Wilson Hits Homerun with Wilson Steam 99S (mini review)

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

do you think the 105 is is more powerful than the Ezone xi100 ?

I find that it is roughly the same power as the Ezone Xi100, if anything a little less power. It does have more power then my RDIS 200 light though.

[JackB1]

So I played three sets of doubles today with the 99s and I'm really starting to like it a lot. The funny thing is I'm just liking it because it's a good solid racket and it has perfect weight and sw for me. Not for all the extra spin it's supposed to be generating . I am really impressed with how solid the racket feels overall it just performs well all over the court. Volleys, serves, groundstrokes and slices are all great. I am not finding the racket too powerful at all and it just seems to work very well for my game. To me it's just like a slightly improved juice 100. I think I just need to figure out now which model I'm going to go with, the S or just the 99 or possibly the 105. Does anyone know what the stiffness ratings are on these three models?

[TennisTodd]

I wanted to preface my post by saying that although I read this forum regularly, I rarely post anything. After hitting with several Wilson frames yesterday I felt like I had to add to relay my experience.

A little about my playing style and background:

I am a 46-year-old 5.0 former D1 college tennis player and currently ranked #12 Nationally in my age group. My playing style is all court leaning toward aggressive baseliner with a semi-western forehand and one-handed backhand. I currently play with the Head Prestige Pro with poly/multi hybrid strings at 50 lbs. My rackets are customized to 345g.

I hit with several of the new Wilson rackets yesterday for a couple of hours looking to add a little power to my game without sacrificing much control. I went into the hitting session with an open mind but leaning toward the blade (16x18 or 18x20). The blades felt very good, big improvement over the current models and I probably would have chosen the 16x18 had it not been for the 99S.

I decided to hit the 105S and 99S after reading the hype just to see if I could tell a big difference in spin. The 105 felt OK but was too light and I struggled to rein the power in and control was an issue. The 99S was sublime!! Even though the weight was light (I currently modify all frames anyway) the control of the open sting pattern was hard to believe. All the rackets were strung with 4G at 56 lbs, but the string jobs were several weeks old. The 99S had more control than the 16x18 blade and felt on par to the 18x20 blade. The spin, while more than my normal stick, was not mind blowing; but the difference was the effort needed to impart the spin. My desired shot is a “heavy” ball 2-3 feet over the net that lands in the back third of the court and I only needed to use about 1/3 of the effort as I currently do with my Prestige. I have tried many rackets over the last couple of years including the APD and the 99S is far superior in spin production and control.

The bottom line is the 99S will improve my game by allowing me to hit heavy deep balls with less effort than any other frame!

Groundstrokes: Heavy, deep balls that penetrate the court and keep my opponent on the defensive. I didn’t experience any of the “ballooning” that others have described. Slices were deep and penetrating as well.

Volleys: Biggest surprise to me were the volleys. Tons of control with ample power. Placement was within the same 6 inch target as my current stick.

Serve: Another big surprise. I could flatten out my serve without losing much control. My kick serve was out of this world. I normally can hit a second serve that lands 5 feet high on the back fence; with the 99S it was 6-7 feet.

Overall the 99S is a great stick and a “game changer” for those of you trying to take your game to the next level. As with any racket, your skill level and practice time will dictate your success.

My Wilson rep told me that 2014 Wilson will bring this technology to the player sticks. I can’t wait for 2014 and will be getting my new rackets in several weeks to start customizing.

Hope this helps some of you determine whether the hype is warranted or not, but for my vote it’s a no brainer!

[Federerkblade]

TennisTodd Great review mate

[Ross K]

Originally Posted by TennisTodd

I wanted to preface my post by saying that although I read this forum regularly, I rarely post anything. After hitting with several Wilson frames yesterday I felt like I had to add to relay my experience.

A little about my playing style and background:

I am a 46-year-old 5.0 former D1 college tennis player and currently ranked #12 Nationally in my age group. My playing style is all court leaning toward aggressive baseliner with a semi-western forehand and one-handed backhand. I currently play with the Head Prestige Pro with poly/multi hybrid strings at 50 lbs. My rackets are customized to 345g.

I hit with several of the new Wilson rackets yesterday for a couple of hours looking to add a little power to my game without sacrificing much control. I went into the hitting session with an open mind but leaning toward the blade (16x18 or 18x20). The blades felt very good, big improvement over the current models and I probably would have chosen the 16x18 had it not been for the 99S.

I decided to hit the 105S and 99S after reading the hype just to see if I could tell a big difference in spin. The 105 felt OK but was too light and I struggled to rein the power in and control was an issue. The 99S was sublime!! Even though the weight was light (I currently modify all frames anyway) the control of the open sting pattern was hard to believe. All the rackets were strung with 4G at 56 lbs, but the string jobs were several weeks old. The 99S had more control than the 16x18 blade and felt on par to the 18x20 blade. The spin, while more than my normal stick, was not mind blowing; but the difference was the effort needed to impart the spin. My desired shot is a “heavy” ball 2-3 feet over the net that lands in the back third of the court and I only needed to use about 1/3 of the effort as I currently do with my Prestige. I have tried many rackets over the last couple of years including the APD and the 99S is far superior in spin production and control.

