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Yonex Ezone Tour 98
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RF97 has a different weight distribution to the 330 Yonexes though. With the RF97 the head comes through the swing well as it seems to have sufficient weight in the upper hoop. The 330s I've tried have always felt cumbersome particularly on serves as the weighting seems to be more in the middle of the racquet.
From that review, it sounds like they should have made a 310g version instead.
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Dragy
Legend
This should work just opposite to my understanding: less polarized frame would rotate faster, given same static weight and balance. RF97 actually has quite healthy Mgr/I.
Dragy
Legend
Well, that leaves not much room for customization unless you get an underspec one... Maybe try thin gauge string to steal couple of gr. for your handle?
Don't know, but apart from on serves, I've always found the RF97 easier to swing than the Yonex 330s.
Dragy
Legend
Dragy
Legend
But to add on, I actually think that difference is quite minor. I'd more likely believe your RF97 was a bit underspec in terms of SW.
tennisislife4622
Rookie
Very good point, once again demoing is the only way to tell haha
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
No, I'm not joking, I notice a difference in maneuverability between the Vcore pro HD and the Vcore pro 330 AND I notice a slighter difference between the Vcore pro 330 and the Wilson RF Pro Staff. There will be a more pronounced difference in maneuverability between the Ezone Tour and the pro HD I think, based on balance. Not that it matters much, but the TW playtesters also mentioned this when testing the HD.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
It is for you, but I would like to know how in the world it is. Every other review is basically the Yonex 330 is the RF97, but easier to swing and use over time, everyone that reviews it says this, I am in that category. If I play 3 singles matches in 1 day in 100 plus degree weather like we have in Dallas, then the RF97, on serves, becomes this club that I can't swing as fast on anymore. Sure, it is a great racket, but with the Yonex 330 and especially the HD, I don't lose any swing speed after 5-6 hours of singles play. I'm about 6'4" with long arms and of course therefore my toss is super high and my explosion up into the ball and swing path is really long and loopy on serve. The RF gets really heavy over time.
rader023
Rookie
A quick question as i am either getting the 97HD or the ezone tour, what string guage are you using on it, and what strings....haven't used such a tight string pattern since my VCORE tour 89 which is 16x20 but a very tight pattern obviously due to head size.
Forget the 'reviews'. They're mostly designed to sell/promote racquets. I'm not saying that the RF97 is easy to play with, but it does go through the swing easier than the Yonex 330 because of its weight distribution. The 330 is much more middle weighted, so to me, it doesn't feel anything near as fluid. It's like if I took a 310g racquet and stuck a load of lead around the 6 o'clock area - it just doesn't feel fluid through the swing as the tip lacks weight. With the RF97, once you get it going it has a momentum of its own. I have a 345g Prestige MP for example that's a hell of alot easier to swing than most racquets weighing 330-335g. If you're playing 3 singles matches in a day, in 100f heat, then neither racquet is going to be good.
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FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I hear you, lol, for me though I just couldn't get the RF to work for me beyond 1 and a half singles matches, I love the racket, but I didn't have that easy to play with easy to swing with result, probably my footwork isn't quite there to hit every groundstroke with it. I found the Yonex sticks much easier to deal with over long matches.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
I've never seen the Tour 89, but if you place the HD on top of the Vcore 330 the string pattern openness is very very similar. In fact, a side note, if you place the Vcore 95 over the Vcore pro 97 HD or 330 the head size is almost the same. So, I use the thinnest gauge poly possible depending on which string I am using, so 17 or 18. I string the HD much looser than any other racket though, in the 45-48 lb range. I don't ever, ever break poly strings. I might be too weak, which hurts my ego or my strokes are too 80's-90's era, too loopy to create the friction needed to break poly.
rader023
Rookie
Thanks for this! Currently using DR98+ and 2018 EZONE 98+ as my daily drivers. Usually with 17 gauge strings around 45-48 LBS depending on the string....looking for more precision/stability though. Sounds like the HD around that same LBS range might do the trick.
If you're playing competitively, you wouldn't just go out a buy one random RF97 and hope for the best. Otherwise you could end up with a tree log or one that doesn't suit how you play. When I bought my Prestiges, I RDC'd probably about 10 of them, picked one to demo and bought 3 with the base specs that I wanted for the customisation that I had in mind. Same thing with the RF97 where the specs vary massively. If I was serious about using a RF97 in competition, I'd find one with a lowest static weight within the range, ~335SW, and a balance that would allow me to strip out the leather grip but still end with ~323 BP once the racquet is fully finished. People talk about this racquet being really heavy, or that racquet being heavy, but they ignore the fact that there's huge spec range variance out there (the TW average gives a misleading impression). Distribution of mass within the layup (degrees of polarisation etc) can also have a big effect on how the racquet plays and to what extent you can customise it.
Dragy
Legend
That’s where platform racquets have advantage - either just light ones with good design, or good balanced ones with room for some 10-15 g to add.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
10 sticks, whoah, I feel like I am a young jedi and you are yoda for sure. I don't customize either, I'm afraid I would never stop tinkering, but I appreciate the feedback. I will probably stick to Yonex, I did have that QC issue with a Head 360 last year, came to me extremely off the balance it was supposed to be, I totally understand where you are coming from.
DeucedRafa
New User
It's out in Australia, apparently delayed in some markets
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Deleted member 766578
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Corey Klein
Rookie
I already swing the VCore 97 330g with a wilson shock shield replacement grip, overgrip, and a dampener with Tour Bite 17g. It's 357g. The same set-up with this Ezone Tour should still swing faster and easier even if the balance point differs. I'm still looking forward to trying it.
ryoma_sama
New User
Any news on when these are going live on TW?
anhtuanngo
Semi-Pro
already available in Canada
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Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
Which vendor?
anhtuanngo
Semi-Pro
We have two main vendors here in Canada.
