Wilson Defyer 98 Pro V1

[waginen]

Interesting to read about your experiences with the Wilson Defyer 98, especially the part you're mentioning the more muted and plush feeling.
I use to play with so called ''players frames'' and prefer a more pure and direct feel with a good amount of feedback coming out of the frame.
In the past I have played with Head PT57A, many Pro Staff's, Wilson Blade's, Wilson H22's etc. but actually prefer these days rackets which give me a bit easier power while retaining enough control and feel.
My current racket of choice is the Head Speed Tour and so far I'm playing my best tennis with it and really like the control, feel, swingspeed, and also some comfort it delivers to me.
Despite the fact that I am fully satisfied with my Speed Tour's (have three of them) curiosity and interest to some other good playing rackets remain and due to that reason I bought a Head Extreme Pro 2026 and a Wilson Defyer to compare them side by side extensively.

I have closely followed the evolution of the Wilson Python prototype and with all the hype around it my expectations were reasonably high...
Finally when Wilson presented it as a retail racket (Defyer) I was so disappointed about the red color and lost my complete interest in it.
Due to the fact that a lot of reviews about the Defyer were so ''euphoric'' my curiosity to extensively test it overcame my strong dislikes about the red color and so I decided to order a Defyer 98.
Directly after the Defyer came in I modified it with some lead tape on specific spots (1 gram on 12 h position and totally 3 gram on the 3 and 9 h position) and I also counter balanced it by adding silicones in the handle.
Despite the fact that I like to use Lynx Tour 1.20 mm. grey in most of my rackets I chose to string the Defyer 98 with a string I really liked in the past and that's Luxilon Alu Power Soft 1.25 mm.

During my comparison session between the Extreme Pro 2026 (standard specs/unmodified and strung with Lynx Tour 1.20 mm.) and the Defyer 98 I started playing with the Extreme Pro and was surprised about the good amount of control and pure and direct feel of ball contact it delivered.
The control and feel were almost comparable with my Speed Tour, with the notification that the Speed Tour feels slightly more dampened and comfortable, whereas the Extreme Pro feels more ''pure'' and undamped.
With regard to handling - and swingspeed the Speed Tour feels faster and more whippy, something I really prefer.

After these positive impressions with the Extreme Pro I switched to the Defyer 98 and after the first couple of groundstrokes I noticed a much more muted/damped feel.
As a result I experienced a lack of ballcontact feel and had some problems to hit the ball with fully confidence because I could not really pinpoint place it where I wanted.
Something I also experienced is the imo limited feedback coming out of the frame and this is mostly noticeable when you want to hit your groundstrokes with more pressure and acceleration from the baseline.
Due to the limited feedback I found it sometimes hard to adjust to the right amount of power and effort to achieve the right dept and acceleration in my strokes.
After these Defyer impressions I switched back to the Extreme Pro and it was remarkable how huge the differences between the Defyer and the Extreme Pro are in terms of control and feel, but also with regard to the level of power and spin the Extreme Pro exceeds the Defyer easily....

I will continue to test and compare the Defyer extensively because I have the feeling that it can - and should perform better than it showed me so far.
First thing I wil change is switching to Lynx Tour (grey) 1.20 mm. because that string has proven itself many times in different set-ups and I have the feeling that the Defyer 98 will perform better with a more stiff and crisp string.
Furthermore some leadtape placement changes can hopefully bring some improvement....

Don’t silicon it, leather grip it

 

[Power Player]

My comments were about the pure drive 98.
Although it's shocking to hear you think the defyer has no feel.
Not sure what string or tension you used but I find it to be very transmissive and I always know where the ball was struck on the stringbed.
Sure it is a much more modern feel compared to a Blade Pro, which has a ton of flex but the Defyer risss way above the dampened and muted Babs, Yonex, and Head offerings.

Agree 100%. The feel is so much better for me compared to about every modern offering. I string at 48#s with tour sniper mains and gosen gtour crosses. So a full poly setup. Really great comfort and a very communicative sweet spot.

 

[Chairman3]

How is the PD98 at net? I need to get my hands on one. The stock head heavy balance is what’s kept me away from it to date

I too was shocked when I realized the balance was 32.5  unstrung. But that isn't head heavy, just less HL.
I usually go for around 32 strung but I had no issues in terms of maneuverability.
It swings fast but the mId 320s SW and less HL balance make it very stable feeling.
I'm used to a bit higher SW though so for me it was still lower SW than my normal specs.
But I thought it was a great all-court racquet. I play doubles and singles, so am accustomed to transition shots and coming to net.

