2019 Wilson Blade

G

gutfeeling

Hall of Fame
1HBHfanatic said:
no comperason imo
old tech vs new tech!
but they are good frames
the k.blades where solid/heavier racquets for a long time.. but time moves on
Click to expand...

The kblade 98 is actually the same 304/32.5 spec as the more recent blades. I expect the feel to be different though. Also the weight distribution of the head and throat is different. Excited to hit with it!


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ChaelAZ

ChaelAZ

G.O.A.T.
Finally got in to restring and try dropping the lbs a bit like others have. For my 2015 Blades I was set right around 52lbs, but with the new V7 I dropped from the 52lbs and strung at 48 this time. Had a chance to hit in a match last night and I really like the bit more pocketing and pop on the ball. Not a huge power increase, but felt like I was getting more consistent power where at 52 I felt the ball was off the strings too quick. No change in control or launch angle I could tell. Might try dropping to 46 next time around, but like the subtle but noticeable difference.

Still not getting as muhc spin out of the frame in comparison to the 2015 with that same string and such, but enough spin.
 
W

WillGinRVA

Rookie
I’m thinking of trying the Gravity Tour. Looks to have similar specs to the v7 18x20 but lower swing weight and slightly larger head size which may help my game. Also supposedly has a higher sweetspot which is definitely where I hit the ball the most, higher on the racquet that is.
 
A

AA7

Hall of Fame
WillGinRVA said:
I’m thinking of trying the Gravity Tour. Looks to have similar specs to the v7 18x20 but lower swing weight and slightly larger head size which may help my game. Also supposedly has a higher sweetspot which is definitely where I hit the ball the most, higher on the racquet that is.
Click to expand...
i tried the gravity tour... to me control was not as good as v7.. it has a nice comfy feel to it and i think it's more powerful... but liked v7 better in the end.
 
A

AA7

Hall of Fame
ChaelAZ said:
Finally got in to restring and try dropping the lbs a bit like others have. For my 2015 Blades I was set right around 52lbs, but with the new V7 I dropped from the 52lbs and strung at 48 this time. Had a chance to hit in a match last night and I really like the bit more pocketing and pop on the ball. Not a huge power increase, but felt like I was getting more consistent power where at 52 I felt the ball was off the strings too quick. No change in control or launch angle I could tell. Might try dropping to 46 next time around, but like the subtle but noticeable difference.

Still not getting as muhc spin out of the frame in comparison to the 2015 with that same string and such, but enough spin.
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yeah this frame is so asking for lower tension... and handles it like a champ... i will go 44lbs my next string job...
 
Lozannois

Lozannois

Rookie
avocadoz said:
Has anyone played with the TF40? How does it stack up against the Blade 18x20?
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Yes I am currently playing with them side by side. It is very difficult to choose between the two. They are very close in terms of control, stability/solidity and power. The only slight difference is in feel. V7 is very plush and you feel the ball is like staying a little bit longer on the racket whereas the TF40 has more a direct feel but still very confortable. For me the TF40 feels like a mix between the v7 and the blade 2015!

I guess I will keep them Both since It's very easy to switch between the two.

Envoyé de mon ONEPLUS A5000 en utilisant Tapatalk
 
A

AA7

Hall of Fame
Lozannois said:
Yes I am currently playing with them side by side. It is very difficult to choose between the two. They are very close in terms of control, stability/solidity and power. The only slight difference is in feel. V7 is very plush and you feel the ball is like staying a little bit longer on the racket whereas the TF40 has more a direct feel but still very confortable. For me the TF40 feels like a mix between the v7 and the blade 2015!

I guess I will keep them Both since It's very easy to switch between the two.

Envoyé de mon ONEPLUS A5000 en utilisant Tapatalk
Click to expand...
which blade you settled on? 18x20?
 
time_fly

time_fly

Hall of Fame
the_faceless_player said:
Pretty sure this thread has single handedly killed resale interest in the 16x19 :-D
Click to expand...

Maybe, but I think the thread has mostly long-time Blade users and the 16x19 has always been the less popular model. So I don’t think that it’s that the v7 16x19 is inferior to previous generations‘ 16x19, its just that most Blade users continue to want a head-heavy 18x20 racquet as they always have.
 
G

gutfeeling

Hall of Fame
time_fly said:
Maybe, but I think the thread has mostly long-time Blade users and the 16x19 has always been the less popular model. So I don’t think that it’s that the v7 16x19 is inferior to previous generations‘ 16x19, its just that most Blade users continue to want a head-heavy 18x20 racquet as they always have.
Click to expand...

