Loving 2 Wilson SET racquets – Steam 99S & Blade 98S!!!

[TripleB]

2 weeks ago I demoed several racquets (Prince Graphite 100, Yonex VCore Tour 97 310, Yonex EZone Ai 98, and the Wilson Steam 99S) with one standing out above the rest…the Wilson Steam 99S.

Yes, the touch/feel with the Steam 99S leaves a bit to be desired, but overall I really loved a lot of things about this racquet. My first serves (and second serves for that matter) are much improved over my POG Mid, yes the topspin in incredible, and power is there on demand. But the three areas that really surprised me with this racquet are: 1) how solid this racquet feels (especially noticeable at net and when blocking back fast serves/shots); 2) how well I hit flat and powerful shots with this racquet (nice, low, hard...probably the best flat shots I've hit in years)...a pleasant surprise to hit flat shots so well with a 'spin' racquet; and 3) the control...it didn't get high marks from T-W in control but overall I'm impressed by the control of this racquet.

With this $1 demo deal Wilson and Tennis-Warehouse is offering with the S.E.T. racquets I decided to give the Control and Spin foursome a try. Had tried the 6.1 95S before, wanted to try the ProStaff 95S, was anxious to try a lighter extended racquet (the ProStaff 100LS), and the Blade 98s (after seeing T-W’s poor numbers for this racquet in the review) was just there to make it a foursome.

As things turned out the Blade 98S racquet is by far the standout racquet of this group. Absolutely love the solid feel of this racquet on the baseline and especially at the net. It seems to play like a racquet right in between my POG Mid (offering similar power level and pinpoint control) and the Steam 99S (solid feel and lighter/easier to use package). I really liked the BLX Blade 98 when I demoed it but found my arm hurting after each session…played over four hours of dubs last night and don’t feel a bit of pain this morning. The spin (not Steam 99S spin) is there, I’d say just a bit less than my POG Mid, and one of my favorite shots was the hard hit slice backhand – deep, great pace, excellent control, and skidded when it hit. Control with this racquet is truly spot on whether you are hitting flat or with spin. Probably my favorite shot with this racquet is the volley. Great maneuverability because of the light weight but so solid because of the balance. A 4.5 guy was fired a couple rockets at me last night, barely got my racquet into position, and then racquet barely budged when the ball hit it…so rock solid.

I plan to order another group of demos and was thinking of order the Steam 99S again, Steam 99, Juice 100S, and the Graphene Speed Midplus…the Blades were not even on the radar. The funny thing is, if the Blade 98S wasn’t part of the $1 Wilson/TW deal I never would have tried it. After this demo session I may have to rethink my next four demo choices.

Since I didn’t actually play them side by side it’s tough to really say for sure, but here’s the racquet that would win each category:

Volleys: Steam 99S (barely) – a little more solid, a little better putaway power, a bit more maneuverable, however a lot less touch

Topspin: Steam 99S – not even close

Slice: Blade 98S – see what I said about slice above

Returns: Steam 99S – love the power/spin combo and the solid feel makes blocking back hard serves a breeze

Groundstrokes: Blade 98S by the smallest of margins – love the power/spin combo of the Steam 99S but have to say with the control the Blade offers with the amazing slice (one of my goto shots) it gets the nod on groundstrokes

Serves: Steam 99S by a pretty good margin – the control of the Blade 98S is much better than the Steam 99S control but the power of the 99S is awesome and with the open string pattern I really have a lot of confidence going after second serves

Touch/Feel: Blade 98S easily – excellent touch and feel…much better than with the Steam 99S; touch shots at net and dropshots from all other areas are much easier with the Blade 98S; in fact this is probably where the 98S really put itself in the same category as the Steam 99S when it came to my success with each racquet; found the touch/feel of the Blade 98S to really help my game in doubles

Comfort: Blade 98S – but not by much, both racquets offer a solid feel with large sweetspots, no arm problems with either, but you can tell the 98S isn't quite as stiff as the Steam 99S

Stability: Steam 99S – really it’s pretty much a tie but the Steam 99S just feels a bit more stable

Maneuverability: Steam 99S – a little more headlight, a little quicker at net, can get it through the hitting zone a little quicker, can hold my shots a little longer

Control: Blade 98S – excellent control from everywhere

Power: Steam 99S – serves, groundstrokes, volleys…just great pop from this racquet

Overall: too close to call without playing with them side by side

Strung Specs of each demo:
Steam 99S: 318g/11.2oz and 4 points headlight, strung with Luxilon 4G 15g
Blade 98S: 315g/11.1oz and 2 points headlight, strung with Luxilon 4G 16L

Again, loving both of these Wilson SET racquets…looking forward to trying them side by side in the near future.

TripleB

 

[Gemini]

I never adjusted to the feel of the 99S but I agree with you on the 98S. I'm still testing the 98S but I'm definitely liking the added spin I'm getting while still be able to good control. Mine currently strung with a hybrid of Volkl Cyclone Tour 17 (mains)/Tec NRG2 16 (crosses). I've got about 6 hours of play on this set up and the crosses are noticeably notched but I think I can get another 3 to 4 hours before the crosses give out. I'll probably experiment with 18 gauge poly that's stiffer and smoother in the mains next time I string it up.

 

[KYHacker]

Don't rule out Juice 100S. I added a leather grip with some lead under the grip. It's a better version of Pure Drive Roddick. Absolutely awesome for offensive tennis. Big bombs on serves. Surprisingly does everything else well with a thick poly at the right tension.

 

[gduncan]

Best strings with Wilson Spin series

I demo'ed the Juice Spin the other day and really liked the way my ground strokes were dropping a foot inside the baseline.I haven't tried serving or volleying yet, so not sure how it will fare in those respects, but I think the serve will also benefit from the extra spin.

I am guessing it would not make sense to string this racquet with syn gut, because the strings would break too soon, and you'd lose a lot of the spin effect. I'm wondering how well it would perform with a hybrid, putting the polyester in the mains. Anyone tried this?

 

[TripleB]

I'm still testing the 98S but I'm definitely liking the added spin I'm getting while still be able to good control.

Have you tried the Blade 98 16 x 19? Just wondering how the spin and control of the two differ.

Don't rule out Juice 100S. I added a leather grip with some lead under the grip. It's a better version of Pure Drive Roddick. Absolutely awesome for offensive tennis. Big bombs on serves. Surprisingly does everything else well with a thick poly at the right tension.

To be honest, the only things that really concern me with Juice 100S is the wider beam and higher power level compared to the Steam 99S (and Blade 98S for that matter). Even though I'm loving the Steam 99S, I really use more control/angles to help my partner win at doubles.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

Have you tried the Blade 98 16 x 19? Just wondering how the spin and control of the two differ.

I owned both the Blade 16 x 19 and the 98S and have now sold the 16 x 19. Spin goes to the 98S and control to the 16 x 19. Not a huge difference but enough that you can notice.

The pluses of the 98S for me are the spin, a higher trajectory off the string bed, a softer feel because of the more open pattern and lower sw, which allowed me to tinker with the weight and balance.

I ended up with 10g of silicone in the handle for a more head light balance and added dampening. The hoop didn't really need any lead. As you mentioned, I found it solid enough stock, more so than the 99S that I also owned for a while but had to add 3 grams total of lead to 10 & 2 to be on par.

 

[Gemini]

I agree with counterpuncher 100% regarding the 16x19 vs. the 98S. I played them both and the 16x19 is slightly more control-oriented. It was more predictable off of the stringbed for me while the 98S had the edge in generating more spin. The difference in spin was most evident on my serves.

That being said, I think I can increase the level of control in the 98S by choice of string and tension. It's a work in progress.

 

[TripleB]

I owned both the Blade 16 x 19 and the 98S and have now sold the 16 x 19.

