Excellent little summary, cheers RTT. Definitely getting a better picture of this frame now.
Wilson Blade 98s 18x16
- Thread starter Totoro
- Start date
Excellent little summary, cheers RTT. Definitely getting a better picture of this frame now.
alpinenut
New User
My thoughts exactly after reading their review. Add weight all around, make it more HL, that would be interesting. At least it's light enough to customize.
I break strings quick and didn't notice excessive notching compared to a 16x19.
RollTrackTake
Professional
Not the best pic but here is the 98 S on top of my TF 315.
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
It looks great. I'd be psyched if I didn't hate Blades so much. Tried Blades for the first time this year - both the BLX and the current model (in both string patterns). I was really, really expecting to like it. But, it was simply one of those "not for me" frames.
But, I have a couple of friends who use them and love them, and this looks like a great addition for Blade devotees.
But, I have a couple of friends who use them and love them, and this looks like a great addition for Blade devotees.
Here is written review:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/reviews/BLD98S/BLD98Sreview.html
It's strange the reviewers found some instability,lack of precision and lack of plowtrough while all of you testers didn't found any of those problems.
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/reviews/BLD98S/BLD98Sreview.html
It's strange the reviewers found some instability,lack of precision and lack of plowtrough while all of you testers didn't found any of those problems.
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
It's simply because they have the Blade 18/20 in their head whether they recognize it or not.
bertrevert
Legend
The things TW says detract... are the very things that to me attract.
Light swingweight... yes pls.
Lacks plow... fine in doubles where it can all be very fine touch.
Whippy... bring it on.
Pushed around... add lead.
The things they like are, well, likeable -
Bulk spin... yes pls.
Manouverable... always welcome.
Clincher for me is this power comparison.
Just a little more welcome power in the sweetspot than my current racquet which I want to update with just a little more welcome spin...
What I thought I observed in the video was that they all sliced well with it, kept it deep, got touch, dropped a few unsuspecting in, and served well. Call me dreaming?
Light swingweight... yes pls.
Lacks plow... fine in doubles where it can all be very fine touch.
Whippy... bring it on.
Pushed around... add lead.
The things they like are, well, likeable -
Bulk spin... yes pls.
Manouverable... always welcome.
Clincher for me is this power comparison.
Just a little more welcome power in the sweetspot than my current racquet which I want to update with just a little more welcome spin...
What I thought I observed in the video was that they all sliced well with it, kept it deep, got touch, dropped a few unsuspecting in, and served well. Call me dreaming?
I don't demo any racquet and see it as is, I see it for what it will be once I adjust it to my personal specs, there is no racquet out on the market that would satisfy me as is. Anyway, I was hitting against some very highly ranked 14's-18's
who hit the ball much bigger than the people in the videos and I wasn't noticing much fluttering or instability. Keep in mind that it is an 11 ounce racquet, no less stability than a radical or pure storm.
edit: also fwiw, I took a blade 18x20 out with me for comparison and stability and power were equal for me, spin was the only difference. The 98s I used weighed 10.9 and the 18x20 weighs 11.0, so thats probably why they are so similar for me.
Last edited:
My club got them in yesterday. Had the demo out last night for mixed doubles. The racquet performed great. My mixed partner last night who I haven't play with in awhile commented on how much my serve had improved. I served very well with this racquet. It is light but had plenty of pop for me. It does kinda have that fuzzy feel. Not as crisp as my black and gold blx blade 98but performed just fine. I hit several forehand drives I thought were going long and they fell in. Just a slightly higher launch angle. A leather grip and a little weight wouldn't hurt anything. Don't think it needs it though.
RollTrackTake
Professional
Now about a week in to playing with the Blade 98 S and I'm starting to come around on this racquet. I took it out for 2 matches as opposed to practice/drills. Both matches were against guys I routinely beat. One guy plays rooted to the baseline. The other is an all-courter who will S&V often.
- First thing I noticed was my slice and kick serves had significantly more spin & bite. My flat serves even seemed to bounce up higher. However, I do not feel like I got any more power on any of my serves.
-My ground game was more consistent.
Upside. My groundies got more spin & depth on average. Got more power on defensive shots. Hitting off my back foot or stretched out with the 315 results in weak replies often. The 98 S helps me out there.
Downside. Sent more balls long than with the 315 Ltd when swinging out.
My forehands didn't seem as heavy/penetrating = forehands were a little bit loopier and sat up more on avg.
- net game was good, no complaints. Racquet was stable enough to withstand shots from other 4.0 players.
