poly.

 

[jmacdaununder2]

'That's what he said!!' Great review!! Given that it is a platform player's racquet, do you think the power level can be increased significantly with the addition of substantial amounts of lead, or it's simply just inherently too Prestige etc. like?

 

[n8dawg6]

'That's what he said!!' Great review!! Given that it is a platform player's racquet, do you think the power level can be increased significantly with the addition of substantial amounts of lead, or it's simply just inherently too Prestige etc. like?

Jmac, the only way to increase power with this frame, IMO, is to add weight in the head AND swing it at the same speed you were swinging prior to the extra weight.

strangely enough, given the fact that i jive so well with the speed pro, and given that i even have an old agassi trisys 260 that im d*cking around with now, i think the smaller headsize (thats what she said etc) is part of the problem. the ultra appears to be a 95 to me because its almost exactly the same as my G prestige MP. it plays more like a mid than a midplus.

 

[AMGF]

I believe that if you can generate your own power and place control above all else, this is definitely a frame to demo.

I have no problem getting power with that frame, but I do use thin 18g poly (cyclone) at 50lbs. I think 18x20 in general play better with thinner gauge. In the UT you get added pop and spin in a frame that is all about control. Best of both world, works great for me.

 

[Tommy Haas]

@n8dawg6 thanks for the review. I thought you played at NTRP 8.0

You wrote that if the sweet spot is hit, there'll be a reward. The flip side is what happens when the sweet spot is missed? Are there any harmful vibrations or hoop twisting that could lead to tennis elbow or only a big drop in power?

 

[n8dawg6]

@n8dawg6 thanks for the review. I thought you played at NTRP 8.0

You wrote that if the sweet spot is hit, there'll be a reward. The flip side is what happens when the sweet spot is missed? Are there any harmful vibrations or hoop twisting that could lead to tennis elbow or only a big drop in power?

ha, i do ... mixed dubs. sweet spot is missed and there will be a significant drop in power. didnt notice too much twisting, i think bc its a pretty small hoop (more of an honest 95) and not much discomfort. but youre relying on fate/fortune to stay in the point on a mishit, and the higher the level you play the slimmer your chances are. extra weight in the hoop could perhaps increase your odds here.

 

[Orion]

Racquet Received: Ultra 100
303g unstrung
325g playing weight (strung, OG, dampener)

String and tension used for test: Firewire 1.20 / Sliverstring 1.20 at 50/48
(I will also try with multi and add feedback to my review)

Tennis experience/background: Unrated (~3.0-3.5) rec player, singles / doubles

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Older (50s), started playing later in life all court player

Current racquet/string setups: (2) Prince Textreme Warrior 100's #1 Head Velocity 16g / Isospeed Cream @ 54/48, #2 Firewire BOOST 18g at 50/48

How many hours did you play with the racquet? approx 10 .. 4 hours doubles, 2 hours singles, 4 hours hitting / lessons

Comments on racquet performance:

-Groundstrokes: On groundstrokes, I found the Ultra 100 very stable while still being fairly agile. As expected, the launch angle was noticeably lower than my Prince TW100. 2HBH were much flatter and to generate more top spin I had to be more focused on my swing path. Maybe due to the Countervail, the stiff wide-beam frame or both, the feeling of the ball impact was very muted on cleanly hit forehands.

-Serves: As others have said, one of the Ultra's strengths is serving. It has a solid plow through and good control on my first serves and good spin on 2nds

-Volleys: The Ultra feels solid and stable on volleys. I found it to be much more geared towards put-aways than touch volleys. This of course could vary, depending on string setup. Some hits outside of the sweetspot as expected were unpredictable but overall it is a reasonably forgiving racquet to operator error.

-Serve returns: Again, the solid feel of the Ultra 100 was great for blocking back harder first serves. I also felt confident redirecting softer 2nd serves and lob returns in doubles

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I really liked the somewhat muted feel of the Ultra 100, but I think the stiffness crept up on me and gives me more wrist pain than I get from my Prince. To be fair, I had hand surgery a year ago and I have some soreness/weakness with any racquet.

Comparing it to the prior version (both my wife and son play the Ultra 100 v1), the Ultra 100 v2 is more powerful, more stable and overall is more of just about everything, including its more muted feel - presumably from the CV.

I would recommend this racquet to anyone who wants a modern mid-weight point and shoot racquet that does everything well and excels in the serving game. I would not recommend this racquet to anyone with arm / hand sensitivity, given its stiffness which is not immediately apparent due to its muted feel.

It is also worth mentioning, the blue-on-blue cosmetics are great and the dark blue paint texture has a soft satiny feel. It is much more appealing than the flouro colors of the Ultra line's cousins,


** THANK YOU TW for the opportunity to participate in this playtest **

What Prince are you referring to? I had TFCC surgery on my wrist 2 years ago and still experience pretty severe shooting pain on off-center hits. Currently using the Prince Textreme 100P. Have been using with NRG2 (wrist), while it's nice for serving I want a little more pop but not at the expense of the comfort of the frame. I have the Ultra Tour on order...purchased sight unseen based on specs. Will be my first Wilson sticks grew up on Head OS frames. I'm out on the dead feel of Head frames the past few years. Plan on stepping up to a poly main and NRG2 crosses in the Ultra Tour.

Also have a Textreme 100P (the Green one) and even though it's .4 oz heavier than the 100P, I can't get into a grove with it. Bought used from TW and never inspected for any mods but plays totally different from the 100T?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[pfrischmann]

Great review n8dawg6.
In some ways this racquet reminds me of the PS-85 types. If you hit it right, it will reward you. If you don't, it will punish you. I found it to be a very honest racquet with great feel. It reminded me of the older, pre graphene head racquets. It's just very demanding.

