I played with the DR 98 for almost 2 years. Really enjoyed it with one drawback, the head guard. It was made of a brittle plastic and would shatter and fray. I replaced close to 10 of the bumper guards while stringing myself and it was always a hassle to do so. As a result, I moved on to different racquets. After the DR, I did not like any of the Ezones until the 2022 model.
Have hit side by side with Ai 98. Ai was for me a superior racquet. More solid without the added stiffness . More plush. Watch your arm Mark. Dr is deceptively stiffer than Ai. Ai I feel the flex. Dr I feel the mute. Thanks for all your amazing reviews!
I've been playing with DR for 4-5 years now, added 4g on the head, 4g on the handle. No single racket can compare with the combination of comfort, stability, control and spin... AI98 felt fast, yet solid. At times it felt magical on both groundstrokes. For me AI98 version was the best Ezone racket in the last 10 years. Of course, Poly Tour Pro is nature for this model :)
I tried a friends DR98 and it was sublime. Its a modern classic that yonex should quietly bring it back and pain it like the new ezone (love the paint job on the new one versus the DR98). I was still enjoying the Ntour ane did not switch. Its a keeper though!
the thing that is nice about this racquet is that if you string it fairly tightly, it's dense enough in the center that you can hit flat if you want like with an 18 x 20 racquet
Wish you would have showcased the cosmetics! We all know what it looks like but some shots of it in good lighting would have been ✨chefs kiss✨ even though the sticks are used.
DR 98 is one of the best rackets ever made. feel is so good and great control. It is almost impossible to buy new ones anymore. Yonex discontinued it prematurely and replaced it with the ezone 98s that are stiff and terrible feel. If lucky, you can rarely see new DR98s selling at 400+ dollars on ebay. The best bet is buying used ones that are in good condition and they will still cost around 300 dollars. I bought 4 new ones as soon as Yonex discontinued the DRs because I knew I loved them. Good luck.
I also just discovered the DR98 this year and play it as my main now. Playing a RF97 earlier, what I especially like about the DR98 is that it gives really good plow through while still 20g lighter than the RF97. Secondly it has great soft feel to it (although a bit muted). Is there any reason you only play the yellow and not the blue version?
Mark, this racket was made perfectly for the Hyper G! Due to its flexibility even the Tour Bite feels ok. Try putting some lead on 3 and nine to increase its stability. I told you that even second hand they cost a fortune for a reason. Now try the DR98+.....now that is a serving machine!
I just bought this racket and strung at 55. With total strung weight around 340, its amazing.... The only cons is lack power on flat serve. Maybe it can be handled by lower strung at 50-51.
Adding lead tape to 12 o'clock + Leather grip will increase the power on this DR 98? I found a good deal on the Dr, deciding on if i should get dr 98 or 100,
really similar. DR98 has edge on flat serve (noticable) and extra power (less noticable). Aero98 has edge on spin (less noticeable) and kick serve (noticeable). Twistweight is higher on Aero98. In my area, you can get 2 DR98 to 1 Aero98
I´ve been playing this racket for 4 years. I love it.. sadly my bumper guards are destroyed and I haven`t been able to find replacement bumpers for them in Germany...
I have 6 DR98 at home, all bought new and had the hinsight back then to also buy 2 sets of bumpers/gromets for each. TW Europe had them until 2018-2019 in stock (gromets).
DR has a cult following not sure why, I used to work at a pro shop when it was new and we couldn’t give it away, I’ve tried it but it felt way too mushy and unresponsive. The best Ezone is actually Ezone Xi 98, Nick Krygos actually frame under paintjob!!! Way more stable and responsive, but they are like unicorns now days, I got one before it was worth more than gold in weight and I cherish it dearly
Yeah I'd love to give this a go, lots of people love this racquet. Regarding your string sensitive point - are you saying it plays better with a round poly? Which round polys work best for it?
Hey Mark, I heard you mention you tried the DR 98 in both L2 and L3. Which one did you like more, and what’s your normal grip size on average with other brands? I just got a DR 98 slightly used in L2, and I normally use L3. I actually like this, as I feel Yonex grip sizes run a tad large, or at least feel that they do. Just curious if your experience was the same as mine. Thanks!
