Wilson Pro Labs: Blade Pro Official Thread

TwinCinema said:
The RA of the BP may say 60 but it certainly feels stiffer. That must mean it flexes differently. There’s nothing about the PS that to me feels significantly stiffer than the BP so some sort of sorcery is happening in the layup of the BP.

But yes if you up the SW of the PS it will potentially have more power than the BP, I just don’t think the stick would perform as well at too high a SW. I’m tempted to add some lead at 12 just to see, but it really doesn’t need it. The balance is nice as is.

As for the BP, no I haven’t added handle weight because I’m happy with the static weight being where it is (335g strung or so, with overgrip). That said, it would be interesting to see how it plays with a more headlight balance. Certainly worth a try!
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I see, thanks for the input. Will try to find a demo
 
Hello, for those playing with the Blade Pro 18x20 and stringing it with 4 knots, can you please tell me where you put the knot for ending the crosses (or all 4 knots)?
I have knots at 7T for mains, then for crosses 6H and 11T but 11T looks very wrong because there is the last main that is too near and the knot touches it
 
Would you recommend BP for double or at least all court players?
TwinCinema said:
So, I play with both the PS97 v14 and the Blade Pro v9 but it’s the 16x19.

The BP has more power. It has more plow. But it’s more head heavy and takes more effort to swing. It also has a more raw feel, much more connected than the standard Blade 98.

The PS is whippier and easier to maneuver at net. It’s still quite stable and can provide power with a fast swing. The feel is pretty good, also better than Blade 98, but not quite as raw as the BP.

I’d say the BP has a more forgiving and larger sweet spot, but because it’s so demanding to swing it’s not an easier racket to play. I’d put the PS into the hands of a 4.0 player and the BP into those of a 4.5+. I’m not good enough to use the BP but it’s such an awesome semi truck of a weapon that I pull it out sometimes anyway.
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Has anyone been able to get a set of 4 rackets that feel identical (or as close to) after matching for all 3 key specs? I've had four matched and they still feel very different to hit with - never had this problem with a set of rackets before, really frustrating
 
Although I don't have multiple blade pros anymore, one thing that might be the reason why they feel different is due to the spinweight and/or twistweight. Whenever I'm matching my own rackets, I usually make sure that weight, balance, swingweight, spinweight, and twistweight are all matched. That almost always fixes the feeling of them being different with the exception of the RA (which is something that I've just learned to deal with).
 
TwinCinema said:
What is spinweight? Never heard of that.
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From what I remember of the definition I'm pretty sure its along the lines of how fast the racket moves in the air in a more horizontal position, like when you doing the "wiper motion" when trying to put on spin. Im pretty sure Beckett did a video about it at some point.
 
mattimag said:
Hello, for those playing with the Blade Pro 18x20 and stringing it with 4 knots, can you please tell me where you put the knot for ending the crosses (or all 4 knots)?
I have knots at 7T for mains, then for crosses 6H and 11T but 11T looks very wrong because there is the last main that is too near and the knot touches it
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I use 11t as well. You’re never hitting the ball there so it won’t hurt that the knot touches the outer main.
 
RF2017 said:
Although I don't have multiple blade pros anymore, one thing that might be the reason why they feel different is due to the spinweight and/or twistweight. Whenever I'm matching my own rackets, I usually make sure that weight, balance, swingweight, spinweight, and twistweight are all matched. That almost always fixes the feeling of them being different with the exception of the RA (which is something that I've just learned to deal with).
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Thanks a lot for this, and makes complete sense. How do you adjust twist weight and spin weight?
 
Im getting my BP restrung currently and have decided to go for a hybrid setup. Alu Rough in the mains and X- One Biphase in the crosses @53.

Anyone else rocking a hybrid on their Godzilla?
 
Hi,
I am a retail Blade V9 16x19 user.
Recently tried the Pro version.
Solid and stable racket, love that feel in groundstrokes.
But main issue is that I often late in shots. For me hard to swing it.
Maybe you have some suggests, how to get swings more easier like in retail version?
 
My hybrid setup has rather blunted the Blade. Certainly lacks bite and makes me think I have strung it too high at 53.

Anyone have a recommendation as the best tension using a poly?
 
extreme_western said:
Has anyone been able to get a set of 4 rackets that feel identical (or as close to) after matching for all 3 key specs? I've had four matched and they still feel very different to hit with - never had this problem with a set of rackets before, really frustrating
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Thats odd, were they very different specs to start with so they have had to have a lot of different weights applied to match maybe? I have three that are matched and all feel the same to me luckily but were relatively close in spec to start with
 
I have a new Blade Pro v9 16x19. It doesn’t have the hologram sticker. The trap door is smaller like on the older Wilsons. It is under spec at just 298g and 32.2cm balance. Other than that it looks like and plays like a Blade Pro. Any chance it could be a fake? Thanks.

