Any Info on the 2013 Wilson BLX Blade?

[Federerkblade]

sexy siobhan gives her opionion

What racquets are you playtesting?

Wilson Blade 104, Babolat AeroPro Drive and AeroPro Drive +, Wilson Steam 99 and 99 S

I just finished the Wilson BLX Blade 104 playtest, which holds a special place in my heart because I played through college with the Team (the previous model, that doesn’t have the new name, paint job and Amplifeel that the new 104 does). It’s a great racquet and although I feel like I have moved on as a player and it’s not my #1 racquet of choice anymore, I still really love playing with it. With my fast swings, it’s maneuverable and it whips through the air really quickly. It allows me to access great power and spin and as I’ve always previously been drawn to the bigger head size, the sweet spot is large and comfortable. May I also mention, the new paint job is sick. Sick, as in: This. Is. Boss. It’s black and silver and is so cool it doesn’t even need another color. The entire line is actually really slick. Trust me on this one.

I’m also playtesting both the new Babolat AeroPro Drive and AeroPro Drive+ which I am really enjoying. Both of these racquets have new technology called Active Cortex which adds a cleaner, less interfered response to your shots. I’ve played a bit with the older AeroPro Drive GT a little, and this is more comfortable too. I definitely prefer the new model over the old, as the improved feel, response, and comfort are top notch (skating over the original reason I love this racquet, such as the power, control and spin potential).

I’ve also had a little play around with the Wilson S racquets (I’m on the playtest for the 99, and the 99 S). I need to put a lot more court time in with these but the response from these racquets is really cool. The 15×16 string pattern really gives you that extra spin – I was able to really rip my baseline balls, and where some shots would normally fly out, this time they drop in. They really respond to my faster swing-speed and heavier spin style of play and I can’t wait to get out on the court more with them.

Editor’s note: Siobhan just gave you another sneak peek at the new Blades that will be available on our site for pre-sale Nov. 15. The Babolat AeroPro Drive and AeroPro Drive+ go on pre-sale November 23. The new Steams will pre-sale Jan. 1, 2013.

[Federerkblade]

http://blog.tenniswarehouse.com/racq...ades-for-2013/

more sneak preview for tomorrow

[royfrombigd]

Originally Posted by Federerkblade

http://blog.tenniswarehouse.com/racq...ades-for-2013/

more sneak preview for tomorrow

Stop teasing....I want these BAD!!!

[Federerkblade]

Originally Posted by royfrombigd

Stop teasing....I want these BAD!!!

lol thats what i say to my women

[Federerkblade]

TW have taken that link down ???

[Irrelevant]

Not sure if this was posted yet but specs are up:

18x20 - http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpage-B9818.html

16x19 - http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpage-BLD9816.html

[klementine79]

^What's up with the new grip `wilson sublime'?

I guess the hybrid grip is being phased out?

[Hankenstein]

Originally Posted by klementine79

^What's up with the new grip `wilson sublime'?

I guess the hybrid grip is being phased out?

That is the without doubt most slippery grip i have ever tried! 5 minutes, then I had to add a tourna grip because it was unplayable! Shocking slippery and strange feel.

[Gemini]

Ah...the 16x19 has great potential for me. I'm may snag a couple of these just for the heck of it. The paintjobs are pretty sick and I'm loving the specs. Just enough room to customize.

[MAXXply]

I know they won't, but I wish Wilson would use the same simple black-out PJs as seen on these new Blades, and put them on their girly-white-candy-***** BLX Pro Staff range. White cosmetics on so-called players rackets just look wrong. The black cosmetics on the new BLXs tick all the right boxes for sleek, subtle and menacing.

[srvnvly]

Originally Posted by MAXXply

I know they won't, but I wish Wilson would use the same simple black-out PJs as seen on these new Blades, and put them on their girly-white-candy-***** BLX Pro Staff range. White cosmetics on so-called players rackets just look wrong. The black cosmetics on the new BLXs tick all the right boxes for sleek, subtle and menacing.

