tennis347
Hall of Fame
That's a bit high for me. If had to estimate the swing weight on mine I would say in the high 320's which is perfect for me. No added weight needed.
Clash 98: underrated racquet of 2019.
- Thread starter J011yroger
- Start date
That's a bit high for me. If had to estimate the swing weight on mine I would say in the high 320's which is perfect for me. No added weight needed.
n8dawg6
Legend
no extra weight for me, its right where i want it. speaking in broad terms, im usually not gonna like a racquet with a SW below 320 or too far above 330.
i must say, ive never liked a tweener as much as this one. ive (extensively) messed with the pure drive, pure aero, dr100, textreme warrior, extreme MP and pro, etc. id take this one every time
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
I know what you mean.,I was caught between the 18x20 Blade and the Clash 98. Went with the former, for my own reasons, but that Clash with 8 mains in the throat was a pretty fun ride.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
This is the kind of feedback that I looking for me. I like my swing weight around the mid to upper 320's. Anything above 330 is not manageable for me any more. I was surprised that my racquet came in about 5-6 grams over spec weight. If I happen to change to 98 Clash, I will have to request a matching frame. I am playing in a few hours and will post my review.
WillGinRVA
Rookie
What were your reasons?
PhxRacket
Hall of Fame
For selecting the Blade?
tennis347
Hall of Fame
I played this afternoon with the Clash 98 in rather cool and windy conditions today. I took that into consideration while trying the racquet. I have to start off by saying that I have tried numerous racquets over the years but I was really disappointed with the overall playability of the Clash. IMO it plays much stiffer than the 55 RA. If no one told me that the RA, I would have estimated in the high 60's. IMO the sweet spot was rather small and balls hit towards the upper hoop had no feel. IMO is not a forgiving racquet and I didn't like the feel at all. The stability was good and when the ball hit the center of the strings there was decent power. When I went to take a big cut at the ball the control was not good. For medium swing speeds, I felt in a groove and had good control.
The comfort level is not plush IMO. Not that it was jarring to the arm, its not a racquet I could play with as there was not enough comfort for my elbow and shoulder. I feel a little discomfort in my shoulder after playing with the Clash 98 for almost 2 hours.
IMO the Blade 98 16 x 19 v7 is a much superior racquet in all areas except the Clash 98 offers a little more stability and spin. The Blade is a very plush racquet where I have not had any arm pain in 4.5 months of use.
IMO the Blade plays much more flexible than the Clash.
I know reviews are individual but the Clash is not what I expected.
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gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
Agreed, v7 blades are special. Yes, I am sabotaging this thread.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
No offense to anyone who likes the Clash but the new Blade v7 is the racquet of the year. I can play with the Blade blind folded and I know when I am swinging away the ball will land in the court. The ball pocketing with the Blade is off the charts as well the buttery feel!!
I completely understand the control thing, but the comfort one is interesting. Did you string the Clash the same as your Blade?
I've only hit with the V7 Blade once. I liked it and actually found it very forgiving, but back to back with my Clash Tour it was nowhere near as comfortable (may have been strings) and definitely lacked stability. I didn't get to hit with it again because about half an hour later the owner turned it into a 10 piece racquet.
Good news is, you shouldn't have any trouble selling your Clash!
I've only hit with the V7 Blade once. I liked it and actually found it very forgiving, but back to back with my Clash Tour it was nowhere near as comfortable (may have been strings) and definitely lacked stability. I didn't get to hit with it again because about half an hour later the owner turned it into a 10 piece racquet.
Good news is, you shouldn't have any trouble selling your Clash!
tennis347
Hall of Fame
No, I strung the Clash 98 at 51lbs with Gamma TNT 15l and I usually my Blade at 54 or 55 lbs with Gosen Micro 16. I find the Blade way more plush and flexible than the Clash 98. The Blade is a true player's racquet IMO.
Sounds similar to the experience I had with the Clash Tour last night. Borrowed a friend's Clash Tour that was strung with gut/multi at 52/50. Didn't have any of the plush feel I was expecting. No where near any sort of pocketing or plough through. Was very surprised how the Clash Tour felt. The friends I was hitting against said the my shots with the Clash had lots of spin but wasn't heavy as shots hit with my Blade v7 16x19.