I do think Yonex grips do run half a size larger compared to other racket manufacturers so I think L2 for this racket is perfect for me (Babolat Leather Grip and Yonex OverGrap is my set up).
I bought a used DR98 many years ago but sold it as it was lacking in power and not easy to use. Bought a DR100 and used it for a few years as I felt it played much better . Now I have switched to the latest Ezone as I find that the DR100 swings slow.
Thanks for the review Mark, I tested this over the past 2 months as well and was waiting for this. My thoughts: AGREE fastest feeling racket (which makes my 1st serve % go up) not a ton of spin unstable, esp on returns flat serves could have more power DISAGREE don't agree that off center hits weren't jarring don't agree that it was forgiving of off center hits OTHER Felt like you didn't mention slice from the baseline, but for me I could not get this shot over the net unless I actually pointed the racket face almost vertically up. Never had to aim up so much with a racket to get a slice over the net. And that's an important shot for me as also have 1HBH. Probably a big reason I ended up not going with it. I forget what all strings I tested but I was more around 60 lbs. I ended up selling it cause I didn't like it as much as my Pure Strike 2nd Gen that I've been using and the Ezone 98 2022 which I'm also testing. That being said I did really like the DR 98 too and it wasn't too far off from what I want. Especially the unparalleled fast feel makes sense why this racket is a legend.
hey, i bought mine (used but not abused) for only 4k pesos... but havent been using it... coz the specs are a lil off my preferred range... but upon watching a few video reviews about this racket... i definitely should spend some more time hitting with it... i hope it would help me become better
I offered you a new DR last year or 2 years ago ago for 200 and you said not interested... I found 6 old new stocks while traveling to a country with no tennis interest...I even checked and made sure the store was affiliated with yonex...price is 400 now n only have 2 new left
i switched to this and did the mistake of using the wrong string in it when i was at a lower level and got tennis elbow #yonexelbow.. sold them shortly after but at that point i really lifted my game from a 3.0 to a 4.0 as mentioned in your commentary about who should be using this!... they dont make ezones like that anymore
i want to buy ALL the DR 98s dude. Love this racket. im thinking about beefing mine up this winter with some lead tape to help with the stability issues.
@alexsweeta your tennis elbow was due to you hitting off the sweet spot, which can be very "jarrying" with the DR98. I play with a full bed of Alupower at 27kg and never had a problem.
i play with this racket many years now , its good, but need weight otherwise you get pushed around against hard hitters, the racket is very hard to customize and i have tried many different setups, weight in the handel, and 3,9,12,10,2 even 5,7 i think, leathergrip and so on, i think the problem is when you put weight anywhere in the head you loose all the maneuverability , even the smallest 1g total on 10 & 2 , great for serve and good plowthrough, but all the whippiness and maneuverability is not there anymore.... Great racket anyway, my customization right now is 11.8 / 337g, 1 g total at 10 & 2 and head hydrosorb overgrip + 1 overgrip pacific, string setup hyper g 1.20mm/17gauge at string tension 39 anyone have a good setup/customize
Mine are 322g (unstrung), with 5g in total at 3 and 9 and 7g in the handle. Also using the thicker wilson pro overgrip. Strung with a full bed of Alupower 1.25 at 27/26 kg. Bought six new ones, back in 2016-2017, after testing 30-35 racquets.
I had two these and the sing weights were wildly different. I liked the feel, but it was very difficult to get them to feel the same. I'm pretty good at customizing racquets, but this one was difficult without having to put lead all over the place. What a shame. Gave them away. Btw, leather grips=overrated.
DR is a legend. A clubmate collects those. If I remember correctly he has a Stock of 17 racquets. Yonex should definetely put them back on sale, should be easy for them. I hit a couple of shots with it, felt like everything is just right. I just cannot confirm that it is underpowered. It was rather overpowered for me, but that could have been the string when I tested it (NG hybrid).
