Wilson Ultra 100 CV Racket Review
Upsides
- Easy power
- Easy spin
Downsides
- Can be hard to control
Summary
Ultra power. Ultra spin. Wilson deliver on both promises with the new Ultra 100 Countervail. With the update comes new technologies, including Power Ribs in the throat area, Crush Zone grommets and Countervail material in the frame. In addition, the Ultra 100 Countervail's 635 square-centimeter head size, 318 gram strung weight and 320 swingweight are user friendly specs for a wide range of players. After a month of playing the Tennis Warehouse playtesters reported back with mixed opinions. The playtesters found a powerful response from the baseline, a large sweetspot and ample amounts of spin, but they also struggled with the accuracy and stability at times when they were trying to be more aggressive. That was also the case on volleys and returns, where the TW playtesters found easy access to power and depth but found themselves aiming for larger targets to keep their shots in the court. Some playtesters found ample power and spin on their serves, while others were left wanting more pace and control. Overall, the Wilson Ultra 100 Countervail delivers all court performance for intermediate to advanced level players looking for an impressive blend of pop and spin.
| Wilson Ultra 100 CV Scores | |
|---|---|
| Power | 83/100 |
| Comfort | 80/100 |
| Touch/Feel | 77/100 |
| Serves | 82/100 |
| Groundstrokes | 83/100 |
| Returns | 82/100 |
| Slice | 79/100 |
| Topspin | 84/100 |
| Volleys | 85/100 |
| Overall | 81/100 |
Groundstrokes – Score 83/100
The Wilson Ultra 100 Countervail is loaded with potential from the baseline. The TW playtesters were able to make a seamless transition as the specs aligned with their current rackets of choice. They were all in agreement that there was plenty of access to power and spin when hitting groundstrokes behind the baseline, but they were also missing a little bit of feel and precision. Tiffani compared this racket to the previous Ultra 100 as well as a racket with similar specs. She offered, "I really enjoyed the first version of this racket, and the follow-up Ultra 100 Countervail felt just as good from the baseline. The addition of Countervail muted the feel of the racket somewhat, but the racket still had a firm feel overall. I enjoyed a powerful yet controllable response. This racket didn't feel as powerful as the new Pure Drive that I also tested recently, but the power was plenty enough for me. I actually liked that it wasn't as free wheeling with the power because if I wasn't feeling quite on top of my game I didn't need to reel in my targeting as much as I did with the Pure Drive."
Volleys – Score 85/100
The TW playtesters found success at the net with the Ultra 100 Countervail by keeping it simple with the "point and shoot" method. Hannah enjoyed hitting volleys the most with the racket, praising, "I had no stability issues and had a lot of success volleying with the Ultra 100 Countervail. While the lively response and overall control was consistent and comfortable from the baseline, it felt even better at the net. These characteristics and the above average manoeuvrability allowed me to simply get the racket in place and execute effective point and shoot volleys. I found the directional and depth control to be great from the net, and I really enjoyed volleying with this update."
Serve – Score 82/100
The TW playtesters had some mixed results with the Wilson Ultra 100 Countervail on serves. While there was spin potential and ease of use, some of the playtesters were expecting more power and looking for more precision. Brittany was the most impressed when serving. She shared, "I thought Wilson did a great job creating an excellent combination of manoeuvrability and plow through. It was very easy to get the racket moving and up and over my head to generate racket head speed. At the same time, there was enough plough through for my serves to have power and weight behind them."
Returns – Score 82/100
On one hand, the Ultra 100 Countervail provided easy depth and power. The TW playtesters could set up quickly and be aggressive on both their first and second serve returns. On the other hand, they were also looking for a little more stability and precision out of the racket. Jason felt the racket could use a little customization for better stability on returns. He explained, "The easy manoeuvrability really allowed me to go after a variety of serves. I found a nice combination of power and spin on my returns, resulting in my shots landing closer to the baseline. It can get pushed around a bit on the big first serves, but a little tungsten tape will fix that."
Overall - Score: 81
Playtester Profiles
Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE DR 100.
Jason: 4.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. Currently using a Yonex EZONE Ai 100.
Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Prince Textreme Tour 100P.
Hannah: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Babolat Pure Aero.
Likes
Brittany- "I liked the power, manoeuvrability and spin potential. There was a generous sweetspot as well."
Jason- "Really easy to use. Easy access to power and spin. Softer response than previous model."
Tiffani- "The Ultra 100 Countervail offered power, but it was controllable power."
Hannah- "The Ultra 100 Countervail is a comfortable option that does everything well. The results were consistent, and when I played with a counterpunching mindset I always knew what shot I was going to get. I really like volleying with this racket; it was maneuverable and blocked back shots really well."
Dislikes
Brittany- "I would have liked a little more control and feel, especially when I was going for riskier shots, as I felt a little disconnected. I’m also not a fan of the flared butt cap."
Jason- "It can get pushed around, and it has some instability problems. I struggled more on my overheads with this racket than the last model."
Tiffani- "I was searching for a bit more power on my serves, and the stock grip on this racket gets slick."
Hannah- "The Ultra 100 Countervail felt unstable from the baseline, and it was very difficult to be precise from all areas of the court. The muted feel made it tougher to achieve accurate control."
Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:
Brittany- "I thought this was an excellent update to the previous models (Ultra and Juice). This version played a lot like the previous versions, but it's slightly better in almost every area, including feel. Other rackets that play like the Ultra 100 Countervail include the Babolat Pure Drive, Prince Textreme Warrior 100, Tecnifibre TFlash 300 and Yonex VCORE SV 100."
Jason- "The Ultra 100 Countervail played nearly identical to the previous Ultra 100, but it’s more muted and slightly more powerful. It’s also comparable to the Yonex DR 100 or Babolat Pure Strike 16x19."
Tiffani- "I enjoyed the first iteration of the Ultra 100, and I like the Ultra 100 Countervail as well. For whatever reason, I hit with more spin with the original version, but that could come down to string choice since my PlaySight numbers were not drastically different."
Hannah- "The performance didn't necessarily vary a whole lot from my experience with the previous iteration of the Ultra 100. However, with the addition of Countervail the Ultra 100 Countervail has a completely different feel. With the muted feel it is more comfortable in a lot of ways, but it is a tradeoff; I felt less connected to the ball most of the time. Compared to other Wilson rackets I've playtested this year, I prefer the Pro Staff 97 and the Blade 98 over the Ultra 100 Countervail. I’m an aggressive baseliner, and these other rackets offered more power and precision."