Yonex EZONE 2020 AO

Hesi

New User
Finally got an Ezone. The 100 model has impressed me a lot so far. What a great feeling frame, and it hits with a lot of power that feels controllable. Yonex somehow is able to make lower SW frames that hit like they are 10 SW points higher. Zero arm discomfort as well, with full poly and fast swings. No wonder these racquets are so popular.

I feel the same way. Even though the 98 tour is kind of tempting to try for me right now, I am having lots of fun with the 100. Been surprisingly nice with both One-handed backhands and two-handed backhands.

I am thinking about experimenting with adding weight and see where I go with that.
 

musicsoul

Rookie
Quick thoughts. This Ezone 100 is an extraordinary frame that almost any level of player could use. The accuracy of the frame is incredible for having so much power. You can literally paint lines with it. I can't find much of a weakness.

A bonus is I can use a higher takeback and really get some good low to high loop before contact. Since the frame swings so light, I have no issues making contact out in front doing this, and the result is really good power, spin and depth.

On backhands, its speed is beneficial as meeting the ball out in front consistently is easier. As a result, I am able to attack more with my BH than with most frames (similar experience with the Pure Strike 16x19).

Serves are fantastic - big power and spin. It's on par with the Pure Drive there and comes through contact so fast that serving with big pace and spin is very easy with a relaxed motion.

Feel is crisp, clean and very addicting. Best feeling tweener I have hit with. Reminds me a lot of my Vcore xi98, which is a really good thing.

These frames play huge at a lower SW than I would expect to like. As a result I get more tip speed with all the benefits of a heavier stick.

Barring something happening in the next few weeks, I will be making the switch to this frame.

Interesting! Did you try the new Head Speed? And if so, can you compare them?
 

fox

Professional
Quick thoughts. This Ezone 100 is an extraordinary frame that almost any level of player could use. The accuracy of the frame is incredible for having so much power. You can literally paint lines with it. I can't find much of a weakness.

A bonus is I can use a higher takeback and really get some good low to high loop before contact. Since the frame swings so light, I have no issues making contact out in front doing this, and the result is really good power, spin and depth.

On backhands, its speed is beneficial as meeting the ball out in front consistently is easier. As a result, I am able to attack more with my BH than with most frames (similar experience with the Pure Strike 16x19).

Serves are fantastic - big power and spin. It's on par with the Pure Drive there and comes through contact so fast that serving with big pace and spin is very easy with a relaxed motion.

Feel is crisp, clean and very addicting. Best feeling tweener I have hit with. Reminds me a lot of my Vcore xi98, which is a really good thing.

These frames play huge at a lower SW than I would expect to like. As a result I get more tip speed with all the benefits of a heavier stick.

Barring something happening in the next few weeks, I will be making the switch to this frame.
I would agree with all of this but I recommend add a tiny bit of weight on 12 to bump SW a bit and a bit to the handle to make it more HL ;)
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Interesting! Did you try the new Head Speed? And if so, can you compare them?

I did not. I thought about trying the Speed MP, but those thoughts were wiped out once I got this one.

I would agree with all of this but I recommend add a tiny bit of weight on 12 to bump SW a bit and a bit to the handle to make it more HL ;)

I really like the balance now and would probably just add a little lead if I ever did anything to it. Why 12 instead of 2 and 10?
 

fantom

Hall of Fame
I've played with the Ai and DR 98's for over five years now. I bought a 2020 Ezone 98 because of the good reviews. I was surprized by the difference in weight distribution that the Ezone 98 has. My DRs, in general, have much more weight in the handle.

My DR 98 setup is as follows: TW Leather, Tourna grip, 1 gram lead at 10 and at 2, Wison Revolve

I've been messing around with the Ezone 98 to the point where it is set up very similar to the DR, but I'm not having any luck finding a setup that feels similar. It feels pretty good from baseline and on serves, but has terrible manerverability at the net. It would be much easier if they just sold the DR again....

Has anybody done this that could give some pointers? Thanks.
 

McLovin

Legend
Has anybody done this that could give some pointers? Thanks.
Well, the DR98 is 310g stock and the EZONE 2020 is 305g stock, so the first thing you should do is get the EZONE up to stock DR. TW has a great tool for this:

You can get the strung specs of the EZONE from TW's current page here and the DR's from racquetfinder here.

