Biomimetic 300 Tour

Elliot Ball tries out Dunlop's latest racket to see if his forehand can rival Jurgen Melzer's.

The first thing you notice about the Dunlop Biomimetic 300 Tour is how staggeringly light the racket is and on close inspection I have come to realise the English brand have really gone back to their roots on their new model, using inspiration from Mother Nature herself. The name Biomimetic, meaning 'imitate life', is not the only concept Dunlop have embraced - they claim to have studied how organisms have evolved over millions of years to become highly optimised and efficient in their chosen environment. Before you ponder whether you've clicked on 'GCSE Biology help' instead of a review of a tennis racket, let me break down what this all means. When I first grasped the 300 Tour, I was acknowledging Dunlop's 305g HM6 Carbon innovation. Inspired by honeycomb, the racket is said to provide extreme strength and incredible lightness, as well as reducing racket vibration. I found when striking the ball down my local club, the ball pinged off the racket with minimum effort, allowing my half-decent technique to generate a crisp shot, while the top-spin I put onto the ball appeared to bite off the indoor carpet surface. Apparently, that was down to the Aeroskin technology which is based on Sharkskin and reduces aerodynamic drag by up to 25 per cent, allowing the beholder both racket speed and power, while the open-string pattern aids precision. It takes just a few backhand shots to realise the 300 Tour is built for a those that use a double-hander. My fellow single-handed contemporaries are likely to be more accustomed to a heavier racket and could struggle to adapt to this device. The grip is another of Dunlop's innovations, coined Gecko-Tap after spawning from the feet of a Gecko - well the idea at least. It's claimed the upgraded grip allows 50 per cent more tack than previous versions, giving you greater feel. Perhaps it was due to my oaf-like hands, but I didn't take a liking to the racket's grip and similarly big-handed players might want to consider ordering the largest grip size or buying an overwrap at least. As mentioned at the top of the feature, Austrian Melzer is the headline name who uses the 300 Tour in the professional realm and those who liken their game to the world number nine - i.e. long swings and an abundance of power - this should be your next racket. However, if you possess a single-handed backhand or require a helping hand from your racket in terms of power, then maybe Dunlop's freshest model isn't for you.