18x20 Wilson Shift prototype

[Deleted member 775108]

Here are pics. I measured the inside 10 mains.

As you can see the Shift is just under 3 1/4 and the BP is slightly iver 3 5/8 ths. What happens on the edges is the Shift is way more spaced.

Thank you for that. Looks tighter in the middle and slightly more open on the sides like you said. The crosses are further apart so should be nice. The roundish shape of the head bothers me but that should be easy to adjust to especially if results are good.

 

[Yamin]

Groundstrokes / returns.
I really enjoyed the Shift on both wings (2HB), again, spin and control are there and directional/ depth control is better than the Clash. To me, one thing that felt odd is that the flex/ ball pocketing is noticably different based on swingpath. For example, on smashes, flat groundstrokes and some returns (mainly flat first serves), you can feel the frame kind of pocketing the ball (it's hard to explain) but it feels like the frame is folding in on itself but still feels solid around the throat. I've not felt this before with either the Clash, Blade or the Speed Pro. The Clash and Speed Pro just felt floppy in similar situations and Blade feels dampened but solid/ rigid. On shots with a more vertical swingpath I didn't experience this and the Shift felt great and comfrot was very good.
Slice was ok, I don't feel as dialled in on the slice as the blade and it didn't seem as easy as the Clash.

Nice review. That's the clash/45 tech. Surprised you haven't felt it in the clash 98. Maybe because of your string/tension combo, but it's one of the biggest highlights/complaints about it.

How is the shift inside the court compared to the clash? Maneuverability?

 

[Tennistennischocolate]

Nice review. That's the clash/45 tech. Surprised you haven't felt it in the clash 98. Maybe because of your string/tension combo, but it's one of the biggest highlights/complaints about it.

How is the shift inside the court compared to the clash? Maneuverability?

On the Clash it feels like the whole racket is flexing. On the Shift, it feels like the throat is quite rigid and the racket hoop is kind of curling in on itself.

Manoeuvrability felt ok, I think it feels a bit more cumbersome vs the Blade but not that different to Clash 98 v2. Overall, it feels heavier in the hand vs the Clash (which it is and more head heavy).

 

[Dishiki]

Thank you for that. Looks tighter in the middle and slightly more open on the sides like you said. The crosses are further apart so should be nice. The roundish shape of the head bothers me but that should be easy to adjust to especially if results are good.

Alright. I hit with it for 1.5 tonight. I added lead at 10 and 2. All I can say is world of difference for me.

It stabilized my racquet, increased my launch angle a bit and everything was more solid.

I was hitting heavier balls with really good access to spin. On my FH i was getting some tail spin as well so it was hooking a bit.

Serves were pretty effortless. Way better than with my BP 18. Kickers were nice. Slices were really nice.

Net play was good. Not as solid as the BP 18.

Overall, I am now intrigued. It is way more maneuverable than the Clash. I can flatten it out better than my Blade.

Tomorrow I have a doubles match and mighr bring it out if we go up a set.

I don't believe I would make a switch ever but I will definitely keep it in the bag or let my wife have it

 

[A_Instead]

How can the Shift be more maneuverable than the Clash?
The Clash is about as maneuverable as they come..

 

[Deleted member 775108]

How can the Shift be more maneuverable than the Clash?
The Clash is about as maneuverable as they come..

- Spec could have been different
- Memories of the Clash might be faint to the player
- White Paint Looks light, Feels light (Illusion)

 

[Wilsonbro]

got my hands on the shift. Everbody likes the cosemtic of the stick.

this is a womens stick who nedds power. Serves where awesome but grounstokes sailed 2 feet long

i am talking about the 300 version.

overall i will probally keep my 315 and see if i like it

 

[Wilsonbro]

i also saw the new pro staff looks ok

 

[Dishiki]

How can the Shift be more maneuverable than the Clash?
The Clash is about as maneuverable as they come..

Clash is way less maneuverable than my BP 18. Maybe I shouldn't say maneuverable. More predictable. Off center shots were better. I felt like I could get the racquet where it needed to be quicker and easier than the Clash.

