soulfree914
Rookie
Mostly in the 47-50 lbs range. Much softer polys than 4G. My body parts just don’t like stiffness lol.
Wilson Shift 300 16x20
- Thread starter Aestheticsaboveallelse
- Start date
soulfree914
Rookie
I have a set of Wasabi that I never tried before. I may try that as suggested or Ice Code. The latter is firm but provides good pocketing and comfort for a poly from what I remember. Bonus: makes everything white that may throw off the opponent!
Chris Wilson
Rookie
Is Wasabi considered a softer string? I normally use Restring Zero in my Shift 315, but decided to try Wasabi given all the good press, but it has seemed much harsher than Zero to me. (Also less spin, but good pocketing.) Toroline Ether was noticeably softer than Zero, though.
TwinCinema
Professional
Caviar is softer, Wasabi is more powerful with more access to spin.
Aestheticsaboveallelse
Legend
I think toroline snapper is suppossd to have more pocketing than those
Fighting phoenix
Professional
Okay, haven’t tried it yet.
…. i ve been told that it punches above its weight. It has plow and doesn’t feel light and hollow like most light racquets. Tomorrow i ll demo it.
TwinCinema
Professional
Wasabi is pretty powerful; go a little higher than you normally wood. I started at 49/46 and it was too trampoline-y. My stick is now at the stringer with a new set that's gonna be 52/49. I think that'll be perfect.
I've definitely been sleeping on the Shift. I've had a Shift 300 in my bags for probably 5 weeks and finally got around to hitting with it. It belongs to a friend of mine, he is using the Shift Pro (which I also tested today), so he loaned it to me - I've been trying to find a more modern racket to add to my bag.
The racket felt ridiculously light, almost like swinging a light or team racket, but with a lot more power. I had to check twice to make sure it wasn't the 99L. It was a spin monster for me, I don't think I've generated that much spin, ever. It had a high launch angle, but I had trouble dialing it down, struggling a little when I would try to flatten out my shots. I would say that the racket was originally strung in the high 50s, but I usually get mine at 48-50#. The racket also didn't seem very stable against heavier balls, and I was getting this residual vibration from the racket. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, more like a heavy + slow short duration vibration.
I also picked up the Shift Pro, and it too felt ridiculously light to swing, despite having a much higher average swing weight. I am currently using a TI.Radical w/ a leather grip, which I've felt a bit sluggish with lately (thinking of replacing it with a synthetic grip as I build back up my strength after a long layoff), but with the Shift Pro I felt like I could swing it for days w/o getting fatigued. The Pro eliminated the stability issues, as expected. And it did not have that residual vibration effect from the 300.
I think I prefer the 300 a little more than the Pro, I really like that it is "under spec" compared to other similar rackets to allow for that customization. I'm thinking restringing w/ my preferred tension and playing around w/ a bit of lead for stability will be my next test for this.
The racket felt ridiculously light, almost like swinging a light or team racket, but with a lot more power. I had to check twice to make sure it wasn't the 99L. It was a spin monster for me, I don't think I've generated that much spin, ever. It had a high launch angle, but I had trouble dialing it down, struggling a little when I would try to flatten out my shots. I would say that the racket was originally strung in the high 50s, but I usually get mine at 48-50#. The racket also didn't seem very stable against heavier balls, and I was getting this residual vibration from the racket. It wasn't an uncomfortable feeling, more like a heavy + slow short duration vibration.
I also picked up the Shift Pro, and it too felt ridiculously light to swing, despite having a much higher average swing weight. I am currently using a TI.Radical w/ a leather grip, which I've felt a bit sluggish with lately (thinking of replacing it with a synthetic grip as I build back up my strength after a long layoff), but with the Shift Pro I felt like I could swing it for days w/o getting fatigued. The Pro eliminated the stability issues, as expected. And it did not have that residual vibration effect from the 300.
I think I prefer the 300 a little more than the Pro, I really like that it is "under spec" compared to other similar rackets to allow for that customization. I'm thinking restringing w/ my preferred tension and playing around w/ a bit of lead for stability will be my next test for this.
forzamr_b
Rookie
When I demoed the 99 in stock form I experienced the same stability issues and expected that I would need to add weight to 3 & 9. When I got my own, I replaced the stock grip with leather and an overgrip and surprisingly that was enough to resolve the stability issues. You can consider trying the same.