The bottom line is the 99S will improve my game by allowing me to hit heavy deep balls with less effort than any other frame!

Groundstrokes: Heavy, deep balls that penetrate the court and keep my opponent on the defensive. I didn’t experience any of the “ballooning” that others have described. Slices were deep and penetrating as well.

Volleys: Biggest surprise to me were the volleys. Tons of control with ample power. Placement was within the same 6 inch target as my current stick.

Serve: Another big surprise. I could flatten out my serve without losing much control. My kick serve was out of this world. I normally can hit a second serve that lands 5 feet high on the back fence; with the 99S it was 6-7 feet.

Overall the 99S is a great stick and a “game changer” for those of you trying to take your game to the next level. As with any racket, your skill level and practice time will dictate your success.

My Wilson rep told me that 2014 Wilson will bring this technology to the player sticks. I can’t wait for 2014 and will be getting my new rackets in several weeks to start customizing.

Hope this helps some of you determine whether the hype is warranted or not, but for my vote it’s a no brainer!

Okay, it's official: I'm drooling. Seriously, this feedback is ticking a lot of my boxes. Can't wait to try it out.

[mad dog1]

sounds like if you've got good technique. the 99S is for real. i've seen drakulie's video hitting w/ the reissued PS85 and he's got nice, long, smooth strokes. i'm sure TennisTodd as a former D1 player also has nice strokes.

i can't wait to try the 99S now. :drooling impatiently:

[LeeD]

Now we'er going a little far.....
I tried that stick, and my second serves bounced 6' high at the baseline also, but my normal second serve takes 2 bounces to get there.
My first serves with it were much more consistent, and knocked holes thru every opponent's strings.
But best of all, my drop volleys were unreal with this racket, after I hit all winning volleys against my peers.
Be serious. Oh, and my play improved to exactly where I was yesterday.
Oh yes, I want ALL of you's to get this racket, so we will all keep the status quo.

[cork_screw]

I gotta backup some of the criticism on the 105s. It mushy feel. And it had no focus and felt very flimsy. I did not enjoy it.

[Power Player]

Originally Posted by cork_screw

I gotta backup some of the criticism on the 105s. It mushy feel. And it had no focus and felt very flimsy. I did not enjoy it.

I think the 99S is the benchmark. I should not have even demoed the 105s, but I should have the 99s this week.

[LeeD]

Maybe, 105's for weak old blind, injured players.
99s for the rest.

[KoolTennisKid]

oooooooooooo was thinking about getting myself a volkl but this sounds superb, a bit of lead tape here and there on this racket and this thing will no doubt be hitting some HEAVY BALLS!!!!

[LeeD]

I think if you used IvanLendl's 1993 racket, and hit like him, you will be hitting heavy balls up to the 6.5 levels.
Racket and strings DO make some differerence, but the player will always be 95% of the equation.
Hit like JohanKriek with his old racket of 1981, and you will beat EVERY single player you will ever face.

[JackB1]

Anyone know the stiffness ratings of the 99 and 99s?

My demo weighed in at 330 grams with overgrip.
The gripsize seems to be slightly larger on the 99s than on my Juice.
Anyone know which grip they are using on the 99s?

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by jackcrawford

Good choice, glad you have found it. Noah (7.0 player, French Open winner) played the earlier version of this frame http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Volk...LKL-VORG3.html stock on the Senior tour for a year or so, played against much heavier hitters than you find at the park or CC. Just a personal quirk what weight you use, using a heavy frame doesn't automatically make you a hot shot or using a light frame indicate a beginner.

Ha, great point.....I love the 105s even though many are hating on it.....for how I hit and my game it was amazing and better then my 2 Yonex current match frames. I still cannot decide if I will get 2 of the 105s frames or one of each

[tlm]

A friend of mine demoed the 99s and like I suspected he said it was a rocket launcher.

[dmcb101]

Originally Posted by tlm

A friend of mine demoed the 99s and like I suspected he said it was a rocket launcher.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[drakulie]

Originally Posted by TennisTodd

I wanted to preface my post by saying that although I read this forum regularly, I rarely post anything. After hitting with several Wilson frames yesterday I felt like I had to add to relay my experience.

A little about my playing style and background:

I am a 46-year-old 5.0 former D1 college tennis player and currently ranked #12 Nationally in my age group. My playing style is all court leaning toward aggressive baseliner with a semi-western forehand and one-handed backhand. I currently play with the Head Prestige Pro with poly/multi hybrid strings at 50 lbs. My rackets are customized to 345g.

I hit with several of the new Wilson rackets yesterday for a couple of hours looking to add a little power to my game without sacrificing much control. I went into the hitting session with an open mind but leaning toward the blade (16x18 or 18x20). The blades felt very good, big improvement over the current models and I probably would have chosen the 16x18 had it not been for the 99S.

