Wilson Ultra 100 – Review
Wilson has been at the forefront of tennis racquet technology for years. With a stable of top pros endorsing the products, they always push new lines that bring something different to the table. The Wilson Ultra 100 is one of the more popular options, and is designed for specific types of players to take their games to the next level.
In this Wilson Ultra 100 review, we take a look at the positives of the racquet, who it is designed for, and how it is built off of previous models. Without question a top option on the market today, certain players will get the most out of the racquet as they try to take their game to the next level.
Before going into the review, here are our overall ratings after 20+ hours of testing on court.
Groundstrokes
This racquet does extremely well off of the ground. As soon as a person tries it out for the first time, they are going to fall in love with a very large sweet spot, the comfort level of the racquet, and of course the power and spin combination.
Wilson has introduced a lot of different technologies with this racquet to make this work extremely well off the ground. In particular, the high-performance carbon fiber adds some stiffness to the racquet, without hurting comfort too much. That is because the cushion foam handle softens the impact for extremely good dampening and shock absorbing.
Creating topspin is pretty easy to do with this racquet, even for those who might not normally hit with a ton of it. A lot of that comes down to being so comfortable and easy to get in a groove, as players will start going for more and hitting modern shots.
All in all, it is a pretty easy test to see if this is a racquet that a person can use consistently or not. If it performs a high level on the ground, it is going to be one worth exploring. If it does not feel good off the ground, it will probably not do any better in other aspects of the game.
One of the first things that every player does with a demo racquet is hit off the ground. That is why this racquet always receives high praise initially.
Returning
The racquet feels very fast and maneuverable when returning all types of shots on the court. A lot of players in today’s game are looking for racquets like that, but it also needs to be stable.
There is a good amount of stability in this racquet, which means that even going up against big servers is not a problem. Players should have no problem being able to block back first serves and place them where they need to.
The larger sweetspot once again comes into play with the return game as well. Instead of having to have pinpoint accuracy and hit a small part on the racquet each time, players can have some level of forgiveness overall.
Returners should be able to stay in the same spot that they return in with their current racquet, as long as they are willing to make a few adjustments here and there.
Returning with any racquet against a hard serve is very difficult, but this is one of the better racquets to neutralize a serve as much as possible. A lot of pros who use this racquet right now do a great job of staying in points with this weapon. Without question, it provides a level of confidence that is very tough to beat on the racquet market right now.
Volleying
Volleying is a bit of a mixed bag with the Wilson Ultra 100. While the racquet’s fast feel certainly brings some positives to the table, it is not as solid and stable as many other racquets in this range.
People who really want to make volleying a weapon usually want to feel a little more confident with that shot with a racquet that can provide a solid feel.
Everything works fine when the ball is hit in the sweet spot, but the biggest problem is with off-center shots. Losing just a little bit of control and feel for the ball where it needs to be can be very detrimental for a player trying to take the game to another level. A slight lack of confidence at the net can hurt a person’s singles and doubles game significantly.
It indeed gets more and more comfortable as a player uses it, but it could be a turn-off with so many other options out there. If the racquet is on a person’s shortlist, they should definitely try it out with volleying and do a pretty extensive trial overall. That way, they will know if it is something that works for them or not.
Serving
The power and spin potential with the Wilson Ultra 100 comes over to the serving part of any player’s game. It is definitely a racquet that can show off some impressive numbers with the radar gun, but how does it work in real match settings?
Surprisingly, this has more control than most people might think at first. Players can start to get in a consistent groove when serving, which is always a positive as players try to really hone in their power. Not only that, but spin is pretty natural with an open string pattern, and the pretty large sweet spot helps with that significantly.
Free power is always a great thing to take advantage of, as it helps a player not have to swing as hard as possible to get exactly what they want. The mass of the racquet allows for a good amount of plow through with the serve as well. The balance might be a little different from what people are coming from when using other racquets, but it is all a matter of playing around and seeing what works best.
Those looking for the best serving racquet on the market today are probably going to need to look elsewhere. First and foremost, this racquet does much better on the ground with groundstrokes and returns.
However, it will not hurt a person who is looking for a little more effectiveness with their serve. Having controllable power and spin helps significantly with players trying to increase their skill level overall.
Racquet Specs
Wilson Ultra 100 | Specs |
---|---|
Head Size | 100 sq. in |
Length | 27 in |
Weight (strung) | 11.1 oz / 315g |
Balance | 4pts Head Light |
Flex | 69 |
String Pattern | 16×19 |
Swingweight | 316 |
Who Should Try The Wilson Ultra 100?
Not only does the Wilson Ultra 100 look like the Babolat Pure Drive, but it also plays very closely to the Pure Drive. It has a little more responsiveness and feel, but other than that, players will feel like they are playing with similar racquets.
Other options to try include the Head Graphene Extreme and the Yonex EZONE. Players who have a very modern game style are going to gravitate towards this racquet, and getting a blend of power and spin that works for them is outstanding.
Wilson has quite a few racquets in their lineup right now that are right in that 100 in.² range. If this one does not seem like a quality solution, there are others to consider as well. They seem like a company focused on having all types of players covered. All in all, many players will benefit from the Wilson Ultra 100 and what it provides for the all-around player.
Check out my other Wilson racquet reviews: