Racquet Review: Dunlop SX 300 Tour

Dunlop SX 300 Tour

• Price: $219
• Head Size: 98 sq. in.
• Length: 27 in.
• Weight: 11.4 oz.
• Balance: 6 pts. HL
• Swingweight: 320
• RA Rating: 69
• Beam Width: 23 mm / 26 mm / 23 mm
• String Pattern: 16x19

What’s New

The size of the Spin Boost XT grommets on the in the throat of the SX 300 Tour have been increased by 58%. The main strings have even greater freedom at contact for enhanced spin generation. This also creates a more forgiving string bed, effectively enlarging the sweet spot. The frame is stiffer and wider than the previous generation to bolter stability. This prevents twisting for better ball speeds, spin and predictability. Vibroshield, a highly elastic vibration dampening positioned at the 3 and 9 o’clock and the throat, lowers shock and raises comfort.

What Works

Once upon a time, the SX 300 Tour was a beefy stick that brought lots of mass and swingweight to contact. This gave it a heavy shot and a stable, comfortable response, but could feel clubby through the air and challenging to play with. As the game gravitated toward more nimble models, it was more ax than hatchet.

The 2022 version altered the specs to its current head size and weight. It’s now much easier to maneuver and generate swing speed. It’s fast through the strike zone with a generous sweet spot, but still with enough mass in the hoop to deliver a big ball. But most importantly, it excels at what the frame is intended to do—put gobs of spin on the ball.

“The SX 300 Tour has been a model that I tend to dig. It's dynamic through the swing and offers a pretty unique experience compared to much of the competition.”Tester Comment

The stiff layup, wide string spacing and aerodynamic beam add up to lots of rpms and plenty of zip without needing to overcook technique. It can bust open a point with a hostile cut and mop up the subsequent midcourt sitter without much fuss. The ball jumps out of the string bed with a high launch, but it’s not so extreme that shots are difficult to corral. And if they do start to take off, you can create added margin with all that spin.

Aggressive players will like how quickly and how much fun they can have taking control of a point. Serves get a real burst of speed off the strings with respectable placement. The spin potential allows you to go after kickers and wide sliders with confidence. On returns of serve, the racquet is stable enough to block or chip the ball back with good depth from a conservative swing. And if your opponent leaves a soft second serve hanging, it’s clobberin’ time.

At contact the 300 Tour is stable and firm, although it doesn’t feel as rigid as its flex rating would indicate. It’s stiffer than the outgoing model, but doesn’t feel that way. Between the larger grommet holes, the new Vibroshield dampening and the Sonic Core material in the hoop, the racquet manages to be pretty comfortable. There’s little in the way of harsh vibrations, even on off-center hits.

And while not technically flexible, it has a unique—what one tester called “rubbery”—presence through the air. The concave V-Energy Shaft almost seems to lag, then snap forward to impact for a kind of slingshot effect. This causes the frame to perform more consistently on fuller strokes. Rolling angles or topspin lobs are more manageable than when trying to be cute on in-between shots.

At net the racquet is reasonably quick and predictable with a crisp response. It has enough stability to stand up to incoming pace and routinely punch volleys away with authority. The ball doesn’t want to stay long on the strings, so it takes some deft hands to hit softer touch shots and drop volleys.

What Needs Work

Whereas the stiffer layup provides some undeniable benefits, particularly on the serve and return, a slightly softer feel would provide a bit more control and responsiveness on touch shots. Because of the dampening technology and how quickly the ball shoots off the strings—there’s not a great deal of ball connection—it’s difficult trusting distance control on drop shots and other more subtle strokes.

It can also be a bit wild when compared to other frames with the same head size and weight. The racquet is perfectly fine with bigger targets, but it’s no laser pointer. It actually has a playability similar to a 100 square-inch racquet, which could be attractive to players looking for a more cooperative model in this category.

“As much pop as I’ve had on my serve from any frame I’ve hit in the past several months.”Tester Comment

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a forgiving, lively 98 that can put lots of spin on the ball, the SX 300 Tour certainly fits that description.