Wilson Blade 98 or Wilson Blade 93

[JustTennis76]

Help me out here guys. My racket of choice currently is the blade 98 (18x20) but I have been hitting with the blade 93 for the past 8 hours or so and it feels so comfortable compared to the 98. Even though the stiffness rating for the 93 says 67, it plays much flexible than that. I am almost convinced to switch to the 93 but want your opinion. To me, the blade 98 is a nice racket but is not easily maneuverable compared to the 93. Thanks for the input.

 

[Soundbyte]

Pick up a 93. Hit with whatever one your feeling on a given day. I think they are similar enough that you can ride your whims onto the court

 

[John Z.]

Help me out here guys. My racket of choice currently is the blade 98 (18x20) but I have been hitting with the blade 93 for the past 8 hours or so and it feels so comfortable compared to the 98. Even though the stiffness rating for the 93 says 67, it plays much flexible than that. I am almost convinced to switch to the 93 but want your opinion. To me, the blade 98 is a nice racket but is not easily maneuverable compared to the 93. Thanks for the input.

Blade 93 is a more solid stick than the 98 IMO. Heavier but more maneuverable and much better plow through and feel for me. I tried very hard to like the blade 98, in vain (i'm generally biased toward heavy and head light sticks). Also, i can definitely say that the 93 feel more arm friendly than it's stiffness rating would indicate; at reasonable string tension it doesn't seem to transmit much vibrations to the arm.

 

[JustTennis76]

Blade 93 is a more solid stick than the 98 IMO. Heavier but more maneuverable and much better plow through and feel for me. I tried very hard to like the blade 98, in vain (i'm generally biased toward heavy and head light sticks). Also, i can definitely say that the 93 feel more arm friendly than it's stiffness rating would indicate; at reasonable string tension it doesn't seem to transmit much vibrations to the arm.

I am planning to string the 93 very low like low to mid 40s for poly mains and same tension for crosses which will be OGSM. Definitely plays somewhat larger than 93 to me as I did not have any off center shots at all. If anyone else have any input, please suggest me - otherwise, I am planning to switch to it pretty soon this off season.

 

[thatguymattin]

I used to own two 93's and really enjoyed them, but then I switched to K88's and N90's. I tried using the 98 ver. (both 16x19 and 18x20) and did not enjoy them because it felt unforgiving in comparison to the 93. I modded my 93 to be 10 pts hl, though 7-8 would've been good. It felt very stable after I did the modification. If you want to make the 93 more playable, I suggest upping the swingweight.

 

[ushynoti]

This is the same dilemma I'm facing now actually. I tried playing with the Blade 98 (16x19) which was not bad for about 6 months, and also tried the Blade 98 (18x20) and hated it. The spin was so hard to generate on the 18x20, but probably because the strings were thicker too. I went back to my trusty Prostaff BLX 90, which ended up still being better than the Blade. I just couldn't dial in the power on the Blade 98, it was too much and my strokes did not fit well with it. I found myself overhitting too often with strokes that would go in if I hit them with the Prostaff BLX 90.

I really want to try out the 93, but as you know, it's being discontinued, so if I like it, I'd have to stockpile them. If you've tried the 93, what kinds of strings are you putting in them and at what tension? I'm thinking I wouldn't go over 45 lbs, probably closer to 40 lbs, and with 17 gauge string, just because that dense string bed + smaller head sounds like it will feel boardy otherwise...

 

[ushynoti]

Blade 93 is a more solid stick than the 98 IMO. Heavier but more maneuverable and much better plow through and feel for me. I tried very hard to like the blade 98, in vain (i'm generally biased toward heavy and head light sticks). Also, i can definitely say that the 93 feel more arm friendly than it's stiffness rating would indicate; at reasonable string tension it doesn't seem to transmit much vibrations to the arm.

