Best Wilson racquet for an intermediate player?
- Thread starter 5363Tom
- Start date
SHIFT 99 V1.0 ROLAND-GARROS SESSION DE SOIRÉE Tennis Racket 2024 - Free String Upgrade
Key features of the Wilson Shift 99 Tennis Racket:Head size: 99 Sq. In String pattern: 16 x 20 Balance: 315mm / 9 pts Head Light Weight: 300g Please note, this frame comes unstrung but is offered with free strings if you select this option
www.mdgsports.co.uk
This one?
Dragy
Legend
Clash 100 is very popular. If you want to play tennis, stay safe and not dig too much into technique, being super-diligent with your footwork and training pro-like regiment, it’s super-choice.
Blade 100 and Pro Staff X are good options if you crave for more “control”. If you use those with comfortable strings, they are absolutely usable.
Blade 100 and Pro Staff X are good options if you crave for more “control”. If you use those with comfortable strings, they are absolutely usable.
CosmosMpower
Hall of Fame
Clash 100 or Pro
Blade 100, clash, ultra.
Would not recommend pro staff X for an intermediate player
Dragy
Legend
Maybe you are right, but that’s a spectrum, imho.
I'm an intermediate doubles player & I love my clash 100 V2
Fed Kennedy
Legend
Whats an intermediate player?
Olli Jokinen
Hall of Fame
You wanna go for the Clash 100 V2. Smooth power, nice control and very well balanced. Just bought a couple, and just loving them. I used to be pretty good and played a bit of league tennis when I was young. Now I'm fifty and cant't play well with my old rackets (Wilson Hammer, to stiff). The Clash has given me a lot of enjoyment when playing due to easy spin generation and being very easy on the wrist and elbow. Very nice stick.
I'm 53 & loving mine as well; what do you have yours strung with; out of curiosity?
UnderArmServeOP
Rookie
Any racquet specialist at TW will ask you to try the Blade 100 along w/ the Clash 100 and the Ultra 100. If you had to rank in terms of power, the Ultra would be at the top and then the Clash followed by the Blade. Clash on one hand is the most comfortable and then the Blade and the Ultra being the stiffest and therefore the least comfortable.
Olli Jokinen
Hall of Fame
24 kg. Don’t know what that is in lbs. I play mainly on clay with quite a lot of spin.
mine is strung with natural gut at 53 pounds
dyslexical-scope
Rookie
I don't know many intermediates who stuck with the Clash 100.
Let me tell you about my mental map of racquets.
It has two axes: performance forgiveness and comfort forgiveness.
Performance forgiveness is how good of a ball the racquet delivers when you aren't hitting clean.
Comfort forgiveness is how little damage your wrist/arm/body takes when you aren't hitting clean.
The Clash has top tier comfort forgiveness, but is very unforgiving in performance.
If you aren't swinging a weighty topspin-laden forehand and backhand you're going to see balls flying more than you expect.
Especially on a day where you aren't finding the best contact, where everything's a bit late or a bit too far out of the middle of the stringbed, the Clash is hard to reign in on those days.
There's also the legwork of finding a good string setup in the Clash that works well for you.
To contrast that, everyone I know from intermediate to advanced who went Blade has loved it and stuck with it.
The Blades are both forgiving in comfort and performance.
Not top tier in either, but a great balance.
Good feel, great sound, string it with whatever you want, brilliant inside the court, the superlatives continue.
Let me tell you about my mental map of racquets.
It has two axes: performance forgiveness and comfort forgiveness.
Performance forgiveness is how good of a ball the racquet delivers when you aren't hitting clean.
Comfort forgiveness is how little damage your wrist/arm/body takes when you aren't hitting clean.
The Clash has top tier comfort forgiveness, but is very unforgiving in performance.
If you aren't swinging a weighty topspin-laden forehand and backhand you're going to see balls flying more than you expect.
Especially on a day where you aren't finding the best contact, where everything's a bit late or a bit too far out of the middle of the stringbed, the Clash is hard to reign in on those days.
There's also the legwork of finding a good string setup in the Clash that works well for you.
To contrast that, everyone I know from intermediate to advanced who went Blade has loved it and stuck with it.
The Blades are both forgiving in comfort and performance.
Not top tier in either, but a great balance.