Of note. I hit fewer forehand winners with the 98 S than my regular stick. Didn't see any uptick in aces.
My 2HBH is normally pretty flat. With the 98 S I got a noticeable increase in topspin.
Feels like I have a brewing preseason racquet controversy on my hands.
bertrevert
Legend
Ok Roll, agreed, any racquet adds/subtracts to what you're doing on court.
Straight up: more consistency in your ground game is a very big win. It's not the flashy thing most people notice. We all want a racquet to add km or mph to our serves, but more consistent groundies are worth their weight in gold. If you can say you just reduced UEs then that's great.
The problem I had with the 99s Steam was that those groundstrokes sat up. I play a guy with a very western grip and he just teed off. That racq gave me too much spin.
Now in the TW review video you def can see them getting more spin on their slice (look at Chris at the start). I think Jason gets a little more action on his serve than in other vids. These therefore tally with what you report. I would have thought that the serve, being the most complicated stroke, would take the longest to come round. So the aces might still be to come...
Straight up: more consistency in your ground game is a very big win. It's not the flashy thing most people notice. We all want a racquet to add km or mph to our serves, but more consistent groundies are worth their weight in gold. If you can say you just reduced UEs then that's great.
The problem I had with the 99s Steam was that those groundstrokes sat up. I play a guy with a very western grip and he just teed off. That racq gave me too much spin.
Now in the TW review video you def can see them getting more spin on their slice (look at Chris at the start). I think Jason gets a little more action on his serve than in other vids. These therefore tally with what you report. I would have thought that the serve, being the most complicated stroke, would take the longest to come round. So the aces might still be to come...
Blitzball
Professional
I hit with the Blade 98s for about an hour with the ball machine, and served for a while.
First Impressions:
Well for one it's not as stable as my Blade 18x20. It flutters a bit on heavier shots, and doesn't provide as much plow-through. But this is in stock form, and 11oz is expected to get pushed around a little. But it's much more maneuverable than my Blade, which has even been slightly modified with lead tape for a more head light balance (and more maneuverability) already. So it makes for a better whipping stick, and when I wipped it well, the topspin was awesome. Not as good as the Steam 99s in terms of spin generation, but better than the other Blade sticks. The feel of the racquet is, like the others have said, slightly less crisp and slightly more buttery smooth, which is very minimal a concern. My forehand was doing well even when I was hitting flat. My one-handed backhand actually lost some consistency.
On serve, power level stayed the same, but the spin increased. I had more kick and more slice when I wanted them. The one problem was the small lack of control. More serves flew out than usual, but not a whole lot more.
Overall it's fairly impressive. I know a lot of what I said echoed many of the other reviews, but I'll add more when I hit with it next. Lacks some stability, control, and plow through, but I'm sure those problems can be improved on or completely fixed after being leaded up.
First Impressions:
Well for one it's not as stable as my Blade 18x20. It flutters a bit on heavier shots, and doesn't provide as much plow-through. But this is in stock form, and 11oz is expected to get pushed around a little. But it's much more maneuverable than my Blade, which has even been slightly modified with lead tape for a more head light balance (and more maneuverability) already. So it makes for a better whipping stick, and when I wipped it well, the topspin was awesome. Not as good as the Steam 99s in terms of spin generation, but better than the other Blade sticks. The feel of the racquet is, like the others have said, slightly less crisp and slightly more buttery smooth, which is very minimal a concern. My forehand was doing well even when I was hitting flat. My one-handed backhand actually lost some consistency.
On serve, power level stayed the same, but the spin increased. I had more kick and more slice when I wanted them. The one problem was the small lack of control. More serves flew out than usual, but not a whole lot more.
Overall it's fairly impressive. I know a lot of what I said echoed many of the other reviews, but I'll add more when I hit with it next. Lacks some stability, control, and plow through, but I'm sure those problems can be improved on or completely fixed after being leaded up.
RollTrackTake
Professional
So I am left trying to figure out what is the greater good between racquets. I feel like I will still beat the players I am supposed to beat with either racquet. With the TF 315 I feel at home trying to hit more outright winners. With the 98 S I feel like I'd be grinding out more points. On the flip side I honestly feel like with the 98 S I may be able to grind out a few more points/games against tougher opponents which COULD translate to a few more W's. if I had more time I'd work out more & take lessons to add more strength, stamina and weapons to my game. But today wasn't freaky Friday and I still have two kids in diapers so I'll take any aid a racquet can offer.
JackB1
G.O.A.T.
Nice summary Roll. Sounds like you have some more testing to do.