John Z, I have the same experience as you and seem to have the same type of game, 1HBH, and former college player. I also tried very hard to like the Blade 98 but just never felt as good on the hit as the Prostaff 90...Have you tried the RF97? I don't want to like that racquet, because it just seems like such a hyped up frame, but I have a demo now and need to string it up...I prefer the Blade 93 type of specs and like the smaller frame...

 

[JustTennis76]

This is the same dilemma I'm facing now actually. I tried playing with the Blade 98 (16x19) which was not bad for about 6 months, and also tried the Blade 98 (18x20) and hated it. The spin was so hard to generate on the 18x20, but probably because the strings were thicker too. I went back to my trusty Prostaff BLX 90, which ended up still being better than the Blade. I just couldn't dial in the power on the Blade 98, it was too much and my strokes did not fit well with it. I found myself overhitting too often with strokes that would go in if I hit them with the Prostaff BLX 90.

I really want to try out the 93, but as you know, it's being discontinued, so if I like it, I'd have to stockpile them. If you've tried the 93, what kinds of strings are you putting in them and at what tension? I'm thinking I wouldn't go over 45 lbs, probably closer to 40 lbs, and with 17 gauge string, just because that dense string bed + smaller head sounds like it will feel boardy otherwise...

I put volkl cyclone 18 in the mains at 45 lbs and gosen sheep micro 17 in the crosses at 46 lbs. I may have to go even lower to get some feel of the string bed and not feel boardy.

 

[ushynoti]

I put volkl cyclone 18 in the mains at 45 lbs and gosen sheep micro 17 in the crosses at 46 lbs. I may have to go even lower to get some feel of the string bed and not feel boardy.

Are you saying that is the current setup in the 93 you have and it's boardy still or are you saying that's what you have in your 98? It's concerning if it feels boardy with 18g string, but then again, I've always felt 18g string was wirey and had an odd tinny feel to it, it was never as smooth as 16 gauge or thicker string, even though that made spin harder to generate...I've used Luxilon Big Banger Ace 18, but not the Volkl Cyclone, so not sure how that would compare. I put that and Gosen sheep micro in the Blade 98 (16x19) at 48 lbs and it was a rocket launcher. I had to go with full bed poly just to temper the power a little, and even then it was not enough...I'm just hoping the 93 plays more like a Prostaff 90 than the Blade 98...

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

The 93 feels like a dagger whereas the 98 feels more like a hammer for me due to the weight distribution. Both are very solid choices. If you play more all court, 93 for sure. Baseline game mostly-98.

 

[ushynoti]

The 93 feels like a dagger whereas the 98 feels more like a hammer for me due to the weight distribution. Both are very solid choices. If you play more all court, 93 for sure. Baseline game mostly-98.

Do you use the Blade 93 right now? How are the weight distributions different? I felt the Blade 98 had that head heavy balance that I didn't like...is the 93 more head light or more head heavy than the 98?

 

[John Z.]

@ c_hari_c
-- I have many times played with poly main / multi cross in the blade 93. For me 45 ish main / 42 ish cross worked best. Cyclone is pretty stiff, i def would not go over mid 40s (given the dense 18x20 string pattern in a 93'').
-- The 93 is heavy but head light. The 98 is relatively light but more head heavy. Both have similar swing weight but play very differently. When you hit without a big swing the 98 has very little plow through as a result of its low weight, making it harder to use for most players with 1hbh.

@ ushynoti
-- I have tried the RF97, i could definitely play with it as i like heavy & head light rackets; all the hype aside, it is a fairly good stick and most peeps who like the blade 93 would prob like the RF97 as well (blade 93 is more stable on off-center shots and more precise, IMO). I don't think i would switch to the RF97 as the Blade 93 high maneuverability and control is perfectly suited for my game.
-- Yes, the 93 is apparently going to be discontinued. If that turns out to be the case i will personally buy 2 more in advance but no more than 2... as this would already be enough for 3-4 years and by then i might have very different options.