I agree with counterpuncher 100% regarding the 16x19 vs. the 98S. I played them both and the 16x19 is slightly more control-oriented.

Question: are the mains more spread out on the 98S or the 98 16x19?

I'm currently demoing the 98S (still liking it) and the far left and far right mains come pretty close to the racquet head so it's pretty open for 18 mains.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

I no longer have the 16 x 19 to compare, but from memory I thought it was fairly tight for a 16 x 19 with the mains well in from 3 and 9, while the 18 x 16 was fairly open, so comparable I guess. The spin is greater from the 18 x 16, no doubt about it. I think Andy made mention of this in the video review of the Blade S.

 

[TripleB]

I no longer have the 16 x 19 to compare, but from memory I thought it was fairly tight for a 16 x 19 with the mains well in from 3 and 9, while the 18 x 16 was fairly open, so comparable I guess. The spin is greater from the 18 x 16, no doubt about it. I think Andy made mention of this in the video review of the Blade S.

Thanks for the information...may need to mark the 16 x 19 off my next 'demo list.'

I notice you have the Graphene Speed MP in your signature....it's one of the 8 racquets I'm considering my my next demo group...any chance you can give a quick comparison of it and the 98S?

Thanks.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

I notice you have the Graphene Speed MP in your signature....it's one of the 8 racquets I'm considering my my next demo group...any chance you can give a quick comparison of it and the 98S?

I haven't had a chance to hit them back to back so from memory, the Speed MP needs a little lead tape (3g split between at 10 & 2) in the hoop to make it as stable as the 98S. The feel is slightly crisper, power is definitely more. The string bed is maybe a little more predictable and spin fairly comparable, maybe with the edge going to the 98S.

I definitely recommend a demo, as they're the two best sticks I've found to date in that spec range. The new Pure Strike 16 x 19 is also peaking my interest, but I haven't had a chance to hit it yet.

 

[TripleB]

I haven't had a chance to hit them back to back so from memory, the Speed MP needs a little lead tape (3g split between at 10 & 2) in the hoop to make it as stable as the 98S. The feel is slightly crisper, power is definitely more. The string bed is maybe a little more predictable and spin fairly comparable, maybe with the edge going to the 98S.

I definitely recommend a demo, as they're the two best sticks I've found to date in that spec range. The new Pure Strike 16 x 19 is also peaking my interest, but I haven't had a chance to hit it yet.

Thanks for the comparison. That makes narrowing down my 4 demos a bit tougher!

I demoed the Pure Strike 16 x 19 (albeit with a multi in it) a couple weeks ago: impressed with how large the sweetspot felt and how solid it felt for the weight. Spin was above average, but obviously not Blade 98S or Steam 99S like (actually not even close). Control was good but to be honest I like a more crisp feel and this (maybe it was the multi) racquet just didn't give me the feel I like. Again, may be a different feel with a poly but overall not really impressed with the racquet.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

Thanks for the comparison. That makes narrowing down my 4 demos a bit tougher!

I demoed the Pure Strike 16 x 19 (albeit with a multi in it) a couple weeks ago: impressed with how large the sweetspot felt and how solid it felt for the weight. Spin was above average, but obviously not Blade 98S or Steam 99S like (actually not even close). Control was good but to be honest I like a more crisp feel and this (maybe it was the multi) racquet just didn't give me the feel I like. Again, may be a different feel with a poly but overall not really impressed with the racquet.

TripleB

Thanks for the Pure Strike summary, it's sounding more and more like a lighter version of the PST which I still have in my bag.

If you prefer a little more crisp, then the Speed MP is sounding like a contender, for me it sort of sits in between the Blade 98S and Steam 99S in the way it plays.

 

[TripleB]

If you prefer a little more crisp, then the Speed MP is sounding like a contender, for me it sort of sits in between the Blade 98S and Steam 99S in the way it plays.

Sounds what I'm looking for....my 8 finalist for another demo session right now are: Steam 99S (for a 2nd time), Blade 98S (for a 2nd time - would love to try it beside the Steam 99S), Steam, Juice 100S, Juice, Graphene Speed MP, YT IG Extreme MP (although not really liking the looks of the rounder head), and Blade 16 x 19 (although from what you said I can take this one off).

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

Difficult selection. I would go with the Steam 99S and Blade 98S, given that you've liked them in the past. I would add the Speed MP as the third choice and 4th I'd probably go the Juice 100S.

I have the Extreme Pro and I think it's great, just a little out of my spec range. While I haven't hit it, the Extreme MP hasn't gotten the praise of the Speed MP. So that just leaves a choice of the two versions of the Juice for a broad demo selection.

 

[John Kawasaki]

TripleB....I have hit with all your "final 8" while mostly playing with the 99s during the last 16 months. See my post under "6.1 Team vs. 99s. Might be worth a try for you.

 

[ryydman]

Have you demoed the Yonex Ai 100?

 

[TripleB]

Played again last night with the Blade 98S and, as a whole, it was probably the best I've played in 6 years, and as far as doubles, probably the best I've played ever!!!

Looking back at how I played, and my true ability level, there was absolutely no glaring weaknesses to my game with the Blade 98S. I won a set of singles (even though doc told me to never play again, I usually take in one set every two weeks or so) against a 4.5 player 6-1 and then won 5 out of 5 sets of doubles against solid 4.5 players.

Plan to go through one more demo session so I can compare the Steam 99S and Blade 98S side by side (along with probably the Speed MP and Steam), but I'm almost tempted not to and just go with the Blade 98S.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

Glad to hear you had such a great outing. If you are anything like me and I believe you are, as I have been following your racquetholic threads for years, do the last demo to get any niggly doubts out of your mind as to what you play best with.

Keep the updates coming.

 

[TripleB]

Glad to hear you had such a great outing. If you are anything like me and I believe you are, as I have been following your racquetholic threads for years, do the last demo to get any niggly doubts out of your mind as to what you play best with.

Keep the updates coming.

Not going to give a full review of my thoughts yet but got the four racquets in yesterday ( Graphene Speed MP, Steam 99S, Blade 98S, and Blade 98 16x19 ) and played four sets of doubles last night.

Funny to see a 16x19 with a tighter string pattern (even on the mains) than a 18x16...but the 98S string pattern is definitely more open. Right now definitely liking the 98S better than the 16x19.

I'm going to give it another shot but last night the Speed just didn't do anything for me...maybe it was the string (the others had 4G and the Speed had some black poly in it) but the sweetspot on it felt a good bit smaller than the Wilson racquets and power seemed to be inconsistent. Again, just first time out and probably spent less time with it than the others. I will say my demo came in at 320g (+8g compared to listed specs).

Still liking a lot about the Steam 99S...makes my 1st serves so much faster with a lot less effort and it is rock solid at the net. Miss the touch at the net that the 98S offer with this stick and the aggressive cuts I can take with the 98S, but this racquet is a joy to play with.

Many more outings this week with these racquets...I'll put up a more thorough review after the 7 days are up.

TripleB

 

[SpinToWin]

Not going to give a full review of my thoughts yet but got the four racquets in yesterday ( Graphene Speed MP, Steam 99S, Blade 98S, and Blade 98 16x19 ) and played four sets of doubles last night.

Funny to see a 16x19 with a tighter string pattern (even on the mains) than a 18x16...but the 98S string pattern is definitely more open. Right now definitely liking the 98S better than the 16x19.

I'm going to give it another shot but last night the Speed just didn't do anything for me...maybe it was the string (the others had 4G and the Speed had some black poly in it) but the sweetspot on it felt a good bit smaller than the Wilson racquets and power seemed to be inconsistent. Again, just first time out and probably spent less time with it than the others. I will say my demo came in at 320g (+8g compared to listed specs).

Still liking a lot about the Steam 99S...makes my 1st serves so much faster with a lot less effort and it is rock solid at the net. Miss the touch at the net that the 98S offer with this stick and the aggressive cuts I can take with the 98S, but this racquet is a joy to play with.

Many more outings this week with these racquets...I'll put up a more thorough review after the 7 days are up.

TripleB

looking forward to it, enjoy!

 

[counterpuncher]

Funny to see a 16x19 with a tighter string pattern (even on the mains) than a 18x16...but the 98S string pattern is definitely more open. Right now definitely liking the 98S better than the 16x19.

That was my recollection when I had both and I don't understand why they made the 16x19 pattern so tight when they already have an 18x20 option.

I'm going to give it another shot but last night the Speed just didn't do anything for me...maybe it was the string (the others had 4G and the Speed had some black poly in it) but the sweetspot on it felt a good bit smaller than the Wilson racquets and power seemed to be inconsistent. Again, just first time out and probably spent less time with it than the others. I will say my demo came in at 320g (+8g compared to listed specs)..

Sounds like the string. Although I do believe the Speed needs a little lead 1g each side at 10 & 2 for me to make it as stable as the 98S, I have ended up with 2g each side now. Spec wise I had the same issue with my first Speed which came in at 324g and a swingweight of 330. I ended up purchasing a second which has come in on spec at 311g and swingweight of 320, which with a little lead has opened the sweetspot and upped the stability.

Keep the updates coming.

 

[TripleB]

That was my recollection when I had both and I don't understand why they made the 16x19 pattern so tight when they already have an 18x20 option.

This was my exact thought when I saw the Blade 98 16x19 - 'wow, I wonder how tight of string pattern is in the 18x20 if the 16x19 is this tight?' Just looking at it I would have never guessed it only had 16 mains.

Hit for about an hour tonight and then played a set of singles.

Head: just not for me...found great spin but an inconsistent ball response off the face...seemed to fly on me at times and other times it ended up way short.

Blade 98 16x19: just can't get enough spin out of this racquet compared to the 98S...I think the last version of the Blade 98 18x20 offered more spin than this 16x19 version does

Blade 98S: although probably my worst overall night with this racquet (2nd time I've demoed it), this is still the racquet I like the best and I could see myself being successful with this racquet with a different string set up - would like to string it a little lower with a hybrid. Was down 2-5, had 5 set points against me (in one game down 0-40) and used this racquet to come back and win the set 7-5, the control with this racquet is really spot on, yes it does give that extra spin (not Steam 99S spin) that gets the ball to drop right on the line, but even on flat balls the directional control is excellent, the racquet felt a bit stiffer tonight...definitely would like to try it with a poly/syn hybrid, feel is very solid from the baseline and the net (especially for a 313g racquet), struggled on my first serve tonight but had good confidence on my second

Steam 99S: as you can probably guess I was playing with the Steam 99S during those 7 games when I went down 2-5 , struggled from all over the court with this racquet tonight: serves were sailing long, trying to flatten the ball out...it sailed long, was getting too much topspin...balls falling short, my goto backhand slice...into the net, touch shots...nowhere close to where I aimed. After knowing how well I've played with this racquet before I'll just say I had an off night.

TripleB

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

TripleB, I've moved on from the blade 98s already. Can't serve worth a damn with it for some reason and backhands aren't comfortable. Forehands are exquisite for me though.

 

[counterpuncher]

Sounds like you're getting closer to a decision. Your outing with the Steam sounds like my usual outings with it before I sold it off. Some great shots with a lot of wayward ones inbetween.

Last outing on the weekend I hit with the 98S in a doubles match and was hitting some of the most acute angles that I have ever hit on my obh cross court. Even more acute than the Rebel 98 ESP that I used in the first 2 sets, so I was qutie pleased. I've added 10g of silicone into the handle of the 98S and it's now pretty good spec wise for me.