The biggest difference in comparing to the Clash is that when playing with Clash I have a wtf shot every once in a while. Everything feels right but the ball just comes off funny. Really didn't experience that with the Shift tonight.

So far it feels pretty good. I think my wife will eventually make the switch. I could definitely see it as a potent serve and volley stick for doubles. Once I dialed it in with my eastern forehand I was hitting crisp approaches. The head plays much bigger than my 98. It almost plays like a 100+.

 

[Wilsonbro]

Clash is way less maneuverable than my BP 18. Maybe I shouldn't say maneuverable. More predictable. Off center shots were better. I felt like I could get the racquet where it needed to be quicker and easier than the Clash.

The biggest difference in comparing to the Clash is that when playing with Clash I have a wtf shot every once in a while. Everything feels right but the ball just comes off funny. Really didn't experience that with the Shift tonight.

So far it feels pretty good. I think my wife will eventually make the switch. I could definitely see it as a potent serve and volley stick for doubles. Once I dialed it in with my eastern forehand I was hitting crisp approaches. The head plays much bigger than my 98. It almost plays like a 100+.

is the launch angle still low. is it easy for people to hit your shots back or are they fast and spinny ??/

 

[Dishiki]

Launch angle is lower than the BP. But it isn't terribly low. My shots are definitely not as heavy, so they are easier to return. I took a few 100% cuts on my fh and if they landed my hitting partner couldn't get close to them.

I am going to try to play a match where I serve and volley and see how it responds. Two days ago I thought the racquet was a mess. Now it seems like a fun little stick. I know complaints were that the sweet spot is small, but it felt comparable to the Clash.

 

[Yamin]

got my hands on the shift. Everbody likes the cosemtic of the stick.

this is a womens stick who nedds power. Serves where awesome but grounstokes sailed 2 feet long

i am talking about the 300 version.

overall i will probally keep my 315 and see if i like it

Do you have a more eastern grip or hit flatter? How does it compare to the clash 98?

 

[Tennistennischocolate]

Alright. I hit with it for 1.5 tonight. I added lead at 10 and 2. All I can say is world of difference for me.

It stabilized my racquet, increased my launch angle a bit and everything was more solid.

I was hitting heavier balls with really good access to spin. On my FH i was getting some tail spin as well so it was hooking a bit.

Serves were pretty effortless. Way better than with my BP 18. Kickers were nice. Slices were really nice.

Net play was good. Not as solid as the BP 18.

Overall, I am now intrigued. It is way more maneuverable than the Clash. I can flatten it out better than my Blade.

Tomorrow I have a doubles match and mighr bring it out if we go up a set.

I don't believe I would make a switch ever but I will definitely keep it in the bag or let my wife have it

How much lead did you add?

 

[A_Instead]

Maybe the sweat spot isn't small... perhaps it's vague and not very pronounced..

 

[konstantinos kalfountzos]

Sharing before watching

 

[Deleted member 775108]

How much lead did you add?

As a random random question not necessarily aimed at just you but others who ask this question.

Why does this question get asked to lot?
- What is even the use knowing the about of lead added and where without knowing the starting spec.

 

[Tennistennischocolate]

Just curious, as if it’s 10g vs 2g then it’s informative. Agreed that you can’t just copy it.

 

[Wilsonbro]

stick feels like the head speed pro

its a really weak ball that anyone can hit back

to muted

some shots are good some are fly

i already put my stick on sale.

goodbye wilson

hello babolat and tecifibre

 

[Blade_X]

stick feels like the head speed pro

its a really weak ball that anyone can hit back

to muted

some shots are good some are fly

i already put my stick on sale.

goodbye wilson

hello babolat and tecifibre

300 or 315?

 

[Tennistennischocolate]

some shots are good some are fly

With a few more hours of hitting mine (315), I’m finding that the there is a really narrow window of performance and outside of that it’s a bit wild.
It could be my string setup, but every now and then the stroke feels effortless and great outcome. The only problem is, there’s little feel as to where the ball is on the stringbed so reproducing the good shots is tough.
I think I hit a better ball than with the Speed Pro, also feels less tinny. But, I’d take the Speed Pro over the shift as it’s more consistent (for me).