Good feel, great sound, string it with whatever you want, brilliant inside the court, the superlatives continue.
ekucheraw
Rookie
I’d agree wholeheartedly here. I’ve met a number of people who are anywhere between tolerating and enjoying a clash, but the moment they swap to another racquet (like the blade 100 for example) they almost instantly start seeing better results and find it far more enjoyable. The clash just adds a degree of randomness and inconsistency to every swing that as a player who I assume is improving on the court, you’ll want a racquet that can improve with you and not one that sacrifices playability for comfort.
Each Wilson line has a pretty clear degree of strengths and weaknesses, something I appreciate about their willingness to not make everything homogenous.
The ultra is powerful and crispy but can sometimes be uncomfortable and difficult to manage.
The pro staff is plush and controlled but lacks firepower without long strokes and can be unwieldy to some who strive for spin.
The blade is a jack of all trades but a master of none. I think most people who have used one (myself included) would agree that while you play great with it, it’s a bit uninspiring and doesn’t have that same feel the other lines do.
The clash is comfortable but inconsistent and random at times due to the swing-dependent flex.
The Shift can produce great power and spin but can seem uncomfortable to some.
I think either the Blade 100 or the Shift 99 are both great options for beginning to branch out and find what you really value in your tennis game, as their respective strengths and shortcomings cut you a clear path of what you want going forward.
ChanterRacquet
Professional
Back when the v1 Clash was new, the v7 Blade 104 was deemed by some to be the better implementation of an arm friendly racquet that was accessible and had good power, feel, etc. (The v7 98 were both 330ish swingweight and the v7 Blade 100 wasn’t released until much later, almost into the v8 launch iirc). It might still be the case comparing v2 Clash to v9 Blade 104?
I play great with my wife’s v7 Blade 104. My attempts to acquire one with similar playability were thwarted by Wilson’s QC: imagine a stock 290 g unstrung racquet with a 330 sw! I gave up and play other racquets but the 104 is worth a look!
I play great with my wife’s v7 Blade 104. My attempts to acquire one with similar playability were thwarted by Wilson’s QC: imagine a stock 290 g unstrung racquet with a 330 sw! I gave up and play other racquets but the 104 is worth a look!
I play EZONE but I can see people hating the Yonex butt caps as Wilson has a lot of flare. I never liked any Wilson frames but I probably would skip the Blade and get older Burn stock and save some money.
Olli Jokinen
Hall of Fame
My tennis is going from more advanced play to intermediate due to a bad back and being 50, so I really like the Clash. Topspin and clay may have something to do with it too.
Before just blindly throwing racquet recs at the OP, if we bothered to look at @5363Tom's profile and previous posts, we can see he's:
- 24 years old
- An early intermediate, playing for about 8-9 months
- Plays roughly once per week
- Restrings ~1x per year
- Currently using a 1st-gen Boom MP
- Has demoed the Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 and thought it felt good
- Is curious about options from Head or Wilson (Rad MP, Speed MP, Blade 100 v9, etc.), specifically with better feel
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
@Tom5363 - IMHO, for the level that you're at and the amount you play, I would just consider sticking with the Boom MP and trying to adjust performance with strings, maybe a bit of added weight if you really feel you need it. For a specific string recommendation, I would just use a durable, slick and crisp Synthetic Gut, strung in the middle of the recommended tension range for the frame -- my best suggestions would be Yonex Dynawire or Prince Lightning XX (essentially the same string), which should play well in the Boom MP. Do that, and you'll have all the performance you'll need to improve your technique, keep equipment cost low and put the bulk of your funds and time where it's most effective: on lessons, footwear, physio work and just playing tennis!
If you're still really curious about exploring other sticks, especially since you enjoyed it already and the cost should be minimal, I'd actually consider the Pro Staff Precision 100. Even though it's sold mostly down-market, it's actually a really well-balanced stick for what it is, with with a more predictable and precise string bed than the Boom MP, as well as more raw and direct feel, albeit the sweet spot will be noticeably smaller/lower and the string bed won't be quite as forgiving -- so there's a bit of a trade off between both frames. Beyond that, for more direct/crisp feel from Head/Wilson, I would look at the Head Radical Team (102" but still very controllable) or Speed MP L (less cumbersome than the regular MP, as the current generation has a fairly high stock swing weight). From Wilson, I would normally recommend the Pro Staff Team v14, but it's going to be very close to the PSP100 overall, so if you're going to go to the trouble of trying something else, I'd point you to the Ultra 100, or if you don't want as much stiffness/power, the Blade 100 v9. The Ultra will be more controllable than the Burn, and both will offer more predictable rebound response than a Clash, and better predictability on flatter and/or slower strokes than the Shift (which is really best utilized by advanced-level players with a very swipey stroke path and high racket head speed).
