Gravity Tour vs. Wilson Blade 98 vs. Tecnifibre TF40 305 vs. Gravity Pro

megamind

megamind

Legend
I'm trying to pick a racquet.

Would love to hear your thoughts on these racquets, which ones you prefer.

Here are my thoughts as a baseliner 4.0 who is trying to play more at the net these days.

Gravity Tour
- good weight, pretty decent for volleys, powerful groundstokes (perhaps too powerful), especially nice 2 handed backhand, decent control

Wilson Blade 98 (only tried the 16x19, but hoping to try the 18x20 soon)
- good weight, good for volleys, power is good enough / could be better, very good control

Tecnifibre TF40 305
- only been able to try the 315 version - that was a powerful racquet with good control, but a bit too heavy, and a bit stiff too (I assume the 305 is similar but less power and lighter)
- if I were to get this, I'd get the 305 version, but demoing that racquet is near impossible

Gravity Pro
- my fave racquet, if it was lighter. Amazing groundstokes - great power and control. A bit too heavy for net game though


Don't look at these scores as absolute (compared to all the racquets launched this year), just use them as a way of comparing between these 4 racquets

Control:
1. Blade 98 9.8/10
2. Gravity Pro 9.6/10
3. TF40 315 9.2/10 [I would give this a 9.6 if it had less power]
4. Gravity Tour 8.5/10

Pure Power: (higher ranking isn't necessarily better for me, just indicates more power)
1. TF40 315 8.7/10
2. Gravity Tour 8.5/10
3. Gravity Pro 8.1/10
4. Blade 98 7.5/10

Power For Me: (based on the amount I like for my game)
1. Gravity Pro 9.4/10
2. Blade 98 8.7/10
3. Gravity Tour 8.2/10
4. TF40 315 7.9/10

Comfort (mix of how it feels + effects of heavy racquets after a long hitting session)
1. Gravity Tour 9.7/10
2. Blade 98 9.2/10
3. Gravity Pro 8.8/10
4. TF40 315 8.1/10

At the net
1. Blade 98 9.5/10
2. Gravity Tour 9.1/10
3. Gravity Pro 8.2/10
4. TF40 315 8/10

Spin
1. Gravity Pro 9.1/10
2. Blade 98 9/10
3. Gravity Tour 8.4/10
4. TF40 315 7.8/10
 
I have been playing with the new Blade 98 16 × 19 v7 since it came out in August. Its a great all around frame that is good for players with arm problems. The T40 305 is an interesting offering from Technifibre. TW playtesters gave it a superb review with a high rating for comfort. I just bought the T40 305 recently and have not hit with it. I was contemplating not playing with due to the overly firm response. I changed the stock grip to a Wilson Contour grip and added 2 grams to the handle to make it a tad more headlight. It definitely feels in the hand like a solid racquet that will offer great feel and stability. I strung it with Gamma TNT 16 at 52 lbs which is soft string. Due to the hype around this racquet, I am going to take it for hitting session to see if the TW reviews are really valid especially on the comfort rating of 88. I definitely think the T40 will be more stable than the Blade 98 v7 which in my mind should make it a comfortable racquet.

I have not hit with any Head racquets and have no plans in doing so.
 
played with Gravity Tour for 2 min, and was amazing but not sure about control 100 percent, few balls went bit deeper then normal ...
other then that it was great, comfort and power along with off center hits was better then v7 16x19 for sure.
Even tho i prefer v7 since hitting clean with it was just so rewarding with better control as well.
Would like to try 18x20 v7 and technifibre as well.
 
Spec wise Gravity Tour looks the most Blade like. Do you feel like it felt more powerful than the Blade due to the lower swingweight?
 
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axis7777 said:
played with Gravity Tour for 2 min, and was amazing but not sure about control 100 percent, few balls went bit deeper then normal ...
other then that it was great, comfort and power along with off center hits was better then v7 16x19 for sure.
Even tho i prefer v7 since hitting clean with it was just so rewarding with better control as well.
Would like to try 18x20 v7 and technifibre as well.
Click to expand...

yea, it’s a powerful racquet, still pretty controllable imo (far from pure drive land)

hoping to try the 18x20 blade soon too
 
Willie Blade said:
For me, interesting comparasion. I play Blade 98 2015 but looking for a bit easier to swing, lower sw replacement and will try to demo Gravity Tour. Nothing else so far has been close to my Blades concering heavy ball when I play good, but I seldom do..... Never liked any Head though. TF40 sounds interesting but maybe too similar to Blade?
Click to expand...