I’m going to try adding a bit of weight to mine and see it much changes.

If not, I’m just going to stick with rackets with beams thinner than 22mm…..

 

[Soundbyte]

stick feels like the head speed pro

its a really weak ball that anyone can hit back

to muted

some shots are good some are fly

i already put my stick on sale.

goodbye wilson

hello babolat and tecifibre

Sounds like you need a new username then.

 

[Wilsonbro]

Sounds like you need a new username then.

yes i do

 

[Wilsonbro]

i purchased the 315 and demoed the 300.

these are the best serving rackets with comfort

but for point play i can not feel the ball

with all this hype its feels soft and muted

300 or 315?

 

[Wilsonbro]

i just dont like the fact that i have to hit out and it prodcues a really week ball that anyone can hit back. Dishiki the user was correct about this stick.

i dont have time to lead it up. because the spin on the 315 is not damaging to my partners.

 

[Wilsonbro]

people love the paint job and it stands out and the noise it makes is awesome thats about it; it is already on the bay if anyone is intersted. 1/4 grip size

 

[Yamin]

i purchased the 315 and demoed the 300.

these are the best serving rackets with comfort

but for point play i can not feel the ball

with all this hype its feels soft and muted

Which version was better? Was the 300 stable enough?

 

[Wilsonbro]

I would choose the 300 . Because the serves are massive and racket head speed . Not that stable so you will need to has weight .

balls will fly because launch angle is high . So it you can control its nice

 

[Wilsonbro]

More spin better ball than the 315

 

[Dishiki]

How much lead did you add?

4 grams total ant 10 and 2

 

[Dishiki]

Well no more feedback for a while from me. Playing doubles yesterday and screwed up Achilles. Going to ortho Tuesday but can't walk.

 

[Deleted member 775108]

Does anyone feel the lateral flex that "The Tennis Mentor" is talking about?

CLIP BELOW

YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

He says it took him some time to get used to it but he loves it now.

@Dishiki - Get well soon!

 

[dekxter]

any blade 18x20 (non BP) users that can comment on the 315 and if it feels good like the blade or if its a significantly different?

 

[Lurfmonkey]

I’ve played with the 300g version a couple times, so I still need more time with it, but here are my initial personal impressions. For background, I’m a 50 year old 4.0 doubles specialist and counter puncher with heavy topspin. I use both a one handed and two handed backhand, depending on what I feel like. I hit with people ranging from 2.5 to 5.5 and adjust my game accordingly. My current racket is a Pure Aero 2019 and before that, it was a Clash 98 V1. I strung the Shift the same way I string my Aero, so it’s a fair comparison - Tier One Tour Status in the mains at 54 and Solinco Hyper G in the crosses at 52. Don’t ask me why I hybrid 2 different polys. It just feels better to me than a full bed of either one or using synthetic gut or monofilament.

Maybe it’s the way I play, but I seem to have had much different experience from the people who hate this racket. So far, I love it. I find it has excellent control, easy power, and is very maneuverable. With the Aero, I can often feel the ball slipping on my strings, so I have to adjust to get the ball to go where I want. With the Shift, I don’t feel that. There’s a very crisp feeling off the strings and the ball goes where I want it to. The sound is great, too. I get a nice cracking sound. It seems silly, but that’s important to me. My two handed backhand works great. The one handed might be slightly less stable. Topspin is good. Not as much as the Aero but still plenty. My serves have more pop and accuracy. I thought my serve was just getting weaker with age, but maybe it’s the racket, as my groundstrokes have been getting stronger with any racket. Not sure why the Aero wasn’t working for me, but I struggled keeping the ball in on first serves and accuracy was a problem. The Shift is stiffer than the Clash but not as stiff as the Aero. No arm issues yet.

