swiss_cheese
New User
Do you have any recommendations for a Blade alternative that is similar in specs (nice for the arm, good feel) but offers a bit more power?
Head Boom Pro
Head Extreme Tour
Ezone 98 looks very promising. I see that is has higher frame stiffness, but like you said, it shouldn't produce any arm problems?Ezone 98 - probably your best bet in terms of combination of comfort, control and more power with specs that match Blade well.
Pure Strike Tour 3d Gen - offers control, power and, surprisingly, good comfort. The racquet is heavier at 320g but the SW is very manageable due to smart weight distribution. The racquet plays lighter than it's specs would suggest. The balance is different from Blade, obviously, more HL and will require adjustment.
The new Tfight ISO is a demanding racquet but also offers excellent control, power and comfort in 305g. It plays very different from Blade though.
Ezone 98 looks very promising. I see that is has higher frame stiffness, but like you said, it shouldn't produce any arm problems?
I was using wood racquets as a kid, so my tennis DNA still has some splinters in there. If you want more power than what you have with a Blade, I'd say try a Volkl C10 sometime. My arm can't tolerate poly, but I can teach and/or slug pretty much every day using my Volkls strung with a snug bed of 16 ga. syn. gut no problemo.Do you have any recommendations for a Blade alternative that is similar in specs (nice for the arm, good feel) but offers a bit more power?
Yonex has a couple of possibles, too (maybe a not-too-heavy VCore Pro 97 310).
Or lower your tension. Most soft polys play well at 40-45 lbs. You could also use thinner gauges.As I reflect on all of your suggestions, I'm thinking that instead of switching the racquet it would be easier to just switch to a more powerful poly. As I'm actually loving Blade in general, just looking for a slight increase in power. I'm currently using some random poly, don't even know the name of it.
Definitely wilson blade pro.
now i`m using wilson ultra pro 18*20 now but previously used wilson blade v7 16*19 and then wilson blade pro 16*19.
modification is only leather grip, I`ve never seen more powerful frame yet.
As I reflect on all of your suggestions, I'm thinking that instead of switching the racquet it would be easier to just switch to a more powerful poly. As I'm actually loving Blade in general, just looking for a slight increase in power. I'm currently using some random poly, don't even know the name of it.
Those are great suggestions. I can try them.Hybrid setup with natural guts in the mains and poly in the crosses will increase power, comfort and feel.
For poly, may I suggest Hyper-G or Hyper-G soft, as it's not only powerful and spin-friendly, but also matches the frame.
The biggest source of power is actually the swingweight, why not add a couple of grams of lead tape at 12 and a leather grip for balance?
Do you have any recommendations for a Blade alternative that is similar in specs (nice for the arm, good feel) but offers a bit more power?
Lot's of great suggestions, thank you!@swiss_cheese - I would first try to lower your string tension, and/or move to a narrower gauge for a bit more trampoline effect, and/or try slightly more powerful strings at the same gauge, and/or add some lead at 12 to increase plow-through (or 10 & 2 to add a bit of twist weight as well).
If you exhaust all of the above and still can't find a solution, here are the frames that get the closest:
Blade v6 Re-Issue (non-CV) - Per @PaulC's suggestion, this may get you enough power, while retaining most of the other qualities (besides a higher RA stiffness).
Blade Pro 16x19 (H22) - Only available from Wilson direct, may need customization, a bit more demanding, but more stable and powerful if you can wield it.
Prince Synergy 98 - Easiest playing option of the three, soft RA, same balance, more generous sweet spot, larger spin window, slightly more dense 18x18 pattern, similar full flex but more rigid and thicker upper hoop. If you do switch away from the Blade, Pro or otherwise, IMHO this is the frame you should focus on first.
Strong maybe's:
Head G360+ Radical MP - Slightly more power, but also a fair bit more stiff and higher Hz (like the Boom Pro), plus a more concentrated sweet spot. String bed is very calm and consistent, though. Swing weight is a tad lower, and the flex doesn't bend or bow as much as the Blade, nor is the mass distribution as biased towards the top of the hoop. So the overall feel will be different, and probably require a tweak to your swing mechanics.
Head Boom Pro - More power, yes, but it's noticeably more stiff, the layup is a bit less dense, mass distribution is spread a bit more equally across the hoop and throat, and as a result stock balance is 2 points more head-light and swing weight is 2-3 points lower (mostly addressable with a bit of lead at 12). So the overall feel is a bit different and the natural fulcrum is moved closer to you, which may require a slight retooling of your stroke mechanics. Is it a close enough fit? Maybe. I'd demo first if you can.
