The new Wilson Ultra 100 V3.0 tested! This racket packs quite a punch, but combines it with improved comfort and stability!
Tested racket:
Brand: Wilson
Model: Ultra 100 V3.0
Head size: 100 sq/inch
Weight: 300 gr
Balance: 32.0 cm
String pattern: 16x19
Length: 27 inch
RA: 73
Beam: 24.5/26/23.5 mm
Stringing: Diadem Flash 17 at 23/22 kg The Wilson Ultra 100 V3.0 is now available in our webshop including free stringing of your choice!
Tester:
Name: Mike
Playing strength: 4/4
Player type: a somewhat more classic player, flat groundstrokes, does not generate a lot of spin himself. Had shoulder problems in the past.
Player racket history: including Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP, Prince Textreme Warrior 107, Diadem Elevate 98.
Wilson Ultra 100 V3.0 test scores:
Power: 9
Control: 7
Spin: 8
Comfort: 7.5
Maneuverability: 7.5
Touch: 7
Baseline:
From the first ball contact, this racket felt much more comfortable than the RA of 73 would suggest. The Ultra 100 V3.0 is a fairly stiff racket, which also provides the explosive (free) power. However, and fortunately, the racket does not feel that stiff at all. It quickly became clear to me that the racket packs quite a lot of power. Unconsciously, I started taking my forehand grip a bit deeper to give the balls some extra rotation. This is also necessary to be able to control the power of this racket. This new Ultra 100 offers a lot of playing ease from the baseline: you don't need a huge swing to easily get depth in your shots. In this regard, the comfort stood out in a positive way. The previous version with Countervail still felt a bit clunky on off-center hits. With this new version, the sweetspot feels a bit more generous and forgiving. In terms of comfort, the Ultra 100 has definitely improved.
Service:
You also get a lot of free service power with the Wilson Ultra 100 V3.0! The racket serves very easily, but slightly less controlled. After a short adjustment period, I used a bit more kick and slice to keep a bit more margin in my shots. With my current Diadem Elevate 98 (which is in the same vein as the Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0) I don't have to be quite as afraid of overhitting. But that is a matter of getting used to it. So for me personally, it was just a bit too much power, just like from the baseline, but for another player it could be very welcome.
Net:
The racket is maneuverable, but above all stable enough at the net. The sweetspot is quite generous, where you can absolutely take advantage of it. However, the very fine, clever touch like with a Blade 98 is missing, but that is of course a completely different mold/frame.
Power/control:
It is undoubtedly power over control with this 3.0 version of the Ultra 100. You also get quite a bit of 'free power' with the Clash 100, but the Ultra 100 takes it one step further. The Ultra is therefore Wilson's most powerful racket line. Personally, I did miss a bit of control, but I also have a different racket preference. I did find the stability absolutely improved. But it is clearly power over control with this racket. With that, I would say that this Ultra 100 can also work perfectly for someone with an average to slightly compact swing. I had this racket strung at 23/22 kg with the Flash 17 from Diadem. In hindsight, I would say that the kilos could have been turned up a bit for a bit of additional control.Comfort/arm-friendliness Wilson Ultra 100 V3.0
I actually find the comfort surprisingly good for a racket of this stiffness. Due to the improved stability, the frame twists less, which gives less vibrations to the arm. In addition, the sweetspot is quite generous for a 100 sq/inch head. The improved comfort positively surprised me!
The Wilson Ultra 100 V3.0 is now available in our webshop including free stringing of your choice!