I decided to hit the 105S and 99S after reading the hype just to see if I could tell a big difference in spin. The 105 felt OK but was too light and I struggled to rein the power in and control was an issue. The 99S was sublime!! Even though the weight was light (I currently modify all frames anyway) the control of the open sting pattern was hard to believe. All the rackets were strung with 4G at 56 lbs, but the string jobs were several weeks old. The 99S had more control than the 16x18 blade and felt on par to the 18x20 blade. The spin, while more than my normal stick, was not mind blowing; but the difference was the effort needed to impart the spin. My desired shot is a “heavy” ball 2-3 feet over the net that lands in the back third of the court and I only needed to use about 1/3 of the effort as I currently do with my Prestige. I have tried many rackets over the last couple of years including the APD and the 99S is far superior in spin production and control.

The bottom line is the 99S will improve my game by allowing me to hit heavy deep balls with less effort than any other frame!

Groundstrokes: Heavy, deep balls that penetrate the court and keep my opponent on the defensive. I didn’t experience any of the “ballooning” that others have described. Slices were deep and penetrating as well.

Volleys: Biggest surprise to me were the volleys. Tons of control with ample power. Placement was within the same 6 inch target as my current stick.

Serve: Another big surprise. I could flatten out my serve without losing much control. My kick serve was out of this world. I normally can hit a second serve that lands 5 feet high on the back fence; with the 99S it was 6-7 feet.

Overall the 99S is a great stick and a “game changer” for those of you trying to take your game to the next level. As with any racket, your skill level and practice time will dictate your success.

My Wilson rep told me that 2014 Wilson will bring this technology to the player sticks. I can’t wait for 2014 and will be getting my new rackets in several weeks to start customizing.

Hope this helps some of you determine whether the hype is warranted or not, but for my vote it’s a no brainer!

Thanks for your write up. Much appreciated. Glad to hear lots of posters from weekend warrior to advanced are enjoying this frame. I agree its a "game changer".

Originally Posted by JackB1

Anyone know the stiffness ratings of the 99 and 99s?

My demo weighed in at 330 grams with overgrip.
The gripsize seems to be slightly larger on the 99s than on my Juice.
Anyone know which grip they are using on the 99s?

Stiffness rating on my RDC came in at 69 (strung).

[Bartelby]

You really can't compare a prestige pro to a steam as its apples and oranges.

Originally Posted by TennisTodd

I wanted to preface my post by saying that although I read this forum regularly, I rarely post anything. After hitting with several Wilson frames yesterday I felt like I had to add to relay my experience.

A little about my playing style and background:

I am a 46-year-old 5.0 former D1 college tennis player and currently ranked #12 Nationally in my age group. My playing style is all court leaning toward aggressive baseliner with a semi-western forehand and one-handed backhand. I currently play with the Head Prestige Pro with poly/multi hybrid strings at 50 lbs. My rackets are customized to 345g.

I hit with several of the new Wilson rackets yesterday for a couple of hours looking to add a little power to my game without sacrificing much control. I went into the hitting session with an open mind but leaning toward the blade (16x18 or 18x20). The blades felt very good, big improvement over the current models and I probably would have chosen the 16x18 had it not been for the 99S.

I decided to hit the 105S and 99S after reading the hype just to see if I could tell a big difference in spin. The 105 felt OK but was too light and I struggled to rein the power in and control was an issue. The 99S was sublime!! Even though the weight was light (I currently modify all frames anyway) the control of the open sting pattern was hard to believe. All the rackets were strung with 4G at 56 lbs, but the string jobs were several weeks old. The 99S had more control than the 16x18 blade and felt on par to the 18x20 blade. The spin, while more than my normal stick, was not mind blowing; but the difference was the effort needed to impart the spin. My desired shot is a “heavy” ball 2-3 feet over the net that lands in the back third of the court and I only needed to use about 1/3 of the effort as I currently do with my Prestige. I have tried many rackets over the last couple of years including the APD and the 99S is far superior in spin production and control.

The bottom line is the 99S will improve my game by allowing me to hit heavy deep balls with less effort than any other frame!

Groundstrokes: Heavy, deep balls that penetrate the court and keep my opponent on the defensive. I didn’t experience any of the “ballooning” that others have described. Slices were deep and penetrating as well.

Volleys: Biggest surprise to me were the volleys. Tons of control with ample power. Placement was within the same 6 inch target as my current stick.

Serve: Another big surprise. I could flatten out my serve without losing much control. My kick serve was out of this world. I normally can hit a second serve that lands 5 feet high on the back fence; with the 99S it was 6-7 feet.

Overall the 99S is a great stick and a “game changer” for those of you trying to take your game to the next level. As with any racket, your skill level and practice time will dictate your success.

My Wilson rep told me that 2014 Wilson will bring this technology to the player sticks. I can’t wait for 2014 and will be getting my new rackets in several weeks to start customizing.

Hope this helps some of you determine whether the hype is warranted or not, but for my vote it’s a no brainer!

[drakulie]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Nadal hits with more spin than any other player.
.

actually, the highest recorded spin on a groundstroke was a Federer backhand slice, recorded at over over 5,300 RPMs. Yes, you read that correctly. Slice backhand.

That said, on average, Nadal does hit with more spin. However, Federer and Nadal have both been recorded at over 4,500 RPM's on their forehands.

[tlm]

Originally Posted by dmcb101

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Definitely a bad thing.