Hope some of that helps. Any questions, feel free.
- 24 years old
- An early intermediate, playing for about 8-9 months
- Plays roughly once per week
- Restrings ~1x per year
- Currently using a 1st-gen Boom MP
- Has demoed the Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 and thought it felt good
- Is curious about options from Head or Wilson (Rad MP, Speed MP, Blade 100 v9, etc.), specifically with better feel
Head boom mp vs radical mp
I am looking at getting a new racket, as Im currently using a very old one. I’ve been playing for around 8 months now and have been having lessons. From my research these two seem to be good options, which one would be best? Or does anyone have any other suggestions? I want one that will allow...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
Opinions on Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 for a young male intermediate?
Demoed this racquet a few weeks back and it felt nice. Is it good for an intermediate or would another racquet from the Wilson range be better suited?
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
Wilson alternative to head boom mp?
I’ve currently got a boom mp and fancy a change. What racket in the Wilson line is similar to the boom mp and are any better?
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
@Tom5363 - IMHO, for the level that you're at and the amount you play, I would just consider sticking with the Boom MP and trying to adjust performance with strings, maybe a bit of added weight if you really feel you need it. For a specific string recommendation, I would just use a durable, slick and crisp Synthetic Gut, strung in the middle of the recommended tension range for the frame -- my best suggestions would be Yonex Dynawire or Prince Lightning XX (essentially the same string), which should play well in the Boom MP. Do that, and you'll have all the performance you'll need to improve your technique, keep equipment cost low and put the bulk of your funds and time where it's most effective: on lessons, footwear, physio work and just playing tennis!
If you're still really curious about exploring other sticks, especially since you enjoyed it already and the cost should be minimal, I'd actually consider the Pro Staff Precision 100. Even though it's sold mostly down-market, it's actually a really well-balanced stick for what it is, with with a more predictable and precise string bed than the Boom MP, as well as more raw and direct feel, albeit the sweet spot will be noticeably smaller/lower and the string bed won't be quite as forgiving -- so there's a bit of a trade off between both frames. Beyond that, for more direct/crisp feel from Head/Wilson, I would look at the Head Radical Team (102" but still very controllable) or Speed MP L (less cumbersome than the regular MP, as the current generation has a fairly high stock swing weight). From Wilson, I would normally recommend the Pro Staff Team v14, but it's going to be very close to the PSP100 overall, so if you're going to go to the trouble of trying something else, I'd point you to the Ultra 100, or if you don't want as much stiffness/power, the Blade 100 v9. The Ultra will be more controllable than the Burn, and both will offer more predictable rebound response than a Clash, and better predictability on flatter and/or slower strokes than the Shift (which is really best utilized by advanced-level players with a very swipey stroke path and high racket head speed).
Hope some of that helps. Any questions, feel free.
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The limitations of a new tennis player aren't in the equipment, assuming the equipment is in good shape and not made of wood. The Boom MP was first introduced in 2022--not too old--and it isn't too heavy, so it's a good first racquet. I agree with @Trip -- save the money until you develop your strokes to the point where you can better articulate what you really need from your equipment.
Bingo. Especially the last sentence.
Before just blindly throwing racquet recs at the OP, if we bothered to look at @5363Tom's profile and previous posts, we can see he's:
- 24 years old
- An early intermediate, playing for about 8-9 months
- Plays roughly once per week
- Restrings ~1x per year
- Currently using a 1st-gen Boom MP
- Has demoed the Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 and thought it felt good
- Is curious about options from Head or Wilson (Rad MP, Speed MP, Blade 100 v9, etc.), specifically with better feel
Head boom mp vs radical mp
I am looking at getting a new racket, as Im currently using a very old one. I’ve been playing for around 8 months now and have been having lessons. From my research these two seem to be good options, which one would be best? Or does anyone have any other suggestions? I want one that will allow...Opinions on Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 for a young male intermediate?
Demoed this racquet a few weeks back and it felt nice. Is it good for an intermediate or would another racquet from the Wilson range be better suited?Wilson alternative to head boom mp?
I’ve currently got a boom mp and fancy a change. What racket in the Wilson line is similar to the boom mp and are any better?