I kick myself in my absolutely perfect ass for not buying 3 more before they stopped making them. I still play with them and agree with you. When you come up to Seattle again lemme know and you can also hit with my dr 98 and see my tukas. J/k you can’t play with my dr 98.
Can't beat the new ezone 98. It is why Yonex didn't change anything but color choice for 2024. So, is DR really worth scrounging for? Also, though I qas an old school leather user, recently i found there is no reason to use leather unless you want to add weight to the handle. New replacement frips like HEAD Hydrosorb Pro grips are fantastic and you can do away with overgrips. One Hydrosorb Pro will last as long as 3 to 6 overgrips, so just replace the Hydrosorb Pro Grip. Cost is minimal. Try it. I converted. Lol
I played with the DR 98 for almost 2 years. Really enjoyed it with one drawback, the head guard. It was made of a brittle plastic and would shatter and fray. I replaced close to 10 of the bumper guards while stringing myself and it was always a hassle to do so. As a result, I moved on to different racquets. After the DR, I did not like any of the Ezones until the 2022 model.
Have hit side by side with Ai 98. Ai was for me a superior racquet. More solid without the added stiffness . More plush. Watch your arm Mark. Dr is deceptively stiffer than Ai. Ai I feel the flex. Dr I feel the mute. Thanks for all your amazing reviews!
I've been playing with DR for 4-5 years now, added 4g on the head, 4g on the handle. No single racket can compare with the combination of comfort, stability, control and spin... AI98 felt fast, yet solid. At times it felt magical on both groundstrokes. For me AI98 version was the best Ezone racket in the last 10 years. Of course, Poly Tour Pro is nature for this model :)
I tried a friends DR98 and it was sublime. Its a modern classic that yonex should quietly bring it back and pain it like the new ezone (love the paint job on the new one versus the DR98). I was still enjoying the Ntour ane did not switch. Its a keeper though!
the thing that is nice about this racquet is that if you string it fairly tightly, it's dense enough in the center that you can hit flat if you want like with an 18 x 20 racquet
Wish you would have showcased the cosmetics! We all know what it looks like but some shots of it in good lighting would have been ✨chefs kiss✨ even though the sticks are used.
Mark you finally did it....what was I telling you for years...to try the DR 98. Thanks❤
DR 98 is one of the best rackets ever made. feel is so good and great control. It is almost impossible to buy new ones anymore. Yonex discontinued it prematurely and replaced it with the ezone 98s that are stiff and terrible feel. If lucky, you can rarely see new DR98s selling at 400+ dollars on ebay. The best bet is buying used ones that are in good condition and they will still cost around 300 dollars. I bought 4 new ones as soon as Yonex discontinued the DRs because I knew I loved them. Good luck.
I also just discovered the DR98 this year and play it as my main now. Playing a RF97 earlier, what I especially like about the DR98 is that it gives really good plow through while still 20g lighter than the RF97. Secondly it has great soft feel to it (although a bit muted).
Is there any reason you only play the yellow and not the blue version?
Mark, this racket was made perfectly for the Hyper G! Due to its flexibility even the Tour Bite feels ok. Try putting some lead on 3 and nine to increase its stability. I told you that even second hand they cost a fortune for a reason. Now try the DR98+.....now that is a serving machine!
I've been using the DR FOR 4 YEARS.. IDEAL tension is 48 pounds for poly
Mark, thank for reviewing this racket. Totally agree with your opinion
I just bought this racket and strung at 55. With total strung weight around 340, its amazing.... The only cons is lack power on flat serve. Maybe it can be handled by lower strung at 50-51.
Adding lead tape to 12 o'clock + Leather grip will increase the power on this DR 98? I found a good deal on the Dr, deciding on if i should get dr 98 or 100,
I would like to know how the DR98 compares to the Pure Aero 98.
really similar. DR98 has edge on flat serve (noticable) and extra power (less noticable). Aero98 has edge on spin (less noticeable) and kick serve (noticeable). Twistweight is higher on Aero98. In my area, you can get 2 DR98 to 1 Aero98
Which string do you recommend Mark? Shaped or round?
