Wilson Blade V7 16x19 alternatives

[notthatgood]

I love the feel and control of the Blade, but the SW is definitely too high for me. Is there a good alternative that has a similar feel, plow through, power level that would be more whippy and arm-friendly? Would it be crazy to take a Blade 100L and weight it up to have a more reasonable balance — or is that a terrible idea?

 

[tennisislife4622]

I love the feel and control of the Blade, but the SW is definitely too high for me. Is there a good alternative that has a similar feel, plow through, power level that would be more whippy and arm-friendly? Would it be crazy to take a Blade 100L and weight it up to have a more reasonable balance — or is that a terrible idea?

wouldnt be a terrible idea, radical pro is a good racket.

 

[Chezbeeno]

How much higher is the SW than you would like? Wilson QC is all over the place, and it's possible to request a frame from TW with a lower SW. I did this one time with an RF97 - I requested the most headlight frame they had and it played like an entirely different racquet from my other two.

 

[Papa Mango]

I love the feel and control of the Blade, but the SW is definitely too high for me. Is there a good alternative that has a similar feel, plow through, power level that would be more whippy and arm-friendly? Would it be crazy to take a Blade 100L and weight it up to have a more reasonable balance — or is that a terrible idea?

16 or 18?
Well either way 2 words: Prince Phantom (any of the 100s except the O3)
check threads here for differences.

 

[notthatgood]

@cheezbeeno that's an interesting idea. Wouldn't it be tough to find two matching rackets that way? I think I max out somewhere around 325 for SW. Thanks for the Rad Pro and Prince recs so far. I did hit with one of the Phantoms a while ago (not sure which one as there are a million) but it was way too soft and mushy.

 

[Chezbeeno]

@cheezbeeno that's an interesting idea. Wouldn't it be tough to find two matching rackets that way? I think I max out somewhere around 325 for SW. Thanks for the Rad Pro and Prince recs so far. I did hit with one of the Phantoms a while ago (not sure which one as there are a million) but it was way too soft and mushy.

Not any more difficult than it already is to get any two matching Wilson frames (I don't think). And your max SW sits right around where the Blade should be, so TW should absolutely have at least two frames that are roughly matched, and fall below that mark.
My experience with TW's matching service was great, and I've only ever good stuff from others on here, as well. Also if you're not a string breaker then you could go for a lighter gauge string and that'll drop the sw a little bit.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Prince Phantom 107G or 100G. Both a sub 320 SW with the classic phantom feel, plenty of spin and good power levels for the breed. ATS and cross bar make them more stable and a little less mushy.

 

[mxvb]

I love the feel and control of the Blade, but the SW is definitely too high for me. Is there a good alternative that has a similar feel, plow through, power level that would be more whippy and arm-friendly? Would it be crazy to take a Blade 100L and weight it up to have a more reasonable balance — or is that a terrible idea?

Do the same as me: get the Blade 100L (285gr, +- 275 SW) and customize it to your specs

 

[n80aoag]

Get a 2021 Radical Pro in January, all the downsides to your v7 blade will be fixed. Easier to swing but better plow, pop, spin and feel for sure.

 

[Lorenn]

I love the feel and control of the Blade, but the SW is definitely too high for me. Is there a good alternative that has a similar feel, plow through, power level that would be more whippy and arm-friendly? Would it be crazy to take a Blade 100L and weight it up to have a more reasonable balance — or is that a terrible idea?

Speed MP/Pro depending.
Radical 2021 models look interesting.

 

[n80aoag]

Speed lineup always felt "thin" to me. something about the way they feel flexy but without much weight to the shots.

 

[Wakeknot]

I was down to that Blade and the Clash 98 and ended up picking the Clash 98 and love it. (I feel confident I would have loved the Blade, too). The clash has a 2g lighter SW according to the TW specs. Is that enough lighter? If not, the Clash 100 has a much lighter swingweight than either racket and I didn't try it so I can't speak from experience, but it might do the trick.

 

[Lorenn]

Speed lineup always felt "thin" to me. something about the way they feel flexy but without much weight to the shots.

