2nd Serve Ace
Hall of Fame
Well the SW 104 countervail was a total disaster. The regular cv 104 had this big RA jump to 66 so I didn't bother with it.
Btw, all 104s are a 22mm beam.
2019 Wilson Blade
- Thread starter TennisCounrty
- Start date
Well the SW 104 countervail was a total disaster. The regular cv 104 had this big RA jump to 66 so I didn't bother with it.
Btw, all 104s are a 22mm beam.
WillGinRVA
Rookie
My v7 18x20 feels like swinging a mace sometimes. Was practicing with it last night and in the follow through of my forehand stroke, when my arm is across my body, it feels like it’s yanking my shoulder out of the socket lol. The SW of it is 307 unstrung and I have a full bed of Head Velocity 16 in there, so probably about 337 SW strung?
Not sure if this feeing is due to the huge polarization of the racquet and if a heavier static weight racquet with the same swing weight would feel the same. Any advice?
Btw I’m 33 and have a swing speed that matches my relative youth (to some of the older folks here lol).
Not sure if this feeing is due to the huge polarization of the racquet and if a heavier static weight racquet with the same swing weight would feel the same. Any advice?
Btw I’m 33 and have a swing speed that matches my relative youth (to some of the older folks here lol).
time_fly
Hall of Fame
Maybe the Blade isn’t for you? Light weight with a hefty swing weight is the Blade formula. The Pro Staff line is built for players who like the more traditional setup of heavier weight with a headlight balance and moderate swing weight.
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
Option 1 is give yourself a few weeks to adjust to the high sw / low static weight / less headlight balance. Option 2 is add weight to the throat and/or handle to make the racquet less polarized and to make it swing less “funny.”
McGradey
Hall of Fame
Bagged me a Blade.
18x20, 307g unstrung, 330g with OG and dampener. Looks lethal with blacked out strings (Cyclone 17g). Guess the swingweight is around 330? Forgot to get it measured. Balance point is right near the top of the throat.
Interested to see how a full bed of poly feels, the demo I had had a hybrid with a poly main and syn gut cross. Nice and comfortable but too lively for my liking.
18x20, 307g unstrung, 330g with OG and dampener. Looks lethal with blacked out strings (Cyclone 17g). Guess the swingweight is around 330? Forgot to get it measured. Balance point is right near the top of the throat.
Interested to see how a full bed of poly feels, the demo I had had a hybrid with a poly main and syn gut cross. Nice and comfortable but too lively for my liking.
DaylightBlue
New User
I'm curious to what syn gut/multi and poly hybrid do for the 18x20. I know the commonly agreed way to string this is full bed Max power or lux 4g but what if you string them in a hybrid with less tension in the poly cross than the mains. Anyone have input on this?
djNEiGht
Legend
I often string poly 3-5 lbs less than the synthetic
tennis347
Hall of Fame
For all you Blade fans, I finally had to try the Wilson Clash 98 due to the sale. To make a long story short, it is not even in the same league as the new Blade v7 line. The Clash has a small sweet spot, horrible feel and is like playing with a stiff board even with a synthetic string at low 50's tension. The comfort was not good either.
IMO the new Blade v7 line in the 98 head size are the racquets of the year period!!!! There's is no other players frame that comes close!!
IMO the new Blade v7 line in the 98 head size are the racquets of the year period!!!! There's is no other players frame that comes close!!
time_fly
Hall of Fame
FWIW my experience with the Clash 98 was similar to yours. But there's a cadre of forum members who think it is the frame of the year. Maybe it's just very string sensitive. While not everyone likes the same frames, it's odd to see one that polarizes people to the extent that the various Clashes do.
megamind
Legend
Agree with the Clash being Trash
have you tried the Gravity Tour/Pro? I slightly prefer those over the Blade 98, for my game
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
The 2015 Blade 18/20 blows the blade v7 16/19 away. The blade v7 16/19 was the most underwhelming racquet this year for me.
