Dunlop SX 300 Tour Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 81

Our playtesters immediately noticed the Dunlop SX 300 Tour's improved speed, spin and power potential from the baseline, though some testers preferred the previous generation's beefier specs. Kristen and Andrew both expected top-notch spin potential, but they were also surprised by how well the racquet handled flat swings, especially on backhands. Kristen began by saying, "From the first hit, it was easy to see that the Dunlop SX 300 Tour was a very user-friendly racquet, and the more I played with it, the more I found it complementing my game nicely. It swung easily through the air from the baseline, and it felt plenty solid on contact for its weight. This racquet definitely suited a spin-friendly game, and I enjoyed mixing in short angles and high loopy balls, but I also found I could flatten out and drive the ball with nice control, especially on my backhand side. Compared to other Dunlop frames I've tested, including the previous Dunlop SX 300, I found this version to offer a more consistent response out of the stringbed, and I felt more connected to my shots. I did have some fly-away moments toward that very upper hoop, but for the most part, I felt confident being able to go for my shots and mixing up my game."

"As a longtime user of the Babolat Pure Aero, spin racquets are pretty nostalgic for me," Andrew added. "This version of the SX 300 Tour felt familiar to my younger days, and I was able to generate great spin on my forehand. My backhand is very flat, and I typically utilize slice or flat shots, so I was glad that the SX 300 Tour could handle the flat backhand surprisingly well without over-launching the ball. As expected, I had difficulty with depth control when I was placed in difficult situations, but most of those issues were due to user error. My last point is how fast the racquet swings. With my wrist issues, the swiftness of the SX 300 Tour allowed me to generate heavy spin with much less effort and more comfort during long hitting sessions."

Preferring the previous generation's specifications, Sage noted the update's massive spin, but he had issues with consistency. He said, "The SX 300 Tour gave me excellent topspin that led to an aggressive bounce off the ground. I typically like to drive the ball deep, but with this racquet, I was happy to play a more loopy ball. As far as comfort goes, it's definitely a firm racquet, but I didn't experience any discomfort. My only hesitation came from just how much power and spin were present. The launch angle was high and sometimes sent the ball long instead of dipping inside the baseline. Consistently hitting my targets proved difficult. Overall, I think the racquet did what it was designed to do — offer big spin and easy power — but the combination was just a bit too much for me."

Michelle appreciated the feel of the SX 300 Tour's Sonic Core Infinergy as well as the racquet's customization opportunities. She described, "Having playtested the previous version, I was excited to see what this updated, smaller head size racquet would play like. Three things were quickly evident. For one, the feel remained the same, and I was reminded I do like the Sonic Core Infinergy feel, which is a bit muted. Secondly, I felt Dunlop traded some plow through for speed with how fast this racquet swung. Lastly, it was loaded with spin and power. I could tell I was getting in front of the ball, and my timing was a bit off sometimes. I wasn't always super connected to my shots and found that it was difficult to tell whether the ball was flying out or hopping in with all that added spin. But on the positive side, most of the time when I thought I overhit, my shots had enough spin to keep them in. While I don't always hit with a ton of spin, this racquet made me want to really lean into that style of play. I worked to get more movement on my rally balls and then step up to put balls away with more angles, rather than just power through the middle of the court. Also, to dial in this racquet for my strokes and style, I ended up adding a bit of weight at 10 and 2 o'clock and instantly felt more comfortable hitting. I found the SX 300 Tour was a bit more stable, my shots had more bite, and I felt my swing was coming around more consistently instead of getting caught too far in front."

Volleys - Score: 82

Our playtesters unanimously found the Dunlop SX 300 Tour's net game simple and effective. Scoring high marks in this category, the racquet offered great maneuverability for quick reactions. Sage explained, "This was a point-and-shoot racquet that performed best when I could stick a volley. The power felt great at net. I wasn't looking for flashy angles or drop shots. I kept things simple and aimed deep in the court to take time away from my opponents. I enjoyed volleying with this racquet much more than I anticipated."

"The SX 300 Tour was easy to maneuver and get in place," Michelle added. "I found good touch too. And similar to the previous version, it was fun to hit swinging volleys with as well. I had no complaints at net. I found it to be more stable at net, while I noted some instability on returns."

