Yonex Ezone DR CLUB!!!!~~~!!!

Hank said:
So I have a chance to pick up a used dr 98 used for pretty cheap. The problem is I have never demoed one yet but am in the market for some new sticks. My question is how is this racquet for serving and volleying? I'm an 5.5 player that likes to mostly serve and volley and play a lot of dubs. Would this be a good fit?
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Hey @Hank, I found the DR98 to be an absolute monster for serving, great for volleys and returns...

I personally found it to lack a little stability when playing very hard hitters... for that reason, I added some weight (tungsten tape) at 3, 9 and just off both sides of 12 o'clock (so the stringing machine doesn't deform the tungsten tape)... I also added a leather grip and OG... now it is an absolute rock solid beast all around... I don't get pushed around, control is off the charts, as is power when you want it... touch is great and the racquet is still very maneuverable...
 
was there any final verdict on if DR98 lime and DR98 blue play the same? I know sounds weird as only cosmetic change but have heard conflicted reports with many saying blue less pop.
 
Joined the club. I just got a Yonex DR98 Blue. My first Yonex, yay. Replaced the stock grip with leather and added some lead @ 12. Unstrung specs are now 320 grams, 30.5 cm balance. Strung with Wilson Revolve 1.30mm @ 24 kg. Haven't played with it yet, but just bouncing the ball on the strings feels nice.
 
rlau said:
Joined the club. I just got a Yonex DR98 Blue. My first Yonex, yay. Replaced the stock grip with leather and added some lead @ 12. Unstrung specs are now 320 grams, 30.5 cm balance. Strung with Wilson Revolve 1.30mm @ 24 kg. Haven't played with it yet, but just bouncing the ball on the strings feels nice.
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I feel like putting leather on DR98 is a mistake - it's already plenty headlight and leather makes it feel stiffer.
 
I actually prefer the feel with leather, if combined with extra weight at 12, otherwise it would be way to HL indeed. It's definitely highly subjective, for me the string bed feels a bit crisper with leather and it gives more feedback on where you hit the ball (center vs. off-center). The DR is already flexible and plush in my opinion, works very well with leather. I tend to play with more comfortable polys though.
 
mscream said:
I actually prefer the feel with leather, if combined with extra weight at 12, otherwise it would be way to HL indeed. It's definitely highly subjective, for me the string bed feels a bit crisper with leather and it gives more feedback on where you hit the ball (center vs. off-center). The DR is already flexible and plush in my opinion, works very well with leather. I tend to play with more comfortable polys though.
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Both DR98s I bought from other TW users had leather on...guess they didn't like it much haha.

On my DRs I even take the buttcap trapdoors off to take some weight out of the handle.
 
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well, it's late for the ezone dr series, but I demo-ed dr98, dr98+, dr100 and vcore sv98. ALL ARE TOP QUALITY FRAMES. DR98 was my favorite. I liked the soft feel, low vibrations, good control, power and spin. Prices will drop on these now that the new ezone frames are out, and these are very nice frames.
 
Anton said:
Both DR98s I bought from other TW users had leather on...guess they didn't like it much haha.

On my DRs I even take the buttcap trapdoors off to take some weight out of the handle.
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I feel that if you want to keep the feel and balance of the DR98, as it is in stock form, then if you add a leather grip you also need to balance that with weight in the head (as @mscream has stated). How you do that is a personal choice... I for one found that the racquet lacked that smidgen of stability against hard hitters (if hit slightly off-centre or higher in the hoop), so I added weight at both the 3&9 and either side of 12 o'clock (to allow stringing clamps not to squish the tungsten tape). That brought the racquet to around it's original balance and plush feel, but made it much more stable and added power (when desired) and extra weight of shot.

So personally I would have to disagree with you @Anton on the leather grip part... but we're all individuals
 
Stick-man said:
was there any final verdict on if DR98 lime and DR98 blue play the same? I know sounds weird as only cosmetic change but have heard conflicted reports with many saying blue less pop.
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I have 7* of these --2 blue, 5 yellow. All fairly new (within 8-9 months) and strung the same by the same stringer (who is stringing at the USO this week = competent).

I number each frame with a small label so I can keep the stringing schedule straight. This also easily lets me tell the frames apart.

3 feel excellent and effectively identical. 1 blue, 2 yellow.
The other 4 are fine, and also feel identical, but just "not as good" as the other three.

I suspect the difference anyone notices is due to some slight variability between frames regardless of paint job, rather than some systemic difference.

This isn't a shot at Yonex, because again the other 4 are fine and Yonex QC in general is completely beyond reproach.

(* yeah, I know...)
 
