I have seen PLA, and light PLA used, and I have seen it done without top and bottom layers to reduce weight. I believe PLA is heavier than the foam it replaces. I would probably use PETG, as I don't like the low thermal tolerance of PLA (melting and warping in the sun)
Wilson Defyer 98 Pro V1
- Thread starter thenewbig3
- Start date
jj4545
Rookie
Aero98 23 was the most hyped thing the past years part because of the performance and part thanks to Alcaraz making it famous. The D98 easily surpasses it IMHO and fills a niche which Babolat left open with the change of mold. The problem for Wilson might be they don't have someone like Alcaraz on board. BTW RF01 was also very hyped but very few players switched to it and it is rather disappointing.
Amen
What he said…
ClownCar96
Professional
Guilty on both… I bought the blade pro 100 (steam) and now the D98p lol. Love the steam, I’ve been using as my main for over 3 months. Excited to see what the D98p offers having used the EZ98 and blade 98 for several years.
nath_tennis
New User
My 2 cents.. current UTR 7.4, aggressive, OHBH. Moved from PA98 over a year ago (too unforgiving for me on bad days) to a PD2025, but have been seeking a bit more precision without taking away from my strengths Service + Forehand. Really looking for that racquet between a PA98 and probably a blade so was excited for the D98.
Specs:
Unstrung:306.4, 31, 288.5 SW
Strung: 324, 32.1, 322 SW (Confidential 1.25).
The Vcore 98 2026 has been my match racquet, good power when needed, its allowing me a killer slice backhand and not losing too much on Serve and Forehand.
Had about 1.5 hours with the Defyer 98 Pro yesterday. I strung it with Confidential 1.25 at 46lbs (same as my Vcore setup). Its definitely more muted / plush and more pocketing in the sweet spot, than the Vcore and actually feels similar to the 2025 PD which is a lot more muted than previous versions.
Good access to spin and power, but it feels a little less connected than the Vcore with feels more direct, especially on the one hander where I can really feel and manipulate the ball. I was sending balls longer with the Defyer and my slice was floating more than with the Vcore, but didnt feel crazy or unpredictable.
I think I'd need to up the tension, or go for a more controlled / stiffer setup to try it again, as I was missing some of the point and shoot aspects of the Vcore.
So it wasnt an immediate "OMH im switching" like I had with my first hit with the PA98, but worth pursuing for a while.
Specs:
Unstrung:306.4, 31, 288.5 SW
Strung: 324, 32.1, 322 SW (Confidential 1.25).
The Vcore 98 2026 has been my match racquet, good power when needed, its allowing me a killer slice backhand and not losing too much on Serve and Forehand.
Had about 1.5 hours with the Defyer 98 Pro yesterday. I strung it with Confidential 1.25 at 46lbs (same as my Vcore setup). Its definitely more muted / plush and more pocketing in the sweet spot, than the Vcore and actually feels similar to the 2025 PD which is a lot more muted than previous versions.
Good access to spin and power, but it feels a little less connected than the Vcore with feels more direct, especially on the one hander where I can really feel and manipulate the ball. I was sending balls longer with the Defyer and my slice was floating more than with the Vcore, but didnt feel crazy or unpredictable.
I think I'd need to up the tension, or go for a more controlled / stiffer setup to try it again, as I was missing some of the point and shoot aspects of the Vcore.
So it wasnt an immediate "OMH im switching" like I had with my first hit with the PA98, but worth pursuing for a while.
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Cayenne321
Rookie
I'm exactly the same, don't worry. I was really gelling with my speed mp hitting heavy looping topspin and was closely looking at the new Extremes. Week before the Extreme launches I've suddenly got both the D100 and D98...
Now the pendulum has swung and I'm back enjoying the lower launch and control, to the point I'm hitting with the blade 18x20 tonight and my old Ultra Tour 97 is on its way to the stringer. Catch me in 12 months playing with a pure aero 98 again wondering why I'm not improving. It's a disease.
Have you tried the Pure Drive 98?
