[Item Sold!] WILSON HYPERHAMMER 5.3 MIDPLUS

Hyper Hammer 5.3 Midplus

On paper, the Hyper Hammer 5.3 Midplus seems to offer an ideal blend of power, control and maneuverability. At 27.5 inches, it provides a little more leverage and reach than a standard length racquet, without impeding reaction to balls hit close to the body. It's 95 square-inch head is control-oriented, while still offering adequate space for mis-hits. The combination of 10 ounces and a slightly (3 points) head-heavy balance make the 5.3 maneuverable, without feeling too feathery or hammery.

Its relatively light stationary weight can be misleading though. Dan explains, "this racquet swings heavier than 10 ounces. It has the stability of an 11.5 ounce, head-light player's racquet but the power of a true head-heavy model." Although the 5.3 midplus is slightly head-heavy, it's not as top-heavy as most other Hammer models. Granville offers, "on the plus side, this is a well-balanced, lightweight racquet. At 10 ounces, it has the same feel as a performance frame, but not quite the same power level. On the down side, this means it's like one of the original Isuzu Troopers - a big comfortable car with only 4 cylinders - a bit under powered. Better suited to 4.0-5.0 players." Don offers a little different take, "I liked this racquet's first moment, or static weight. It feels good just picking it up. In play though, the head feels a long way from the handle, resulting in more of a Hammer-effect than I like or the numbers would indicate. Although it's less head-heavy than other Hammers, it is no lightweight."

From the baseline, the 5.3 MP offers adequate power and favors players with medium to full swings who hit a flatter ball. Dan offers, "the denser string pattern will benefit flat ball strikers and string breakers. I had an extremely hard time generating any type of heavy spin. Players with longer swings, who rely on spin may find control problems here." Don concurs, "it was weird - the head seemed smaller than 95 square inches and the string pattern seemed denser than 16x20. I had difficulty hitting with much topspin or slice. Most of my groundies ended up flatter than usual, reducing my margin for error. Also, when I hit the sweetspot, everything felt great. Off-center shots, though, weren't very forgiving." Further testimony of the 5.3 midplus' 'tweener rating comes from Mark, who says, "this is either a powerful control racquet or a controlled power racquet - take your pick. A player using control racquets and seeking more power will like it, as will a player currently using a power racquet who wants more control."

Volleys are more powerful than groundstrokes with the 5.3 MP, according to our playtesters. Granville says, "while I did struggle a bit to drive my groundstrokes, I found the racquet gave me all the touch and comfort I expect at the net playing with my ProStaff 6.0 85, but with more pop." The 5.3 MP is quick and maneuverable at net but offers more stability than other 10 ounce racquets. Don explains, "I didn't experience the twisting problems at net that occurred on off-center grounstrokes and I definitely have plenty of mis-hit volleys. Either my volleys have improved (less likely) or the 5.3 MP's weighting provides good stability. I volleyed better than expected with this racquet." Dan, an aggressive net-player, offers, "volleys were crisp and the racquet's lighter weight lended itself well in situations needing quick reactions. My only problem was figuring out how short I should make my stroke. Volleys came flying off the stringbed with the slightest forward movement."