Wilson Blade 98 bad grommets??

[Woolybugger]

Here's the email I sent to Wilson customer service.
I wonder if any of you had the same experience and what your solution was.

I purchased two Wilson Blade 98 16x19 tennis racquets from tennis-warehouse.com about 6 months ago. I get it professionally strung with Babolat RPM Blast 17-gauge at 52 lbs full bed. In the past 6 months, I have broken 7 sets of strings prematurely at the top or bottom grommets. My stringer says it happens sometimes with mishits and the string shears because it gets cut by the grommets. However, the last 3 times I have hit the ball in the sweet spot (a hard shot) and it "sheared" the string at the top-left grommet. I am at a loss to explain why it happens so much with this racquet.

I have inspected the grommets and they are not broken. In fact, I have even purchased a new set of grommets and had the shop install it, but still the same problem with shearing. My strings only last 5 days before breaking.

Previously, I had used Babolat AeroPro Team and never had this problem. It seems that it is unique to this type of racquet.

My stringer has tried installing teflon tubing around the grommets but he was not able to do so because the grommets are "the narrowest and smallest I have ever seen". Even with heating and stretching the tubing he was not able to get it installed.

I really like this racquet compared to the Babolat line and definitely want to stick with it, but I cannot afford restringing every 5 days. My theory is that the grommets are so small and so close to the string that any hard impact pushes it against the grommet and cuts it. Can you suggest a resolution? Can you send me a set of new grommets that are smoother or better designed? Frankly I am disappointed that an otherwise ideal racquet has this drawback and I definitely cannot afford to keep restringing every 5 days.

 

[Irvin]

When TW strung your rackets did they break as fast?

 

[Irvin]

Also you can't expect Wilson to retool the grommets for a racket. That would cost thousand$. You could get some individual grommets and a grommet grinder and replace the grommets where they are breaking.

Try to look for where the string is breaking and after you get your racket strung look in that area for anything that is abnormal like dis colored, smashed, or marred string.

 

[Woolybugger]

TW never strung my racquets, but ************* did once. The rest of the time a local shop did it or I did it myself.

String breakage due to shearing occurs about 1/3 of the time. The rest is normal wear, so it is difficult to attribute it to a bad string job. I've been stringing my own racquets for >1yr now, and also on the APD so I'm pretty careful about it.

 

[Woolybugger]

That's an interesting idea, Irvin. I see grommet grinder and individual grommets on sale at TW. How do I replace single grommets? Or can I just use the grinder to smooth out the inside of the existing one??

 

[Irvin]

^^That sort of tells me it very well could be a string problem or stringer error if 67% of the time it's ok. I would try using a different string just for the halibut.

 

[jim e]

Sometimes when you get the right combination of strings, racquet and players style it can lead to early breakage.
Especially if you hit a hard ball, and have a tendency to shank some of your shots, as some racquet and string combinations can give issues, although shanked shots are really not good for any string..
I would change to different string first and go to a 16g. rather than a 17g and see how that works out.

 

[Wikky]

I've heard of a lot of problems with thinner gauge RPM in the past 6 months. Whether it be breaking within 15 minutes of play, before its even been taken out of the bag, or actually on the machine. 18 especially, not as much with 17.

 

[TennisCJC]

Signum Pro Tornado 17G is a shaped and twisted poly like RPM Blast. It is cheaper and better too. I have used it dozens of times and have never snapped it. I use it in a hybrid and the softer multi or syn gut snaps first.

Tecnifibre RuffCode is a rough textured poly but not as textured as SP Tornado. RuffCode has never broken before the soft string either.

Weird you are snapping a poly so quickly. Have you tried 16G rpm?

Is it always on the same grommet(s)?

 

[Woolybugger]

**** UPDATE *****
I got a call from Wilson Customer Service and they admitted it is a design flaw in the Blade 98 16x19. They have received many similar complaints from other customers. The combination of small grommets, open string pattern, and 52lbs tension causes the mains to "give" more than usual on each hit and get nicked on the grommets with every shot, even on the sweet spot. After 3-4 days of play, the string breaks - usually at the top mains. Their remedy? 30% off a single order on wilson.com.