They felt like that to me until the 360+ line..Racquets are interesting that way. Not saying I won't prefer the Radical line when it comes out, but it was not an option since Head skipped updating Radicals last time. Liking the Speed line was a surprise It feels a little different then I normally like but wow does it play well. Main racquet is a Gravity Pro(upgraded from LM Radical), but the Speed MP is a nice vacation.

 

[n8dawg6]

360+ speed MP
upcoming 360+ radical MP
360+ extreme tour
blade 100L with weight added
blade 98S, especially a 2005, if you can find one
prince textreme tour 100, 290 (IGA) or 310

also: i found the countervail blade 16x19 to have noticeably more pop than the v7, so thats worth a whirl.

 

[Lorenn]

also: i found the countervail blade 16x19 to have noticeably more pop than the v7, so thats worth a whirl.

I think the issue with CV is it is different than typical Wilson feel. Just like the early Graphene racquets from Head were not really typical Head racquets.

 

[SinneGOAT]

Ezone 98 will be a little more powerful due to slightly thicker beam in the hoop, but I used to use the blade v7 and the ezone does everything better, with a lower swingweight and more headlight balance. I recommend changing the stock replacement grip for something a little better, I like it with head hydrosorb tour and an overgrip, perfect weight for me.

 

[tennisislife4622]

360 Radical Pro might be one of the most underrated rackets I have ever seen. A lot of hate on it and not much love, but if you like a firmer response then it is a solid option. 2021 Radical line will likely be more comfortable with the spiralfibre technology, but I find Hyper G soft to play very nicely in the stiffer 360 Radical Pro!

 

[n8dawg6]

Ezone 98 will be a little more powerful due to slightly thicker beam in the hoop, but I used to use the blade v7 and the ezone does everything better, with a lower swingweight and more headlight balance. I recommend changing the stock replacement grip for something a little better, I like it with head hydrosorb tour and an overgrip, perfect weight for me.

i also liked the ezone 98, and mine was the previous version that everyone else hates. dont like the feel, but it hits a good ball with a manageable SW and without being overpowering

 

[WNB93]

Try a thinner gauge string? That drops the SW down a bit...not sure how much tho.

 

[pyrokid]

The new strikes are pretty cool. Not as flexy but definitely more pop and easier to swing.

 

[the_faceless_player]

Extreme Tour (has room to add some weight if you want). I played the Blade for awhile last year and never liked the balance, even after tail weighting it. Been playing lights out with the ET and haven't even felt the need to add weight to the hoop like I know some folks here have.

 

[Chezbeeno]

I think the issue with CV is it is different then typical Wilson feel. Just like the early Graphene racquets from Head were not really typical Head racquets.

I agree. I think so much of the hate directed towards the CV's is just because people were used to a certain kind of feel from the Blade line, and not because the CV Blades are actually bad.

 

[Lorenn]

360 Radical Pro might be one of the most underrated rackets I have ever seen. A lot of hate on it and not much love, but if you like a firmer response then it is a solid option. 2021 Radical line will likely be more comfortable with the spiralfibre technology, but I find Hyper G soft to play very nicely in the stiffer 360 Radical Pro!

Problem often is expectations. Going to a movie and expecting it to be amazing and it only ends up good taints your view of the movie. Radicals have a long history and debate about which model was best and has the right feel. The problem with the 360 is it feels different then a typical classic radical. Doesn't mean it doesn't play well, but I have expectations and they taint my view of the racquet. Basically it didn't feel right. I played well, but it didn't have the right feel. SO I tried other racquets and ended up with a combo of the Gravity Pro and Speed MP. Extreme Tour had a good feel as well and was in the running, but I just slightly preferred the first two. I would've had to add weight for the extreme to feel right and I didn't want to go down the rabbit hole of trying various weights. If they had the Pro version it might've won.

 

[SinneGOAT]

The new strikes are pretty cool. Not as flexy but definitely more pop and easier to swing.

Unless you get smacked by quality control and get one with a 330-340 swingweight lol.

 

[Chezbeeno]

Unless you get smacked by quality control and get one with a 330-340 swingweight lol.