I agree: the black is very classy AND bad@ss at the same time

[UCSF2012]

I thought I'd try the Blade 98, so I bought a couple of the cheapest ones available. Problem is...the cheapest ones were black and pink. Hey, it's all about how a racket plays, right? Not how it looks.

[Torres]

Originally Posted by Irrelevant

Not sure if this was posted yet but specs are up:

18x20 - http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpage-B9818.html

16x19 - http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/descpage-BLD9816.html

Hmmm....both waaay too tip heavy for my liking.

Why do Wilson have to balance a racquet like that?

Why couldn't they produce the Tour specs in a 98? Or a 98 with the balance of the Tour? And I would have LOVED to have seen the 93 in an open pattern.

[Power Player]

The balance is what you want. Its only a 305 gram racquet. When you have a light stick with weight in the head it plays a lot bigger than it weighs. If it was too headlight, it would swing like a flywatter and not hit nearly as big.

You can counterweight the blade and make it like the tour with a leather grip and some lead.

[Torres]

Originally Posted by Power Player

You can counterweight the blade and make it like the tour with a leather grip and some lead.

Can't say that I want to spend the next 3 months constantly sticking on lead tape, playtesting, adjusting, play testing, adjusting, playtesting, adjusting.....

The Prestige MP was bad enough to correct and that was just in the upper hoop.

Weight adjustments in the handle and throat are just the worst in terms of time demands, high frustration quotient, and wasted grips (wasted by constantly peeling, lead taping, resticking, lead taping, peeling, resticking...). Leather's not the answer anyway for someone who doesn't like leather grips.

[Power Player]

The blade is not for your game most likely. It's a baseliners control stick. I love the specs personally and would hate it balanced more head light.

[mrmo1115]

Is it okay to assume that people who didn't enjoy the previous BLX version won't find much of a different opinion when they take out these out to the courts to test? I had a brief stint with the K version and found that to be a nice racquet to play with.. hated the BLX felt like I was swinging a heavy log and had no feel for the ball whatsoever, way too stiff.

[parasailing]

Originally Posted by mrmo1115

Is it okay to assume that people who didn't enjoy the previous BLX version won't find much of a different opinion when they take out these out to the courts to test? I had a brief stint with the K version and found that to be a nice racquet to play with.. hated the BLX felt like I was swinging a heavy log and had no feel for the ball whatsoever, way too stiff.

That's because the new one didn't offer a 16x19 string pattern which I think will make a significant difference in how it feels. I guess time will tell once this racquet comes out and people start to demo it.

[MAXXply]

I found this on UK tennis retailer pro[xxx][tennxx] website. It is a part of the product description/marketing hype that is listed for the Blade 93. It is a whole paragraph devoted to the Blade's black-out PJ and how and why they decided to go with it.

"The Blade has been the recipient of one of the most stunning paint jobs to ever grace a tennis racket, and the story behind it is even better. Word has it that during the testing and tweaking period, Wilson's pro players are handed matt black, undercoated 'blank canvas' frames to play with before they receive their finished articles.
Every year Wilson is asked by many of its pros if they can keep the test versions as they prefer the understated matt black finish. So, this year, Wilson has finally relented and given the Blade a stunning makeover with a matt black finish complete with classy silver detailing or a glossy black finish with white detailing inspired by their test rackets."

I'm not surprised that Wilson included this as part of their hype. We are now at a time where garish, multicoloured monstrosities are the norm for tennis rackets, so the idea of something so mindblowing and subversive as a plain black cosmetic would surely have novelty marketing appeal.

I just hope the rest of the industry takes note of the Blade's understated cosmetics and decide that they too, should return to plain, subtle and dark paintjobs for their future players rackets, and leave the white-swirly-gold-King-Tut-lollipop-pastel blue-and-bumblebee-yellow paintjobs to chick rackets and grannysticks.

[Shangri La]

Was looking forward to the 16/19 but from the reviews the 18/20 really looks tempting.