Cause that sounds like exactly what you're looking for
Have you tried the 2026 PA98?
nath_tennis
New User
No, I based of reviews that it was a bit of a miss, and very demanding. After the PA98, I wasnt after a more demanding 98.
nath_tennis
New User
No only the 23 Version. But review saying its slower / clunkier than the 2023 wouldnt be a good fit for my one hander.
jj4545
Rookie
And with the 16x20 still precise but also adds nasty top spin. The down the line shots over the higher part of the net are really nice, especially compared to 18x20 patterns.
JeanF
New User
Interesting to read about your experiences with the Wilson Defyer 98, especially the part you're mentioning the more muted and plush feeling.
I use to play with so called ''players frames'' and prefer a more pure and direct feel with a good amount of feedback coming out of the frame.
In the past I have played with Head PT57A, many Pro Staff's, Wilson Blade's, Wilson H22's etc. but actually prefer these days rackets which give me a bit easier power while retaining enough control and feel.
My current racket of choice is the Head Speed Tour and so far I'm playing my best tennis with it and really like the control, feel, swingspeed, and also some comfort it delivers to me.
Despite the fact that I am fully satisfied with my Speed Tour's (have three of them) curiosity and interest to some other good playing rackets remain and due to that reason I bought a Head Extreme Pro 2026 and a Wilson Defyer to compare them side by side extensively.
I have closely followed the evolution of the Wilson Python prototype and with all the hype around it my expectations were reasonably high...
Finally when Wilson presented it as a retail racket (Defyer) I was so disappointed about the red color and lost my complete interest in it.
Due to the fact that a lot of reviews about the Defyer were so ''euphoric'' my curiosity to extensively test it overcame my strong dislikes about the red color and so I decided to order a Defyer 98.
Directly after the Defyer came in I modified it with some lead tape on specific spots (1 gram on 12 h position and totally 3 gram on the 3 and 9 h position) and I also counter balanced it by adding silicones in the handle.
Despite the fact that I like to use Lynx Tour 1.20 mm. grey in most of my rackets I chose to string the Defyer 98 with a string I really liked in the past and that's Luxilon Alu Power Soft 1.25 mm.
During my comparison session between the Extreme Pro 2026 (standard specs/unmodified and strung with Lynx Tour 1.20 mm.) and the Defyer 98 I started playing with the Extreme Pro and was surprised about the good amount of control and pure and direct feel of ball contact it delivered.
The control and feel were almost comparable with my Speed Tour, with the notification that the Speed Tour feels slightly more dampened and comfortable, whereas the Extreme Pro feels more ''pure'' and undamped.
With regard to handling - and swingspeed the Speed Tour feels faster and more whippy, something I really prefer.
After these positive impressions with the Extreme Pro I switched to the Defyer 98 and after the first couple of groundstrokes I noticed a much more muted/damped feel.
As a result I experienced a lack of ballcontact feel and had some problems to hit the ball with fully confidence because I could not really pinpoint place it where I wanted.
Something I also experienced is the imo limited feedback coming out of the frame and this is mostly noticeable when you want to hit your groundstrokes with more pressure and acceleration from the baseline.
Due to the limited feedback I found it sometimes hard to adjust to the right amount of power and effort to achieve the right dept and acceleration in my strokes.
After these Defyer impressions I switched back to the Extreme Pro and it was remarkable how huge the differences between the Defyer and the Extreme Pro are in terms of control and feel, but also with regard to the level of power and spin the Extreme Pro exceeds the Defyer easily....
I will continue to test and compare the Defyer extensively because I have the feeling that it can - and should perform better than it showed me so far.
First thing I wil change is switching to Lynx Tour (grey) 1.20 mm. because that string has proven itself many times in different set-ups and I have the feeling that the Defyer 98 will perform better with a more stiff and crisp string.
Furthermore some leadtape placement changes can hopefully bring some improvement....
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Tim Buktu
Rookie
Muted dead feeling strings like Confidential don't really suit this racquet. Think of Alu Power but with spin as your ideal and go from there.
