Funny y’all mention the old school feel, after another session with the B100P I think the racquet it reminds me of most is my old Prince Triple Threat Hornet Midplus that I grew up using. 100in head, 16x20, 27.5in length, 290g unstrung. Maybe I should break it out and restring it for a side by side.
Wilson Blade v10 2026
- Thread starter henrytennisadelaide
- Start date
thebigz
Professional
I thought the B100 Pro still has 45 in the layup tech. But I'm sure the actual stiffness helps.
I saw that too but I didn’t feel any of it in the 100 pro. I doubt it just has to do with stiffness. I just don’t think they actually used that 45 layup in the 100pro. Wilson stated they used 45layup in the ps line also but people who tried it told me it feels the same as the old pro staffs. Only racquets that actually have that weird feel is the clash and new blades.
thebigz
Professional
None of us really know what exactly "45 layup" is supposed to feel like in isolation. It's just a way they lay the graphite/carbon in specific locations. I don't think it's the defining driver of the feel of a stick. The negatives we associate withV8 Blade or Clash might totally be of any number of other factors under the hood that we can't pick apart. It's possible that it behaves differently in different sticks like Auxetic does.
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
Radicals feel (as a radical user) is pretty firm and I wouldn’t classify it as a good feeling racket. For me as a big hitter it provides a very satisfying feedback when hitting well. But when hitting slower or not clean it’s not very nice
SupahMan5000
Hall of Fame
TTW still making great contributions to tennis
ClownCar96
Professional
Second hit I did a 2 hr clinic. This time I took off leather grip, put original back on and put 5g of putty under trap door. 323g, 323sw 32.5 balance. Because I wasn’t sore from weights this time, it felt way too light and my timing was off a bit on the groundies. First time volleying and it was excellent! I’m going to add some weight for next hit and see how it goes
CalciferKuma
Semi-Pro
Strunged up my pro stock Steam 100. Super stiff. My retail steams went dead apparently. For how old it is, it got soft. Completely different hitting experience compared to the my newer steam 100 pro stock
@ClownCar96 - Thanks and please keep the feedback coming. @CalciferKuma, looking forward to your thoughts as well. Goes without saying, make sure you both get them spec'd up to proper recoil weight for your lever length and physicality; will help with comfort, too.
We need more firm, raw, crisp, connected options for those of us who want something other than the muted, disjointed mush-fests that make up 90+% of the retail market. So I'm excited for more feedback on the B100P, as you and others have time.
We need more firm, raw, crisp, connected options for those of us who want something other than the muted, disjointed mush-fests that make up 90+% of the retail market. So I'm excited for more feedback on the B100P, as you and others have time.
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slal1984
Professional
Thats the 2nd best frame in the blade line up.
. I played with a blade 100 v9 for over a year, but had to let it go due its lack of stiffness in the upper hoop. I did not notice it at the 4.5 level, but at the 5.0 level it was evident since most of my misses are higher up on the frame. It was the most evident at the net.
slal1984
Professional
Strings for the 100 Pro - Trial and Error till i find what works best for me.
Strings tried
Option 1 - Firewire (1.25) /Ghostire (1.22) 50/48 - This is my go to string on all frames. I switch between the 18 and 17 gauge for the main depending on racquet.
- Liked - the spin, the comfort and how the ball just dipped towards the end with good control.
- Dislike - When it started loosing tension or the edges wore off i started to loose a little bit of control (noticed mainly on servers and forehands)
Option 2 - O-toro spin/ghostwire at 50/48
- Liked - More comfortable with a the little extra ball pocketing, better control (specially serves) and felt softer as time went on
- Dislike - Less spin (missed the spin from the firewire) and did not feel i got the same feedback on how well/clean i hit the ball. Plus, lower launch angle.
So to find similar spin like the firewire, but the comfort and control like the O-toro i am going to try the - Wasabi/Ghostwire at at 50/48.
If I don't like Wasabi, i will stick with Firewire/Ghostwire and just use a higher tension or string more often. (It's the most economical for me)
Strings tried
Option 1 - Firewire (1.25) /Ghostire (1.22) 50/48 - This is my go to string on all frames. I switch between the 18 and 17 gauge for the main depending on racquet.