RollTrackTake
Professional
Indeed I do. Next step is to string the 98 S with Black5Edge or Topspin Cyberflash. This experience leaves me feeling empathetic for Rex Ryan. In my case the Tec 315 Ltd. = Mark Sanchez. Capable, One moment great, the next underwhelming. It's gotten me some good results and almost to the top of the mountain. Now there's a much heralded newcomer, the Blade 98 S aka Geno Smith. It's largely untested but early indicators are that it is potentially better than the incumbent. It just may offer the consistency needed to take it all the way. Unfortunately for Rex, neither appears to be the next Tom Brady. Unfortunately for me, neither racquet will transform me into a 4.5 GOAT.
1 week until NFL regular season......can't wait
Trojan1994
New User
Blade 98S arrived today...
strung with Ripspin 17 @ 30lbs. I got to play tonight with it, hitting with some friends for about 45minutes followed by 2 sets of doubles.
I normally play with a Steam 99S strung with Luxilon 4G(16) @ 45lbs. and also have a Steam 99S strung with Luxilon 4GS(15) @ 54lbs. and a Steam 105S strung with Wilson Ripspin(17) @ 30lbs.
Thus far, the Blade 98S clearly does not give me anywhere near the same amount of topspin/slice that my other "S" racquets provide but it does let me keep my ground strokes much lower and closer to the net and better control/shot placement.
Additionally, I did find that when either returning a first serve/blocking it back over or coming to net when one of the guys(clearly one of the 2 hardest hitting guys at my club), I had more control. Normally, the ball would more frequently than not would fly off the strings and sail just out with my Steam Racquets when this guy unleashes the heat.
I and equally so he were surprised to see that his normal advantage was being almost eliminated as he'd wind up and unload from baseline and I'd block it/drop volley it short forcing him and/or his partner to scramble to try and get on it. The levels of frustration experienced resulted in a couple episodes of his new racquet getting tossed into the net after making the effort and failing to get the ball back over.
On serve, I was really enjoying the ability to place the ball more consistently. Confidence started building on serve so I started trying more lower percentage serves in terms of trying to place the ball, serving from the Ad Side, about 4-5 feet behind the net on the sideline which result in a few points in each set.
Power seemed a bit less than my Steam Racquets which generally did not adversely affect my play tonight.
Looking forward to playing more with it tomorrow!
Regards,
Tony
strung with Ripspin 17 @ 30lbs. I got to play tonight with it, hitting with some friends for about 45minutes followed by 2 sets of doubles.
I normally play with a Steam 99S strung with Luxilon 4G(16) @ 45lbs. and also have a Steam 99S strung with Luxilon 4GS(15) @ 54lbs. and a Steam 105S strung with Wilson Ripspin(17) @ 30lbs.
Thus far, the Blade 98S clearly does not give me anywhere near the same amount of topspin/slice that my other "S" racquets provide but it does let me keep my ground strokes much lower and closer to the net and better control/shot placement.
Additionally, I did find that when either returning a first serve/blocking it back over or coming to net when one of the guys(clearly one of the 2 hardest hitting guys at my club), I had more control. Normally, the ball would more frequently than not would fly off the strings and sail just out with my Steam Racquets when this guy unleashes the heat.
I and equally so he were surprised to see that his normal advantage was being almost eliminated as he'd wind up and unload from baseline and I'd block it/drop volley it short forcing him and/or his partner to scramble to try and get on it. The levels of frustration experienced resulted in a couple episodes of his new racquet getting tossed into the net after making the effort and failing to get the ball back over.
On serve, I was really enjoying the ability to place the ball more consistently. Confidence started building on serve so I started trying more lower percentage serves in terms of trying to place the ball, serving from the Ad Side, about 4-5 feet behind the net on the sideline which result in a few points in each set.
Power seemed a bit less than my Steam Racquets which generally did not adversely affect my play tonight.
Looking forward to playing more with it tomorrow!
Regards,
Tony
bertrevert
Legend
Hitting winners and finishing points early only works when you're beating the players you're meant to beat. Where it is more evenly matched, when you find yourself playing up, pushing into new territory, hitting scorchers just isn't the option - because they're coming back!
Looking at the power map of this racquet against yours (if it's the 18 mains) I see a lot more oomph in the 98s.
To my mind if you want to hit those scorchers, if that's your game, then getting the additional power and taming that is the way to go.
I find that a racq which demands you be totally "on" is, er, demanding (doh!) and doesn't fit with what happens in the see-saw of a close match. Small inconsistencies and playing less well in defence suddenly starts to make the unspoken difference, unremarkable as it sounds.