 

[JustTennis76]

Very good advice John Z. I have all off season to play with the blade 93 I purchased off the bay. It definitely plays flexible than its stiffness rating of 67.

 

[ushynoti]

@ ushynoti
-- I have tried the RF97, i could definitely play with it as i like heavy & head light rackets; all the hype aside, it is a fairly good stick and most peeps who like the blade 93 would prob like the RF97 as well (blade 93 is more stable on off-center shots and more precise, IMO). I don't think i would switch to the RF97 as the Blade 93 high maneuverability and control is perfectly suited for my game.
-- Yes, the 93 is apparently going to be discontinued. If that turns out to be the case i will personally buy 2 more in advance but no more than 2... as this would already be enough for 3-4 years and by then i might have very different options.

I just hit more with the RF97 and it was a lot better than the last time I went out with it. The balance is definitely better than the Blade 98, since it doesn't have that head heavy balance that makes the ball launch, and it's more solid, like what I tried to make my Blade feel like with lead tape, but you can't mod it like that because it feels tinny still. Is the Blade 93 as solid as the RF97 in terms of not having that tinny hollow twang when the ball hits it?

 

[John Z.]

I just hit more with the RF97 and it was a lot better than the last time I went out with it. The balance is definitely better than the Blade 98, since it doesn't have that head heavy balance that makes the ball launch, and it's more solid, like what I tried to make my Blade feel like with lead tape, but you can't mod it like that because it feels tinny still. Is the Blade 93 as solid as the RF97 in terms of not having that tinny hollow twang when the ball hits it?

Definitely as solid and in my opinion more maneuverable; just dont forget to drop the tension by a few lbs in the blade 93.

 

[ushynoti]

Definitely as solid and in my opinion more maneuverable; just dont forget to drop the tension by a few lbs in the blade 93.

Wow, that's pretty good if that's the case...I have the RF97 at 42 lbs with Luxilon Big Banger Ace 18 now, so pretty low already, I was thinking more 40 lbs for the Blade 93, or even lower, because that dense string bed really makes a racquet feel pretty boardy...

 

[MikeHitsHard93]

Do you use the Blade 93 right now? How are the weight distributions different? I felt the Blade 98 had that head heavy balance that I didn't like...is the 93 more head light or more head heavy than the 98?

It is much more maneuverable. I haven't bought one yet, but it's on my list of frames that I'd instantly buy. I just can't seem to commit to one frame, so I refrain from buying

 

[JustTennis76]

I took the blade 93 I purchased to a local pro shop here to check the specs. While everything was spot on with the specs from the website, the one thing that was off was the swing weight. The SW measured only 319 on the babolat RDC machine compared to the 333 like it says on TW. Is it Wilson's quality control thing? Anyway, just wanted to throw it out there.

 

[John Z.]

I took the blade 93 I purchased to a local pro shop here to check the specs. While everything was spot on with the specs from the website, the one thing that was off was the swing weight. The SW measured only 319 on the babolat RDC machine compared to the 333 like it says on TW. Is it Wilson's quality control thing? Anyway, just wanted to throw it out there.

Same thing here; mines were roughly at 323 SW. I think the main factor here is that SW is being calculated on strung racquets; there can be many grams of difference between, say, a 16g poly and a 18g multi... which explains most of the SW differences. Also, one should note that most strings being tested at TW are 16g.

Specs should always be given on unstrung racquet, especially for SW where different strings make for very different results.

 

[JustTennis76]

John Z - what strings are you currently using for the 93? I am hybriding Cyclone and Gosen sheep micro as mains and crosses respectively.

 

[PaulC]

John Z - what strings are you currently using for the 93? I am hybriding Cyclone and Gosen sheep micro as mains and crosses respectively.

You can go thinner 1.15 or even 1.10 poly mains with this frame, such as Solinco Tour Bite or MSV Focus Hex etc. to max the spin potential and further expand the sweet spot to make it play bigger than a 93. :mrgreen:

 

[John Z.]