- Liked - the spin, the comfort and how the ball just dipped towards the end with good control.
- Dislike - When it started loosing tension or the edges wore off i started to loose a little bit of control (noticed mainly on servers and forehands)
Option 2 - O-toro spin/ghostwire at 50/48
- Liked - More comfortable with a the little extra ball pocketing, better control (specially serves) and felt softer as time went on
- Dislike - Less spin (missed the spin from the firewire) and did not feel i got the same feedback on how well/clean i hit the ball. Plus, lower launch angle.
So to find similar spin like the firewire, but the comfort and control like the O-toro i am going to try the - Wasabi/Ghostwire at at 50/48.
If I don't like Wasabi, i will stick with Firewire/Ghostwire and just use a higher tension or string more often.
(It's the most economical for me)
slal1984
Professional
One other thing i liked was the higher launch angle vs the RF. I think its key for me as i like/want to hit the ball early (on the rise).
TourStrike7
New User
n/a
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I could care less that a lot of women pros use it. They said that back when I started playing in the 90s about yonex racquets and then the babolat pure drive. The dumb ones would say men should only use the pro staff classic or prestige classic back then. Now everyone is using the pure drive and yonex ezone which were considered chick sticks and the game has evolved around those frames, power and spin.
TourStrike7
New User
OK everyone. This thread is riddled with really irrelevant personal opinions about all the things that are totally NOT interesting or even remotely relevant. We all know that "influencers" are mid level club players who parrot TW reviews in their own voices. Really not necessary. But what is interesting would be a personal level response to a frame.
I came here looking to see if the V10 update was worth a look or if it's basically a V9 with new words to describe it and a different paint job.
But what I got was and insane load of inane comments about people trying to assert their authority from armchairs. LOL. This forum could use more of a reality check, where people tone down the insults and ramp up the helpful information. Also, it's OK to be quiet if you have nothing to add.
Can we get back to this?
How does the v10 16x19 98 compare to the 8,9 and 10?
I came here looking to see if the V10 update was worth a look or if it's basically a V9 with new words to describe it and a different paint job.
But what I got was and insane load of inane comments about people trying to assert their authority from armchairs. LOL. This forum could use more of a reality check, where people tone down the insults and ramp up the helpful information. Also, it's OK to be quiet if you have nothing to add.
Can we get back to this?
How does the v10 16x19 98 compare to the 8,9 and 10?
heavyD
Hall of Fame
I kind of agree with your post in general but why double down with a comment like that where you just injected your own uninteresting comment?
Headlightman
New User
Anyone have an opinion on if the launch angle is slightly lower in v10? Specifically 18x20 version
slal1984
Professional
Exactly - focus on your objective and eliminate the noise.
CalciferKuma
Semi-Pro
My pro stock version definitely feels very solid. I hope that's the case for the retail blade pro 100. I can actually play this racket stock. I'll probably add a little weigh in the buttcap and probably at 3 and 9. I have a standard length steam 100 pro stock too. I could string that up and give people an idea what it would play like in standard length. The standard length one has blade 101l specs I believe. Just light the steam 99 pro stock does have a blade team specs version too.
Love it. Can't wait for your feedback.
TourStrike7
New User
I'm actually offering some solid advice to avoid the toxic nature of the forum and get back to what is good about it. You seem to want to pull it out of the useful area. Have you tried the new blade?
TourStrike7
New User
I had an increible 25 minutes of baselining with the v10 16x19 98. I've played for a year with the blade v9, and really loved it. Have been racket hopping in babolat land for the last year. Just finished the first hit with the V10, and it felt like I got A LOT for free with it. Creating the same 70% power rally ball that I can make with the pure strike was significantly easier with the blade v10. So much so that when I went back to my strike I was mistiming everything. I really want to get my hands on one so I can play with it for a few weeks and maybe try it with A2 and also a gut/poly hybrid. I didn't get a chance to volley with it. The strike is amazing on volley, I wonder how the blade v10 feels at net?
thenewbig3
Hall of Fame
I think perspectives from BLADE users (or atleast people who have decent experince with recent gens) is more important than generic reviews from HOLICS or worse HATERs. Even though I am not a Blade guy - I think the V10 is good improvement from V9 & V8 - the V7 and V6 were both too different to take seriously for me - so its really HARD for me to read some of the hot takes here. The V10 takes a little Ezone style DNA (Firmer Hoop, Flexier Throat) and injects it into Blade.
