Yonex Ezone 100+ Racket Review

First and foremost, it is worth noting that the new design of the Ezone line by Yonex is very easy on the eye. The deep blue colour scheme looks great in both natural and artificial light, plus it looks understated and refined without being boring. Top marks for design as far as we’re concerned!

Taking a look at the Ezone 100+ specs, you may think that Yonex have sacrificed control and precision for out and out power. However, this is far from the case.

They have simply added a bit more leverage and beef to this frame, without actually increasing the overall weight of the racket. The changes are actually quite subtle, given the small increase in frame length.

You get a great amount of plow through from the higher swingweight this racket carries over the standard version, whilst the stiffness rating of 70 offers unrivalled stability in this midplus weight range.

This is definitely a racket that you can swing with confidence and trust that it’ll club the ball straight and true. It is a real hammer that allows you to drive through the ball and hit with maximum power anywhere on the court.

The racket features an updated version of Yonex’s vibration dampening mesh, which definitely helps offset the high degree of stiffness and hefty swingweight.

Yonex have also added a new liner tech system to the Ezone line of rackets that increases the space between the strings and reduces the tension between the frame and the string itself. The aim of this is to increase the comfort and pop that you get from the racket and they have certainly achieved this!

However, if you have tennis elbow or other arm injuries it may not be the best racket for you, as despite its dampening technology, it is not the most forgiving racket in the world.

If you are used to a midplus racket around the 300g mark from any of the other major manufacturers, you may want to string this racket up a little tighter than usual, as it can at times be a bit overpowering if you aren’t used to this type of racket.

It may take a little bit of time to dial into the way this racket plays, as its stiffness and beefy feel do take some getting used to. This is a relatively similar feel to a Babolat Pure Strike in terms of how solid it feels and how much easy power you can generate with this rock solid frame.

However, where the Yonex excels over the Babolat is in the damping department. It feels overall better accustomed to big hitters, making it easier to use and more comfortable despite the power and stiffness.

It is a great racket to hit with and definitely one that an intermediate to advanced level player should try out if they are looking for a very powerful racket that still delivers a crisp feel and a reasonably well damped set up.

As expected, the Yonex Ezone 100+ is not the most feelsome racket out there when it comes to volleys. It is great for putting the ball away and hitting crisp, solid, hard volleys that really punch through the court. But, the stiffness and extra swingweight do detract from the overall touch and feel factor with this racket.

Saying that, it is one of the better feeling of the extended length, power focussed rackets out there today, but it is just a little too ‘dead’ to be the ultimate volleying weapon.

Perhaps a softer string set up would be a better option for someone looking to serve and volley a lot with this racket, as the stiffness does give a crisp contact when you middle it, but at the same time it does limit the comfort and overall playability of the racket up at the net.

The extra swingweight that this racket carries is also a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand it is great for adding stability and plow through to deep, swinging volleys, but on the other hand it does limit the manoeuvrability slightly when compared to the standard version.

Hitting serves with the Yonex Ezone 100+ makes you realise why Nick Kyrgios favours this line of rackets! It is a joy to serve with, particularly in this extended length 100+ version, as you can get great power and unmatched stability from this racket.

The additional swingweight gives a lot of pop but the fact that the overall static weight hasn’t actually increased means you can keep on serving bombs with this racket for hours on end.

You can definitely trust this racket to send down your big serves with authority and accuracy, as the stability of the racket helps keep your ball on track. The lack of vibration means you don’t get that wooly feeling that you can sometimes experience with a flexible racket.

Again, the stiffness does compromise the feel of this racket somewhat, but in terms of accuracy, power and a solid feel on serve, there aren’t many rackets out there that can beat the Yonex Ezone 100+!

As far as returning goes with the Ezone 100+, the extended length really helps get some extra pop on your blocked returns, making it nice and easy to push the ball back deep and neutralise your opponent’s serve right from the word go.

This is great for returning big first serves but again does require a bit of getting used to, as the stiffness and power you get from this frame can be a bit difficult to judge at first.

However, once you dial in and can modulate the power, the Ezone 100+ is a great racket to return serve with. You can really go after your second serve returns with this racket, as it allows you point and fire with an insane amount of power.

The open 16×19 string pattern makes ripping the ball with spin a breeze. You can step back and rip the ball with a more extended backswing like Stan the Man, or step in with a chip and charge or SABR like Kyrgios loves to do.

You get a lot of versatility with this racket which makes it ideal for being unpredictable when returning serve.

Overall, the Yonex Ezone 100+ is a great all rounder that ticks a lot of boxes for the intermediate to advanced player. Leaning on the side of power and stability over comfort and feel, it is a great choice for the big ball striker that is looking for a bit of extra pop on their groundstrokes and serve.

You can step in and really crush the ball with confidence with this racket, as the extended frame length gives you even greater leverage over the ball and the beefed up swing weight means you really feel like you have Thor’s hammer at your fingertips!

It may not be the best racket to go for if you have a tendency to suffer from arm pain or are looking for the last word in touch and precision, but the 100+ is a well damped racket for its category and it does offer a crisp feel when you want a solid contact on your volleys.

It is a great stick overall, but would probably favour the singles player over the doubles player due to the fact it is mainly set up for heavy ball striking from the baseline as opposed to quick reaction volleys at the net.