Yonex EZONE Ai 100 Racket Review
Upsides
- effortless access to pace and depth
- stability and precision
- easy maneuverability
Downsides
- little lack of pop on serves
Summary
We were excited to get our hands on the Yonex EZONE Ai 100, the replacement for the EZONE Xi 100, and we quickly found a comfortable response paired with easy access to depth and pace on our groundstrokes. Yonex have introduced a new Isometric System in the EZONE Ai 100 to help maximize the sweetspot, and it seems to work. We found this racket to be versatile and maneuverable at the net, and we could block back big shots or add slice, touch or pace to any volley. If we had to pick an area where this racket didn't meet our expectations, it would have to be on serve, but our testers were able to adapt quickly and still serve well. The stability was a standout feature for our playtesters when they were hitting offensive shots from all areas of the court. Overall, it was great to see such a positive response from our diverse team, and we think both offensive ball attackers and more consistent counter punchers will find a good match with the EZONE Ai 100 thanks to its blend of power, spin and control.
Overall - Score: 85/100
Groundstrokes – Score 87/100
With effortless access to pace and depth paired with accuracy, the EZONE Ai 100 quickly got high marks from our playtesters when it came to groundstrokes. Our team found a firm and controlled response of a co-poly to perfectly complement the power and comfortable feel of the racket. They felt confident taking big cuts at the ball, and liked the spin and directional control. With a maneuverable feel, they could get the racket quickly through contact. And with the large and forgiving sweetspot, there was the perfect amount of power and spin & it suited our aggressive players as well as the counterpunchers in the group.
Volleys – Score 83/100
The maneuverability and stability of the EZONE Ai 100 had all of our playtesters feeling confident at net. Our team gelled with this Yonex on volleys and found it was easy to do whatever they needed to finish a point aggressively. They also raved about the precision, and playtester Mike said, "I was able to really focus on placing the ball wherever I wanted. Volleys have never been so easy. The racket felt great, and the faster the ball came at me the more solid and flexible the racket felt. I was able to win a lot of free points at net." They also appreciated the maneuverability during quick exchanges and shots hit near the frame never felt overly jarring. All in all, our team found they volleyed very well with racket.
Serve – Score 84/100
The EZONE Ai 100 wasn't spectacular on serves, but it got the job done. For the most part, no one was disappointed, and Tiffani summed it up by saying, "I got some decent pace without any extra effort, and spin was there when I wanted it. This wasn't a game changer for me." Chris added, "My slice serve was moving well, and I was getting lots of spin. I could swing the ball away from the receiver or into his/her body to help set up the point. I also liked that I could easily add a little spin to my faster serves to help keep them on target."
Returns – Score 88/100
The maneuverability, large sweetspot and stability of the EZONE Ai 100 made this racket a dream for our playtesters on returns. They really enjoyed taking big cuts and starting the point off aggressively. The higher swingweight of this racket worked to their advantage as well. "This was simply an excellent racket to return with," Chris offered. Our team could easily get this racket into position and then take a good rip at the ball. They found all the control needed to swing aggressively without worrying about returns flying long. Brittany added, "I was able to be consistently aggressive with my return, and I loved taking a big cut at a second serve from inside the baseline. I won a lot of free points by being able to redirect the ball back and having it land wherever I wanted, whether it was a deep backhand on the deuce side or an angled inside out forehand on the ad side."
Likes:
Chris - "I liked the spin, control, maneuverability and comfort. There was also easy access to pace and depth. Lastly, the feel was very good. The racket was comfortable, yet I never felt too disconnected from the contact."
Brittany - "I really liked the access to power and spin as well as the feel."
Mike - "I liked the solid feel, power and maneuverability -- pretty much everything about the racket."
Tiffani - "I like the balance of power and control. I also thought there was good feel."
Dislikes:
Chris - "None."
Brittany - "If you twisted my arm, I would say that the Ai 100 is not as maneuverable as I would have liked."
Mike - "Nothing! The racket felt so great that I might switch to it."
Tiffani - "To be nit picky, it was a little jarring up high in the stringbed (just north of the sweetspot), and my backhand slice wasn't where I wanted it to be."
Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:
Chris - "This racket had better feel for me compared to the VCORE Xi 100. I liked the VCORE 100 S, but I felt the Xi update increased the comfort but took away too much feel. This one has both comfort and feel. For me, it is the best of the bunch. Outside of Yonex, I'd say it's similar to the Volkl V1 Pro because they both offer great comfort, feel, maneuverability and easy access to pace. For something similar in power but with a firmer response, the Head Graphene Instinct MP and Dunlop Biomimetic M3.0 are other options."
Brittany - "I found two major differences between the EZONE Ai 100 and the previous Xi version. The first is the increased swingweight. The Ai 100 has a swingweight in the high 320s, which makes the racket more stable and slightly less maneuverable. The second difference would be their head shapes. The head shape of the Ai 100 is less extreme, which lowers the sweetspot closer to the middle of the racket, which I prefer."
Tiffani - "This is very similar to several Yonex rackets with 100 square inch headsizes. With the easy power and spin, along with a pretty easy swing, I'm reminded of the previous VCORE 100 S, the VCORE Xi 100 and the EZONE Xi 100. Nuances in feel are what make them unique. If you like previous Yonex rackets around this spec, I think you'll like this one, too. This is my favorite of the last few iterations of the 100."
Mike - "This was the favorite racket I've playtested by far. Everything about this racket felt great. Good power, very arm friendly, and the cosmetics look cool -- overall just great. I definitely prefer this over any other racket."
Playtester Profiles:
Brittany: Open level player with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE Ai 100.
Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.
Mike: 5.0 baseliner with a semi-western forehand and two-handed backhand. His current racquet of choice is a customized Prince Triple Threat Warrior.
Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Babolat Pure Drive.