I recently bought two brand new grip 2 on eBay at about $520 combined including tax and shipping . They pop up now and then
I´ve been playing this racket for 4 years. I love it.. sadly my bumper guards are destroyed and I haven`t been able to find replacement bumpers for them in Germany...
I have 6 DR98 at home, all bought new and had the hinsight back then to also buy 2 sets of bumpers/gromets for each. TW Europe had them until 2018-2019 in stock (gromets).
DR has a cult following not sure why, I used to work at a pro shop when it was new and we couldn’t give it away, I’ve tried it but it felt way too mushy and unresponsive.
The best Ezone is actually Ezone Xi 98, Nick Krygos actually frame under paintjob!!! Way more stable and responsive, but they are like unicorns now days, I got one before it was worth more than gold in weight and I cherish it dearly
Great review 👍 I have a DR 100 what strings do you prefer on them?
what leather grip did you use for this
Yeah I'd love to give this a go, lots of people love this racquet. Regarding your string sensitive point - are you saying it plays better with a round poly? Which round polys work best for it?
Hey Mark, I heard you mention you tried the DR 98 in both L2 and L3. Which one did you like more, and what’s your normal grip size on average with other brands?
I just got a DR 98 slightly used in L2, and I normally use L3. I actually like this, as I feel Yonex grip sizes run a tad large, or at least feel that they do. Just curious if your experience was the same as mine. Thanks!
I do think Yonex grips do run half a size larger compared to other racket manufacturers so I think L2 for this racket is perfect for me (Babolat Leather Grip and Yonex OverGrap is my set up).
Considerations on sweetspot?
I bought a used DR98 many years ago but sold it as it was lacking in power and not easy to use.
Bought a DR100 and used it for a few years as I felt it played much better .
Now I have switched to the latest Ezone as I find that the DR100 swings slow.
Everyone who talks about this racquet absolutely loves it. Too bad it's so hard to find one at a reasonable price.
Good review, thanks @marksansait. I'm curious why you think all good players should replace their grip with leather? Is it about feel or weight?
Thanks for the review Mark, I tested this over the past 2 months as well and was waiting for this. My thoughts:
AGREE
fastest feeling racket (which makes my 1st serve % go up)
not a ton of spin
unstable, esp on returns
flat serves could have more power
DISAGREE
don't agree that off center hits weren't jarring
don't agree that it was forgiving of off center hits
OTHER
Felt like you didn't mention slice from the baseline, but for me I could not get this shot over the net unless I actually pointed the racket face almost vertically up. Never had to aim up so much with a racket to get a slice over the net. And that's an important shot for me as also have 1HBH. Probably a big reason I ended up not going with it.
I forget what all strings I tested but I was more around 60 lbs. I ended up selling it cause I didn't like it as much as my Pure Strike 2nd Gen that I've been using and the Ezone 98 2022 which I'm also testing. That being said I did really like the DR 98 too and it wasn't too far off from what I want. Especially the unparalleled fast feel makes sense why this racket is a legend.
hey, i bought mine (used but not abused) for only 4k pesos... but havent been using it... coz the specs are a lil off my preferred range... but upon watching a few video reviews about this racket... i definitely should spend some more time hitting with it... i hope it would help me become better
Hi im from the philippines too. Are you interested in selling yours?
Feel like they should re-release the dr. Having a 310g 98 sq inch racket is a nice option for those who want it
What's different with the ezone 98 2022?
I offered you a new DR last year or 2 years ago ago for 200 and you said not interested... I found 6 old new stocks while traveling to a country with no tennis interest...I even checked and made sure the store was affiliated with yonex...price is 400 now n only have 2 new left
Can you compare to the 2022 with the same string
what's your string set up for this racquet?
i switched to this and did the mistake of using the wrong string in it when i was at a lower level and got tennis elbow #yonexelbow.. sold them shortly after but at that point i really lifted my game from a 3.0 to a 4.0 as mentioned in your commentary about who should be using this!... they dont make ezones like that anymore
i want to buy ALL the DR 98s dude. Love this racket. im thinking about beefing mine up this winter with some lead tape to help with the stability issues.