 

[ChrisJR3264]

My initial thoughts, although specs are “different “ in terms of beam thickness: this kinda reminded me a bit of the old pure storm in a way. But easier to use.
Oh how far babolat fell with their pure storm /pure strike line.

 

[Chairman3]

Agree 100%. The feel is so much better for me compared to about every modern offering. I string at 48#s with tour sniper mains and gosen gtour crosses. So a full poly setup. Really great comfort and a very communicative sweet spot.

Im also at 48 and although I think I'd get a bit more flat trajectory at 50, I like the looseness and challenge of play with a bit more launch. (A challenge because I swing flatter)
I used poly tour strike 1.25 and now using tour bite round 1.25.

 

[Soundbyte]

Hit with the Defyer 98 yesterday briefly. First impression is the feel is very similar to the Speed Pro and Solinco M3 prototype. It's not mushy nor crisp/stiff, but somewhere in the middle. There's no appreciable throat flex (ala Blade Pro, Pro kennex BAP, etc).

Its definitely different from the other Wilson offerings IMO. If the RF01 Pro and Shift Pro had a baby, I think the Defyer would fit.

I agree with Korda - I don't think any blade or Pro staff user is going to be wowed by this frame on first hit. It's too different in feel which is probably a turn off for most people. You need to give it time to adjust to it.

Rackets for me fall into 1 of 3 buckets: I like it right away, "maybe", and "not for me".

This is squarely in the "maybe" bucket for me after a single hitting session.

I'll continue to hit with it to refine my opinion

 

[RuudAwakening]

 

[CalciferKuma]

Anyone moved onto the D98 from Shift 300? I love my Shift but due to a non tennis related wrist injury I have to string it with nat gut and soft poly at lower tensions so I cant get that wicked spin I used to pre injury when I played full poly setups at medium tension.
It's funny there's very little comparisons of these 2 even though the Defyer is essentially the Shifts replacement. I saw one review where they did mention the Shift and said the D98 is much better in nearly all areas without elaboration.

My buddy from this forum did say the Defyer felt very similar to the shift 2.0 prototype he played with at the start of the testing phase for P98s.

 

[prb3512]

Does anyone know how soon they add rackets to the wilson customizer?

Demoed the racket and loved it, but not a fan of the paint job.

 

[WillGinRVA]

Does anyone know how soon they add rackets to the wilson customizer?

Demoed the racket and loved it, but not a fan of the paint job.

I would guess it could be a while seeing as they still have the Blade V9 on there instead of the V10.

 

[Puffer]

Interesting to read about your experiences with the Wilson Defyer 98, especially the part you're mentioning the more muted and plush feeling.
I use to play with so called ''players frames'' and prefer a more pure and direct feel with a good amount of feedback coming out of the frame.
In the past I have played with Head PT57A, many Pro Staff's, Wilson Blade's, Wilson H22's etc. but actually prefer these days rackets which give me a bit easier power while retaining enough control and feel.
My current racket of choice is the Head Speed Tour and so far I'm playing my best tennis with it and really like the control, feel, swingspeed, and also some comfort it delivers to me.
Despite the fact that I am fully satisfied with my Speed Tour's (have three of them) curiosity and interest to some other good playing rackets remain and due to that reason I bought a Head Extreme Pro 2026 and a Wilson Defyer to compare them side by side extensively.

I have closely followed the evolution of the Wilson Python prototype and with all the hype around it my expectations were reasonably high...
Finally when Wilson presented it as a retail racket (Defyer) I was so disappointed about the red color and lost my complete interest in it.
Due to the fact that a lot of reviews about the Defyer were so ''euphoric'' my curiosity to extensively test it overcame my strong dislikes about the red color and so I decided to order a Defyer 98.
Directly after the Defyer came in I modified it with some lead tape on specific spots (1 gram on 12 h position and totally 3 gram on the 3 and 9 h position) and I also counter balanced it by adding silicones in the handle.
Despite the fact that I like to use Lynx Tour 1.20 mm. grey in most of my rackets I chose to string the Defyer 98 with a string I really liked in the past and that's Luxilon Alu Power Soft 1.25 mm.

