Demo new 2012 Wilson BLX Pro Staff Six One racquets

TW Staff

TW Staff

Administrator
Can't quibble with that!

Are the non-Pro Staff, normal 6.1s also available for demo or is that coming slightly later?
 
Ordered the 90 and 95 demos. What are they strung with and at what tension? Thanks TW, I'm really looking forward to the demos
 
Jason -

Does TW care if we switch strings once we receive the demos? I would prefer to cut the stock strings out and re-string with my MSV co-focus hex at my preferred (or close) tension. Thanks for whatever rules and policy you can provide us. - Mike, Greenwood, IN
 
TW Staff said:
Get your hands on some of the new Wilson BLX models before they are even available for purchase! Just follow the links here:


Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 100 BLX Demos 2012
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/demoselect.html?productlist=WPS100D


Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 90 BLX Demos 2012
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/demoselect.html?productlist=WPS90D


Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 95 BLX Demos 2012
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/demoselect.html?productlist=WPS95D

Jason, TW
Click to expand...

Great! Thanks for putting this up. Just ordered the PS95 demo - I'm hoping to replace my team with something a little heavier.
 
Got my PS BLX 95 demo a day earlier than scheduled and

Was supposed to arrive Mon and showed up today. Now I can use it for the weekend. Thank you TW! Feel like a kid a Christmas, can't wait to get up and play. Not only was it early, it's never been touched, has a new and pretty good string - NXT. Plastic still on handle. Can't I just keep it and sent TW the $ as waiting a few weeks for mine to come in is gonna kill me. Of course provided I like it but more than any racquet in quite some time I've been eagerly awaiting it's arrival as I try to find a slightly lighter replacement for my ncode 6.1. Hope this is it.
 
two days of playing hardcore with the demo prostaff blx six one 90 and i already popped the strings. will i get to return it for an exchange and extended the demo day lengths?
 
Played with the 95 and 90 last night. They felt really good and my initial feeling was favorable to the 95 than the 90, except that after only a couple of games with the 95 there was a sound of something "rattling" in it as I shook it
softly. (Wilson's poor QC!) That was getting even more annoying as my
games went on, so i could not really enjoy the rest of the demo session with it at all. It seemed as if minute particles of the frame were somehow off inside,
moving about freely whenever I shook or played with it. Just emailed TW for a replacement and I'll see.
 
That stinks about the loose particles! I heard someone else had the same issue with the 90. Mine arrived this afternoon (90,95, and 100), I won't be able to check them out until Wednesday. A little bummed that the tension on the 90 is at 46lbs - a little low for NXT on a BLX. But we'll see...
 
Got mine yesterday and played with it last night. It felt OK, but I did not like it as much as my 6.1 95. It seemed a bit low on power, and not as good on volleys. Otherwise it was fine, but I am not considering moving up to this racquet. I'll be sending it back tomorrow. I won't use it any more this week.
 
I've only spent 45 minutes with the PS BLX 90 so far but at this point it's everything I'd hope Wilson would give us in a tour 90. To me it feels somewhere between the K90, St V. PS 85, and BLX90. The weight distribution has changed - you can feel it in the throat and this was a welcome treat on my 1hbh, volleys and serve. The racquet hit much like the K90 in that I had no problem flattening out my groundstrokes. Given the fact that the tension on the brand new demo (NXT 16) arrived at 46lbs, I was amazed by the level of control.

The thing that most concerns me about the racquet are the reviews that point to a flaw in the handle/amilfeel system. :confused:Has the team at Tennis Warehouse discussed this matter with Wilson??? Has it been rectified?? Man, I want to purchase a couple of these matched!!!

Also, did you notice when Stefan played Tsonga in the exhibition match last week, he shook the PS BLX 90 and then bent it over his knee (looked like he was seeing if it was cracked)...and he did this on two different occasions that I saw. Bummer! Hopefully they've fixed the issue or they're in the process of fixing it b/c this stick is the real deal! And I must admit since I'm not a fan of the original BLX, part of me was prepared not to be impressed at all!
__________________
 
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FEDERERNADAL13 said:
Should be 11.5 ounces or so :) I haven't weighed it, but it feels about that in my hands :)
Click to expand...

Nice guess! Just weighed my demo and it's 11.4 oz strung (no dampener and no added over grip).