If there's been a theme of player racqets since the 90s it is that you grab the power up front and tame that with poly or lead or whatever.
I'm thinking the thinner beam of the TF though would give you the better serve, no?
RollTrackTake
Professional
I definitely hear what your saying. I've got to be honest with myself as far as which racquet I should play regularly. I still need to keep trying the Blade S out in different scenarios. Doubles, back to back tournament matches and undoubtedly tougher competition. So far it has only seen action against 3 players who are barely 3.5 level.
RollTrackTake
Professional
Any early adopters of this Blade have some feedback with different strings?
bertrevert
Legend
Hi Roll, Great stuff: play with what works.
But if this one aint working out then I for one would like to hear why. Naturally on this forum we usually hear someone trumpeting what works. But when someone leaves a stick aside their less inclined to speak about it and anyway they are not using it anymore.
To my mind this Blade 98s should gather a broader church than the Steam 99s with its swingweight of 333!
What's up with the pricing? Always a premium for the bleeding edge. I don't know if anyone's noticed but the pricing policies are keener these days. There's a price bump for the latest, which quickly turns down when the heat comes off (the Steam is now discounted). It seems price is working in 3 month cycles with quickers highs and lows...?
But if this one aint working out then I for one would like to hear why. Naturally on this forum we usually hear someone trumpeting what works. But when someone leaves a stick aside their less inclined to speak about it and anyway they are not using it anymore.
To my mind this Blade 98s should gather a broader church than the Steam 99s with its swingweight of 333!
What's up with the pricing? Always a premium for the bleeding edge. I don't know if anyone's noticed but the pricing policies are keener these days. There's a price bump for the latest, which quickly turns down when the heat comes off (the Steam is now discounted). It seems price is working in 3 month cycles with quickers highs and lows...?
SwankPeRFection
Hall of Fame
People who have held this racquet in your hands, can you put your finger in the yolk and helicopter it?
RollTrackTake
Professional
I agree the 98 S should appeal to a greater range of players than the Steam 99 S. lower static & swing weight being primary reasons. Seemingly doesn't eat thru strings in 1 or 2 outings as well. I think it has reasonably good control. But if the spin on the 16x15 Steam is as insane as advertised.....
Going through my 'bag O' strings' I'm trying to decide whether to string the 98 S with Razor Code, B5E, Black Widow 17,Mosquito Bite or Big Hitter Rough. Maybe one of these strings will take the spin up a notch. Choices, choices.
Sander001
Hall of Fame
Put some 18gauge poly in the crosses to help reduce friction even more.
RollTrackTake
Professional
Any suggestion on 18g poly? I've got mostly 17g & a few 16g's.
Sander001
Hall of Fame
I've tried loads of 18 gauge polys and my favourite is Volkl Cyclone. I would go for Cyclone 16 or 17 in the mains and Cyclone 18 in the crosses.
Johnny-Cage
Rookie
Will try to demo this one. I hope my flat strokes will have more control when I use this racket. 
SCRAP IRON
Professional
Pro Staffs
Does anyone know if and when there will be a new line of Pro Staffs?
Does anyone know if and when there will be a new line of Pro Staffs?
sundaypunch
Hall of Fame
Will try to demo this one. I hope my flat strokes will have more control when I use this racket.
The idea behind fewer crosses is to give you more spin. If you hit flat, this won't happen. My guess is that you will just sacrifice control vs. the more closed pattern 18x20.
bertrevert
Legend
No, you will still hit flat, but there will be a small amount of additional spin, because, all else being equal, your stroke's the same, but there will be small additional spin.
The racq doesn't change your stroke. It adds spin to ANY stroke.
By all indications (what TW says in their review, what peeps said in this thread) this iteration of the Spin Technology in the Blade is less extreme in spin delivered and retains a lot of control with the 18 mains.
So if you hit flat you won't be losing anything from that, you will have only marginally more spin, and that margin will be useful.
I do agree that anything other than 18 x 20 won't have the same control... but the additional spin can be seen as additional control in itself (delivering a dipping ball landing within the lines with greater margin).
sundaypunch
Hall of Fame
My guess is that the additional spin for a flat hitter will be negligible. You still need an upward swing path to get the mains moving on the crosses. If the person hits a flat-ish ball with a little spin you would probably see an increase.
I have a 99s. Hitting flat, I find it to be a spinless rocket launcher.
I have a 99s. Hitting flat, I find it to be a spinless rocket launcher.
bertrevert
Legend
Hmm, well this new thread and the linked article seem to say otherwise.