Folks, here is my review. I have struggled with this one, but please read on.

Racquet Received: Wilson Ultra Tour (the 97 big baller)

String and tension used for test: Luxilon 16L big banger supplied with the racquet. Full bed at 50 lbs which relaxed nicely after an hr or two of hitting.

Tennis experience/background: Interesting, I have come a long way since my first play test, which was the Pure Aero about 2 yrs ago. I played as a kid without a lot of formal instruction, but have really been back in the game for the last 3 years. I took individual lessons from an open level coach for about half that time. For the last 2.5 yrs or so I have been playing USTA league. My level is that oft-repeated 3.5-4.0. I play against 4.5s and can take games off them, but I can't beat them. Right now I play a mixture of league (doubles and singles), friendly competition, internal leagues at my club, 4.0 drills, weekend tournaments, and individual lessons here and there. I play an average of 3 times a week, sometimes up to 5 times a week. I definitely prefer singles but always seem to end up playing doubles because that's what everyone else prefers. I am in my late 30s.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): This is also an interesting question, because my game is pretty well defined now as compared to when I first wrote a review. I have a basic b*tch game, meaning that I rely on the energy of my serve and my forehand to win points. I have developed a remarkably average kick serve that gets me into a lot of points, but I have a flat serve to hit into the body of my opponents if they start stepping in and catching the kick serve early. Also can hit a flat serve out wide in doubles and get free points that way. No question I damage my opponents by means of the topspin forehand more often than not. I have a two-handed backhand and a backhand slice which are mostly defensive at this point, although I'm always working to change that. I like to finish points by getting a short ball or a short lob and putting it away with a forehand or overhead (I am not afraid of smashing an overhead, which seems to be a strange preoccupation with others at my level). I'm also a short dude (5'8") so I have to do a lot of retrieving when I get pressed. I have decent wheels for my age. I run around a backhand every time I get a chance. semi-western bordering on jack sock western forehand, and a less extreme/less westerner 2HBH grip.

Current racquet/string setups: Really too many to mention. I have tried everything. The racquets I have played the most with since spring league started have been the Speed Touch Pro and the XT prestige pro. I have spent a lot of time with the Speed MP, Radical MP, Pure Drive, and Pure Aero. I use a full bed of poly in everything and usually prefer the 16 g Sonic Pro Edge. String between 50 and 52 lbs, depending on headsize and how open the pattern is. I'll reiterate that the Speed Pro is mostly my cup of tea, although I would prefer a little more open pattern.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? So far, about 15 hrs, which has been about the life of this stringbed. The big banger was awful at first but softened just a little after the first hour and the feel became quite nice. That's a combination of league doubles and rec play in informal leagues at my club and just hitting around with friends at a similar or higher level.

Comments on racquet performance: First of all, I will use this as an area to give general comments before I give general comments at the end. This is a beautiful racquet with a gloss paintjob in subtle, yet very appealing hues of blue. I mean it looks fantastic. Second, the grip has never felt right to me. I am used to a 4 1/4 grip on a Head racquet. This is much more like a 4 1/4 on a babolat, just not as cushioned/squishy. Which is fine, I prefer a firm grip ... this one has always felt just a little big. Third, this racquet is above my pay grade in terms of performance. Perhaps a warning to other 3.5s and 4.0s, but perhaps also a challenge. I have had to force myself sometimes to play with this racquet because I'd rather use something easier. But if it is used correctly, it is fascinating how good your game can be. Now, on to to the specifics:

-Groundstrokes: This racquet has a small sweetspot and very low power. I have played the redondo, I have played the microgel rad MP ... in stock form, this racquet will challenge any of them in terms of low power. That being said, if I set my feet and drive the forehand and two-handed backhand with top RHS (really taking a solid swing at the ball from the legs and core), this thing delivers. This racquet WILL produce as much pace and/or topspin as anything else I have ever used, provided i set my feet, load, swing fast and follow through, and pure the sweet spot. The advantage of this is that you know EXACTLY what to expect from the tool on every shot. The DISADVANTAGE is that the ball will die and plop into the net if you mishit or fail somewhere in the kinetic chain of swing. And if you start opening up the face of the racquet to compensate, you'll float it long. The racquet demands complete commitment on every shot and as much RHS as you can properly generate. Obviously this can become a liability later in a match when you're tired and the form starts to break down ... it can also serve to focus your thinking and keep you going with better aggressiveness and form.

-Serves: I read the reviews stating that this racquet is anemic on serves. I would generally agree. However, I found that, just like groundstrokes, if I put 100% into each serve, the racquet delivers. I have hit reliable kick serves that reverse direction and/or fly over opponents heads with this racquet. Again, though, it demands high RHS and a hit in the sweet spot. You WILL NOT consistently hit the sweet spot on this racquet unless your form is on point.

-Volleys: Volleys are sublime when struck correctly and garbage if you miss the sweet spot. Have I mentioned that this frame is honest? Quick eyes, quick hands, quick feet make this racquet a weapon at the net. The feel is absolutely predictable, provided you don't mishit on the edge of the stringbed. Smashing overheads feels magical, and drop shots are easy to dial in. You've got to be on your game though ... especially against any sort of pace.

-Serve returns: You have to move the racquet forward and collide with the ball. No sticking it out and blocking the ball like a pure drive. I mean you can, it's just more likely that it will float and get killed by the net guy. Take a short compact swing with this racquet on return and drive the ball. Make sure you hit the sweet spot ...

