Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

With a 95-square-inch head size and a dense string pattern, the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20 offered our team precision and control from the baseline. Chris immediately noticed easier access to depth and pace with this racquet. He described, "The previous version needed weight added to the tip to match the playability of this CX 200 Tour 18x20. The extra punch made this a great racquet for working a point with my backhand slice. The racquet felt solid through contact, which freed me to focus on altering pace, spin and direction. When driving the ball with topspin, I could be very aggressive without fear of overhitting. This racquet's controlled response allowed me to use a lot of racquet head speed and get a lot of spin."

As a fan of the previous version's control and feel, Troy hoped those elements would carry over to the CX 200 Tour 18x20. He said, "I noticed a slightly firmer feel on contact and a bit more plow through compared to the outgoing model. I could step into the court and flatten out my shots without fear of the ball flying long on me. On my backhand slice, the racquet provided a ton of feel and allowed me to keep the ball deep and low. I was pleasantly surprised by how forgiving this racquet was. When my opponent hit the ball deep I could flick this racquet with my wrist and get decent depth without taking a full swing. Although I wouldn't say this racquet is more spin friendly than my Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330), I found better-than-average spin potential for an 18x20 string pattern. The swingweight was lower than my usual spec, and the head shape was rather round. It worked well when hitting heavy topspin, but there were times when I craved more put-away power and plow through on my shots. Although this update has a bit more plow through than the previous model, I would still add some weight to the hoop, and I look forward to trying this racquet with the swingweight increased to about 330."

"There are few racquets out there that make me rethink my racquet of choice — or, better yet, my spec of choice," began Michelle. "This racquet's 18x20 string pattern reminded me that I might need a little more control in my game. I liked the first iteration, but this update felt more solid all around. It's a bit heftier, a tad stiffer and more modern, and it feels like there's more plow through and mass behind the ball. I remember wanting to get my hands on some tungsten tape with the previous version, but that wasn't the case this time around. The tight string pattern allowed me to hit out and swing big with confidence. Once again, my irrational fear of losing speed on my shots with this control-oriented racquet was proven wrong. My PlaySight data showed I swung faster with the 18x20 string pattern than with my 16x19 Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph. I would say that this Dunlop feels much lower powered than racquets I normally gravitate toward, but I really appreciated being able to hit deep in the court and pinpoint my targets. The stringbed felt consistent, and I never noticed any hot spots or dead spots. While the string pattern wasn't as spin friendly as a 16x19, I never felt limited in terms of spin and could still dip balls effectively. On the negative side, when I was pulled out of my strike zone the low-powered response just wasn't effective for stabbing at the ball. The racquet sort of crumbled, and I would miss into the net rather than being able to float back a decent defensive shot."

Sean felt right at home with the CX 200 Tour 18x20 as soon as his hand touched the grip. "There's just something about picking up a racquet with a small head, thin beam and dense string pattern that makes me grin. I was really excited to be a part of this playtest, and I knew it was going to be enjoyable after my first outing with the CX 200 Tour 18x20. The classic, responsive feel helped me feel connected to the ball, and the 18x20 string pattern offered me a level of precision and directional accuracy that just doesn't exist with more open string spacing. I liked that the swingweight was bumped up for this version, and I think depth was easier to come by than with the outgoing model. The CX 200 Tour 18x20 doesn't possess that huge jumping topspin that many of its peers provide, but spin is still accessible. While the launch angle might keep your topspin bouncing a little lower, it will also keep slices low and dirty — just the way we like them. The two areas where I was still left unsatisfied were the inconsistency of the stringbed and the stability on off-center shots. The sweetspot is solid, but the outer zones can feel dead and leave the ball very short. This is accentuated by the lack of plow through in those regions close to the frame, and sometimes I felt like I was getting pushed around when playing with a big hitter."

Volleys - Score: 83

The control and feel of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20 really stood out at net. Troy felt that this racquet was a marked improvement over the previous model in this category. He said, "I was pleasantly surprised to find that I needed little to no adjustment period. I had plenty of stability on volleys, even when the ball was hit hard at me. There was more than enough touch and feel to caress the ball around the court. This update feels crisper on contact compared to the previous version, and I loved the response when I connected cleanly in the sweetspot. It wasn't as stable as the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, but I was content with my ability to block volleys back with ample depth."

This racquet felt accurate and maneuverable for Michelle at net. She offered, "I found it easy to pick my targets and hit them. The CX 200 Tour 18x20 felt stable, and I could block balls back well. It absorbed power nicely, and I could be as offensive or defensive as I needed. I also shocked myself a few times with some cheeky drop shots!"