I haven’t volleyed enough with it to give an informed opinion, but the few I hit seemed fine. Since I stopped playing competitively, I don’t volley as much, even though it’s my specialty. I know people with different play styles have different experiences, so I’m not discounting others’ negative reviews. I just know for me, this racket works. I’m not a big banger. I use what you give me, and this racket allows me to do that well. I can swing away and the ball goes where I want, and that’s what’s important to me. Redirecting the ball is easy with this racket, so I can make my opponent do the work. I’m more than happy with the Shift and will likely make this my main racket. I will say that strings are important for a good experience with any racket. The wrong strings or tensions can make any racket feel terrible, so if you have the means, experiment with different setups if something doesn’t feel right. I feel lucky the same setup felt good in the Shift.

 

[Vicious49]

So my Shift Journey ended before it began. Let me recap why Wilson's QC and shipping department are the name of this frame minus the F.

1. Shift 300 box was basically a piece of cardboard folded in half with the frame sandwiched in between it. The SW on this turned out to be 273
2. Shift 315 was an actual box at least but they couldn't even tape it properly. The SW on this turned out to be 310

I'm surprised either frame made it to me safely.

Package 1:

Package 2:

 

[d-quik]

So my Shift Journey ended before it began. Let me recap why Wilson's QC and shipping department are the name of this frame minus the F.

1. Shift 300 box was basically a piece of cardboard folded in half with the frame sandwiched in between it. The SW on this turned out to be 273
2. Shift 315 was an actual box at least but they couldn't even tape it properly. The SW on this turned out to be 310

I'm surprised either frame made it to me safely.

Package 1:

Package 2:

it is a miracle that the frames are even intact with such unfortunate packaging.

 

[thisiscrazy]

Package 1:

[/QUOTE]

WTF! No chance, for some reason, it was opened and repackaged?

 

[AVSH]

So my Shift Journey ended before it began. Let me recap why Wilson's QC and shipping department are the name of this frame minus the F.

1. Shift 300 box was basically a piece of cardboard folded in half with the frame sandwiched in between it. The SW on this turned out to be 273
2. Shift 315 was an actual box at least but they couldn't even tape it properly. The SW on this turned out to be 310

I'm surprised either frame made it to me safely.

Package 1:

Package 2:

This came from Wilson??

 

[1HBHfanatic]

i just dont like the fact that i have to hit out and it prodcues a really week ball that anyone can hit back. Dishiki the user was correct about this stick.

i dont have time to lead it up. because the spin on the 315 is not damaging to my partners.

-dammit, this is what i was "not wanting to hear"!
-sound like more KIDS rackets!
-thanks for the input
-ill stick with the blades and/or the new PS!

 

[Vicious49]

WTF! No chance, for some reason, it was opened and repackaged?
[/QUOTE]

Not repackaged as the original mailing labels are there.

This came from Wilson??

Yes, direct from Wilson.com.

 

[yourtennisfit]

So I played the 315 now for a few hours including one tournament match and here are my thoughts on it.

I received my racket with about 5grams of lead at 12 and strung with Alu Power Vibe at about 50 lbs
Will try a more stiff string soon, but this way it was super powerful and also had quite some plow.

It is an interesting mix really, because the thick and flexible frame wants to give spin and power - the rather tight string pattern control and then the Alu Power Vibe offers great feedback but also some extra power.
Overall I had good feel but heaps and heaps of power compared to my H22 or the frames I usually use. I cannot really see a tour level pro playing this and not overhitting, sometimes when defending the ball sailed on me like crazy. But when attacking it offers quite some nice extra pop and as long as you stay in front and hit the ball with authority it doesn't sail.

Groundstrokes are all super solid, also thanks to the lead I guess but you can hit balls on the way up and still push for pace, get some decent spin or flatten out.
It has a tendency to sail balls out or spray them left and right, but only if you tend to back off or just lift them back into play IMO.

Serve is where the racket really shines, the flat ones are incredible + you can generate nice spin on both kick & slice.
On touch shots and volleys it is super stable but sometimes the kind of bouncy stringbed tends to give too much here. E.g. you want to play a volley stop but it bounces from the lively strings and at least if you are used to traditional 18x20 patterns this may surprise you.

The number one benefit though - it is super super comfy on the arm, without giving too much control away compared to the Clash.
But still this is not a control oriented frame that I see for a lot of competitive players.