TF40 is more of a flat hitter racquet than the blade. Stiffer / more power

apart from those characteristics, it’s similar
 
Just tried the 18x20 Blade. I preferred the 16x19 Blade, as it generates more spin, whilst still being very controlled.

Overall, leaning towards the Gravity Tour at the moment, because it is the most comfortable and has plenty of power
 
I think I might go with the Gravity Tour

Part of me wonders if I'd go with the Blade 16x19 if I didn't have arm issues at the moment

(not that Blade is uncomfortable, it's just noton the Gravity Tour's level of comfort ~ part of that is stiffness and part of that is swingweight)
 
Just got my hands on a gravity pro demo. What a lovely stick.. might be a honeymoon phase from my first session, but the feel is just superb and it plows through the ball like mad.

Only issue is that the SW is probably too high for me. RDC machine at the local shop says 341 strung, seems like a QC issue. It’s almost even balanced, like a PAD...

I’m gonna play for a full week with it but am very unsure whether I should try to look for an underspec’d Pro to get a mid 320s SW or if I should go for the Tour version. Don’t mind the static weight in the Pro, it’s the same as my ultra tour (but 341 SW vs 316 in my UT believe it or not)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
brunomartorelli said:
Just got my hands on a gravity pro demo. What a lovely stick.. might be a honeymoon phase from my first session, but the feel is just superb and it plows through the ball like mad.

Only issue is that the SW is probably too high for me. RDC machine at the local shop says 341 strung, seems like a QC issue. It’s almost even balanced, like a PAD...

I’m gonna play for a full week with it but am very unsure whether I should try to look for an underspec’d Pro to get a mid 320s SW or if I should go for the Tour version. Don’t mind the static weight in the Pro, it’s the same as my ultra tour (but 341 SW vs 316 in my UT believe it or not)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Had the gravity pro. Great feel and hits a huge ball from the baseline. Mine was a log, too. Too sluggish for me.
 
I’ve played with all those racquets except gravity tour. The gravity pro felt sluggish and wasn’t a fan of the 100 square inches. The blade 16x19 was ok but didn’t stand out except for the unique feel. The blade 18 x20 was too clunky and the feel through me off at times. The TF 40 315 felt great on everything. It’s like a better/ more practical version of my old prestige mp, pt 280, bumblebee. I put either hyper g or tour bite on my racquets. These strings turn any racquet into a sin monster so the racquet spin potential. The TF 40 does have more power than you’d expect.
 
megamind said:
I think I might go with the Gravity Tour

Part of me wonders if I'd go with the Blade 16x19 if I didn't have arm issues at the moment

(not that Blade is uncomfortable, it's just noton the Gravity Tour's level of comfort ~ part of that is stiffness and part of that is swingweight)
Click to expand...

I purchased Gravity Tour.
 
I tried only the tour. It's a very good racquet. Super super comfortable. Realy. I feel like I'm going to try even solid poly right now, where I couldn't even imagine using tje softest poly b4, unless cutting my arm after the game... I'm not sure about the power/control issue. I actualy felt it's a but sluggish and underpower, beforce switching factory strings to BHB7 17. Now it's almost perfect, as long my technique is not bad. 2 hands backhand very good, slices very good, at net getting better as I'm getting used to it. Serve was super from the begining. Only downside is that I'm afraid to replace the r-grip with leather to make it more HL for net approches, since I don't want to lose this super-comfy feeling!
 
Ruvi the Kruv said:
I tried only the tour. It's a very good racquet. Super super comfortable. Realy. I feel like I'm going to try even solid poly right now, where I couldn't even imagine using tje softest poly b4, unless cutting my arm after the game... I'm not sure about the power/control issue. I actualy felt it's a but sluggish and underpower, beforce switching factory strings to BHB7 17. Now it's almost perfect, as long my technique is not bad. 2 hands backhand very good, slices very good, at net getting better as I'm getting used to it. Serve was super from the begining. Only downside is that I'm afraid to replace the r-grip with leather to make it more HL for net approches, since I don't want to lose this super-comfy feeling!
Click to expand...
What tension do you string the BHB7 at?
 
I normally play with Yonex 97 HD lately.
But I have been picking up my Tour more and more lately and thinking I might make the switch full time. It’s really comfortable stick with great control for the modern swing. The HD is 320g unstrung and it can be tiring but never have that issue with the GT. Plus I appreciate the head shape, I think it really compliments my game. I have a GP as well but I have trouble serving with it, the swing weight is too much for me to use full time.
 
