Yonex EZONE 98 2022 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

Our team was happy to report that the EZONE 98 offered increased control along with the comfort fans know and love. For Chris, there were similarities to the previous model, but this new iteration undeniably gave him more confidence. He said, "The EZONE 98 felt very forgiving from the baseline. The racquet was easy to maneuver, and I was able to accelerate it for spin or whip an angle very easily. I found the racquet to respond best with ample racquet head speed since it felt a tad lower in swingweight compared to the outgoing model. The result was better maneuverability and more control, but not quite as much free power. I preferred the response of this update and felt more confident going after my shots. Not only was control better, but I also preferred the feel at impact. I felt more connected to the ball with this version, and the feel was a bit closer to the old EZONE DR version. While the flex appears unchanged if you look at the specs, the feel on court was a point of difference for me. It felt like this EZONE 98 breathed better, was more forgiving toward the tip and was a more confidence-inspiring racquet overall."

After playtesting the previous version and wanting more control, Michelle was impressed with the accuracy this version gave her. She said, "The EZONEs are always a fun playtest, and they usually provide easy power, spin and acceleration. I would say this update was much of that with an even plusher, softer feel at impact. The dwell time felt extended, and I felt like the ball sat on my stringbed, allowing me to disguise and hold shots just a bit longer. I found good precision with the 98-square-inch head and could skim the top of the net with flat balls. It moved explosively fast, and it allowed me to change up my strategy in the middle of points and effectively play with angles. Compared to the previous racquet, this update did feel a bit more controlled to me. Playtests like this just get me even more excited for the potential of more racquets in the family to come, like a Tour and extended version! The sublime feel was a standout feature from the first ball strike. This will be an easy transition for anyone who has loved previous EZONE 98 racquets. Yonex didn't do anything crazy with this update, which is always a good thing when you are starting with a well-liked racquet."

Whether on the attack or playing defense, Mark loved this update. He explained, "I immediately felt right at home hugging the baseline or trading groundstrokes with Yonex's update to the EZONE 98. The weight, balance and swingweight didn’t really change, but I did detect a higher degree of stability and controllable power from the baseline, probably from the additional half millimeter in beam width. The string pattern didn’t seem to change either. The EZONE 98 had easy access to topspin while still allowing me to keep my backhand slice low and effective."

"Another solid update from Yonex," said Sage. "The phrase 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' came to mind early on. My hopes were confirmed from the first hit; it was similar to the outgoing model with an even faster feel. It whipped through contact and was easy to maneuver. Predictable and spin friendly, this racquet allowed me to place my shots, and I was confident hitting deep in the court without having to worry about the ball sailing on me. At first, I was starting my swing early due to the lightning-fast nature of the frame, but when I got dialed in, the racquet performed well. I had the best results when I stayed aggressive. As with the previous version, this was one of the most arm-friendly racquets I've hit. Most importantly, it gave me better control and a nice, consistent ball. Unmistakably an EZONE, this new iteration didn't disappoint. The subtle differences were all improvements in my book."

Volleys - Score: 84

Outperforming expectations, the EZONE 98 delivered a solid feel for our team at net. Michelle described, "This racquet was really stable for its weight and very maneuverable on volleys. The feel kept me in command of my net game, and I had easy access to touch shots or more offensive stick volleys. And if someone was blasting groundies at me, the racquet held up against their hard-hit shots."

Mark loves coming forward and applying pressure, so he was excited to find a reliable racquet at net. He said, "If there were ever a knock on previous versions of the EZONE 98, it would be the sub-320 swingweight sometimes leading to an unstable feel at net. This time around, the good folks at Yonex added some extra beam width, which increased stability at net without decreasing the maneuverability."

