Yonex EZONE 100 2022 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 88

The Yonex EZONE 100 checked all the right boxes for our playtesters from the baseline. As a longtime user of the EZONE 100 (dating back to the Ai model), Brittany was eagerly awaiting this update. She said, "EZONE 100 users of the past will be relieved to hear this version still has the signature EZONE feel, and boy did it feel like home. I had no adjustment period and was able to jump right into doubles match play without any hesitation. The thing I love the most about the EZONE is the controllable power. It has a nice amount of power when I need to add some zip to the ball on an approach shot or when I am reaching for a ball on defense. However, there was enough control that I knew exactly where the ball was landing, and it never felt flighty. There was enough access to spin for me to hit my signature angled groundstroke and enough backspin to keep my defensive slice low and neutral."

"I've hit several versions of the EZONE 100, and this latest iteration is just as easy to use," continued Tiffani. "If you've played with any version of this racquet, the 2022 model will feel very familiar in your hands. With this EZONE 100, the feel got refined. For me, the dwell time was improved, and that gave me better control on my groundstrokes. With the outgoing model, I preferred the EZONE 98 for its slightly smaller head size, which translated to a bit more control. With the EZONE 100 2022, I had good directional control and felt in command over the depth of my shots as well. One of my go-tos was a short backhand cross court to open up the court during points. As I was playing, I was impressed by the comfort level for a mid-60s stiffness racquet, and the stability felt improved over previous versions."

No stranger to the EZONE family of racquets, Jason has playtested the past several generations of EZONE 100, and even named the EZONE Ai 100 his racquet of choice for a year. He said, "I love EZONE racquets for their easy playability, and this update was no different. It was effortless to swing and easy to get spin with on my forehands and my backhand slices. I thought the power level was really good for a racquet weighing about 11 ounces, but if you're looking for a bit more pop, I'd check out the EZONE 98. What's great about this update is the feel. This feels plusher than the previous generation and is more like the DR version."

Michelle was able to playtest both the 100 and 98 EZONE updates side by side, which gave her a unique perspective on this racquet. She said, "I always love how easy power and spin come with this racquet family. And — spoiler alert — I liked the 100-square-inch option best out of the two! The EZONE 100 felt awesome from the very first ball. The sweetspot was large, the feel at contact was plush and I could tell it would be a successful playtest the first day I hit with this racquet. I often prefer racquets that are a bit heavier and have smaller head sizes, but I have a soft spot for 100-square-inch tweener frames, and this racquet fits perfectly into that category. I knew from drilling that I loved this racquet, and it provided easy depth and controlled power, but the real test was going to be point situations. While the previous versions of this racquet were more powerful, this version leaned slightly toward the control side, which allowed me to hit out and construct points, trusting the racquet would do the work for me when taking big swings. I even felt like the ball dwelled on the strings longer, which allowed me to change my mind or add a bit more disguise to my shot selections. The EZONE 100 checked all my boxes: it was maneuverable, swung explosively fast, had good stability for its weight, allowed me to play smart tennis and attack balls on my terms, and kept me confident even in pressure situations."

Volleys - Score: 85

The EZONE 100's plush feel and excellent maneuverability allowed our playtesters to hit volleys with ease. While Tiffani hits a majority of her shots from the baseline, the EZONE 100 gave her the confidence to end points up at net. She said, "Speed, comfort and stability are the most important factors for me when it comes to volleys, and I found them all with the EZONE 100. I don't get too fancy with my shot selection at net, and I tend to keep it as simple as possible. That was the case with this EZONE 100, but I did like the feel and was able to be more selective with where I was placing my volleys."

Jason praised the racquet's winning balance of stability and maneuverability. He said, "The whippiness made it so easy to get the racquet into place for reflex volleys, and overheads were a cinch. I felt well connected to my shots and thought the feel was on point when attempting drop volleys. The EZONE 100 also felt surprisingly stable for an 11-ounce racquet."

"I found this racquet to be versatile at net," added Michelle. "It was very maneuverable and stable, and the feel was great. This was the perfect racquet for doubles since I could hit drop volleys and angles, or volley deep and pick off the next ball with confidence."

This category was one of the highlights of the playtest for Brittany. She described, "This racquet shined up at net for me as well. The EZONE 100 was easy to get into position, and I never felt like it was being pushed around. The feel gave me confidence to actually come up to net more than usual. From punching volleys deep to short touch volleys, and even some pickup volleys, I felt like I couldn't miss."

Serves - Score: 85

The Yonex EZONE 100 offered our playtesters excellent versatility when starting points with their serves. Michelle had no complaints here. She said, "I enjoyed serving with the EZONE 100. It provided easier power and spin than the EZONE 98, which may have had better precision. There wasn't a serve that I couldn't execute."

"After an initial adjustment period on my flat serves, I felt confident stepping up to start the point," said Tiffani. "I wasn't hitting super powerful flat serves, but they were effective enough for me to start the point on neutral terms. Slices were easier to hit than usual, and I often relied on them for first and second serves. I also thought the EZONE 100 offered good directional control, so I was hitting my targets."

Brittany found herself mixing up her serves. She said, "I could bring the heat when needed, but the power didn't come as easily as it did with the Babolat Pure Drive or Prince Twistpower X100 Tour. I loved hitting the slice serve out wide on the deuce side. This pulled my opponent off the court and opened it up for an easy cross-court winner on the next shot. The second serve is one of the first strokes that breaks down in a match for me, but with this racquet, I had enough racquet head speed and spin to hit the second serve consistently and effectively without any arm fatigue."

Jason thought the EZONE 100 had a little more power than the EZONE 98. He explained, "I could easily serve with a ton of spin thanks to this racquet's open string pattern and maneuverability. Once again, the EZONE 98 offered more pop, but for the EZONE 100's weight, I was happy with the pace I was able to generate."

Returns - Score: 86

Not to be overlooked, returning with the EZONE 100 was also a big hit with the playtest team. Brittany could not stop raving about the EZONE 100's playability on returns. She said, "It came as no surprise that I preferred to return with the EZONE 100 over serving with it. The return is one of my favorite shots to hit, and this racquet did everything I needed to be successful. I could rely on the racquet being stable and precise on first serve returns to keep myself neutral to start the point. I loved being able to step inside the baseline and swing freely off second serves, and I was almost always starting the point on the offensive. I could tap into a variety of different returns in doubles and had great success."

"I loved plowing through weak second serves with this racquet," said Michelle. "Because the ball sunk into the stringbed, I knew I could dictate off the return. When facing big first serves or jamming serves into my body, I could get the racquet in place and do an adequate job of getting decent play on the ball. Angles were easy to access. I felt more dangerous returning with the 100 in hand than I did with the 98-square-inch EZONE."

Needing no time to adjust, Tiffani felt confident on returns. She said, "I loved returning with this racquet. With the previous version, I struggled with consistency when I wanted to be more aggressive with my return. However, for whatever reason, this new EZONE 100 was easier for me to hit aggressively and consistently. I enjoyed hitting deep returns and picking opportunities to move the ball around. The EZONE 100 had good maneuverability and plenty of comfort. I really don't have any complaints on returns."

Jason quickly found his groove on returns with the EZONE 100, though he did wish for a little more weight at times. He explained, "I thought this racquet was great on returns. The power and spin were there when I was taking a big cut at the ball, but it was also fast enough to maneuver quickly into position. However, I would've liked just a bit more weight when I was blocking back bigger serves."

Overall - Score: 87