That's the problem with so many racquets these days, so really the OP is gonna want to take advantage of TW's matching service no matter what...or go with Yonex haha

 

[EpitomeOfAwesome]

We have the whole forum with threads going "buy a heavy racquet, add leather grip on handle and lead on hoop".

Nice to see a thread like this for once!

 

[SinneGOAT]

We have the whole forum with threads going "buy a heavy racquet, add leather grip on handle and lead on hoop".

Nice to see a thread like this for once!

I think for the general public heavy racquets are overrated, just look how many people use RF97A and can’t even swing it. I think many could get benefits from it but at the cost of being late sometimes or not getting a lot of rhs.

 

[18x20 ftw]

I think the issue with CV is it is different then typical Wilson feel. Just like the early Graphene racquets from Head were not really typical Head racquets.

Agreed - the cv's take a step towards the babolat feel. Some like that, some don’t, but most of the Wilson enthusiasts prefer the traditional buttery Wilson feel. I like both so it works out.

 

[notthatgood]

Thanks for all of the responses everybody, this is great. Way more than I expected. Here's what I'm thinking so far

_ A weighted up Blade 100L just to see
_ Radical pro (current and the new one in Jan)
_ Speed MP

_ I played with an Ezone 98 for a while (not the + or Tour) and wasn't quite it. Hard-ish to control and not different enough from the 100.
_ I played with the new Extreme Tour for 3 weeks and am in the minority that hates it a lot. Way too flimsy and low powered. Even with lead.
_ I played with the Ultra 100 CV a few years ago and am a definite countervail hater.

Keep 'em comin.

 

[Humbi_HTX]

Consider demo a ProKennex Kinetic 5G, it has a little more static weight than the blade but less swing weight because it is more head light, a 16x20 pattern evenly spaced out and is one the most arm friendly frames out there. I have hit with a few blades over the years and the power level is very similar, I feel very comfortable hitting with them compared to my PK Ki 5G.

 

[n8dawg6]

Keep 'em comin.

i think thats it. well, except maybe the gravitys. the gravity MP would be a great fit for me i just hate the paint

 

[SinneGOAT]

i think thats it. well, except maybe the gravitys. the gravity MP would be a great fit for me i just hate the paint

Seriously? You’re probably the only person here, the paint is beautiful.

 

[n8dawg6]

Seriously? You’re probably the only person here, the paint is beautiful.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Seriously? You’re probably the only person here, the paint is beautiful.

I'm not a fan of the paint job either.

 

[SinneGOAT]

I'm not a fan of the paint job either.

Why not? I do favor one side over the other, but still I think the colors and paint quality is soooo clean.

 

[SinneGOAT]

I can’t wait for the blade next year, I hope it will be more direct feeling and they fix the serve feel on this racquet. And maybe some old school black paintjobs a la 2011/2013 paint.

 

[Dartagnan64]

Why not? I do favor one side over the other, but still I think the colors and paint quality is soooo clean.

Not a turquoise and burnt orange fan. The concept of the paintjob is neat but I wouldn't have chosen the 70's colorway.

 

[Lorenn]

Not a turquoise and burnt orange fan. The concept of the paintjob is neat but I wouldn't have chosen the 70's colorway.

Likely my least favorite thing about the racquet, but there wasn't many options

 

[TennisHound]

I love the feel and control of the Blade, but the SW is definitely too high for me. Is there a good alternative that has a similar feel, plow through, power level that would be more whippy and arm-friendly? Would it be crazy to take a Blade 100L and weight it up to have a more reasonable balance — or is that a terrible idea?

Not sure if anyone mentioned the Blade 98S
A Blade 100L would certainly be fun, even a Blade 101L
Also - Dunlop FX500, Vcore 95

 

[notthatgood]

Alright, so I've found a Speed MP demo here, gonna test it out this weekend. Also, the pro tip above about having TW dig through their warehouse to find an under spec Blade seems promising. Talked to them today and they say they can potentially find one or two around 322 SW. Gonna try that route before the 100L mod. They also mentioned that somebody on my particular quest will very much enjoy the new Radical Pro in January. Will report back...