Some more tinkering with the string (currently Kirschbaum Pro Line X @ 48lbs, maybe Tour Bite 1.10 @ 46lbs if it doesn't prove too stiff) and this may bump out my Pro One or Graphene Speed MP for top spot.

Keep me posted.

 

[Bartelby]

How would you compare these SET racquets to the six.one 95S you also tried?

Some report added vibration with these frames - is it all in their head or set-up?

And on the six.on 95S - is the sweetspot a good size and/or is it harsh outside it?

 

[TripleB]

How would you compare these SET racquets to the six.one 95S you also tried?

Some report added vibration with these frames - is it all in their head or set-up?

And on the six.on 95S - is the sweetspot a good size and/or is it harsh outside it?

IMO both of these (Steam 99S and Blade 98S) are better than the Six.One 95S...I found more pop with both, a much more solid response from both, greater volleys with both, and better control as well as touch with the Blade 98S (although control with the 95S was excellent) The 95S made me 'work harder' for the same results than either of these racquets.

Not much vibration with the 98S anywhere on the racquet face. Both the Steam 99S and Six.One 95S seemed a bit 'brittle' feeling with balls hit near the tip of the frame.

IMO, the sweetspot on the Six.One 95S is tiny compared to the sweetspot on both the Blade 98S and the Steam 99S. I found these two to offer a much more solid response and feel compared to the Six.One 95S.

Again, these are just my opinions and I did not compare the Steam 99S side by side the Six.One 95S (have compared the Blade 98S side by side the Six.One 95S and it was no contest).

Hope this helps.

TripleB

 

[Bartelby]

This is indeed quite helpful and it corresponds to what a few others are saying.

I've made it a rule to not go under a 97-8 square headsize but my ig radical pro is only 95 and has a large sweetspot so I was tempted to revise my recently imposed restriction.

I was a bit disappointed that they did not make the spin Blade nine grams heavier like the others as I quite liked that weight level although I've tailweighted the Blades that I have used.

It will be interested in seeing whether they revise the weight for the next edition, but the 18 mains spin racquets are very tempting for me.

Sixteen mains not so much.

IMO both of these (Steam 99S and Blade 98S) are better than the Six.One 95S...I found more pop with both, a much more solid response from both, greater volleys with both, and better control as well as touch with the Blade 98S (although control with the 95S was excellent) The 95S made me 'work harder' for the same results than either of these racquets.

Not much vibration with the 98S anywhere on the racquet face. Both the Steam 99S and Six.One 95S seemed a bit 'brittle' feeling with balls hit near the tip of the frame.

IMO, the sweetspot on the Six.One 95S is tiny compared to the sweetspot on both the Blade 98S and the Steam 99S. I found these two to offer a much more solid response and feel compared to the Six.One 95S.

Again, these are just my opinions and I did not compare the Steam 99S side by side the Six.One 95S (have compared the Blade 98S side by side the Six.One 95S and it was no contest).

Hope this helps.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

I was a bit disappointed that they did not make the spin Blade nine grams heavier like the others as I quite liked that weight level although I've tailweighted the Blades that I have used.

I can certainly recommend tailweighting the 98S. I have added 10g of silicone to the handle of mine and it has made it more solid, added a little heft and given me the headlight balance that I prefer. You can always try an overgrip on a demo to give you an extra 5 grams.

Remember Wilson QC, you will naturally have Blade 98Ss around that are on the heavy side of the published specs.

 

[TripleB]

Anyone know when the new Wilson Blade 98S is going to be released?

TripleB

 

[Sander001]

Anyone know when the new Wilson Blade 98S is going to be released?

TripleB

What's wrong with the old one?
Any update, what racquet you currently using and the setup?

 

[TripleB]

What's wrong with the old one?
Any update, what racquet you currently using and the setup?

T-W no longer has the old one in stock and they said they will not be getting anymore in.