From there, you can do to the EZONE what you did to the DR (e.g., leather, lead at 10 & 2). A quick glance looks like it recommends 5g at around 5 & 7.

FYI: There a great podcast by TW that dropped the other day on the topic of customization: https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...-talk-all-about-customization-podcast.682565/
 

Wheelz

Hall of Fame
I've played with the Ai and DR 98's for over five years now. I bought a 2020 Ezone 98 because of the good reviews. I was surprized by the difference in weight distribution that the Ezone 98 has. My DRs, in general, have much more weight in the handle.

My DR 98 setup is as follows: TW Leather, Tourna grip, 1 gram lead at 10 and at 2, Wison Revolve

I've been messing around with the Ezone 98 to the point where it is set up very similar to the DR, but I'm not having any luck finding a setup that feels similar. It feels pretty good from baseline and on serves, but has terrible manerverability at the net. It would be much easier if they just sold the DR again....

Has anybody done this that could give some pointers? Thanks.

also consider twistweight. The DR , on paper, has much less twist weight. If you add weight again at 10-2 it adds to the gap even more. Maybe if you want to match swingweight to just add weight at 12 on the 2020.
 

fantom

Hall of Fame
also consider twistweight. The DR , on paper, has much less twist weight. If you add weight again at 10-2 it adds to the gap even more. Maybe if you want to match swingweight to just add weight at 12 on the 2020.

Good to know regarding the twistweight. I've been really thrown by the difference in balance points of the DR vs. the 2020. I just added weight inside the buttcap and under the grip to get static weights and balance points even. I need to get the swingweights measured to see how far off they are. I feel like the stock 2020 is much more head-heavy than the DR, which is not what I've been reading on these forums and not what the listed specs say. I'll report back what I find.
 

Hesi

New User
Ok thanks for the reply. For me the extra reason to look at the Yonex is quality control. I can just demo or pickup one and know it's on spec.

Not that you asked, but I actually demo'd both the ezone 100 and new speed mp before choosing the ezone 100. There were certainly some things I liked about the speed mp, maybe even more so than the ezone 100. I connected to the frame a bit faster and felt a bit more unleashed on both wings as a result. But I couldn't get over this tinny plasticky feeling with the speed mp. It could have just been the string setup or whatever, but I couldn't personally unfeel it once I noticed it.
 

fox

Professional
Not that you asked, but I actually demo'd both the ezone 100 and new speed mp before choosing the ezone 100. There were certainly some things I liked about the speed mp, maybe even more so than the ezone 100. I connected to the frame a bit faster and felt a bit more unleashed on both wings as a result. But I couldn't get over this tinny plasticky feeling with the speed mp. It could have just been the string setup or whatever, but I couldn't personally unfeel it once I noticed it.
I had the same story with IG Radical MP. I loved the specs, paintjob (actually one of my favourites of all time) but couldn't resist the feeling of playing with cheap chinese product. tinny plasticky feeling is exactly how I would call it myself.
 
So after a few hits with my new 98s I felt as though the racket was a tad light and I found myself slapping the ball too much. So I added 2 grams of lead at 10 and 2 for a total of 4g. Played decent but had too much pop and my serve felt a tad sluggish. Yesterday I backed off the lead so I only had 1g at 10 and 2 for a total of 2g. My god this this thing feel good, pretty crazy what a difference 2 grams of lead tape made. I am playing with PTP 17g @ 55lbs. I did notice when I hit the dead center of the sweet spot I lost feeling of the ball completely, I am going to try a stiffer string to see if that give me a bit more feel, thinking solinco tour bite.

I am also going to try playing without a vibration dampener to see how that plays, hopefully not to pingy. Also going to see how lead feels at 9&3 compared to 10&2 and load up the trap door with some lead to see how that plays.

Anyone have recommendations to help enhance to feel of the ball? I know it racket naturally plays somewhat dampened but I have found certain strings (Pro Hurricane Tour) help me feel the ball much more on impact and give me better feedback as to where im making contact on the stringbed. Also I just switch over from the Pro Staff 95 BLX so I understand it will take some time to adjust to this racket.
 