In that example they are have applied the S to traditionally a flat-hitter's favourite the 6.1 95 and you guessed it they claim
" That’s the benefit of hitting with increased topspin; it allows players to hit harder with more control and margin for error. "
Control is translated as the margin for keeping the darn ball within the lines. Seen with that perspective I understand it.
(However the 99s for me wasn't a rocket launcher rather it played too far into my stroke and added too much spin so I am not a flat hitter who can judge this...)
In that example they are have applied the S to traditionally a flat-hitter's favourite the 6.1 95 and you guessed it they claim
" That’s the benefit of hitting with increased topspin; it allows players to hit harder with more control and margin for error. "
Control is translated as the margin for keeping the darn ball within the lines. Seen with that perspective I understand it.
(However the 99s for me wasn't a rocket launcher rather it played too far into my stroke and added too much spin so I am not a flat hitter who can judge this...)
bertrevert
Legend
Moreover, I think also the testing (cameras in the labs) actually reveals it's the mains that impart the spin. Again from that same linked article......
"It’s the main strings that put spin on the ball and with fewer cross strings to restrict the mains movement, there can be greater string snapback for enhanced spin"
"It’s the main strings that put spin on the ball and with fewer cross strings to restrict the mains movement, there can be greater string snapback for enhanced spin"
sundaypunch
Hall of Fame
Yes, the mains impart the spin when they slide on the crosses and then snap back. Less crosses = less friction on the mains, greater snap back and greater spin. If you are truly a flat hitter and don't have an upward swing path, the mains aren't going to be moving.
The spin effect technology works. I think that Wilson says it will give you 10%(?) more spin. 10% of nothing is still nothing. Nadal gets 3000 rpm on his FH. A flat hitting rec. player that raising his FH from 300 rpm to 330 rpm is negligible in my opinion.
If that player or others would think that this is a great improvement, I have no problem with that.
sundaypunch
Hall of Fame
I am also interested in this. I use a Blade 18x20 and am mostly interested in the 98s because of the lower swingweight. I don't need more spin on my groundstrokes and am hoping it still comes close to the control of the 18x20. More spin on serves would be a welcome addition.
bertrevert
Legend
Nah you're making this up.
You lost me there with fuzzy thinking that the mains aren't moving in flat groundstrokes. Please provide your evidence. The snap back of the mains described in that article and in TW University occurs on every shot as a result of impact regardless of swing stroke characteristics.
And where did you get the 300rpm supposedly on the ball your stroke produces? It's all at least 1000+ upon impact, rpm out
http://twu.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/stringmovement.php
Let's go back to your original assertion:
"The idea behind fewer crosses is to give you more spin. If you hit flat, this won't happen."
I agree with the first sentence. Wilson marketing material and research, plus independent research (Cross) has shown that.
It's the second sentence which you keep on with. I suggest you browse TW University as there is much to absorb there.
I believe the TW reviewers have been pretty clear, this iteration of the Spin Tech is in a control frame. This is the one you get if you want more control. As a flat hitter that may not be what you want. For me it seems a good option (though there is now rumoured to be a Pro Staff with Spin coming)
SCRAP IRON
Professional
Solid Frame
If you want more controllable spin in a thinner beam and a fairly light frame, then try the Blade 98s. I am a 4.5 player that has fast strokes, and while it took a set of doubles to get used to it, the 98s plays very well. Not great outside of the sweet spot, but it's maneuverability and low to medium power makes it a racket that needs to be considered by those you like to impart spin and don't want to be forced to use the arm-jarring Babolats!
If you want more controllable spin in a thinner beam and a fairly light frame, then try the Blade 98s. I am a 4.5 player that has fast strokes, and while it took a set of doubles to get used to it, the 98s plays very well. Not great outside of the sweet spot, but it's maneuverability and low to medium power makes it a racket that needs to be considered by those you like to impart spin and don't want to be forced to use the arm-jarring Babolats!
CrispyFritters
Rookie
Anyone else had a chance to demo? Looking for more reviews!
I have been demoing this for a little over a week and I absolutely love it. I was recently playing with the 6.1 95 18x20, and then prior to that other 18x20 head light frames and prior to that the Babolat Pure Storm Tour for two years. I'm a 5.0 crafty top spin baseliner and this racquet just suits my defensive game. It kind of reminds of the Dunlop 300g which is not a bad thing. My current set up is with Genesis Typhoon 16L and it really compliments the racquet. I tried the Wilson Rip Spin string and wasn't really a fan of it but overall kudos to Wilson for the release of this arm and spin friendly version of the blade!
