Racquet Review: Yonex EZONE 98

Yonex EZONE 98

• Price: $279
• Head Size: 98 sq. in.
• Length: 27 in.
• Weight: 11.4 oz.
• Balance: 4 pts. HL
• Swingweight: 318
• RA Rating: 62
• Beam Width: 23.8 mm / 24.5 mm / 19.5 mm
• String Pattern: 16x19

What’s New

The top of the hoop of the Yonex EZONE 98 is slightly wider and thicker. This increases the power and—according to internal testing—gives it the largest sweet spot in franchise history. Changes to the inner structure also increases the racquet’s flex at impact compared to the outgoing model for greater ball pocketing and longer dwell time. A completely new material, Minolon—a soft, smooth, net-like structure—has been added to throat. Combined with the VDM dampening mesh within the handle, it gives the frame an even cushier, more arm-friendly response.

What Works

If you’re a solid player in the market for a new racquet and are unsure where to begin, the EZONE 98 is as good as any place to start. The racquet has gained an avid and growing following thanks to its combination of accessible power, forgiving playability and comfortable response. There are other frames that excel are delivering some of those qualities, but few capture all or do it as well.

This eighth and latest version further refines the winning formula. Yonex almost always does a commendable job of trying to inject new wrinkles into its frames, even when it’s as popular as this one. The updates here are evolutionary, meant to give the frame a bit more punch and a softer, plusher feel than the previous generation. But overall, the performance isn’t too dissimilar from the outgoing model, which isn’t a knock. For any current users, it should be a relatively seamless and enjoyable transition.

Like its previous models the new EZONE 98 remains a standout from the baseline. It’s more forgiving than a classic control racquet as it doesn’t require as much work or precision to hit an effective shot. However, it’s not a true power racquet with a limitless sweet spot so it still takes some skill to get results. It has enough power to respect, but not so much that you fear losing control. Play the muscle game with aggressive serve and groundie combos, or draw out the points with depth and consistency—the frame can handle either assignment.

The frame’s 16x19 string pattern is somewhat conservatively spread. So it’s not a huge spin producer, but still plenty capable for players who don’t need much help in that department. The upside is it’s more adept at flattening out shots for penetrating drives, and presents better command than similar frames with wider patterns.

At contact, the EZONE has a cushioned and quiet response. A new dampening material—Minolon—made with threads spun by bagworms, has been inserted on the sides of the throat. Along with the VDM vibration dampening mesh in the handle, it creates a comfortable, forgiving and arm-friendly platform.

Can you have such a thing as a powerful control racquet? If so, this is it. Tester Comment

Additionally, the racquet’s RA rating has been lowered—perhaps due to the Minolon—but doesn’t feel overly flexy. Some of that has to do with its unique variable beam that’s quite wide in the center of the frame and ultra-thin in the throat. The top of the frame has been thickened to offer a little extra power and stability and expand the sweet spot. So it doesn’t have the a traditional soft response of a thin, constant beam, but it’s still plenty soft.

This helps its performance in the touch and feel categories. There’s enough give to soak up an incoming ball to deliver a drop shot or play a delicate angle. On volleys it has the strength to punch a ball through the court and the command to hit your targets. It still pays its bill from the baseline, but it’s certainly capable enough at net to suit doubles players and all-court tactics.

What Needs Work

Depending on your preferences, the added softness and all the dampening tech could be too much of a good thing. It’s not completely numb, but there’s minimal feedback at contact. Ball connection isn’t as true or uniform as frames in this category with more conventional beam shapes. Advanced players who like to manipulate their ground strokes rather than just repeat them may not find enough of it to play their favored game style.

Similarly, they may want more stability when defending against big shots. It’s totally usable in stock form for the general population, but high-level tournament players may want to beef up the head for extra backbone and clout. Alternatively they could jump up in weight to the heavier Tour model.

And while it has no bearing on performance, the new Blast Blue colorway seems more polarizing than most. Some appreciate the boldness, while others find the look a bit juvenile. From a practical standpoint, the white base grip does get dirty rather quickly. If you don’t use overgrips, it could require frequent replacement.

A great frame! With a little more time and familiarity, I could easily make the change to the EZONE 98 as my racquet.Tester Comment

Bottom Line

Easy to generate pace, easy to find the sweet spot, easy on the arm. If you’re looking for maybe the friendliest, most forgiving 98 around, the EZONE continues to be the E-Z One.