Wilson Ultra 100 UL Racket Review
The Wilson Ultra range is aimed at players that are looking for an all rounder racket that does it all.
They provide great power, easy access to spin and a user friendly platform that anyone can play with. You don’t need to be a tennis whizz to get along with an Ultra racket.
With this in mind, the aptly named UL version of the Ultra is an ultra light alternative to the standard Ultra 100.
It is incredibly easy to swing, fast, aerodynamic and is perfect for a player learning the game.
A beginner, improving intermediate or junior player looking to progress on to the adult game would all be well suited to the Ultra 100 UL.
It can be argued that the Ultra is Wilson’s answer to the Babolat Pure Drive range of rackets, as it offers a neutral platform that combines power and precision, perfect for clean ball strikers.
However, where the Pure Drive is a powerhouse of a racket, the Ultra is more of a forgiving, plush stick to play with.
It is generally a bit softer and more flexible than a Pure Drive and offers less out and out pop off the string bed, in place of more racket head speed and comfort.
This makes it a very easy to use racket that anyone can pick up and play with. And no racket in the Ultra range is more accessible than the UL.
It’s incredibly lightweight construction makes it very whippy, meaning you can swing through the ball quickly with confidence.
Despite the more comfortable nature of this racket, Wilson have worked hard to engineer more torsional rigidity into the frame, thanks to their new Power Rib construction.
This works alongside the Perimeter Weight System and Sweet Spot channels to achieve a very responsive, stable and powerful racket.
We liked the Ultra 100 V3 a lot. It is an all rounder racket that effectively does all things for all people.
It is a well balanced racket that combines spin, power and control extremely well, offering a unique combination of characteristics.
It is slightly on the stiffer side, which is to be expected from a more power focussed racket, but that is something to bear in mind if you have experienced arm injuries in the past.
Personally, I enjoyed playing with the Wilson Ultra 100 UL. It is a power focussed racket that retains some of Wilson’s famous feel in its DNA.
It has a large sweet spot so is a very forgiving racket, yet can be used with real precision and agility thanks to the light swingweight.
It is not as stable or solid as some of the more beefy Ultra rackets in the range, so at times this can let it down, especially when receiving a heavier ball from your opponent.
However, for the type of player this stick is aimed at, it fits the bill down to the ground.
Groundstrokes
7.5out of 10
This is a very easy racket to swing thanks to it being ultra lightweight, meaning it is incredibly easy to generate power and spin on the ball.
I usually don’t go for ultra light rackets as they can lack that solid feel and plow through that a heavier racket will offer in spades.
This is something that the Ultra 100 UL couldn’t escape, as its lack of mass did mean I couldn’t get the same weight of shot I am able to from using a 300g plus stick.
That being said, the Ultra 100 UL did offer a great deal of spin and power as I could swing the racket so quickly.
This meant I could push my opponent around with ease and get the racket into position very quickly. It felt refreshing to play with such a light racket.
Although I felt a heavier ball could push the racket around at times, when I was trying to be aggressive and attack a neutral ball I could place it exactly where I wanted it.
Compared to other oversized powerful rackets, the Ultra 100 UL was a lot more dialed in and I felt a lot more connected to the ball than when using the Wilson Clash 108 for example.
Volleys
6.5out of 10
Volleying with the Wilson Ultra 100 UL was an interesting experience. Like most extremely lightweight sticks, it was very easy to maneuver and felt comfortable in the hand.
I could get the racket into position very quickly, which helped a great deal with reaction volleys.
The racket also had a crisp feel on routine volleys and I was able to carve out angles and soft touch volleys relatively easily.
So, what’s the catch? Well, as is the case with the majority of lightweight rackets of this type, the Ultra 100 UL did feel a little unstable at times when up at net.
When my opponent would hit a powerful passing shot, particularly low to my feet, it was sometimes difficult to steer the volley back into court.
Also, the lack of weight made pushing the ball deep consistently a challenge.
Sometimes the ball would fall a bit short of my target simply because I didn’t feel the same amount of stability as I would have from the 300g version.
Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely more of a stable racket than some of the larger headed, power focussed rackets on the market, but it fell short of the lofty expectations set by the original Ultra 100.
Volleying with the Wilson Ultra 100 UL was an interesting experience. Like most extremely lightweight sticks, it was very easy to maneuver and felt comfortable in the hand.
I could get the racket into position very quickly, which helped a great deal with reaction volleys.
The racket also had a crisp feel on routine volleys and I was able to carve out angles and soft touch volleys relatively easily.
So, what’s the catch? Well, as is the case with the majority of lightweight rackets of this type, the Ultra 100 UL did feel a little unstable at times when up at net.
When my opponent would hit a powerful passing shot, particularly low to my feet, it was sometimes difficult to steer the volley back into court.
Also, the lack of weight made pushing the ball deep consistently a challenge.
Sometimes the ball would fall a bit short of my target simply because I didn’t feel the same amount of stability as I would have from the 300g version.
Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely more of a stable racket than some of the larger headed, power focussed rackets on the market, but it fell short of the lofty expectations set by the original Ultra 100.
Serve
7.5out of 10
This lightweight racket performed better on serve. It was easy to drive the racket up at the ball and generate a lot of spin on second serves, and power on my first serve too.
The Ultra 100 UL felt responsive and easy to swing, which meant I could continue to generate as much power as I wanted throughout the duration of my play test.
It was surprisingly feelsome for a stiff, power focussed racket.
It was relatively easy to pick my spots and hit them, as I didn’t have to focus as much on generating my own power or controlling the additional weight of a head heavy racket.
Return
6.5out of 10
Generally speaking I tend to prefer a more weight racket to return serve with.
This allows me to lean on the natural weight of the racket and still get good plow through even when hitting with a more compact backswing.
It won’t come as a surprise therefore that the Wilson Ultra 100 UL was not my absolute favourite racket to return big serves with.
Despite the large sweet spot and added stiffness, it didn’t feel strong enough to return heavy kick serves or powerful bombs very convincingly.
However, when it came to taking the return into my own hands and generating my own power and spin, the Ultra 100 UL performed a lot better.
It was light and whippy and I could create sharp angles with ease.
Therefore it was great for opening up the court when I stepped back and took a longer swing at the ball, but for blocking the ball back and remaining solid under pressure, I would have preferred a more weighty stick.
Overall
7out of 10
The Wilson Ultra 100 UL is a great balance of power, speed, spin and control. Its ultra light weight is its defining feature, as it can help you get the racket through the ball with ease.
It did lack a certain level of stability and sturdiness at times, it was incredibly easy to pick up and play with, making it the ideal choice for a beginner or improving junior.
Recreational doubles players would also be well suited to this racket, as it has a decent amount of feel and can be maneuvered very quickly.
In terms of the play test itself, the racket performed well at what it was designed for. Offering a blend of characteristics in a light, accessible package.
Although it was my absolute favourite spec of racket, it is certainly worth considering for a player looking for a powerful racket that will still offer a good amount of control and spin.
Is The Wilson Ultra 100 UL Right For Your Game? Find Out With a Custom Fitting!
Groundstrokes
7.5
out of 10
Volleys
6.5
out of 10
Serve
7.5
out of 10
Return
6.5
out of 10
Overall
7
out of 10
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