Pure Strike Tour - Layup is much more crisp, swing weight is on the high side and like the Boom Pro the balance is 6pts HL strung, so material distribution will be different, but it's stable, powerful and comfortable. Could be worth a look.
Pure Strike VS w/ customization - 97", great medium-density pattern, supremely maneuverable, awesome flex and pocketing, a bit more easy pop than the Blade, will need lead on the hoop to get swing weight into the 320's -- a few grams split between 12 and 6, at minimum.
Hope that helps!
Lot's of great suggestions, thank you!
@swiss_cheese - I would first try to lower your string tension, and/or move to a narrower gauge for a bit more trampoline effect, and/or try slightly more powerful strings at the same gauge, and/or add some lead at 12 to increase plow-through (or 10 & 2 to add a bit of twist weight as well).
If you exhaust all of the above and still can't find a solution, here are the frames that get the closest:
Blade v6 Re-Issue (non-CV) - Per @PaulC's suggestion, this may get you enough power, while retaining most of the other qualities (besides a higher RA stiffness).
Blade Pro 16x19 (H22) - Only available from Wilson direct, may need customization, a bit more demanding, but more stable and powerful if you can wield it.
Pri - Easiest playing option of the three, soft RA, same balance, more generous sweet spot, larger spin window, slightly more dense 18x18 pattern, similar full flex but more rigid and thicker upper hoop. If you do switch away from the Blade, Pro or otherwise, IMHO this is the frame you should focus on first.
Strong maybe's:
Head G360+ Radical MP - Slightly more power, but also a fair bit more stiff and higher Hz (like the Boom Pro), plus a more concentrated sweet spot. String bed is very calm and consistent, though. Swing weight is a tad lower, and the flex doesn't bend or bow as much as the Blade, nor is the mass distribution as biased towards the top of the hoop. So the overall feel will be different, and probably require a tweak to your swing mechanics.
Head Boom Pro - More power, yes, but it's noticeably more stiff, the layup is a bit less dense, mass distribution is spread a bit more equally across the hoop and throat, and as a result stock balance is 2 points more head-light and swing weight is 2-3 points lower (mostly addressable with a bit of lead at 12). So the overall feel is a bit different and the natural fulcrum is moved closer to you, which may require a slight retooling of your stroke mechanics. Is it a close enough fit? Maybe. I'd demo first if you can.
Pure Strike Tour - Layup is much more crisp, swing weight is on the high side and like the Boom Pro the balance is 6pts HL strung, so material distribution will be different, but it's stable, powerful and comfortable. Could be worth a look.
Pure Strike VS w/ customization - 97", great medium-density pattern, supremely maneuverable, awesome flex and pocketing, a bit more easy pop than the Blade, will need lead on the hoop to get swing weight into the 320's -- a few grams split between 12 and 6, at minimum.
Hope that helps!
Wow that's a beast of a racquet! Also what strings did you use that bumped the SW up 36pts?! Also, pretty good QC!
Do you have any recommendations for a Blade alternative that is similar in specs (nice for the arm, good feel) but offers a bit more power?
Before opening a can of worms with demos, I suggest trying Hyper-G 18 at 50lbs. That hit the sweetspot for me in terms of additional spin and power.As I reflect on all of your suggestions, I'm thinking that instead of switching the racquet it would be easier to just switch to a more powerful poly. As I'm actually loving Blade in general, just looking for a slight increase in power. I'm currently using some random poly, don't even know the name of it.
Before opening a can of worms with demos, I suggest trying Hyper-G 18 at 50lbs. That hit the sweetspot for me in terms of additional spin and power.
As far as the Ezone, I'm one of the lucky ones(?) that got elbow issues that went away after switching to the Blade V7
Yes, same poly (hyper G 17 @48lbs), I believe it's the vibration frequency that someone mentioned. oh and this was the Ezone 98 (2020) versionHey NYC, interested in hearing about your elbow issues with the EZone 98. Really loving it but having elbow issues after 3-4 hours of demoing it through a couple of weeks. Were you using Poly? Did you stay with the same string and tension when you switched to the Blade? (thinking of the Blade as a more arm-friendly alternative).