Wilson has brought the heat with its new line of racquets – the Burns. The Wilson Burn 100S is the spin-friendly version in the Burn series. It features a stock unstrung weight of 10.7 ounces, 4 points headlight balance, and an 18×16 open string pattern.
Groundstrokes
The Wilson Burn 100S utilizes Spin Effect technology. Wilson’s Spin Effect technology provides two inches more net clearance while landing twelve inches inside the baseline without changing the player’s strokes. The Wilson Burn 100S offers plenty of power and loads of spin. A higher net clearance and an increase in RPMs were noticeable from my groundstrokes; especially when ripping forehands cross-court. When hitting a backhand slice, generating backspin was easier thanks to the open 18×16 string pattern. However, the power and spin took a toll on my arm after a while. The high stiffness rating (73) combined with the polyester strings in the racquet made it feel like I was hitting with a board. Take note: as this racquet is not very arm-friendly.
Volleys & Serves
Volleying from both sides was firm and powerful, even with the open string pattern. Put away volleys had extra pop to them as well. Even with the 11.3 ounce strung weight, I felt I could maneuver the racquet in any direction and hit back any shot ripped in my direction. However, if I volleyed off-center, I felt tremendous racquet vibration in my arm. Touch and angle shots were difficult to execute because the feel in the Burn 100S was not there for me compared to my own racquet.
The Wilson Burn 100S shined the most on serves. Tons of spin was easy to generate and with a slight adjustment on my toss, the power was dialed in as well. With the additional spin, I was able to hit harder and accelerate the racquet faster without fear of hitting the ball out. The Luxilon 4G polyester string in the racquet helped me control the ball placement while adding more topspin and side serve than other racquets I have used. However, I do wish it was more comfortable for my arm.
Fine Points
Cosmetically, the Wilson Burn 100S looks cool! The combination of orange, yellow, and black makes the racquet pop. However, after several hours of non-stop match play, the paint was already starting to chip off, especially near the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. The Wilson Burn 100S comes with a Wilson Sublime replacement grip. This replacement grip is, in my opinion, similar to the Prince ResiPro replacement grip, which felt comfortable in my hands and provided the right amount of tackiness I like. For this play test, I used Luxilon 4G polyester string in a full bed strung at 56 pounds. Wilson recommends its Revolve string for more spin and Luxilon 4G for more durability.
Overall
The Wilson Burn 100S was powerful and spin-friendly from the baseline. The high stiffness rating, 11+ ounce weight, and recommendation of polyester string took a toll on my arm. At the net, depth and power, along with a decent amount of maneuverability were easy to achieve. The Burn 100S also created loads of spin and power on my serve as well. The cosmetics are bright and noticeable, but the paint started to chip away relatively quickly. I would recommend the Wilson Burn 100S to any intermediate to advanced level player who loves a stiff feel and loads of power and spin.
About the Reviewer: Michael Janz is a graduate of the Professional Tennis Management Program at Ferris State University in Michigan. He is also a certified USPTA Profession