I really like the v7 16x19. Just need to decide if I add weight to the head and keep it or go back to the 18x20 stock. I think both patterns have the same layup. Previous versions felt like the 16x19 played stiffer/more tweenerish than the 18x20.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
S

snoflewis

Legend
time_fly said:
Maybe, but I think the thread has mostly long-time Blade users and the 16x19 has always been the less popular model. So I don’t think that it’s that the v7 16x19 is inferior to previous generations‘ 16x19, its just that most Blade users continue to want a head-heavy 18x20 racquet as they always have.
Click to expand...

isnt 16x19 selling much better than the 18x20? It certainly wouldnt seem like it based on the opinions here, but the folks in the forum are a small portion of the broader tennis population and definitely not representative of the general market.

with that said,18x20 is the way to go
 
tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
gutfeeling said:
I really like the v7 16x19. Just need to decide if I add weight to the head and keep it or go back to the 18x20 stock. I think both patterns have the same layup. Previous versions felt like the 16x19 played stiffer/more tweenerish than the 18x20.


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Click to expand...

The 16 × 19 Blade has a good swing weight. I tried adding a few grams of lead at 2 and 10 as well as 3 and 9 separately. The maneuverability suffered too much. I find adding a couple grams on the butt of the handle alone and it played really good. It really depends how much swing weight you can handle.
 
G

gutfeeling

Hall of Fame
tennis347 said:
The 16 × 19 Blade has a good swing weight. I tried adding a few grams of lead at 2 and 10 as well as 3 and 9 separately. The maneuverability suffered too much. I find adding a couple grams on the butt of the handle alone and it played really good. It really depends how much swing weight you can handle.
Click to expand...

Mine are 327 swingweight. That’s a healthy swingweight but due to the lack of weight at 3 and 9, I feel a little instability at times compared to the 18x20, especially returning hard serves. Otherwise the feel is sublime and more maneuverable than the 18x20s I have. Both patterns are the v7 model to avoid any doubt.


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tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
gutfeeling said:
Mine are 327 swingweight. That’s a healthy swingweight but due to the lack of weight at 3 and 9, I feel a little instability at times compared to the 18x20, especially returning hard serves. Otherwise the feel is sublime and more maneuverable than the 18x20s I have. Both patterns are the v7 model to avoid any doubt.


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Click to expand...

Not sure exactly what the swing weight is on my pair of 16 x 19 Blade 98 v7. Mine weigh roughly 330 grams with 2 grams on the butt and changed to a Wilson Contour grip. I would estimate the swing weight is in the high 320's. That's enough weight for me at this time. I am on 4.0-4.5 level and not currently playing with anyone above my level.

I have not hit with the 18 × 20 v7 but would imagine it's a real beast with about a 335 swing weight. Great for flat hitting and slicing the backhand! The 16 x 19 has pretty tight pattern but the control is better on the 18 x 20. I notice when the tension drops off on the 16 x 19 98 v7 the control gets a little unpredictable. I use Gosen Micro 16 because I have some arm issues after almost 30 years. However, my elbow and shoulder have been real good since I switched to the new Blade! Definitely a great racquet for players with arm problems! I also use the Angell K7 Red but it eats strings quickly so I have been using the Blade more frequently!
 
UCSF2012

UCSF2012

Hall of Fame
For those that own both 16x19 versions, what are the differences?

and can anyone put two rackets side by side and take a pic? I want to see what the deal is with the grip length change the reviews say.
 
G

gutfeeling

Hall of Fame
UCSF2012 said:
For those that own both 16x19 versions, what are the differences?

and can anyone put two rackets side by side and take a pic? I want to see what the deal is with the grip length change the reviews say.
Click to expand...

The CV version has a longer grip pallet. It looks like the v7 reverted back to the shorter blade grip pallet. It’s noticeable when you finish wrapping your overgrip on graphite instead of base grip.


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W

WillGinRVA

Rookie
WillGinRVA said:
Been playing with my v7 18x20 a bit more. I'm liking it but still wonder if I may like the stiffer CV version better (I have both). Everybody rips on the CV version due to lack of feel, but I don't really know what that is lol. Is a stiffness of 66 enough to cause arm problems though?
Click to expand...
Well, went ahead and put in an order for a matching pair of CV 18x20s with the listed specs before they're all gone. I like the stiffer hoop better on those I think, it feels more "natural" in that regardless of my swing speed I'm hitting the ball with a flat object that deflects the ball rather than my stick bending back while deflecting it, with the stick bending varying amounts based on swing force. With my v7 18x20 I can feel the flex in the hoop when I'm serving even though I have HyperG 17 in there at 57lbs. I also anticipate liking the mildly lower swingweight of the CV model.

People say they don't like the countervail due to a lack of feel or touch, but I'm not really sure what is meant by those terms. I like my existing CV 18x20 (don't know the specs of it tho) well enough and even my CV 16x19, which I also like better than my v7 16x19.
 