I suspect if I were to use the Clash 98 or Tour, I would need to drop down the tension down to low to mid 40's using a full set of poly and possibly had some weight around 10 and 2 to bring up the swing weight.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
Yes. I had my Clash 98 strung at 51lbs with Gamma TNT 15l which is a fairly soft string and the frame was 5-6 grams over spec weight. I did not feel the need to add weight. For the normal spec, I agree that some additional weight is needed. I couldn't imagine going much lower in tension with the Clash 98 as it will become a rocket launcher.
For a thin beam frame, the Blade 98 v7 16 x 19 can generate some pop. I think it also do with Blade being more top heavy than the Clash. In any event the Clash doesn't live up to all the hype. It plays quite stiff IMO.
ckhirnigs113
Rookie
n8dawg6
Legend
tend to agree. the clash does have more pop though if you can harness it. have you spent any more time with it or settled on the blades?
tennis347
Hall of Fame
No, I have not. It didn't like the feel of the Clash as it was too firm for my taste. I also didn't like the maneuverability. Between the beam width and coming over 5 or 6 grams over spec weight. Didn't care for the balance. It was just mistake on my behalf for buying the Clash. The Blade is a much better racquet and a true player's frame.
I am sticking with the Blades which play like an old school racquet.
n8dawg6
Legend
no judgment here, i prefer the blade too. i bought an extry and im set (ha! for how long?)
i did like the clash for a tweener though ... i havent used a better tweener.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
I can't really say much about tweeners unless you consider the PK 7G a tweener? If so, I would say it's a better racquet than the Clash. I also have a matching set of the Angell K7 Red which I would say is in between a player's frame and a tweener. I broke the strings on both of them about a month ago and didn't restring them as the outdoor season is coming to an end in NY. I have been otherwise playing exclusively with the new Blade 98 16 x 19. I don't see anything else worthwhile that has the soft flex and feel of the Blade. The K7 Red is also a treat with very soft flex and feel but goes through strings quickly.
I have to say for a thin beam frame, the new Blade v7 line has the best balance of control and power. You will never get an arm problem with the new Blade unless you string it with a very stiff string at a high tension.
do you play with 16x19 or 18x20 blade?
One Handed Dynasty
Semi-Pro
Does anyone know what the average unstrung swingweight is? I’m wondering if the 98 will work as a platform for my specs.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
Coming to an end?!?!
It was 22 degrees with 30mph wind last week!
What are you, some sort of Viking tennis warrior?
J
n8dawg6
Legend
our pitiful usta singles league grinds to a halt every night it dips below 40 ... which is fine w me
n8dawg6
Legend
yeah, tweener for me is the pure aero/drive, warrior, dr100-type racquets. extra pop, less feel. i like the clash better
DJ-
Hall of Fame
@ckhirnigs113 I'm using the 1.28 or 16g.. I use 16g 1.30 other brands mainly on all my sticks, so this feels a home. Actually feels like a 17g string at times but with the durability of a true 16g quality co-poly.
DJ-
Hall of Fame
None taken... I tested the blades 16 and 18m, the tf40 305 and clash 98 during a long 9 week holiday and the clash comes out on top for me. Feels like a mixture of a tweener, modern player's stick, and buttery feel of classics like my pt630 / 280's. The blades also have this buttery feeling. I can play 3 hours in 40 degree celsius heat and I won't feel any soreness with the clash.
The clash feels and plays like a bastaardd child of a pro tour 630, apd, head extreme, and yonex AI98....
I hadn't heard the term tweener used to describe a tennis racquet until I saw it mentioned over and over by the well fed lefty who does the tennis warehouse reviews. Everything seemed to be a tweener that needed a leather grip and weight in the hoop. Then I saw him playing and realised that saying you use a "player's frame" seems to be compensation for something.
The Clash 98 is by no means perfect, but it's definitely soft as a pillow when you hit the middle of the string bed. The Clash 98 is not as forgiving as the 100 Tour, so if you shank a lot of balls, either the 100 Tour or the Blade might be better choices for you. See what I did there?
