Dunlop CX 200 Tour 18x20 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 80

Off the ground, the CX 200 Tour 18x20 combined outstanding feel with precision and speed. It fit well with Chris' groundstrokes. He began, "I found the racquet easy to swing and enjoyed a blend of maneuverability and stability on pretty much every stroke. I was getting consistent depth and ample spin, but I had to take a faster swing with this racquet compared to the 16x19 version. I usually prefer an 18x20 string pattern when given the option, but with the CX 200 Tour, I preferred the more forgiving open-patterned version. Still, I was able to keep my shots on target since the 18x20 stringbed offered a ton of control. The feel was super plush and gave this racquet that classic Dunlop feel. I like to think of this CX 200 Tour 18x20 as a lighter and faster swinging Muscle Power 200 from the baseline."

"I can't say this update differed all that much from the previous version, but I did love the feel of the new FlexBooster technology," added Michelle. "With that being said, I remember really falling for the previous version and scoring it quite high. If I remember correctly, this was one of the first 18x20 racquets I really started to connect with, but this time around I was craving a bit more from the CX 200 Tour. The feel at impact was super comfortable and soft, and the 18x20 string pattern made me feel dialed in with control and precision, but I felt I had to work too hard to win points. The racquet was quick and maneuverable, but I craved a little more plow through to help drive through balls. I found the racquet getting too far ahead of me at times, and the tip required some weight to get it to lead through my groundstrokes. When it came to a long hitting session for working on consistency and ball placement, this racquet was a solid option, but once I got into point play, I felt forced to try to generate enough power to get the ball past my opponent. Pair that with a slow court, and I was feeling somewhat helpless and lost when constructing points as an offensive baseliner."

After the first few groundstroke exchanges, Mark could clearly see the lower launch angle he was getting from the tight 18x20 pattern, and as a result, his shot depth was compromised a little. He explained, "By the end of the second hitting session I was able to make enough of an adjustment to cure most of that issue by swinging a bit faster through contact. I typically produce a loopier ball, and trying to shape my shots with the dense pattern of the new CX 200 Tour (18x20) was a chore. Pairing it with an edgy monofilament did give me the arcing shot I needed to play better defense. Lastly, my backhand slice was probably my favorite shot to hit with this racquet. That shot naturally stays low over the net with the new CX 200 Tour's 18x20 string pattern."

Volleys - Score: 83

Feel was the outstanding feature for our playtesters when they took the CX 200 Tour 18x20 to the net. "I had a lot of fun with this racquet at net," said Chris. "We were on a bit of a doubles trend here at TW while this playtest went on, so I got a lot of volleying in with this CX 200 Tour 18x20. What impressed me the most at net was the connected feel. I was able to place my volleys very well, both when punching the ball deep and when looking to find a short angle. I felt comfortable volleying with this racquet, and I had a lot of confidence attacking the net with it in my hand."

Mark didn't have any issue at all volleying with this racquet. He said, "The overall spec kept me feeling connected to my shots, and I could definitely detect Dunlop's application of the Sonic Core Infinergy material out toward the tip of the hoop, which provided extra stability at the end of the racquet."

Unlike her fellow playtesters, Michelle was looking for a bit more from the CX 200 Tour 18x20 at net. She described, "I struggled slightly depending on how hard the ball was hit at me. I did note that the racquet wobbled a bit at impact. On the other hand, it was fun to hit touch balls and swing big on lollipop balls."

Serves - Score: 77

Our playtesters agreed that precision and feel reigned supreme when serving with the CX 200 Tour 18x20, but at times, they craved a bit more mass. "While I have loopier groundstrokes, my serve is more or less flat," said Mark. "Ironically, where I had some net clearance issues with this racquet was at the baseline, but the ball trajectory of that tight pattern lined up nicely with my serve. To my surprise, I was able to add some shape and consistency to my serve. As a result, the serve was my most enjoyable shot to hit with this racquet."

Michelle had to shift her mindset when it came to serving with this racquet. She explained, "I was struggling with first serves and just got a bit upset. I did find great targeting, but for whatever reason, it felt like my serves just had nothing behind them. I tried to focus on being specific and intentional with my first serves rather than making them big. It worked, but it definitely didn't leave me in an offensive position."

On the other hand, Chris had better results on his serves. He said, "The CX 200 Tour 18x20 came through contact nicely. Finding my targets was a snap, and I found myself being confidently aggressive. I liked the level of comfort, even when the racquet was strung up with a firm co-poly string. My slice serve felt especially controlled with this racquet. Ideally, I would have liked a little more weight in the hoop for some additional plow-through power when looking to hit bigger serves."

Returns - Score: 80

The CX 200 Tour 18x20's controlled yet fast response worked well for our playtesters when returning. Michelle liked this racquet the most on returns, though she still felt that a little added stability would have gone a long way. She said, "The return is where I could hit out, find great connection to the ball and pinpoint my spots. The feel at impact was sublime, and I felt confident starting the point on a positive, aggressive note. Also, similar to the 16x19 version, I found myself trying to hit returns and move forward into the net to finish points there. Again, I craved a bit more stability against bigger serves, and I found that the racquet didn't hold up when I was trying to just block the ball back, especially off my backhand side."

Chris could position the racquet easily and felt confident moving inside the court to take the ball early. He said, "There was just enough mass there for me to drive aggressive returns. Again, getting spin was easy. I hit some nice topspin angle returns off my forehand wing in doubles, and I also had fun driving flatter, aggressive returns deep cross court. My chip backhand return worked well with this racquet too. I found myself naturally sneaking in with a chip and charge play on second serves hit to my backhand."

"My return of serve was more consistent and versatile than I expected," added Mark. "I even found my backhand and forehand chip return being a little more effective than usual. I almost never hit clean winners off a return of serve, but I was finding enough time to hit a flatter return or apply some topspin to the ball."

Overall - Score: 82