The 90 is 12.79 oz with dampener and over grip. It's also roughly 9 pts headlight with current set-up...one point lighter than my K90's and BLX90.

Excited to really put it through the paces tomorrow morning. But initial play for both me and my friend (who also plays with the K90 and who also is not a fan of the feel/disconnect with the BLX90) was great. We were both digging it!
 
PS95 Demo

I got my PS95 demo the other day and played with it the first time outdoors yesterday.

The good:
  • Manueverablility was great. Felt as fast as my team even though it weighs 20 grams more.
  • Spin was comparable. The density of the string bed in the middle is about the same as the team (18x20) but does widen out towards the bottom.
  • The scalpel feel was there due to the very thin beam, and helped to hit variety shots quite better (drop shots, lobs, etc).
  • Lower power equals less balls hit out. Multiple times a ball felt 'out' but plopped right down on the line.
  • Even with the thin beam, it felt stable. I never felt like I was pushed around.

The bad:
  • Very low powered. This may somewhat due to playing outdoors for the first time in a few months, but there was no free power and not much forgiveness.
  • There was a paint flaw by the grommets (small chip). May be why this racquet was chosen as a demo.

I'm going to be playing with it indoors tomorrow and I'll see if I get more power inside. Also, using gut could help with that, or playing with different tensions. It might be a winner if I can find a way to keep the feel, control, and spin, and get a little more power.
 
I just tried the ps 95 for the first time, i don't understand so many saying this racket is low powered. To me it had plenty of power, with the strings and tension that the racket came with it was way to powerful for me.

I will try it with some poly and see what happens. My normal racket is a blx 90 asian version which has excellent control, i was hoping the 95 would be similar. I did like the feel and serving was good so it has potential will have to give it a good test.
 
So, I played with all 3 today, and here are my thoughts:

Background: I use a BLX90, strung with ALU rough @47 Lbs.

Racket Info: BLX Prostaffs are all strung @57 Lbs. with NXT. The 90 had an overgrip on it, but neither of the others did.

BLX Prostaff 90:

I'm going to keep this racket's review short, as I found it extremely similar to my 90. The slice was the same, the power was slightly lacking, topspin was good. Serving was better than my current set-up, but not by much. If I rate my BLX90 at 7/10, then this racket would be a 7.5/10. Overall a good racket, but I wouldn't buy it, as I already have the BLX, which is extremely similar.

BLX Prostaff 100:

This racket was simply put: Everything a racket that I wasn't looking for. It was very spin-friendly and very low-powered. Also, the volleying was very difficult, maybe the 100 square inch did the trick. When serving, I had an extreme amount of difficulty generating power. Also, I have 1HBH, and I could not do anything with this racket! For Someone looking for spin, baselining 100 square inch racket, this may be the one for you. But, 1 handed backhanders beware, this is not our type of racket ;) Overall, for me it would be a 1/10, but for someone who would like an Babolat with less power, then this is around an 8.5/10 IMO.

BLX Prostaff 95:

This may have been the greatest racket for my game ever. No joking, this racket was unbelievably suited to my game. At first, I found it under-powered, but after a few shots I got all my usual power and more, while maintaining control.

My 1HBH was better than ever, my forehand was great, and my slice was very poisonous. It was very easy to swing through the ball, so I could generate loads of racket head speed. Volleys were, simply put, incredible! I consider myself a pretty good volleyer, but this racket made me an exceptional volleyer.

On serves, I could easily sling in 75 MPH+ serves, which, for me, is usually difficult, as I serve with a lot of spin. When flattening it out, I found huge amount of power, but I still operated at 80% 1st serve percentage :). On serve returns, I found that I could swing through the ball and really thump the returns (compared to with my BLX90, where I had to chip back my backhand returns, and only consistently hit my FH).

In my opinion, this racket is very suited for the modern game, with its light weight and awesome spin potential. Overall, for me, this racket was a 10/10 :). Simply amazing!


In Grand Conclusion:

I loved the 95, liked the 90, and hated the 100. Wilson did a great job on this next batch of rackets, and I will be sure to buy quite a few 95s. If you like the current 90, you will like the new one, as many have guessed. If you want a lower powered Babolat, then you will love the 100. If you are anything like me, you will love the 95.

I also want to thank TW for the opportunity to demo these rackets, quite a great experience.