I like the Vcore 98 but its much more of a 'one note' type of racquet as you have to hit everything with topspin due to the launch angle off the string bed and it wanting to spin everything at 10/10 on the scale. The D98 provides far greater ability to modulate the amount of the spin from the string bed, allows for a greater variety of shot making and produces more controlled slice. It's like using an analogue volume knob where you can fine tune things by incremental amounts, compared to the much more on/off nature of the Vcore 98.
Yonex should make the VC98 in a 16x20 string pattern and call it VC98 Pro or something similar - it would trim back on some of that extreme launch, allow for a wider variety of shot making and be the spiritual successor to the 95D.
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forzamr_b
Semi-Pro
Overall, no. I think I could attack marginally better on my FHs, but it was at the expense of a lot less forgiveness and swing path felt slow on serves.
I swapped to the Pro Staff X for the second set. I don’t use it regularly now, but intentionally chose it because it was most similar in specs.
And oh man did I realise how much I miss the firmness Pro Staffs have… More surprisingly was how much the racket switch impacted my performance. Opponent also felt a big difference too.
First set was a super tight battle and I never felt in control of points. Second set I was clearly able to dictate play and put my opponent under pressure. Serves were easier, directional control was better, and my ball definitely had more pace. I think it is clear that the D98 does not suit me.
| D98 Pro (leather grip + 3.8g at 12) | Pro Staff X | |
| Static (g) | 330 | 335.7 |
| Balance (cm) | 31.9 | 31.6 |
| SW | 321 | 317 |
| TW | 12.48 | 13.49 |
| RW | 163.07 | 160.38 |
Played a couple of sets last night with the D98, leather grip, 4g at 3/9. Much prefer the Blade Pro 16x19.
Yeah not sure why anyone said that. And a prime example of demo for yourself.
It is not anymore demanding than any other 98.
It has excellent control and a great ability to hit flat or with spin.
I served great with it, alot of power and shape.
It is a really well rounded racquet and all I can think is Babolat tipped off reviewers to not hype it too much because it would cannibalize or even outshine the PA98.
If you play all-court it is probably the best power-control racquet available.
forzamr_b
Semi-Pro
Sorry to disappoint but this is a forum that invites people to share their experiences with the racket. I have chosen to provide as much information as I can, including the actual specs of the rackets I’m testing, and footage of my tennis so that you can see my level and all my technical deficiencies. This is all to help readers formulate their own opinions - just as you have. Your failure to appreciate this simply reflects on you as a person.
Give up a lot of control going from the Blade Pro 16x19. D98 has very little feel even with the leather grip. Play 5.0 tennis and although played fairly well with the frame last night there really seems to be a disconnect. Feel around the net and returns was sub par.
Good bit of power off the ground and serving but double faulted much more than usual and lost control on returns frequently.
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Jpipes8787
Rookie
Allow me to apologize for Timmy, he can be a pretty big doucher
Ha! Tennis equipment can bring out the worst in some of us.
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ClownCar96
Professional
Agree on the lack of feel, being disconnected, after my first hit. Frankly this is puzzling because one of the most trusted reviewers, Luca from R&R claimed the opposite. He had been demoing with the prototype however. Is retail really that much different? It was almost like there was no tech which made for a weird tinny feel but then it was also muted at the same time giving no feedback, strange experience.
My first hit was with a demo string job and some old hopper balls which wasn’t ideal, so I will reserve final judgement for when my frames arrive and can be strung and modded appropriately.
Anyone moved onto the D98 from Shift 300? I love my Shift but due to a non tennis related wrist injury I have to string it with nat gut and soft poly at lower tensions so I cant get that wicked spin I used to pre injury when I played full poly setups at medium tension.
It's funny there's very little comparisons of these 2 even though the Defyer is essentially the Shifts replacement. I saw one review where they did mention the Shift and said the D98 is much better in nearly all areas without elaboration.
It's funny there's very little comparisons of these 2 even though the Defyer is essentially the Shifts replacement. I saw one review where they did mention the Shift and said the D98 is much better in nearly all areas without elaboration.