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I was really looking forward to this playtest, but it humbled me. The Pure Aero was easy, but this racquet was a challenge. It makes me play tennis. I think all of us who play the game can say that, no matter how good we're doing, there's always something or someone better who can whoop our *ss. This racquet has sorta whooped my *ss. Every time I use it, I find myself looking for just a little more help. When I am on my top notch game and pureing each shot, we are best friends. When I'm dinking what I thought was a perfectly good shot into the net ... well, I'm thinking hard about where my form broke down or why I'm not holding the speed pro or a pure drive. I will say that the racquet NEEDS a little weight. After the first few hours I added a little lead at 3 & 9. Not enough to significantly change the balance, but enough to make it plow a little better. Regardless, the name of the game with this racquet is: proper footwork and prep, FULL fast swing on groundstrokes. hit the sweetspot and be rewarded!

Also, I played the same racquet with a hybrid of nxt and big banger on one afternoon during a wilson demo day. I thought it was too light in the head, which was part of my decision to go full poly. After playing the racquet both ways, I didn't think that the addition of a multi in the mains significantly increased the power, forgiveness, or playability of the racquet. It requires fast swings and direct hits no matter what string you have in it.

I will express no opinion here as to individualized weighting of the racquet. The reviewers asked us to review in stock form and that's what I did ... mostly. As I said I had to add at least a little lead at 3 & 9, which is what I've had to do on the Speed MP as well. If you are a higher level player, and if you know how to lead a frame to get the balance you want, I can imagine this would turn into a completely different frame. In a day and age of increasingly polarized frames, though, this one is NOT. Very linear weight and balance. Really too light for what it is, but I suppose that is part of the point.

Please feel free to ask me any questions. All I've got for ya is brutal honesty ... some humility ... from my experience and playing level. Which I think is a reflection of this racquet ... it is brutally honest!

P.S. no videos of me hitting, although I applaud those who are willing to throw themselves to the wolves.

P.P.S. This racquet has a fantastic plush feel when struck well in the sweetspot, even with a full bed of poly.

 

[n8dawg6]

Great review n8dawg6.
In some ways this racquet reminds me of the PS-85 types. If you hit it right, it will reward you. If you don't, it will punish you. I found it to be a very honest racquet with great feel. It reminded me of the older, pre graphene head racquets. It's just very demanding.

i think thats a great comparison. the racquet is very much "old school."

 

[EdMcMush]

I received the Wilson Ultra CV 100 in the mail. The racquet seems very bulky , as it seems to be a Pure Drive clone. I am very interested in seeing how I play with such a racquet. I strung the racquet up with Gosen Polyon 17g at 55 pounds to keep enough variables the same.


I am a college D3 level player of 4.0 quality. Went 11-1 at singles 4-6 my final year of Community College, And would of been Singles 1 at Rutgers Camden but did not get in due to grades. I learned playing Clay so my game is stand a few feet behind the baseline and slug. Average first serve, shaky second serve, Big forehand and above average backhand. My net game is N/A as I never go to the net. My current racquet set up is a Yonex Ezone Ai 98 or a Babolat Aero Storm and I use Gosen Polyon 17g at 53-57 LBS tension.


Hours played with racquet.

Session 1-

Hitting- Forehands were effortless power, backhands had a bit more spin. Backhand slice was incredible

Serving- not good. Returning- not a single return in during the set.

Very comfertable racquet although its a 74 RA. Countervail is not a gimmick .


Racquet a bit too powerful for match play. Fun for rallying


Serves weren’t really going in and didnt have good direction control as well, something i get with a more flexible racquet and smaller head size such as the Yonex Ezone ai 98.

Session 2 thru 4. I probably played a total of 6 hours I would say. My backhands were a huge improvement among other racquets I played. More power and spin than my current set ups I used in the past. It is a racquet that fit my stroke on the backhand wing. I could drive huge flat backhands to the court where with my current set ups, the backhand can land short and be a real liability. Forehand's were effortless power but when it came to really put balls away and be aggressive, I was over hitting a lot, so in that regard although it was a powerful racquet, I became a more defensive player with that wing. My serves were more or less spin serves for both first and second serve. I could not really drive a flat serve and aim it. That is probably more to me than the racquet, a really good player could use almost anything. My slices were very effective with this racquet but that alright cause I do not use much slice when I play unless i am really stretched out on the backhand wing. It is always nice to have an added tool to the tool belt. Net play was obsolete. I do not go to the net at all, but if I had to put away an easy volley, it did its job.

The racquet was very comfortable and muted compared to most racquets I use with much lower RA. The CV technology really does work, its not just a gimmick. I had a very stiff poly in there in a very stiff racquet. Yet very comfortable. And it was also strung at 55. So the comfort was there, I felt zero arm pain compared to using an Aero Storm which can a bit sore although I use much more force and offense using that racquet.

Really enjoyed the playtest, if anyone has an questions or wants more responses to me from my playtest, just let me know .

 

[TW Staff]

Reminder playtesters:

Your comments are due by the end of this week. Please post in this thread to stay eligible for future playtests.

Thanks,
TW Staff

 

[EdMcMush]

Reminder playtesters:

Your comments are due by the end of this week. Please post in this thread to stay eligible for future playtests.