"Surgical precision and a crisp response made volleying with this racquet a real joy," added Sean. "This is what you hope a racquet with this type of design will do well, and it delivered. My only gripe was with the slight lack of plow through."

Chris found the CX 200 Tour 18x20 to be a great racquet for attacking the net. He said, "Offering a solid, stable feel and lots of control, this racquet made it easy to volley with confidence. I also liked the touch I had on my volleys. The dense string pattern made it easy to bleed pace off the ball and drop volleys short."

Serves - Score: 85

The Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20 definitely lacked power on serves. Some of the playtesters were OK with this because they had better control; some were not. Michelle was initially concerned that she wouldn't like the lower powered response, but she eventually found her rhythm with it. She explained, "I'm not sure if it's because I was a bit more dialed into what I needed to do to execute a successful serve, or if it just came together for me, but I enjoyed serving with this racquet. I could really target my spots and execute effective first and second serves. I made a conscious effort to target my opponent's body or their weaker side, and this strategy proved effective for me. Again, the tight string pattern didn't feel limiting in terms of spin."

Sean thought serving with this racquet was just alright. He said, "I never missed my targets, but I really had to work to get the ball moving through the court or to get my kick jumping up over my opponent's shoulder."

Although Chris didn't find the easy spin he gets from his regular racquet, he was able to put the weight of the CX 200 Tour 18x20 to good use. He said, "There was enough mass to add pace to my serves, but not so much to negatively affect control. If anything was missing, I'd say my serves were down on spin. I couldn't get my serves to break away with slice or hop up with topspin as much as I'd like. However, my control with this racquet was very good, and I had the confidence to go for aggressive first and second serves."

Like Michelle, Troy had to rely on his accuracy to make up for the CX 200 Tour 18x20's lower serving power. He described, "My speed numbers weren't anything to brag about, but I served effectively with this racquet. The weight and swingweight were very manageable for me, which allowed me to generate easy racquet head speed. The accuracy it provided was top-notch, and I could locate my targets easily. On my kick serves, I was able to generate some sharp angles and get the ball kicking high off the court. My consistency and placement were good and had me feeling as though I could start points off on the attack. Although the CX 200 Tour 18x20 is still a low-powered racquet, I found a bit more pop on my serves."

Returns - Score: 82

The precision, maneuverability and feel of the Dunlop Srixon CX 200 Tour 18x20 worked well for our testers despite their varying returning styles. Normally, Sean feels most confident when returning. However, he admits that he often needs a little help from his racquet to absorb the pace coming from the serve. He said, "When I connected correctly with the CX 200 Tour 18x20 there wasn't any racquet I'd rather be playing with. Realistically, though, that's not going to happen as consistently as I'd like, and it would be nice to have a racquet that could give me some aid and prop me up when I need it."

The solid feel and controlled response made the CX 200 Tour 18x20 a great returning racquet for Chris. He noted, "All of my shots felt dialed in. I had the control I needed to take an aggressive cut on any serves left hanging in my strike zone. The racquet also offered the stability I needed to block back tougher serves. The level of comfort was impressive too; even when I caught shots slightly off center, I didn't get any undue jarring or vibration from the racquet."

The CX 200 Tour 18x20's control and plush feel had Troy in attack mode when he was returning. He said, "I was confident anytime I was able to take an aggressive swing on my returns. I found plenty of control on my returns during doubles. I enjoyed hitting my backhand slice return and keeping the ball low off the bounce, which made it difficult for my opponents to hit an offensive reply. I would have liked some added plow through, especially when I only had time to chip the returns back. Sometimes, when I blocked the ball back, my return would land a bit short. A little added weight in the hoop would likely benefit the depth on my returns."

For Michelle, the pros of this racquet outweighed the cons when she was returning serves. She explained, "I found that both the best and the worst attributes of this racquet came through when returning. Again, I could attack balls with precision and confidence, and I was rewarded consistently when going after my return. I felt unstoppable when I was taking an offensive swing. Not only could I get pace going, but I could also manipulate my targets and move my opponent from my very first strike of the ball. On the flip side, my least favorite part of this playtest was returning big first serves targeting the tee on the deuce side. If my opponent hit it right and I couldn't read the serve, I would be sprawled out trying to stab at the ball, finding a dead response. I had to get some swing speed going to be able to get the ball back in the court. The CX 200 Tour 18x20 just wasn't as solid or stable when I was pulled out of my strike zone."

Overall - Score: 87