***Wilson nBlade MP Review***

[drhopz]

Thanks.
I'll string my racket at 55lbs when i have time, but am still skeptical about anything lower than that. I never tried anything lower than 55, but change might be good. I havent felt a good pop on my Nblade yet(all my shots were short, but went over the net with fair spin). That might lead me to string it lower.

 

[fgs]

what strings are you using?

 

[drhopz]

Wilson stamina 17

but i also have a couple sets of goosen proform tuff 15

 

[fgs]

the gosen i don't know (can't get it around here) and the stamina at 17g would be out of its optimal range at 51. you'd probably hit the balls all over the place because you'd get "trampolin effect". it would be sensible to try the stamina 17g at 55. i'm using soft multis, the wilson nxt tour 16g and pacific space power tx 16g, which play well at this rather low tension. i used to have them even 1kg less in my former nsix-one 95's, but went up 1kg since there's a more than 10% increase in headsize (i'm using the nblade 106). try it out, but give yourself a couple of hours/hitting sessions to get accustomed to it. in the beginning you might well be hitting long and dropshots that land at the serviceline are fun only for the opponent.

 

[drhopz]

Yea that sounds reasonable. I just started tennis for a year, i have a lot to learn. Trial and error is an everyday task for me. I'm pretty addictive to this sport despite experienced players tend to push me left and right.
Thanks.

 

[fgs]

they say tennis is an open skills sport - you never hit the same ball twice. that's after all what's so much fun about it. i rediscovered the addiction after 18 years, stupid me. and yeah, being pushed left and right is part of the game. drop in a high topspin (3 meters clear over the net) to the middle of the court to cut off angles from your opponents - gives you time to gather your breath. keep playing and have fun.

 

[Pusher]

It wouldnt hurt the racket?

No.

If I'm using the same gauge string for mains and crosses i will go 4lbs higher on the crosses. Ex: ref tensiion at 52: string mains at 50 and X's at 54. The advantages are:
-It will slightly stretch the racquet giving it a higher swingweight and more power.
-It locks in the mains increasing string life.
-It actually gives a more consistent string bed because the mains will have more actual tension if strung at the same tension as the crosses.

There are no warranty violations. In fact, I know of one large retailer that advertises a similar stringing methodology as a customized stringing charged at a higher rater.

Lower tensions give more power and spin (IMO) and that is especially helpful on a low powered racquet like the nblade. It does require good technique but my rule of thumb is string at the lowest tension you can handle.

 

[Pusher]

the gosen i don't know (can't get it around here) and the stamina at 17g would be out of its optimal range at 51. you'd probably hit the balls all over the place because you'd get "trampolin effect". it would be sensible to try the stamina 17g at 55. i'm using soft multis, the wilson nxt tour 16g and pacific space power tx 16g, which play well at this rather low tension. i used to have them even 1kg less in my former nsix-one 95's, but went up 1kg since there's a more than 10% increase in headsize (i'm using the nblade 106). try it out, but give yourself a couple of hours/hitting sessions to get accustomed to it. in the beginning you might well be hitting long and dropshots that land at the serviceline are fun only for the opponent.

No way.

The Gosen 17 or Wilson Stamina will be right at home at 51lbs. The Gosen micro 17 is a fairly stiff string and at tensions above 55 lbs it plays too stiff for me.

If you really want to have a nice hitting Nblade then try natural gut 16 ga at about 52 lbs on the mains with a synthetic gut cross at about 54 lbs. Thats a sweet set-up but the crosses give out before the more expensive gut mains.

 

[fgs]

pusher,
there is one point though to consider, and that would be the movement of the string. the mains are longer and at a given tension they would compress more upon impact. the crosses are shorter and at the same tension would already compress less. if you raise the tension on the crosses, taking into consideration also some tension loss due to friction with the mains, they'd compress even less. i'm sure this can be mathematically illustrated, but that's not my specific area of knowledge, so i just try to figure out why i feel what i feel. i said earlier in the thread that i go for low tension (something like 51 mains, 49 crosses with soft multis like the nxt tour 16), and yes, i at least get more spin and power, just the way i like it. i feel though that with the particular shape of the head (more round) of the nblade 106 i'm playing, i get a more homogenous stringbed with my set-up. but it can also be that i'm simply used to this sort of stringing, and respond negatively to the change, as the stringbed feels tighter with crosses strung higher than the mains - i did once inverse the figures, 22kg mains and 23kg crosses, and i had the feeling that i'm playing a racquet strung somewhere in the 27-28kg range.

 

[Pusher]

pusher,
there is one point though to consider, and that would be the movement of the string. the mains are longer and at a given tension they would compress more upon impact. the crosses are shorter and at the same tension would already compress less. if you raise the tension on the crosses, taking into consideration also some tension loss due to friction with the mains, they'd compress even less. i'm sure this can be mathematically illustrated, but that's not my specific area of knowledge, so i just try to figure out why i feel what i feel. i said earlier in the thread that i go for low tension (something like 51 mains, 49 crosses with soft multis like the nxt tour 16), and yes, i at least get more spin and power, just the way i like it. i feel though that with the particular shape of the head (more round) of the nblade 106 i'm playing, i get a more homogenous stringbed with my set-up. but it can also be that i'm simply used to this sort of stringing, and respond negatively to the change, as the stringbed feels tighter with crosses strung higher than the mains - i did once inverse the figures, 22kg mains and 23kg crosses, and i had the feeling that i'm playing a racquet strung somewhere in the 27-28kg range.