baboo867

New User
Hey guys,

I'm coming from a Babolat PD+ 1st gen cortex (the one prior to the GTs) and demo'ed the EZ 98 and EZ 98 Tour. I have a full swing heavy spin FH and a pretty flat 2HBH and found the Tour a bit too hefty on the FH side and wasn't able to generate too much spin on the FH, while hitting flatter more through the ball was awesome but not really my kind of swing. On the 2HBH I was able to rip through the ball with no issues and got plenty of depth and control. Slices were awesome, but as soon as I needed to stretch wide I couldn't handle it anymore.
Voleys are awesome if you can swing it fast enough and serves are also rewarding as long as you have the mechanics to effortlessly gain momentum.
The regular EZ98 felt super light and could whip it around super fast, but did not find that I could generate more spin than with the Tour even though it felt like a feather after playing with the Tour. Liked it on the 2HBH, the slice was a bit disappointing but I could hit it while stretching wide so that's a plus for me. Volleys were OK, and the serve was fantastic.
All in all, I liked both frames, but the Tour felt too hefty for me and found that the regular one isn't generating as much spin as I expected. (The regular EZ98 had PTP 1.2 or 1.25 and the Tour had a square string I've never seen before).
Based on what I read in this thread I'd say I should probably go for the EZ100. What do you guys think?
 
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Hit 'em clean

Semi-Pro
I haven't hit the EZ100, but for me the I was able to hit with more velocity and spin consistently with the EZ98 over the Tour. Like you I found the balance to be a bit too cumbersome on a number of shots. It was great if I had time, but if I was rushed or had to finesse a shot... no go for me... felt like hammer and not a scalpel. I agree the E98 can feel a bit light and doesn't hit as heavy as a ball as I would prefer (wish it was 310g and not 305g), but overall I can live with it. EZ100 is lighter, but has a heavier balance. Have you tried to add weight to the EZ98? I prefer it stock, but I keep dabbling with setups. My biggest issue with lighter racquet is my 2HBH... I lose feel and timing contact becomes really critical... too late and I can pull racquet through but its a weak shot, too early and it's a weak shot that dives into the net.
 
Did anyone play-test the VCore 98 vs. the EZone 100 and can report a comparison?

Can the observed attributes of the EZone 98 be improved by adding weight?
 

Faris

Professional
I've been very curious lately about comparing Ezone 100 with Vcore and Vcore Pro 100.. I have only tried the Ezone 100.. anyone have experience with all three or even two to give some feedback?
 
I've been very curious lately about comparing Ezone 100 with Vcore and Vcore Pro 100

I did a play-test with the VCore 100 strung with the Head Lynx 1.25.
It was causing issues with my shoulder after playing 15 minutes. The frame feels very harsh, when hitting the ball.
 
Can the observed attributes of the EZone 98 be improved by adding weight?

I guess it depends on what attributes, how sensitive you are to change, and what negative effects are worth those changes. I'm a 3.5 noob but love playing the game as much as I can. I have a full swing forehand. My plow through and stability was improved with 2 grams each at 10 and 2. The drawback for me is I used to have a near endless limit of playability. Now my serves show fatiguing and go wild at the 1-1/2 hour mark.
 
Hey everyone, so far I am really liking my current ezone 98 setup. It has a total of 4 grams added at 10 and 2 and has a supergrap overgrip if that matters. Total static weight is 333 grams. Could anyone give an approximate balance and swingweight estimate?
 

Wheelz

Hall of Fame
Hey everyone, so far I am really liking my current ezone 98 setup. It has a total of 4 grams added at 10 and 2 and has a supergrap overgrip if that matters. Total static weight is 333 grams. Could anyone give an approximate balance and swingweight estimate?
You added around 10 SW points plus lets say 2 sw if you have a 2g dampener. You added some twistweight as well.

My ezone without dampener was about 315 (with the app). So that would be around 325 give or take for you.
 

Hesi

New User
Does anyone own a standard blue EZone and the white Limited Edition who can comment if the white paint chips off as easily as the blue?

I can prob make some comments after i put in more hours with the white one. But I haven't had paint issues with the blue ones yet. My white one does have a slight bump on one of the golden decals that kind of bothered me at first but I try not to pay attention to it.
 

phl92

Hall of Fame
So I found my favorite setup for my Ezone 98 to be a Hybrid of Solinco Tour Bite 1,25mm in the mains and Wilson NXT in the cross. It gives me all I want from a stringbed: soft and plush feel, a very spinfriendly and pocketing feeling on my FH topspin shots, good control with perfect power when strung at 23kg both. The downside of this setup is, that all this good factors decline very fast, especially the control and power gets out of control very fast (launch angle increases...). Also, and that is new for me, the strings break so fast! I play with it between 3-7 hours and I rarely broke strings before (multifilaments nor polys). But I guess the NXT is just not made for durability.

