Are you looking for a good beginner racquet that is tough, durable and consistent, but don’t have a pro tennis player’s salary to work with? Then look no further than the Wilson Energy XL! With this one, you can say goodbye to inconsistency and weak shots and take advantage of the Energy’s awesome features! Made by the Wilson Sporting Goods Company, this little beauty is considered a top-notch recreation racquet and is most commonly used by players at the beginning skill level.
The XL features a large sweet spot and tightly strung racquet strings, which allows for a much harder hit with very little effort on the player’s part. The fact that everything about this racquet is designed for maximum forgiveness makes it appealing for young players. It is considered a good choice for beginners who cannot yet generate their own power for a swing using their own technique. The low pricing also makes the XL ideal for players who aren’t sure as to whether or not they are ready to commit to the game of tennis. If it turns out that it is not for them, they will not have thrown a ton of money down the drain.
Product Specs
- 27.5 inches in length
- 112 square inch head
- Weight of approximately 10.2 ounces when fully strung
- Features a Stop Shock Sleeve, which greatly lowers the amount of vibration and allows for more control
- V-Lock Bridge for added stability
- Frame made of Airlite Alloy for a lightweight design
A Closer Look…
The XL may not be the racquet all the pros are using, but there is no doubt of its effectiveness in helping young players to hone their skill and technique. The head is enormous, and is also very tightly strung. The head is specifically designed to generate the maximum amount of impact with slightly less effort. In addition, the frame’s unique Airlite Alloy design makes the XL lighter than air. Beginning players seem to appreciate this because if their racquet is too heavy or they are not used to the consistent arm motions necessary for tennis, the XL goes easy on their arm so that they can play all day if they wanted to without any issues. However, because of the tightness of the head and the size of the sweet spot, there will always be the issue of over hitting the short shots. Like most racquets designed for power, controlling the ball and keeping it in bounds presents a very real challenge for many people. It really just depends on what your style of play is though. Food for thought.
The Good
- Great quality for the price
- Perfect for any beginner
- Stop Shock Sleeve feature enables the player to hit with more control, while still capitalizing on the power behind the hits
- Ultra-Light frame
- Large sweet spot
- V-Lock Bridge
The Not-So-Good
- Will need to be replaced fairly soon after player’s skill level outgrows it
- The handle is not the greatest, there have been customer complaints regarding the cheap stickiness of the material
- Difficult to drive a fast return
- Difficult to hit anything off balance with control
- If the player isn’t careful, the XL is easily damaged by accidental scraping on the court
- Easy to over hit the ball
- Customers have mentioned excessive vibration throughout the frame upon contact with the ball
Consider This One If…
You are a beginning to intermediate tennis player in the market for a racquet that can fit a lower budget. Nothing wrong with that-maybe your son or daughter is just starting out in tennis and you’re not sure if they will stick with it or not. It would be impractical to throw down a couple hundred dollars for a top-shelf brand racquet if it will see little to no use. The Wilson XL is a great racquet to start off with for honing your skills as well, it will help you to form your own technique and style.
Final Thoughts
To reiterate everything I said in the previous paragraphs, I believe that the Wilson XL is a great choice for beginning players who do not wish to spend a ton of money or who do not have great arm strength for hitting on their own. Everything about the XL is designed around user friendliness and ease of use. Now, would I trust it to win me a match at Wimbledon? No, I probably wouldn’t (Course, I would not trust ME to win me a match at Wimbledon either, now that I think about it) but for the price you pay, the XL is the perfect racquet to get things going for new players. I do not think anyone has anything to lose in giving the XL a try, so why not go for it and see what you think?