Wilson Blade V9 - Vibrations? tennis elbow and shoulder? Lead tape solutions?

Orezap

Orezap

Rookie
Hi,
I am currently owning a Blade V9 98 , 16x19 and i have started developing tennis elbow and potentially shoulder impingement.
Previously, i had a Blade V7 and a Head Speed MP 2022. I never had tennis elbow with these rackets but i started developing shoulder pain with Head Speed MP.
I suspect the initial cause was trying to learn kick serve and powerful flat serves apparently with some technique flaw.
Now, im getting consistently elbow and shoulder pain from Blade V9.

What's your experience with this racket? Are vibrations reinforced during off center hits and overall?
Can i reduce vibrations on serve and overall by adding specifically lead tape to a dedicated position?

I have used the following strings around 22-23 kg with this racket
Alu Power 1.25
Hyper G 1.25
Luxilon 4G Soft 1.25

and currently on Lynx Tour Champagne 1.25.

I dont think its a string/tension problem as i never had problems in the past using same/similar strings and tension with the aforementioned previous rackets.

any feedback? should i place a bit of lead tape on 3&9 or 2&10 ?
 
lowering string tension is the 1st thing I’d try. Figuring out the actual Wt, Bal and SW specs for your frames before adding weight can give u more directions. Unstrung swingweight can vary 7 to 10 units so buyers don’t always know what they bought unless they measure it. I recently bought 3 and just out of that sample size they vary by 7 units (+-3.5) units. If the SW is too high and u r muscling too much to get the same racquet head speed u were used to is 1 example. Also if ur stick is too low on SW then u r hitting with less mass and more impact can transfer to your joints. Blade 98 V9 has thinner beam and thinner beams traditionally r less powerful and absorb less impact than a thicker beam like the Speed MP 100si. IMO what makes the Blade 98 v9 hit more lively with good power is due to the large hole drilling for the grommets along the sweet spot. B4 I strung it the 1st time I already noticed how much room the grommets r able to move within the drilled holes on the frame as I was able to wiggle them with my fingers. The LT 17 is a high weigh string which adds a few SW unit as mentioned in other post of yours already. I always have to drop a few LBs when using it. I have the LT17 champagne x Black Savage 1.27 right now at 50x47lbs eCP and had to remove some lead to get to my desired SW around 328. After 4 sets with them I’m cutting them out and realized I need to drop 2 lbs of tension with the LT next time as my elbow and shoulder can get a little sore. And I play 4 times a week. I recall u play 7+ times that may just be over use?
 
malagabee said:
lowering string tension is the 1st thing I’d try. Figuring out the actual Wt, Bal and SW specs for your frames before adding weight can give u more directions. Unstrung swingweight can vary 7 to 10 units so buyers don’t always know what they bought unless they measure it. I recently bought 3 and just out of that sample size they vary by 7 units (+-3.5) units. If the SW is too high and u r muscling too much to get the same racquet head speed u were used to is 1 example. Also if ur stick is too low on SW then u r hitting with less mass and more impact can transfer to your joints. Blade 98 V9 has thinner beam and thinner beams traditionally r less powerful and absorb less impact than a thicker beam like the Speed MP 100si. IMO what makes the Blade 98 v9 hit more lively with good power is due to the large hole drilling for the grommets along the sweet spot. B4 I strung it the 1st time I already noticed how much room the grommets r able to move within the drilled holes on the frame as I was able to wiggle them with my fingers. The LT 17 is a high weigh string which adds a few SW unit as mentioned in other post of yours already. I always have to drop a few LBs when using it. I have the LT17 champagne x Black Savage 1.27 right now at 50x47lbs eCP and had to remove some lead to get to my desired SW around 328. After 4 sets with them I’m cutting them out and realized I need to drop 2 lbs of tension with the LT next time as my elbow and shoulder can get a little sore. And I play 4 times a week. I recall u play 7+ times that may just be over use?
Click to expand...
well the interesting fact here is that i added around 5g on 3&9 on my Speed MP stock frame which resulted in around 340g static weight with 315 sw.
Now, Blade V9 i bought in stock without lead is around 335g static weight and with LT 1.25 is around 316 sw. ( i believe the racket is around -10sw points behind specs due to QC.)
 
Someone else posted a sample of 10 measurements done out of paid service and they were all low on SW so is the 3 I measured. But in fairness this isn’t a problem with Wilson alone. I’ve observed the same with Heads too for example had a friend getting matched pair of boom Pros out of a group of 7 and avg SW measure out to be closer to the MP and not the pro. With the Blade the QC on the WT and balance are pretty good. The demo I got had 1 of 2 chambers filled with some silicone probably part of their QC efforts.
 
landcookie said:
Skip the lead tape. Play stock. Get a lower swing weight to help your shoulder and softer strings for your elbow.

And get stronger.