I hope this helps anyone who wanted some info on the racket :)
 
Hit again tonight with the ps 95, this time it had blue gear 18 gauge at 60 lbs. It was better than the first racket i tried which had sensation in it.

But i still thought it had to much power, probably should have used 16 gauge blue gear. I will try it a few more times but it looks like i am going to stay with my asian blx 90.
 
FEDERERNADAL13 said:
So, I played with all 3 today, and here are my thoughts:

Racket Info: BLX Prostaffs are all strung @57 Lbs. with NXT. The 90 had an overgrip on it, but neither of the others did.
:)
Click to expand...

how did you find out your demo was string at 57 lbs? it seems the tension is looser to me by feel but i could be wrong. anyways the first PSBLX90 they sent me, i broke the strings in two days and they sent me another one. one day of playing with that one and im already seeing fraying on the strings which means i can break these strings again in a matter of days. does that make me the first customer to break the PSBLX90 strings? :).

on another topic, did that PSBLX90 you demoed have the white tourna tac OG on it and it is 4 3/8? because that would be the one i broke the strings on and i left my overgrip on it when i returned it :).
 
ferrytran said:
how did you find out your demo was string at 57 lbs? it seems the tension is looser to me by feel but i could be wrong. anyways the first PSBLX90 they sent me, i broke the strings in two days and they sent me another one. one day of playing with that one and im already seeing fraying on the strings which means i can break these strings again in a matter of days. does that make me the first customer to break the PSBLX90 strings? :).

on another topic, did that PSBLX90 you demoed have the white tourna tac OG on it and it is 4 3/8? because that would be the one i broke the strings on and i left my overgrip on it when i returned it :).
Click to expand...

I asked them through an email anout the tension, and they told me :)

The racket I got was new with plastic on the handle :)

Hope this helps you
 
FEDERERNADAL13 said:
So, I played with all 3 today, and here are my thoughts:

Background: I use a BLX90, strung with ALU rough @47 Lbs.

Racket Info: BLX Prostaffs are all strung @57 Lbs. with NXT. The 90 had an overgrip on it, but neither of the others did.

BLX Prostaff 90:

I'm going to keep this racket's review short, as I found it extremely similar to my 90. The slice was the same, the power was slightly lacking, topspin was good. Serving was better than my current set-up, but not by much. If I rate my BLX90 at 7/10, then this racket would be a 7.5/10. Overall a good racket, but I wouldn't buy it, as I already have the BLX, which is extremely similar.

BLX Prostaff 100:

This racket was simply put: Everything a racket that I wasn't looking for. It was very spin-friendly and very low-powered. Also, the volleying was very difficult, maybe the 100 square inch did the trick. When serving, I had an extreme amount of difficulty generating power. Also, I have 1HBH, and I could not do anything with this racket! For Someone looking for spin, baselining 100 square inch racket, this may be the one for you. But, 1 handed backhanders beware, this is not our type of racket ;) Overall, for me it would be a 1/10, but for someone who would like an Babolat with less power, then this is around an 8.5/10 IMO.

BLX Prostaff 95:

This may have been the greatest racket for my game ever. No joking, this racket was unbelievably suited to my game. At first, I found it under-powered, but after a few shots I got all my usual power and more, while maintaining control.

My 1HBH was better than ever, my forehand was great, and my slice was very poisonous. It was very easy to swing through the ball, so I could generate loads of racket head speed. Volleys were, simply put, incredible! I consider myself a pretty good volleyer, but this racket made me an exceptional volleyer.

On serves, I could easily sling in 75 MPH+ serves, which, for me, is usually difficult, as I serve with a lot of spin. When flattening it out, I found huge amount of power, but I still operated at 80% 1st serve percentage :). On serve returns, I found that I could swing through the ball and really thump the returns (compared to with my BLX90, where I had to chip back my backhand returns, and only consistently hit my FH).

In my opinion, this racket is very suited for the modern game, with its light weight and awesome spin potential. Overall, for me, this racket was a 10/10 :). Simply amazing!


In Grand Conclusion:

I loved the 95, liked the 90, and hated the 100. Wilson did a great job on this next batch of rackets, and I will be sure to buy quite a few 95s. If you like the current 90, you will like the new one, as many have guessed. If you want a lower powered Babolat, then you will love the 100. If you are anything like me, you will love the 95.