So, same things changed lately for me (stringer moved farer away, I cannot play often due to Corona schedule).. and also it just is expensive to restring every week.
I need something more durable with a better tension holding. It should be arm friendly also, so I am open to all string types except natural gut (too expensive). Can someone recommend something? I love hybrids, but the seem to break the fastest for me, even faster than multifilament fullbed, because I think the poly is literally cutting through the multifilament in a hybrid.
 

musicsoul

Rookie
I bought an Ezone 100 from a forum member. Played with it twice now. Very nice racquet. I would recommend this for people that are searching for a comfortable modern racquet that can elevate your game, especially in defensive moments.
My current racquet is the Vcore 95, which is definitely more precise, but I’m suprised by the control of the Ezone 100. My only gripe is that it feels big, but I’m not used to thick beams. I have a one handed backhand so that doesn’t help.
My girlfriend, who normally plays with a Head graphene xt radical mp, also loves this racquet and is going to switch to this one.
For me I’m wondering if the Ezone 98 would fit between my 95 and the 100.
Thoughts on this?
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
So I found my favorite setup for my Ezone 98 to be a Hybrid of Solinco Tour Bite 1,25mm in the mains and Wilson NXT in the cross. It gives me all I want from a stringbed: soft and plush feel, a very spinfriendly and pocketing feeling on my FH topspin shots, good control with perfect power when strung at 23kg both. The downside of this setup is, that all this good factors decline very fast, especially the control and power gets out of control very fast (launch angle increases...). Also, and that is new for me, the strings break so fast! I play with it between 3-7 hours and I rarely broke strings before (multifilaments nor polys). But I guess the NXT is just not made for durability.

So, same things changed lately for me (stringer moved farer away, I cannot play often due to Corona schedule).. and also it just is expensive to restring every week.
I need something more durable with a better tension holding. It should be arm friendly also, so I am open to all string types except natural gut (too expensive). Can someone recommend something? I love hybrids, but the seem to break the fastest for me, even faster than multifilament fullbed, because I think the poly is literally cutting through the multifilament in a hybrid.

I prefer synthetic gut as a cross. It can be more durable and it costs less. A really nice one is Forten Sweet.

No matter what, when you use a shaped poly like tourbite, you are going to go through crosses fairly quickly. You may want to consider a round one. Grapplesnake Tour Sniper is more comfortable than tour bite, but it's a round poly. Great control, good spin.
 

n8dawg6

Legend
I bought an Ezone 100 from a forum member. Played with it twice now. Very nice racquet. I would recommend this for people that are searching for a comfortable modern racquet that can elevate your game, especially in defensive moments.
My current racquet is the Vcore 95, which is definitely more precise, but I’m suprised by the control of the Ezone 100. My only gripe is that it feels big, but I’m not used to thick beams. I have a one handed backhand so that doesn’t help.
My girlfriend, who normally plays with a Head graphene xt radical mp, also loves this racquet and is going to switch to this one.
For me I’m wondering if the Ezone 98 would fit between my 95 and the 100.
Thoughts on this?
the ezone 98 never seemed like a 98 to me ... much smaller headsize than the 100. however, almost all of the stringbed is useable ... big sweetspot
 

skeeter

Professional
I've been very curious lately about comparing Ezone 100 with Vcore and Vcore Pro 100.. I have only tried the Ezone 100.. anyone have experience with all three or even two to give some feedback?
Just recently demoed the EZ100 and Vcore Pro 100. Have a more detailed write-up in the Diary thread, but here's the shortened version:
  • Sweet spot in the VCP felt smaller than Ezone; some loss of power if not hit in center.
  • VCP often unstable at net to me while EZ was more solid. I didn't put any lead on either of the demos , but some lead in the frame of the VCP might help with stability.
  • Although the EZ has 6 mains in the throat versus the 8 in the VCP, the pattern in the middle in the EZ is as tight as the VCP. Much more control with the EZ than I was expecting but VCP also good in this department. Maybe a more control-oriented frame than the EZ.
  • Definitely more power in the EZ, but controllable. Loved serving with it. VCP also served well, but just not as much inherent ommph.
  • I tend to like SW RAs in the low to mid 60’s. The VCP definitely felt more plush with its 65 RA versus the 69 of the EZ. But, as others have stated, it definitely plays softer than a 69. As I said in the other thread, I could “sense” the stiffness, but it didn’t “feel” stiff. Sort of a comfortable crispness.
  • Both felt comfortable in the hand with respect to balance and static weight, and swing weights are comparable; maneuverability in both was fine.
I really liked both racquets. I think if you already have lots of inherent power in your strokes and are looking for a plush, control-oriented frame, VCP may be the way to go. If you're looking for some extra power on serves and groundstrokes but still with good amounts of control, EZ could be your stick. I'll probably go with the EZ for this reason, but if I could bring the plushness of the VCP into the EZ, it would be perfect for me. Maybe I can coax more of that feel with some softer strings and some tension tweaking. Open to any suggestions on that end.
 