I

Injured Again

Hall of Fame
WillGinRVA said:
Well, went ahead and put in an order for a matching pair of CV 18x20s with the listed specs before they're all gone. I like the stiffer hoop better on those I think, it feels more "natural" in that regardless of my swing speed I'm hitting the ball with a flat object that deflects the ball rather than my stick bending back while deflecting it, with the stick bending varying amounts based on swing force. With my v7 18x20 I can feel the flex in the hoop when I'm serving even though I have HyperG 17 in there at 57lbs. I also anticipate liking the mildly lower swingweight of the CV model.

People say they don't like the countervail due to a lack of feel or touch, but I'm not really sure what is meant by those terms. I like my existing CV 18x20 (don't know the specs of it tho) well enough and even my CV 16x19, which I also like better than my v7 16x19.
Click to expand...

When players say "feel", they are talking primarily about the sensation of impact when the strings meet the ball, and to a lesser extent about how the racquet swings to get to the contact point.

Feel is really a confidence thing. By the time you sense the impact, the ball is long gone and you can't do anything to influence the shot at that point. So in the most rigid definition, feel only tells you how well you hit that shot (whether you mis-hit it or caught it clean) and your eyes will tell you the outcome of that shot so you can adjust for the next shot. So whether one racquet feels very tinny when you hit the ball and another feels plush, as long as you can tell whether you've hit the ball cleanly or not, your eyes will tell you where the ball is going and how it gets there, and you can adjust for the next swing.

Realistically, though, tennis is a game of confidence because there are so many factors not in our control. Psychologically, we need to get the maximum favorable feedback when we do something well, and a racquet that has an impact feel in line with your expectations is important.

The racquet has to also respond in line with your expectations depending on how hard you swing. If the racquet overdoes or underdoes what you are expecting from the feel of the impact, that will rob you of confidence.

It sounds like the CV versions of the Blade give you the impact feel you like, and that's totally fine. I like a very clublike, vibrationless impact feel that most players don't like, but for me it does everything I need it to and gives me the confidence to swing away.
 
tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
Injured Again said:
When players say "feel", they are talking primarily about the sensation of impact when the strings meet the ball, and to a lesser extent about how the racquet swings to get to the contact point.

Feel is really a confidence thing. By the time you sense the impact, the ball is long gone and you can't do anything to influence the shot at that point. So in the most rigid definition, feel only tells you how well you hit that shot (whether you mis-hit it or caught it clean) and your eyes will tell you the outcome of that shot so you can adjust for the next shot. So whether one racquet feels very tinny when you hit the ball and another feels plush, as long as you can tell whether you've hit the ball cleanly or not, your eyes will tell you where the ball is going and how it gets there, and you can adjust for the next swing.

Realistically, though, tennis is a game of confidence because there are so many factors not in our control. Psychologically, we need to get the maximum favorable feedback when we do something well, and a racquet that has an impact feel in line with your expectations is important.

The racquet has to also respond in line with your expectations depending on how hard you swing. If the racquet overdoes or underdoes what you are expecting from the feel of the impact, that will rob you of confidence.

It sounds like the CV versions of the Blade give you the impact feel you like, and that's totally fine. I like a very clublike, vibrationless impact feel that most players don't like, but for me it does everything I need it to and gives me the confidence to swing away.
Click to expand...

I definitely comprehend with your assessment of feel. With the new Blade 98 v7 the feel is quite spectacular compared to a lot of other modern players racquets. The response off the new Blade is very consistent and predictable! This adds to more confidence on your strokes. I found the CV Blade very numb and stiff. I didn't find the feel as consistent as the v7 Blade IMO. The comfort has improved with the v7 series. The lower flex on the V7 gives much better ball pocketing than the CV Blade. The balance is also better with V7, definitely better maneuverability. Like you said, everyone will have their own preference.
 
G

gutfeeling

Hall of Fame
In the pro player section there is a thread with an H22 pallet sticker that basically has the specifications for the frame’s construction. Surprisingly one specification is vibration frequency, which is a good indicator of how stiff a frame is. That particular H22 had a frequency of 133. I think that is in line with the v7, which in part explains its sublime feel (to me). I think most modern frames, including the CV blades, are in the 145-165 range fwiw.
 
tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
gutfeeling said:
In the pro player section there is a thread with an H22 pallet sticker that basically has the specifications for the frame’s construction. Surprisingly one specification is vibration frequency, which is a good indicator of how stiff a frame is. That particular H22 had a frequency of 133. I think that is in line with the v7, which in part explains its sublime feel (to me). I think most modern frames, including the CV blades, are in the 145-165 range fwiw.
Click to expand...

I grew up playing in the early 90's and definitely appreciate the sublime feel of the Blade v7! Most of modern players racquets are too crisp feeling for my taste. I think the Clash line is probably in the low 120's for vibration frequency. Not sure if that would play out well with the thick beam on the Clash. I have only picked up the Clash 98 but I would almost bet that the feel is going to be inconsistent with the wide beam.
 