John Z - what strings are you currently using for the 93? I am hybriding Cyclone and Gosen sheep micro as mains and crosses respectively.

My preferred setup in the blade 93: Black Widow 1.20 main (45 lbs), Prince Premier Control 1.25 cross (43 lbs).

 

[thatguymattin]

This thread is making me miss my Blade 93 xD

 

[asifallasleep]

This thread is making me miss my Blade 93 xD

I remember you selling yours. I think a friend in LA bought them. I'm going back to mine and selling my RF97's. Glad I kept them.

 

[ushynoti]

For those of you who switched away from the Blade 93, why did you do it?

 

[dcsrour]

Love the blade 93, nothing feels quite as good for me but have purchased the ps97 (added some lead). I am a 5.0/open player looking for more of an edge to keep up with all the babolat big racquet hitters)
Not sure if I'm sold on it but so far after 3 sessions am getting there. About to list my 3 blade 93s in very good condition but still on the fence, may regret it...

 

[asifallasleep]

Love the blade 93, nothing feels quite as good for me but have purchased the ps97 (added some lead). I am a 5.0/open player looking for more of an edge to keep up with all the babolat big racquet hitters)
Not sure if I'm sold on it but so far after 3 sessions am getting there. About to list my 3 blade 93s in very good condition but still on the fence, may regret it...

Don't sell them. I tried the RF97 and ended up going back to my Blade 93's. Unless you need the cash I'd hold onto them until you are absolutely sure you are making the switch. Also, the 93's are being discontinued. So if you sell them and then want them back, you may be out of luck.

 

[ushynoti]

Don't sell them. I tried the RF97 and ended up going back to my Blade 93's. Unless you need the cash I'd hold onto them until you are absolutely sure you are making the switch. Also, the 93's are being discontinued. So if you sell them and then want them back, you may be out of luck.

What made you ultimately go back to the Blade 93s? I really like the RF97, but I just ordered 3 of these Blade 93s, and I may get some RF97s as well, because I feel like that's the best racquet I've used in a long time...

 

[asifallasleep]

What made you ultimately go back to the Blade 93s? I really like the RF97, but I just ordered 3 of these Blade 93s, and I may get some RF97s as well, because I feel like that's the best racquet I've used in a long time...

Added leather grip to my Blade 93's which made it the same weight (12.7) as my RF97's.

Smaller head and thinner beam of the 93 made it soooo much more maneuverable and quicker through the air. Comparatively speaking, the RF97 was more club like.

Against lesser players the RF was amazing. Against better players, to hit a similar ball I had to move farther behind the baseline to have enough time to take a decent cut at the ball. With the 93, I could hug the baseline and still hit the ball on the rise against better players. It's that much faster for me.

The 93 seems more suited for my all court game.

 

[ushynoti]

Added leather grip to my Blade 93's which made it the same weight (12.7) as my RF97's.

Smaller head and thinner beam of the 93 made it soooo much more maneuverable and quicker through the air. Comparatively speaking, the RF97 was more club like.

Against lesser players the RF was amazing. Against better players, to hit a similar ball I had to move farther behind the baseline to have enough time to take a decent cut at the ball. With the 93, I could hug the baseline and still hit the ball on the rise against better players. It's that much faster for me.

The 93 seems more suited for my all court game.

Oh, nice, I always use a leather grip, so I definitely will be changing mine to that as well, so I guess I'll have similar specs to you! Good to know!

Your experience with the RF97 is pretty much exactly how I felt about it, it was awesome against players who don't hit hard because you have time to take a full cut and wind up and drill the ball but better players who hit harder will make the racquet tough to maneuver. It definitely feels like a club. I have a few Blade 98 (16x19) frames and I picked those up and they felt more maneuverable than the RF97 with the exception of the slight head heavy balance that I felt with it, which I really didn't like in matches...