During my comparison session between the Extreme Pro 2026 (standard specs/unmodified and strung with Lynx Tour 1.20 mm.) and the Defyer 98 I started playing with the Extreme Pro and was surprised about the good amount of control and pure and direct feel of ball contact it delivered.
The control and feel were almost comparable with my Speed Tour, with the notification that the Speed Tour feels slightly more dampened and comfortable, whereas the Extreme Pro feels more ''pure'' and undamped.
With regard to handling - and swingspeed the Speed Tour feels faster and more whippy, something I really prefer.

After these positive impressions with the Extreme Pro I switched to the Defyer 98 and after the first couple of groundstrokes I noticed a much more muted/damped feel.
As a result I experienced a lack of ballcontact feel and had some problems to hit the ball with fully confidence because I could not really pinpoint place it where I wanted.
Something I also experienced is the imo limited feedback coming out of the frame and this is mostly noticeable when you want to hit your groundstrokes with more pressure and acceleration from the baseline.
Due to the limited feedback I found it sometimes hard to adjust to the right amount of power and effort to achieve the right dept and acceleration in my strokes.
After these Defyer impressions I switched back to the Extreme Pro and it was remarkable how huge the differences between the Defyer and the Extreme Pro are in terms of control and feel, but also with regard to the level of power and spin the Extreme Pro exceeds the Defyer easily....

I will continue to test and compare the Defyer extensively because I have the feeling that it can - and should perform better than it showed me so far.
First thing I wil change is switching to Lynx Tour (grey) 1.20 mm. because that string has proven itself many times in different set-ups and I have the feeling that the Defyer 98 will perform better with a more stiff and crisp string.
Furthermore some leadtape placement changes can hopefully bring some improvement....

Looking forward to the test comparison with similar lead placement and string setup between the Extreme Pro 2026 and Defyer 98.

 

[Yiuh]

Continuing my demo, now with two sessions (~4 hours) of casually competitive singles hitting with a friend and one long, hard-fought singles match loss in a third-set breaker. Maybe I was a little hasty taking it into actual competitive match play, but the Ws and Ls don’t bother me so much anymore.

I did find a contrast between my casual, comfy, loose hitting with a regular friend/partner (where I loved it, especially flattening out winners) and the somewhat tenser match play against a stranger, and now I understand what a lot of folks have said - when things get tight, the racquet doesn’t give you nearly as much. I dumped a few more into the net than I wanted, especially as things dragged on, and shanked a couple (just timing with an unfamiliar stick I think), and I wasn’t getting as much bite on my serve as I expected. I do not think this is much of a spin racquet on its own, or at least it doesn’t want to spit the high-kicking big spinners that I sometimes like. I think it would be interesting to try it with a sharp string at lower tension.

Still very intrigued by it, and may consider a switch - given this was my first competitive match with it, and I very nearly won against an accomplished baseline grinder, it feels good. It would ultimately take a bit of an adjustment vs the GT98 but I think one that could be beneficial in the long run.

 

[EDias]

My 2 cents.. current UTR 7.4, aggressive, OHBH. Moved from PA98 over a year ago (too unforgiving for me on bad days) to a PD2025, but have been seeking a bit more precision without taking away from my strengths Service + Forehand. Really looking for that racquet between a PA98 and probably a blade so was excited for the D98.

Specs:
Unstrung:306.4, 31, 288.5 SW
Strung: 324, 32.1, 322 SW (Confidential 1.25).

The Vcore 98 2026 has been my match racquet, good power when needed, its allowing me a killer slice backhand and not losing too much on Serve and Forehand.

Had about 1.5 hours with the Defyer 98 Pro yesterday. I strung it with Confidential 1.25 at 46lbs (same as my Vcore setup). Its definitely more muted / plush and more pocketing in the sweet spot, than the Vcore and actually feels similar to the 2025 PD which is a lot more muted than previous versions.

Good access to spin and power, but it feels a little less connected than the Vcore with feels more direct, especially on the one hander where I can really feel and manipulate the ball. I was sending balls longer with the Defyer and my slice was floating more than with the Vcore, but didnt feel crazy or unpredictable.

I think I'd need to up the tension, or go for a more controlled / stiffer setup to try it again, as I was missing some of the point and shoot aspects of the Vcore.

So it wasnt an immediate "OMH im switching" like I had with my first hit with the PA98, but worth pursuing for a while.