Thanks,
TW Staff

was my review satisfactory enough or do you want more detail or more focus on a specific part

 

[fullwesternforehand]

Racquet Received: Wilson Ultra 100 CV

String and tension used for test: Babolat RPM Blast Rough in 16g (yellow) at 51 pounds

Tennis experience/background: Solid 4.0 player, played varsity in high school for 3 years and played a year in college. Overall I can hold my own, at least I'd like to believe

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):I would say I am an all court player. I love to hit with spin and have a western grip forehand (as username entails), but use my flat backhand to end points. I am always looking to move in to the net after either a kick or slice serve. Overall I am a somewhat typical American player, with a big serve, big forehand and looking to go to net. P.S., I like to model myself after Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock

Current racquet/string setups: I've played with the Aeropro/Pure Aero my whole life, ever since the 2010 gt. At the moment I use the Pure Aero with Babolat RPM Blast Rough 16 in yellow. Usually string about 49-52 pounds.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I played with it for about 35 hours

Comments on racquet performance: I strung it up with my usual setup as to try to eliminate as many variables as possible. I even played with my usual overgrip, a yonex supergrab in white

-Groundstrokes: This is a tweener racquet, so groundstrokes is where it shines. When I hit with it initially, I had to dial down my shots because they would always hit the back fence due to all the power it has. You can really feel the Countervail technology, as it dampens and really mutes the feel. My forehand is where I had to adjust more, but once I found my rhythm, my forehand was really kicking up. As for my flat-as-can-be backhand, it was all point and shoot.Once I picked a spot, I could really crank it and crush the ball for a winner.Slices are where I feel the racquet faltered a bit, mainly due to lack of feel. I could not get a good read or sense of where the ball was on the racquet when slicing, both forehand and backhand .Other than that, I can say it is easily the most powerful racquet I've hit with recently, with a 2015 pure drive being in second place.

-Serves: The ultra was good for slice and kick serves, as can really feel the racquet grab the ball and shoot it out. The more I cranked up the swing speed, the more the ball kicked/sliced. Because it has a dampened feel, I didn't feel like it had too good of control. I was sort of spraying the serves and wished it had a more precise feel. On the plus side, it has a nice swingweight and plow through that helps crush serves if you can control it.

-Volleys: This is where the racquet lacked for me especially, due to my all court game. Because it has a lack of feel, I couldn't really control my volleys. Every time the ball made contact with the stringbed, it was a sort of guess as to where my volley would go. Overall, it didn't have much touch to it and as a result precise volleys lacked.

-Serve returns: Similar to groundstrokes, if you are dialed in with the power and unique feel, you can really hit a nice, deep return. The swingweight and plowthrough made it easy to take huge flat serves on the rise and shoot them straight back to your opponent. Even when you hit a return off-center, the racquet helps you with its dampening feel and you don't get the harsh feel you would otherwise.Overall, similarly to groundstrokes, pace and groundstrokes is where the racquet shines

General reaction/comments on overall performance: For me personally, I was not a fan of the feel. CV seems to REALLY dampen and muten up the stringbed, so much in fact to where it wipes the feel right off. I've played with the CV Blade 16x19 and it feels very similar, too much in fact to the point where a Blade and an Ultra that are deemed pretty different from each other feel almost identical. CV sort of muddies up the differences between all racquets, which sort of neutralizes all aspects of what makes an Ultra an Ultra, a Blade a blade, etc. Although I had to adjust to the racquet, I could say it was a bit hard to control in all aspects, but then again, its goal is to have power .Other than that, I can see any tweener racquet lover picking this up, as it does everything a tweener is known for well; power, spin, groundstrokes, returns.

As always,thanks TW so much for my first racquet playtest, looking foward to many more string and racquet playtests in the future!!!!

 

[imajica77]

First off thanks TW & Wilson for the play test.

Raquet recieved: Wilson Ultra 100 countervail

String and tension used: Full bed of Tecnifibre X-One Biphase strung at 58lbs.

Tennis experience/background: I am a 4.0 player who has been playing for 30 plus years. I usually play 20 hours a week. Mostly doubles but will play singles when the chance arises.

Playing style: Mostly a baseliner who will move into the net when opportunity presents itself. I play more of a power game but possess nice touch and feel. Love my drop shots.

Current racquet and setup: I play with a very outdated Volkl Quantum 1 Powerboost strung at 58lbs with X-One Biphase. This is an oversized frame at 118in and weighs 8.7 oz before strung and is evenly balanced.

Hours played with racquet: Approximately 20 hours. 4 hours of singles and 16 for doubles.

Racquet performance: All in all I thought it was good frame. Maybe not as powerful as I had hoped but very solid when hitting the sweet spot.
Groundstrokes: The frame had a very nice feel to it. As I said it wasn't as powerful as I am used to. So I was able to really let go and let my
topspin bring the ball down into the court. When hitting the sweet spot it produced decent pace. This was my first hit with a Countervail
racquet. I found the Countervail to really dampen the vibrations and offer great feel. I play more old school stye of hitting so I use a lot of
wrist. Becasue the frame was heavier than what I am used to it thru my timing off. That was to be expcted though. The more I played with
it the more I was able to adjust and still get my heavy topspin produced by my wrist. I would rate it at a 7.5 for groundstrokes.

Serves: It took some getting used to a smaller head size than my usual racquet. Once I did I found it had great control. I was still able to hit
my spots. Serving into the four corners is a big thing for me. I don't have the biggest serve. I use direction and spin for my serve with
decent pace. Just not blistering. I found the Ultra to a steady frame. It did all I asked of it when serving. I will say that my serve speed was
down by about 5MPH with this frame: though but it provided great spin. Rating for serve would be a 7 because of the lost pace.

Volleys: I think this is where it would shine in the right hands. I found I could put the volleys where I wanted them. And without fear of
punching them long. This frame is heavier than my regular racquet. So I felt a little slow around the net. But if I anticipated and had time
to set up at the net it was deadly. It was a nice trade off; heavier and slower but tuned so all my volleys stayed in and placement was
awesome. I would rate it a 8 or 8.5 on volleys. With quicker hands I would give it a 9.