Yep, I intend to at least add a little lead, neither one of us had any in our bags. I have a leather grip on my TI.Radical MP (I've pretty much played with one as far back as high school), but I am just getting back into the game after almost 10 years off. I've heard a lot of people recommend it for the Shift, and while I have always preferred weight in the handle, I noticed that I was getting fatigued quicker. So I'm a little hesitant with the leather before I build back up my strength.
forzamr_b
Rookie
I’m not familiar with the specs of your radical, but my Shift mods including 1.5g in the butt cap brought the static weight to 329.5g and swing weight to 325.
To my Shift 99 I added a leather grip and one 6 inch strip of lead tape under the grommets each at 3 and 9 (total of 3 grams). Total static weight is now around 335 grams with overgrip and dampener. These modifications brought the SW up to 325 (seems to be a magic number for many who use the Shift 99) and eliminated the stability issues I initially had with it in stock form.
forzamr_b
Rookie
I demo-ed a friend’s 2024 Speed MP for 5mins. Having bought 3 PS Xs recently, I had to stop before I “strayed” hahaha. It felt that good.
Compared to the Shift 300, the MP has a larger sweet spot, better stability, easier power, softer and flexier too. In stock form, the MP is a much better racket.
Bumping this thread.
Anyone out there main'ing this stick that can offer their input as to how the Shift (either 99 or Pro) has panned out for you? Wouldn't hurt to mention your level, either. What have been your likes and dislikes? Do you find it erratic, as it's been purported to be, on certain shots, especially when flattening out? Or is it all unicorns and rainbows? Genuinely curious.
Thanks in advance.
Anyone out there main'ing this stick that can offer their input as to how the Shift (either 99 or Pro) has panned out for you? Wouldn't hurt to mention your level, either. What have been your likes and dislikes? Do you find it erratic, as it's been purported to be, on certain shots, especially when flattening out? Or is it all unicorns and rainbows? Genuinely curious.
Thanks in advance.
leojramirez
Rookie
Used it for a month. Play 5-6 times a week on clay. My level, 4.5-5? I’m training with a div3 player from a uni in Texas this summer. We train very well but he always beats me in sets.
I wouldn’t say erratic, it just didn’t suit my swing style. I felt i had to shorten my swing to not hit long. I normally can accommodate to new rackets easily but this one was tough, never played constantly with such type of frame before. Beam feels thick but not sluggish. Serves were great and drop shots too for whatever reason. I normally gravitate towards softer frames but this feels pretty comfortable, feels stiff but in a good way. Ultimately I lacked confidence on matches so selling mine to a mate.
Dream would be to make these 22mm beam and slightly tighter pattern and obviously ditch the all white with orange details, totally copied the pure strike color scheme.
Thanks, Leo. I take it the Blade 100 v9 has been a much more reasonable middle ground for you? (I just held one in my hand yesterday, both unstrung and a shop demo strung - good swing feel, also interesting slight "kink" on the outer hoop at 5 and 7 on the Blade 100 - kind of reminds me of the Prince Triple Threat Warrior Midplus, it had the same thing. But that's just aesthetics. How the frame plays is of course mostly what matters.
jered
Rookie
I'm 3.5 level coming from a Pro Staff. I find the Shift to fit my play style well. I hit with a lot of spin and I'm highly aggressive. I find this to be fairly forgiving and easy to wield and have been playing with it exclusively for the past year. I loved the Pro Staff but I'm frankly not precise enough to get what I need out of it in the heat of a match. The Shift has as great sweet spot and very good spin potential. I think it's a good balance of things and not necessarily the best at any one thing. I really like it personally but I wouldn't say its for everyone. I have both the regular version and the Pro and I slightly prefer the regular version for the easier power.
leojramirez
Rookie
Yes, super reliable, its the type of frame you really can't blame for your miss hits and lazy footwork. I string it with Lynx 1.25 at 23kg and have 2g weight on the tip and 2g under the buttcap, I still wish it had a bit more power but thats me. I'm going back to 1.20 strings soon and might add a gram more at 12 to try to get that bit more power I want.
Connor35
Professional
3.5 here and I love it.
I've received so many compliments on my inside-out forehand since switching. I have such confidence to hit a big top spin cross course, especially from that side.
I also love a short ball on the deuce side and feel so comfortable hitting a huge put-away shot at a crazy angle, knowing my ball will dive down in thanks to all the top spin.
I bought a total of 3 of the beta-model 300. I'd heard that the factory models didn't change much, but I loved the 300 test model so much, I didn't want to take any chances.