Hello. Do the specifications you posted include an overgrip? If so, which one did you use, please? I’d like to get an idea of how mine will turn out.

 

[ClownCar96]

Hello. Do the specifications you posted include an overgrip? If so, which one did you use, please? I’d like to get an idea of how mine will turn out.

For another point of reference, I strung one up today. Here is how it turned out.

Unstrung:
303g, 286.5 SW

Strung with lynx tour/sync 1.25 w/ Wilson OG and dampener:

328g, 319 SW, 32.5 cm balance

 

[nath_tennis]

Hello. Do the specifications you posted include an overgrip? If so, which one did you use, please? I’d like to get an idea of how mine will turn out.

This was no overgrip, but still had the plastic on the handle.

 

[WillGinRVA]

For another point of reference, I strung one up today. Here is how it turned out.

Unstrung:
303g, 286.5 SW

Strung with lynx tour/sync 1.25 w/ Wilson OG and dampener:

328g, 319 SW, 32.5 cm balance

Length?

 

[ClownCar96]

Length?

Ha! It does look to be about 1/8 inch short! Is it that new bumper maybe?

 

[ClownCar96]

Agree on the lack of feel, being disconnected, after my first hit. Frankly this is puzzling because one of the most trusted reviewers, Luca from R&R claimed the opposite. He had been demoing with the prototype however. Is retail really that much different? It was almost like there was no tech which made for a weird tinny feel but then it was also muted at the same time giving no feedback, strange experience.

My first hit was with a demo string job and some old hopper balls which wasn’t ideal, so I will reserve final judgement for when my frames arrive and can be strung and modded appropriately.

So I take all that back. I restrung the demo with Lynx Tour with Sync cross @52lbs, and my god, it is a completely different racquet… absolutely incredible, unique, addicting sensation off the stringbed. I get the hype. Very well rounded, does a lot of things well. Big kick off the court on ground strokes. You can swing big with confidence.

As @Power Player noted you need to put a lot of technique in which can get exhausting. I
switched back to my BP100 Steam on the 4th and last game to 11 for comparison. Not surprisingly, I was getting easier depth and more pace. I will try to get the SW up a bit to around ~322 to see if that helps with a little more put away power. Or MAYBE..I extend it a 1/4 inch like the BP100 (or 3/8 to make up for it being short lol!).

This might not be the ideal type of stick for my game and my age, but it sure is too unique and fun not to have one!

Side note: This demo was from a different company than this site…time and time again I’ve seen demos or prestrung racquets with abysmal string jobs. Do they have kids stringing who don’t know how to tie knots? I mean no one in their right mind would have bought this racquet with the way it played with the dead, loose ALU at 37lbs. Completely transformed with a proper string setup.

 

[Cayenne321]

Brought my D98 up to my blade specs (by swing feel and static weight). Suddenly it feels so much more like the PA98 and I can very clearly see why the comparisons are there. Few times where it had a weird feeling like I was breaking a string or something had come loose which was a bit off-putting, but otherwise it was great and could really crush the ball with a lot of kick in the topspin bounce. Fixed up a lot of timing issues I was having with the light whippy base spec.

Gonna get it restrung on the weekend with full Mach 10 1.20 @45. Currently got hyper G mains which I'm not really digging.

 

[neunelf]

Played 1,5h D98 (RPM Blast 1.2mm, 53lbs) side to side with my PA98 2023 and 2026.

Positives: Easy to play low speed rallies and easy to generate racket head speed but that is all positives to say.
Negatives: unstabile and would need 1,5-2g lead 3 and 9 o'clock. Plays better with damper, otherwise string vibrations are really disturbing. Too soft from throat or above but I cannot say where is it really bends. Sweet spot is okey. Launch angle and spin generation is about my PA98 2026 level or slightly below. For hard hitting and returning 100mph serves D98 feels flimsy. Surprisingly good to serve, compared how it feels in baseline hitting. Comes through easy and for aerodynamics this is great. Otherwise this is not a solid racket, but overhyped and under performing. This is great junior racket like Blade V8, V9 and it has bright future in there.

I'm ex-Wilson fan and liked them to succeed, but hard to see it with D98. I could play with it after tuning lead and string, but why bother ? Both PA98's are all time easier and equally comfortable. Feel sorry for Holger Rune.

Hit some minutes with D100 but not enough to say anything. Feels easier than D98 with huge sweet spot.