Good job Wilson!
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Further using the 98 v10 16x19 it is aggrivating my tennis elbow. Don't get the same feeling with v9. I added some weight to the v10 to get it closer to my v9 setup (about 4g at 3 and 9) and even still the v10 irritates where the v9 does not. Switching between the 2, the v10 has sort of a hollow feeling compared to the v9. The v9 felt like I was hitting with something more solid. I am also definitely hitting more cosistently with the v9.
@Trip noticed you were looking for feedback on the 100 pro. Just got mine out on the court for the first time this afternoon. As a disclaimer, I added ~10g silicone in the handle and 2g at 3&9 before even hitting. Strung specs ended up 335g, ~319mm balance, 324sw with tour bite 17g. Best experience I’ve had with a “new” racquet in a LONG time. Feel is super crisp and direct, but no harshness noted for me. Really encourages swinging out and through the forehand, which was much appreciated drilling today, as I’ve been a little too windshield wiper-y on the forehand lately. Easy depth, above average spin for 16x20. It did take a bit to groove the backhand, but I think if I tinker with the lead placement just a tad it could be dialed really easily. Another note, the grommets on this are fairly wide, but they let my tour bite snap back more than I’ve noticed in any other racquet, with no loss of control or feel that I always hate on racquets like an extreme or radical. Can’t wait to get on the court again with this thing.
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thebigz
Professional
Do you know how the specs of your copies of v9 and V10 match up?
Blade_X
Professional
These are very close to my impressions too.
Jono123
Hall of Fame
On a more positive note, my 16x19 has finally arrived and just in time for the beginning of the annual club tournaments! My Blade journey started with the V4, and I have played extensively with almost every 16x19 & 18x20 variant since. I typically lead them, but my recent foray into the Pro sticks has rendered that unnecessary.
Im going to string this with a hybrid setup and use a leather grip. Will report back my findings.
Im going to string this with a hybrid setup and use a leather grip. Will report back my findings.
I never said that I’m talking about normal people
Blade_X
Professional
So my mini review on blade v10: (98s and 16x19 version)
Power is not only an RA number so when talking about power we must conclude other factors like:
1)how confident is the user holding and swinging the racquet
2)I don’t understand how companies measure RA these days….. in which spot of flexing and at what axis. I don’t have a clue of the procedure. For example i get a lot more arm irritations with V8/V9/V10 than with V3/V4/V5 in the past.
I have play tested v2 or v1….. i don’t remember which of the two was (n blade or k blade) but i didn’t like it….. felt like swinging sth very heavy like a truck and kinda muted. Personally i am a fan of ALL BLX racquets not only Blades. To me that was the golden era.
V3: power and spin from a very rigid / rock solid frame despite 18x20. Raonic’s real frame. One of my favourites.
V4:i am not a fan of tsitsipas racquet. I always found the 16x19 too stiff (too many vibrations) but 18x20 I remember it was more sweet.
V5: All the line was flawless.Just put 4G (16x19) or Alu (18x20) in it and end your racquetholism. Stock up some grommets and never care about racquets again. Unfortunately I didn’t have the brain back then to buy 10 of them with 20 grommet sets and be done with racquets. I was always keep testing every new toy out there. I wish i could travel back in time and fix my mistakes
V6: the ultimate Blade powerhouse. A Babolat arm killer with a blade costume and properties. If anyone knew what Wilson would bring next fewer people would hate v6 and the CV tech. 16x19 was my favourite.
V7: 18x16 version was the crapiest and lowest power of a blades ever made. 16x19 was kinda unpredictable because of the weird clash flex….. 18x20 was a true Blade with its beefier SW. 18x20 also helped to calm down the clash tech attributes. I always loved the ultimate crisp and soft feel of v7. So unique!