Andrew found the racquet's wider string spacing to be extremely forgiving on off-center shots. He said, "The speed and sweetspot made the SX 300 Tour a fun racquet to hit at net. I found myself typically going for more penetrating volleys rather than drop volleys. The stringbed felt more like a 100 sq. in. head size than a 98, which made off-center volleys more forgiving; however, the ball could float just a bit, which got me into trouble at times. Overheads were also very fun, and I was even able to put a little slice on overheads if I wanted to thanks to the wide string spacing and Spin Boost + Grommets."

Kristen was also pleased with the updated stringbed. She said, "The SX 300 Tour had a smooth feel up at net and a really nice response out of the stringbed. I felt I could get into position easily and have a good handle on whatever was thrown at me."

Serves - Score: 84

Speed. Power. Spin. If a racquet covers these bases, it's bound to make for a successful serve. Our playtesters thought the Dunlop SX 300 Tour hit all three exceptionally well. Michelle and Andrew noted the SX 300 Tour's ability to create offensive situations from first and second serves thanks to its heavy spin and quick speed. Michelle described, "Like with the previous version, I loved serving with this racquet because of its easy power and ample spin. This is the area I don't mind a lower swingweight and a super maneuverable racquet, because it helps me bring the heat on first and second serves. I found myself trying to create powerful second serves, but I would sometimes mix things up and try to kick the ball high on first or second serves. I felt in command starting the point and could even move forward to the net and finish the point off in two shots."

This racquet helped Andrew serve up a dominant ball. He said, "I found myself hitting bigger first serves than usual with this racquet. The combination of speed and tour-like static weight combined to provide massive power on serves. I actually found myself lowering my toss on second serves and hitting more slices out wide because the racquet improved my slice serve curvature. This allowed me to set up more offensive situations to put away the point quickly. As for cons, when I had to hit pressure serves and felt some tightness, the ball would tend to launch deep slightly past the service line due to the racquet's launch angle."

Noting how quickly the racquet snapped into serves, Kristen said, "The SX 300 Tour swung easily overhead, and it was simple to tap into a lot of spin and pick my spots effectively (and consistently) as a result. I also found I could tap into some nice power as well."

Sage found that the SX 300 Tour offered plenty of variety to keep his opponents guessing. He said, "The SX 300 Tour was most effective for me on serve. Easy access to spin led to forced errors and control of the point, which in turn led to quickly holding serve. I generally stayed away from hitting flat serves because the ball launched off the stringed and often went long. Slicing and hitting kick serves were both much more natural with this racquet. Placement wasn't as precise as I'd like, but as long as I gave myself large targets, the serve was good enough to remain troublesome for my opponents."

Returns - Score: 80

The Dunlop SX 300 Tour received mixed feedback from our playtesters in regards to serve returns. Overall, the racquet was quick to maneuver in front of serves and had plenty of power for transitioning to offense, but our playtesters experienced difficulty controlling the ball, especially when attempting more aggressive returns. Kristen found counteracting pace effortless. She said, "This racquet performed well on returns, although I felt like it wasn't quite as forgiving as my racquet of choice. I really needed to keep my timing on point to keep the ball from flying on me, but when I did, I could counteract pace well and tap into some nice power when attacking serves."

Michelle had to make a point to dial back the SX 300 Tour's impressive power on returns. She described, "This racquet was so powerful, especially on returns! It was a bit too much at times. If I was feeling a bit of adrenaline and let the ball fly, it occasionally would literally fly. I also noticed some instability at times, and the racquet twisted a bit in my hands."

Andrew and Sage were unable to find their rhythm returning serves with the SX 300 Tour. Andrew explained, "I have developed a love for the flat, aggressive return; unfortunately, my game and the SX 300 Tour did not mesh together too well. The very open stringbed and launch kept pushing the ball deep when I was returning pace. Because of this, I resorted to more angled spin returns or slice returns, but as that's not a strength of mine, I was having difficulty breaking my opponent's serve. I will say, when I did successfully hit the topspin angled returns, I found myself in a great position to win the point. Thus, for players who tend to prefer spinning back serves, this could be a very favorable racquet for returns."

"Reining in the power and finding the sweetspot were the keys to success on return," Sage continued. "I couldn't quite trust an aggressive shot, so I settled into a neutral cross-court ball to start the point. With that mindset, I made more returns. I also leaned toward topspin much more than slice. As obvious as hitting the sweetspot may sound, it proved crucial for this racquet. Shots outside the center of the stringbed were unpredictable, and the solid feel of the frame all but disappeared."

Overall - Score: 80