2nd Serve Ace

2nd Serve Ace

Hall of Fame
tennis347 said:
I found the CV Blade very numb and stiff. .
Click to expand...

This is exactly how I would describe CV frames. Head graphene frames are similar but I would add "harsh" to the description in many cases.

This v7 blade line has a very unique "quick rebound" feel that I honestly haven't seen on other frames. Basically, at impact, you feel the frame give, but then it doesn't "hold" the ball that long as it wants to repel it very quickly. Compare this to the phantom pro, which has the give but then "holds" the ball for what feels like forever during the stroke.

The phantom pro, unfortunately, fell apart for me on defensive shots in competitive play and my results suffered compared to using stiffer frames. Maybe the v7 solves this issue?

Finally, when I say "quick rebound" I don't mean that any power was added, it's just simply how the strike felt.

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tennis347

tennis347

Hall of Fame
2nd Serve Ace said:
This is exactly how I would describe CV frames. Head graphene frames are similar but I would add "harsh" to the description in many cases.

This v7 blade line has a very unique "quick rebound" feel that I honestly haven't seen on other frames. Basically, at impact, you feel the frame give, but then it doesn't "hold" the ball that long as it wants to repel it very quickly. Compare this to the phantom pro, which has the give but then "holds" the ball for what feels like forever during the stroke.

The phantom pro, unfortunately, fell apart for me on defensive shots in competitive play and my results suffered compared to using stiffer frames. Maybe the v7 solves this issue?

Finally, when I say "quick rebound" I don't mean that any power was added, it's just simply how the strike felt.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I can tell you that I played with the with Prince Phantom Pro 100P for a few months. It did pocket the ball well but I find it to be too low powered and off center hits were jarring to my shoulder. IMO the Blade 98 16 × 19 v7 has a bit more pop and better comfort. You do give up on the topspin a bit. The Blade is better for flatter hitting as well as slicing. The Blade is definitely better for defensive play and has better stability IMO than the Phantom. The Blade does also play well in stock form but I added a couple of grams to the butt of the handle. Every racquet will have trade offs. For me it's about the comfort and feel of the Blade 98 v7 which is top notch compared to a lot of other players racquets. My elbow and shoulder feel great after using the new Blade for almost 3 months!
 
Power Player

Power Player

Bionic Poster
AA7 said:
Dude are you serious? Thats frgn criminal...you think you are getting a blade and you are getting something completely different.. wow i lucked out with my blades then... amazing... there is no way i am touching that wilson custom program...
Click to expand...

Yeah. Its the one thing i hate about wilson. I basically pay for a new frame plus racquet match fee so all of mine are in the same spec range. But this racquet is working so well for me that i dont mind dealing with it too much.
 
Automatix

Automatix

Legend

Any of our japanese speaking posters care to chime in what's this all about?
Development of current or future Wilson Blade 100 frames?
The blacked out one with green sticker seems to have a different shaft design...
 
W

WillGinRVA

Rookie
Automatix said:

Any of our japanese speaking posters care to chime in what's this all about?
Development of current or future Wilson Blade 100 frames?
The blacked out one with green sticker seems to have a different shaft design...
Click to expand...
Man I hope they come out with a blacked out v7 18x20. The CV 16x19 had a blacked out model, so maybe Wilson will do it again **fingers crossed**
 
D

dave t

Semi-Pro
time_fly said:
The swingweight of the 18x20 is 6pts higher than the 16x19's, and the twistweight is about 0.8 higher. It doesn't take much weight to change those numbers substantially. A few grams of lead at 3 and 9 would be more than enough to transform the 16x19 numbers into the 18x20 if someone were so inclined.
Click to expand...

Just going back to the twistweight posts. How much variation between frames can be expected? Is the TWU twistweight # an average of several racquets or just a sample? I do think its a relevant parameter for racquets but we don't get much background. It is interesting that the earlier 16x19 versions of the blade have higher twistweight than their 18x20 counterparts. For v7, this appears to be flipped. Still wondering if this is an intentional change or just the result of typical Wilson variability?

@TW Professor
 
G

gutfeeling

Hall of Fame
dave t said:
Just going back to the twistweight posts. How much variation between frames can be expected? Is the TWU twistweight # an average of several racquets or just a sample? I do think its a relevant parameter for racquets but we don't get much background. It is interesting that the earlier 16x19 versions of the blade have higher twistweight than their 18x20 counterparts. For v7, this appears to be flipped. Still wondering if this is an intentional change or just the result of typical Wilson variability?

@TW Professor
Click to expand...

I think this is an intentional change. Previously, 16x19 models also had stiffer layups than the 18x20 models. I believe the v7 16x19 is the same layup as the 18x20, with slightly different weight distribution as explained by the SW and TW differences.
 
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