I've received so many compliments on my inside-out forehand since switching. I have such confidence to hit a big top spin cross course, especially from that side.
I also love a short ball on the deuce side and feel so comfortable hitting a huge put-away shot at a crazy angle, knowing my ball will dive down in thanks to all the top spin.
I bought a total of 3 of the beta-model 300. I'd heard that the factory models didn't change much, but I loved the 300 test model so much, I didn't want to take any chances.
Chris Wilson
Rookie
I've used the Shift Pro now for awhile and love it. First time in a long while that I haven't been tempted to look around for other rackets! I don't find it to be erratic at all. I like the regular Shift too (I have one in the bag), but I find the Pro to be better at hitting flat (but still with easy access to spin) and a lot more stable (especially at the net). Its slice is amazing too. I also hit a much heavier ball with the Pro than the regular; the added heft helps there I assume. Swinging out with the regular Shift often results in more loop than I want. (I string it with either Restring Zero or Super Toro. The latter is currently my favorite.) Before the Shift, I used the Blade Pro, and before that a weighted-up Dunlop CX. The Shift is a lot more forgiving than both of those. I actually found the BP to be the least predictable of the lot; it was lighter than my Shift Pro, but much harder to swing (different balance point, I guess), and I suspect it made me a fraction late sometimes.
@jered @leojramirez @Connor35 and @Chris Wilson - Thanks for all your feedback. Curious, how many of you guys hit with extreme southwestern / western forehands, and/or fairly spinny backhands? Trying to gauge how much a flatter-hitting eastern/extreme eastern forehand and flatter OHBH may or may not gel with the Shift 99/Pro. TIA!
TheBoom
Hall of Fame
I’ll just add to what others have said. I’m ~4.5/5.0 hit with semi-western forehand, my backhand is pretty flat.
If you hit flat, I honestly wouldn’t even look at the non-pro 99. It wants you to hit topspin really bad, and my backhand felt too unpredictable.
What I find so great about the 99 pro is that while the string pattern is dense and it definitely isn’t as spin friendly as the 99, it still offers a ton of spin on command. The difference is that, it‘s there when you choose to access it. It’s great for me because I find rackets where I’m comfortable on both wings because of the difference in spin on each side.
I will caution that it is fairly hefty to swing. I think it’s the thick(er) beam than I prefer plus the mid 330’s swing weight. That isn’t to say you can’t hit a OHBH, but if you like a faster racket, this one won’t be it. Conversely, I think it’s one of the most stable rackets in stock form that I’ve hit with. Absolutely nothing pushes it around so in that sense, if you can get it moving, it’d be a great option for a OHBH.
Can’t wait to hear about your experience if you choose to try it. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions I can help with. I absolutely love the racket and don’t plan on switching for a long time
Chris Wilson
Rookie
I'd echo just about everything TheBoom said. My forehand is noticeably spinnier than it used to be (with the Blade Pro or CX) with a semi-western grip, but still very easy to flatten out. For me this sets it apart from spin frames like the Aero, which don't seem to deal with flat balls quite as well. My double hander backhand is generally a pretty flat shot (or at least, more of a drive with some topspin than a loopy topspin shot), and the Pro works well with it. The spin is readily available if I try for it, though. The slice is fantastic, too. FWIW, I do occasionally hit one-handers with it for fun and find it works well.
As for the swing weight, I actually find the Shift Pro a lot easier to swing than the Blade Pro or the Pro Staff X, but the swingweight is up there. The big benefit is the stability and mass-based power.
As I mentioned, I also really love this racket, and it's the first time in a long while that I haven't been tempted to switch to anything. A couple of my Yonex Ezone buddies have tried it and eye it enviously now every time we play, but I've hit with their frames too, and after getting no spin with the ezone, no thanks!
@Connor35, @TheBoom and @Chris Wilson – Thank you again! Your straight-up, no-frills feedback is gold, for me and others.
Sounds like the Shift Pro, at the lowest spec possible (via matching service) without being a total unicorn, might be the ticket. Given that a full bed of 1.20-ish poly would probably add 30-ish to 33-ish swing weight points, I'm thinking my ideal unstrung swing weight should be <=300, ideally <= upper-290's. I don't know if that's even in the realm of possible with the Pro, but I may just get the itch enough to see what kind of inventory is actually out there with TW/TE/T-P and others. On the flip side, I also understand that you don't want to look for such a low-spec Pro that is loses too much of its trademark stability and unshakable-ness, but at the same time I need it to be "flickable" enough for my one-hander, and I've grown to know that much beyond low 330's strung swing weight (at 31.5-32 -ish cm balance), the point of diminishing return starts to arrive quickly, so I would hope a spec just below that would be doable, while still retaining the bulk of the Pro's plow and stability. We shall see.