My $.02 from 3 years of shoulder recovery.
Click to expand...
This is almost certainly going to work for OP.
Primary cause of impingement is tension in the supraspinatus tendon due to overuse - muscular load and repetitive motion like in tennis. Anything he can do to decrease the stimulus causing it should help.

It may just be coincidence that the racquet switch is when the symptoms appeared, but it may not be. Could be working harder to get the ball moving because there’s easier power and more forgiveness from the speed mp.

FWIW, I’ve seen light, on-spec, and heavy batches of blade 16x19. Unless you measure, there’s no way to know what you have.
 
Switch to the 18x20 or try a soft string. The 16x19's I've tried felt stiff and had no weight in the hoop. 18x20 v9 is softer
 
You're using some of the stiffest strings available.
So...stop doing that, firstly. You probably also don't restring often enough.

Also, you answered your own question, sounds like it could be your technique on kick serves.

Plus, you may have gotten an overspec Blade and a higher swingweight and maybe less headlight balance would make it harder to torque your arm and add more strain.
 
Orezap said:
Hi,
I am currently owning a Blade V9 98 , 16x19 and i have started developing tennis elbow and potentially shoulder impingement.
Previously, i had a Blade V7 and a Head Speed MP 2022. I never had tennis elbow with these rackets but i started developing shoulder pain with Head Speed MP.
I suspect the initial cause was trying to learn kick serve and powerful flat serves apparently with some technique flaw.
Now, im getting consistently elbow and shoulder pain from Blade V9.

What's your experience with this racket? Are vibrations reinforced during off center hits and overall?
Can i reduce vibrations on serve and overall by adding specifically lead tape to a dedicated position?

I have used the following strings around 22-23 kg with this racket
Alu Power 1.25
Hyper G 1.25
Luxilon 4G Soft 1.25

and currently on Lynx Tour Champagne 1.25.

I dont think its a string/tension problem as i never had problems in the past using same/similar strings and tension with the aforementioned previous rackets.

any feedback? should i place a bit of lead tape on 3&9 or 2&10 ?
Click to expand...
Change frames. I love the 16x19 Blades, and would keep going back to them after my TE would heal and knowing they are "forgiving" frames, but there's something about those frames that my elbow doesn't dig. I've had no issues with other frames like Radicals and Prestige, but I can literally feel my TE creeping back after a few sessions with the blade. Love them but had to leave them.
 
Any idea of your specs? I think it's key on the blades to determine the balance point, swing weight, static weight. They vary quite a bit... most of the 6 different V9 I've bought have been heavier side of Swing Weight (325+) and needed some weight in the handle to get the balance point more to my liking.

Another thing I would check is whether there is silicon in the handle or just foam. I noticed the ones with silicon in the handle are more comfortable and have a great feel. It's really easy to add silicon if yours has only foam. Just dig out an inch of the foam and squeeze in some loctite clear all purpose silicon. It will reduce vibrations and give it a great solid feel while improving the balance if it's too head heavy.
 
jri90 said:
Change frames. I love the 16x19 Blades, and would keep going back to them after my TE would heal and knowing they are "forgiving" frames, but there's something about those frames that my elbow doesn't dig. I've had no issues with other frames like Radicals and Prestige, but I can literally feel my TE creeping back after a few sessions with the blade. Love them but had to leave them.
Click to expand...
have you tried clash?
 
In my v9 18x20 play test I used ALU power 1.25 strung at 50 lbs and this was for around high 40's F. I could have have strung it tighter but it was a good middling tension. No pain no discomfort. For your case OP it is probably bad technique. Rest up and try again? One of my playing partners has arm issues and he is a bigger guy. He is using the v8 16x19 but his troubles preceded him switching to that frame. He was using a 90 Pro staff strung at high tensions I think with poly. I hit with those frames and it didn't hurt my arm at all though. So I dunno. Rest up and try again.

Maybe for your next string try syn gut or a multi (or multi/poly combo) to soften the string bed. I also strung up the v9 with NXT 16 at 56 lbs. It felt great to me...also for high 40's F but could go higher.
 
I have the blade 98 v9 16x19. I don't think it's the racket. It's just the timing of your injuries with the start of your use of this racket. The v9 is not stiff, it's slightly stiffer than the v8, but it's not a stiff racket at all. In my opinion, using full bed poly is a recipe for disaster for your arm, elbow and shoulder. Poly is so stiff, jarring on off-center hits, it hurts just thinking about it. Go to a doctor and ask what your injuries are. Consider using a hybrid poly/multi stringing with poly in main and multi in cross. Or go full bed multi. Tennis should be fun and increase your health from exercise, not decrease your health by ruining your arm.
 
The strings you mentioned are all on the stiffer side. Try using softer strings and go down in tension. Also, check the specs and see if it's too much off spec. Though v9 is stiffer than v8, the Blade is still one of the most comfortable rackets on the market. And of course, it could be technical flaws as well.
 