V8: it was the first attempt of Wilson to make an easier to use blade for the masses. Less clash effect in the tech with a quicker response from the string bed….. for some reason I never had confidence with v8 because it felt like a slingshot in times.
V9: the first attempt of Wilson to offer stability at lower Swing weights. It’s my current favourite Blade because I felt that power was finally back….. not the same ball heaviness with v6/v5 but very close enough, in an easier package to swing and for sure more forgiving….. Wilson gives a low RA but it took me a while to get used to it and stop irritating my elbow. I believe it has also to do with the grip sizing….. i prefer the buttcaps and the grip sizing of BLX’s….. sth changed in the grips after V7 and V8…… i never felt the grip sitting in my hands naturally…. i believe it’s more squared and bigger.
So what about V10:
-glossy paint job is awesome in real life. Great choice of colour. My main issue is the black lines in the throat area….. it reminds me of the modern German cars that add Chinese clues in order to appeal to the Chinese market. Sooo corporate way of thinking and un-cool. I don’t care if i make a big deal of it but to me it ruins the whole picture.
-v9 gave me some elbow issues in the beginning…. V10 forearm pain!
-16x19 has a low SW strung of 315. Despite that it’s a lot more difficult to swing than my 328SW of V9. Seriously I don’t know why. Is it because of the twist weight (that i cannot measure it) or because not having a constant beam anymore (?) To me V10 feels like holding a strike…… long thin throat leading to a thicker head. I never gained confidence holding it. It always felt like a 2 piece construction. V9 is a lot smoother through the air.
-When hitting casually it has a more stiff response….. closer to a pro staff. Ball doesn’t stay much in the string bed like in V9. When you go for it, feel suddenly becomes more plush and reminds of V9…but still V9 more lively and connected than V10. Problem of V10 is the forgiveness….. if you want more power than V9, YES you can have it but be careful: you must hit it in dead center….. and yes it can produce a heavier ball under these circumstances. But can you do it all the time (?) I am a 4.5 player and i CANT do it….. to me the power outside its small sweet spot drops at least 30%…… and here comes V9 to the rescue that not only has a larger sweet spot but also a controllable trampoline effect that can give you easier depth under pressure situations in order to defend. Blade V10 lacks that trampoline effect and not only that but for some reason spin production is 20-30% more difficult to extract. A lot lower launch angle. It’s made more for hitting through.
-to me the most impressive aspect of V10 is how stable it is at such a low SW. Power in returns feels a lot more concentrated and makes blocking the ball an easy experience. Also to note more stability on volleys.
-I really don’t know how to put lead at V10….. i tried it with lead under the butt cap and with combos with or with out at 12 or 3/9. With lead in the head and SW around 322 it became way worse to manoeuvre.
-Blade V10 is the pro version of V9…… if you can hit its tiny sweet spot consistently go for it. It didn’t give me the sense that i am holding sth that’s it’s an extension of my arm. So I have more issues personally than the small sweet spot. You must work more with V10.
Power is not only an RA number so when talking about power we must conclude other factors like:
1)how confident is the user holding and swinging the racquet
2)I don’t understand how companies measure RA these days….. in which spot of flexing and at what axis. I don’t have a clue of the procedure. For example i get a lot more arm irritations with V8/V9/V10 than with V3/V4/V5 in the past.
I have play tested v2 or v1….. i don’t remember which of the two was (n blade or k blade) but i didn’t like it….. felt like swinging sth very heavy like a truck and kinda muted. Personally i am a fan of ALL BLX racquets not only Blades. To me that was the golden era.
V3: power and spin from a very rigid / rock solid frame despite 18x20. Raonic’s real frame. One of my favourites.
V4:i am not a fan of tsitsipas racquet. I always found the 16x19 too stiff (too many vibrations) but 18x20 I remember it was more sweet.
V5: All the line was flawless.Just put 4G (16x19) or Alu (18x20) in it and end your racquetholism. Stock up some grommets and never care about racquets again. Unfortunately I didn’t have the brain back then to buy 10 of them with 20 grommet sets and be done with racquets. I was always keep testing every new toy out there. I wish i could travel back in time and fix my mistakes
V6: the ultimate Blade powerhouse. A Babolat arm killer with a blade costume and properties. If anyone knew what Wilson would bring next fewer people would hate v6 and the CV tech. 16x19 was my favourite.
