Which new racket to choose?

Orezap

Orezap

Rookie
Hi all,

Need some feedback regarding new racket options that i intend to test so i can find one which one is appropriate?

My racket history so far includes:
  1. Wilson Blade v7 16x19
  2. Head Speed MP 2022
  3. Wilson Blade v9 16x19
  4. Head Speed MP Legend 2024
  5. Wilson Blade Pro v9 18x20 / Wilson Blade v9 18x20
  6. Other rackets i have owned/tried briefly not as mains (Babolat Pure Aero 100 2023 and Pure Aero 98 2023, Wilson RF01 Pro, Yonex Ezone Tour 2025, Tecnifibre Tfight 305s 2025)
usual strings: alu power/rough, tour bite soft, lynx tour, hawk touch, hyper g.
Have never tried speed pro, pro staffs etc.

Currently , im torn between
  1. Continuing with Blade Pro v9 18x20 or buying an actual Blade Pro Stock 18x19 if i find one or the real H22 mold.
  2. Head Speed Pro Legend 18x20 with the new Hybor tech. (cant play anymore with MP 16x19 pattern too open for me).
  3. Tecnifibre Tfight 305s or maybe TF40 18x20 2025.
  4. Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 Noir
Info about my tennis style

  • Aggressive baseliner, all-court attacker.
  • Flat, penetrating strokes when dictating.
  • Constant directional play
  • Heavy topspin when constructing longer points
  • Prefers short points (0–5 shots).
  • Serves and returns are key weapons.
  • Fast, versatile serves (flat, kick, slice).
  • Aggressive returns, often going for winners.
  • Preference: feel → control → spin → power.
  • Enjoys heavier customized frames (340–375 g, SW 330–360, high twistweight).
  • Prefers low stiffness <64 RA for feel and comfort.
 
Wilson Ultra Pro 99 v5 (steam 99 mold/reissue) which came out last month.

reported base swingweight (330g) is higher than it's strung weight (323g). can experiment with more tape for higher twistweight,
(steam 99 mold twistweight was decently high at 14.49) ,
and maybe needed to counter the bit higher stiffness (69), but it also has inherent 'free' power & spin,
also touted for its historical comfy feel, and easy on the wrist/arm, with much more blx/basalt in the composition than the blades.

Wilson Ultra 99 Pro v5 Racquet | Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com www.tennis-warehouse.com
( more specs )
 
Last edited:
What is
Orezap said:
Currently , im torn between
  1. Continuing with Blade Pro v9 18x20 or buying an actual Blade Pro Stock 18x19 if i find one or the real H22 mold.
  2. Head Speed Pro Legend 18x20 with the new Hybor tech. (cant play anymore with MP 16x19 pattern too open for me).
  3. Tecnifibre Tfight 305s or maybe TF40 18x20 2025.
  4. Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 Noir
Click to expand...
What is missing in you current setup?

I am also a fan of 18x20 Blade and rotate currently between the normal v9 and Blade Pro. Previously was using Pro Staff v13. If you like the launch angle of your current blades you might not like the PS97, it is tighter 16x19 but still the string bed can be a little launchy and is more unforgiving with smaller sweet spot. Combined with head light balance it is very difficult to defend with this racket, you have to put body behind the ball, with Blade reaching the ball is usually enough to go over even not in good positions.
Regarding 18x19 wait until Blade V10, there are rumors that next year we might see this string patterns in retail form maybe Pro Labs.
 
Well my current Blade Pro post customization is 375g static and around 365 sw I believe. I’m searching for something with better feel and innate stability in a more stock form. There is nothing wrong with my Blade pro it’s the best racket I have used so far .. just those specs are not sustainable long term for a 30 year old club player
 
Orezap said:
Well my current Blade Pro post customization is 375g static and around 365 sw I believe. I’m searching for something with better feel and innate stability in a more stock form. There is nothing wrong with my Blade pro it’s the best racket I have used so far .. just those specs are not sustainable long term for a 30 year old club player
Click to expand...
Wow, that is some heafty setup. Where is all that weight, must be around 40g?