Just joined the club. Got a 98 plus blue, put on a leather grip, and this may finally be the one to replace my old migrogels, but I want to give it a few more weeks to be certain before I stock up with a few more.
 
Classic-TXP-IG MID said:
I feel that if you want to keep the feel and balance of the DR98, as it is in stock form, then if you add a leather grip you also need to balance that with weight in the head (as @mscream has stated). How you do that is a personal choice... I for one found that the racquet lacked that smidgen of stability against hard hitters (if hit slightly off-centre or higher in the hoop), so I added weight at both the 3&9 and either side of 12 o'clock (to allow stringing clamps not to squish the tungsten tape). That brought the racquet to around it's original balance and plush feel, but made it much more stable and added power (when desired) and extra weight of shot.

So personally I would have to disagree with you @Anton on the leather grip part... but we're all individuals
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What is your weight and balance now?

I doubt you put on (leather+overgrip)-(original grip) sort of lead weight, that would be like 15-20 grams
 
I have a Wilson Leather Grip on my DR98 and 3g at 12, works the best for me after trying various combinations of lead placement. Any weight at 3/9 dampened the string bed I felt, and also made it a bit sluggish. Depends on the strokes though, I have a very whippy full western FH, flatter hitters most likely prefer 3/9 though. The extra weight at 12, makes it more stable, shots penetrate deeper in the court and adds some extra spin (for me).
 
Anton said:
What is your weight and balance now?

I doubt you put on (leather+overgrip)-(original grip) sort of lead weight, that would be like 15-20 grams
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I would have to check tomorrow... almost midnight here... but it was around 358g... I think... (this will obviously vary a bit depending on the string that is used). My other racquets are low to mid 370's...

I don't have an RDC machine... but the racquet feels fine... no problem producing RHS... i don't have extreme grips though... I have a eastern to semi-western FH (depending on shot selection) and a 'standard' OHBH (knuckle on bevel 1)... make contact in front on both sides...
 
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Anton said:
In recent years I was playing with leaded up LM Radical at ~12.5oz (natural gut/poly), then switched to RF97 (also nat/poly) when it came out and now DR98 has been my go-to for the last year at about 12oz with 17g poly (Cyclone strung with Sergetti method is my last stop, very happy with it)

RF is great, but it's a sledge hammer that takes a commitment, while sometimes I just want to rally, massage the ball with some flex instead of playing first strike tennis.
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Is the DR really comfy? It doesn't seem bad for 159 and I play currently with the PS97 but sorta have been thinking about the RF for a heavier racquet. Does the DR feel a lot less powerful compared to the RF? How about when you're having a guy hit with powerful shots to you?
 
iChen said:
Is the DR really comfy? It doesn't seem bad for 159 and I play currently with the PS97 but sorta have been thinking about the RF for a heavier racquet. Does the DR feel a lot less powerful compared to the RF? How about when you're having a guy hit with powerful shots to you?
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I too play with the PS97. One of my hitting partners plays with a DR98, and I've hit with it a few times. I play my PS97 with a 5 gram overgrip and place 4 grams of lead at 12 and 1 gram each at 3 & 9. Setting up the DR98 the exact same way... here are my thoughts between the two. The DR is definitely more comfortable. It offers a little more control but with slightly less power. It is about the same in regards to stability. The DR is also a few grams lighter. The PS97 will produce a little more spin and a slightly heavier ball on serves and groundstrokes... which is why I haven't switched.
 
Sorry I got carried away describing the comparisons between the PS and the DR. To answer your question in regards to the RF... the RF is a lot more powerful than the DR. But it's a beast to play with day in and day out. It will fatigue your shoulder if you're not used to it. I played with one for a week and happily went back to my PS.
 
TennisManiac said:
Sorry I got carried away describing the comparisons between the PS and the DR. To answer your question in regards to the RF... the RF is a lot more powerful than the DR. But it's a beast to play with day in and day out. It will fatigue your shoulder if you're not used to it. I played with one for a week and happily went back to my PS.
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I'll probably demo then. I like the PS so far, more power would be cool maybe but seems like the DR isn't going to do too much.
 
iChen said:
Is the DR really comfy? It doesn't seem bad for 159 and I play currently with the PS97 but sorta have been thinking about the RF for a heavier racquet. Does the DR feel a lot less powerful compared to the RF? How about when you're having a guy hit with powerful shots to you?
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DR is pretty comfy,I wouldn't say a lot less powerful than RF (I do play them both at around same swingweight), but definitely less "free" action on the ball. You do get more control and a more spin friendly swing dynamic though.
 