One short hit with @ChaelAZ blade v7 18/20 intrigued me enough that I picked one up during this sale. If the v7 18/20 has the power and plow of the 2015 version with even better feel, flex and comfort, it could very well be the GOAT blade. Will find out when the rain stops and I’m able to get out on the court.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
The 2015 Blades in either pattern are really good frames, however IMO v7 Blades have a softer and more plush feel. The 2015 Blade has a crisper feel.
I just didn't gel with the Clash 98. I am use to playing with thin beam players frames over the years. I would imagine the thick beam on the Clash adds to a stiffer feel which is not my cup of tea. The RA on the Clash is misleading IMO.
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tennis347
Hall of Fame
No, I have not tried the Gravity line but I don't think it will not play as soft and plush like the Blade. I think I will take a break for a while with trying new racquets. I also have a matching pair of Angell K7 Red which is also a very good with the super plush feel. Besides that I have solid all my other racquets.
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mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
The feel of the v7 16/19 was so soft it was vague and I just didn’t know exactly what the ball was doing. The 18/20 is soft but still retains good ball feedback.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
My friend it all comes down to personal preference. I like a very buttery feeling racquet. If you think the Blade 98 v7 16 x 19 is super soft, you would not like the Angell K7 Red which is even more flexible than the Blade, lol .
I get it that you like a crisper feel which is probably one of reasons you really liked the Clash 98.
I thought the 18x20 felt a little "boardy", but could have been due to string and tension. Personal opinion is that the v7 16x19 plays/feels better with a stiffer string setup. Out of all the polys I've tried (Alu Power/16L, Alu Power Rough/16L, Tour Bite/17, Hyper-G/17, Yonex PTP/17, I thought Hyper-G felt/played the best on the v7 16x19. Ironically, I couldn't stand Hyper-G and was my least favorite on my Yonex DR 98.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Not a big fan of crisp racquets. I actually like the rossignol f200 which is a very soft flexy racquet. In fact, I still have some vantage bc20s which are very flexy, too.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
I actually recall trying a Rossignol racquet maybe a few years after started playing in early 90's. Don't remember which model but it had a very flexible feel. If you like a flexible feel then you would like the Volkl C10 Pro which is a real classic. The C10 Pro is one of my all time favorites but too heavy for arm these days.
Imho it starts to become a little pathetic how you talk about the 16x19 blade... We all get it now, you dont like the 16x19.
I just bought 3 v7 16x19 Blades, already own 2 18x20s. Just want try them out. I didnt use any matching service this time because I bought them 2ndhand. And yes, there was a 10 point swingweight difference between 2 of them.
One man's garbage is another man's treasure.
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
I tested both v7 patterns extensively and they are both great in their own way. With this flexible layup you need mass in the head though. Otherwise the frame can’t win the collision with the ball. I can see why people would be underwhelmed by an under spec frame in either pattern.
What were the specs of your 16x19?
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
The 16x19s were very close to what TW listed: 328g, 32.5cm, 327sw strung with overgrip. My 18x20s are almost the same weight but have higher sw and are more head heavy. I have a buddy that is a strong 4.5 that played both side by side strung with 4G and he instantly bought the matched pair of 16x19s from me. He preferred the easier access to spin and maneuverability of the 16x19. I felt the same way, but there is something very addictive about the plow and linear response of the 18x20.
parasailing
Legend
Best racquet ever Blade 18x20 v7 all the way!!!!
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
Having hit with the V7 now for a while, and having been a die hard 2015 player, my recommendation is to have comparable power of the 2015 but the benefit of the feel and plow through/stability of the V7, string low...(sweet chariot - song joke [emoji4]). I was finding the V7 controlled and with good power equal to (or maybe a bit more than) the 2015, but never felt like I was getting the full benefit of the racquet everyone else’s seemed to talk about. Went from my standard 52-54lbs on the 2015 to 46-48lbs for the V7 and it has been the difference.
