I bought two of these after test playing them. Coming from the 2020 Ezone 98 it was impressive how much more control this racquet offered. One of the racquets neck broke though. I use a loose grip on my serve and it ended up slipping through my fingers. The neck completely shattered. Still my favorite racquet. Might even buy another, but it's very irritating how fragile it is.

As the lightest/nimblest of the three 97’s in the lineup, the Percept 97 310g seems to be the one most benefiting from the updates. The knock on the previous 3 iterations was that, though highly maneuverable, they lacked any meaningful punch. As such, the 97 though very much of the mold of a control oriented, thin beam, flex forward racquet, its swing weight and at times anemic response on contact left many wanting more. This Percept 97 seems to have at least moved the needle towards that direction. Though little has changed as far as the numbers suggest, the increased stiffness in the hoop is the primary factor which gives this version that little added pop that was sorely missing from the previous versions. It’s not a major breakthrough as it still just below 320 swing weight, but is enough to where one can feel & see the benefits of the firmer layup. So if you’re looking for a transformative change, this isn’t quite it. If plough and stability are tops of your list, then the D or H versions is where you should be spending more time at. Still, I found just enough improvement overall in terms of enhanced feel/connection with the ball as well as some added oomph behind all the shots. The 16x19 pattern and nice head light balance and thin profile really allows you to accelerate into the ball with speed and confidence. That confidence continued up at net where again, the firmer hoop paid dividends as volleys felt more direct, solid, and less likely to deflect if not hit square. All translates to a crisper, more responsive frame at net which was sorely lacking in the previous versions. The Percept still maintains a fairly muted overall feel but with a more distinct flex point (mid-throat) and a touch better dwell time on impact. I’ve always seen the 97 as a direct competitor with the Wilson Blade but now I find it more in between a blade and a PS 97 given the added firmness up top. So if control and more traditional even flex, that’s light enough to be a solid platform frame to tinker with, I’d definitely have the Percept 97 on my short list.

As the lightest/nimblest of the three 97s in the lineup, the Percept 97 310g seems to be the one most benefiting from the updates. The knock on the previous 3 iterations was that, though highly maneuverable, they lacked any meaningful punch. As such, the 97 though very much of the mold of a control oriented, thin beam, flex forward racquet, its swing weight and at times anemic response on contact left many wanting more. This Percept 97 seems to have at least moved the needle towards that direction. Though little has changed as far as the numbers suggest, the increased stiffness in the hoop is the primary factor which gives this version that little added pop that was sorely missing from the previous versions. It’s not a major breakthrough as it still just below 320 swing weight, but is enough to where one can feel & see the benefits of the firmer layup. So if you’re looking for a transformative change, this isn’t quite it. If plough and stability are tops of your list, then the D or H versions is where you should be spending more time at. Still, I found just enough improvement overall in terms of enhanced feel/connection with the ball as well as some added oomph behind all the shots. The 16x19 pattern and nice head light balance and thin profile really allows you to accelerate into the ball with speed and confidence. That confidence Carrie’s through up at net where again the firmer hoop pays dividends as balls are more direct and less likely to deflect if not hit square. The Percept still maintains a fairly muted overall feel so very much in line with its predecessor but with a more distinct flex point (mid-throat) and a touch better dwell time on impact. I’ve always seen the 97 as a direct competitor with the Wilson Blade but now I find it more in between a blade and a PS 97 given the added firmness up top. So if control and a more traditional even flex with greater maneuverability and improved stability, this frame is what you’re looking for, I’d definitely have the Percept 97 on my short list.