I am not sure that the Blade Pro needs all that weight, I have only 5gr in the butt cap and overgrip and it is stable enough without any weight in the hoop for me even against big serve hitters with RF97 in my club. Maybe try removing some off that added weight. Also check if you have the correct grip size/ grip type if you have stability problems with racket twisting in your hand. Many people forget that.
Better feel will be also very difficult to find Pro Staff comes closest but I find Blade Pro better.
 
Last edited:
I have tried it without that weight and although it’s quite good I don’t feel the stability / twist weight I want. Probably I will try reducing the 3&9 weight , just leave around 2-4g total there and place most of the weight 5-15g in handle to make it more headlight.

Can someone elaborate on the Pro
Staff v14 noir experience mostly in terms of offensive capacity , feel , spin , serve , stiffness etc compared to Blade Pro ?
 
@Orezap - Tough to ascertain exactly what you're looking for here. As for "feel and innate stability" in stock form, if you're already used to a Blade Pro, I'm not really sure of where we're going to point you next. I mean, short of a Head PT-series pro stock (hand-laid-up Kennelbach frame), I'm not sure any other Chinese hairpins are really going to blow your mind all that much, at any spec, let alone a lower one. You might look at something like a Nordicdots Model 98 Pro, or maybe something else foam filled like an over-spec TFight 305S, or Angell TC series, but really anything you look at, for the amount of static weight and swing weight you're used to, I'm not sure how much you're going to be able to cheat down in either of those metrics, before you feel that you simply need to go right back up to what you're used to.

Much beyond that, perhaps you could talk a bit more as to exactly where/how your current setup is falling short, and/or what you're specifically trying to gain in concrete playability terms (less so in aspects of the racquet itself, which IMHO is an afterthought compared to simple results on the court). At that point, perhaps we could offer you a bit more focused direction.

Hope some of that helps.
 
Last edited:
To answer your literal question: there is nothing in current retail that will be a meaningful improvement over your setup. Just like @Trip, I also wonder what problem you're trying to solve. My suggestion for you is to priorize objective match performance over feel. Find a good professional customizer and do a proper session, just like professional players do when they want to improve their racquet setup. Intuitively, shedding some weight and stiffening the setup looks like the direction to improve performance, but only you and your customizer can tell.

Here's a video of such a pro session, I hope it inspires you:

 
@Trip , @Tranqville great answers thank you very much. I tend to share similar thoughts... maybe for start i should try play the Blade Pro with the minimum required lead tape customization just to make it headlight and improve twist weight.

Curious tho, what would you say about trying to find/buy an actual H22 18x20 Mold not the Blade Pro H22 mold or much better my long time objective the Blade Pro Stock 18x19? how these compare to the Blade Pro from Pro labs? I see for example that the Pro stock 18x19 is much stiffer. is the power, spin better and the feel worse ? I have read that the H22 and the Blade Pro Pro labs are the kings of feel.
 
With this Blade Pro setup I get rock-solid stability on contact — even against heavy hitters the racquet doesn’t flutter.
Serves and flat drives feel extremely penetrating and heavy, which suits my aggressive baseline game.
The feel is plush and connected, which is why it’s still the best racquet I’ve used.



The static weight (375g) and swingweight (~365) make it difficult to accelerate quickly on defense and serves. I struggle to flick balls back deep when stretched wide.
On longer rallies I feel my racquet speed drops — the frame starts to feel like it’s dragging through the swing.
My forehand and serve still click, but on quick exchanges (returns, reaction volleys, counterpunching) I lose some maneuverability.
I feel locked into shorter points — if I have to grind, I tire faster and my consistency drops.



I’m looking for a racquet that preserves the Blade Pro’s connected feel and stability but in a more manageable stock form — something that gives me quicker racquet head acceleration and better defensive reactivity without sacrificing too much plow-through.Essentially: I want the same ‘king of feel and stability’ experience, just without needing 375g to get there.
 
@Orezap - Glad the initial reply helped and thank you for the re-clarification on what you're looking for.

For starters, a few questions:
1) Along with the strung static weight (375g) and swing weight (~365 kg/cm²), do you happen to know the strung balance of your Blade Pro?
2) In what locations have you added weight to the frame, and how much in each location?
2) How tall are you?
3) What is your level in rough NTRP estimate, and/or UTR?