Haven't bought it yet. Still have the demo. Serves are amazing. I literally missed one 1st serve in one set that went to tiebreaker. The demo is strung with Hawk Touch I believe.
 
Damotuky said:
Curious how it plays with multi or gut. Anyone?
Click to expand...

Multi / poly hybrid feels supreme.

Full bed of multi (Velocity) wasn’t enjoyable. Racquet is too flexible and with that soft string it became a wet noodle in my opinion.

For spin generation, try a 1.20mm shaped poly. 1.15 is too much, I have Hyper G 1.15mm right now and although it spins like mad, the stringbed is just completely unpredictable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
megamind said:
I play with full multi due to elbow issues. It’s fine, but I’d probably use a hybrid if my elbow was better
Click to expand...
You might give some poly a try. The GTour is a very soft racquet. I also have elbow issues and have been fine playing with 17ga Ice Code, 47lb.
 
brunomartorelli said:
Multi / poly hybrid feels supreme.

Full bed of multi (Velocity) wasn’t enjoyable. Racquet is too flexible and with that soft string it became a wet noodle in my opinion.

For spin generation, try a 1.20mm shaped poly. 1.15 is too much, I have Hyper G 1.15mm right now and although it spins like mad, the stringbed is just completely unpredictable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Do you think a stiffer 1.15 than Hyper-G might be more workable? I ask because I own a Gravity Pro whose swing weight is a tad too high, so I'm looking to try lighter (as in mass) strings to drop the SW a few points.
 
brunomartorelli said:
Just got my hands on a gravity pro demo. What a lovely stick.. might be a honeymoon phase from my first session, but the feel is just superb and it plows through the ball like mad.

Only issue is that the SW is probably too high for me. RDC machine at the local shop says 341 strung, seems like a QC issue. It’s almost even balanced, like a PAD...

I’m gonna play for a full week with it but am very unsure whether I should try to look for an underspec’d Pro to get a mid 320s SW or if I should go for the Tour version. Don’t mind the static weight in the Pro, it’s the same as my ultra tour (but 341 SW vs 316 in my UT believe it or not)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
My copy is also over-spec (342 SW). I got it used, so there's no returning it, but I'm going to try lighter weight strings as I really like the racquet otherwise. Dropping from the 1.25 poly in it now to 1.15 poly or a hybrid with multi crosses should get the SW into a more reasonable state (drop about 4g in the head). We shall see...
 
iceman_dl6 said:
Awesome! Any mods to your racquet?
Click to expand...
I know you weren't asking me, but since you're asking about GTour mods...I'm really liking my current setup! I'm a high-ish 3.5 that tends to swing out on most shots and hits with a lot of topspin and a SH backhand (that can be great or shaky).

Current weight setup: 4g lead at 12-o'clock, leather grip and 5g blue tac back to the butt (counterbalance). 2g lead at 3 & 9 o’clock to bump up twist weight.
Current Swing weight: 335
Static weight: 341g
Balance: 6pts HL (12.75 in), 32.4 cm

This setup prioritizes stability and serve power over maneuverability, but the racquet is light-enough for my game and has consistently made me look better than I am. YMMV.
 
Last edited:
After playing with GTour for a while, and BLADE 98 (16*19) last nite, I can say that the main difference is in the FEEL and TOUCH department. With GTour, You can feel exactly where you hit the ball in the stringbed and how powerfull is the shot. Great great feel. Blade's FEEL is quite muted, not 100%, but about 80%. And it's nor particulary bad, because it makes the racquet feel STABLE. And TOUCH is much better with Blade. You feel that you can place the ball anywhere in the court, with various power and spin. Even after playing with GTour for quite a few months, it still feels quite sluggish when you try to go from defence to offence. Serve was much much better with Blade, which surprised me after reading reviews. I do feel a little bit ache in my shoulder after playing with Blade, since you can't resist the temptation to fully swing it in order to get more and more power... It is more demanding, but also more rewarding.
 
megamind said:
It is pretty sweet. I love serving with it. My 2hbh is great with it. Only downside for me is spin generation.
Click to expand...