 

[pizzadontdie]

The P98 is excellent for a OHBH. Even better than the Blade, probably due to the frame's ergonomics and power-to-weight ratio.

It really encourages you to step in and commit, providing a higher level of confidence than the Blades ever offered.

Agree, I’ve been testing both v10 blade and D98 and it’s not even close with my OHBH D98 allows for much easier top spin and pace. It just feels so easy to swing.

 

[skip11]

 

[_FrankTheTank_]

If he applied wilson feather thin with high pressure/tension it can almost be 10g difference, this basegrip can be stretched very much.

 

[Tim Buktu]

 

[Jono123]

I can see why they call the P98 a platform racquet. Mine has a synthetic leather grip, a little lead at the 3&9, a hybrid string setup and a dampener.

No way I could use it stock now.

 

[Tim Buktu]

If he applied wilson feather thin with high pressure/tension it can almost be 10g difference, this basegrip can be stretched very much.

Did you also see what he did with the strings? He claims Lynx Tour and Black Code are similar(when they're not), then puts Black Code 18 in one compared to his previous Lynx Tour 17 and then he can't understand why the racquet is so much lighter....

Seriously, these lower level 'all the gear and no idea' players need to stop posting videos with misleading info as they just don't have a clue about anything.

 

[_FrankTheTank_]

Did you also see what he did with the strings? He claims Lynx Tour and Black Code are similar(when they're not), then puts Black Code 18 in one compared to his previous Lynx Tour 17 and then he can't understand why the racquet is so much lighter....

Seriously, these lower level 'all the gear and no idea' players need to stop posting videos with misleading info as they just don't have a clue about anything.

I did not, I skipped through and saw the weight difference, then heard him talk about some leather-ish syntetic wilson grip that should not make any differnce more than 1-2g and then left as no one will give me back the other 9 minutes lifetime I would waste.

But from the real life effect itself i can understand the result the one guy likes it, the D98 has it's weight distributed not so much on the upper hoop/top but lower hoop, if you remove 8-9g from the basegrip you get much closer in weight and weight distribution to the typical 98 285g frames out there.

 

[skip11]

Did you also see what he did with the strings? He claims Lynx Tour and Black Code are similar(when they're not), then puts Black Code 18 in one compared to his previous Lynx Tour 17 and then he can't understand why the racquet is so much lighter....

Seriously, these lower level 'all the gear and no idea' players need to stop posting videos with misleading info as they just don't have a clue about anything.

Can we see videos of your high level play Mr. All the gear and all the ideas? Maybe we can all gain something from it and learn how to play tennis alongside understanding rackets.

 

[Tim Buktu]

Can we see videos of your high level play Mr. All the gear and all the ideas? Maybe we can all gain something from it and learn how to play tennis alongside understanding rackets.

If you want some instructional videos, there are a million of them on YouTube. If you want to get better, sign up for some lessons with a good coach. But don't expect a racquet to lift you up from your 3.0/3.5 level with a bit of lead tape at 12 and then get sour about it when it doesn't happen.

So I put on the Syntec Pro on the Speeds and stock grip back on the Nordics and here are the specs:
M98P #1 (stock) vs touch/hawk power
333.2 g
32.24 cm
331.5 SW
13.6 TW

M98P#2 (1.5g throat, 3.4g buttcap) vs touch/hawk rough
332.3
32.24 cm
331.4 SW
13.7 TW

Speed Pro Legend #1 (bab syntec pro, 3.4g at 12, 1g buttcap) full bed hawk power (a bit heavier of a string)
334.8 g
32.3 cm
330.3 SW
13.7 TW

Speed Pro Legend #2 (bab syntec pro <about 1g heavier than stock base grip.)
311.1 g
288.5 SW
Currently being strung w/ vs touch/hawk rough, will remeasure and matched tomorrow, should be able to get it close enough

You're just a twin of the other guy in this thread - your FH isn't going to get any better trying to play tennis with a calculator. What's a "Syntec Pro" going to do? Help you with a single leg pivot? Make you run faster?

 

[ChrisJR3264]

If you want some instructional videos, there are a million of them on YouTube. If you want to get better, sign up for some lessons with a good coach. But don't expect a racquet to lift you up from your 3.0/3.5 level with a bit of lead tape at 12 and then get sour about it when it doesn't happen.



You're just a twin of the other guy in this thread - your FH isn't going to get any better trying to play tennis with a calculator. What's a "Syntec Pro" going to do? Help you with a single leg pivot? Make you run faster?

