Wilson Ultra 100 v4 review
Probably the world’s best established racket brand, Wilson are a frontrunner in bringing the latest in technology with cutting edge design to their products, so we were intrigued to find out if the fourth version of the popular Ultra 100 really did show off the ‘easy power’ that it’s designed to give club players
Background
Wilson need no introductions but, with stiff competition these days especially in Europe from the likes of HEAD and Babolat, they aren’t seeming to rest on their laurels with a raft of updated versions to their existing range and new racket launches such as the Clash.
Whilst Wilson’s high profile sponsorships of players like Serena and Roger help promote their top level rackets like the Pro Staff, it’s the club player that can sometimes get forgotten, but not when it comes to Wilson launching the fourth version of the Ultra 100.
“This racket gave me a lot more power which would suit a baseline player.
I found it easier to put away shots from the back”
Technology
This latest version of the popular Wilson Ultra 100 features a raft of tech updates.
Wilson have given it “an updated, sleek geometry that allows Ultra v4 to swing faster through the air and feel more natural in the hand — all while retaining best-in-class power that hits deeper through the court.”
They’ve also added “FORTYFIVE° carbon fiber construction which is optimized in the Ultra v4 to increase stability and energy return, while decreasing frequency. A never-been-done-before combination that creates an incredibly powerful yet comfortable racket.”
And to help save the planet “V4’s bumpers, grommets and end-cap are made of bio-based Agiplast, helping reduce waste while maintaining high performance.”
Watch as our experienced testers try out the Wilson Ultra 100 v4
The play test
Readers should note that we are testing the racket using a Luxilon Vibe string in the mains which is a very soft polyester string and a multi filament in the cross strings which combines to create a very soft and forgiving feel to this racket. Our play testers are advanced players who are used to playing with a harder polyester string which would normally give them a stiffer moire controlled feel on their shots.
George – Plays with the Babolat Pure Drive, 100 sq in, 300g weight, 16×19 string pattern
Hayden – Plays with a Yonex V Core 98, 98 sq in
Kenzo – Plays with the Babolat Pure Drive, 100 sq in, 300g weight, 16×19 string pattern
First thoughts from the baseline?
George: “Fairly similar to my Pure Drive from the baseline. There was plenty of easy power. Possibly more spin than I was used to and the ball was definitely shooting off the strings”
Kenzo: “This was nice on my arm with lots of easy power and it didn’t take much to really generate pace. I normally play with a Babolat Pure Drive and the specification of this Wilson Ultra is similar but I found it easier on my arm which means it would suit club players as it’s nicer to use.
“When I was hitting there was a little bit of inconsistency in terms of how much power I got from the racket which meant I was spraying the ball sometimes, so perhaps it needs to be strung tighter to give more control over the power”
Hayden: “This racket gave me a lot more power which would suit a baseline player. I found it easier to put away shots from the baseline”
When you tried to hit spin and touch shots how did this racket perform?
George: “Generating spin with this racket was easy but when I was at the net it was a little tricky because the ball felt like it was flying off the strings too much, so maybe a tighter string pattern or a polyester string would help reduce that feeling on volleys for an advanced player like myself.
“The sweetspot feels huge and there is plenty of margin for error with this racket”
Kenzo: “I felt like I was generating quite a lot of spin and I found it easier to generate spin than my Babolat Pure Drive which means I could swing quicker.”
Hayden: “Because of the bigger head size than I’m used to it gives you a lot more time for the ball to travel on the racket face which helped me create a lot more spin”
Is the power too much when you are hitting volleys and touch a shots?
George: “It felt good when I was trying to volley deep but when I was trying to drop volley or cut the ball it felt more difficult to control”
Kenzo: “This was good. My volleys were crisp but it was more difficult when I was trying to use my hands to be more delicate and there was less leeway with that type of shot”
Hayden: “I was surprised at how good this racket was for touch and feel shots like volleys. I think the soft strings allowed my to create these ‘touchy, feely’ shots and then because the racket is more powerful you could really go for your put away deeper volleys”
When you were defending and trying to get out of danger with this racket how did it feel?
George: “When I was guaranteed to hit the middle of the strings this racket was a lot easier to get a good strike thanks to the big sweetspot which helped a lot, however if I was out of control with my swing then the ball did fly a little”
Kenzo: “When you are pushed wide the extra pace from this racket helps you to hit deeper when trying to recover”
When you were serving did the free power from this racket help?
George: “Serving is where this racket felt best for me. The easy power and spin worked well for a spin and a flat serve so for serving this racket was great”
Kenzo: “I found this racket a little difficult to control on my serves in terms of racket head speed but I feel that once I got used to using it for serving then it would be easy to generate that easy power
“When hitting topspin and slice serves I found I could generate quite a lot of whip with this racket and really add pace on my second serves”
Hayden: “My favourite serve is flat down the middle and this racket gave me a lot of power on that shot. Kick serve was also good because of the high amount of spin I could generate with this racket”
What kind of player would this Wilson Ultra 100 v4 suit?
George: “This is ideal for club players, who aren’t always going to be hitting the ball out of the middle or create too much power. Someone who wants easy power and doesn’t come to the net too much but likes to stay on the baseline”
Kenzo: “This would suit a baseline player who can hit hard, early and through the court because with this racket’s extra power you can really push someone back on the court”
Hayden: “This racket would definitely suit an aggressive baseliner or maybe a serve and volleyer”
What’s your view on the cosmetic design of this racket?
George: “I really like what Wilson are doing at the moment with the matt colour scheme and the simplistic two colour tone looks really cool”
Kenzo: “It looks old school and retro with a nice blue gradient but personally I’d like more colour variation”
Hayden: “The matt finish you get on most Wilson rackets is really nice and the style of the writing is a nice touch and the colour scheme is almost sparkly so I think its a really nice looking racket”
The specifications
For a detailed explanation of each racket measurement criteria below have a read of our guide.
Wilson Ultra 100 v4
R.R.P. = $250/£230 (at Wilson.com)
Head size = 100 sq in
Weight = 300g
String pattern = 16/19
Length = 27 inches
In conclusion then…
Has the Ultra 100 been improved by this fourth update?
Our testers were unequivocal in their analysis of this racket’s ability to deliver easy power on your groundstrokes, volleys and serves. As that is the number one claim of the manufacturer then you have to give them a thumbs up for delivering on their promise.
Will this racket suit every single club player? Obviously not as that’s an impossible task, however our test group all agreed that, after some fine tuning in terms of string type and tension, they could see themselves playing with the Wilson Ultra 100 v4.
As always, we suggest you give this racket a try alongside maybe your current racket and make sure you string it the same way for a fair comparison. You might be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Buy this racket
Head over to Wilson.com if you want to get your hands on the new Wilson Ultra 100 v4.
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