If you’re fond of the Blade, why not give it another shot with a different Blade V9? Sometimes, variations or manufacturer defects can occur, so it’s worth trying out another one. If you encounter the same issue with the new racquet, it might be a sign that it’s time to explore other options.

You could consider experimenting with softer strings, lower tension, or adding weight. However, in my humble opinion, it’s better to start with a racquet that feels comfortable in its original form and then make adjustments as needed.

One more thing to keep in mind - if your elbow is already feeling sore or inflamed, it’s likely that any racquet will cause discomfort. It might be a good idea to take some time to rest and seek appropriate treatment to allow your elbow to heal. Once you’re feeling better, you can resume testing out different racquets.
 
well currently this stick is around 335g static and 316sw. i dont know the balance point.
i suspect it is under spec but i will find out in 2-3 days because i will give it another try with lead tape customization before i proceed with other options like resting/changing racket etc. since i like how i play with V9 and i also started my tennis with V7.

Also, prior to this situation i managed well these full bed stiff poly strings without a problem but i guess those problems can appear the longer you play as well so i will consider a hybrid string setup.
do you have a hybrid setup to recommend for this particular racket excluding champions choice for price reasons?
 
Orezap said:
well currently this stick is around 335g static and 316sw. i dont know the balance point.
i suspect it is under spec but i will find out in 2-3 days because i will give it another try with lead tape customization before i proceed with other options like resting/changing racket etc. since i like how i play with V9 and i also started my tennis with V7.

Also, prior to this situation i managed well these full bed stiff poly strings without a problem but i guess those problems can appear the longer you play as well so i will consider a hybrid string setup.
do you have a hybrid setup to recommend for this particular racket excluding champions choice for price reasons?
Click to expand...
Not exactly cheap but I'm a big fan of Babolat XCel 1.30 in the mains with a slick, inexpensive poly cross like IsoSpeed Cream 1.28 or TruPro Ghostwire 1.27. All of the strings I mentioned come in different gauges but for multi's I prefer to go thicker.
 
If it is a technique problem, racquet change won't fix it, maybe mask the issue. I found the best solution for tennis/golfer's elbow to increase swing and recoil weight as long as the extra weight doesn't cause discomfort. However, increasing swing weight might not be the best idea for shoulder issues.
 
Orezap said:
well currently this stick is around 335g static and 316sw. i dont know the balance point.
i suspect it is under spec but i will find out in 2-3 days because i will give it another try with lead tape customization before i proceed with other options like resting/changing racket etc. since i like how i play with V9 and i also started my tennis with V7.

Also, prior to this situation i managed well these full bed stiff poly strings without a problem but i guess those problems can appear the longer you play as well so i will consider a hybrid string setup.
do you have a hybrid setup to recommend for this particular racket excluding champions choice for price reasons?
Click to expand...
i recommend head velocity 1.30 in natural color (plays better than other colors) in the cross at 50 lbs. i recommend yonex poly tour pro 1.20 yellow in the mains at 45 lbs. velocity is slick, soft, but has thicker outer sheath for slightly stiffer, more controlled multi. PTP is very controlled, great spin for a round string, 1.20 is slightly softer than the other strings you've been trying.
 
lately I have been restringing around 2 weeks cause first string was alu power went dead quickly, then i put hyper g the pain started, continued with luxilon 4g soft the pain continued and now im with Lynx Tour.
First 3 i replaced in around 2 weeks approximately 10-15h of play. Now with Lynx Tour im on day 15. I took a break of 6 days and currently the elbow pain has disappeared and only some shoulder pain has remained. Seems like Lynx Tour feels better.

I will be placing lead tape today in order to increase the under spec SW and to reduce the vibrations on off-center hits and overall to see if its gonna improve my experience.

. If the pain continues i will probably buy Head Speed MP 2024 Legend.
 
Orezap said:
lately I have been restringing around 2 weeks cause first string was alu power went dead quickly, then i put hyper g the pain started, continued with luxilon 4g soft the pain continued and now im with Lynx Tour.
First 3 i replaced in around 2 weeks approximately 10-15h of play. Now with Lynx Tour im on day 15. I took a break of 6 days and currently the elbow pain has disappeared and only some shoulder pain has remained. Seems like Lynx Tour feels better.

I will be placing lead tape today in order to increase the under spec SW and to reduce the vibrations on off-center hits and overall to see if its gonna improve my experience.

. If the pain continues i will probably buy Head Speed MP 2024 Legend.
Click to expand...

4g is a really stiff string. hyper g a bit less.
Have you tried hybrid setup? hyper g or lynx tour + a cheap multi (head velocity) solved my discomfort problems

The good thing with hybrid is a you can keep using low powerfull rackets and higher tensions....
 
