The new 2022 YONEX EZONE 98 | Complete Review By Former Top 400 ATP 

This is a perfect review! So detailed with many important thoughts (especially about type of player) everyone need when searching for a new racquet! Now I want every review to be like that in youtube! 😅 Thank you and keep it going, Karue! 💪🏻

Why you are the best? Because you create content that players relate to! Not lecturing, not processed, how you feel! Your comment on “guiding” racquet vs “swinging” racquet is so SPOT ON. I’ve felt this, I have a Head Radical MP (18x20) and it definitely feels like a guiding frame. I just took the plunge and purchased a new Blade 98 (16x19) and totally a swinger! Great content! You get us (even far lower rated us😂)! Thank you !!

I just bought and tested the new ezone 98 and I loved it, for the way I swing I felt better with the ezone, the racket I was using was the vcore98, for some reason I felt that I`m not able to hit with enough topspin to control the power of the vcore98, with the ezone98 I felt that I could really swing at it, just like in the video "you need to commit to your swing". With the Vcore, since I don`t have a good topspin technique I felt the power quite too much for me which led me to try to control my swing, like trying to shorten my swing and it was killing my ground stokes, with the ezone I felt I could swing more confidently. This is coming from a person who`s been playing tennis less than a year though, and it's just my opinion about what I felt playing with the ezone 98. By the way, great review, very detailed and very informative! Since where I live we don`t have racket demoing services, I have to rely on reviews, and yours just nailed it!

Thanks for the review! I was planning to buy this one but eventually pulled the trigger on Yonex VCP 97D watching your review on 2021 VCPs. I have a similar game as you.

You definitely deserve way more subscribers. Thanks for the great review !

Thanks for another great review. I recently tested this against the VCore 98 and 95 and completely agree with your description of the feel of the racket and the type of player it is good for. Even though the new Ezone 98 is a very good racket it did not work well for the way I swing. I went with the VCore 98 as my main racket and will also get a VCore 95 because I liked the feel of it so much. You perfectly captured the nuances of playing with the racket that I did not find in other reviews.

Damn, I was so looking forward to this video since you announced that you are gonna make a review on the racket.

Thank you for the review. I’m trying this racquet out too. I am more used to something with more swing weight and static weight like a prestige, vCore pro97d, and the likes. My first full run with the Ezone as my previous experience was 15 minutes with the 2018 and another 15 w the same model but in the plus version. Sweet spot is generous but when you miss it you really know it. My timing is a bit off as I’m adjusting but hope to get some good court time to really judge this racquet well. Could be a great platform racquet

Great review Karue! Always spot on! I love it. Keep up the good work!

great review,depth and detail that others dont give...bravo!

Amazing work. So much better than other reviews out there, insightful and nuanced. I am currently playing the raradical MP (with leather grip). I have issues when I swing out (what I like to do :) and have issues with balls just too long. If I hold back a bit my strokes feels not natural. Recently played with the new Vcore 97 310, somehow I could really swing out and also generated much more spin than with my radical, i did not like the feel of the Vcore pro though, maybe because the very low flex. Maybe I should try the ezone 98. How does it compare to the radical MP wrt power, spin and maneuverability? (With the leather grip I feel the radical a bit too sluggish for my level, quite a hefty swingweight). Many thanks and keep up the good work.

Been waiting for this review.

They should just reissue the DR. They would make a fortune and we'd be happy.

Thanks for the review. I find this racquet super high powered. You mentioned good for big hitting continental grippers. I found I have to go nearly to full western to keep my shots consistently in and deep.

Been waiting for this video since your tease 😈. Thank you

GRD - Love the Video Live Format action & personal responses! I am definitely an 'old school' player having played tennis for over 50 years. I have had only 6 lessons in my life, but have the feel & gift that must have been passed down from another generation. I played both soccer & tennis at my university in the mid-70's. I excelled at court coverage 7 only after college tennis playing days realized I have great hands at the net (& used to have a big serve before rotator cuff surgery a few years back). I like a stiff frame (had been using version @ 1 of Babolat Pure Strike) & most recently using a Prince PL 850 107" that a friend lent me. That is starting to feel too much like a 'frying pan' & have demo'd the Ezone 2022 98 & Love the weight in the head which has now added heavier power to my serve & I can Feel where the head is if that makes sense. I have the continental grip which I know needs to get tweaked, but I also have great touch & drop shot my buddies heavy topspin shots if they are way behind the baseline. I do know & attack the net whenever I can & still mix in serve 'n' volley for doubt. Thought for years at Harry Hopman's International Tennis Academy way back & then went to Europe & trained the # 3 female in Germany to # 1 (Not me - it was her talent with just needed guidance). Probably TMI, but was curious what else I may want to try. Used to be sponsored by Head, but have not liked the new ones for years.

