New racquets!

by Jonas Eriksson

We have been going through a period of new racquets being released. Yonex Ezone, HEAD Speed, Wilson Clash, Tecnfibre TF40 and HEAD Boom.

If you’re a racquet nerd or a play-tester, it’s been a busy period of new racquets. Since most releases have been pretty significant as well, I thought we’d break them down briefly in a video, which you will find on my YouTube channel or at the bottom of this page.

I’m keen to hear which brand and silo interests you the most. In each family of racquets, you also have 4-6 different models, meaning there are a lot of new racquets to keep track of. I hope I can give you an idea of what might work for you.

If you want to buy any of these racquets, I’d appreciate if you check out my affiliates: Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe and Tennis Only.

Wilson Clash V2

The new Clash V2 is the most recent racquet release. A good update that retained yet refined the feel of the first generation.

The Clash V2 is stiffer, but still offers top-of-the-line arm comfort. FORTYFIVE is the new technology that is supposed to offer extra pocketing of the ball. It does. The ball stays a long time on the string bed. Some players love that, some feel like it’s harder to gauge the depth of your shots.

Another addition to V2 is that the Pro and 98 have an extra cross string for more control. This was an asked-for improvement from V1. Comparing the old Clash vs the new, I feel like the power level is slightly higher, the feeling is a bit more dampened and the sweet spot is overall larger. Most players will prefer V2 over V1.

The Clash is perhaps not the racquet to give you the most connected feel or control, but if you want some power and spin in a comfortable racquet – the Clash is a must try.

There are 6 new Clash racquets on offer: 98, 100 Pro, 100, 100L, 100 UL, and 108.

Check out my Wilson Clash V2 Review here. You can buy the racquets from the links above or check it out on Wilson.com.

HEAD Speed 2022

The new HEAD Speed Auxetic is another recent release. This is a minor update and the specs are very similar to the previous generation. The Auxetic technology does seem to improve a feel though and I felt like the racquets were a bit more stable and that I had a better sensation when hitting the ball. I wasn’t sure about the Auxetic tech for the Prestiges, but here I feel a significant difference compared to the previous Speeds.

There are four new Speed racquets on offer, the Pro, MP, Team and MP L. You can check out my review of the new HEAD Speed racquets here or my in-depth Speed Pro review here. More info to come also about the lighter models too.

Tecnifibre TF40 2022

You might have seen my use the new Tecnifibre TF40 a lot. For me, it’s one of those racquets that just slots perfectly into my game. Good control and feel, but with a tad more power than a Prestige for example (more similar to a Blade V8 or a Radical). I like both 305 versions the best because they have a higher swing weight and are better balanced for my game.

There are four new TF40 racquets on offer. Two 305 gram versions 18×20 and 16×19 and two 315 gram versions, 16×19 and 18×20. Counterintuitively, the 315 gram versions are easier to swing as they are more balanced towards the handle and have lower swing weights.

All in all, the new TF40s are great racquets for control-oriented players who value good maneuverability and feel. Check out TF40 review here.

Yonex Ezone 2022

Yonex have also released a couple of new racquets, the 7th generation of their bestselling Ezone line.

There are 7 racquets in the Ezone line: 98, 100, 98L, 100L, 100SL, 105, 110.

I tested and reviewed the 98 and the 100 (check out my Yonex Ezone 2022 review here) and thought they were a significant improvement in feel and control compared to the previous version.

The 7th gen Ezone felt more balanced and connected to the ball. I also felt like the response was slightly softer, especially in the 100 sq inch version.

The swing weight of both the 98 and the 100 also make them quite easy to use, which works well with the name. The 98 might need a little lead tape for advanced players, but overall, excellent racquets for players looking for free power and a fast feel. Decent arm comfort too.

HEAD Boom

And last but not least, HEAD released their new silo, the HEAD Boom racquets a while back. As far as I know, there are only two models released, the MP and the Pro, with two easier to use models coming later on.

The Boom Pro (check out my review here) has already captured the interest of several of my advanced tennis playing friends, but I have also heard that the MP (my MP review) is a favorite on the intermediate level. If you don’t know which one might work for you, check out this post/video called Boom MP or Pro?.

I like both, but the MP is a little low in weight and swing weight for me to use it effectively. The Boom Pro, however plays fine in stock form. They are both pretty arm-friendly, controlled and feel oriented than the name suggests though.

Summary

As you can see, there are plenty of new racquets to be excited about. If you want to check any of them out, please use my affiliate links to Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe and Tennis Only. I’m keen to hear which racquet and racquet line of the ones mention you would use.

To give you an idea of which racquet fits a certain player, I would categorize them like this.

Advanced players: HEAD Speed Pro, HEAD Boom Pro, Wilson Clash 98, Yonex Ezone 98, Tecnifibre TF40.
Intermediate players: HEAD Speed MP, HEAD Boom MP, Wilson Clash 100, Yonex Ezone 100
Lower-level players: HEAD Speed MP L, Wilson Clash 108, Yonex Ezone 105 or HEAD Boom Team

I hope this helps!

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5 comments

James March 11, 2022 - 03:57

Hey Jonas,

Can you recommend any new racquets comparable (or easy transition) to the Pure Strike 98 3rd gen? The only racquet I have had a short hit with is the new Ezone 98 and wasn’t convinced.

Thanks

Reply
Kris Pincket March 14, 2022 - 18:08

Hi Jonas, you always mention the Gravity S as a very interesting racket for beginners and lower intermediate players. What is the reason that you prefer it above the Ezone 105?

Reply
TN March 15, 2022 - 09:57

Hi, I think it has very good feel and comfort compared to most racquets in the category.

Reply
Evanan April 20, 2022 - 04:53

Hey tennisnerd, where would you recommend to add the led tape to the new yonex ezone 98?

Reply
Old Tennis newbie July 9, 2022 - 06:26

How would you compare the Wilson Clash 108 to the Yonex Ezone 105? I am a beginner player, almost 50, with chronic carpal tunnel wrist and arm issues.

Reply

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