@Tom5363 - IMHO, for the level that you're at and the amount you play, I would just consider sticking with the Boom MP and trying to adjust performance with strings, maybe a bit of added weight if you really feel you need it. For a specific string recommendation, I would just use a durable, slick and crisp Synthetic Gut, strung in the middle of the recommended tension range for the frame -- my best suggestions would be Yonex Dynawire or Prince Lightning XX (essentially the same string), which should play well in the Boom MP. Do that, and you'll have all the performance you'll need to improve your technique, keep equipment cost low and put the bulk of your funds and time where it's most effective: on lessons, footwear, physio work and just playing tennis!
If you're still really curious about exploring other sticks, especially since you enjoyed it already and the cost should be minimal, I'd actually consider the Pro Staff Precision 100. Even though it's sold mostly down-market, it's actually a really well-balanced stick for what it is, with with a more predictable and precise string bed than the Boom MP, as well as more raw and direct feel, albeit the sweet spot will be noticeably smaller/lower and the string bed won't be quite as forgiving -- so there's a bit of a trade off between both frames. Beyond that, for more direct/crisp feel from Head/Wilson, I would look at the Head Radical Team (102" but still very controllable) or Speed MP L (less cumbersome than the regular MP, as the current generation has a fairly high stock swing weight). From Wilson, I would normally recommend the Pro Staff Team v14, but it's going to be very close to the PSP100 overall, so if you're going to go to the trouble of trying something else, I'd point you to the Ultra 100, or if you don't want as much stiffness/power, the Blade 100 v9. The Ultra will be more controllable than the Burn, and both will offer more predictable rebound response than a Clash, and better predictability on flatter and/or slower strokes than the Shift (which is really best utilized by advanced-level players with a very swipey stroke path and high racket head speed).
Hope some of that helps. Any questions,
Before just blindly throwing racquet recs at the OP, if we bothered to look at @5363Tom's profile and previous posts, we can see he's:
- 24 years old
- An early intermediate, playing for about 8-9 months
- Plays roughly once per week
- Restrings ~1x per year
- Currently using a 1st-gen Boom MP
- Has demoed the Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 and thought it felt good
- Is curious about options from Head or Wilson (Rad MP, Speed MP, Blade 100 v9, etc.), specifically with better feel
Head boom mp vs radical mp
I am looking at getting a new racket, as Im currently using a very old one. I’ve been playing for around 8 months now and have been having lessons. From my research these two seem to be good options, which one would be best? Or does anyone have any other suggestions? I want one that will allow...Opinions on Wilson Pro Staff Precision 100 for a young male intermediate?
Demoed this racquet a few weeks back and it felt nice. Is it good for an intermediate or would another racquet from the Wilson range be better suited?Wilson alternative to head boom mp?
I’ve currently got a boom mp and fancy a change. What racket in the Wilson line is similar to the boom mp and are any better?
@Tom5363 - IMHO, for the level that you're at and the amount you play, I would just consider sticking with the Boom MP and trying to adjust performance with strings, maybe a bit of added weight if you really feel you need it. For a specific string recommendation, I would just use a durable, slick and crisp Synthetic Gut, strung in the middle of the recommended tension range for the frame -- my best suggestions would be Yonex Dynawire or Prince Lightning XX (essentially the same string), which should play well in the Boom MP. Do that, and you'll have all the performance you'll need to improve your technique, keep equipment cost low and put the bulk of your funds and time where it's most effective: on lessons, footwear, physio work and just playing tennis!
If you're still really curious about exploring other sticks, especially since you enjoyed it already and the cost should be minimal, I'd actually consider the Pro Staff Precision 100. Even though it's sold mostly down-market, it's actually a really well-balanced stick for what it is, with with a more predictable and precise string bed than the Boom MP, as well as more raw and direct feel, albeit the sweet spot will be noticeably smaller/lower and the string bed won't be quite as forgiving -- so there's a bit of a trade off between both frames. Beyond that, for more direct/crisp feel from Head/Wilson, I would look at the Head Radical Team (102" but still very controllable) or Speed MP L (less cumbersome than the regular MP, as the current generation has a fairly high stock swing weight). From Wilson, I would normally recommend the Pro Staff Team v14, but it's going to be very close to the PSP100 overall, so if you're going to go to the trouble of trying something else, I'd point you to the Ultra 100, or if you don't want as much stiffness/power, the Blade 100 v9. The Ultra will be more controllable than the Burn, and both will offer more predictable rebound response than a Clash, and better predictability on flatter and/or slower strokes than the Shift (which is really best utilized by advanced-level players with a very swipey stroke path and high racket head speed).
Hope some of that helps. Any questions, feel free.
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Just edited it.
Rosstour
G.O.A.T.
You talking about Clash v1 or v2? Sounds like v1. Pray and spray