While Sage had his doubts, he couldn't deny how well this racquet performed on volleys. He explained, "I appreciated the comfort at net. Maneuverability was also on point. Even if I was out of position, I still had time to adjust the racquet without it feeling sluggish. Considering how whippy it was from the baseline, I didn't think it would hold its own against big hitters, but I was promptly proved wrong. Very rarely unstable, the EZONE 98 gave me plenty of different options once I closed the net. I could drop the ball short at an angle or punch it through the court. I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed."

"I found it super easy to position this racquet on volleys," Chris echoed. "I was volleying with it very well in quick reaction situations. When looking to punch volleys with pace and depth, it was easy to add a little bit of swing to my shot without fear of hitting late. My drop volleys were also working well. Despite the racquet feeling light and fast, it also felt adequately stable, so I could soften my grip to get some added touch."

Serves - Score: 85

The speed and spin-friendly nature of the EZONE 98 worked well across the board on serves. Sage settled in quickly with this racquet. He explained, "The EZONE 98 was a superbly comfortable racquet on serve, and a racquet I could rely on from the first hitting session. It produced a consistent ball with good spin, and I hit a high first-serve percentage. I wasn't crushing serves as big I have with other racquets, but I loved hitting an effective slice to the body or out wide."

When it came to serves, this racquet had it all for Chris. He said, "All of my serves were working well with the EZONE 98. I was able to generate ample pace to get the ball moving nicely through the court. However, the most impressive aspect on serve was my accuracy. I was hitting my targets well, which allowed me to hit to a variety of locations within the service box to keep the returner guessing. As from other areas of the court, getting spin was a snap thanks to the fast and easy-swinging nature of the racquet."

Although the EZONE 98 didn't give him any free power on his serves, Mark could hit his targets at will. He said, "Aside from my forehand, serving with the EZONE 98 was my favorite shot to hit. I did not experience a drastic increase in serve speed, but I did see improvements in accuracy and consistency."

Like the rest of the team, Michelle thought that the EZONE 98's pinpoint accuracy was a strength on serves. She said, "I felt pretty dialed into my targets with this racquet. I could access spin and power as well. I wasn't hitting my biggest serves, but I felt confident serving, which led to success and fewer mistakes."

Returns - Score: 79

Plush and easy to accelerate through contact, the EZONE 98 gave our team a great deal of control on returns. For Chris, that meant added confidence in starting points aggressively. He said, "The EZONE 98 has to be one of the most forgiving player's racquets on returns. I found a ton of control, lots of spin, a comfortable response and plenty of feel, and it all came in an easy-to-swing package. I felt confident with this racquet both when placing the ball and when taking an aggressive rip at my returns. I found a better response up near the tip of the stringbed, with improved comfort as well. The most impressive part was the amount of control I had over the depth and direction of my shots."

Michelle hit her spots with ease, which enabled her to control points. She explained, "Similar to previous versions of this racquet, it was very 'slappable,' especially off weaker second serves. I could swing big and keep the ball flat, low and deep off my returns. It was a fun way to start the point on offense. Again, maneuverability came in spades, and angles were fun to execute. The racquet was stable too. If anything, I was looking for more plow through (but I can wait for the Tour to help in that area)."

This was a Goldilocks racquet for Mark when he was hitting returns. He said, "Like the volley, there is typically little time to react and prepare for a return of serve, so ideally I want a racquet to ride a fine line between frame heft and maneuverability. The EZONE 98 did beautifully in this department. It was definitely heavy enough to be stable when hitting my return of serve (half-volley style), yet light enough to take more of an offensive cut at the ball."

"The comfort train kept rolling during returns," added Sage. "The EZONE 98 helped me guide my returns deep to either neutralize the point or let me attack from my forehand wing. The increased control, compared to the last model, gave me confidence in hitting my targets and attacking a weak serve. The area I struggled with was returning a big first serve. Blocking the ball back into play wasn't as consistent as I wanted. The ball had a tendency to pop up without enough depth to keep me in the point. That said, it was overall another solid area of the court for the EZONE 98."

Overall - Score: 84