Hi!, im looking for a racquet to switch from my actual blade 18x20 cv (v6) and im hesitating between the gravity tour and the new v7 blade. I had a fracture in my left humerus (arm) about half and year ago (im righthanded) and due to this i had to switch to a one handed backhand because when i hit my 2HDBH I feel some pain because of the vibrations. It has been difficult for me to master the one hbh when all my life I have hit With a 2 handed backhand. The pain that i feel when i hit with two hands is not terrible at all but if it is annoying, I have started to think that perhaps it would be more convenient to look a more flexible racket that is more arm-friendly so that I can reduce pain and hit my 2hbh again with confidence. So, The ideal would be to maintain or lose little power with either of these two options, I know that the blade v7 is less powerful than the v6, but if this sacrifice in power will reduce my pain in my arm when hitting my backhand that would be a loss that I am willing to accept. What would you recommend between the blade v7 and the gravity tour?
 
MrAvocado232 said:
Hi!, im looking for a racquet to switch from my actual blade 18x20 cv (v6) and im hesitating between the gravity tour and the new v7 blade. I had a fracture in my left humerus (arm) about half and year ago (im righthanded) and due to this i had to switch to a one handed backhand because when i hit my 2HDBH I feel some pain because of the vibrations. It has been difficult for me to master the one hbh when all my life I have hit With a 2 handed backhand. The pain that i feel when i hit with two hands is not terrible at all but if it is annoying, I have started to think that perhaps it would be more convenient to look a more flexible racket that is more arm-friendly so that I can reduce pain and hit my 2hbh again with confidence. So, The ideal would be to maintain or lose little power with either of these two options, I know that the blade v7 is less powerful than the v6, but if this sacrifice in power will reduce my pain in my arm when hitting my backhand that would be a loss that I am willing to accept. What would you recommend between the blade v7 and the gravity tour?
Click to expand...

sorry to hear you're going through this.
if you're looking for a new frame,
automatically, you should try the blade v7 first.
but IDK if it's going to be what you want it to be.
some say less power, some say more.

the gravity tour is pretty close to the blade v7, in many ways, though. and in other ways, they are different, like string pattern obviously.
I feel the tour has less power than the blade v7 16x19.
 
Ryebread said:
sorry to hear you're going through this.
if you're looking for a new frame,
automatically, you should try the blade v7 first.
but IDK if it's going to be what you want it to be.
some say less power, some say more.

the gravity tour is pretty close to the blade v7, in many ways, though. and in other ways, they are different, like string pattern obviously.
I feel the tour has less power than the blade v7 16x19.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for your message, fortunately a long time has passed and I have been able to recover in a good way, the only bad thing is that the pain in my arm is chronic since it is due to a metal that was attached to my arm to be able to recover from the fracture, it is an annoying but bearable pain and that is why imagine that a most flexible and comfortable racket will help me to reduce the vibrations through my arm. Regarding to this new blade v7, would you put it at the same level of comfort as the gravity tour? is there a noticeable difference in comfort between the blade v6 cv and the v7? well in terms of flex rating, this new blade is 3 or 4 points lower according to TW specifications. On the other hand, would it be more advisable to opt for the more open 16x19 pattern to try not to lose too much power?
The truth is that I am quite interested in gravity since many mention that it is a very good racket to hit a two-handed backhand.
Regards!
 
MrAvocado232 said:
Thank you very much for your message, fortunately a long time has passed and I have been able to recover in a good way, the only bad thing is that the pain in my arm is chronic since it is due to a metal that was attached to my arm to be able to recover from the fracture, it is an annoying but bearable pain and that is why imagine that a most flexible and comfortable racket will help me to reduce the vibrations through my arm. Regarding to this new blade v7, would you put it at the same level of comfort as the gravity tour? is there a noticeable difference in comfort between the blade v6 cv and the v7? well in terms of flex rating, this new blade is 3 or 4 points lower according to TW specifications. On the other hand, would it be more advisable to opt for the more open 16x19 pattern to try not to lose too much power?
The truth is that I am quite interested in gravity since many mention that it is a very good racket to hit a two-handed backhand.
Regards!
Click to expand...


funny you ask
the blade v7 16x19 hits the best 2hbh everrrr, for me.
and I own both that and the GT, which is good too.
can't go wrong either way, in that regard.

both are very comfy. the blade feels more plush, due to it's tech. but they are both VERY comfy.
 
Anyone has experience with GTour and Prince ATS Textreme Tour 100P ? I'm looking for easier access to power, spin and comfort (I have tennis elbow). Currently I'm using Prince Phantom Pro 100 (16x18) with full bed solinco vanquish 17g at 48 lbs. Thanks in advance.
 
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