For 2016, Wilson has created a whole new racket line that excels in power, comfort and luxury: the Ultra XP. Mike has tested the most comfortable frame from this series for you. This is the Wilson Ultra XP 110S !
Tested racket: Brand: Wilson Model: Ultra XP 110S Head size: 110 sq/inch Weight: 265 gr Balance: 35.0 cm Stringing pattern: 18/16 Length: 27.25 inch RA: 73 String: Wilson Spin Effect Hybrid, 26/25 kg Tester: Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Type of player: somewhat classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself. Until recently had shoulder problems Racket history player: Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP and the Yonex EZONE DR 98 310 Material and technological applications: The Wilson Ultra XP 110S is the power frame par excellence from Wilson. The (angled) Powerprofile frame construction in combination with the Ultra High Performance Carbon Fiber material provide a truckload of power. The open 18/16 stringing pattern provides more trampoline effect and ball rotation for extra grip on the ball for spin and slice. The Amplifeel 360 material in the handle provides good vibration damping in this light frame. The Wilson Ultra XP 110S is a quarter inch longer for extra reach and hitting power and is classified as a racket for the Allcourter, the player who covers the entire court, using the Wilson Player ID system.
Baseline: The XP that Wilson uses as an addition to this new racket line stands for Xtra Power for a reason. And this frame has power! From the baseline I even had to shorten my stroke a bit, because of the enormous (free) power. The Wilson Ultra XP is therefore a racket for a player with an average to somewhat shorter swing who gets less speed out of his swing. I am used to playing a smaller head size and have an average to fuller swing. The racket is quite forgiving; a few balls that did not quite end up in the middle of my head because I had to reach, still came off my head perfectly without giving extra vibrations to the arm. The 110 sq/inch oversize head in combination with the 18/16 Spin Effect stringing pattern provided a lot of dynamics, trampoline effect and grip on the ball for extra spin and slice while playing. The recommended Spin Effect Hybrid stringing (1.25 mm polyester string lengthwise and a 1.30 multifilament string widthwise) provided a nice mix of durability and comfort: a neat match with the frame! Due to the 35.0 cm balance (top-heavy), the racket is not as quick to maneuver as my current Head Graphene Radical MP with a considerably lower balance point of 31.5 cm, but you get a lot of hitting power in return, so to speak. Service: Serving was super easy with this racket, with the 18/16 stringing pattern making it very easy to put extra slice or kick in your serve. My favorite sliced serve on the right came out beautifully. Net: Because the balance of the Wilson Ultra XP 110S is more towards the top, this racket is not the fastest racket at the net. However, this is compensated by the large 110 sq/inch oversize head, which almost feels like cheating when volleying.
Power: As described above, the promised Xtra Power (XP) is more than adequately delivered in this racket. Control: With a power frame like the Wilson Ultra XP, control is of course always subordinate to power. Nevertheless, the racket offered a fairly stable playing feel, and it was noticeable that off-center hits also came off the blade just fine. Comfort/arm-friendliness: In addition to the enormous power and the luxurious appearance, comfort is the other big plus point of the Wilson Ultra XP 110S. Due to the generous blade size, you are not immediately punished for balls that you do not hit completely in the center of the blade. The racket has a nice dampening feel and is not very taxing on the arm. The Amplifeel 360 scales that are built into the handle of the racket filter extra vibrations. The specially supplied stringing also offers a pleasant mix of durability due to the polyester main string and vibration damping due to the softer multifilament cross string. A very comfortable package all in all. I had no problems at all with my somewhat sensitive shoulder. Overall impression: The Wilson Ultra XP 110S offers the ultimate in power and comfort and is highly recommended for the player with a more compact stroke who likes to add some Xtra Power to his game. Although I am a fan of more control-oriented rackets, I really liked the extra comfort and arm-friendliness! The Wilson Ultra XP 110S is now available in our webshop .