The Dunlop Sonic Core Elite 135 is a control-orientated racquet that's ideal for players with a larger swing looking to dictate the pace of rallies through accurate play.
I recently jumped on court to put this racquet to the test and review its power, control, feel, and maneuverability on a range of different shots, here are my thoughts...
(Below is our video review of the Dunlop Sonic Core Elite 135. If you'd prefer to read our review, it continues under the video)
Regardless of pace, I found the Elite 135 really comfortable and smooth to play with.
Due to the heavier weighting of 135 grams, I was able to get some power behind the ball with a larger swing while keeping the ball under control.
Although this racquet is listed as head light, I'd say it felt more evenly balanced or even slightly on the head-heavy side in-hand, making it even better for that large sweeping swing style.
When hitting volleys with the Sonic Core Elite 135, I really got a feel for the forgiveness of the racquet. The sweet spot is really big, so any time I had to react fast and hit a little closer to the edge of the frame, I wasn't too worried about miss-hitting the ball.
This might also be down to the generous 500cm2 head size, but the margin for error on off-centre hits is noticeably larger with the Sonic Core Elite 135.
Generally, I found the string bed of the Sonic Core Elite 135 to be very lively and still forgiving when taking the ball in short.
This racquet is incredibly smooth to play with and I was able to control the ball pretty well into the front corners from a number of different angles while varying the pace and slice.
The racquet's traditional frame shape and large 500cm2 head size are probably also to thank for the sublime levels of control provided by the Sonic Core Elite 135.
To test maneuverability, I hit some figure of 8 routines and incorporated a few winners and crash nicks (both straight and cross court).
As expected, this racquet wasn't necessarily the fastest to play with due to its heavier weighting of 135 grams, but, I could still react to the ball if I needed to due to the head light balance point. The risk of mishitting the ball was also pretty low thanks to the generously large sweetspot.
I'd say that the Elite 135 suits players who prefer to take their time with more measured, calculated shots. Although I could apply some real power to the ball, this racquet's real strengths lay in the slower-paced game.
When I had an extra second or two to take the ball in short with a bigger swing, I was confident that it would go exactly where I wanted it to.
I'd recommend the Sonic Core Elite 135 to players of pretty much any standard. Whether you're a club-level player or a more advanced player, I think this racquet could really benefit your game if you like to dictate the pace of play with precision and accuracy.
Also, if you like to hit with a larger swing and are looking for a bit more forgiveness when hitting the ball hard, the flex in the frame is incredibly comfortable and smooth, and the control this racquet provides is impeccable.
Overall, I’d give it a 9/10 for control, a 9/10 for feel, an 8.5/10 for power, and a 7/10 for maneuverability
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