I also want to thank TW for the opportunity to demo these rackets, quite a great experience.

I hope this helps anyone who wanted some info on the racket :)
Click to expand...

Yeah, I found the new BLX PS 90 to be much more crisp than the original BLX. I think it's hard to compare a soft string like NXT to ALU Rough. I actually found the stick to be closer to one of my K90's which is strung with synthetic gut. To me the new 90 has more feel than the original BLX...much more reminiscent of the K90 just easier on the arm.

I originally did not like the PS 95 one bit. Coming from the 90's, and given the light weight and thin beam, I felt I had to generate a great deal of power and a fast swing to get the ball to go over the net. So, I added lead and brought the swing weight to 12.4 oz and 7 pts. headlight (4 inches at 3 and 6, lead in butt cap and around top of handle under over grip). It then played amazing and I would agree, it gave me even more power on my backhand. It was quicker and easier to handle than the PS BLX 90. The only knock was that it wasn't as stable against a heavy ball. But I think If I were to add lead tape at 12 and some more in the handle to balance things out back at 7 pts. this would rectify the stability. I also think a nice poly will stiffen it up and help it with stability. All in all, I really dig the 95 but I do think they could have made it a bit heavier in stock form.

I was thinking of ordering two PS BLX 90's, but now I think I may order one 90 and one 95 (for when I tire out, and/or I'm not 100%, or when training kids).

I noticed the metal rod that many have mentioned coming lose in the 95 (it didn't come lose in my demo), but not in the 90. It appears that it was thrown in to balance the stick towards the end of production...I dunno. I'm hoping the sticks I order don't have it.
 
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michaelscoots said:
Yeah, I found the new BLX PS 90 to be much more crisp than the original BLX. I think it's hard to compare a soft string like NXT to ALU Rough. I actually found the stick to be closer to one of my K90's which is strung with synthetic gut. To me the new 90 has more feel than the original BLX...much more reminiscent of the K90 just easier on the arm.

I originally did not like the PS 95 one bit. Coming from the 90's, and given the light weight and thin beam, I felt I had to generate a great deal of power and a fast swing to get the ball to go over the net. So, I added lead and brought the swing weight to 12.4 oz and 7 pts. headlight (4 inches at 3 and 6, lead in butt cap and around top of handle under over grip). It then played amazing and I would agree, it gave me even more power on my backhand. It was quicker and easier to handle than the PS BLX 90. The only knock was that it wasn't as stable against a heavy ball. But I think If I were to add lead tape at 12 and some more in the handle to balance things out back at 7 pts. this would rectify the stability. I also think a nice poly will stiffen it up and help it with stability. All in all, I really dig the 95 but I do think they could have made it a bit heavier in stock form.

I was thinking of ordering two PS BLX 90's, but now I think I may order one 90 and one 95 (for when I tire out, and/or I'm not 100%, or when training kids).

I noticed the metal rod that many have mentioned coming lose in the 95 (it didn't come lose in my demo), but not in the 90. It appears that it was thrown in to balance the stick towards the end of production...I dunno. I'm hoping the sticks I order don't have it.
Click to expand...

I agree! The 90, is very very similar to the K90, which is a very good thing. I also think that the poly would help with the 95 stability, I didn't even think of that! :)

An update: I played with the 95 exclusively today for 1 1/2 hours. Still felt awesome, still 10/10, and I played with my buddy who consistently serves 100 MPH+. My FH returns were epic, and my backhands were as good as usual. So, returns are good with it too :)
 
FEDERERNADAL13 said:
I agree! The 90, is very very similar to the K90, which is a very good thing. I also think that the poly would help with the 95 stability, I didn't even think of that! :)

An update: I played with the 95 exclusively today for 1 1/2 hours. Still felt awesome, still 10/10, and I played with my buddy who consistently serves 100 MPH+. My FH returns were epic, and my backhands were as good as usual. So, returns are good with it too :)
Click to expand...

Nice! Did you lead out the 95? I guess I didn't give it a chance in stock form...I went right back to the PS BLX 90. The 95's tension was much better for a synthetic string job (56), and again, once I added lead it was a whole different experience.