V7: 18x16 version was the crapiest and lowest power of a blades ever made. 16x19 was kinda unpredictable because of the weird clash flex….. 18x20 was a true Blade with its beefier SW. 18x20 also helped to calm down the clash tech attributes. I always loved the ultimate crisp and soft feel of v7. So unique!
V8: it was the first attempt of Wilson to make an easier to use blade for the masses. Less clash effect in the tech with a quicker response from the string bed….. for some reason I never had confidence with v8 because it felt like a slingshot in times.
V9: the first attempt of Wilson to offer stability at lower Swing weights. It’s my current favourite Blade because I felt that power was finally back….. not the same ball heaviness with v6/v5 but very close enough, in an easier package to swing and for sure more forgiving….. Wilson gives a low RA but it took me a while to get used to it and stop irritating my elbow. I believe it has also to do with the grip sizing….. i prefer the buttcaps and the grip sizing of BLX’s….. sth changed in the grips after V7 and V8…… i never felt the grip sitting in my hands naturally…. i believe it’s more squared and bigger.
So what about V10:
-glossy paint job is awesome in real life. Great choice of colour. My main issue is the black lines in the throat area….. it reminds me of the modern German cars that add Chinese clues in order to appeal to the Chinese market. Sooo corporate way of thinking and un-cool. I don’t care if i make a big deal of it but to me it ruins the whole picture.
-v9 gave me some elbow issues in the beginning…. V10 forearm pain!
-16x19 has a low SW strung of 315. Despite that it’s a lot more difficult to swing than my 328SW of V9. Seriously I don’t know why. Is it because of the twist weight (that i cannot measure it) or because not having a constant beam anymore (?) To me V10 feels like holding a strike…… long thin throat leading to a thicker head. I never gained confidence holding it. It always felt like a 2 piece construction. V9 is a lot smoother through the air.
-When hitting casually it has a more stiff response….. closer to a pro staff. Ball doesn’t stay much in the string bed like in V9. When you go for it, feel suddenly becomes more plush and reminds of V9…but still V9 more lively and connected than V10. Problem of V10 is the forgiveness….. if you want more power than V9, YES you can have it but be careful: you must hit it in dead center….. and yes it can produce a heavier ball under these circumstances. But can you do it all the time (?) I am a 4.5 player and i CANT do it….. to me the power outside its small sweet spot drops at least 30%…… and here comes V9 to the rescue that not only has a larger sweet spot but also a controllable trampoline effect that can give you easier depth under pressure situations in order to defend. Blade V10 lacks that trampoline effect and not only that but for some reason spin production is 20-30% more difficult to extract. A lot lower launch angle. It’s made more for hitting through.
-to me the most impressive aspect of V10 is how stable it is at such a low SW. Power in returns feels a lot more concentrated and makes blocking the ball an easy experience. Also to note more stability on volleys.
-I really don’t know how to put lead at V10….. i tried it with lead under the butt cap and with combos with or with out at 12 or 3/9. With lead in the head and SW around 322 it became way worse to manoeuvre.
-Blade V10 is the pro version of V9…… if you can hit its tiny sweet spot consistently go for it. It didn’t give me the sense that i am holding sth that’s it’s an extension of my arm. So I have more issues personally than the small sweet spot. You must work more with V10.
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It's hard to know what characteristics any pro stock Blade has unless you acquire one. For example the frame that was made for Sebi Korda is unlike any retail Blade ever made - it's noticeably stiffer and more powerful. Very direct and not overly damped like the new retail versions are. Pro stock Blades are absolutely not just exact reproductions of some old retail version. I've got retail K-Blade, V3, and V5 (both string patterns) that I acquired new old stock in the last couple years, so they're not worn out by any stretch. Last few days I've been hitting a lot with them, several pro stocks, as well as V10 16x19, and accounting for weight/SW differences, V10 has no less power than K-Blade or V5. Interestingly, my 18x20 V5 feels noticeably more crisp and less noodly than my 16x19 V5's (even accounting for string pattern difference), but it's still no more powerful. V5 18x20 is my favorite feeling of all the retail versions, but it's truly nothing special on power.
