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

[Power Player]

I did not get the 99s today, but i am up next. I did get the 105s. Anyone have the specs for this thing? I know it is light (10.2), but I was looking for SW or balance so I could try and make it a little heavier.

[racertempo]

Originally Posted by Power Player

I did not get the 99s today, but i am up next. I did get the 105s. Anyone have the specs for this thing? I know it is light (10.2), but I was looking for SW or balance so I could try and make it a little heavier.

105s =

Length 27.5"
Unstrung weight = 10.2, so TW gives Strung weight which should be about 10.8
Balance = 8pts HL unstrung

I found another site that has listed strung specs as:

10.8 and 4pts HL

[Power Player]

Cool..ill just play it stock, but that is real light. any guess on swingweight?

[bad_call]

Originally Posted by Power Player

Yeah I naturally change between SW and western grips without thinking too much. If my shots are launching, I end up more western. I hit with a lot of spin so it seems like the Blade forces me to go a little flatter, which is nice.

That being said, I adjust. I just prefer hitting lower trajectory lasers over looping strokes. It sounds like the 99s does both from the reviews so far. I guess I will find out soon enough.

Hank saying that he played a different game with the 18x20 Blade compared to the steam is what got me thinking about all this.

doesn't read like the 99s would suit this player's strokes. using the yy200 many balls clear the net by only a couple inches on the fh side...the antithesis of the torreball.

[Gemini]

Originally Posted by JackB1

which shop in Midtown? IPlay?

Yes. IPlay. When I picked it up, Dan, the owner mentioned that I wouldn't like it because it was way too powerful. I think he meant relative to my game since he knows I'm very capable of generating my own pace. My history of racquets shows I'm more comfortable with the Prestiges and Pro Staffs of the racquet world.

[thecrusher956]

Originally Posted by Gemini

Yes. IPlay. When I picked it up, Dan, the owner mentioned that I wouldn't like it because was way too powerful. I think he meant relative to my game since he knows I'm very capable of generating my own pace.

Isn't that where the spin comes in?

[2ManyAces]

got my 2nd pure storm today first time owning 2 of the same sticks, feelsgoodman!

[Federerkblade]

Check this

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/tec...-tennis-racket

Every tennis manufacturer out there claims to use the newest technology to give the best results.

Thus, every new racket is the "best yet" -- more spin, more control and certainly more power.

But do they deliver?

Well, the Steam 99S from Wilson is the latest innovative racket on the scene, with new tech designed to help players put better spin on the ball.

In this Gear Test, ESPN Playbook enlisted Andrew Carter, the University of Louisville’s three-time Big East champ and current pro, to put the new Steam through its paces and see if the hype is at all justified.

PRODUCT: Wilson Steam 99S, $219.99; available January 2013

WHAT IT’S SUPPOSED TO DO: Using Doppler radar technology, Wilson was able to accurately measure the spin placed on a tennis ball when hit.

By putting fewer strings on the Steam 99S -- the string pattern is a spread-out 16 x 15, as opposed to the more common 16 x 18 or 19 x 18 -- the company believes the racket can boost spin by up to 200 RPM.

More spin means more room to work the ball. Wilson claims the added spin effectively lengthens the court by a foot while making the net up to two inches lower. In theory.

What does this mean? Well, pros using the Steam will become spin wizards, and your average club regulars will start hitting shots they never dreamed they could.

DOES IT WORK? Here’s the good news: Wilson has made one heck of a racket.

For starters, for a racket that weighs only 10.7 oz., the Steam 99S has oodles of power -- something Carter found when he pummeled some balls.

“The racket produces a lot more pop,” Carter said. “Much more than usual on a Wilson racket. When you hit it in the sweet spot, it has a lot of pop.”

Wilson typically makes rackets with smaller head sizes that come with smaller sweet spots -- but everything is that much bigger with the 99S. For players who trade backcourt bombs, the 99S will be a powerful weapon.

It also delivers slice shots that Carter described as “unbelievable." They’ll stay so low your opponent will be scraping his racket along the floor the whole match, hopefully throwing in plenty of McEnroe-esque cursing to boot.