I would say a very comfortable Pure Drive

 

[Deleted member 775108]

A lot of randos shi(f)tting on this racquet - some responses make me question if they even tried the racket or are faking it completely.

A lot of good reviews online from mostly historically reliable sources.

So far the only thing really negative and new (QC issue is negative and old) that I have heard is that their packaging is bad - no biggie since they will replace any racquets damaged in shipping.

Atleast they have something new - most other brands have been basically repackaging rackets with new paint jobs for years. I will try it myself in a couple months with known/controlled specs.

 

[yourtennisfit]

A lot of randos shi(f)tting on this racquet - some responses make me question if they even tried the racket or are faking it completely.

A lot of good reviews online from mostly historically reliable sources.

So far the only thing really negative and new (QC issue is negative and old) that I have heard is that their packaging is bad - no biggie since they will replace any racquets damaged in shipping.

Atleast they have something new - most other brands have been basically repackaging rackets with new paint jobs for years. I will try it myself in a couple months with known/controlled specs.

This!
Cannot even tell you how much it frustrates me as well - I mean this racket surely isn't everybody's cup of tea, but some of the reviews have me questioning my mind.
It is something really interesting and very different from many approaches.

It would have been easy to just build a spin frame like 25 other brands and make Karen or somebody endorse it on the tour.
This way it is super interesting to see and definitely fits a gap in the market

 

[tsgiv]

So my Shift Journey ended before it began. Let me recap why Wilson's QC and shipping department are the name of this frame minus the F.

1. Shift 300 box was basically a piece of cardboard folded in half with the frame sandwiched in between it. The SW on this turned out to be 273
2. Shift 315 was an actual box at least but they couldn't even tape it properly. The SW on this turned out to be 310

I'm surprised either frame made it to me safely.

Package 1:

Package 2:

Wow this is absolutely diabolical packaging LOL

 

[Vicious49]

Wow this is absolutely diabolical packaging LOL

I was going to pack them both properly in the 1 box they couldn't even tape correctly but Wilson wants them returned in separate boxes. So they are getting them back the way I received them.

I did include pics of the packaging in my email to their CS. Of course, they didn't comment on that at all.

 

[tsgiv]

I was going to pack them both properly in the 1 box they couldn't even tape correctly but Wilson wants them returned in separate boxes. So they are getting them back the way I received them.

I did include pics of the packaging in my email to their CS. Of course, they didn't comment on that at all.

Gotta love that quality control from Wilson, hopefully they get the new ones and are actually sorted out properly for ya.

 

[Vicious49]

Gotta love that quality control from Wilson, hopefully they get the new ones and are actually sorted out properly for ya.

Nah, the juice isn't worth the squeeze for me on this one. I was already on the fence, made an impulse purchase, and then Wilson just made my decision much easier. I'd rather just wait at this point and demo first.

 

[kkm]

Last year I bought a couple Blade v8s direct from Wilson. The difference in length was enough that it was obvious even just looking at them laid side by side and on top of each other. CS said that the 2+mm difference in length was “within tolerance.” F Wilson.

 

[tsgiv]

Nah, the juice isn't worth the squeeze for me on this one. I was already on the fence, made an impulse purchase, and then Wilson just made my decision much easier. I'd rather just wait at this point and demo first.

Have been looking at the 315 although it hasn't come to Canada yet, this is really making me doubt my choices to try and buy one.

 

[thisiscrazy]

Last year I bought a couple Blade v8s direct from Wilson. The difference in length was enough that it was obvious even just looking at them laid side by side and on top of each other. CS said that the 2+mm difference in length was “within tolerance.” F Wilson.

That's another "WTF!!" for Wilson customer service.

 

[Fxanimator1]

Last year I bought a couple Blade v8s direct from Wilson. The difference in length was enough that it was obvious even just looking at them laid side by side and on top of each other. CS said that the 2+mm difference in length was “within tolerance.” F Wilson.

That’s weird, glad I’m not the only one. I had a couple of Blade V6 like that. They are supposed to be matching racquets in my bag, so that really put me off.