Thanks for the review! It was super thorough and appreciate the honesty on how it won't suit everyone

Just a killer, comprehensive, and laid back review. Excellent!

Feeling a racket is so subjective. Good review. I've played with several Ezone rackets and previously also the RIDS 100. Once I got used to the ezone really liked them, but everyone will have their own opinion.

Nice review with a lot of information - thanks 🙂

I noticed pain in my arm when I switched to Yonex Ezone 98 plus. It has allowed me to hit bigger more aggressive with good topspin and pace. It is not a spin racquet that will generate power on it's own. It requires good full strokes and proper technique. You are absolutely right about commiting to the stroke. This racquet will shape your ball nicely once you find a good balance of string tension combined with a good stroke and feel. I strings mine with poly at 51 lbs.

Not to downplay this racket but I am glad I made a switch to the Blade V8. I tried the Ezone 98 and 98 Tour without a bias towards how the previous versions felt. I just felt like the rackets were missing something and the Blade fits my game nicely. On the contrary, I think this racket can provide a lot for many players.

Love the format of this review. Much more informative than the 3 min reviews TW gives. And as an EZONE 98 player, I totally agree with all your comments about its pros and cons - except for the net. I love the ball pocketing at net and it feels much less jarring than my old Pure Strike. Excited for more racket reviews!

Love the insight of this review. Easily some of the best on RU-vid. Please do more if you have the time. Also, are you still with Osaka's team?

Great review, I had of demo of this and the 100, I usual like the 100 but the 98 was so much better this time, trying to decide between Vcore Pro or Ezone hmm

Great review as usual.

Good, detailed review. I've been using the EZone Xi98 (Kyrgios racquet) since it closed out several years back...tried most of the subsequent iterations since, but haven't felt the need to change. From the sound of your strings, it sounds like you're on the high end of the rec'd tension range. When I was experimenting with tension, the higher I went, the less comfortable it was, was boardy feeling, and just didn't work for my all-court game, and not friendly at net. I settled on two tensions: 41M / 37C, that I usually warm up with and cool down with, and 47M / 43C, for the bulk of my hitting / playing. That's with Cyclone 19 mains, Gosen OGSM 17 crosses.

Great review. I got my ezone 98 and had about 10-12 hours of play. Took me a while to get used to (switching from the blade v7). Very much agree you need to commit your swing. With my blade I could guide the ball when I’m not as confident but with the ezone I couldn’t do that at all. When I give it a full swing my ground strokes clearly have more bite. Also agree volley was a huge difference compared to my blade and for that I added 4 grams of weight and it made a world of difference. Much more stable but still not as solid and confident at the net compared to my blade. Serving was great with the ezone as it definitely gave me more power on my flat serves. One surprising thing which I haven’t figure out yet is my BH slice. I was able to knife it and hit great slices with my blade but not the case at all with the ezone. If anyone can give me some advice that will be wonderful. Overall I’m happy and I have switched over to the ezone for I’m looking for more powerful ground strokes and serve while not giving up too much on volleys.

Much better review than other channels. I'm just about to make the switch(for coaching at least) from the cx200's as I've managed to get a yonex deal. I'm interested to see how it compares to the dr98 and my current cx200's .

Karue is a self admitted "handsy, feel the ball" type of guy. 😂 I love the content Karue! Keep it up!