But here’s the less good news: It's that spin again. While the 99S definitely generates extra spin, for the elite player it could be the unwanted kind.

“When Nadal hits the ball, he hits rockets,” Carter explains. “With this [99S], it’s like hitting balloons. When Nadal hits it, the ball goes straight through, but this ball sits up.”

Translation: You'll get plenty of spin, but the ball may spin up at a higher vertical angle, which could give your opponent more time to hit the ball back. Against a casual player, this effect might be negligible, but against a pro it could make a big difference.

Another small complaint from Carter about the 99S is that while power isn’t lost because of the light weight, control can be. When hitting off-center shots, the racket can feel unstable.

“On volleys, if you don’t hit it exactly in the sweet spot, it’s going to twist in your hand because it’s too light,” Carter says. "Someone of a higher ability would probably need to start digging out their lead-weight tape."

PRODUCT 2.0: Wilson wants you to get oodles of spin using the 99S, and it wants you to use Luxilon strings (made by Wilson) to achieve this.

Ideally, buyers of the 99S will get it strung with Luxilon strings in lieu of the cheaper generic Wilson strings. Most people buy racquets and yet rarely restring them, but if you want to maximize your Steam experience, make sure you get the strings to do it.

In conclusion: Wilson has made a very, very good racquet, but like all things in life it isn’t quite perfect -- yet.

[Federerkblade]

would be interesting to hanks view on that article above and also drakulie and all other play testers

[Nostradamus]

which is better ? this one or babolat aeropro drive 2013?

[grimmbomb21]

Originally Posted by Nostradamus

which is better ? this one or babolat aeropro drive 2013?

Definitely one of them for sure...

[thecrusher956]

The ball just sits up if you try to add spin, or if you try to play flat as well?

[sureshs]

I think Wilson knew the pros and cons, and that is why did not introduce the spin effect for the elite frames (till now at least).

Interesting question is whether the ball would still sit up if the same open pattern was used in an elite heavy frame.

[gplracer]

The 99s is 27.5 inches long? I was hoping for 27.

[LeeD]

Do we ever gain anything without some loss somewhere?
More spin? More wear and tear on the LESS strings?
Big spin at sweetspot, but hinted maybe not the same response off center?
Less precise control on harder swings at harder incoming balls?
Seldom do we gain anything without a loss somewhere.

[sureshs]

In this case, yes.

But when we went from wood to graphite, did we "lose" anything in terms of performance (not talking about opinions about the game)? I don't think so. We gained more power, more spin, more comfort and less weight.

[Gemini]

Originally Posted by thecrusher956

Isn't that where the spin comes in?

Maybe. I didn't actually get to hit with the 99S but the owner knows me well enough that I trust his opinion...to an extent.

A little background about me. I grew up playing on a mixture of clay and hardcourts. Regardless of surface, I used to play with SEVERE topspin off of both sides. In my teens, I learned to flatten out the ball more and use less spin in general except when the situation dictated it. The one thing I've learned in making that change is that if I have to change racquets, I never want to choose a racquet that causes me to alter my swing path so severely that I have to "re-learn" my strokes. That's part of the reason why I'm not really comfortable with the Pure Drive/Aeropro racquets.

What the shop owner was implying..I think...is that for my current stroke mechanics I would find the racquet too powerful and would not be able to bring the ball back down into the court. I won't know if that's true or not until I have time to hit with the 99S.

[Gemini]

Originally Posted by gplracer

The 99s is 27.5 inches long? I was hoping for 27.

The 99S is 27 inches. The 105S is 27.5 I believe.

[gplracer]

Thanks that is good news!

[LeeD]

Problem I see is .....
The reason they came up with 18x20 stringing is to provide more control for hard hit shots against hard hit shots.
Now you're going to LESS strings, and bigger racket head. I think LESS control against hard hit shots, if you hit hard also.
Does that Wilson really have more power AND control than an AeroPro or a Dunlop500? Or the new stiffer Head Speeds?
Remember, all those stiff rackets gain a bunch of power and spin from looser stringing, as they have more strings than the new 99S.