Wilson Ultra 100 UL Racket Review

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.