I'm not too happy with this situation because I just bought 2 of them 6 months ago, and don't want to change. I may try upgrading to 16gauge mains and using nylon tubing at the tie-off holes (they will only fit in the larger grommets). Hope this will at least extend my string life to its normal breakage point.

Anyway, be warned about the Wilson Blade 98 16x19!

 

[drakulie]

I would look at the rpm. It tends to break early, especially the 17 gauge. For some reason when the tension jaws squeeze to grab the string, it weakens the string.

I string blades (16/19) all the time at the shop and never have had this issue, even with vs team.

 

[drakulie]

By the way, if your stringer uses a Babolat star 5 or sensor, it magnifies the rpm 17 weakening.

 

[lwto]

By the way, if your stringer uses a Babolat star 5 or sensor, it magnifies the rpm 17 weakening.

I use a sensor and have had issues with RPM snapping. Not on the stringer, but during play, at the same spot every time.

Upon inspection of the grommets, I have found that where they have snapped, the (not sure how to describe this) corners of the grommet where you feed the string into have been very square. I've sanded it down the edge a tiny bit making it a slightly rounded and hopefully has resolved the issue. I'm hoping.

Yes, RPM though seems very brittle.

 

[Irvin]

^^I use a Star5 and while stringing X-ONE and Xcel (both 17 gauge) the other day I seen no ghosting on the X-ONE and only slight ghosting on the Xcel. Also since I have the diablo (aka nosecone) I see no ghosting from the linear gripper. I'm not so sure if the clamps are clean and adjusting properly they will harm the string. If someone is having problems maybe a business card around the string will help. It should not be a problem in the linear gripper but if you're using a business card on the mains you need to adjust the clamps.

 

[drakulie]

Its been widely reported both the sensor and star 5 grippers are very rough on 17 gauge string. In fact, at the cincy masters where I have strung the last two years, any stringer with a star 5 does not get assigned any player who uses 17g RPM because of problems with premature breakage.

If you do a search on this forum related to the star 5 grippers, many posters have reported problems with their grippers shearing thin poly strings.

anyways, good luck.

 

[lwto]

Its been widely reported both the sensor and star 5 grippers are very rough on 17 gauge string. In fact, at the cincy masters where I have strung the last two years, any stringer with a star 5 does not get assigned any player who uses 17g RPM because of problems with premature breakage.

If you do a search on this forum related to the star 5 grippers, many posters have reported problems with their grippers shearing thin poly strings.

anyways, good luck.

but, 16 and 18 are ok?

Strange.

 

[uk_skippy]

I double wrap the string around the diablo on my Star 5, no prob with RPM using that method. This helps change the biting point of the string within the gripper.

One reason why I prefer the Star 5 over the Sensor.

 

[Irvin]

I double wrap the string around the diablo on my Star 5, no prob with RPM using that method. This helps change the biting point of the string within the gripper.

One reason why I prefer the Star 5 over the Sensor.

I've heard jim e talking about this method to change the gripper location when he makes two pulls on a string with his machine. I was stringing Babolat Xcel 16 @64# the other day and could see very little ghosting on the string by the clamps and no ghosting on the string from the gripper. Do you really think it is necessary to double wind the diablo or is that just a precaution?

 

[uk_skippy]

More a precaution Irvin. I also use the same method on gut at high tensions.

Regards

Paul

 

[drakulie]

but, 16 and 18 are ok?

Strange.

no, anything 17g or thinner.

that said, the earliest star 5's do not have this issue. it appears the jaws on these machines were manufactured at a different location than the ones with the problems, which tend to shear the string when they squeeze. many owners have reported sanding down the inside of the jaws to alleviate the issue.

 

[Irvin]

no, anything 17g or thinner.

that said, the earliest star 5's do not have this issue. it appears the jaws on these machines were manufactured at a different location than the ones with the problems, which tend to shear the string when they squeeze. many owners have reported sanding down the inside of the jaws to alleviate the issue.

Maybe that explains it the serial on my machine is 0054 got to be an early one.