Yonex EZone Xi 98: sweetspot too small

[Someone Else]

I am in the following predicament:

I am writing a review of my three racquets to post here on this glorious
forum, but before I finish my review, I need to clear up a detail about
the latest addition to my collection.
I had my new EZone Xi 98 wired with a set of Isospeed Axon Multi 1.25 mm gauge strings at 22 kg / 22 kg tension, by a shop that does not sell Yonex
racquets. Only problem is, the sweetspot is tiny. Anything other than a
bulls-eye sweetspot hit feels clunky. I feel only a robot or a 16.0
post-human tennis warrior could reliably keep hitting with this racquet in the
good spot.

Is it possible the sweetspot shrunk due to the shop not stringing my racquet
correctly? Maybe cause they did not have the instructions for this model?
I looked all over Yonex's site and around the net, and was unable to find
any stringing instructions for the Xi 98.
Or is it normal for a racquet with a 98 square inch head size to have a small sweetspot?

My VCore Xi 100 which is strung with Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.30 mm strings at 23 kg / 23 kg tension has a larger sweetspot.

Any advice?

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

Have it strung looser and it should enlarge the sweet spot quite a bit. Yon ex rackets are supposed to have big sweetspots

 

[Shaochieh]

I think you have been using 107 and 100 sq in racket for a while so 98 minght seems small for now. what is your playing level?? I play my xi 98 at 26kg with poly and I still got enough forgiveness. Just keep your eyes on the ball.

 

[SJSA]

I know the reason.
You don't have a good stringer in your area.
You must be a member of Kim's family if you can play tennis in N. Korea.

 

[TheRed]

It takes a lot to really mess up a string job to the point you really shrink the sweetspot. More likely than not, it's just strung too high.

 

[acura9927]

Are you kidding me? I have this racquet and I have it strung higher than yours at 52pds. The Ezones have big sweet spots, all sizes of them.

 

[Someone Else]

Have it strung looser and it should enlarge the sweet spot quite a bit. Yon ex rackets are supposed to have big sweetspots

More likely than not, it's just strung too high.

Are you sure? Yonex's recommended tension range for the EZone Xi 98
is listed as 20 to 27 kg on the racquet, and I have it strung at 22 kg,
which is already in the lower end of the scale. Maybe 21 kg next time
is a better option?

 

[Someone Else]

I think you have been using 107 and 100 sq in racket for a while so 98 minght seems small for now. what is your playing level?? I play my xi 98 at 26kg with poly and I still got enough forgiveness. Just keep your eyes on the ball.

My playing level is -1.0 (minus 1).
I just started playing last year.
26 kg sounds like a lot. Does the stringbed not feel like a brick wall?

 

[Anton]

I am in the following predicament:

I am writing a review of my three racquets to post here on this glorious
forum, but before I finish my review, I need to clear up a detail about
the latest addition to my collection.
I had my new EZone Xi 98 wired with a set of Isospeed Axon Multi 1.25 mm gauge strings at 22 kg / 22 kg tension, by a shop that does not sell Yonex
racquets. Only problem is, the sweetspot is tiny. Anything other than a
bulls-eye sweetspot hit feels clunky. I feel only a robot or a 16.0
post-human tennis warrior could reliably keep hitting with this racquet in the
good spot.

Is it possible the sweetspot shrunk due to the shop not stringing my racquet
correctly? Maybe cause they did not have the instructions for this model?
I looked all over Yonex's site and around the net, and was unable to find
any stringing instructions for the Xi 98.
Or is it normal for a racquet with a 98 square inch head size to have a small sweetspot?

My VCore Xi 100 which is strung with Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.30 mm strings at 23 kg / 23 kg tension has a larger sweetspot.

Any advice?

1.25 string is lighter then 1.30, also string composition itself could be lighter.

Either way, the solution is to add weight (lead) to the loop.

Where? How much? While more weight will increase stability and "sweetspot" no matter where you add weight spend some time to get it just right. More weight does not heave to mean less head speed, just depends on your technique and balance preferences.

Try 3&9, then try to add some at 12 and under the lower grip for counter balancing. You can also try 10 and 2.

 

[Anton]

My playing level is -1.0 (minus 1).
I just started playing last year.
26 kg sounds like a lot. Does the stringbed not feel like a brick wall?

Honestly at this level racket advice really does not matter as your technique will probably change rapidly and will overshadow whatever difference racket tinkering can make.

If you are at least semi-strong stick with the XI 98 and maybe just add a gram or two a bit above 3&9 and don't worry so much about the racket. Just concentrate on improving technique.

 

[syke]

My playing level is -1.0 (minus 1).
I just started playing last year.
26 kg sounds like a lot. Does the stringbed not feel like a brick wall?

Hahaha...........

 

[Someone Else]

I think I will do most of my practicing and learning with the EZone Xi 107 and VCore Xi 100, and keep the EZone Xi 98 for when I improve my technique.

@Anton: what strings and tension do you use with your Xi 98?
And have you tried any other Yonex racquets?

 

[KFwinds]

Was it strung two piece or one piece? All Yonex racquets should be strung two piece for multiple reasons, but it can affect the size of the sweet spot.

 

[Someone Else]

Was it strung two piece or one piece? All Yonex racquets should be strung two piece for multiple reasons, but it can affect the size of the sweet spot.

What does that mean, two-piece or one-piece?
If you explain the difference and what I should look for, maybe I can
answer the question.
I did not watch the stringer string my racquet unfortunately. I just
left my racquet at the store and picked it up two days later and he
did not explain anything to me about what he did or how.