I'll probably go with the EZ for this reason, but if I could bring the plushness of the VCP into the EZ, it would be perfect for me. Maybe I can coax more of that feel with some softer strings and some tension tweaking. Open to any suggestions on that end.

Then definitely demo the Ezone 98.
 

Faris

Professional
Just recently demoed the EZ100 and Vcore Pro 100. Have a more detailed write-up in the Diary thread, but here's the shortened version:
  • Sweet spot in the VCP felt smaller than Ezone; some loss of power if not hit in center.
  • VCP often unstable at net to me while EZ was more solid. I didn't put any lead on either of the demos , but some lead in the frame of the VCP might help with stability.
  • Although the EZ has 6 mains in the throat versus the 8 in the VCP, the pattern in the middle in the EZ is as tight as the VCP. Much more control with the EZ than I was expecting but VCP also good in this department. Maybe a more control-oriented frame than the EZ.
  • Definitely more power in the EZ, but controllable. Loved serving with it. VCP also served well, but just not as much inherent ommph.
  • I tend to like SW RAs in the low to mid 60’s. The VCP definitely felt more plush with its 65 RA versus the 69 of the EZ. But, as others have stated, it definitely plays softer than a 69. As I said in the other thread, I could “sense” the stiffness, but it didn’t “feel” stiff. Sort of a comfortable crispness.
  • Both felt comfortable in the hand with respect to balance and static weight, and swing weights are comparable; maneuverability in both was fine.
I really liked both racquets. I think if you already have lots of inherent power in your strokes and are looking for a plush, control-oriented frame, VCP may be the way to go. If you're looking for some extra power on serves and groundstrokes but still with good amounts of control, EZ could be your stick. I'll probably go with the EZ for this reason, but if I could bring the plushness of the VCP into the EZ, it would be perfect for me. Maybe I can coax more of that feel with some softer strings and some tension tweaking. Open to any suggestions on that end.
Brilliant write up! Many thnx..
 

Moveforwardalways

Hall of Fame
Quick thoughts. This Ezone 100 is an extraordinary frame that almost any level of player could use. The accuracy of the frame is incredible for having so much power. You can literally paint lines with it. I can't find much of a weakness.

A bonus is I can use a higher takeback and really get some good low to high loop before contact. Since the frame swings so light, I have no issues making contact out in front doing this, and the result is really good power, spin and depth.

On backhands, its speed is beneficial as meeting the ball out in front consistently is easier. As a result, I am able to attack more with my BH than with most frames (similar experience with the Pure Strike 16x19).

Serves are fantastic - big power and spin. It's on par with the Pure Drive there and comes through contact so fast that serving with big pace and spin is very easy with a relaxed motion.

Feel is crisp, clean and very addicting. Best feeling tweener I have hit with. Reminds me a lot of my Vcore xi98, which is a really good thing.

These frames play huge at a lower SW than I would expect to like. As a result I get more tip speed with all the benefits of a heavier stick.

Barring something happening in the next few weeks, I will be making the switch to this frame.

I absolutely agree. I have been very surprised at what an outstanding frame the Ezone 100 is and if it isn’t 2020 racquet of the year I don’t know what would beat it out. I do not usually use frames this light, but I am switching to it in pure stock form. As you mentioned, I also cannot believe a racquet this light can play so “heavy”. What type of black magic Yonex put into this frame, I do not know. I had to check it on my own scale to verify the weight. Somehow they built a Pure Drive with none of the downsides of a Pure Drive? lol.
 