I still can't believe how well the 90 played with 46lbs of tension! It was probably set at 57 but the end final mains and bottom cross were super loose like the stringer didn't bother pulling tension! The knots were also tied incorrectly (no parnell knot and the starting knot was incorrect as well)...both coming loose. This may have added to the drop off in tension. I wish I had pulled the string out right when I received it. It broke after two sessions out with the 90. I have one more day to hit (Monday) but it's a holiday and my courts are closed :( However, given the fact that it played so well with such a bad string job speaks volumes! Excited to get one of each and throw some PL II in there!
 
michaelscoots said:
Nice! Did you lead out the 95? I guess I didn't give it a chance in stock form...I went right back to the PS BLX 90. The 95's tension was much better for a synthetic string job (56), and again, once I added lead it was a whole different experience.

I still can't believe how well the 90 played with 46lbs of tension! It was probably set at 57 but the end final mains and bottom cross were super loose like the stringer didn't bother pulling tension! The knots were also tied incorrectly (no parnell knot and the starting knot was incorrect as well)...both coming loose. This may have added to the drop off in tension. I wish I had pulled the string out right when I received it. It broke after two sessions out with the 90. I have one more day to hit (Monday) but it's a holiday and my courts are closed. However, given the fact that it played so well with such a bad string job speaks volumes! Excited to get one of each and throw some PL II in there!
Click to expand...

I actually kept it stock! Felt I'd try it cold turkey, and I loved it. :)

My K90s were always strung at 47 with a full set of Luxi, so 46 isn't a stretch for me ;)

I can't believe that the racket was that poorly strung! But yah, that definitely speaks volumes :) Maybe when you've got a great string job, it will be a 10/10 :)
 
I managed to hold onto the demo's for another few days. And tried the PS BLX 90 with my usual Proline II 1.25 black string at 57lbs. I used it for three days and it played very well and most importantly my old injury didn't creep back. With the K90 I'd string PLII at 58 and the pain would come back. Since then I've dialed the tension back.

The only knock I have against the PS BLX 90 is the swing weight. I can definitely feel a difference going from the K90 to the PSBLX90. Just a little more zip on my return of serve, volleys, serve, etc. Swing weight really does make a difference when it's something you're used to.

I still plan on purchasing one and will plan on raising the swing weight up to 338-340. The stick is a touch more maneuverable so I'm guessing that adding the weight will only bring it closer to the K90 without the raw zap to my old injury :) I think it might be the best of both worlds, nice crisp feel without the shock, with a solid swing weight for penetration and stability. I think it's also nice to be able to swing a preferred racquet with a preferred string and tension...the Proline II is something I really like especially when strung around 58. It will be nice to stick with it!
 
michaelscoots said:
The thing that most concerns me about the racquet are the reviews that point to a flaw in the handle/amilfeel system. :confused:Has the team at Tennis Warehouse discussed this matter with Wilson??? Has it been rectified?? Man, I want to purchase a couple of these matched!!!

Also, did you notice when Stefan played Tsonga in the exhibition match last week, he shook the PS BLX 90 and then bent it over his knee (looked like he was seeing if it was cracked)...and he did this on two different occasions that I saw. Bummer! Hopefully they've fixed the issue or they're in the process of fixing it b/c this stick is the real deal! And I must admit since I'm not a fan of the original BLX, part of me was prepared not to be impressed at all!
__________________
Click to expand...

What flaw or issue? I've read a lot of the reviews and haven't seen anyone mention any issues with the Amplifeel. Did I miss something?
 
sixone90 said:
What flaw or issue? I've read a lot of the reviews and haven't seen anyone mention any issues with the Amplifeel. Did I miss something?
Click to expand...

Before the racquet was released there were a couple posts and reviews that mentioned a rod inside the handle (I now know that this wasn't the amplifeel coming loose). It seems with all of these racquets coming in under spec, Wilson placed rods into the foam on many frames to bring the weight up. Apparently they don't hold up over time.

When I finally bought my frame I requested one without the rod. Even still my frame came in way under spec weight and even though I placed led on it, it doesn't seem to play as well as the demo I first played with (which by the way, was right on spec). That said, I haven't played my new frame with my string of choice (I ran out of it). So, the jury is still out. I think to make it as nice as my K90 I'll need to add even more weight to bring it past 370g (which I'm used to) so that the swing weight is equal to the K90. The only downside is I'll be swinging a heavier stick to accomplish the same task. We'll see...
 
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