 

[____]

I know the reason.
You don't have a good stringer in your area.
You must be a member of Kim's family if you can play tennis in N. Korea.

I wonder if they even have a tennis court there.

 

[facingfear]

What does that mean, two-piece or one-piece?
If you explain the difference and what I should look for, maybe I can
answer the question.
I did not watch the stringer string my racquet unfortunately. I just
left my racquet at the store and picked it up two days later and he
did not explain anything to me about what he did or how.

Two piece = string racquet using 2 pieces of string ( you can count by the number of tie offs, it should have 4....ideally)( if this still isnt clear, your stringer cut a 12 meter length of string into 2, 6 meter sections and then strung it)
One piece = An anime about pirates... Just kidding. Stringing the racquet with 1 piece of string (should only have 2 tie offs), this is actually pretty easy for the 98Xi being that the mains end at the top.

Also, I use a 98 xi and string my own racquets, and i find the sweet spot is just fine no matter what set up.

 

[Someone Else]

Two piece = string racquet using 2 pieces of string ( you can count by the number of tie offs, it should have 4....ideally)( if this still isnt clear, your stringer cut a 12 meter length of string into 2, 6 meter sections and then strung it)
One piece = An anime about pirates... Just kidding. Stringing the racquet with 1 piece of string (should only have 2 tie offs), this is actually pretty easy for the 98Xi being that the mains end at the top.

Also, I use a 98 xi and string my own racquets, and i find the sweet spot is just fine no matter what set up.

Thanks for the explanation. With that knowledge I am now able to answer
KFwinds's question: my Yonex EZone Xi 98 was apparently strung as a
one-piece, since it only has two tie-offs. My VCore Xi 100 and EZone Xi 107
(which were strung by the online shop I ordered them from) both have
four tie-offs, so I assume that means those two were both strung two-piece.
If what KFwind is saying is true, that all Yonex racquets should be strung
using the two-piece method, then it seems the stringer screwed up with my EZone Xi 98.
Would that account for the perceived limited sweetspot?

 

[MayDay]

On my Tour 97, I like it better two pieces, but no perceived sweet spot changes between one or two piece. (There shouldn't be any difference at all.) What you may want to try is to instruct the shop/stringer to string the cross 3 to 5Lbs lower than the mains and see if that give you a different feel on sweet spot.

Another thing to keep in mind is the type of machine your current tennis shop/stringer uses and what the online store you ordered from uses to string the racket.

I like my multi (NRG2 or X-1 Bi) at 60 Lbs on a lockout (~27.2 Kg) - which is probably 55Lbs on content pull (based on what people say - a 5Lbs difference between lockout and constant pull.)

Tennis Warehouse uses neos (lockout machine). My local tennis shop uses Babolat Start 5 (electric constant pull). I string for myself with a neos. Be mindful of the type of machine used to string your racket. (Experienced stringer (person) would ask your history, but you being a beginner probably doesn't help.)

 

[NLBwell]

Yes, about a 10% difference between lockout and constant pull stringers.

 

[Anton]

I think I will do most of my practicing and learning with the EZone Xi 107 and VCore Xi 100, and keep the EZone Xi 98 for when I improve my technique.

@Anton: what strings and tension do you use with your Xi 98?
And have you tried any other Yonex racquets?

I didn't try your other yonex rackets, too much power for me.

I use a 16g (1.30) hybrid of mutifilament sting (Prince Premier Attack) on mains and polyester cross (Signum Pro Plasma) at 62lbs.

I also have about 4 grams at 2 and 10 and about 10 grams in the handle.

For your purposes all of this is not much use, unless you really want to commit to getting better and sucking for a long while, because you need to have a good load up technique to use this.

 

[Shaochieh]

My playing level is -1.0 (minus 1).
I just started playing last year.
26 kg sounds like a lot. Does the stringbed not feel like a brick wall?

No the string bed it is still soft for me to control the power this racket provides.

 

[KFwinds]

Thanks for the explanation. With that knowledge I am now able to answer
KFwinds's question: my Yonex EZone Xi 98 was apparently strung as a
one-piece, since it only has two tie-offs. My VCore Xi 100 and EZone Xi 107
(which were strung by the online shop I ordered them from) both have
four tie-offs, so I assume that means those two were both strung two-piece.
If what KFwind is saying is true, that all Yonex racquets should be strung
using the two-piece method, then it seems the stringer screwed up with my EZone Xi 98.
Would that account for the perceived limited sweetspot?

Yes - if your racquet was strung one piece it could definitely shrink the sweetspot on a Yonex. Also, as someone else mentioned, it is a good idea to string the crosses 2 or 3 lbs lower than the mains. This not only works well on Yonex but will open the sweetspot a bit on most racquets. It sounds like your stringer is just not very experienced with Yonex racquets. I use the Ezone xi 100 myself, but I demoed the 98 and both have very full, plush feeling sweetspots to me.

 

[tistrapukcipeht]

this racquet has a big sweet spot, but the ezone xi 100 has even bigger sweetspot

 

[klementine]

' I feel only a robot or a 16.0
post-human tennis warrior'

Spectacular my good friend. Simply spectacular.

Legend has it that these 16.0 ntrp, post-human warriors of days long gone WERE actually robots. They just never knew so.

 

[Someone Else]

' I feel only a robot or a 16.0
post-human tennis warrior'

Spectacular my good friend. Simply spectacular.

Legend has it that these 16.0 ntrp, post-human warriors of days long gone WERE actually robots. They just never knew so.

I might be a bona fide tennis bum, but we all need goals and dreams in life.