Hesi

New User
So I've been rolling with the ezone 100 (+overgrip, 6g total at 10 and 2, +weight in handle to balance out the tape at 10 and 2). I had some fun with the Solinco HyperG 16L, and while it felt nice, something didn't click with me that had me longing the familiarity I had with my old pure drive roddick setups. I didn't feel consistently connected with my shots, even some of the "no duh" casual rally shots you usually take for granted (every so often). I decided to try trying out these 3 strings: Yonex Polytour Pro 17, Volkl Cyclone 17, and Volkl Cyclone Tour. They play and feel different from one another, but I like all 3 more than the Solinco string. The issue I have right now is that I actually really like all three strings, and can't decide on which one I'd like to stick with longer term, yet.

Also, cause I think someone asked about this before, no paint chipping on either my blue or white sticks. I don't baby them too much while playing either.
 

flex

Semi-Pro
Anyone tried the ezone 98 next to the ezone 100?

Tbh I thought the ezone 98 was not flexible enough (for me personally). Hearing a lot of good things about the ezone 100 but having it stiffer makes me hesitant
 

musicsoul

Rookie
Anyone tried the ezone 98 next to the ezone 100?

Tbh I thought the ezone 98 was not flexible enough (for me personally). Hearing a lot of good things about the ezone 100 but having it stiffer makes me hesitant
I just tried them next to each other. The 100 is strangely enough more comfortable. It also has more power and enough control. Mine is strung with Yonex PTP blue. The only problem I have with the 100 is that it feels too big for me. But maybe I should get used to that.

I played with the Head Extreme Tour this weekend and it’s better than the Ezone 98, but comparable.

Next for me is the Speed MP. I’m hoping that will fit between the Ezone 100 and the Extreme tour.
 
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Strayfire

Rookie
IMG_20201128_102815.jpg


Ezone 100SL - looking good. Full bed Multifeel @24kg L1
 

mike1027

New User
Hi all, need some advice on what to get between the Ezone 100 vs 100L.

Question: Would changing to a slightly lighter racket be the right choice for a new player?

Quick background:
- I recently started playing and taking lessons since August. I used to play lots of badminton and table tennis.
- I'm using a friend's racket (Barbolat Aeropro drive). Specs are 300gm unstrung but weighed it on a digital scale and got 330gm. Strings are Barbolat Xcel natural 1.25, strung to 55 lbs.
- It looks exactly like the racket in this thread (https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/babolat-aeropro-drive-original-new.465912/) although I'm not 100% sure if it's that one.

After playing for 4 months, I have decided to continue playing, wasn't sure if I would like it initially. I need to return the Barbolat so need to get my own racket now. I have pretty much narrowed it to the new 2020 Ezone.
- There are no racket rentals where I live (Singapore).
- Weight wise, I'm pretty ok with the Barbolat but I struggle with my serve (could be weight related or more likely I'm still learning the correct form).
- My group lessons (1 coach and 2 students) last 2 hours. I struggled initially with conditioning but these days I feel pretty good after lessons. FYI I'm 40, 5'7 120 lbs. Yes, I'm quite thin but healthy otherwise.
- I find the Aeropro harsh - Not sure if this is the right term.
- My training group all use Wilson Pro staff (315gm) and I found it a little too heavy for me.
- On average, I would say 30-40% of my forehand shots tend to be into the net. My coach says I have a terrible habit of closing my racket head too quickly.

I was set on the Ezone 100 (300gm) then found out Yonex made a slightly lighter version 100L (285gm). The issue is I cannot rent to try, so unfortunately I need to buy based on reviews and best guess if it fits me. I'm not aiming to join any leagues/tournaments but just want to get fit while having a good time.
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
Hi all, need some advice on what to get between the Ezone 100 vs 100L.

Question: Would changing to a slightly lighter racket be the right choice for a new player?

Quick background:
- I recently started playing and taking lessons since August. I used to play lots of badminton and table tennis.
- I'm using a friend's racket (Barbolat Aeropro drive). Specs are 300gm unstrung but weighed it on a digital scale and got 330gm. Strings are Barbolat Xcel natural 1.25, strung to 55 lbs.
- It looks exactly like the racket in this thread (https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/babolat-aeropro-drive-original-new.465912/) although I'm not 100% sure if it's that one.

