New Wilson Steam 99- Not The S
 

Several threads and talk about the new Steam 99S. I haven't seen much written/discussed about the regular Steam 99. If there is already a thread, I apologize, but didn't find one in the search. Just wondering if anyone had any feedback on this racquet, and if so, would also appreciate any thoughts on string suggestions. The specs look good. SW maybe a little higher than I normally play with, but would probably help with my one hand bh. TW says power level is low-med. Was thinking of trying one with a gut/poly combo. Finally, if anyone has also played with the new Blade (16 X 19) and could compare, that would be great.Thanks in advance.

Bump... im interested in the above racquets as well.

Nobody has tried the regular Steam 99?

I've tried it briefly with my friend's 99.
At first, I wasn't aware that it was not a 99s.
But I noticed a huge increase in spin, from the pro staff 90 I normally use.
Maybe it's all in the head, but it indeed allowed much greater top spin.

I hit with both, though not at the same time. I didn't like the S at first, but by the end of my demo period, I really liked it, especially the power on deep shots (approach or from the baseline). The non-S is ok, but I had more trouble with maneuverability, which is weird because it is supposed to have a lower swingweight than the S. When I was prepared, ground strokes were awesome, but volleys just ok - volleys with the S were mostly good (read: better). The S was strung with 4G and the non-S was strung with Sensation 16, and I am die hard fan of 17g string. So, I don't know if a 17 would give me better results for the non-S or not.

One interesting note: I hit with the 105 S version and it had some WICKED power, strung with 4G in the mains and Gut in the crosses (in fact, my friend is selling me his 105) and when I picked up the non-S version, I was hitting almost all short balls. I partially blame this on being a little tired, but it was interesting all the same.

Very interesting comments. Are you moving from the Blade to the 105S then?
I have liked but not loved the 99S and I loved the Blade 98 (but found it uncomfortable - black/gold blx) and was thinking that the non-S 99 might be a happy medium between the two. What do you think?

105S is intriguing also.

Did you find that one could play with the Steam 99 with a semi western fh? I hit with a fair amount of topspin, but not a full western fh with massive topspin. Also concerned how it was for someone with a one hand bh. Thanks in advance.

The 105S is more of a toy for me; I need to pull it out of the bag against my harder-hitting friends, just to see if it would make a difference. The 99 felt good on some shots, but felt clunky on some volleys. It's weird that its supposed to swing lighter than the 99 S, but it didn't seem as maneuverable. I ordered a customized Speed Graphene MP, modded to 11.4 oz, 3points HL, and SW of 328, strung with X1B 17 at 50 lbs. I am anxious to see how this "experiment" turns out.

I hit with a semi-western FH and had my share of deep in balls, as well as a number hit just long. The spin is still very good. I also hit with a 1HBH and there were both good and bad shots; in the high-level singles and doubles matches I played, footwork was the difference. Best advice is to demo; I'm surprised that TW is late to the party with demos, as I had to go elsewhere. I love the Blade 98 (black & gold) for singles; not so much for doubles. Hopefully, my modded Graphene MP can do both.

Thanks. I definitely need to demo. Interesting that TW rates the Steam 99 as lowered power than the Blade 98 16x19. I was thinking that the SW of the Steam would be a big benefit. Interesting that some of the play testers and others find that it leads to less maneuverability.

Keep us posted. I tried a demo of the Speed MP that was strung full bed Sonic Pro. It felt very good to swing, but felt under powered to me, with many balls landing short. Parasailing noted the same in another thread. Interested to see what you think with full bed X1B.