Yonex EZone 98 Special Edition

[dkmura]

With the impending debut of the special edition 2019 EZone 98, Yonex must be faced with some interesting questions. Is the gold-with-black version a celebration of Naomi Osaka's ascendency to world #1? That celebration must seem a bit muted, with Osaka not playing very well and losing the #1 ranking after Roland Garros. Will this limited production model appeal to some worldwide markets (like Japan) more than others? With no changes to the specs of the EZone 98, will a new paint job be enough to entice consumers to purchase them? Or is Yonex just following a current industry trend to issue alternate paint jobs of existing frames to command a premium? What does the TT board think?

 

[Fairhit]

There's even more money invest towards marketing than developing the actual racquet, soooo yes, it is a gimmicky marketing ploy above anything else.

 

[JOSHL]

It’s already available on some other retailer sites.

 

[Ryanblessed]

Just wondering if anyone plays it. It would be good if it can play softer.

 

[1990's Graphite]

If they release the AI98 that would be great in another cosmetic, won't matter where she is ranked

 

[PMF]

I believe Wilson has done a great job keeping the Pro Staff going with the different paint colors, etc. I am actually thinking of switching to the Ezone 98 Special Edition. I've demo'd the blue version many times. Highly underrated IMO. The gold-and-black is a unique color combination, and an easy transition from the DR 98 series. I'm also thinking about the Clash 98 too, but I hate the paint quality.

 

[vanworth]

Racket does look great though and that's what they are trying for. Hope the new ezone will follow suit. Do you prefer the current ezone to dr98?

I believe Wilson has done a great job keeping the Pro Staff going with the different paint colors, etc. I am actually thinking of switching to the Ezone 98 Special Edition. I've demo'd the blue version many times. Highly underrated IMO. The gold-and-black is a unique color combination, and an easy transition from the DR 98 series. I'm also thinking about the Clash 98 too, but I hate the paint quality.

 

[PMF]

Racket does look great though and that's what they are trying for. Hope the new ezone will follow suit. Do you prefer the current ezone to dr98?

I love the touch-and-feel of the DR98, but I struggle with serving. For my game, I think the Ezone 98 will suit me better. 55 years old, 3.5-4.0 level, flat hitter, etc.

 

[dkmura]

I'm a 64-year old 4.0 player and have followed the Ai98 to DR98 to Ezone98 route myself over the years. As far as graphics, I still like the lime colorway and the overall feel/performance of the Ezone98. I'll wait to see this new gold with black graphics version before deciding whether I'll buy one or not.