If you want help picking the best Yonex tennis racquet for you, you’ve come to the right place. Here we’re going to walk you through:

• Some of the featured Yonex racquets (and what makes them stand out)
• How to choose the best racquet for your style & experience level
• Frequently asked questions (e.g. What’s the best Yonex racquet for tennis elbow?)

Featured Yonex Tennis Racquets (and what makes them stand out)

Yonex EZONE 108 — Light, powerful racquet for beginners

The EZONE 108 was designed for beginners looking to hit powerful shots with little effort.

The 108 has the biggest head size of any Yonex racquet, which means a larger sweet spot area that generates the most power. It’s also one of the lightest racquets in Yonex’s lineup, making it extremely easy to swing.

It also has vibration dampening technology in the grip, which absorbs some of the shock from your arms.

What you’ll notice:

• Very powerful

At first, you’ll notice this is a very light racquet, which might lead you to believe it won’t generate much power. But as soon as you hit the first ball, you can’t help but be impressed by how much power this racquet generates. It’s great for new players who are just building up their arm muscles.

Yonex VCORE 98 (305) — Spin-friendly racquet for intermediate players

Yonex designed the VCORE 98 (305) for intermediate players who love putting spin on their shots.

It’s got a smaller head than the EZONE 108, a more flexible frame, a thinner beam, and a heavier swing weight. It still has plenty of power (though not as much as the 108), but what people really love this racquet for is creating spin.

This is a very popular intermediate tennis racquet.

What you’ll notice:

• Fast, easy swing

The balance and the frame design make it easy for you to hit snappy shots. Combine that with the open string pattern, and you’ll have a blast hitting spin shots with this racquet.

• Plenty of power

For an intermediate racquet, the 98 (305) still adds a great amount of power to your shots. The sweet spot is smaller, which is ideal to give you a little more control. But it’s got more power than many racquets in the same category.

Yonex VCORE Pro 97 330 — Heavy control racquet for advanced players

The VCORE Pro 97 (330) is a very heavy “player’s” racquet.

If the EZONE 108 is about power, and the VCORE 98 is about spin, the Pro 97 is all about control.

It’s got a hefty swing weight, a smaller head size, and a thinner beam, all of which contribute to a great feel and increased control over your shots.

And while this isn’t the top model for spin, its design makes it surprisingly easy to swing. So you can still generate plenty of power, even for such a heavy control racquet.

What you’ll notice:

• Quite heavy

You’ll notice that not only do you need arm strength to swing the Pro 97 (330), but you also need to use your legs. If you want control over your shots, this is a great feature. And it’s going to push you to be a better player, with better footwork, in order to control your shots.

How to choose the best Yonex tennis racquet for you?

When picking out a new tennis racquet, you’ve got a number of features to think about.

Length, weight, and head size are some of the most fundamental features. And of course, you’ve got to factor in your style of play, whether you prefer more power or more control, and open VS dense string patterns.

To simplify things, all tennis racquets fall into one of three basic categories:

• Power racquets designed for new tennis players
• Control or “Player” racquets designed for advanced players
• Tweener racquets designed for players in that transitional phase between newbie and advanced

Now let’s take a look at the best racquets for each category.

Beginners

If you’re a newbie, or if you’re just playing for fun and not really looking to build your skills, you’ll want a racquet with a few distinct features.

In order to generate power, you’ll need a racquet with a stiffer frame and a larger head size. Otherwise, you may have a harder time returning the ball, that is until you build up your muscles.

You’ll also want a lighter racquet, with the weight shifted towards the head (not the grip). This will keep your arm from getting worn out as you build up your endurance.

• Best beginner racquet for recreational players — Yonex EZONE Ace 102

The Ace 102 is very light and generates a ton of power. This is a great racquet for casual tennis players — for fun, exercise, social activities — and not necessarily for anyone looking to become a next-level player.

• Best beginner racquet for power — Yonex EZONE 108

If you’re serious about improving your tennis skills, or if you’re just interested in hitting massive power shots, the EZONE 108 is likely what you’re looking for. It’s one of the lightest, easiest-to-swing racquets in the lineup.

Intermediate players

If you’ve been playing tennis for a while and you’ve built up your arm strength and skills, you’ll want a racquet that can help you hone your control.

You’ll need a heavier racquet with the weight shifted away from the head. You’ll want a more flexible frame so you don’t accidentally blast each shot uncontrollably. And you’ll want a smaller head size, with a smaller sweet spot, to help minimize the power behind each shot.

All of this gives you more control over how you hit the ball.

• Best intermediate racquet (with a little more control) — Yonex EZONE 100

The EZONE 100 is a great racquet for slightly more advanced players who still want a good bit of controlled power behind their shots. It’s got a smaller head and more flexible frame than a beginner racquet, so you need to hit right in the sweet spot in order to take advantage of its power (something an advancing player should be fine with).

• Best Intermediate racquet (with a little more power) — Yonex Astrel 100 (280)

If you’re focused on control, but you’d prefer just a hint more power, then you should look into the Astrel 100 (280). It’s a good bit lighter than the EZONE 100. This means you can swing it faster and generate a little more power behind your shots. And it still gives you a great amount of control.

Advanced players

If you’re an advanced player, you’ll need a racquet that’s designed to stay out of your way and highlight your skills.

You’ll want a very head-light racquet (though heavier overall), with a low stiffness rating. This will allow you to generate your own power.

And you’ll need a smaller head size (i.e. smaller sweet spot) so that you don’t accidentally blast the ball when you’re trying to land it just inside the lines.

• Best advanced racquet for control — Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330)

This is not a racquet for beginners. It’s one of the heavier racquets out there today, which means you’ll need to have built up enough arm strength and technique to generate power. The reason this is ideal for advanced players is it gives you a higher level of control over your shots.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best Yonex tennis racquet for tennis elbow?

If you’ve got tennis elbow, or you’d just like a racquet that’ll help you avoid it altogether, you’ll want a model with vibration dampening technology.

The EZONE 100 would probably be your best bet. It’s one of Yonex’s lightest racquets, and it has vibration dampening technology to absorb shock.

How often should I replace my Yonex tennis racquet?

Generally speaking, tennis racquets need to be replaced around the two-year mark.

But there are a number of factors that can affect this:

• How often you play
• How hard your shots are
• Do you protect the racquet when not using it (i.e. keep it in a case)
• Have you restrung it?

Before buying a new racquet, you may just want to get it restrung. But even after a re-string, if you still notice the racquet isn’t performing as it once did, then it’s probably time to replace it. This could be because the frame technology has been worn.

Also, the process of re-stringing a racquet wears down the grommets over time.

I need help deciding: Which would be the best Yonex tennis racquet to start with?

• Yonex EZONE Ace 102 — Best pre-strung, under $100

If you’re not necessarily “into” tennis, for example, you’re just playing casually from time-to-time, then a pre-strung racquet is a great place to start. The Ace 102 is an inexpensive model, so you don’t spend a ton of money on a racquet that you won’t even use that often.

• Yonex EZONE 108 — Lightest model, huge head size, great power

If you’re new to tennis, but you’re looking to grow as a player, the EZONE 108 can be a great starter racquet. It’s light and generates a ton of power, making it ideal for players who haven’t yet built up their arm strength (but want to).