The Wilson color line of products is a pure joy to test. I already did a full black ProStaff test and then decided to move to the more colorful racket. I picked the orange Wilson Burn 100 Countervail with 100 square inches head and 300 grams weight. Of course, the choice was not determined by color, but I want to try a heavier racket with a bigger head. How does it impact my play? Here are my notes (or we can call it the review) about my experience with Wilson Burn 100.
What exactly did I test?
Here are the technical specifications of the racket I had in my hands during practice and match.
Racket: Wilson Burn 100 Countervail
Weight: 300 grams/10.6 ounces (without strings) 318 grams/11.2 ounces (with strings)
Length: 27 inches/69 centimeters
Head Size: 100 square inches/645.2 square centimeters
String pattern: 16 mains/19 crosses
String tension: 55 lbs/25 kg
Unstrung balance: 7 pts HL
Embedded technologies:
Countervail Technology – Carbon layer integrated into the frame maximizes a player’s energy and reduces muscle fatigue
Notable players using Wilson Burn:
Kei Nishikori, Simone Halep, Elina Svitolina
Check price at Wilson store here
Design
I mentioned it several times in my articles that designers working for Wilson should get a Nobel prize for design. The simple but eye-catching black frame with two colored parts at the head is just superb. The different color for every racket type is also a good idea. Now everybody knows that orange is Burn, green is Blade, blue is Ultra and full black is Wilson ProStaff. This is a very effective solution for promoting your full product range, yet keeping the difference for every brand type you produce. Believe me, this is a dream for every brand manager in terms of design.
Let’s get back to tested Wilson Burn 100. The advantage of orange at your Wilson Burn frame is that everybody immediately knows what brand and type of racket you have. It is no more necessary to explain to anybody. The design speaks for itself. The lines and contours are smooth, the racket looks really good. Just look throughout our gallery and you will understand what I am writing about.
In terms of design, this is probably the nicest racket I ever played with.
Playing with Wilson Burn 100 Countervail
I have to make a disclaimer at the beginning. I usually play with the racket which weighs 310 grams and has 98 square inches head. Therefore testing of racket for me is about comparing. What is better and what is worse compared to my usual racket. Please, keep it in mind when reading this review.
Read also our Wilson ProStaff 97LS Racket Review or Best Tennis Racket for Every Player Guide
Comfort – Feel
The tested Wilson Burn racket weighs 300 grams. It does not seem so light like 270 or 290 grams rackets, but still, in my opinion, this racket is pretty light. You can find a lot of complaints on the internet about its stiffness resulting in wrist or elbow fatigue. That was not my case. Even after playing for more than two hours, I did not feel any pain in my wrist or elbow. I am used to heavier rackets to play with, so anything under 310 grams seems fine for me.
The swings went pretty easy. I almost felt the “countervail” effect, when with almost no effort I was able to hit with enough energy.
Check price at Wilson store here
Control – Accuracy
I approach any racket with a head over 98 square inches with concern. Wilson Burn has 100 square inches of head, which I was ready to tolerate. I was struggling a bit with off sweat spot hits, which resulted in a lot of unforced errors. I think that more practice with this racket will erase a lot of mistakes I was doing. So I would recommend this racket to a more experienced player. A beginner could really burn himself 🙂
Volleys at the net were the place I appreciated Wilson Burn the most. I felt the accuracy and variability in every volley I made. The racket was very precise in delivering the stop ball hits or baseline strikes at the net. I really consider using Wilson Burn 100 during doubles matches when I play a lot of volleys and need perfect control on the net.
Power – Strength
Regular readers of my blog know how disappointed I was with missing power in Wilson ProStaff 97LS. Wilson Burn is a different story. I was able to deliver strong hits, I was able to serve well and hard. What I lost on accuracy (compared to ProStaff), I gained in power. I consider that a good deal.
Overall Rating
WILSON BURN 100 COUNTERVAIL | |
|---|---|
PROs | CONs |
TOP DESIGN | STIFFNESS |
EASY TO SWING | LESS CONTROL ON BASELINE STRIKES |
INCREASED SHOT ENERGY WITH LESS EFFORT | WOULD NOT RECOMMEND FOR BEGINNERS |
PERFECT VOLLEY CONTROL | |
TOP CHOICE FOR PLAY AT THE NET | |
FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS | |
Check price at Wilson store here
Share this:
