The 16x19 string pattern of the Wilson Ultra Pro v4 delivered added spin and net clearance that our playtesters found invaluable from the baseline. Chris explained, "The Ultra Pro 16x19 felt fast and easy to maneuver on groundstrokes. The string pattern offered a nice launch off the stringbed, and I found my shots had plenty of net clearance. The fast feel and open string pattern also made the racquet very spin-friendly. My drive topspin shots were dipping nicely inside the baseline. I was also very happy with the depth control of my slice shots, and I didn't struggle with any of the floatiness open patterns can sometimes produce. I liked the feel and comfort of the Ultra Pro 16x19. The response was smooth and connected. The weight felt a tad light, and I'd happily beef this one up with some tungsten tape and a leather grip. My goal would be excellent stability and some additional plow-through power."

Mark found that this racquet favored his forehands. He said, "Although the Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 felt a little light in the hoop, stability was sufficient, and without a doubt, it was one of the best feeling racquets from the baseline I have tested. Spin was easy to generate, as was good net clearance, with the spacing of the 16x19 pattern being tight enough to still complement my backhand slice. Until shot depth and pace got excessive from my opponent, I was able to absorb pace, consistently keep my groundstrokes landing deep and hit more forehand winners than expected. In particular, the inside-out forehand was easier for me to hit with the Ultra Pro v4 compared to other racquets I play."

Playing points with this Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 felt almost magical to Michelle. She said, "The paint on this racquet is beautiful, which made me want to love the racquet! This playtest was the opposite of what normally happens for me. I found that I didn't love drilling with this racquet, but taking it into point play was nearly flawless! The feel was a bit more dampened than what I like, and it felt like a great platform for customization because it was fast and lower powered. At times I was missing the sweetspot and noted some instability, but again, I think a tiny bit of customization would dial it in and solve that. I could have used a bit more weight in the hoop to get some plow through going, but once in points, I felt like I was taken back to my glory days. I felt really confident building longer points and letting balls rip. Maybe there was some magic dust in the sparkly blue mermaid paint? I'm not going to question it!"

The simplicity of this racquet resonated with Troy. He said, "I was eager to try this 16x19 version of the Ultra Pro v4. I tested the Ultra Tour back in 2018, and I gave it strong consideration as my racquet of choice. That said, in the end I was left wanting a bit more spin and an easier launch angle or net clearance. In stock form, the Ultra Pro v4 is very maneuverable and whippy, so that translated to easy racquet head speed, and I could generate a lot of topspin. A slight downside was that the 18x20 version of the Ultra Pro felt a bit more solid and gave me more connection to the ball. On a positive note, I preferred this Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 much more on my groundstrokes and for generating easy topspin. The best thing about this racquet for me was the lack of frills — no bells or whistles, just good ol' classic graphite thin-beam construction."

The playtest team was impressed with the quick response and soft feel of the Wilson Ultra Pro v4 at the net. Mark had zero complaints about the racquet's performance in this category. He said, "The Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 was nearly perfect for me at net. Its soft yet crisp feel, combined with an 11.4-ounce strung weight, made it easy to deliver effective volleys with the right amount of touch versus punch, depending on the circumstance."

"The two standout features for me on volleys with the Ultra Pro 16x19 were feel and maneuverability," Chris added. "I felt very connected to my volleys with this racquet. I liked the way the ball came off the stringbed, and I had a good feel for the depth and direction of my shots. I also felt like I could react very quickly with this racquet in my hands. Stability was better than expected considering how fast this racquet felt."

The Wilson Ultra Pro v4 stood out to Michelle for the touch she got on her shots at net. She described, "This racquet felt soft at the net, which is not my favorite, but it held up fairly well against most balls. It was ultra maneuverable and offered me plenty of touch. There were a few times when I thought I had overhit and the ball stayed in bounds, which was a pleasant feature I kept finding."

Troy is familiar with the Wilson Ultra Pro in the 18x20 string pattern and offered a comparison to that racquet. He said, "Like the 18x20 version, this Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 is very fast and maneuverable at the net. I found pretty good stability on contact, considering how light this racquet felt, but I would still want to add some weight and beef this racquet up a bit to help with the overall stability and to provide easier depth on my volleys. With the open string pattern, I could easily grip the ball and impart slice on my volleys, which made drop volleys fun to hit. I found a good amount of precision and felt like it was easy to find my targets, but if I am being picky, the 18x20 version gave me a bit more precision and a better connection to the ball on contact."