Orezap said:
well currently this stick is around 335g static and 316sw. i dont know the balance point.
i suspect it is under spec but i will find out in 2-3 days because i will give it another try with lead tape customization before i proceed with other options like resting/changing racket etc. since i like how i play with V9 and i also started my tennis with V7.
Click to expand...
Having experimented with the Blade a lot myself, your specs sound a bit weird to me. 335g static weight is tendentially "over spec" while your swingweight of 316 is "kind of normal for V8 Blades" but "under spec" for the V9. I would assume that your previous racquets had a higher swingweight with a head-heavier balance.
So that alone can aggrevate your body, simply because swingweight, static weight and balance possibly differ from your previous frames. And a relatively low swingweight can also lead to arm issues, because you then automatically "muscle the ball" more due to the missing heft.
Just another idea what the root of the issue could be. It could be this particular frame you got with suboptimal QC. You could theoretically try another V9 frame and be perfectly happy. Just because the QC is still far from perfect with these racquets. If you purchase 3 Blades, the probability of getting wildly varying specs is still relatively high.
Did you add any weight to the handle or is that stock weight? If you didn't, your frame could be simply out of spec and very hard to "fix", because the static weight of 335g alone is already quite high for the Blade and if you then add lead to the hoop, the static weight could be even more painful for elbow and shoulder.
 
nintendoplayer said:
Having experimented with the Blade a lot myself, your specs sound a bit weird to me. 335g static weight is tendentially "over spec" while your swingweight of 316 is "kind of normal for V8 Blades" but "under spec" for the V9. I would assume that your previous racquets had a higher swingweight with a head-heavier balance.
So that alone can aggrevate your body, simply because swingweight, static weight and balance possibly differ from your previous frames. And a relatively low swingweight can also lead to arm issues, because you then automatically "muscle the ball" more due to the missing heft.
Just another idea what the root of the issue could be. It could be this particular frame you got with suboptimal QC. You could theoretically try another V9 frame and be perfectly happy. Just because the QC is still far from perfect with these racquets. If you purchase 3 Blades, the probability of getting wildly varying specs is still relatively high.
Did you add any weight to the handle or is that stock weight? If you didn't, your frame could be simply out of spec and very hard to "fix", because the static weight of 335g alone is already quite high for the Blade and if you then add lead to the hoop, the static weight could be even more painful for elbow and shoulder.
Click to expand...
It depends if the static includes things like overgrip, grip ring, dampener etc. Overgrip 5-7 g, grip ring 1-2 g, dampener 1-6 g can add etc.
 
I mean static weight of 335g strung with Lynx Tour 1.25 champagne 22kg, wilson pro overgrip and wilson dampener. The SW blew my mind as well , however my Speed MP2022 customized was around the same specs 340g static strung and 317sw with Hawk Touch and i didnt have elbow.
 
Something is up with the v9 in played the v8 18m for the last few years with no issue the stiffness of the v9 is giving me tennis elbow as well and I even went down 7 pounds on tension with the same string
 
Orezap said:
I mean static weight of 335g strung with Lynx Tour 1.25 champagne 22kg, wilson pro overgrip and wilson dampener. The SW blew my mind as well , however my Speed MP2022 customized was around the same specs 340g static strung and 317sw with Hawk Touch and i didnt have elbow.
Click to expand...
Ok then away with the v9. Too expensive anway :) Try a v8 if you can get one on Sale. At least in Germany a lot of shops still sell v8s.
 
Orezap said:
I mean static weight of 335g strung with Lynx Tour 1.25 champagne 22kg, wilson pro overgrip and wilson dampener. The SW blew my mind as well , however my Speed MP2022 customized was around the same specs 340g static strung and 317sw with Hawk Touch and i didnt have elbow.
Click to expand...
Lynx tour is my favorite string but the champagne color has caused discomfort at times for me. I play with 1.2 grey now, no issues.
 
Orezap said:
I mean static weight of 335g strung with Lynx Tour 1.25 champagne 22kg, wilson pro overgrip and wilson dampener. The SW blew my mind as well , however my Speed MP2022 customized was around the same specs 340g static strung and 317sw with Hawk Touch and i didnt have elbow.
Click to expand...
Dampener adds 1.5-4 swingweight depending on their weight so the stock swingweight is underspec and static is overspec. What is the balance btw? I found that increasing recoil weight helps with comfort significantly. After knowing the balance I can help you with customisation to bring it to your desired swingweight and a bit higher recoil weight if needed.
 
i went ahead and my stringer added some lead tape around 5g just below 3&9 and 2g in the handle i think.
Unstrung SW was 282g and now became 290g. Static strung is 340g now and strung Swingweight with dampener and overgrip is 325g.
Balance point remained the same but i dont know it.

Played yesterday i think it has improved slightly but i need more time.
 
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