PRICE $240
HEAD SIZE 110 sq. in.
LENGTH 27.75 in.
WEIGHT 9.9 oz.
FLEXIBILITY Firm
BALANCE 1/2 in. head light
IDEAL SWING Short to medium
NTRP 2.0–3.5

FIRST TAKE:
This game-improvement Völkl is like the Escalade of racquets: It’s big and powerful, with plenty of bells and whistles to make playing tennis as easy as possible.

COMPARE TO:
Völkl Catapult 3

HOW IT TESTED:
The first thing we noticed about the DNX 3 was the trampoline effect in the string bed, which is caused by the Catapult springs that are located at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions of the head. Covering 12 grommets on each side, these graphite springs compress when the ball hits the strings, cushioning the blow, and release for power. The racquet is further juiced with an oversize head, extra length, and DNX. “DNX” refers to the ultrastiff carbon nanotubes placed at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions of the head and above the handle, so the frame bends less on impact and transfers more energy into the ball. You’ll get plenty of pop on ground strokes, volleys, serves, and just about every other shot—older players in particular should appreciate this. The rub, of course, is that by using a racquet like this you won’t develop your strokes much. But it will take what you have and make it better.

BOTTOM LINE:
The power, light weight, and oversize head do a lot of the work for you.