Wilson Blade 98 16×19 V7.0 tested

Mike has had the pleasure of testing the Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0 over the past few weeks! This update to the Blade offers more feel and comfort. A strong contender for racket of the year!

Tested racket:

Brand : Wilson

Model : Blade 98 16x19 V7.0

Blade size : 98 sq/inch

Weight : 305 gr

Balance : 32.0 cm

Stringing pattern : 16x19

Length : 27 inches

RA : 62

Beam : 21mm constant

Stringing : Diadem Solstice Power 17 on 22/22 kg

Tester:

Name : Mike

Playing strength : 4/4

Player type : Classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself

Racket history : Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP, Prince Textreme Warrior 107 , Diadem Elevate 98

Test scores:

Power : 7.5

Control : 8.5

Spin : 8.5

Comfort : 8.5

Agility : 8

Touch : 9

Baseline:

Compared to the Blade 98 18x20 CV , this Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0 is wonderfully solid from the baseline. The 16x19 version offers more spin potential, but the most noticeable is the improved feeling at ball impact. This is due to the low RA value of 62 and the new Feel Flex technology, derived from the Wilson Clash . The racket offers liveliness, a solid impact and stability, allowing you to hit hard without worrying about overheating.

Service:

Serving with this new Blade 98 16x19 was surprisingly easy. The service is not exactly my strongest weapon, but with this racket I served very consistently. Also especially kick serves from the left to the outside went very easily. I have been serving more consistently (and better) with this racket than with my current racket.

Just:

At the net it's a party with this racket! Hard balls are easy to parry due to the good stability of this frame, but also the more refined work like stop volleys went really well. I produced some of my best stop volleys of the season with this Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0!

Power/control Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0:

Fortunately, the Blade sticks to its roots and it is control over power with this racket. This 16x19 Blade is therefore for players with a good full swing and technique. Yet there is plenty of power in it if you let the mass of the racket do its work. The racket has a swingweight of around 325. Yet you do not need enormous muscles to be able to handle this racket. If you play nicely on technique, you can fully utilize the mass of this racket. The control and stability are top, the damping and touch as well. Compared to previous versions, I had more feeling with the ball, but in my opinion also a bit more 'put-away power': the power to easily grab balls to set up a point or to finish it off immediately. A nice balance, where control ultimately wins over power. Fortunately, because it remains a Blade!

Comfort/arm friendliness:

The lower RA value and the Feel Flex technology contribute to perhaps the most comfortable Blade 98 16x19 ever! Clearly improved comfort, without the racket feeling too 'dampened' and you missing the connection with the ball. In short: excellent! The The Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0 is now available in our webshop, including a free string of your choice!

Bottom line:

It's a bold statement, but for me this Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V7.0 is an absolute contender for racket of the year! It is simply an excellent racket. The small, subtle adjustments that Wilson has made to this version of the Blade provide more comfort and more feel. But all this without denying the stability, control and therefore roots of the Blade. Good chance that this will be my new racket!