EggSalad
Hall of Fame
How is the PD98 at net? I need to get my hands on one. The stock head heavy balance is what’s kept me away from it to date
Tim Buktu
Rookie
You play just a badly with the PSX as you with D98, the only difference being is that that the extra weight of the Pro Staff compensates occasionally for your stroke deficiencies. Even then you've still made a pig's ear of your lead placement which is another indicator that you have no feel for equipment. If you had customized the D98 to a similar spec to to the PSX, you'd probably get similar results, instead of hitting whiff shots...
Everyone can see that the problem is not the racquet, it's you! You've completely lost your way as a tennis player. Tennis isn't played through spreadsheets or copying what you see other people doing on TV. The equipment doesn't play the game for you. Adding a leather grip etc is not going to improve your footwork or give you better stroke mechanics. Good luck never improving.
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Tim Buktu
Rookie
Are you STILL sour about that terrible M8 recommendation for this racquet?? You need a thicker skin.
forzamr_b
Semi-Pro
What do you love about the Shift? I don’t have extensive time with the Shift but I think they are very different in feel. Defyer is a lot more plush, while the Shift is really stiff. Sweet spot on the Shift also felt a bit smaller. I played better with the Shift than the D98 though.
ChrisJR3264
Legend
Question: Have you ever customized a racket?
Tim Buktu
Rookie
I've been stringing and customizing racquets for people for over 15 years.
acheron350
Rookie
Tim Buktu is maybe a little harsh but he is right and he gave the best advice here, by miles. End of story.
Its biggest strength was being able to take full cuts at the ball and have it still land in. I reckoned I was definitely winning points I would have lost with other frames, usually 3 or 4 per set. My playing partners commented on the increased spin and difficulty of return. Even though the RA number was quite high it was surprisingly comfortable especially with lead at 10 and 2 and silicone in the handle. It was only a problem after I injured my wrist.
ChrisJR3264
Legend
Sorry. Let me be more detailed. Have you ever customized your own racket for your own use?
Best advice what was that? Half of the people here could have given the same advice.
ChrisJR3264
Legend
Lol remember Tennis isn’t played “through spreadsheets “ and no customization is going to improve your game.
Yet that same person has customized rackets for years and told us all how to learn to use a little bit of lead tape with this racket. Why are we customizing frames again?
forzamr_b
Semi-Pro
You clearly have no clue what my approach to tennis is.
Tim Buktu
Rookie
Not for a player at his level and with his approach to the game. It's going to make no meaningful difference and isn't going to correct his technical deficiencies. D98 just isn't meant for someone like him.
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gutfeeling
Hall of Fame
The low twistweight says it all. The defyer has roughly 10 grams less in the head than the ps. That is huge in terms of relative weight distribution between the two sticks. What device are you using to measure your specs?
forzamr_b
Semi-Pro
Sorry can’t say with confidence how the D98 compares with the Shift on that. Hopefully, others with more experience with both rackets can chime in. I do think the D98 will be good for your recuperating wrist. It’s a very comfy racket.
This isn't true. But fundamentals should be in place.
forzamr_b
Semi-Pro
Briffidi
ChrisJR3264
Legend
I was referencing what Timmy said.
ChrisJR3264
Legend
Sorry. But have you seen them play?
I can easily say a racket isn’t for me. Not bc I can’t adjust to the frame, but what I’ve been used to. I’ve become accustomed to rackets with a more even balance over the past 8 years.
And yet I picked up a Defyer with a lower balance spec and launched the 3rd ball I hit. Surely it’s a technical issue and not a lack muscle memory with timing. Had to adjust to the shift in weight to get the timing down.
Is the Defyer for me? Idk. It was fun to hit with but know I’ll have to adjust the timing long term bc of the heavier SW I’m used to. Some may feel the same way and say it’s not for them, ya know?
I practiced with a 5.0 player who launched several balls bc they were testing new rackets until they adjusted to the frame. Only going back to the old bc they didn’t feel like adjusting their game to a racket long term, ya know?