Edit: Clip n go grommet has the two green staples but the bumper is one piece and not several pieces like the regular v9.
 
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Txoov said:
I have a new Blade Pro v9 16x19. It doesn’t have the hologram sticker. The trap door is smaller like on the older Wilsons. It is under spec at just 298g and 32.2cm balance. Other than that it looks like and plays like a Blade Pro. Any chance it could be a fake? Thanks.
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Where’d you purchase? The older buttcaps (small W, hole for the trap door) are frequently used for pro stock H22s.
 
kvan said:
Where’d you purchase? The older buttcaps (small W, hole for the trap door) are frequently used for pro stock H22s.
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Off the bay from a reputable seller who has a storefront.

Forgot to mention that the clip n go bumper has the two green staples but the bumper is one piece, not several pieces like the regular v9.
 
Jono123 said:
I replaced the wide dampner with a smaller one and it transformed the racquet. These BPs are very weight-sensitive,.
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Yeah I removed my dampener completely and it plays great. I also don’t use a dampener in my ProStaff, but I do need them in my PSVS. Weird.
 
Txoov said:
Off the bay from a reputable seller who has a storefront.

Forgot to mention that the clip n go bumper has the two green staples but the bumper is one piece, not several pieces like the regular v9.
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Hard to say as I haven’t looked whether the pro stock bumpers are made that way, but it’s reasonable to think you may have one instead of the regular retail. They vary so widely in spec it’s not outlandish that it plays like the retail BP.
 
kvan said:
Hard to say as I haven’t looked whether the pro stock bumpers are made that way, but it’s reasonable to think you may have one instead of the regular retail. They vary so widely in spec it’s not outlandish that it plays like the retail BP.
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I think the Blade Pros might also have grommets and bumpers like this. I remember taking out the green grommet staples to see how easy it was to remove the bumper, and I had to pull out at least 4 grommet holes on one side (which I couldn't push back in) and thought it might have just been cosmetic for the BP. Someone correct me if this is wrong.
 
chapmpe said:
Thats odd, were they very different specs to start with so they have had to have a lot of different weights applied to match maybe? I have three that are matched and all feel the same to me luckily but were relatively close in spec to start with
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I didn't get the balances and swingweights when I first bought them so not sure but the two I didn't like had a completely different feel when I first picked them up from the shop compared to the two I had bought before - the 'pickup' was a lot lighter whereas the ones I like have a nice chunky, solid feel in the handle when you pick them up.

I've been back to the shop a few times and felt the ones they have on the shelf and they have the same range where some have a nice solid chunky feel in the handle whereas others feel a bit light and flimsy.

The odd thing about the lighter ones was that they didn't feel solid even at high static weights (eg 345g strung) whereas the ones I like feel really solid and stable at lower weights and similar balances to those which were unstable in the 'dud' set (ie the difference in stability couldn't be attributed to balance)

I think there must be a big variation in the way they lay the rackets up whereby the process is a bit random and produces a big range in how they lay the graphite up and where they put it - I wonder whether this might be because there is a less standardised layup given the fact the H22s were always being produced specifically for individual pro players.

Luckily I've found a gem now which I can use as a model for all my others which means I'm now confident of being able to get a matched set, but based on my experience I would strongly advise people against buying these rackets online as far as at all possible because you really won't know what you're getting quite aside from the built in spec tolerance.
 
jlouie said:
I think the Blade Pros might also have grommets and bumpers like this. I remember taking out the green grommet staples to see how easy it was to remove the bumper, and I had to pull out at least 4 grommet holes on one side (which I couldn't push back in) and thought it might have just been cosmetic for the BP. Someone correct me if this is wrong.
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Makes sense, haven’t replaced a BP grommet set either. Good to know.
 
extreme_western said:
I didn't get the balances and swingweights when I first bought them so not sure but the two I didn't like had a completely different feel when I first picked them up from the shop compared to the two I had bought before - the 'pickup' was a lot lighter whereas the ones I like have a nice chunky, solid feel in the handle when you pick them up.

I've been back to the shop a few times and felt the ones they have on the shelf and they have the same range where some have a nice solid chunky feel in the handle whereas others feel a bit light and flimsy.

The odd thing about the lighter ones was that they didn't feel solid even at high static weights (eg 345g strung) whereas the ones I like feel really solid and stable at lower weights and similar balances to those which were unstable in the 'dud' set (ie the difference in stability couldn't be attributed to balance)

I think there must be a big variation in the way they lay the rackets up whereby the process is a bit random and produces a big range in how they lay the graphite up and where they put it - I wonder whether this might be because there is a less standardised layup given the fact the H22s were always being produced specifically for individual pro players.