Anton said:
DR is pretty comfy,I wouldn't say a lot less powerful than RF (I do play them both at around same swingweight), but definitely less "free" action on the ball. You do get more control and a more spin friendly swing dynamic though.
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Do you play with the DR98 310G? The more control and spin friendly sounds tempting...
 
iChen said:
Nice hitting! Thanks! Gonna demo DR. And RF too for a consideration when it goes on sale.....
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What I think you may also need to consider when comparing them is the static weight. To really be able to compare the two racquets you need to make them as close to each other in every respect... which I know can be difficult. The RF has a high static weight, as well as a very healthy SW, and both of these will play a part in the power, control and all other aspects of the playing experience (I know I'm stating the obvious...). Too often I see people trying to compare racquets on one measurement alone... a 11.5oz racquet won't play the same as a 12oz racquet... even if all other measurements (SW, TW, Balance, swing speed, etc) are the same. Just simply due to the fact that the 12oz racquet has more mass... swinging that mass will produce a greater force than a lighter mass (providing all other parameters are the same).

So unless your DR98 is around 12.6oz (or whatever weight the one you test is), and the balance, and SW etc are not identical, you won't be able to compare some of those things... but you can try to come as close as possible, I guess.. You'll be able to ascertain which one is more comfortable... but again if the DR98 is 6 pts HL and the RF is 9 pts HL... they will not feel the same to swing...even at the same weight (let alone 1.1oz lighter)... Just saying...
 
I have had my DR98 for the last year and love the feel, but have always thought that it was too lite and I needed a little bit more plow through. I recently had it weighted up to about a 325 SW. I have been thinking about the DR98+. Thoughts?
 
Just wanted to add my 5c based on recent experiences with the DR100. It had just a Yonex Supergrap overgrip and a dampener on for a while, and it sort of felt flimsy and not very solid. But just by adding 5-6g of blu tack in the sensor port of the handle, the stability went up considerably and the racket feels so much nicer now. Highly recommended! The total weight right now is 331g or 11.68oz.
 
Anton said:
In a word - yes.

A 1.5 or 2g on V throat (if you don't use damper) and about a gram at 12 should really make a difference.
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I got my DR 98 (yellow) about 2 weeks ago and hitting with it versus my Pure Aero (both in stock form), the DR 98 felt very comfortable but much more anemic from the baseline and serves. I scoured this thread for lead recommendations and first came across a user suggesting ~3g at 10&2. Well I totally misread this as 3g at 10 and 3g at 2 and needless to say, the racquet was way imbalanced and very hard to time the swing correctly. After a frustrating night last night, I immediately went home and stripped off the old lead tape at 10 & 2. I've been reading your suggestions on leading up the DR 98 and have put 2g of tape on the V throat and 1g at 12 and hoping it will now swing much more to my liking since the SW is now 328 which compares nicely to the PA's stock SW of 327. Excited to give it a try next week!
 
snahzje said:
I got my DR 98 (yellow) about 2 weeks ago and hitting with it versus my Pure Aero (both in stock form), the DR 98 felt very comfortable but much more anemic from the baseline and serves. I scoured this thread for lead recommendations and first came across a user suggesting ~3g at 10&2. Well I totally misread this as 3g at 10 and 3g at 2 and needless to say, the racquet was way imbalanced and very hard to time the swing correctly. After a frustrating night last night, I immediately went home and stripped off the old lead tape at 10 & 2. I've been reading your suggestions on leading up the DR 98 and have put 2g of tape on the V throat and 1g at 12 and hoping it will now swing much more to my liking since the SW is now 328 which compares nicely to the PA's stock SW of 327. Excited to give it a try next week!
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So long as you don't feel like you need more stability that should probably work well. Otherwise try adding a bit at 3+9 too.

Remember - if you string with 16g string you can go down to 17g with really nothing but upsides in DR98 (unlike PA that really needs that thick gauge to control the ball) and move the weight savings to the loop for more power/stability.
 
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kallet said:
Just wanted to add my 5c based on recent experiences with the DR100. It had just a Yonex Supergrap overgrip and a dampener on for a while, and it sort of felt flimsy and not very solid. But just by adding 5-6g of blu tack in the sensor port of the handle, the stability went up considerably and the racket feels so much nicer now. Highly recommended! The total weight right now is 331g or 11.68oz.
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your setup is similar to mine...i put some tungsten putty in the buttcap and have my total weight of my DR100 up to about 335g...fun stick!
 
I tried my DR98+ for the first time last night, after about a month off due to a hamstring injury. I rallied conservatively with a friend so it certainly wasn't an acid test. I was primarily comparing it to my 2016 Pure Strikes (I have both 16x19 and 18x20) with leather grips installed for extra weight. Overall power levels seemed comparable but the DR98+ plowed through the ball better and felt more comfortable doing it. I especially felt that hitting flatter forehands was effortless with the DR98+; heavier topspin forehands were kind of a wash between the two frames. My backhand was lousy with any and all sticks last night so I'm reserving judgement there. I did find it a bit harder to control the ball with the DR98+ on chips and finesse shots, especially compared to the 18x20 Strike. I hope to keep comparing them back to back for a week or two as I recover and start playing sets.
 
