ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 79

It took a minute for our playtesters to dial in the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour at the baseline, but after finding their rhythm, they were able to appreciate its unique attributes. Andrew highlighted the racquet's control, touch and plow-through, saying, "From the start of this review, I knew I was hitting a ProKennex. The racquet had a comfortable feel, and (as I always HAVE to do with ProKennex racquets) I could shake the racquet to hear the Kinetic technology. Once I got in the groove after a warm-up, I found the racquet had three things I enjoyed: control, touch and plow-through. It was surprisingly beefy for a 300-gram frame, and it provided plenty of power, but I never felt as if my shots were challenging the lines. That brings me to the control element. With the Ki Q+ Tour, I could hit precision shots all over the court with slice and topspin, and I could easily dictate where the ball would go. However, the racquet did feel a little mushy at times, most notably when hitting outside the sweetspot. I could really see this racquet performing well in the hands of heavy hitters who want the most comfort."

Also noting the Ki Q+ Tour's comfort, Austin added, "Groundstrokes with the Ki Q+ Tour were largely a mixed bag. Outside of comfort and touch, it was difficult to distinguish what the best part of the racquet's 'baseline package' was. The racquet's already-low stiffness (61 RA) combined with its multitude of vibration-dampening technologies (notably the Kinetic Energy Chambers) to make contact very plush and comfortable, but it took some time for me to gauge the trajectory and depth of my shots due to the lack of feedback from the flexible beam. Considering its flexibility, the Ki Q+ Tour does remain pretty stable through slices and blocked shots."

Both Zsofi and Howard noted that timing could make or break groundstrokes with the Ki Q+ Tour. Zsofi said, "Timing was super important with this frame! I am brand new to the ProKennex kinetic technology, and it took some time for me to get used to it. At first, I felt that the shifting of the moveable mass in the racquet almost 'broke' my swing. This meant that I had to prepare a bit earlier to make sure I hit the ball at the right time. This was something I was able to get used to with some adjustments and practice. If my timing was right, my shots were deep and easy. I especially enjoyed the racquet more on flat groundstrokes versus when I tried to really pick the ball up and generate a lot of spin."

Howard struggled to find his shots from the baseline with the Ki Q+ Tour. He explained, "On groundstrokes, I had a difficult time contacting the ball in the sweetspot. I normally feel super comfortable swinging a racquet with a 98-square-inch head, but that was not the case with the Ki Q+ Tour. Timing was key with this racquet; if I swung too early I found myself mis-hitting the ball. I was able to get a good combination of power and control, and this was especially noticeable in singles play, where I was able to move my opponent around the court and sneak into the net to finish off points."

Volleys - Score: 84

The control, touch and comfort of the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour were again the standout qualities when it came to net play. For Austin, volleys were the highlight of this playtest. He said, "Volleys were easily my favorite stroke to hit with the Ki Q+ Tour. With the stability the racquet offers, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself attacking the court and rushing the net with any short ball I could jump on. The Ki Q+ Tour's thin, box-beam profile and overall maneuverability made getting both my hands and body in position extremely easy."

"Personally, I enjoyed the Ki Q+ Tour at net," Andrew added. "The control, touch and plow through transitioned well when hitting volleys. The mushy feel I was experiencing from the baseline was not nearly as prevalent at net, and having a wide variety of weaponry, from drop volleys to deep penetrating volleys, made the Ki Q+ Tour a fun racquet to utilize at net."

The racquet's soft feel continued to pose a challenge for Zsofi. She noted, "Volleys felt pretty smooth, and I was able to get easy depth. However, I struggled a bit with finding that sweetspot since I am not really used to a frame that is as muted as the Ki Q+ Tour."

Struggling to find a rhythm with the Ki Q+ Tour, Howard said, "I had difficulties on volleys with the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour. It wasn't difficult to get into position for volleys, but I lost complete feel as soon as the ball contacted the stringbed."

Serves - Score: 81

Our playtesters had mixed reviews when it came to serving with the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour. Austin's serves didn't get boosted in a big way. He explained, "When hitting more powerful first serves, it took some time to dial in the timing of my service motion due to the racquet's flex. Even when I did begin to find my 'sweetspot' on the serve, I caught myself wanting both crisper racquet feedback and slightly more plow through. Second serves were a bit more rewarding and productive due in large part to the racquet's maneuverability and head-light balance."

Finding serving his least favorite part of this playtest, Andrew said, "While the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour was an asset to my game at net, I didn't prefer it on my serves. The higher swingweight made it difficult for me to generate tons of pace, and the racquet produced less spin than my racquet of choice. Flat serves were great, though. With the plow through and control I could hit a heavy flat serve and keep the ball in play."

Howard appreciated the accuracy this racquet provided on serves. He said, "At first, serving was a personal struggle with the Ki Q+ Tour, but toward the end of the playtest I was able to find a rhythm with my serve. Although I was not able to put a great amount of power and spin into my serve, I could still get great precision. I was able to hit my serve out wide and down the T with accuracy."

Unlike the rest of the team, Zsofi found serves to be the standout part of playing with the Ki Q+ Tour. She said, "Serves and overheads were my favorite shots with this racquet. I felt like those were the shots where I was able to utilize the kinetic technology the most. I had great control and stability on my serves."

Returns - Score: 80

Our playtesters found that the stability and plow through came together when they were returning with the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour. Austin described, "While I didn't feel like I could hit every angle with the Ki Q+ Tour, I did find myself settling into an easy rhythm, both in terms of pace and shot selection, from the very first return. On returns, the muted response and flexible feel were not as apparent as they were on groundstrokes, and I was getting a lot more punch on my returns."

"Contrary to serves, the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour worked well with my return game," Andrew added. "I am a heavy counter-punch returner, and the plow through from the racquet provided a nice, stable feel when returning serves with pace. The racquet complemented my flatter backhand, so I was able to feel confident when I needed to return serves off my weaker side. As with other shots, contact outside of the sweetspot resulted in a slightly mushy feel, but the benefits from the stability, comfort and precision outweighed this downside."

Timing was key for a good return game according to Zsofi. She said, "Again, timing was everything! If I was able to prepare on time and hit the ball at the perfect moment, the Ki Q+ Tour felt very smooth, and I was able to create some nice angles and open the court with my returns."

Finishing up the Ki Q+ Tour's review with his favorite aspect of this frame, Howard said, "Returns were my favorite part of playtesting the ProKennex Ki Q+ Tour. Although this frame does not have a tremendous amount of power, I felt comfortable placing my returns down the line and cross court. I was able to open the court with precision and plan my next shot."

Overall - Score: 80