Individual results may vary, but seems across the board that has been most V7 players comment.
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tennis347
Hall of Fame
I just woke up and was just thinking the same my brother, lol .
16x19 is the same damn racquet.. the difference in specs is indicative of differences you would expect.... it is definitely easier to play with. I crush it with 18z20 when pace is moderate.. if the incoming balls are faster.. level of play is higher i noticed 16x19 makes my life easier without comprimising control too much. As i said before.. 16x19 stab or dig balls will get an easier pop.. but if you are swinging hard 18x20 hits the crap out of the ball.. i have 2 16x19 and 2 18x20s... both very solid offerings...
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
I string my 2015 at 50/48. I strung my v7 at 47/45.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
New Blades (and Clashes) are relatively cheap this holiday season; none of the other brands are offering discounts like Wilson. Is Wilson hurting for sales, or are they just trying to grab market share with their new lineups? I’m curious what their thinking is and whether other brands will respond.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
I see more Blades around than most other racquets, so nto sure they are worried about market share. But with price increases (like from that $169-$180 mark to now $200+) maybe sales have been sluggish.
gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
Older blade models other than countervail had the same issue. I wrap my overgrip as high as possible without overlapping the bottom of throat. It helps.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
parasailing
Legend
I do find the Blade 18x20 needs to be strung in the lower 40s to make the most of the racquet. I have the 2015 model and v7 and find that 44lbs mains and 40lbs crosses works well for me for poly strings like Hyper G. the main difference between the 2015 and v7 is whether you like a more crisp feel ala 2015 model or more plush v7. Volleys and slices are better on the 2015 but other aspects, v7 is a better racquet for me.
Either way, I can't lose since I got both racquets.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Agreed. I prefer the feel of my under spec 2015 but I do also enjoy my v7 which I requested the lowest SW that was available. My fave is the classic direct feel of the ultra tour.
FedGR
Professional
I've been saying this like forever!!!! Sure the 18x20 is a bit more solid due to the extra SW and the 16x19 has a slightly higher launch angle but that doesn't make them different rackets. At all!
I guess people that have very polarized opinions about the 2 string patterns have spent most of their time using 1 specific type of racket and they cannot work at all with anything different. That's quite normal I would think.
Fxanimator1
Hall of Fame
Is it really garbage? I thought both versions played pretty well, different, yes, but neither one was garbage.
I am still using the Pro Staff 97 however, because I thought the Blade V7 were garbage.
Not really, I just prefer the Pro Staff’s. The Blades were very solid hitting and fun racquets.
parasailing
Legend
I had both the 16x19 and 18x20 Blade v7s and I prefer the 18x20 even when they were similar spec'd.
They did a better job with this version of the 16x19 and it comes closer to the feel of the 18x20 but it didn't feel as solid.
Maybe I just prefer 18x20 string patterns as I noticed this as well the new Pure Strike.
They did a better job with this version of the 16x19 and it comes closer to the feel of the 18x20 but it didn't feel as solid.
Maybe I just prefer 18x20 string patterns as I noticed this as well the new Pure Strike.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Exactly. volleys flutter and die off the stringbed like a wounded bird.
mad dog1
G.O.A.T.
Possibly. The feel of the frame wasn’t all that different than the 18/20. The performance was awful especially when it came to stability on volleys.
Holdfast44ID
Semi-Pro
I have a couple of new 18/20 98 sticks I'm going to try out with Tourna Big Hitter Silver 7 Tour 1.25mm at 44/42 lbs. Can someone stop the rain? Lol
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Im incredibly partial to 16x19 but i felt both blades and strikes were better as 18x20
Znak
Hall of Fame
46 poly mains, 48 multi crosses? I strung my two at 55/50 multi/poly, but finding it a little too control orientated, I might try lower next sj.
ChaelAZ
G.O.A.T.
I am 48/48 full poly. Will be testing 46/46 again though. I am not noticing any loss of control, but much better pocketing.
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