Wilson Burn 100LS Racket Review

With the Burn 100LS, Wilson has brought a spin machine that’s great for transitioning from a beginner or junior frame into a more intermediate adult frame.

At 280g unstrung, this racket is not too heavy, and this allows for beginners and intermediate players to benefit from great manoeuvrability.

As always with Wilson rackets, the Burn 100LS looks great, with its simple but sleek design.

The orange and black colors look very smart, and you certainly won’t look out of place with this stick.

The one thing you do notice is the shape of the head is a little bit peculiar.

This is because the 100LS has a fairly unique 18 x 16 string pattern which is designed to add extra spin potential.

As well as the string pattern, which Wilson aptly calls Spin Effect, the Burn 100 LS also has an extra long handle known as X2 Length.

This feature allows players with two-handed backhands a little extra reach and comfort when hitting on the run.

Parallel Drilling is also included with this racket, which should mean less friction between the strings and the frame on contact and a more comfortable ride for the user.

So, that’s the boring technical details out the way, but what can you actually expect from the Wilson Burn 100LS?

Well, from our previous experiences with the Burn range, you should be in for a treat.

We enjoyed the easy playability of the Burn 100S and we loved pretty much everything about the Burn 95, so we had pretty high hopes for the 100LS.

Specifications wise, the Burn 100LS is ideal for a junior who is moving up to their first full-sized racket, or adults who are just starting out in the game.

280g is a perfect weight for these types of players as it’s not too light or too heavy.

If you get a racket that is too heavy it can make it difficult to learn the motions properly, and in some cases, it can lead to injury.

Unfortunately, it’s easy to overcompensate for this though and go too light. If the racket is too light, it can still lead to injuries, but it doesn’t prepare players for taking the next step in their tennis development.

The Burn felt right in my hands from the moment I picked it up, with good balance and a nice feel to it.

Warming up, I could tell that it had quite an involved feel to it, (something that I don’t really like) but I know there are many people that enjoy this.

This is a bit of a characteristic of the Burn range, and it just means that you feel a lot of movement between the strings when you hit the ball.

I tend to set my rackets up like a stiff board, so I don’t get quite the same feel. I’m probably in the minority regarding this though.

My initial thoughts were all very positive with this racket. I liked the fact that it focuses on spin but doesn’t neglect all other aspects to achieve it.

This leads to a well-balanced racket, which has decent stability for its weight.

The start was good for the Wilson Burn 100LS, but would it stand up to an intense workout?

Groundstrokes

7.5out of 10

The way this racket is set up should really suit an aggressive baseline player and that was exactly what I found during my playtest.

The 100LS is just very easy to play with and you can get plenty of power and spin without having to try and rip the cover off the ball.

The biggest focus is on spin, so if you’re someone who loves to move your opponent around the court with topspin then this is ideal for you.

I think at an intermediate level, this racket is just about right because it allows you to maximize the amount of spin your strokes can give you.

However, as you advance, you will be able to create topspin more naturally, and you may find the Burn 100LS is no longer as useful to you.

However, that’s a bridge you can cross when you get to it. As a beginner or intermediate player, this racket gives you everything you need to play some very good tennis.

I particularly liked it off the backhand side, where I was able to get good power and depth.

I can’t say I thought the extra length handle made any difference, even though I have a double hander, but hey, maybe I just have small hands!

On the forehand side, I’m often a bit picky, but I couldn’t complain about the feel of the Burn 100LS.

It didn’t suit my style of play; I like to be able to flatten the ball out a little bit more, but that doesn’t stop it from being a good racket.

I was able to use the spin and power I was getting to move my opponent around the court and really dictate the point.

If I was to pick a racket that this is similar to, I would have to go with the Babolat Pure Aero Team, which is another racket that generates good spin.

The two rackets give you very similar results, even if they go about it in different ways.

Which one you prefer will depend on your style of play, so it’s well worth testing both of them.

This is an ideal option for a junior who is looking for a full-sized frame that’s not too heavy.

It really encourages players to attack with spin and hit through their shots.

For a racket in its weight class, it has good stability and of course, great spin and power.