Tenniszon and tennis giant.
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Tenniszon and tennis giant.
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DanTheMan1972
Rookie
The Tour is more head heavy (320mm unstrung/Ezone 98 305 315mm )
I don´t like the balance. It´s not super hard to swing, but even the Vcore Pro HD is easier to swing.
anhtuanngo
Semi-Pro
I played with my friend who traded in his ezone 98 for the ezone tour 98. Obviously because the extra weight, he says it's more stable, but didn't mention anything about the balance.
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Sent from my Pixel 3a XL using Tapatalk
What's the verdict?
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Man, is this nice racket ?? Lisicky just destroyed Kenin who won the aussie open wiht it.
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
After playing the standard 2020 Ezone 98 at the listed spec for a few months I decided to add weight to the head. It is now 310 grams, 32 cm, 300 sw all unstrung. 5 grams lighter than the Tour, same balance, slightly higher sw. I am hoping this solves the plow the standard model is missing without becoming overly powerful.
tennisislife4622
Rookie
Not sure why they messed with the balance would have been perfect to bump the weight and leave balance the same...
tennisislife4622
Rookie
Worries me because I parted ways with the blade v7 18x20 because of the head heavy balance...
Try the VCore Pro HD
tennisislife4622
Rookie
Thinking about it, I’m also coming off of using the TF305 and wanted a more forgiving sweet spot and strong pattern that is stable in stock form, probably will give both a demo..
Exactly this. Keep same balance bump the weight to 315g, or even bump the weight to 320g and move the balance to 310mm.
DanTheMan1972
Rookie
I used the DR98 for some years until I broke them
Now I got the Ezone 98 305, the Vcore 98 and the Vcore Pro HD in my bag. A long-term test and overall the Ezone 98 is my favorite so far (all stock). I ordered the Ezone Tour from a retailer in the UK and played with it twice. Usually I use Solinco Hyper G or Confidential 1,20mm, but the retailer didn't have it. So, I ordered it with Head Lynx Tour 1,25mm.
I never tried this string before and the string could be the main reason why don't like the Tour more than the 305 so far. I don't feel the ball, don't feel connected, the string doesn't grab the ball as much as I like it. In this setup the feel is to muted for my liking.
As already mentioned, I don´t like the balance. It´s not super hard to swing, but even the Vcore Pro HD feels easier to swing.
Today I went to my stringer to put on Solinco Confidential. Next Tuesday I'll get the Tour and the normal Ezone 98 back with fresh strings. I hope that changes the feel of the racket and with more time the balance and swingweight won't be an issue for me anymore.
By the way, my mate really liked the Tour. His racket of choice is the 2016 Wilson Pro Staff 97S. The Wilson is also more head heavy, maybe that the reason - we just like what we used to.
DJTaurus
Hall of Fame
I used the DR98 for some years until I broke them
I ordered the Ezone Tour from a retailer in the UK and played with it twice. Usually I use Solinco Hyper G or Confidential 1,20mm, but the retailer didn't have it. So, I ordered it with Head Lynx Tour 1,25mm.
I never tried this string before and the string could be the main reason why don't like the Tour more than the 305 so far. I don't feel the ball, don't feel connected, the string doesn't grab the ball as much as I like it. In this setup the feel is to muted for my liking.
As already mentioned, I don´t like the balance. It´s not super hard to swing, but even the Vcore Pro HD feels easier to swing.
Today I went to my stringer to put on Solinco Confidential. Next Tuesday I'll get the Tour and the normal Ezone 98 back with fresh strings. I hope that changes the feel of the racket and with more time the balance and swingweight won't be an issue for me anymore.
By the way, my mate really liked the Tour. His racket of choice is the 2016 Wilson Pro Staff 97S. The Wilson is also more head heavy, maybe that the reason - we just like what we used to.
For me if the VCore 98 had a better feel it would be the best current Yonex stick. I never dialed with ezone 98 2020. 100 version to me is better and more easy to play with. I don’t have consistency with 305 ezone and i agree with the review below. I hope Yonex to come back to it’s dr/ai/xi roots and stop following Babolats way with ultra muted and harsh feeling sticks.....
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Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
does vcore have more power ?
DJTaurus
Hall of Fame
From ezone no (but they are pretty close) and it’s more demanding. But seriously i can’t gel with new ezone 305 one of the worst sticks i ve played with. I tried lead at 12 and it became worse. Sth is wrong with the balance of this stick. Only on serves it was amazing as most Yonex sticks. And it’s even more muted than the previous ezone which was also more muted than DR. Seriously i cannot understand yonexs choices after the success of DR.....VCore 98 flows through the the air like a proper well balanced stick.... new ezone 98 is just weird.
Flying_Axe
Rookie
You need to check the specs. 305 is 6 point HL while tour is 4 pt HL
Well, I'll try it next weekend. Lets see. If it's too head heavy, and shots are all over the place, just add a leather grip and we are good to go.
The problem with the guy in that review is that he fails to take into account that a small amount of lead tape in the upper hoop of the Ezone pretty much sorts out most of the issues.
ron schaap
Hall of Fame
HowI used the DR98 for some years until I broke them
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Why don't they make this GREAT EZONE in 27.5 inch Extended version with Low Swing weight like 321 SW. That would be one Incredible serving racket as well as doing everything else well. With Higher swingweight like above 300, it becomes completely different racket that is more difficult to manage and manuver, not good for weekend worriers that touches the racket only 1-2 times a week at most. But at lower SW like 321, it becomes much more versatile weapon with better reach ........