Currently using the Prince Original Graphite Midsize...of the hundreds of tennis racquets I've demoed, the Blade 98S is one of only a handful that actually offers a similar feel to my POG Mid and it's an ounce lighter.

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

BBB, I'm assuming the 300 Tour didn't work out?

Apart from the 98S, in that spec range with that kind of feel, imo the Yonex Xi 98 is a likely candidate, along with the EZ Ai 98 (I seem to recall you liked the EZ Xi version).

 

[darklore009]

i think the new blades is coming up on janurary. there was some thread somewhere that they link the blade line.
Out of all the SET rackets i tried, the blade 98s and Steam 105S appeals me the most. the 105 was suprising because i feel more confident using it than the 99s. The blade 98s was the stand out for me because it kept my shots inside the court without worrying about the overhitting it. Although i would have to weight around 12 oz and 12 pt hl to match it to my specs

 

[TripleB]

BBB, I'm assuming the 300 Tour didn't work out?

Well, yes and no...got my serve (usually the weakest part of my game) working very well with this racquet - both first (deep, flat, and controlled) and second serves (nice kick, good placement). Love the topspin I'm getting with this racquet...several people I've played against have mentioned how my ball just dives at the baseline (looks like it's going long and then it drops straight down and in).

The main problem is the somewhat brittle feel with the F3.0 Tour. I felt this a bit when I demoed it but I figured I could make some string adjustments to take care of most of it. Put 1.10mm mains (although it is a poly) and a synthetic cross strung at 40/42 and it still retains a lot of that brittle feel.

Unfortunately it makes the sweetspot feel quite small and touch volleys at the net almost non-existent. I've played pretty well with it overall but the brittlish feel is something I'm struggling with right now.

With the new Six-One 95S and the new Blade 98S not coming out until the start of next year I've still got some time to try a couple more things (other than adding weight, which I don't want to do)....thinking about going down to 35/37 with the same strings.

Thanks for the advice!

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

Dropping the tension is a good idea, the other is to try a softer poly. Can't recall if you were using Tour Bite (which i love) but Pro Line II 1.15 has worked great in a 300G and 500 tour for me and I assume would also do so in the 300 tour.

 

[DANMAN]

Local pro shop guy told me 3/2015 for the new 98S.

Wilson for so,e reason decided 5/8 grips are no longer needed in the new RF line and the new Blade 98S frames. Big disappointment for me. Is sizing 5/8 handle really that costly.

 

[TripleB]

I was a bit disappointed that they did not make the spin Blade nine grams heavier like the others as I quite liked that weight level although I've tailweighted the Blades that I have used.

It will be interested in seeing whether they revise the weight for the next edition, but the 18 mains spin racquets are very tempting for me.

Sixteen mains not so much.

I was disappointed in the weight difference as well. However when I played with the 98S and the 98 16x19 side by side the difference in weight wasn't really as noticeable as I thought it would be...not sure if it was the weighting of it or the fact that the 98S seemed more solid than the 98 16 x 19.

In the past I would have disagreed with your 18 mains vs 16 mains statement, basically because I'm used to playing with an 14 x 18 racquet, but on the 98S the string pattern on the mains was more wide open than the mains on the 98 16 x 19.

What's crazy is out of all the racquets I've demoed recently the 98S played more like my Prince Original Graphite Mid than any other racquet I tried...even though it weighed a full ounce less...go figure!!!

Really not sure why I never pulled the trigger on the 98S...I think I figured they would drop the price a good deal before they discontinued it---guess I was very wrong about that

Dropping the tension is a good idea, the other is to try a softer poly. Can't recall if you were using Tour Bite (which i love) but Pro Line II 1.15 has worked great in a 300G and 500 tour for me and I assume would also do so in the 300 tour.

I tried Pro Line II in another racquet and didn't like it quite as well as my standard...yes, Solinco Tour Bite. Although I didn't try the 1.15mm version.