Serve returns: I thought this was a high point for the frame. I love to hit out on returns. My usual frame is larger and lighter with more
power. But with the Ultra I found with the heavier frame I could swing for the fences. It produced nice pace; but it was a heavier ball.
So even though it was slower it was still hard to return it. This is one of the highlights of my game. I put people of the defense from first
ball strike. And this raquet allowed me to contine to do so. Once again I would rate it a 8 on returns.

General comments: This is an excellent frame. It provides decent power with outstanding touch and feel. The Countervail really takes away
the vibrations. Very impressed with the Countervail. If your looking for a frame in the mid-range size and weight this one is built for you. It will provide decent pace and great spin along with touch and feel. Although I believe strings make a big difference with touch and feel. So if I strung it with a poly I might feel different about the touch and feel. The frame has a great paint scheme: a flat gloss for most of the frame. I found it easy to string myself (always a plus). So in the hands of a younger player with big strokes this would be a killer racquet. All in all I would give the frame a 8.5

Thanks again for the play test. I will consider this frame when I decide to change.

 

[milk of amnesia]

Racquet Received: Wilson Ultra Tour.

String and Tension: Volkl V-Icon 17 @ 55lbs.

Tennis Experience/Background: Strictly recreational; 3.5 level of play.

Playing Style: All court/evil pusher with linear strokes and an eastern grip. Favors placement over power.

Current Racquet/String Setups:
Volkl PB 10 Mid strung with Volkl V-Icon 17 @ 55lbs.
Volkl PB 10 Mid strung with Volkl Power Fiber II 18 @ 55lbs.
Volkl DNX 10 Mid strung with Volkl V-Feel 17 @ 54lbs mains / Volkl Cyclone 18 @ 50lbs crosses.
Volkl DNX 10 Mid strung with Wilson NXT 17 @ 55lbs.

Total Hours Played: Ten hours in almost-stock form and ten hours with various weight modifications. Play included social and competitive matches, lessons, and practice with a ball machine.

Comments on Racquet Performance: I played with this racquet in stock form just once for about an hour and a half. On ground strokes I had a hard time swinging the UT. It seemed as though the racquet was passing though a medium thicker than air; not as thick as water, but that same kind of sensation. I really had to swing as hard and as fast as I possibly could to get the ball to land deep in the court. I also did not like the Sublime grip that came with the racquet. Its squishy/rubbery composition dampened feel. The grip also became slimy with sweat and the edges started to curl. I replaced the grip with a firmer Wilson leather grip which improved the touch of this control-oriented racquet. This simple change of grip seems to have added enough weight to make the racquet a little more playable for me. The almost-stock portion of the review includes this one change to the grip. After some experimentation, I found that placing 14 grams of tungsten putty under the butt cap and two 3-gram strips of tungsten tape at 11 to 1 produced a racquet that I really enjoyed swinging. The portion of the review of the modified racquet is with this set-up.

Groundstrokes: In almost-stock form, the racquet was too light and I had to swing as hard and as fast as possible to hit the ball with any depth. This is not a good thing when playing against competition, but when practicing, I found it a rather helpful teaching aide as balls falling short in No Man’s Land were a good reminder that my strokes were too slow and incomplete. Until now, I hadn’t realized how dependent I had become on the weight of my racquets to do the work for me.

The launch angle of this racquet is different than the racquets that I normally play with. This difference affected my groundstrokes the most. I usually hit flat, but once I added weight to the racquet I had to change to a semi-western grip to produce enough topspin to keep the ball from going too long. I have yet to figure out how to get this racquet to generate the flat, hard, down-the-line shot that usually gets me some much needed winners. Without spin, the ball goes into the net or it lands short. I couldn’t find the precession needed to send a flat ball over the net and deep but not out. This really changed my strategy for matches. Again, not a bad thing as it was really helpful in teaching me how different grips generate different strokes, as well as how to make adjustments, but still, it is not my usual style of play.

This is an excellent racquet for those who like to slice. I had no trouble producing forehand and backhand slice shots that zipped through the court. Lobbing with this racquet was surprisingly easy. I was able to hit every lob deep to the opposite baseline with accuracy.

Generally speaking, adding weight to the racquet improved all of my groundstrokes. It provided the stability and plow-through I needed to add depth to my strokes. It also helped eliminate the occasional unpredictable shot that caromed off the string bed while playing in almost-stock form. The additional weight also helped lower the trajectory of the shots, which I also consider to be an improvement.

The UT is a wonderful racquet in terms of touch and control. Approach shots, drop shots, short slices cross-court, just about anything you need to do mid-court to maneuver your opponent around to set up for a winner is where this racquet really shines. The racquet played well for me mid-court unmodified as I was able to execute shorter swings quickly, however I still liked the feel of the modified racquet better and the additional weight did not hinder the UT’s maneuverability.

Serves: At this point, I need to mention that the grip size is bigger than what I normally use. Additionally, the UT has a grip that is octagonal in shape and the racquets that I usually play with have a grip that is more like a rectangle that had its corners beveled off. I don’t think these differences negatively affected any part of the playtest other than the serves. I just couldn’t get the pronation that I wanted with the UT. This is no big deal as my flat serve is the weakest part of my game. I usually just dump it in to get the point started and that worked fine with this racquet as well. I did get more pace and depth with weight added to the racquet.

Volleys: Great volley racquet. I had no problems volleying for depth or angling off the volley. In-coming shots to the body were easily deflected. Additional weight provided more punch and that satisfying BWOCK! sound but did not hinder maneuverability.