If the 93 is how you say it is, it's exactly what I'm looking for. Do you add any lead or anything besides the leather grip? I usually use power pads, but I know that can shift the balance of the racquet. As long as it doesn't feel like the head heavy stick that the Blade 98 feels like, I'll be happy...I also really hope that the 18x20 string bed doesn't feel boardy, that's what I didn't like about the Blade 98 (18x20)...I'm going to use 17 gauge string and string like 40 lbs to start, possibly lower...

 

[asifallasleep]

Oh, nice, I always use a leather grip, so I definitely will be changing mine to that as well, so I guess I'll have similar specs to you! Good to know!

Your experience with the RF97 is pretty much exactly how I felt about it, it was awesome against players who don't hit hard because you have time to take a full cut and wind up and drill the ball but better players who hit harder will make the racquet tough to maneuver. It definitely feels like a club. I have a few Blade 98 (16x19) frames and I picked those up and they felt more maneuverable than the RF97 with the exception of the slight head heavy balance that I felt with it, which I really didn't like in matches...

If the 93 is how you say it is, it's exactly what I'm looking for. Do you add any lead or anything besides the leather grip? I usually use power pads, but I know that can shift the balance of the racquet. As long as it doesn't feel like the head heavy stick that the Blade 98 feels like, I'll be happy...I also really hope that the 18x20 string bed doesn't feel boardy, that's what I didn't like about the Blade 98 (18x20)...I'm going to use 17 gauge string and string like 40 lbs to start, possibly lower...

I have added weight at 3 and 9 in the past along with the leather grip, but at present I've found just the leather grip is all i need. Makes the stick a little more headlight and gives it a little more plow through.

I'm at 45-48 tension wise.

Even at stock the 93 feels nothing like the 98. It's way more headlight and faster through the air. The 98 is more even balanced and can at times feel a little head heavy or clubby when compared to the 93.

 

[ushynoti]

I have added weight at 3 and 9 in the past along with the leather grip, but at present I've found just the leather grip is all i need. Makes the stick a little more headlight and gives it a little more plow through.

I'm at 45-48 tension wise.

Even at stock the 93 feels nothing like the 98. It's way more headlight and faster through the air. The 98 is more even balanced and can at times feel a little head heavy or clubby when compared to the 93.

Cool, I'm glad there isn't a lot of modification needed, I hate playing around with lead tape, it can be such a pain sometimes. Hopefully what works for you works for me, but based on how you describe things we seem to have similar tastes and experiences with the same frames. I may string lower than you do though, but that's about it. I'm imagining more of a 40 lbs tension, and I strung my BLX 90 at 48 lbs, but that was a more open string bed...

Good to hear the 93 doesn't feel like the 98, that was my biggest concern...I like that it's not clubby or head heavy, that was the main complaint I had about it, otherwise it was a great frame....

 

[JustTennis76]

played with the blade 93 for about 12 hours since I started this thread. It completely blows away the blade 98 in every aspect. The most important thing I noticed is the maneuverability of the 93 is so easy compared to the 98. I have changed the grip to have a Wilson contour grip which I like. Other than that, the racket feels just fine in stock form. It now weighs 12.3 oz with an overgrip and a dampener. I will play with it all winter and will buy my 2nd one when there is some sort of sale.

 

[Fuji]

played with the blade 93 for about 12 hours since I started this thread. It completely blows away the blade 98 in every aspect. The most important thing I noticed is the maneuverability of the 93 is so easy compared to the 98. I have changed the grip to have a Wilson contour grip which I like. Other than that, the racket feels just fine in stock form. It now weighs 12.3 oz with an overgrip and a dampener. I will play with it all winter and will buy my 2nd one when there is some sort of sale.

There might not be a big blow out since they are totally discontinued. I feel as though TW might just sell at retail until out of stock.

-Fuji

 

[Peter Dervan]

Anyone got any blade 93’s they’d like to sell ?