Tennis Racket Demo - Wisetrips Travel Blog

As I was getting tired of playing with my Wilson Clash V2 Roland Garros tennis racket, I decided to try various new tennis rackets at my local shop, Tennis Anywhere (in Los Gatos).

Tennis Anywhere has a demo program where one can try out various rackets for two months for $30 (which can later be used to purchase any new racket).

According to Tennis Warehouse, the following tennis rackets are recommended for Intermediate players:

Best Racquets for Intermediates

CATEGORY	OUR PICKS
Power & spin	Babolat Pure Drive 2025 Babolat Pure Aero Yonex VCORE 100
Control & feel	Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100 290 Head Gravity MP 2025 Tecnifibre TF40 290
Arm-friendly	Yonex EZONE 100 2025 Wilson Clash 100 v3 Dunlop CX 400 Tour
Value	Prince Textreme Warrior 100

I also asked Perplexity AI for tennis racket recommendations, and the following were recommended:

For a 3.5 USTA tennis player, here are some recommended tennis rackets based on control, power, and versatility:

Racquet	Best For	Key Features
	Balanced play	A great mix of power and control, arm-friendly, and versatile for singles and doubles.
	Power and spin	Explosive power, spin-friendly, stable feel, ideal for aggressive baseline play.
	Precision and control	Pinpoint control, a 16×19 string pattern, ergonomic design.
	Forgiving and easy to swing	Large sweet spot, lightweight, and consistent ball trajectory for all-court play.
	Control-oriented	Exceptional feel and precision, suitable for players with strong strokes.

The Yonex Ezone 100 is a great all-around choice, while the Solinco Blackout 300 offers power and spin. The Wilson Pro Staff 97 V14 is ideal for players seeking control. Consider demoing these options to find the best fit for your playing style.

I started my own list of tennis rackets to review. So far, the two new tennis rackets that I demoed and liked best are:

• 2025 Tecnifibre T-Fight 300
• 2025 Yonex VCORE 100

I also tried the new 2025 Babolat Pure Drive, but I had tremendous difficulty generating spin. My older 2015 Babolat PureDrive Play was better.

The Yonex Ezone 98 felt very vague and underpowered, and I did not enjoy it at all.

The Solinco Blackout is too stiff at 71, so I don't plan to try it.

I plan to try a few more rackets, but my current favorite to purchase is the Tecnifibre T-Fight 300.

The T-Fight 300 had the right combination of power and spin and is light enough for quick volleys. However, after some use, I also developed elbow pain with the T-Fight 300.

 

The 2025 Yonex VCORE 100 was also very good, but I felt that it was too large.

 

The Babolat Pure Aero 100 and the T-Fight 315s were too stiff, causing elbow pain.

 

Brand	Year	Model	Own	Cost	Head Size	Stiffness	Power	Spin	Sweet-spot	Grip	Weight	Rating	Comments
Babolat	2017	Pure Strike Team		$200	98		0	0	0	4 3/8	10.7 oz	B
Babolat	2017	PureAero		$200	100		0	0	0	4 3/8	11.3 oz	C
Babolat	2017	PureAero Play		$329	100		0	0	0	4 3/8	11.3 oz	C	Play electronic monitoring
Babolat	2017	PureDrive		$200	100		2	0	0	4 3/8	11.3 oz	C
Babolat	2015	PureDrive Play	Yes	$249	100		2	0	0	4 3/8	11.3 oz	B	Purchased on eBay 4/23/2018
Head	2017	Speed			100		0	0	-1	4 3/8	11 oz	D
Prince	2017	Warrior 100			100		0	0	0	4 3/8	10.6 oz	C	Very stiff
Wilson	2017	Blade 98s			98		0	0	0	4 3/8	11 oz	D
Wilson	2017	Burn 100		$99	100		2	1	2	4 3/8	11 oz	A-
Wilson	2017	Burn 100s	Yes	$99	100		2	1	2	4 3/8	11.3 oz	A	Purchased from Amazon on 5/22/2017
Wilson	2017	Burn 95			95		0	0	0	4 3/8	10.6 oz	B
Wilson	2017	Steam 99s			99		0	1	1	4 3/8	10.6 oz	B
Wilson	2017	Steam 105s			105		2	1	2	4 3/8	11 oz	B+
Wilson	2017	Ultra 97			97		0	0	0	4 3/8	10.6 oz	B
Wilson	2020	Clash 100		$269	100		1	1	1	4 3/8	10.6 oz	A-	soft
Wilson	2022	Clash 100 v2 Roland Garros	Yes	$269	100	57	0	1	1	4 3/8	312g	A-	soft
Yonex	2017	Vcore SV100+		$209	100		2	0	0	4 3/8	10.6 oz	B+	stiff, nice sweet spot, top heavy
Yonex	2017	Vcore SV98+		$209	100		2	0	0	4 3/8	10.6 oz	B+	stiff, top-heavy, extra-long stem
Tecnifibre	2025	TFight 300		$249	100	65	2	1	2	4 3/8	318 g	A	stiff, light, easy to volley
Yonex	2025	Ezone 98		$269	98	65	0	0	0		323g	C	low power
Babolat	2025	PureDrive 100		$269	100	69	1	0	1		318g	B	no spin, very flat
Yonex	2025	Vcore 100		$269	100	65	2	1	2		320g	A-	very good
Wilson	2025	Clash 100 v3		$269	100	57	1	0	1		320g	B	soft, just like v2
Babolat	2025	PureAero 100		$269	100	67	1	2	1		320g	B	very stiff, elbow pain
Tecnifibre	2025	TFight 315S		$269	98	65	1	1	0		332g	B	very stiff, elbow pain

Eventually, I purchased another Wilson Clash 100 v2 4 3/8"racket from Tennis Warehouse, which was on sale for $149.99 with Head Velocity MLT 17/1.25 String Natural.