HPTennis said:
Anyone have any idea when the Blue DRs will be on sale??
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I asked the same question to one of the local retailers who told me that everyone wants the blue over the lime and if does go on sale it won't be by very much as they may sell out rather quickly. It depends on how many Yonex has in stock and the demand. My guess is sometime next year if there are any left, especially in the more popular sizes.
 
I just started a month ago with the dr98 and i love the way its swings. Been playing with the rf97 for a year, that was the best offensive stick ive ever had but it becomes a burden after a set or two plus my serve was no where effective. Any suggestion for modifications on the dr98? Im using leather grip on the dr98 for more weight and plow atm. Any suggestion will be much appreciated, im a small guy and plays baseline most of the time. Thank you,,,
 
Toyo said:
I asked the same question to one of the local retailers who told me that everyone wants the blue over the lime and if does go on sale it won't be by very much as they may sell out rather quickly. It depends on how many Yonex has in stock and the demand. My guess is sometime next year if there are any left, especially in the more popular sizes.
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Just seems strange to me that the brand new ezone is only £5 more expensive than the blue dr on some sites...
 
Envy said:
I just started a month ago with the dr98 and i love the way its swings. Been playing with the rf97 for a year, that was the best offensive stick ive ever had but it becomes a burden after a set or two plus my serve was no where effective. Any suggestion for modifications on the dr98? Im using leather grip on the dr98 for more weight and plow atm. Any suggestion will be much appreciated, im a small guy and plays baseline most of the time. Thank you,,,
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Hi @Envy, I've got a leather grip as well on mine with an overgrip on top. I've added some tungsten tape (don't like using lead) from about 2 o'clock to 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock to 10 o'clock (about 2.5 grams each side - split in half length wise to place on both sides of string bed) and then another 1.5 grams total either side of 12 o'clock (so it doesn't get crushed by the clamp at 12 o'clock when stringing). I also use a Yonex dampener. Plays awesome and has helped with the slight instability I felt it had in stock form when hitting against hard hitters...

Hope that helps
 
Thanks for the quick reply... I quite agree its a bit unstable in stock. Have you tried adding weight on the troath? I think ive read somewhere someone tried this and liked it.
 
Envy said:
Thanks for the quick reply... I quite agree its a bit unstable in stock. Have you tried adding weight on the troath? I think ive read somewhere someone tried this and liked it.
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I haven't tried that and probably the only reason is that when I tried the Yonex Tour G 330g, I didn't like how it felt when I would swing on my forehands. I didn't mind the weight or feel when I hit the ball (which was really nice), and I believe it had more weight in the throat area... It's just a personal thing and maybe something I would have gotten used to over time. I also think that this type of modification may not help with the instability in the hoop... but I could be wrong. Modifications will differ depending on what you're trying to achieve... If you're looking to improve the torsional stability or widen the sweet spot your modifications will differ to if you're trying to purely increase the SW with minimal weight increase etc etc
 
I have 2 blue DR 98 standard length, and I have just ordered a DR 98+ from TW.

I am very curious to see how it plays compared to the standard version. I could see myself playing the standard length for doubles (more manoeuvrable at the net) and the Plus for singles to magnify the strong elements of my game (serve + forehand; backhand will continue to suffer I suspect, unless I manage to get my slice back on track).
 
I'm curious to hear what you think of the DR 98+. There was some quick buzz around this frame because of the glowing review but it quickly faded. I'm testing it right now, and I'd agree with the comments that Troy makes in the TW review: I feel like I can hit shots with it that I can't hit with a normal frame. But I do feel the extra length much more than in the Burn 95, which is the only other extended racquet I've ever seriously tried. There are a couple of rather famous American brothers that play doubles with extended-length frames so it can be done, but that's still my biggest concern. It's definitely a great weapon from behind the baseline.
 
Yes, I will definitely report my observations about the frame, and how it compares to the standard length.

Really, the idea was to get my hands on another one of these excellent racquets, seeing that the initial feedback on the 2017 Ezone 98 is nowhere nearly as good, and they'll probably be around for the next couple of years. So I am hoarding a bit while I can. And hope that by 2019 Yonex come to their senses and bring back a version that feels closer to the DR 98. Actually, I wouldn't mind if they made it 5g heavier at 315g in stock form while keeping the stiffness in the low 60's.
 
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