If I understood what @skip11 asked, can you provide a video of yourself playing the beautiful game of tennis? I think he wants to see if your constructive criticism towards folks on this forum is justified…
I think it’s a fair ask.

 

[ChrisJR3264]

Did you also see what he did with the strings? He claims Lynx Tour and Black Code are similar(when they're not), then puts Black Code 18 in one compared to his previous Lynx Tour 17 and then he can't understand why the racquet is so much lighter....

Seriously, these lower level 'all the gear and no idea' players need to stop posting videos with misleading info as they just don't have a clue about anything.

tell us more please. I’d love to know more about the variances of these two strings when quite frankly I just don’t. Its all about your technique

 

[Tim Buktu]

If I understood what @skip11 asked, can you provide a video of yourself playing the beautiful game of tennis? I think he wants to see if your constructive criticism towards folks on this forum is justified…
I think it’s a fair ask.

You STILL butt hurt over me saying your brown Ezone looks like diarrhoea with sweetcorn streaks??

 

[EggSalad]

There is a weird level of chippiness in this thread. lol.

Settle down folks, it’s just a tennis racquet.

 

[skip11]

Tim's just trolling, no one with 18 years of experience customizing racket will **** on other people's experience with a racket.
What's a syntec pro going to do? @Trip made the recommendation of a base grip that's good for bevel feel without going to a leather grip, so I tried it out and liked it a lot compared to Nordicdots and Head base grip. Is that really hard for you to understand? What you like and what other people like will not be the same, doesn't mean their opinion is invalid. We're not Sean Hodkin over here who's a pro and can really push a racket to the limit.

 

[nfantunes]

There is a weird level of chippiness in this thread. lol.

Settle down folks, it’s just a tennis racquet.

totally agree! people take this conversations to the personal level.
Cool down, we are only here talking about racquets!! Today I was playing a doubles match and the 4 of us had 4 different racquets!
Thats the beauty of things, what is fantastic for me is not good for others and vice-versa. That why we have racquets with different weight, balance, beam, etc etc

 

[Trip]

@skip11 - Indeed, that grip is the Gamma Hi-Tech, and IMHO it's pretty much the gold standard in synthetic grips. A nice middle ground in terms of added weight and firmness of feel versus something like a medium-thick-or-thicker leather grip, and you can apply it thicker with normal wrapping tension, or thinner by pulling harder, and it will stretch out with good consistency. A great way to take a good racquet that is perhaps hampered by a slightly-too-mushy/flimsy stock base grip (maybe the Defyer's grip falls into that category?) and turn it into a much more solid-feeling system, without adding as much potentially dead handle weight as most leather grips.

As for the other nonsense going on in this and other threads, I find the best cure is to simply ignore it (if it comes enough from just one or two posters, I tend to put them on ignore, usually temporarily), and just keep the focus on the actual gear talk we're all here for. Doing that usually tends to course-correct most threads within a few posts, and we're back to business as usual.

 

[Holic]

Played 1,5h D98 (RPM Blast 1.2mm, 53lbs) side to side with my PA98 2023 and 2026.

Positives: Easy to play low speed rallies and easy to generate racket head speed but that is all positives to say.
Negatives: unstabile and would need 1,5-2g lead 3 and 9 o'clock. Plays better with damper, otherwise string vibrations are really disturbing. Too soft from throat or above but I cannot say where is it really bends. Sweet spot is okey. Launch angle and spin generation is about my PA98 2026 level or slightly below. For hard hitting and returning 100mph serves D98 feels flimsy. Surprisingly good to serve, compared how it feels in baseline hitting. Comes through easy and for aerodynamics this is great. Otherwise this is not a solid racket, but overhyped and under performing. This is great junior racket like Blade V8, V9 and it has bright future in there.

I'm ex-Wilson fan and liked them to succeed, but hard to see it with D98. I could play with it after tuning lead and string, but why bother ? Both PA98's are all time easier and equally comfortable. Feel sorry for Holger Rune.

Hit some minutes with D100 but not enough to say anything. Feels easier than D98 with huge sweet spot.

You feel sorry for Rune? ROFL

 

[EternalEnvy]

Anyone added weight to the throat / would recommend?

