Blade V8 Official Thread.

emaz8724

Rookie
Raonic’s Atlanta Open match starts at 7 pm eastern on the tennis channel. He will be the first pro to debut the v8 on television.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AA7

FIRETennis

Professional
Raonic’s Atlanta Open match starts at 7 pm eastern on the tennis channel. He will be the first pro to debut the v8 on television.

I would be shocked if he's actually playing a tournament with a brand new layup...
He's been using a KBlade 98 62RA 360SW 343g 33.1cm

PS. I hope Wilson fixes the low twistweight on the 16x19 version, it's terrible combined with their freeflex.
 

emaz8724

Rookie
I would be shocked if he's actually playing a tournament with a brand new layup...
He's been using a KBlade 98 62RA 360SW 343g 33.1cm

PS. I hope Wilson fixes the low twistweight on the 16x19 version, it's terrible combined with their freeflex.

of course it’s pro stock with the new paint job. Pros rarely change molds in their careers from what I’ve read over the years.
 

DJTaurus

Hall of Fame
Look at that price Wilson and wonder why it’s so high….. also we are talking about the S version which is not so popular…..
20-DA9-CC8-4-C80-4-BAD-AE30-77-F7-D13-C7-F6-C.jpg
 

yessir

Semi-Pro
Blade v8 98 16x19

Specifications:
Weight (unstrung): 305 g

Balance (unstrung): 32 cm

Stiffness: 69 Ra

Swingweight (unstrung): 315

String pattern: 16 x 19

Cross-section: 22 / 22 / 22 (mm)

315 sw unstrung?? Must have been the famous wilson qc
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Blade v8 98 16x19

Specifications:
Weight (unstrung): 305 g

Balance (unstrung): 32 cm

Stiffness: 69 Ra

Swingweight (unstrung): 315

String pattern: 16 x 19

Cross-section: 22 / 22 / 22 (mm)

315 sw unstrung?? Must have been the famous wilson qc
69RA?
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
^^^ 69RA Unstrung or strung?
I bet it’s unstrung….but still, 66 strung is way higher than I thought they would go…the graphite material/tech is there to dampen is my guess…makes me think they are pushing the Blade more towards the pro staff in terms of feel and away from the Clash…v7 is 62 RA, where as the v13 pro staff is 66.

is the new blade a 305 pro staff with one more square inch?
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Would have to test it when they come out but with that stiffness I might just stick with the v7
It’s a very specific choice…maybe they think players who need flex will just go to the Clash…I think the stiffness makes it a less distinct racquet…
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
If that stiffness is accurate I’ll just stick with my gravity’s lol
I keep hearing about how older blades were
Firmer and better…v7 wasn’t popular with these players…hence the pro series and the v6 minus cv…problem is it seems less distinct from pro staff line
 

ChanterRacquet

Professional
So they just came out with a 100 v7, there are no discounts to clear inventory of any v7s, which leads me to believe (coupled with the rumor mill here) that the v8 will be different enough from the v7 (RA?) to keep both v7 and v8 around and at the same price point.
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
So they just came out with a 100 v7, there are no discounts to clear inventory of any v7s, which leads me to believe (coupled with the rumor mill here) that the v8 will be different enough from the v7 (RA?) to keep both v7 and v8 around and at the same price point.
Good point. Also, they seem to be confusing the product line.
 

FIRETennis

Professional
Halep, Svitolina are already using the V8 in Montreal. I guess this will be the big reveal tournament.

...and so will Raonic :D
marketing at its best.
99% pro's don't use retail models.
they just get paint jobs of 10-20 year old sticks they are used to and have customized.
 