Tim Buktu
Rookie
Yes, I've seen him play, and yes, I seen his posts where he over-emphasises the role of equipment on his game, lead tape, leather grips, 14.5 this, 15.3 that etc etc. He seems to think that the racquet is going to play the game for him. If he wants to pay me 40 bucks to build a racquet to a specific spec and nothing more, that I could do, but there's no way I would ever be willing to take a Prokes or Calle consultative approach with him - it would just be a huge waste of my time and energy.
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Power Player
Bionic Poster
I played 3 hours last night. All with the D98. It’s starting to get easier to explain the racquet with time. I say this because the hype made some people think that it would be a super frame that makes everyone better at tennis.
When I started off I was not fully warmed up and my timing was off. Just wasn’t hitting clean and as a result the ball wasn’t going where I wanted. This is normal in tennis, but the frame won’t do you any favors here. You simply must be loose and committed to footwork and kinetic chain to really get something out of the racquet. But if you are committed to playing with good technique, this frame is fantastic because it rewards this.
It is not as punishing as a more classic control frame though. With a classic frame the sweet spot is smaller and it can feel like you have less real estate on the frame if you use a more extreme sw grip. But with the d98, that is not a problem (as long as you are split stepping and moving your feet like you should be doing). Defense is easier as well. I found myself able to hit quality defensive shots on the run and retain depth.
The addiction of the frame is once you get warmed up and are moving and loose, it is extremely easy to trust the racquet and take big cuts. In stock form the free power is not massive, but I tend to miss long more than hit short so this a major confidence booster. I found myself hitting bigger and bigger without any fear of missing. This is a big part of what makes the racquet addicting to use. The other part is the feel on contact is so nice. Just a really nice and defined sweet spot that I have missed a lot in modern racquets.
Due to the lower swing weight and higher balance point, the frame is very easy to generate spin with. What is cool about it is that it doesn’t feel like a fly swatter in the hand. With a lot of frames, if your SW is under 320 it can just feel anemic and too light. I am unable to measure my sw right now so maybe mine is over 320 but if had to guess, it’s more in the 315-319 range. I can see the benefits of adding 1-2 grams at 3 and 9 but I have so far been fine with stock. For me, the ball going in over and over plus how quickly I can adjust on the fly seems tied to the lower sw, so I’m still going to stay stock.
Final thing is serve and return. I was able to play ladder matches against a few players in the 4.0 to 4.5 range. Some bigger servers with good pace and spin so on return I was able to really test the frames stability. For me it was simple, when moving forward and keeping a compact swing, the returns were rock solid against pace. If I was caught on my heels, the frame would flutter. So it won’t bail you out completely but the returns are so solid that I don’t mind this. The confidence it gives me to go after serves is there in spades.
The serve for me is simply a standout feature of the frame. It’s absolutely sick how much spin and pace can be put on the ball. I was never broken by anyone. And what I loved was that I could mix up power with spin so easily. So if I saw them standing further back I could hit them with a cutter or heavy spin serve. I got a lot of free points off of heavy spin serves because they could not properly time the contact. I think this is in the top 3 of any racquet I have had for serve. I know a lot of it is due to headlight balance and lower sw but also the spin window is so high that it is incredibly forgiving. I’m under 6 feet so I don’t go for flat bombs a lot. My typical first serve is attacking the top corner of the ball so I can get a lot of pace and still drop the ball in the box. I use a more eastern backhand grip on serve and like to move the ball around the box. Spin is a big part and the D98 is just amazing for me.
This is probably my last long review of the frame. But I do have a 100 coming that I’ll be able to compare to the 98. In my mind the redline name was a great description of the 98. You need to be loose and be able to take full cuts for the entire match. So fitness , footwork and technique really matter. But I have always been a technique junky who will doesn't mind losing some matches if I’m working in a technique upgrade, opposed to playing inefficiently. If that sounds like you, and you like to hit with a lot of of pace and spin, and are in good shape. The good news is in the 3rd set you shouldn’t be cooked using this frame as long as you are using the kinetic chain. Plus your serve will still be humming because it doesn’t take much effort to serve big over the course of 2-3 hours. So it’s kind of like a classic racquet but also not really. Hopefully that all makes sense.