The best 'soft' poly I've tried is YTex Quadro Twist 16L...I have it in one of my F3.0 racquets...really haven't played much with because of the 1.26mm size...but I'm going to try it out next Monday and see what kind of action I get on the ball and if it soften ups the feel.

I took one of my F3.0 Tours by my stringer today and went lower than I ever have before: 36 pounds on the Tour Bite 19g mains and 39 pounds on the Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16L crosses---we will see how that performs!

Local pro shop guy told me 3/2015 for the new 98S.

Wilson for so,e reason decided 5/8 grips are no longer needed in the new RF line and the new Blade 98S frames. Big disappointment for me. Is sizing 5/8 handle really that costly.

When I inquired about the 98S from Tennis-Warehouse they told me, "At this time we are sold out of the 2014 Wilson Blade 98S racquet in all gripsizes. These racquets have been discontinued in preparation for the release of the new Blade 98S racquet in January of 2015."

Thinking I might want to try the new Wilson Six.One 95S at the same time I asked when the 2015 version of it was going to be released and was told, "The Six.One line is not being updated at the same time as the Blade line. It is possible that they will be updated after the Blades have been released, but we do not have any information about this as of yet."

Hate that about the 5/8" grip...I used to use a 5/8" grip plus an overgrip but as I get older my hand is either shrinking or my wrist is getting weaker...now I'm down to a 3/8" and an overgrip.

I'd love to try the 2015 Blade 98S (assuming they keep similar specs as the last model), 2015 Six.One 95S (again, assuming specs are same), and a couple of the ProStaff Models.

Thanks for everyone's input!

TripleB

 

[counterpuncher]

I took one of my F3.0 Tours by my stringer today and went lower than I ever have before: 36 pounds on the Tour Bite 19g mains and 39 pounds on the Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16L crosses---we will see how that performs!

How did the lower tension work out?

 

[TripleB]

How did the lower tension work out?

I'll let you know on Friday...picked up the racquet yesterday and will take it to the courts on Thursday night. Also gonna take the F3.0 Tour with the Quadro Twist mains (Gosen cross) since it seems to play a bit softer than the Tour Bite.

TripleB

 

[TripleB]

How did the lower tension work out?

Played three sets of tennis Thursday night with the F3.0 Tour...2 1/3 sets with the Tour Bite 19g/Gosen OG Sheep Micro Super 16L hybrid at 36 pounds/39 pounds - the other 2/3 of a set with my POG Mid.

Let me first say that the temperature was 40 degrees so this more than likely won't be the same feelings as if it were 70 degrees and sunny.

The QuadroTwist/Gosen hybrid racquet just felt to vague to me (couldn't feel the ball on the strings as well with it as with the Tour Bite) so I didn't use it more than a game or two.

The F3.0 Tour sweetspot still felt a bit felt small, most shots outside the sweetspot had a somewhat 'brittle' feel to them, and the stability left a bit to be desired (although my racquets came in 9 grams lighter than listed strung spec), but the crazy thing was I played very well with it (apart from my serve in the last 3 service games).

Balls were dipping hard with the 19g string, control was excellent, serves (at least for the first half of playing) had some decent pop/good control/kicking spin, shots on the run were fantastic (great ability to flick shots and just enough power to be dangerous) and although the putaway power at the net wasn't very good (small sweetspot was part of the problem here), the touch at the net was incredible (hit some drop volleys that amazed me and angles were excellent).

For a couple games I switched back to my POG Mid (strung at 44/47 with Tour Bite 17g/Gosen 16L hybrid)....shots felt so much more solid, received a pretty good bump up in power, slice bit through the court much better, but I missed the whipability of the F3.0 Tour on groundstrokes, the deft touch at the net, and the extra square inches at the net. With the F3.0 Tour the largest difference I felt was a lack of 'dwell' time of the ball on the strings.

I should be able to take the 36/39 F3.0 Tour out in warmer weather next week so I look forward to seeing how it feels then.

TripleB