I just got this racket and I LOVE it! I'm small and in my 50's and play 3 times a week and I started to get elbow and shoulder problems I couldn't get rid of so I moved from my (excellent) Technifibre TF40 305 to a lighter more powerful racket, the Babolat Pure Drive Team (285g), it's powerful and easy with good spin but a bit low on control, so I went to Solinco Hyper G strings at 54lbs and it was all right...but just recently I moved to the latest Ezone 98 Lite (285g) with Hyper G at 52 lbs and it's AMAZING! ...More powerful than the Pure Drive which is surprising, more maneuverable and with more bite/spin! And definitely more control too! AMAZING! It's' crisp and stable and well i can't fault it! I have found my racket! I would only say one thing, if you hit flat it may be a bit too powerful for you..

Great review! Was wondering what strings and tension you use?

Nice review! I had the chance to demo this racquet for a week and felt very similar with a lot of stuff. My game is definitely more topspin and aggressive oriented though, so I loved it. I am currently using a weighted up vcore pro 97D, but this ezone sold me. It simply fits my game better. One thing I wanted to mention is that using a dampener on ezone racquets really mutes the feel a lot, and so it is a racquet I feel benefits without a dampener (feel-wise at least). I believe this is due the built-in vibration dampening mesh they use. Just what I feel though.

This explanation about the muted feel at the start is something I totally identify with, but at the end of the day I decided the actual quality of the strokes I was hitting was consistently high even though I didn't always feel it was, if that makes sense.

great video like always :))

An informative review - I know I would like this new frame. I like what I have, but this might be better. I go to the net if encouraged. At my level, opponents don't realize that if I'm volleying at the net they better come in too. I mostly dump volley.

FANTASTIC improvement in editing. Omg. I know this must've taken longer, but the results speak for themselves. Kudos to you Karue and to the rest of the MTHQ team!

Nice review. I'm switching back to my old ezone ai 98 after 1yr with a tfight 305 xtc (arm problems). Guess I'll have to try the vcore 95 and the new ezone 98! Cheers

Bought this racket to replace the 2nd Gen Babolat Purestrike. The only downside with this racket is I have to commit to all my strokes, making me tired more easily due to the lack of swingweight. Other than that, takes some time to get the the muted feeling. However, when i do commit myself, the comfort and the control is superb. Counterpunching and returning is beyond superb. In conclusion, I am a player who wont blame the racket, but myself for getting tired pretty quickly. This racket definitely is for younger more energetic players.

Top o video mano!

Hallo, love your Videos; Van you prefer a String for more control? I Play the Ezone 98! Thx

Wish I had seen this earlier as I am an older player who doesn’t swing as fast as I used to. I have discovered the exact issues you have eluded to. Great video

I started training and learning tennis the last 2 years intensively (2-3x a week and trying to play any time I can) after only playing occasionally for a longer time. I was playing a completely overweight old Pure Drive Roddick GT that I had for more than 8 years or so. I bought that when I had no idea about tennis. I once weighed it and it was 370g in total which is madness for a beginner :D But what it did was that I had a highly developed swing, as the heavy racket basically demanded that - than I borrowed 5 test rackets that all felt to flimsy and uncontrolled but than I borrowed the ezone 98 and vcore 98 last month - I felt that the vcore gave me a punch I didnt need. When I tried the ezone 98 it just felt right - good control, serves 1st serve bombs for me and doesnt give me tooo much power I dont need. So demo your rackets - for me the ezone was just right, aligning with Karue´s opinion tbh.

Nice review! I play with the DR 98. I was hopeful this would be a replacement for the DR but couldn’t really gel with the ezone. Weirdly enough, I made the switch to the new Vcore. I was looking to add a little more spin and power to my game. While I don’t feel as connected as I do to the DR. I prefer the new Vcore 98 substantially more that i do to the new ezone. I’ve never been a Vcore fan but think their new racquet is a significant improvement over previous versions. I’d be interested in your thoughts

I'm looking forward to the 2022 EZONE 98 tour.

Great racket review! How does it compare to the Extreme Tour? Which one do you an "good" intermidate player would prefer...

Nice review - will there be a 100 review?

you are absolutely correct with your "muted feel" comment. i demoed several of the previous generation of ezones and they just didn't "feel" like my stash of rqis1s and rds 003s. p.s. how do you like those yonex kicks, karue?

