About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the tennis racquet, which I tested for one week in November of 2022.

My take

The Dunlop SX 300 provides awesome spin-end control without compromising power. It’s definitely geared towards baseliners that like to play long points. There are some similarities to the Pure Aero.

About the racquet I tested

• Model: 2022 Dunlop SX 300
• Grip Size: 4 ⅜ in
• String and Tension: 55lbs with Dunlop Explosive Spin 16g
• Head size: 100 sq. in
• Racquet Length: 27in
• Any Customizations: None

About me

• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 210lbs
• Previous Racquet Played With: 2019 Babolat Pure Aero
• Experience: 23 years of tennis
• NTRP/UTA Rating: 5.0/9.0

Test conditions

• When I tested these: November 2022
• Days tested: 1 week
• Court Surfaces: Indoor hard court & outdoor hard court
• Match Play/Practice Session/Both: Practice session
• Where I’ve used it: University of Utah indoor tennis facility

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted to try something similar to my Babolat Pure Aero racquet. From the research I've done, the Dunlop SX 300 showed some similarities in specifications.

Why I chose this gear

I wanted to see if there were some more affordable options that played similar to the Pure Aero racquet. This Dunlop racquet had different weight options, like the tour and the light version, but again I wanted to find something similar in weight to the Pure Aero.

What I love about it

• Control: With the updated spin boost grommets, this racquet has excellent spin with effortless racquet speed. Mixed with that and the current strings on it, I am able to have excellent control and spin.
• Feel: This racquet has some new Sonic Core Infinergy technology that provides a nice soft plow through the racquet. At contact point, it feels like I am hitting through butter.
• Stability: With the strung weight of 11.2oz, the racquet has excellent stability on contact with the ball.
• Versatility: All in all, I felt like the groundstrokes benefit the best from this racquet. Volleys and serves are ok with it, but not as good as the groundstrokes.
• Serves: When it comes to serves, it offers nothing special but still plays well. It feels like it can produce good spin on my serves. My timing with my flat serves took a bit to figure out and I have a tough time producing pace on the flat serve.
• Volleys: The feel of volleys is good. I had a good, crisp feel to the shots. The only hang up is the timing of my volleys. I am just a little delayed on my volleys.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Power: Given that this racquet gave me so much spin and control and was heavier than average, I really have to hit hard to get my opponents off guard. It became really exhausting to constantly swing as hard as I have to with this racquet. It probably wouldn’t be as bad with a lower tension on the string or a less stiff string.
• Maneuverability: The maneuverability on this racquet is okay. When it comes to hitting volleys, I am slightly delayed on contact. It took about 10 minutes to adjust to it. Serves took some adjustment as well when timing the contact point correctly.

Favorite moment with this gear

I'm playing with my opponent and she hits a great approach shot cross court and she comes up to the net. I was able to run it down and whip it down the line. Given the control I had on the shot, my ball landed in with excellent depth.

Value for the money vs. other options

When it comes to the Dunlop, the price is fairly similar to the Pure Aero. However, Dunlop has had good prices over time. This racquet plays very similar to the Yonex Ezone 100 and the Volkl V-cell 8 as well. With these and the Pure Aero, this Dunlop racquet has the best price point of the four racquets.

Final verdict

This racquet is the Babolat Pure Aero experience but will save some money. It provides great spinning control and is geared for the aggressive baseliner who is looking for good spin and control. For added control, I recommend using Dunlop Explosive Spin String at 56 lbs with this racquet.