 

[EggSalad]

@skip11 - Indeed, that grip is the Gamma Hi-Tech, and IMHO it's pretty much the gold standard in synthetic grips. A nice middle ground in terms of added weight and firmness of feel versus something like a medium-thick-or-thicker leather grip, and you can apply it thicker with normal wrapping tension, or thinner by pulling harder, and it will stretch out with good consistency. A great way to take a good racquet that is perhaps hampered by a slightly-too-mushy/flimsy stock base grip (maybe the Defyer's grip falls into that category?) and turn it into a much more solid-feeling system, without adding as much potentially dead handle weight as most leather grips.

As for the other nonsense going on in this and other threads, I find the best cure is to simply ignore it (if it comes enough from just one or two posters, I tend to put them on ignore, usually temporarily), and just keep the focus on the actual gear talk we're all here for. Doing that usually tends to course-correct most threads within a few posts, and we're back to business as usual.

Another great synthetic grip that provides bevel feel and the weight is in line with most stock grips is the Solinco synthetic leather grip.

 

[absolutecheeks]

You STILL butt hurt over me saying your brown Ezone looks like diarrhoea with sweetcorn streaks??

typical deflection like the other guy who did the same in the other Defyer thread, seems you are a little scared to post footage

always the guys who hide behind a keyboard willing to insult others level, would never dare to post themselves

totally agree! people take this conversations to the personal level.
Cool down, we are only here talking about racquets!! Today I was playing a doubles match and the 4 of us had 4 different racquets!
Thats the beauty of things, what is fantastic for me is not good for others and vice-versa. That why we have racquets with different weight, balance, beam, etc etc

mainly just the one guy that seems to derail basically every thread with his ego and rants

 

[ChrisJR3264]

You STILL butt hurt over me saying your brown Ezone looks like diarrhoea with sweetcorn streaks??

I don’t think I ever was. Just concerned for you.

 

[EDias]

This was no overgrip, but still had the plastic on the handle.

Great.
I ordered a similar one but it hasn't arrived yet.
I asked for reference.
Thanks for your attention.

 

[EDias]

For another point of reference, I strung one up today. Here is how it turned out.

Unstrung:
303g, 286.5 SW

Strung with lynx tour/sync 1.25 w/ Wilson OG and dampener:

328g, 319 SW, 32.5 cm balance

Thanks too

 

[ChrisJR3264]

There is a weird level of chippiness in this thread. lol.

Settle down folks, it’s just a tennis racquet.

I understand people’s opinions on equipment, technique, etc. But I find it disrespectful to insult people’s level.
I respect people for learning the game of tennis. 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, or higher.
It’s better to learn and stick with tennis than play pickle ball.

 

[WalC2019]

Ha! It does look to be about 1/8 inch short! Is it that new bumper maybe?

I thought I am the only one seeing this...... Yeah, it does look a bit shorter than other racquets ever so slightly.

 

[Fxanimator1]

Every time you post, you just give me a headache …

Simple, don’t read his posts. Problem solved.

 

[WNCSRVVLLY]

I agree with Korda - I don't think any blade or Pro staff user is going to be wowed by this frame on first hit. It's too different in feel which is probably a turn off for most people. You need to give it time to adjust to it.

Coming from 350g 330sw Pro staffs I didn't gel with the Defyer at all at first. I added a leather grip and bumped the SW up to 325, then started adjusting to it. First thing I noticed was how much easier it was to serve, especially kick serves and it gave me quite a bit more pop on flat serves. The more I played with it and adjusted to not having to muscle it around the more I liked it. Small inputs equal larger outputs with the Defyer compared to traditional players racquets. To me this is a modern control frame. Yes the feel is different but it's still a "Wilson" feel.

 

[WNCSRVVLLY]

Anyone added weight to the throat / would recommend?

I tried this as I typically like higher MGRI (21+) but with this racquet it just made it feel clunky and slower.

 

[WalC2019]

I tried this as I typically like higher MGRI (21+) but with this racquet it just made it feel clunky and slower.

So where do you put the weights to increase the SW? Have you tried putting at 12 vs 3&9. etc? Mine comes with a rather low SW of around 318 (strung with 1.2 poly) and been thinking of adding a leather grip and put some lead at 3 and 9.

 

[WNCSRVVLLY]

3 and 9 is always the go to for me, but ymmv. I tend to hit flatter so 3 and 9 gives me the added stability that I like. I also like the RF leather grips as they are quite light and only add about 5 grams over stock.