Serve Returns: This was the most disappointing part of the test as I like to try to end the point against weak servers by hitting flat down-the-line shots with pace. I just couldn’t figure out how to do that with the launch angle of this racquet. With additional weight, I could hit for depth, but I had to impart enough spin to get the ball over the net and yet have it stay in. The spin and additional height over the net gave my opponent enough time to get to the ball. My returns of serve ended up like ordinary groundstrokes and I had to rally a bit in order to gain control of the point. Blocking back a hard serve that had a lot of spin and pace produced unpredictable results with the unmodified racquet as stability and control were lacking a bit for me. Additional weight to the racquet improved the situation somewhat but there were still a few shots that flew off the string bed in an unpredictable manner.

Comments on Overall Performance: I found the Wilson Ultra Tour to be a challenging, yet enjoyable racquet to play with. The UT is a plush, low-powered, control-oriented racquet. The closer I got to the net, the easier it played. Additional weight added depth and stability to groundstrokes which improved control at the baseline but did not hinder maneuverability as I got closer to the net. This racquet plays very well with a firm, natural gut string. I think the UT is a great choice for doubles players, anyone who likes experimenting with their racquets and their playing style, and those with arm issues. It also seems like it would be a great racquet for serious Junior players as the racquet can be easily modified to meet the needs of a quickly evolving game.

Thanks very much to Tennis Warehouse and Wilson for giving me the opportunity to participate in this playtest. I had a great time experimenting with and playing with the Wilson Ultra Tour!

 

[DNA2002]

I m looking for more powerful racket than Prestige MP(youtek). Do you think Ultra Tour is more 'pop' than Prestige MP?

Folks, here is my review. I have struggled with this one, but please read on.

Racquet Received: Wilson Ultra Tour (the 97 big baller)

String and tension used for test: Luxilon 16L big banger supplied with the racquet. Full bed at 50 lbs which relaxed nicely after an hr or two of hitting.

Tennis experience/background: Interesting, I have come a long way since my first play test, which was the Pure Aero about 2 yrs ago. I played as a kid without a lot of formal instruction, but have really been back in the game for the last 3 years. I took individual lessons from an open level coach for about half that time. For the last 2.5 yrs or so I have been playing USTA league. My level is that oft-repeated 3.5-4.0. I play against 4.5s and can take games off them, but I can't beat them. Right now I play a mixture of league (doubles and singles), friendly competition, internal leagues at my club, 4.0 drills, weekend tournaments, and individual lessons here and there. I play an average of 3 times a week, sometimes up to 5 times a week. I definitely prefer singles but always seem to end up playing doubles because that's what everyone else prefers. I am in my late 30s.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): This is also an interesting question, because my game is pretty well defined now as compared to when I first wrote a review. I have a basic b*tch game, meaning that I rely on the energy of my serve and my forehand to win points. I have developed a remarkably average kick serve that gets me into a lot of points, but I have a flat serve to hit into the body of my opponents if they start stepping in and catching the kick serve early. Also can hit a flat serve out wide in doubles and get free points that way. No question I damage my opponents by means of the topspin forehand more often than not. I have a two-handed backhand and a backhand slice which are mostly defensive at this point, although I'm always working to change that. I like to finish points by getting a short ball or a short lob and putting it away with a forehand or overhead (I am not afraid of smashing an overhead, which seems to be a strange preoccupation with others at my level). I'm also a short dude (5'8") so I have to do a lot of retrieving when I get pressed. I have decent wheels for my age. I run around a backhand every time I get a chance. semi-western bordering on jack sock western forehand, and a less extreme/less westerner 2HBH grip.

Current racquet/string setups: Really too many to mention. I have tried everything. The racquets I have played the most with since spring league started have been the Speed Touch Pro and the XT prestige pro. I have spent a lot of time with the Speed MP, Radical MP, Pure Drive, and Pure Aero. I use a full bed of poly in everything and usually prefer the 16 g Sonic Pro Edge. String between 50 and 52 lbs, depending on headsize and how open the pattern is. I'll reiterate that the Speed Pro is mostly my cup of tea, although I would prefer a little more open pattern.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? So far, about 15 hrs, which has been about the life of this stringbed. The big banger was awful at first but softened just a little after the first hour and the feel became quite nice. That's a combination of league doubles and rec play in informal leagues at my club and just hitting around with friends at a similar or higher level.

Comments on racquet performance: First of all, I will use this as an area to give general comments before I give general comments at the end. This is a beautiful racquet with a gloss paintjob in subtle, yet very appealing hues of blue. I mean it looks fantastic. Second, the grip has never felt right to me. I am used to a 4 1/4 grip on a Head racquet. This is much more like a 4 1/4 on a babolat, just not as cushioned/squishy. Which is fine, I prefer a firm grip ... this one has always felt just a little big. Third, this racquet is above my pay grade in terms of performance. Perhaps a warning to other 3.5s and 4.0s, but perhaps also a challenge. I have had to force myself sometimes to play with this racquet because I'd rather use something easier. But if it is used correctly, it is fascinating how good your game can be. Now, on to to the specifics:

-Groundstrokes: This racquet has a small sweetspot and very low power. I have played the redondo, I have played the microgel rad MP ... in stock form, this racquet will challenge any of them in terms of low power. That being said, if I set my feet and drive the forehand and two-handed backhand with top RHS (really taking a solid swing at the ball from the legs and core), this thing delivers. This racquet WILL produce as much pace and/or topspin as anything else I have ever used, provided i set my feet, load, swing fast and follow through, and pure the sweet spot. The advantage of this is that you know EXACTLY what to expect from the tool on every shot. The DISADVANTAGE is that the ball will die and plop into the net if you mishit or fail somewhere in the kinetic chain of swing. And if you start opening up the face of the racquet to compensate, you'll float it long. The racquet demands complete commitment on every shot and as much RHS as you can properly generate. Obviously this can become a liability later in a match when you're tired and the form starts to break down ... it can also serve to focus your thinking and keep you going with better aggressiveness and form.