When I started off I was not fully warmed up and my timing was off. Just wasn’t hitting clean and as a result the ball wasn’t going where I wanted. This is normal in tennis, but the frame won’t do you any favors here. You simply must be loose and committed to footwork and kinetic chain to really get something out of the racquet. But if you are committed to playing with good technique, this frame is fantastic because it rewards this.
It is not as punishing as a more classic control frame though. With a classic frame the sweet spot is smaller and it can feel like you have less real estate on the frame if you use a more extreme sw grip. But with the d98, that is not a problem (as long as you are split stepping and moving your feet like you should be doing). Defense is easier as well. I found myself able to hit quality defensive shots on the run and retain depth.
The addiction of the frame is once you get warmed up and are moving and loose, it is extremely easy to trust the racquet and take big cuts. In stock form the free power is not massive, but I tend to miss long more than hit short so this a major confidence booster. I found myself hitting bigger and bigger without any fear of missing. This is a big part of what makes the racquet addicting to use. The other part is the feel on contact is so nice. Just a really nice and defined sweet spot that I have missed a lot in modern racquets.
Due to the lower swing weight and higher balance point, the frame is very easy to generate spin with. What is cool about it is that it doesn’t feel like a fly swatter in the hand. With a lot of frames, if your SW is under 320 it can just feel anemic and too light. I am unable to measure my sw right now so maybe mine is over 320 but if had to guess, it’s more in the 315-319 range. I can see the benefits of adding 1-2 grams at 3 and 9 but I have so far been fine with stock. For me, the ball going in over and over plus how quickly I can adjust on the fly seems tied to the lower sw, so I’m still going to stay stock.
Final thing is serve and return. I was able to play ladder matches against a few players in the 4.0 to 4.5 range. Some bigger servers with good pace and spin so on return I was able to really test the frames stability. For me it was simple, when moving forward and keeping a compact swing, the returns were rock solid against pace. If I was caught on my heels, the frame would flutter. So it won’t bail you out completely but the returns are so solid that I don’t mind this. The confidence it gives me to go after serves is there in spades.
The serve for me is simply a standout feature of the frame. It’s absolutely sick how much spin and pace can be put on the ball. I was never broken by anyone. And what I loved was that I could mix up power with spin so easily. So if I saw them standing further back I could hit them with a cutter or heavy spin serve. I got a lot of free points off of heavy spin serves because they could not properly time the contact. I think this is in the top 3 of any racquet I have had for serve. I know a lot of it is due to headlight balance and lower sw but also the spin window is so high that it is incredibly forgiving. I’m under 6 feet so I don’t go for flat bombs a lot. My typical first serve is attacking the top corner of the ball so I can get a lot of pace and still drop the ball in the box. I use a more eastern backhand grip on serve and like to move the ball around the box. Spin is a big part and the D98 is just amazing for me.
This is probably my last long review of the frame. But I do have a 100 coming that I’ll be able to compare to the 98. In my mind the redline name was a great description of the 98. You need to be loose and be able to take full cuts for the entire match. So fitness , footwork and technique really matter. But I have always been a technique junky who will doesn't mind losing some matches if I’m working in a technique upgrade, opposed to playing inefficiently. If that sounds like you, and you like to hit with a lot of of pace and spin, and are in good shape. The good news is in the 3rd set you shouldn’t be cooked using this frame as long as you are using the kinetic chain. Plus your serve will still be humming because it doesn’t take much effort to serve big over the course of 2-3 hours. So it’s kind of like a classic racquet but also not really. Hopefully that all makes sense.
waginen
Rookie
Amen
PS X is a beast. Not easy to find a replacement, since it has been crazily discontinued.
My comments were about the pure drive 98.
Although it's shocking to hear you think the defyer has no feel.
Not sure what string or tension you used but I find it to be very transmissive and I always know where the ball was struck on the stringbed.
Sure it is a much more modern feel compared to a Blade Pro, which has a ton of flex but the Defyer risss way above the dampened and muted Babs, Yonex, and Head offerings.
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