On court – The pros
The Donnay Formula 100 is, above all, a very pleasant racket. It allows one to play at a medium-high pace without any effort, easily finding depth and good ball speed.
The flat shots as well as the spin shots are good, favored by a balanced drilling of the strings, not too widely spaced, and a marked flexibility of the frame, noticeable from the first shots even at medium-low rhythm.
The feel is good, and the handling perception is remarkable. The low stiffness is felt naturally from the first rallies thanks to the low frequency vibration that is perceived through the hand.
The XENECORE thermo-expanding polyurethane foam used in the frame construction does the job, giving this racquet a unique and very distinctive dynamic response that can fascinate and enchant.
The low-frequency vibration of the frame is felt, but there are “negative” vibrations and no impact shocks even though you have to appreciate and get used to the particular feeling of a racquet with this low level of stiffness, which is uncommon to find on the market except with old fiberglass frames or wood-carbon hybrids.
The “sweetspot”, the useful impact area for the ball, is large, and allows one to fully enjoy the ease of exchange even in recovery and tends to give preference to central shots due to the homogeneity of stiffness displaced downwards. The laboratory data is confirmed on court where it is underlined that it is preferable to hit centrally rather than at the upper part of the stringbed to take full advantage of the qualities of the frame.
At the serve the racquet is characterized by its ease even if not particularly bad or ferocious, but always sensitive and “polite”. Slice performance is excellent, and the kick is more difficult as are flat shots for which one can feel the inherent limitations of the limited weight, the very strong flexibility of the frame and the consistency of the top of the hoop.
Volleys are easy, favoured by the very high maneuvrability and mobility of the frame, which allows it to move easily. The Formula 100, as per tradition, confirms itself as an excellent doubles companion also for the specialists of the sector.