I gave the Wilson Burn 100LS a 7.5 out of 10 for groundstrokes.

It’s a great racket for an intermediate or advanced junior who’s looking to be an aggressive baseliner.

Volleys

6out of 10

This is where we found we didn’t get along that well with the Wilson Burn 100S and it was much the same story with the 100LS.

Many of these lighter rackets just aren’t designed with high-quality volleying in mind and that’s not a problem.

The vast majority of us spend most of our time at the back of the court, so it makes sense that rackets are optimized for groundstrokes.

When you do rock up at the net with the Wilson Burn 100LS it’s not bad, it’s just not going to be a great help when the ball is blasted at your feet.

For easy put aways, however, it’s perfectly fine. It’s got reasonable stability that will help you pop the ball into the gap with few worries.

At an intermediate level, I wouldn’t have any problems playing doubles with this racket, all though I do think there are better options in this category with something like the Babolat Pure Strike Team.

When the level gets ramped up a bit, you might struggle with this stick in doubles though.

I gave the Wilson Burn 100LS a 6 out of 10 for the volleys.

It does a job but is definitely not as comfortable at the net as it is from the back.

I don’t think this makes a huge difference though, as most beginners and intermediate players don’t need too much performance from their racket at the net.

As long as it performs well from the back of the court and on the serve, you don’t need to worry about this too much.

Serve

6.5out of 10

The positive on the serve was the manoeuvrability.

It was really easy to get this racket moving fast, and that is something that is important for someone looking to develop their skills and turn their serve into a weapon.

This is something I can struggle with when I playtest the big heavy rackets that are 330g plus, so it’s nice to use something that’s so easy to swing.

I didn’t enjoy everything about the Burn 100LS on the serve though.

While the 18 x 16 string pattern helps create spin on the groundstrokes, I don’t think it works that well on the serve.

Too much spin on the serve and I find it gets really hard to control, and that was my problem with this Burn.

My first serve percentage was pretty low during this playtest, and I didn’t have too much confidence in my second serve.

I think if I was to play with this racket again, I would string it up a bit tighter and hope it gave me a little bit more control.

Of course, if you did this, you would be reducing your ability to get easy spin on the groundstrokes.

The Wilson Burn 100LS didn’t really suit me on the serve and that led to it getting a score of 6.5 out of 10.

I think in general, the style of the racket didn’t suit me, but on the groundstrokes, the racket was good enough to make up for that. On the volleys and serve it wasn’t.

Overall

7out of 10

This is a pretty good racket for a first adult sized racket. It will suit players who look to play aggressive baseline tennis and attack with spin.

I found it didn’t have the greatest performance on volleys or the serve, but it does make up for that with its groundstroke performance.

I can see why the Wilson Burn 100LS is such a popular racket. It makes playing tennis very easy, but I do think it is a little bit limited.

If it were me, I would much prefer to play with something like the Wilson Ultra 100 or the Babolat Pure Strike Team, but I guess it is a matter of preference.

The main strength of the Burn 100LS is its ability to create topspin, which can add a great deal to a player’s attacking weapons.

If this is a top priority for you and your game, you should definitely take a look at this racket.

If you’re more of an all-rounder, who looks for performance at the net as well as the back of the court, I might give it a wider birth.

As always, the key with these things is preference, you’ve got to take the Wilson Burn 100LS and try it before you know if it’s the one for you.

While you’re at it, I would also try and get my hands on the Babolat Pure Aero Team, the Babolat Pure Aero and the Wilson Ultra 100.

The Burn 100LS didn’t suit me, but it is still a very good option for any young tennis players moving up to an adult frame.

I gave it a solid score of 7 out of 10, which is not bad for a beginner/intermediate frame.

Is This Racket Right For Your Game? Find Out With a Custom Fitting!
Discover Your Excalibur!

Groundstrokes

7.5

out of 10

Volleys

6

out of 10

Serve

6.5

out of 10

Overall

7

out of 10

Get the Wilson Burn 100LS Racket for the Best Price from RacquetGuys!
Buy Now

Explore more