The new Yonex EZONE 98 for 2020 tested by Stephan! This version partly goes back to the successful EZONE DR series, but retains a crisp playing feel.
Tester
Player Name: Stephan Couzijn
Level: 5/6
Player type: 44 years old, all-court player, eastern grip, one-handed backhand, fairly flat strokes
Own racket: Yonex EZONE DR 98 , Wilson Clash 100 , Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP
Player's racket history: Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95, Wilson Six-One 95, Head Radical, Dunlop
Airgel 300 Tour, Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, Wilson Pro Staff 95, Wilson Juice Pro, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Gravity MP.
The new EZONE 98 2020 is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice!
Tested racket
Brand: Yonex
Model: EZONE 98 2020 (teaser color scheme)
Blade size: 98 inches
Weight: 305 grams
Balance: 31.5
Stringing pattern: 16×19
Length: 27 inches
RA: not yet known
Stringing: Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25 black on 22/21 kg
Yonex EZONE 98 2020 (prototype)
I had the privilege of testing the prototype of the new 2020 Yonex EZONE 98. This prototype came in a black matte finish. There were no specifications written on the frame, except for 98 in a blue color. The prototype of the Yonex EZONE 100 surprisingly had 100 written in green on the frame. This suggests that the 98 will no longer be green in the retail version. But that is purely speculation. Let's focus on the playing pleasure.
Racket review
If I had to give an estimate of the stiffness of these Yonex Ezone 98, I would say it is around RA 64. They are crisp, but not overly stiff. That said, if you like the soft feel of the AI or DR versions, I think there is a risk that you will find these new EZONE 98 too stiff. I do think that this version is a bit softer than its predecessor.
My favorite version of the EZONE so far is the DR. Mainly because the DR has a good balance between flex and power. When the EZONE 98 (the green version) was released, many players thought it was a step in the wrong direction. I also found it to be a lot stiffer than the DR, but at the same time it gave me just a little bit more power and length in my strokes which allowed me to in my review felt that the frame had been made accessible to a wider audience. Despite the loss of feel, I found that version of the EZONE to play well. There is always a trade-off with tennis rackets between feel and power.
Play feel and baseline
Of course I am now very curious in which direction Yonex has developed the new EZONE 98. Right from the first ball I felt that the new EZONE 98 plays closer to the DR version than its predecessor. That feels good right away! My strokes from the baseline go great and have sufficient length. I immediately have the "Yonex feeling" again. This new Yonex EZONE 98 2020 has a spacious sweetpot just like its predecessor, but feels a little less stiff. I definitely have the feeling that this new version is an improvement compared to its predecessor. The power level is still very decent, but certainly not close to, for example, a Babolat Pure Drive . Compared to my EZONE DR 98 310, this new EZONE 98 has a bit more power, but more control than its predecessor. Something that makes me very happy. In my opinion, this new version has just that little bit of extra power and stiffness that I missed with my DR. Of course, that is very personal. But for me, this new version is an absolute improvement.
From the baseline I can pull through nicely with a lot of control and more than enough length. My slices also go with a lot of feeling against the lines, just like my trusted DR 98. Compared to its predecessor, this new EZONE 98 has more feeling. The shape of the blade also seems to be less rectangular and more similar to the DR version.
Service
The Yonex EZONE 98 2020 serves well. Just like with my baseline strokes, I also have more power when serving than with the DR 98. Despite the extra power, my strokes remain well controllable. That is an advantage compared to its predecessor, where the balls sometimes flew off. Kick and slice can also be performed well with the new EZONE 98.
Volleys
The new EZONE 98 feels very stable. The impact of hard-hit balls is well absorbed by the frame. This gives this new EZONE 98 a very comfortable feel and is also certainly arm-friendly, just like the DR 98. Volleys are easy to put away. Especially because of the generous sweet spot as we are used to from Yonex frames. Touch volleys also come off the blade easily. All in all, an easily maneuverable frame at the net.
Conclusion
The new Yonex EZONE 98 2020 plays easily and is easy to use for players who can generate topspin and power. This new version feels crisp, but also soft enough. This version of the EZONE 98 feels a bit stiffer than the previous DR and AI versions, but is again significantly less stiff than the previous version. As a result, the racket also offers a lot of feeling and excellent comfort. Nice update from Yonex!
Release
The new EZONE racket family will be launched in mid-January 2020. Of course, it can be found in our webshop. Read here the review of the new EZONE 100 2020 by Mike.
The new EZONE 98 2020 is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice!