help with moving on from the Wilson blade V7

I

Internety

Rookie
Hi Guys,

I have been playing with the wilson blade v7 16x19 for about two years now. I do really like the flexy feel and control of the racquet but I really need more free power. You can serve huge flat bombs with the v7 but I can't do this for more than a set or so and once I play a long match with long games my serve becomes a liability and I get punished as i can't keep up with the amount of racquet head speed you need on the serve in order to hurt your opponent with it.

Luckily I have friends who buy lots of racquets and I have a good idea of what I'm looking for. I like a flexy racquet, which has good control for flat shots,is a bit lighter than the v7 and has a bit more free power.

These are some of the racquets i have tried recently:
Wilson clash 98 - love the flex feeling but too much power for me. don't like the THICK beam. I guess i could learn to play with this but I don't have the patience as i am playing lots of tournaments.
Wilson ultra 95 cv - This racquet gave me the right amount of power and control for my flat shots. looooooved it. but my wrists do not appreciate it.
Head Speed MP - I enjoyed this racquet but i don't like the feeling. no issues with comfort.
Ezone 98 - The power was easy to control. amazing on the serve but also harsh on my wrists.
Head radical pro - not enough power and hated the feedback after hitting

Racquets i'm interested in trying:
Head gravity mp - mainly because of the low siffness but i'm not sure if it has more power than the v7
wilson pro staff six one 100 - might be worth the demo if it is similar to the speed mp expect the feeling.

I have injured both my wrists several years ago in a car accident and most racquets aggravate it and leaving me with soreness. the v7, clash and the speed mp are the only racquets i tried that i have no issues with in the comfort department.

any suggestions will be appreciated.
 
Just lower your tension. Ever racket you like the power of hurts your wrists. Try the easy option first.

Also you need to establish a prime desire. You seem to want more power... but your wrists always hurt. Go for the Speed MP. If your only dislike is the feel but your WRISTS enjoy it... thats a concession youre gonna have to make. So your primes are power and comfort for the wrists... feel is secondary now.
 
Agree with @mpournaras but also I would say maybe try a powerful multifilament or a Tecnifibre Triax. This way you get even more power in a softer package, unless you are already using a multi.
 
I usually use hyper g when im playing tournaments. 46 pound is my go to tension. I even went down to 42 pounds once and rather noticed a higher launch than actual more power.

i have tested several other strings mainly velocity mlt and triax but prefered the hyper g in the v7.

The other racquets were all tested with either alu power or hyper g.
 
Internety said:
I usually use hyper g when im playing tournaments. 46 pound is my go to tension. I even went down to 42 pounds once and rather noticed a higher launch than actual more power.

i have tested several other strings mainly velocity mlt and triax but prefered the hyper g in the v7.

The other racquets were all tested with either alu power or hyper g.
Click to expand...
Have you thought of going to a thinner gauge?
 
I use the 1.20 gauge. Would the 1.15 one make a noticeable difference?

Also what other string would you guys recommend?
 
The new Pro Staff 100 and Gravity Tour were the 2 that came to mind for me. Both the same weight but should be easier to swing than your Blade.
 
Internety said:
Head Speed MP - I enjoyed this racquet but i don't like the feeling. no issues with comfort.
Head radical pro - not enough power and hated the feedback after hitting
wilson pro staff six one 100 - might be worth the demo if it is similar to the speed mp expect the feeling.
Click to expand...

I would add the Gravity Tour, Radical MP, Prince Textreme Tour.

You might be better off just tweaking strings.
 
I’ve actually been asking the same question. Using the V7 16x19, but would like a bit more power, but without sacrificing much control. Elbow issues with some racquets. Tried the Prostaff 100 tonight and liked it.

Would one of the Pro Kennex racquets make sense as a higher powered blade alternative that would be easy on arm? ProKennex Ki Q Tour Pro 315 or Ki Q+5 Pro perhaps?

Also thought about trying the new Blade v7 100

thanks for any thoughts!
 
i agree with mpo, drop the tension 2-4lbs to get more free power. plus its easier on your arm
also a softer string, like dunlop black widow instead of hyper g and alu power
thats much easier than going thru a bunch of
demos.
z
 
Internety said:
Hi Guys,

I have been playing with the wilson blade v7 16x19 for about two years now. I do really like the flexy feel and control of the racquet but I really need more free power. You can serve huge flat bombs with the v7 but I can't do this for more than a set or so and once I play a long match with long games my serve becomes a liability and I get punished as i can't keep up with the amount of racquet head speed you need on the serve in order to hurt your opponent with it.

Luckily I have friends who buy lots of racquets and I have a good idea of what I'm looking for. I like a flexy racquet, which has good control for flat shots,is a bit lighter than the v7 and has a bit more free power.

These are some of the racquets i have tried recently:
Wilson clash 98 - love the flex feeling but too much power for me. don't like the THICK beam. I guess i could learn to play with this but I don't have the patience as i am playing lots of tournaments.
Wilson ultra 95 cv - This racquet gave me the right amount of power and control for my flat shots. looooooved it. but my wrists do not appreciate it.
Head Speed MP - I enjoyed this racquet but i don't like the feeling. no issues with comfort.
Ezone 98 - The power was easy to control. amazing on the serve but also harsh on my wrists.
Head radical pro - not enough power and hated the feedback after hitting

Racquets i'm interested in trying:
Head gravity mp - mainly because of the low siffness but i'm not sure if it has more power than the v7
wilson pro staff six one 100 - might be worth the demo if it is similar to the speed mp expect the feeling.

I have injured both my wrists several years ago in a car accident and most racquets aggravate it and leaving me with soreness. the v7, clash and the speed mp are the only racquets i tried that i have no issues with in the comfort department.

any suggestions will be appreciated.
Click to expand...
you could try a high stiffness prokennex racquet and see if that gives you power and comfort with their kinetic tech. otherwise you're trying to find a racquet that's high power but still low flex and comfortable....it'll be difficult to find. the wilson blade is about to come out with an updated version though so you can demo that.

it sounds like the head speed would be good for you....you can always get used to the feel, but it can be hard to play if you don't have the right comfort/power from your racquet. admittedly i enjoyed the speed (albeit i tried the speed pro) as well but didn't like the feel either.
 
I would skip the Gravity MP and demo the Tour version instead. The specs are almost the same as the Blade so it will be an easier transition and has more power than the MP version.
 
Greg_in_Atlanta said:
I’ve actually been asking the same question. Using the V7 16x19, but would like a bit more power, but without sacrificing much control. Elbow issues with some racquets. Tried the Prostaff 100 tonight and liked it.

Would one of the Pro Kennex racquets make sense as a higher powered blade alternative that would be easy on arm? ProKennex Ki Q Tour Pro 315 or Ki Q+5 Pro perhaps?

Also thought about trying the new Blade v7 100

thanks for any thoughts!
Click to expand...

The blade v7 100 might be exactly what i'm looking for but it's not available outside the US unfortunately.

smithie said:
I would skip the Gravity MP and demo the Tour version instead. The specs are almost the same as the Blade so it will be an easier transition and has more power than the MP version.
Click to expand...


I'm assuming i will love the way the racquet feels but that it will be too underpowered for what I'm looking for. Is it more powerful than the v7?
 
Last edited:
Internety said:
Hi Guys,

I have been playing with the wilson blade v7 16x19 for about two years now. I do really like the flexy feel and control of the racquet but I really need more free power. You can serve huge flat bombs with the v7 but I can't do this for more than a set or so and once I play a long match with long games my serve becomes a liability and I get punished as i can't keep up with the amount of racquet head speed you need on the serve in order to hurt your opponent with it.

Luckily I have friends who buy lots of racquets and I have a good idea of what I'm looking for. I like a flexy racquet, which has good control for flat shots,is a bit lighter than the v7 and has a bit more free power.

These are some of the racquets i have tried recently:
Wilson clash 98 - love the flex feeling but too much power for me. don't like the THICK beam. I guess i could learn to play with this but I don't have the patience as i am playing lots of tournaments.
Wilson ultra 95 cv - This racquet gave me the right amount of power and control for my flat shots. looooooved it. but my wrists do not appreciate it.
Head Speed MP - I enjoyed this racquet but i don't like the feeling. no issues with comfort.
Ezone 98 - The power was easy to control. amazing on the serve but also harsh on my wrists.
Head radical pro - not enough power and hated the feedback after hitting

Racquets i'm interested in trying:
Head gravity mp - mainly because of the low siffness but i'm not sure if it has more power than the v7
wilson pro staff six one 100 - might be worth the demo if it is similar to the speed mp expect the feeling.

I have injured both my wrists several years ago in a car accident and most racquets aggravate it and leaving me with soreness. the v7, clash and the speed mp are the only racquets i tried that i have no issues with in the comfort department.

any suggestions will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

You could always try gut/poly if that's an option for you.
 
Bit of a left field suggestion ... if you like a racquet but it affects your wrists ... try stuffing some Blu Tack or silicone inside the handle. (Will only work with racquets where you can access the inside of the handle via a butt cap trapdoor (Wilson, Yonex and Babolat!). It will definitely reduce the level of impact vibration shock that transfers to your wrist. Might be worth a try.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I switched to the speed mp for now. I wish it would feel a bit more flexy at impact but playability wise it's an easy transition. Played 2 matches in a tournament and won both. Swings light, fast and easy. It gives me what I need on serve as well.

I had it strung with HyperG because that was my main string in the blade. To give it a proper test. I'm willing to try other string set ups though to get an even softer feel any string and tension recommendations for the speed mp?

Would the HyperG soft and the thinnest gauge be an option?
 
Internety said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I switched to the speed mp for now. I wish it would feel a bit more flexy at impact but playability wise it's an easy transition. Played 2 matches in a tournament and won both. Swings light, fast and easy. It gives me what I need on serve as well.

I had it strung with HyperG because that was my main string in the blade. To give it a proper test. I'm willing to try other string set ups though to get an even softer feel any string and tension recommendations for the speed mp?

Would the HyperG soft and the thinnest gauge be an option?
Click to expand...
i always used 16 g poly in my speed MPs bc the pattern is so open. ive used hawk, cyclone, sonic pro edge in the frame. none of them really gave a softer feel though …

strange, hyper G was what i used in my v7 blades too. it seemed to be made for them. havent ever tried it in a speed.
 
n8dawg6 said:
i always used 16 g poly in my speed MPs bc the pattern is so open. ive used hawk, cyclone, sonic pro edge in the frame. none of them really gave a softer feel though …

strange, hyper G was what i used in my v7 blades too. it seemed to be made for them. havent ever tried it in a speed.
Click to expand...

I'm willing to try something like black widow but I'm not sure coming from the blade with poly to the speed mp with a much more lively string would be the smartest thing to do
 
Internety said:
I'm willing to try something like black widow but I'm not sure coming from the blade with poly to the speed mp with a much more lively string would be the smartest thing to do
Click to expand...
ive had an unused pack of black widow in my drawer for almost 5 yrs bc i hated the first set i tried. seemed hard on the arm and poor tension maintenance all in one.

cyclone tour (16 g) is worth a whirl. ive liked it in other frames.

no personal experience with it, but maybe give hyper g soft a shake.

ive used some lynx tour lately in 2 different frames. it is a VERY spinny string. more stiff than something like sonic pro, but not as dead and lifeless as hawk.
 
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