-Serves: I read the reviews stating that this racquet is anemic on serves. I would generally agree. However, I found that, just like groundstrokes, if I put 100% into each serve, the racquet delivers. I have hit reliable kick serves that reverse direction and/or fly over opponents heads with this racquet. Again, though, it demands high RHS and a hit in the sweet spot. You WILL NOT consistently hit the sweet spot on this racquet unless your form is on point.

-Volleys: Volleys are sublime when struck correctly and garbage if you miss the sweet spot. Have I mentioned that this frame is honest? Quick eyes, quick hands, quick feet make this racquet a weapon at the net. The feel is absolutely predictable, provided you don't mishit on the edge of the stringbed. Smashing overheads feels magical, and drop shots are easy to dial in. You've got to be on your game though ... especially against any sort of pace.

-Serve returns: You have to move the racquet forward and collide with the ball. No sticking it out and blocking the ball like a pure drive. I mean you can, it's just more likely that it will float and get killed by the net guy. Take a short compact swing with this racquet on return and drive the ball. Make sure you hit the sweet spot ...

General reaction/comments on overall performance: I was really looking forward to this playtest, but it humbled me. The Pure Aero was easy, but this racquet was a challenge. It makes me play tennis. I think all of us who play the game can say that, no matter how good we're doing, there's always something or someone better who can whoop our *ss. This racquet has sorta whooped my *ss. Every time I use it, I find myself looking for just a little more help. When I am on my top notch game and pureing each shot, we are best friends. When I'm dinking what I thought was a perfectly good shot into the net ... well, I'm thinking hard about where my form broke down or why I'm not holding the speed pro or a pure drive. I will say that the racquet NEEDS a little weight. After the first few hours I added a little lead at 3 & 9. Not enough to significantly change the balance, but enough to make it plow a little better. Regardless, the name of the game with this racquet is: proper footwork and prep, FULL fast swing on groundstrokes. hit the sweetspot and be rewarded!

Also, I played the same racquet with a hybrid of nxt and big banger on one afternoon during a wilson demo day. I thought it was too light in the head, which was part of my decision to go full poly. After playing the racquet both ways, I didn't think that the addition of a multi in the mains significantly increased the power, forgiveness, or playability of the racquet. It requires fast swings and direct hits no matter what string you have in it.

I will express no opinion here as to individualized weighting of the racquet. The reviewers asked us to review in stock form and that's what I did ... mostly. As I said I had to add at least a little lead at 3 & 9, which is what I've had to do on the Speed MP as well. If you are a higher level player, and if you know how to lead a frame to get the balance you want, I can imagine this would turn into a completely different frame. In a day and age of increasingly polarized frames, though, this one is NOT. Very linear weight and balance. Really too light for what it is, but I suppose that is part of the point.

Please feel free to ask me any questions. All I've got for ya is brutal honesty ... some humility ... from my experience and playing level. Which I think is a reflection of this racquet ... it is brutally honest!

P.S. no videos of me hitting, although I applaud those who are willing to throw themselves to the wolves.

P.P.S. This racquet has a fantastic plush feel when struck well in the sweetspot, even with a full bed of poly.

 

[n8dawg6]

I m looking for more powerful racket than Prestige MP(youtek). Do you think Ultra Tour is more 'pop' than Prestige MP?

nope! if anything, less.

 

[DNA2002]

nope! if anything, less.

Please tell me it in detail. I am confused because UT head size is bigger than Prestige MP.
On the Racket Universe in the TW's review, its power is similar to Prostaff 97 or Head prestige XT Pro.

 

[n8dawg6]

Please tell me it in detail. I am confused because UT head size is bigger than Prestige MP.
On the Racket Universe in the TW's review, its power is similar to Prostaff 97 or Head prestige XT Pro.

i am going to respectfully disagree with any racquet universe posts that say the ultra tour 97 has more power than the xt prestige pro or the current prostaff 97. i have compared all of the frames first hand and they are all closer to a 95. the prostaff and the xt pro each have a 16x19 pattern though. and i find that both of those frames have more power and forgiveness than the ultra tour 97.

that is MY subjective opinion, but i am firm on it. if you want some stats, compare the xt prestige pro's 330ish swingweight to the barely 320 SW of the ultra tour 97. thats not to say that that the ultra tour cant be beefed up w lead tape, but in stock form there is no contest.

 

[moon shot]

Racquet Received:

Wilson Ultra Tour 97​

String and tension used for test:

1: Stock 325g 32.4cm 325sw - 55lbs Technifibre X1 Biphase
2: Mod . 337g 32.5cm 340sw - 46/44lbs Luxilon 4G Soft
3: Mod . 358g 31.7cm 350sw - 42lbs WC Ultra Cable
4: Mod . 353g 32.3cm 345sw - 46/44lbs Hyper-G 1.15​

Tennis experience/background:

3 years small town Varsity followed by 15 years of forgetting any skills I had. I returned 3 years ago and play aggressively recreational doubles against 3.5-5.0 friends, of which I fall near the bottom.​

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):

Succenctly, a 3.5 servebot pretending to play allcourt​

Current racquet/string setups:

Most often a 6.1 25th Anniversary 18x20 strung with 4G Soft 1.25 @ 44/42lbs, occasionally the 6.1 Classic Stretch. Also Radical Tour (bumblebee, zebra, candycane) MP, i.Prestige MP strung with stiff polys in the mid 40s.​

How many hours did you play with the racquet?