Once again, though, thank you guys for your feedback!
Sounds like the Shift Pro, at the lowest spec possible (via matching service) without being a total unicorn, might be the ticket. Given that a full bed of 1.20-ish poly would probably add 30-ish to 33-ish swing weight points, I'm thinking my ideal unstrung swing weight should be <=300, ideally <= upper-290's. I don't know if that's even in the realm of possible with the Pro, but I may just get the itch enough to see what kind of inventory is actually out there with TW/TE/T-P and others. On the flip side, I also understand that you don't want to look for such a low-spec Pro that is loses too much of its trademark stability and unshakable-ness, but at the same time I need it to be "flickable" enough for my one-hander, and I've grown to know that much beyond low 330's strung swing weight (at 31.5-32 -ish cm balance), the point of diminishing return starts to arrive quickly, so I would hope a spec just below that would be doable, while still retaining the bulk of the Pro's plow and stability. We shall see.
Once again, though, thank you guys for your feedback!
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andytennis123
New User
Do you guys find that the shift’s mains move more than other racquets? For the shift 300 16x20. My main strings move quite a bit after a second hitting session. I’m considering restring zero for this specific reason
Connor35
Professional
I haven't, and I string relatively low (47/44)
soulkeeper
New User
Recently bought this racket (us open edition)...strung with super smash orange 1.23mm at 23kg (35dt)...added an overgrip...weight at 318gr (came at 301gr unstrung)...
Both me and my son (14y) loved the feeling first hitting from service line (mini tennis)...(new babolat team balls)...as soon as we moved to baseline rallies , find the feel too hollow...
He is using rafa 290gr with hyper g 1.20 and I mainly use aero vs (latest) with gut 1.3/luxilon original 1.3..
Can this hollowness come from an underspeced swing weight? To all of the reviews I've seen ,I didn't find anyone mentioning ...Maybe the combination of the racket/strings? (Although Nick from Intuitive tennis seems to use this setup)...also,I've used super smash with other rackets and I don't get that feeling...
Also,added 1g each at 10 and 2 ,but I didn't notice any improvement..
Both me and my son (14y) loved the feeling first hitting from service line (mini tennis)...(new babolat team balls)...as soon as we moved to baseline rallies , find the feel too hollow...
He is using rafa 290gr with hyper g 1.20 and I mainly use aero vs (latest) with gut 1.3/luxilon original 1.3..
Can this hollowness come from an underspeced swing weight? To all of the reviews I've seen ,I didn't find anyone mentioning ...Maybe the combination of the racket/strings? (Although Nick from Intuitive tennis seems to use this setup)...also,I've used super smash with other rackets and I don't get that feeling...
Also,added 1g each at 10 and 2 ,but I didn't notice any improvement..
heavyD
Professional
I picked up a US Open edition as well. I quite liked it but the more I used it the more my arm started to get sensitive and then my wrist started hurting and I've never had wrist issues ever so I had to drop it. It's a shame because I liked it on serve and 1HBH and spin generation. There's just something about it that even though it didn't feel like Babolat stiff, something about the frame bothers my arm and especially wrist.
soulkeeper
New User
Long time GPro user here.
Due to my lack of fitness, bought this one on a whim.
Tried it out, liked it. It came with 301gr. Added in total 5gr on 3&9, and 2gr on 12. SW is now 326 with strings. Haven't counter balanced at all.
Really like it. Great volley stick, excellent on my forehand.
Due to my lack of fitness, bought this one on a whim.
Tried it out, liked it. It came with 301gr. Added in total 5gr on 3&9, and 2gr on 12. SW is now 326 with strings. Haven't counter balanced at all.
Really like it. Great volley stick, excellent on my forehand.
heavyD
Professional
It's not a plush feeling racquet but I wouldn't say it had Babolat like stiff/hollow feel. I hit with a lot of spin which is the wheelhouse for this frame. For whatever reason, using this frame hurts my wrist otherwise I would have no issues continuing to play with it.
soulkeeper
New User
Also happened to me...first time in 4years I am playing,I got slightly slightly upper wrist pain...