With the above answers in-hand, we might be able to come up with a spec that addresses enough of your concerns, without having to switch frames. ie. reduce and/or reproportion the mass distribution enough, that it feels usable-enough to continue on with the frame (with maybe a few more small tweaks here or there).

Beyond that, I'm going to hold off on recommending any other frames at this point, and I think you might be best served by not getting too into the weeds on minute differences between this or that frame for the time being, at least not until we identify a rough baseline on lightness of weighting required for the minimum amount of "wield-ability" for you to play sustainable-enough tennis over the course of however long a session or intense a competition you intend on. After that, we would look to fine-tune string setup, and finally once all of that is maxed out as well as possible, if we still identify that certain unalterable frame characteristics may still need a change (example: power-to-weight ratio, string pattern, flex), then we can go looking at other frames. But until then, I would vote to keep as many potential variables as constant as possible, and proceed via orderly process-of-elimination. And that starts with the frame that you already have in your hand, first and foremost.

Hope that helps again. Interested to see your answers to the above. Then we can proceed.
 
Last edited:
@Trip Thanks for the structured approach — here are my details:
  • Strung balance must be around 32-32.5 cm. dont know exactly since i increased the amount of lead tape on both points. Initially it was 32.8 when it was around 350-350.
  • Lead: approximately 10g at 3 & 9, plus 15-20g in the handle. Not sure exactly how much i have added.
  • Height: 1.76 m (5.9).
  • Level: I estimate roughly 4.0–4.5 NTRP / ~6–7 UTR.

    Happy to hear your thoughts on a sustainable setup.
 
Last edited:
@Orezap - Thanks for those answers. Very helpful.

So, if we split the different on the balance guess and say it's 32.3cm, that would put your current strung setup at 375g / 32.3cm / 365sw / 21.1mgr/i / 173.5rw.

Aside from the sheer static and SW that you have to lever up (you must be built like a bullmastiff...), the recoil weight ("RW") is potentially a bit too high for your arm length (independent of your sheer brute strength). You can tell if this is the case if the racquet feels like it's often too sluggish in the dynamic slot (ie. the point at which you begin to pull the racquet head forward out of your takeback and create wrist lag). If it's lagging too much, causing you to miss more so from being too late than not, then there could very well be too much RW. Conversely, if it feels too light, or "toy-ish", and you tend to bring it through contact too quickly, often pulling shots across your body too far wide in the opposite direction, then there's potentially too little RW. If you're not familiar with the thinking behind the relationship of RW to arm-length, a look at @Brando's thread "Who Cares About Recoil Weight?" might be worth a gander.

Anyways, what I'd be curious for you to do, is to pull off about 5g of lead from 9 & 3 and about 8g out from the inside of the handle (probably around 1-2" up the handle if I had to guess), and once you do that, you'll have a new spec of roughly 362g / 32.65cm / 350sw / 21.06mgr/i / 164.3rw, which will keep your swing physics roughly identical (as mgr/i is being held almost constant) but lower both the recoil and the overall heaving effort required to operate the system. You're still have plenty of swing weight to dominate most any 4.0-4.5 rally (I would think anyways), while you should still have plenty of twist weight to bracket the face and buffer against your own twist strength. All in, it should give you a setup that should be much less exhausting, while also being a potentially better natural fit for the length of your arm, manifesting in a way more natural flow from takeback to follow-through, less having to fight the racquet in the process, improved effortless biomechanics and timing, and a multiplied level of less exhaustion, from the combination of all of that, plus the sheer reduction in static and swing weight. At least, that's the idea.

Please give that a shot, holding your string setup and everything else constant, as let me know how it works out for you after sticking with it for a few sessions. And we'll go from there.
 
Really appreciate the detailed breakdown and the thought you’ve put into this — especially the RW/arm length angle, which I hadn’t considered before.
Your proposed adjustment sounds very reasonable. I’ll try pulling off that weight as suggested and give it a few sessions to see how the flow and timing feel. I’ll circle back with feedback once I’ve tested it — thanks again for the guidance.
 