Great review I just got mine and really like it. I do however have issues with stringing it. I have used hawk touch and Cyclone. I liked HT a bit more but not too much to use again. I like softer polys and could use a spin friendly string. Grateful if you (or anyone reading this) could recommend a good string to try out. Thanks a lot!

I have been using this latest Ezone for the last 6 months. For me is the best racket I have ever played with, ever better than the DR in my opinion.

Review excelente, como de costume! Vai sair review da 100? Algum spoiler?

I have the old dr version and I still like it. I dont use a dampener as it seems to feel better. It does reward commitment on the stroke. But dont most?

As I have never played Yonex racquets I was wondering what Head, Wilson, etc. racquets you think are similar (or for similar players)? Thanks for the great review!

I've been testing this EZ 98 2020 and your review definitely helps. I like the muted feel and the fact that the racket encourages full swings and commitment. If I decide to buy it, then I'm wondering about 2 things: 1) Customization: SW~330; strung weight ~ 11.8oz while keeping the rest. Will the heavier racket hinder my swing? What didn't Yonex produce a heavier racket with a higher SW? 2) strings. Thinking about a hybrid... Very soft multi in the main and poly at crosses. What do you think?

Great vid

yonex sent you the New Eclipsion 4s!? so jealous, We are waiting for your review!

Great review

I just purchased this raquet. Is the best raquet i have ever tasted, so much control and feel.

I feel a good video to make is to demo and compare and contrast a bunch of the most popular 98 sq in rackets on the market.

Have you tried a Yonex Regna 98 before? Would be very interested in that review.

great, high quality review. you say that this ezone 98 2022 is more control-oriented and is meant for players who swing out, don’t want the racquet to give them extra power, play aggressive, and want that extra topspin to keep the ball in. so how does it compare to the vcore pro 97 310 which is also meant for control and has a similar head size and string pattern? (i’m a college player who uses a weighted up 2018 vcore 95 but is looking for more forgiveness and a bit more access to spin out of a racquet)

Tough break! Your buddy, Giron, drew Rafa in the first round of the AO.

Do a shoe review love your vids man

Didn't like this one, because I thought it had this weird dead, kind of hollow feel, and also didn't feel confident at net with it. Actually preferred Ezone 100, and hopefully you're doing a review on that. Also, think you had some audio issue when you were talking about volleys. Overall, great review and agree with what you said!

Just bought 3 of these the other day. Been playing with the 2017 models for the past 5 years now and loved them, but they started getting old so I’m stoked to get the newest. Your review reassured me about this racket since I am exactly the type of player you described who should be playing with it. I do feel I outgrew my older sticks in terms of weight (but didn’t like the tour) and you mentioned adding some lead for that little bit of extra plow through… would you just add it to the top of the frame or somewhere else like the sides of the head? Thanks.

I have ezone 98 2020. I love the racket but it's a bit unstable in volleys etc . Do you recommend the ezone 98 tour 2020 or Ezone 98 2022?

I'm from China. Thank you for this informative review!

Thanks for the nice review. I might give this version a try once it comes out in Europe - I didn't connect well with the former version. BTW, are these new upcoming Yonex shoes (you care to share)? :)

Not sure if you've ever played with one, but if you have, how does this frame compare to the DR98? Thanks in advance

whats that camera mount you use for the overview of the tenni court

What a wonderful review!!! 👏👏🎾💪Wonder if I'll be ready to trade my old friends RDS 001 MP for this ezone 98. Hmm, or maybe 100 square feet less effort?

Long strips of lead along the side really makes the Ezone98 solid and playable. Jmho

If your student wanted a control-oriented racquet that would let him swing out, why not let him use the new Vcore Pro 97 (310) 2021? It’s controlled and has basically the same amount of spin, would let him play aggressively, no?

sorry if you had already said previously. Are you still working with Osaka?

I really wanted someone who knows my game to help me with racket choice. I'm intermediate-advanced (can beat 80% of coaches in my city), above-average spin, big forehand, really bad two-handed backhand, and have been having elbow pains for a few years. Been playing with a super old Head Radical (10+ years old). Am torn between the Wilson Blade v8 and have heard good things about the Ezone 98.

Coud you recommand a few rackets for people with short swing? I'm looking at radical MP or such...?

Love this video.. You mentioned adding weight several times.. where would you add weight on the racquet and how much approximately?

