Available in two different colors, the Yonex EZONE DR 98 is Yonex’s answer to Babolat’s Pure Drive. The specs of these two racquets are very similar and suited for intermediate to advanced club players or tournament players.
However, the Yonex EZONE DR 98 is a bit more flexible than the Pure Drive, and thus it has better comfort and feel, increasing playability and protection against injuries. Therefore, it is closer to the Babolat Pure Strike.
Despite its higher flexibility, the racquet is indeed very powerful, but control is never an issue due to the isometric design of Yonex racquets, which increases stability.
Spin production is also easy due to the open string pattern and the Yonex square design.
On the ATP Tour, the racquet is notorious for being the racquet of choice of Nick Kyrgios, a brilliant player known for the seemingly effortless power and speed of his game. On a good day, Kyrgios is capable of beating anybody, and he has victories against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
This modern stick is ideal por aggressive baseline players or all courters who want to play the offensive game without sacrificing control or feel.
Racquet Specifications
| Length | 69 cm (standard) |
| Head Size | 98 sq in |
| Weight (strung) | 323 g |
| Balance Point (strung) | 33 cm / 4 points HL |
| Stiffness | 63 RA |
| Beam | 23/24/219 |
| String Pattern | 16 x 19 |
Playtest
The first thing that surprises when playing with this racquet is the excellent access to power and spin, making it easy to put pressure on your opponents or hitting winners with ease.
Serves are fast and easy to place, as well as overheads. When you impact the ball on the upper hoop, the feel can be a bit stiff, but that is something normal in modern racquets. Otherwise, the racquet feels comfortable.
Maneuverability is surprisingly good for a 4 point head light racquet with a head size of 98 square inches, due to the moderate beam used, which guarantees stability without making the racquet unwieldy.
Therefore, it is quite easy to be aggressive on the returns to put more pressure on your opponent with little effort.
Volleys are easy, firm and comfortable, so it is easy to put away the many attacking opportunities offered by this racquet.
The Yonex EZONE DR 98 is a powerful racquet that will help modern baseliners or proactive players who want to take their performance one step further effortlessly.
Performance
| Power: |  (9.0 / 10) |
| Control: |  (8.0 / 10) |
| Maneuverability: | (8.0 / 10) |
| Comfort/Feel: | (8.0 / 10) |
| Groundstrokes: | (9.0 / 10) |
| Serves: | (9.0 / 10) |
| Returns: | (8.0 / 10) |
| Volleys: | (8.0 / 10) |