After playing for 4 months, I have decided to continue playing, wasn't sure if I would like it initially. I need to return the Barbolat so need to get my own racket now. I have pretty much narrowed it to the new 2020 Ezone.
- There are no racket rentals where I live (Singapore).
- Weight wise, I'm pretty ok with the Barbolat but I struggle with my serve (could be weight related or more likely I'm still learning the correct form).
- My group lessons (1 coach and 2 students) last 2 hours. I struggled initially with conditioning but these days I feel pretty good after lessons. FYI I'm 40, 5'7 120 lbs. Yes, I'm quite thin but healthy otherwise.
- I find the Aeropro harsh - Not sure if this is the right term.
- My training group all use Wilson Pro staff (315gm) and I found it a little too heavy for me.
- On average, I would say 30-40% of my forehand shots tend to be into the net. My coach says I have a terrible habit of closing my racket head too quickly.

I was set on the Ezone 100 (300gm) then found out Yonex made a slightly lighter version 100L (285gm). The issue is I cannot rent to try, so unfortunately I need to buy based on reviews and best guess if it fits me. I'm not aiming to join any leagues/tournaments but just want to get fit while having a good time.

If go with the Ezone 100 regular. It’s a light frame but it plays great stock. You dont need to mod it. You can grow your game with it and play it for years if you wanted.

The thing about modding frames is it can be a rabbit hole and some frames dont take to lead as well as others.

I honestly prefer stock frames that play well out of the box 9 times out of 10. There are some exceptions like the Blade Pro Labs, but for the most part life is a lot easier when you aren’t messing with lead tape, especially as a newer player.
 

AKB

Rookie
Yesterday I backed off the lead so I only had 1g at 10 and 2 for a total of 2g. My god this this thing feel good, pretty crazy what a difference 2 grams of lead tape made.

Good call on 2g only, I tried 2g after feedback on this thread and haven’t changed it since. It’s super solid if you can make those two grams span from 10 to 2 while leaving a bit of room at 12 for the stringing clamp. Haven’t tried lead at 9/3 but I can imagine it’ll be even better at fighting the twisting on off center hits, only downside is that it’ll push the SW past 330. Can you please report back after your testing?

As for the ball getting lost in the sweet spot, stiff string is the only way. While using a soft poly at 44lbs, I’ve felt it a few times when I middled so well while swinging hard that the only proof of perfect contact is the ball speed through the other side of the court. However, just slightly off center is enough to give great feedback.
 
The regular Ezone 100 and the 98 Tour are the gems of the line. I personally prefer the 100+ because I like a high swingweight and the extra power which helps in hard rallies and on defense. After trying a few strings, I like shaped polys in the 98 Tour, and round polys in the 100. I am currently using Poly Tour Strike (gray) in the 100+. Hope this helps.
 

vanworth

Rookie
I’ve noticed a lot of the play testers on the review mentioning the Ezone 98 having poor control. Kind of surprises me given how good the control on the DR was and the constant mentions of how similar the two frames are. Have others on here experienced that?
 
I’ve noticed a lot of the play testers on the review mentioning the Ezone 98 having poor control. Kind of surprises me given how good the control on the DR was and the constant mentions of how similar the two frames are. Have others on here experienced that?
It's not poor control, just an erratic stringbed. If you hit in the dead center, the launch is lower than outside the sweetspot. Just an inconsistent stringbed from a launch angle standpoint but the directional control is great. Power is the same way too. Just outside the sweetspot the ball dies, but there is a lot of power in the sweetspot. Still a great racquet, but more demanding than the 100. Of note the Tour model with its higher headweight doesn't seem to have this problem as much and it's a better frame than the 98 imo.
 

2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
Has anybody else noticed super good string life with the 20 ezones compared to most 16x19s? The spacing is fairly middle of the road, but I've got this gut/poly job with about 30 hours on it that I topspin the heck out of and its still not that close to breaking.

Maybe the modified isometric shape does a good job of distributing the impact more to the outer mains? Wasn't a Yonex person before getting the 20 EZ but man does it keep impressing me.
 

Wheelz

Hall of Fame
for me better then more opened 16x19, yes. Id have to compare against another 8 main 16x19 good to know for your gut !
Has anybody else noticed super good string life with the 20 ezones compared to most 16x19s? The spacing is fairly middle of the road, but I've got this gut/poly job with about 30 hours on it that I topspin the heck out of and its still not that close to breaking.

Maybe the modified isometric shape does a good job of distributing the impact more to the outer mains? Wasn't a Yonex person before getting the 20 EZ but man does it keep impressing me.
 
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