Sounds like maybe you should try the gravity pro. You seem to prefer flatter hitting. Only option is to go with a stiffer frame that’s got a tight pattern and similar thin Beamed. Also many new rackets are not boxed beamed or thin beamed. Prostaff would do more work if you hit well with it but it may not be worth it but you can try. It’s a 16x19 so you may get easier depth but will need to add swing weight.

But these offer a bit more help over blades if you like flat hitting. If not you could always try the blade 16x19 if you are ok with a higher launch

Gravity pro
Radical pro
Tf 305s
 
Alwaysout88 said:
really? I thought it was very stable for its weight. Interesting. I know the iso 305 was unstable without 337 sw but the 305s to me is very stable
Click to expand...
Ha if you want a laugh….
Go watch luka from rackets and runners review on it back in jan/February this year where he “raves” about the stability of it.

Then watch part two of his racket journey to why he isn’t choosing it…………..

Yes I know. Different strokes, different folks. And I think part of the reason it’s a love hate racket is that SW/balance is coming in lower than spec.

It’s probably best to use the matching service to be quite honest.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
Ha if you want a laugh….
Go watch luka from rackets and runners review on it back in jan/February this year where he “raves” about the stability of it.

Then watch part two of his racket journey to why he isn’t choosing it…………..

Yes I know. Different strokes, different folks. And I think part of the reason it’s a love hate racket is that SW/balance is coming in lower than spec.

It’s probably best to use the matching service to be quite honest.
Click to expand...
Hello good friend,

So I did watch the video you suggested. He said how stable it was multiple times. He said next tot he zone the Elise is he can’t swing it as fast and it wasn’t what he would want if playing off his back foot.

He also said he would add weight to handle, not for stability, but to make it more head light. But nothing he said was about lack of stability it was very much the opposite. Maybe you are confusing the racket with another?

I played the ezone 98 vs the tf305s and I’d agree the ezone is faster but I couldn’t get used to that racket.
 
Alwaysout88 said:
Hello good friend,

So I did watch the video you suggested. He said how stable it was multiple times. He said next tot he zone the Elise is he can’t swing it as fast and it wasn’t what he would want if playing off his back foot.

He also said he would add weight to handle, not for stability, but to make it more head light. But nothing he said was about lack of stability it was very much the opposite. Maybe you are confusing the racket with another?

I played the ezone 98 vs the tf305s and I’d agree the ezone is faster but I couldn’t get used to that racket.
Click to expand...
He added the weight for stability.
The 305S balance was lowered to make it more headlight. Why else would you add a leather grip if it’s already head light and stable?

I played with this 305S. If you want to know my history, I have the dynacore 95 and xtc. Used the RS and ISO. In stock form, 305S is unstable once you start playing at a level where opponents have pace.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
He added the weight for stability.
The 305S balance was lowered to make it more headlight. Why else would you add a leather grip if it’s already head light and stable?

I played with this 305S. If you want to know my history, I have the dynacore 95 and xtc. Used the RS and ISO. In stock form, 305S is unstable once you start playing at a level where opponents have pace.
Click to expand...
I disagree. I watched the video a third time l. He did not add it for stability at all. I’m not seeing or hearing anything about adding weight for stability at all. He said multiple time la how stable it is but can’t swing it as fast as the ezone and would add weight to the handle b it that would just make it harder to swing.

Please reference what your talking about because I’m not watching it a fourth time
 
Alwaysout88 said:
I disagree. I watched the video a third time l. He did not add it for stability at all. I’m not seeing or hearing anything about adding weight for stability at all. He said multiple time la how stable it is but can’t swing it as fast as the ezone and would add weight to the handle b it that would just make it harder to swing.

Please reference what your talking about because I’m not watching it a fourth time
Click to expand...
If a racket is head light and stable stock form - there’s no way you’re adding 10 grams to it.
 
ChrisJR3264 said:
If a racket is head light and stable stock form - there’s no way you’re adding 10 grams to it.
Click to expand...
? Are you bored? Are you gonna to make me quote his video like a college paper so you stop?

Last time. He said again, he would add weight to the handle to make it easier for him to swing (balance) And didn’t because it would just make the racket heavier.

Also, again, he said, it’s very stable “multiple” times.