Is it best to go down 1 size on the grip size? Have seen some ppl say it runs big and others say it’s similar sizing to other brands. Appreciate any help, thank you

I am still in love with the 2018 ezone 98, never was able to switch to the 2020. Will demo this one soon as the 2018 is getting hard to come by lol

In your opinion, if you had to choose one YONEX racquet to go to battle with for DOUBLES only, which would you choose? Would that change if you were 65 years old? I would be grateful for your thoughts.

What about the 2022 Ezone 100? Have you hit with it, and what are your thoughts? I’ve noticed that some racket reviewers who normally prefer the 98 size head, actually prefer the Ezone 100 to the 98. I’m planning on purchasing the 100 when it is launched… Ciao, John

Liked for the good boi spectator at 4:20

Have you tried the 100 vresion?If yes , what are your thoughts about it.

My sister who is 175 in world switched to this. Was a huge wilson girl, big change up.

Whats the difference beween the Pro Staff V13 315g and the Ezone 98 305g?

Currently I play with the Babolat Pure Strike 16x19 3rd gen, I have enjoyed my time with the racket, I’ve played about with lead tape, different string setups and I’ve came to the conclusion that I want and need more control and a little less power, I can generate my own power, although I don’t want to go for a completely powerless racket, but do want more control over power, whereas I feel like the Pure Strike has control but a lot of power. Would u day going to the Ezone 98 2022 would be a good transition? I’m torn between the Ezone and the Wilson Blade V8 16x19, what’s ur thoughts? 😊 thanks! Great content as usual 👏👏🎾👍

I have a dilemma, I want to buy the pair for my ezone 98 2020 but the price of the 2022 and 2020 is the same here, so which one should I buy?

Fantastic, honest, in depth review. Keep up the good work! I just have a question for Karue in regards to recommending the Ezone to his student... He needed a racquet that would give him the control to allow him to swing out. What went into the decision to use the Ezone instead of giving him the new Vcore Pro 97 (310) which is also a racquet meant for players who want control so they can swing out?

I appreciate the time and effort you have taken to review this racket however the feel of a racket can vary greatly with the type of string used and the tension. I don't have much faith in reviews because they are subjective. You could string this racket at a different tension and with a totally different string material and find its suddenly suited perfectly to your game style and its your new favorite racket and this review could be different. I think people should remember to take all reviews with a grain of salt. I'm sure if the reviewer were to take his normal preferred racket and change the strings and tensions it would no longer feel the same. I've recently been researching Yonex Ezone rackets in regard to arm pain and tennis elbow. I have found mostly positive feedback regarding the Ezone being a good racket for people who are suffering from tennis elbow however there has also been quite a few people say the opposite. I think the stiffness of the frame and technology in it obviously has an effect however the strings once again and the type of material and tension play a big part in how severe vibrations into the arm are.

I am a senior tennis player, playing mostly social doubles. I want to transition from using player's rackets { like Prince phantom pro 100p and Babolat pure control 95} to oversize 105 rackets. I am interested on what you think about Ezone 105. I will appreciate if you could review it Thanks

Finally!

You mentioned that your student is looking to get another racquet because he has an older one. Personally got back into playing after a 20y break.... Still with the Babolat Pure Drive Swirly that I got in 2001, or so (and tbh, don't see a reason to change it). What would be the disadvantages of an old stick?

What string are you using, & what tension?

What's your daily driver, Karue? I recently transition from my beloved ezone 98 to the new vcore pro H 330... I only played twice before court closure due to covid... i seem to miss the ezone more

Hi, what strings / tension would you recommend for this racket please? I tried the poly tour pro which I liked but it loses tension very quickly.

Will you playtest the wilson blade it could be v7 or v8 and also the babolat pure drive?

What happend to the Del Po Forehand? :P

How does this racquet compare to the VCP97 and 97D though?

What do you think about the racquet for One-handed backhands?

so the ezone is more control oriented than the v core pro 97? wow I was under the impression it was the other way around, I want to make a switch from the head ig prestige mp which absolutely love but I feel I need a bit more of easy power and spin, also more maneuverable, any suggestions? I don't like 100 in heads and do like to take full swings