I get it if some want to debate pure feel and hold some of the older Blades up on a pedestal, but from an actual performance standpoint, the old ones are definitely no better (or worse) than V10. Again, I think there's a lot of "rosy retrospection" going on, as one poster aptly put it.
Anyway, Sebi's frame puts V10 to shame. Everyone would go bonkers over it, but it's layed up in an old mold, so not much marketing hype could be built up around it, unlike the "Turbo Taper" which seems to accomplish nothing, but sells new racquets I guess.
WillGinRVA
Semi-Pro
> -16x19 has a low SW strung of 315. Despite that it’s a lot more difficult to swing than my 328SW of V9. Seriously I don’t know why. Is it because of the twist weight (that i cannot measure it)So my mini review on blade v10: (98s and 16x19 version)
Power is not only an RA number so when talking about power we must conclude other factors like:
1)how confident is the user holding and swinging the racquet
2)I don’t understand how companies measure RA these days….. in which spot of flexing and at what axis. I don’t have a clue of the procedure. For example i get a lot more arm irritations with V8/V9/V10 than with V3/V4/V5 in the past.
I have play tested v2 or v1….. i don’t remember which of the two was (n blade or k blade) but i didn’t like it….. felt like swinging sth very heavy like a truck and kinda muted. Personally i am a fan of ALL BLX racquets not only Blades. To me that was the golden era.
V3: power and spin from a very rigid / rock solid frame despite 18x20. Raonic’s real frame. One of my favourites.
V4:i am not a fan of tsitsipas racquet. I always found the 16x19 too stiff (too many vibrations) but 18x20 I remember it was more sweet.
V5: All the line was flawless.Just put 4G (16x19) or Alu (18x20) in it and end your racquetholism. Stock up some grommets and never care about racquets again. Unfortunately I didn’t have the brain back then to buy 10 of them with 20 grommet sets and be done with racquets. I was always keep testing every new toy out there. I wish i could travel back in time and fix my mistakes
V6: the ultimate Blade powerhouse. A Babolat arm killer with a blade costume and properties. If anyone knew what Wilson would bring next fewer people would hate v6 and the CV tech. 16x19 was my favourite.
V7: 18x16 version was the crapiest and lowest power of a blades ever made. 16x19 was kinda unpredictable because of the weird clash flex….. 18x20 was a true Blade with its beefier SW. 18x20 also helped to calm down the clash tech attributes. I always loved the ultimate crisp and soft feel of v7. So unique!
V8: it was the first attempt of Wilson to make an easier to use blade for the masses. Less clash effect in the tech with a quicker response from the string bed….. for some reason I never had confidence with v8 because it felt like a slingshot in times.
V9: the first attempt of Wilson to offer stability at lower Swing weights. It’s my current favourite Blade because I felt that power was finally back….. not the same ball heaviness with v6/v5 but very close enough, in an easier package to swing and for sure more forgiving….. Wilson gives a low RA but it took me a while to get used to it and stop irritating my elbow. I believe it has also to do with the grip sizing….. i prefer the buttcaps and the grip sizing of BLX’s….. sth changed in the grips after V7 and V8…… i never felt the grip sitting in my hands naturally…. i believe it’s more squared and bigger.
So what about V10:
-glossy paint job is awesome in real life. Great choice of colour. My main issue is the black lines in the throat area….. it reminds me of the modern German cars that add Chinese clues in order to appeal to the Chinese market. Sooo corporate way of thinking and un-cool. I don’t care if i make a big deal of it but to me it ruins the whole picture.
-v9 gave me some elbow issues in the beginning…. V10 forearm pain!
-16x19 has a low SW strung of 315. Despite that it’s a lot more difficult to swing than my 328SW of V9. Seriously I don’t know why. Is it because of the twist weight (that i cannot measure it) or because not having a constant beam anymore (?) To me V10 feels like holding a strike…… long thin throat leading to a thicker head. I never gained confidence holding it. It always felt like a 2 piece construction. V9 is a lot smoother through the air.