@@MarkSansait leather grip helped I bet and little bit at 3/9
@@MarkSansaitneeds a good 6-8" strip at 3/9 imho
@alexsweeta your tennis elbow was due to you hitting off the sweet spot, which can be very "jarrying" with the DR98. I play with a full bed of Alupower at 27kg and never had a problem.
I prefer ai over dr. I had both and the First version was much Better.
Agreed
i was in austin and saw one in a shop for $75. i don't need more racquets and it's not my size (1/4; i use 3/8), but yolo
What camera do you use?
This masterpiece of a tennis racquet ain't for 3.5 players like you Sansait.
Follow me on twitch: www.twitch.tv/mark_sansait
did you use black knight in this?
Mark: “with the pros out of the way, let’s finally talk about the cons.”
(Silence for 39 seconds)
Based fellow leather grip enjoyer, I salute you
Your camera is awesome which one is it
i play with this racket many years now , its good, but need weight otherwise you get pushed around against hard hitters, the racket is very hard to customize and i have tried many different setups, weight in the handel, and 3,9,12,10,2 even 5,7 i think, leathergrip and so on, i think the problem is when you put weight anywhere in the head you loose all the maneuverability , even the smallest 1g total on 10 & 2 , great for serve and good plowthrough, but all the whippiness and maneuverability is not there anymore.... Great racket anyway, my customization right now is 11.8 / 337g, 1 g total at 10 & 2 and head hydrosorb overgrip + 1 overgrip pacific, string setup hyper g 1.20mm/17gauge at string tension 39 anyone have a good setup/customize
Mine are 322g (unstrung), with 5g in total at 3 and 9 and 7g in the handle. Also using the thicker wilson pro overgrip. Strung with a full bed of Alupower 1.25 at 27/26 kg.
Bought six new ones, back in 2016-2017, after testing 30-35 racquets.
Nick uses the stiffer XI, not the DR.
I had two these and the sing weights were wildly different. I liked the feel, but it was very difficult to get them to feel the same. I'm pretty good at customizing racquets, but this one was difficult without having to put lead all over the place. What a shame. Gave them away. Btw, leather grips=overrated.
where can you buy this racket?
DR is a legend.
A clubmate collects those. If I remember correctly he has a Stock of 17 racquets.
Yonex should definetely put them back on sale, should be easy for them.
I hit a couple of shots with it, felt like everything is just right.
I just cannot confirm that it is underpowered. It was rather overpowered for me, but that could have been the string when I tested it (NG hybrid).
Got this and the plus version
My perfect racquet is the Pure Aero 98 with Babolat gut 25 kg in mains and RPM rough at 24 kg in the crosses.
I don't like your shirt
Looks like he slept in that shirt for 3 days and hasn't had a shower for several days either
Hey man ever thought about streaming Cs2? I think you would enjoy the light hearted toxicity in game.
I stick to my Ezone (7th Gen.) 300g - its pure pleasure
its actually 305g
I kick myself in my absolutely perfect ass for not buying 3 more before they stopped making them. I still play with them and agree with you. When you come up to Seattle again lemme know and you can also hit with my dr 98 and see my tukas. J/k you can’t play with my dr 98.
Can't beat the new ezone 98. It is why Yonex didn't change anything but color choice for 2024. So, is DR really worth scrounging for? Also, though I qas an old school leather user, recently i found there is no reason to use leather unless you want to add weight to the handle. New replacement frips like HEAD Hydrosorb Pro grips are fantastic and you can do away with overgrips. One Hydrosorb Pro will last as long as 3 to 6 overgrips, so just replace the Hydrosorb Pro Grip. Cost is minimal. Try it. I converted. Lol
Never liked it.
Prefer the model after the DR.
Plus always felt ezones needed alot of lead on the sides to get power and feel
that's the worst one. you are right about needing lead at 3 and 9, but not for power and feel, which it already has, but for (twist) stability.
The DR 98 was discontinued no?