FIRETennis

Professional
Blade v8 98 16x19

Specifications:
Weight (unstrung): 305 g

Balance (unstrung): 32 cm

Stiffness: 69 Ra

Swingweight (unstrung): 315

String pattern: 16 x 19

Cross-section: 22 / 22 / 22 (mm)

315 sw unstrung?? Must have been the famous wilson qc

Where is this data from?
That would mean a complete 180 on the flex and 345+ SW strung ....
 

yessir

Semi-Pro
Where is this data from?
That would mean a complete 180 on the flex and 345+ SW strung ....
From tennisinsider , since there is no official info i guess they measured a racquet etc. So strung sw could come from the famous wilson qc , but i believe the RA to be correct
 

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Where is this data from?
That would mean a complete 180 on the flex and 345+ SW strung ....
It’s kind of nuts. And it only makes sense if Wilson is going to a different sales/product line model by maintaining older/different versions. To me this dilutes the brand.
 
Last edited:

jdx2112

Hall of Fame
Wouldn’t surprise me if it was a few RA points higher given we have seen that in blades of the past. But 315 unstrung SW sounds impossible to believe unless it’s an outlier…
I think raising the strung RA above 64 is a terrible idea. It becomes a less distinct racquet line…it’s a lighter Pro staff
 

Keizer

Hall of Fame
I think raising the strung RA above 64 is a terrible idea. It becomes a less distinct racquet line…it’s a lighter Pro staff

64-65 is what I would expect at most given that is what I remember the BLX versions being. Think the more HH balance and lower stock weight still gives it a distinct identity from the pro staff at that RA level.
 

Yamin

Hall of Fame
There is no way the Sw will be in the same ball park as the blade pro's.. I expect 330sw max for the 18x20

18x20s are already 335-345. Would be surprising to see a 16x19 that high even as an upper outlier though...

is the new blade a 305 pro staff with one more square inch?

This was a strange move imo unless they're planning to bring up RA on the clash to high 50's low 60's.

It will still play different for sure but the specs are pretty undesirable.
 
Last edited:

AA7

Hall of Fame
18x20s are already 335-345.
No they are not . Yes, there are ones that are that high. TW average is 334sw. I have 5x 18m then all are 330sw. You can find 325s as well. SW QC is pretty damn hard to nail .. no manufacturer does a great job really. I'll tell you what has been mind blowingly dead on... These new six.one 100. I have 3 and they all are 320-324. Balance all the same and weight within a gram or two...
 
Last edited:

AA7

Hall of Fame
64-65 is what I would expect at most given that is what I remember the BLX versions being. Think the more HH balance and lower stock weight still gives it a distinct identity from the pro staff at that RA level.
Agrred. Not only BLX but i don't think there has been a blade under 65 RA excepts the V7. So i have no idea why everyone is acting like it's some massive shocking news that it is 65 (not directed at you). Btw, 2015 blade is 65 but the damn thing feels like pure butter. Anyways, i am not surprised they upped th RA. I am curious about the feel. Like we mentioned before. They never change balance, weight and SW all that much... neither RA. Same formula.. V7 was a bit outlier with such low RA and highest SW.
 

Keizer

Hall of Fame
Agrred. Not only BLX but i don't think there has been a blade under 65 RA excepts the V7. So i have no idea why everyone is acting like it's some massive shocking news that it is 65 (not directed at you). Btw, 2015 blade is 65 but the damn thing feels like pure butter. Anyways, i am not surprised they upped th RA. I am curious about the feel. Like we mentioned before. They never change balance, weight and SW all that much... neither RA. Same formula.. V7 was a bit outlier with such low RA and highest SW.

Yep, isn’t this one the most flexy blade since the nBlade? To me the blade was always a pure strike competitor in the past, but the latest version has more classic specs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AA7

Yamin

Hall of Fame
No they are not . Yes, there are ones that are that high. TW average is 334sw. I have 5x 18m then all are 330sw. You can find 325s as well. SW QC is pretty damn hard to nail .. no manufacturer does a great job really. I'll tell you what has been mind blowingly dead on... These new six.one 100. I have 3 and they all are 320-324. Balance all the same and weight within a gram or two...

It's possible that people with measurement tools offload the heavier ones, and I've picked them all up.

The one I have left and had measured was 338 with hg 18. Had another that felt heavier.

Pretty much all my Wilson rackets havr come in much heavier than average, though I've never sought out on spec ones.
 
Top