GAMMA RZR 100M Tennis Racquet Review
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 demo this racquet
Groundstrokes
Though not quite as whippy and spin-friendly as the Gamma RZR 100, the RZR 100M provides a much more solid and stable ride than its predecessor, which I prefer. The distribution of mass, like with many of this season’s frames, is concentrated towards the 10-2 o’clock area at the top of the hoop, which seems to benefit players with a good amount of vertical movement on their strokes. Though most of my strokes tend to be a little more horizontal, the mass in the head did not hinder my control when hitting to the sides of the court. My game benefited from the 16x18 pattern, as I created more than enough topspin to let the ball travel high over the net without missing long. The crisp response of the 100 square inch string bed pocketed the ball well, but to less of an extent than I expected. In other words, this racquet didn’t provide a ton of easy power especially, as you might imagine, on balls hit outside the sweet spot.
Volleys
The maneuverability with this racquet was nice, though the lack of mass in the lower part of the hoop was noticeable. If you’re not hitting balls inside the sweet spot, you might feel that this racquet gets pushed around easily. The 100M won’t provide you with exceptional power at the net, but it’s great in the feel department. I had the greatest success utilizing the deadness of the frame on drop volleys and short angles.
Serves
On serves, the performance of the RZR 100M was better than average. I had trouble finding my usual pace on my flat serves, but I was still able to place them with solid accuracy. On spin serves, the 100M produced heavy shots with good movement and precision. So, for me, the little extra weight on my spin serves made up for the mild loss of pace on my flat serves. I think a little lead tape would go a long way in increasing the MPH.
Overall
The Gamma RZR 100M is best suited to intermediate to advanced players. The feel is improved from previous generations of Gamma 100 square inch frames, yet it is still a bit raw for my liking. String selection, however, has the potential to enhance that characteristic. Players that serve/return, then camp out at, or behind, behind the baseline will enjoy the easy access to spin and depth. This frame is best for 3.5 level players or better.
About the Reviewer: Mitch Case is the Tennis Director at Woodridge Lake in Connecticut. He is also a PTR pro and a USRSA master technician.
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