Luckily I've found a gem now which I can use as a model for all my others which means I'm now confident of being able to get a matched set, but based on my experience I would strongly advise people against buying these rackets online as far as at all possible because you really won't know what you're getting quite aside from the built in spec tolerance.
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Nice. It's a pain but I ordered 5 and kept 3 so they were close enough to weight up evenly.
 
aus89 said:
same mold - Blade Pro is a retail H22 with a singular commercial layup, while H22's are supplied to pros with exact matching specs and can come in varying layups with different stiffness/string patterns etc...
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Thanks for the simple breakdown. I love the Blade Pro. Just looking for one with a slightly lower than spec swingweight.

That being said, if anyone has a v9 18x20 with a slightly lower swing weight, message me
 
MSUspartans777 said:
Thanks for the simple breakdown. I love the Blade Pro. Just looking for one with a slightly lower than spec swingweight.

That being said, if anyone has a v9 18x20 with a slightly lower swing weight, message me
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yeah some h22s will have different balances etc... whereas the Blade Pro has one spec however at the mercy of Wilson QA it might be
 
I love my relatevily newly bought BP so much, I am looking to buy the Ultra pro 16m. I'm curious how it compares. I've read that's an even better fealing racket. The BP, I can't fault it for anything it's THE racket for me.
 
Kitchen5ink said:
I love my relatevily newly bought BP so much, I am looking to buy the Ultra pro 16m. I'm curious how it compares. I've read that's an even better fealing racket. The BP, I can't fault it for anything it's THE racket for me.
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I tried an UP and I don’t think it’s comparable to the BP. Much less power and plow. UP does have even more connected feel, that’s true. And the precision is there. But yeah it totally lacks the magic of the BP.
 
TwinCinema said:
I tried an UP and I don’t think it’s comparable to the BP. Much less power and plow. UP does have even more connected feel, that’s true. And the precision is there. But yeah it totally lacks the magic of the BP.
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Nothing that a few grams of lead at 12 o'clock can't solve...
 
Kitchen5ink said:
I love my relatevily newly bought BP so much, I am looking to buy the Ultra pro 16m. I'm curious how it compares. I've read that's an even better fealing racket. The BP, I can't fault it for anything it's THE racket for me.
Click to expand...
As already noted, UP is lower on power but has a significantly softer flexier feel than the BP. Some people like that feel "better", some don't. The UP is a bit of a platform racquet that needs lead on the hoop to add plow. Plenty easy to do, so it's a non-issue that in stock form the UP doesn't have the same plow as the BP.
 
Yeah I am going to customize it as I have done with BP. I can see the BP being the "better" racket as we see a lot of pros using it ( or something close to it anyway) compared to the ultra.
But I'm all for a good and classic feeling racket. Plus the pj is amazing. And everbody rave about classic prestiges and their feel and I 've never hit one. I own the 2023 Gpro but don't find it that special in feeling tbh.
 
I had a hitting session with my new UP 16m today. I had added 2 grams each at 3,9 and 12. and a 15 grams added in the handle. Roughly the same weight as my BP ( 349g ) And strung it with alu rough 1.30 @52/50 lbs.
Honestly I didn't like the racket at all. It's very difficult to use. The power level was so low. I netted so many balls at the beginning. it also had a board like feel to it. By comparison the BP and RF97 are a breeze to play with and they have better feel too IMO. I'll be experimenting with lower tensons and different strings , but for now I'm disappointed,
 
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MSUspartans777 said:
Could someone breakdown the difference between the H22 and KBlade molds?
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The kBlade is esentially close to the newer, regular Blade molds - 21.x mm beam with a profile that appears slightly narrower in the hoop.
The k factor version of the Blade had a much different layup though, which is still loved by pros. Stiffer, less dampened and a lot more connection to the ball.

H22 is the mold that was also used for the Blade Pro, a box beam which is uniform all the way up to the hoop
much more a classic racquet profile, which was designed to get vintage Radical players on tour (such as Djokovic) to Wilson.
It has nothing to do with a Blade of today, but was just usually painted in those colors for marketing and then also marketed as the Blade Pro later on.
 
Kitchen5ink said:
I had a hitting session with my new UP 16m today. I had added 2 grams each at 3,9 and 12. and a 15 grams added in the handle. Roughly the same weight as my BP ( 349g ) And strung it with alu rough 1.30 gauge @52/50 lbs.
Honestly I didn't like the racket at all. It's very difficult to use. The
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Interesting you had this experience, mine was similar with the up 16 which I was interested in to see if it could offer many of the same qualities as the Bp with a bit more manouverability. Interested to hear more about what you didn’t like about it, could you add the end of your post which was cut off?
 
Kitchen5ink said:
Sorry I edited my post.
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Thanks, just had a read and echoes my experience exactly - was also v disappointed and underwhelmed by the racket. Have you tried the new tfight or gravity tour? They seem like the two most interesting alternatives to the bp if looking for some of the same qualities while being slightly easier to swing
 
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