No matter their individual play style, our playtesters all enjoyed serving with the Wilson Ultra Pro v4 very much. Michelle had fun going for broke with this racquet. She said, "I have loved serving with the past few racquets I have playtested, and this Wilson Ultra Pro v4 fell right into that category. I loved hitting first serves with this racquet. Big, flat serves. Specific targets. It was all working in harmony! My second serves were good as well, but as I have said recently, I didn't want to go for second serves and would much rather hit two bigger first serves (so low percentage, but so much more fun)."

Serves were the high point of this playtest for Mark. He said, "As good as the Wilson Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 was from the backcourt and around the net, my percentages and level of comfort on serve were great with this racquet. Not by a long shot, but my favorite shot to hit with the Ultra Pro v4 was the serve."

The spin Chris achieved on his serves impressed him. He described, "I found it easy to snap the Ultra Pro 16x19 through contact for solid pace and spin on serves. I wasn't hitting the heaviest serves, but I liked the heat I could get on my T serves. When looking to spin the ball wide of my opponent or into their body, I liked the action I got on the ball. On my second serves, I was able to go high over the net and spin the ball in for a very consistent serve."

Troy liked hitting kick serves with this racquet. He said, "Very easy spin and speed came with this Ultra Pro 16x19 v4. I wouldn't say this racquet was big on power when it came to serving, like a Babolat Pure Drive Plus or Yonex EZONE 98+, nor did it have the thumping power or hefty plow of the Yonex Percept 97H, but the racquet speed came very easily. The more I ratcheted up the racquet speed, the easier it was to get ball speed on my flat serves up the middle. That said, the best part was hitting the heavy toppers and the kickers. With a sharp poly string in this Ultra Pro 16x19 v4, like Luxilon ALU Power Spin, I was able to grip the ball easily, and my spin serves were coming off the racquet with a ton of rotation. I loved going for my kick serve. The open string pattern, paired with the maneuverability, made it easy for me to hit sharp angles off the court."

The Wilson Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 allowed our playtesters to be aggressive with their serve returns because it offered plenty of control. Chris said, "I really enjoyed the Ultra Pro 16x19 on returns. Everything came together in terms of maneuverability, feel, spin and control. My favorite returns were when I was attacking the ball with some racquet head speed. In those instances, the Ultra Pro 16x19 responded well, giving me pace and spin without sacrificing control. Some added weight would be useful on block returns, but I still found those pretty successful with the racquet in stock form."

Michelle felt secure taking big swings on her returns. She said, "I was expecting to struggle with my returns based on the softer, more dampened feel I found when drilling from the baseline. But again, in point play I found confidence striking the ball and building off a strong return. I brought my targets in ever so slightly and was rewarded with consistent ball striking. This racquet allowed me to hit out with confidence, and the lower powered response paired well with my big swings."

The versatility between touch shots and bigger returns impressed Mark. He said, "Returning serves with the Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 was the part of this playtest where I really got a sense of whether the Ultra Pro 16x19 was stable enough for my needs. Although it is a general term, I have to say this is a very well-balanced racquet."

The Ultra Pro 16x19 v4's quick response, combined with good control and net clearance worked well for Troy's game. He noted, "Like the 18x20 version, this Ultra Pro 16x19 v4 felt very maneuverable, making it easy to get the racquet into place when facing high-speed serves. This easy maneuverability made it a good option for me when returning in doubles. I found great control, and it allowed me to generate easy racquet speed. I also liked the 16x19 string pattern for that slightly higher launch angle on my returns, finding easy net clearance. The spin potential was also beneficial on those doubles returns cross court. It helped me dip the ball down at my opponent's feet and hit sharp angles easier than I could with the Ultra Pro 18x20 v4. The main concern I had, as with the 18x20, was that its low swingweight left me wanting more plow through. I think some added head weight would be a good fix to help me get easier depth on my returns and a little more stability against big-hitting servers."