Raising tension on the X's also raises tension on the mains due to the racquet deformation. I agree that on some racquets a higher X cross tension may not be the way to go due to the geometry of the racquet. But the proof is in the testing and some may not like this method. One thing I can say with absoulte conviction is that string life will be increased with higher X tension.

If you want a more in-depth discussion on this subject visit the Stringforum and look at the JayCee method.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[frekcles]

I've been trying out the nBlade and I must say I really like it. Nice swingweight. It's light but the swingweight makes it feel heavier thus my shots are more controlled and not too whippy. Groundstrokes are smooth and mishits are not too jarring on the arm. Good access to spin and extra power if needed. I just have to get used to the SW though since I have a little bit of soreness on my shoulder after a day of playing. In stock form it's great for the baseline. I will not experiment with lead tape yet as I'm still getting the "feel" of the racquet. Volleys are good. The key is in the preparation for a volley. Due to the high(er) swingweight I have to be prepared for the volley. I can't be lazy on volleys with this one. Reaction volleys are sometimes late again due to the swingweight. Serves are great. I hit mostly flat serves and I must say I'm serving quite well with this. More pace than my regular racquet (RDX 500 mp). Overall a great racquet for me and if I decide to keep it (I already sold the other one) this one will be in the bag for some time. I recommend it to baseliners looking for their next stick.

 

[siow_a]

Great racquet. I play with the nblade 106 w/ NRG2 16 @56. It offers incredible spin on both sides. Need to add 6g to the 9-10 and 2-3 positions.
3g in the throat. The racquet generates as much spin and pace as you placed into your shots. Serves are excellent with as much control for hitting the T's. I agree that the baseline is where the racquet excells in. The volleys are pretty good but not as good as my old volkl cat v8. You will love this racquet.

 

[ultrarapida]

Ana Ivanovic UseS Wilson Natural Gut For Mains And Luxilon For Crosses But I Don't Know What Is Tension Of Her!

 

[fgs]

sta radish ultrarapida!
ana ivanovici in very pretty, but stay away from that luxilon for you might end up with arm problems. i understood that you took the nxt strings - keep them at around 25-26kg for the beginning and have fun. see how your game develops, i understood you have not played for a while, and then you can tweak a little bit either with tension or eventually with another string. natural gut is the best there is, but it is quite expensive and you have to keep it away from humidity. in my old (young) days i used to play a lot with natural gut, but always had a spare stick around strung with synthetic, for the days when the clouds were in the skies or the courts wet after a rain shower.
did you hit already some balls?

 

[drhopz]

This form really cheers me up and reminds me that i did not waste my money on just 'any' racket.

 

[ultrarapida]

sta radish ultrarapida!
ana ivanovici in very pretty, but stay away from that luxilon for you might end up with arm problems. i understood that you took the nxt strings - keep them at around 25-26kg for the beginning and have fun. see how your game develops, i understood you have not played for a while, and then you can tweak a little bit either with tension or eventually with another string. natural gut is the best there is, but it is quite expensive and you have to keep it away from humidity. in my old (young) days i used to play a lot with natural gut, but always had a spare stick around strung with synthetic, for the days when the clouds were in the skies or the courts wet after a rain shower.
did you hit already some balls?

I did not ,fgs...I have got a sore throat and wather is not so fine...but I hope that I 'll hit some balls during this week...whatever,I'll inform u how much i m satisfited...
sta radis fgs!?:}

 

[jdeloach]

Just wanted to say to all of you, I am really enjoying reading all the posts. I agree that the nBlade is a very nice racquet, and I plan to revisit it one-day with some of the setup advice I have read from all of you.

Thanks for the compliments on the thread!!

 

[fgs]

jdeloach,
your reviews are very good, i could find exact descriptions of the behaviour of the few sticks i've played myself lately. of course, preferences are personal, but you try to keep it very objective, looking to describe what the stick does, not necessarily what you like, and that's very informative indeed.
and yes, for some of us tennis playing folks the nblade is a perfect fit, for others it sure won't be, but i don't think that anyone claimed to have developed a stick that's good for everyone.

 

[jdeloach]

jdeloach,
your reviews are very good, i could find exact descriptions of the behaviour of the few sticks i've played myself lately. of course, preferences are personal, but you try to keep it very objective, looking to describe what the stick does, not necessarily what you like, and that's very informative indeed.
and yes, for some of us tennis playing folks the nblade is a perfect fit, for others it sure won't be, but i don't think that anyone claimed to have developed a stick that's good for everyone.

Thanks fgs!! That is my goal, to just share my experience in a simple way. I am glad you enjoy them.

 

[jeffreyfranz]

jdeloach, you're a great guy. Thank you for all your effort. - JT

 

[jdeloach]

jdeloach, you're a great guy. Thank you for all your effort. - JT

Thank you for the kind words, sorry I haven't been able to post more raquets reviews lately.