The Clash 98 is by no means perfect, but it's definitely soft as a pillow when you hit the middle of the string bed. The Clash 98 is not as forgiving as the 100 Tour, so if you shank a lot of balls, either the 100 Tour or the Blade might be better choices for you. See what I did there?
tennis347
Hall of Fame
I agree that last Friday turned out to be lousy weather with the wind but it was still in the 40's. I played Sunday afternoon and it was sunny and in the low 40's with a very light wind. I guess that I am a tennis warrior, lol .
DJ-
Hall of Fame
No need for name calling, and b.t.w that lefty would beat you most likely with a tweener, a player's stick, a frying pan, and even with a woody with a sweet spot the size of a dime
tennis347
Hall of Fame
The Blade is definitely a player's frame as you need to take a full swing with good racquet head speed to maximize its potential. The Clash only requires a medium swing speed and gets erratic with full swings which makes it a tweener frame.
DJ-
Hall of Fame
If you brush up on your strokes you can hit out with the clash with no problems, especially with lower powered poly's in there....
tennis347
Hall of Fame
I have a western grip on my forehand and a somewhat extreme grip on the OHB. I find that the Clash played too firm with a synthetic string and I didn't like the feel. It doesn't have the buttery feel like the new Blade. I do hit with moderate topspin but only like racquets with a very plush feel.
40F is like 4C. I honestly don't know how you guys do it.
tennis347
Hall of Fame
No serious match playing, just drilling.
No need for name calling, and b.t.w that lefty would beat you most likely with a tweener, a player's stick, a frying pan, and even with a woody with a sweet spot the size of a dime
Given I'm on the other side of the planet, I don't think we'll be finding out. The lefty wasn't the worst by a long shot, but the tall guy named Andy is the stand out. A couple of the girls play okay too. But it was the constant use of the word "tweener" that made me laugh when I saw he was just and average player.
I used to think less of tweeners, but now I don't really care. As long as the frame feels good when I take a good cut at the ball it's fine by me. Not too many frames, tweeners or otherwise, feel all that good to me though, so my options are somewhat limited.
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n8dawg6
Legend
its supposed to be 40 for my singles match tonight ... interesting how you never know how bad your tendonitis is until you try warming up on a cold night ...
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tennis347
Hall of Fame
I thought that I was a real warrior but apparently other real die hard players who play matches in cold weather.
n8dawg6
Legend
I remember a tournament in February when I was in high school. We finished our last match after midnight and it was in the 20s. (Fahrenheit)
We actually were playing in shorts and tshirts by the time the match concluded, and we were sweating. As soon as we left the court we were freezing with our teeth chattering. Besides myself and my doubles partner there was only the coach and one other player left at the end and they had brought 0 degree rated sleeping bags to watch the matches in. They had been through this scenario before.
We actually were playing in shorts and tshirts by the time the match concluded, and we were sweating. As soon as we left the court we were freezing with our teeth chattering. Besides myself and my doubles partner there was only the coach and one other player left at the end and they had brought 0 degree rated sleeping bags to watch the matches in. They had been through this scenario before.
n8dawg6
Legend
upper 30s was bad enough for this 40 yr old. the tennis balls played like rocksI remember a tournament in February when I was in high school. We finished our last match after midnight and it was in the 20s. (Fahrenheit)
We actually were playing in shorts and tshirts by the time the match concluded, and we were sweating. As soon as we left the court we were freezing with our teeth chattering. Besides myself and my doubles partner there was only the coach and one other player left at the end and they had brought 0 degree rated sleeping bags to watch the matches in. They had been through this scenario before.
btw, ugh, ordered a backup clash 98 ... wonder if this is the frame that will carry me to league glory in the spring??? or maybe at least spare my golfers elbow
J011yroger
Talk Tennis Guru
J
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
You come across as a buffoon here. Don't be a buffoon.
n8dawg6
Legend
brilliant
J
tennis347
Hall of Fame
The reality is that not everyone is going to like the Clash.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
Not what I was objecting to. Did you read your own comment before posting it? Do you really think high levels players with long strokes cannot control powerful frames?
Everything points to you being somewhat of a intermediate, which is fine, the sport is there to have fun and I coached my fair share of intermediates back when I coached regularly. But it comes across rather poorly when you then opine on things in the manner you do.