28​

Comments on racquet performance:
-Groundstrokes:

From my first swing I knew my attacking style would be of no use with the Ultra in its stock form. All my strokes were utterly predictable and possessed fantastic placement. Off both wings I noticed a marked drop in framed balls as a result of the easily timed mass. My defensive abilities made up for the passing shots which were not materializing. Once I brought the swingweight up to 340 the frame really came alive. I was able to hit a reasonable level of topspin and apply shape to the trajectory in a variety of ways. I think my error and winners decreased in proportion. As others have said slice is amazing. In my bygone days of glory I would unhinge my arm and yank the string so opponents were left lurching to even touch the ball. With my regular frame I couldn’t time the contact well but the Ultra… everything just fell into place, ginsu returneth. ​

-Serves:

Stock the Ultra Tour had pinpoint placement and suprising spin, but it took everything I had to even approach the pace I’m used to on a second serve. I suppose the low mass and even weighting delivered predictable results. As I increased the swingweight and mass of the frame I was easily able to serve as good as I’m used to. I was actually able to find a few aces out wide that I’d been missing recently. I found my form to be more consistent.​

-Volleys:

At the net I am very consistent … in overcooking reaction volleys. For a while I played with the RF which was more or less Cape Canaveral if I was anywhere near the upper hoop. My 6.1 is improved in that aspect but I still lack touch, which I found some semblance of with the Ultra Tour. I could flick droppers on the rise, slice them acutely as they dipped below the tape, or pluck a poach to instill some doubt. It seems to be the superior tool, or at least more useful to my shot selection.​

-Serve returns:

Returns are the part of my game which brings me the most pain. With my 6.1 I can at times return aggressively and fairly often end the point right there. However when my timing lacks - and it does often - I am an error machine. My defensive return is very faulty so on such days I’m fairly worthless. With the Ultra Tour in its stock form my defensive return was far more reliable, though I couldn’t attack except by angles. As I modified I’ve found a good blend of offensive and defensive returns. I’m currently settling near the specs of the i.Prestige MP which I hadn’t particularly favored previously - this process has shown me value in those specs though.​

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Since returning to the court several years ago I gravitated toward heavy racquets. Doing so I reasonably hurt my ability to bring the frame into position on reflex volleys and such, but with my level of fitness it seems my feet and frame are equally out of place so I never worried much. Regardless I’m happy with the heavy frames win or lose.

The Ultra Tour playtest offered me a unique experience. Being able to start with a frame which isn’t far removed from my high school Ti.Radical and incrementally modify it toward the 6.1 I’ve grown comfortable with has been a fantastic reevaluation. Stock the Ultra Tour is, to steal a analogy, Fior di Latte gellato - vanilla without the vanilla. So smooth and evenly balanced it encourages you to modify and has very few quirks to work around. I’ve found a longer balance worth further examination where I had been moving in the opposite direction of tail weighting. Even stock I feel this would be usable by someone who would play a middle era Radical mp or os.

The head guard channel is quite narrow for threading the cross under the main skip. The grommets don’t appear to be terribly durable and my second frame was at the other end of the spec range (310sw vs 324sw) otherwise I love it. I’m entertaining the idea of switching. Previously I never clicked well with a set of i.Prestige MP I had bought, but through this process I've found them to be quite similar but slightly more crisp than the Ultra Tour. If the Ultra Tour is a rendition of the quintessential Head frame then in my estimation once they are done damaging their brand with graphene Head would be well served by copying the Ultra Tour - or re-releasing what inspired this frame.

 

[asifallasleep]

And this is my type of racquet. Would love to compare it to the HEAD Pro Tour 630

I just bought two of the Ultra 97 Tours today and will be hitting with them in the morning.
Spec-wise i'm loving that they are much more hl stock when compared to my PT630's.
That was my main gripe with the PT630's!

Just swinging them, they move and feel like my K90's, just a little lighter. Really easy to get moving but they don't too flimsy or light.
I strung them with 18g cyclone black at 40.

 

[jayserinos99]

Last Update (sorry if it's a bit rambling): I really wish I could have hit with the leaded Ultra Tour but I ended up with a bad case of golfer's elbow due to tweaking my serve by forcing the pronation (totally stupid on my part). At any rate, prior to injury, I had a few hours of hitting with the Ultra Tour modded with 3g of lead at 10/2, 1 Wilson Pro Overgrip, and 1 rubber band dampener. The final strung spec was 328g, 7pt HL, and an estimated swingweight in the low to mid 320s. It was definitely an improvement in all areas of the court. Groundstrokes, volleys, and returns felt more solid and looked to penetrate the court more while having good spin. When I was able to serve, I felt more at ease because I let the weight do more of the work instead of trying to swing out. The weight in the head also helped with off-center shots and the sweetspot felt like it moved north of center. Compared to my PT280 and 2015 Blade, the modded Ultra Tour still felt lighter in the head, but I was able to get the UT around much quicker. Also, the Ultra Tour is definitely comfortable but not overly noodley. My normal spec is 335-340g, 5-8pt HL, 320-330sw and I believe I could achieve the right balance of weight/plow and fast swing speed by tinkering with the frame. I commend Wilson for providing us a frame that we can easily customize and feel like we're playing with a pro stock frame. Lastly, thank you to TW for letting us playtest the frame!

 

[moon shot]

For the greater good I decided to see if a Head pallet could be installed on the Ultra Tour. It works! I’ll write a thread about it later.

 

[mad dog1]

For the greater good I decided to see if a Head pallet could be installed on the Ultra Tour. It works! I’ll write a thread about it later.

Thank you so much for this public service.