-When hitting casually it has a more stiff response….. closer to a pro staff. Ball doesn’t stay much in the string bed like in V9. When you go for it, feel suddenly becomes more plush and reminds of V9…but still V9 more lively and connected than V10. Problem of V10 is the forgiveness….. if you want more power than V9, YES you can have it but be careful: you must hit it in dead center….. and yes it can produce a heavier ball under these circumstances. But can you do it all the time (?) I am a 4.5 player and i CANT do it….. to me the power outside its small sweet spot drops at least 30%…… and here comes V9 to the rescue that not only has a larger sweet spot but also a controllable trampoline effect that can give you easier depth under pressure situations in order to defend. Blade V10 lacks that trampoline effect and not only that but for some reason spin production is 20-30% more difficult to extract. A lot lower launch angle. It’s made more for hitting through.
-to me the most impressive aspect of V10 is how stable it is at such a low SW. Power in returns feels a lot more concentrated and makes blocking the ball an easy experience. Also to note more stability on volleys.
-I really don’t know how to put lead at V10….. i tried it with lead under the butt cap and with combos with or with out at 12 or 3/9. With lead in the head and SW around 322 it became way worse to manoeuvre.
-Blade V10 is the pro version of V9…… if you can hit its tiny sweet spot consistently go for it. It didn’t give me the sense that i am holding sth that’s it’s an extension of my arm. So I have more issues personally than the small sweet spot. You must work more with V10.
Your V10 probably has higher twistweight than your V9, yeah.
Headlightman
New User
Maybe its twistweight, but I actually find too low a swingweight a lot harder to swing in a sense cause I dont get any free follow through so I have to work a lot harder for my swing, higher swingweight I can just flick my wrist and it runs away
And this is especially the thing that keeps Blade players, well, Blade players: the higher amount of tip/strikezone-mass creates a higher propensity of pulling the player into the court and pulling the swing through to completion once you get the racquet moving. So, head-heavier balance notwithstanding, the upside is you get more of that self-guided, disruption-resistant shot output, in stock form, than you get with almost any other frame on the market. And that is the single biggest thing that Blade players normalize on, and keeps them coming back to it, generation after generation, and why it's often hard for those players to switch to other frames with lower (or at least different) mass distributions.
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lphillips96
Rookie
I'm eyeing up either the 18x20 V10 or the new Head Speed Pro. Used older models of both and loved them both. Tough decision.
I know you meant Blade generations but I like that this makes it sound like Blade Sickness is passed down from parent to child through history.
tophersuwita
Rookie
If I really like Pro Staff 97, what will be the best plan B racket for me? The 98 v10 or new Ultra Pro 99?
Blade for sure. I’m using the v10 and I love it so damn much. Been trying all 98 rackets out there last 12 months. It took me 10 seconds with the blade to absolutely fall in love. I feel like I can put the ball exactly where I want, over and over again, and swing full speed while doing it. I will never leave this racket, it’s just so easy to play with!
which string setup ? thanks
Hit the 18x20 for a little over an hour today and the grip size was too small so I’m sure that might influence my experience but this thing feels very flimsy. The last blade I hit with was v7 and I’ve used the V1 and V4 for years before moving over to the Pro Staff 6.1.100 V14. It’s definitely comfortable and I could lay into flat balls but it just felt like a toy to me.
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WillGinRVA
Semi-Pro
Low swingweight or twistweight perhaps
I’m using a full bed of Polytour Pro (black color). Very comfortable poly with really nice pop/spin which suits this racket really good imo.
DariaGT
Hall of Fame
Prince ATS and earlier Textreme range I think has achieved more of all of this much earlier without vibration cutting tech or muting
It will be interesting to see how the Pro Labs 100 16x20 pans out in time as would an 18x20 100 incher but will need 22mm beam
I actually found the Ultra to not be as dissimilar to a pro staff as it seems.
Kind of like a modern pro staff.
It hits the ball really flat, pretty decent control but improved forgiveness, power that is great for defense but also can be used to attack.
A 16x19 Blade will give you a touch more power but mostly more launch angle for spin. Not really similar to a pro staff to me.
thanks and how much pounds/lbs ? i want to try your setup