I don’t know what video you watched but this video is not a good reference to your argument when he stated the opposite you what you said he did.
 
Orezap said:
Hi all,

Need some feedback regarding new racket options that i intend to test so i can find one which one is appropriate?

My racket history so far includes:
  1. Wilson Blade v7 16x19
  2. Head Speed MP 2022
  3. Wilson Blade v9 16x19
  4. Head Speed MP Legend 2024
  5. Wilson Blade Pro v9 18x20 / Wilson Blade v9 18x20
  6. Other rackets i have owned/tried briefly not as mains (Babolat Pure Aero 100 2023 and Pure Aero 98 2023, Wilson RF01 Pro, Yonex Ezone Tour 2025, Tecnifibre Tfight 305s 2025)
usual strings: alu power/rough, tour bite soft, lynx tour, hawk touch, hyper g.
Have never tried speed pro, pro staffs etc.

Currently , im torn between
  1. Continuing with Blade Pro v9 18x20 or buying an actual Blade Pro Stock 18x19 if i find one or the real H22 mold.
  2. Head Speed Pro Legend 18x20 with the new Hybor tech. (cant play anymore with MP 16x19 pattern too open for me).
  3. Tecnifibre Tfight 305s or maybe TF40 18x20 2025.
  4. Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 Noir
Info about my tennis style

  • Aggressive baseliner, all-court attacker.
  • Flat, penetrating strokes when dictating.
  • Constant directional play
  • Heavy topspin when constructing longer points
  • Prefers short points (0–5 shots).
  • Serves and returns are key weapons.
  • Fast, versatile serves (flat, kick, slice).
  • Aggressive returns, often going for winners.
  • Preference: feel → control → spin → power.
  • Enjoys heavier customized frames (340–375 g, SW 330–360, high twistweight).
  • Prefers low stiffness <64 RA for feel and comfort.
Click to expand...
have you ever tried a modded up Pro staff 97?
 
Last edited:
Orezap said:
Well my current Blade Pro post customization is 375g static and around 365 sw I believe. I’m searching for something with better feel and innate stability in a more stock form. There is nothing wrong with my Blade pro it’s the best racket I have used so far .. just those specs are not sustainable long term for a 30 year old club player
Click to expand...
What you seem to be after is not just a “better” racket, but one that gives you more innate stability and authority in stock form, without having to build it all the way up to 375g / 365 SW to get there.

If that’s the brief, there honestly aren’t that many retail frames that fit.

Based on how you describe your game — aggressive baseliner / all-court attacker, flatter ball, big serve, likes to take time away and finish points — I actually think the RF97 is one of the more logical ones to look at. Not because it’s some magic wand, but because it’s one of the few retail frames that already has that kind of built-in mass, stability and precision.

A few reasons I mention it:
  • the 97 head size makes sense for an attacking player who values precision
  • it has the kind of stock stability you’re asking for
  • it suits players who like to serve big, drive through the court and take control of points
  • if you’re already using a Blade Pro at 375g / ~365 SW, then conceptually it’s not some huge leap
The only real caveat is the one you already mentioned yourself: it’s a firmer frame, and you said you tend to prefer softer ones. So that’s the main reason it may not be ideal.

But purely in terms of finding a frame with that kind of stock-form authority, I do think it’s one of the few that genuinely belongs in the conversation and cleaner and simple proposition that wouldn’t require elaborate customisations.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Orezap
Ezone 98 Aqua/2025 VS PA 98 - Change racket?
Replies
13
Views
4K
hecsls
H
Orezap
Departing from Wilson Blade Pro v9 18x20 – Which direction should I go?
Replies
33
Views
1K
jpnerva
J
B
Tecnifibre Tfight 305S 2025 vs. Wilson Blade v9 16x19 (regular & pro)
Replies
11
Views
4K
kijasek
kijasek
Orezap
Need Help Choosing My Long-Term Frame Aggressive Baseliner, 2HBH, Injury Comeback)
Replies
29
Views
659
ShahofTennis
ShahofTennis
T
New racket decision - Blade Pro 98 v9
Replies
1
Views
2K
thenewbig3
thenewbig3
Back
Top