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Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V9 tested
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Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V9 tested

The new Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V9 tested by Mike. This new version of the Blade offers a little more power and an upgrade in stability. All this while retaining the well-known Blade playing feeling!

Specifications Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V9:

Brand: Wilson Model: Blade 98 16x19 V9 Head size: 98 sq/inch Weight: 305 gr Balance: 32.0 cm Stringing pattern: 16×19 Length: 27 inch RA: approx. 62 Beam: 21 mm Swingweight: 323.5 (our demo) Stringing: Diadem Pro X 16L at 23/22 kg

The new Blade 98 16x19 V9 is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice !

Intro:

Even before the release I had the opportunity to test the new Blade 98 16x19 V9. I have tested all the latest versions of this 98 16x19 version in the recent past with the V7 as my favorite. So I was very curious about this update. Wilson promised a 'sharper Blade' and I have to say: it delivered...! Wilson has made a number of adjustments for this update of the Blade 98 16x19. For example, the RA (stiffness) has been slightly increased. This reached 61 in the previous version and is now heading towards the mid-60s. Quality control should also be increased. The rackets should be closer together in terms of specs (weight, balance and swingweight). Always nice if you, as a competitive player, need multiple rackets, of course. In any case, our demo is neatly on spec, so that is promising. Stablefeel technology should provide more stability and the new bumpers (recognizable by the 2 green grommets at 10 and 2 o'clock) are super easy to change/removable. This is very useful for tuning/matching rackets, but also for replacing the bumper itself in due course.

Baseline:

Enjoy it from the baseline with this new Blade 98 16x19 V9! You can deliver wonderful (controlled) punches and the frame feels super solid. You get out exactly what you put into it, so you will have to deliver yourself in terms of stroke/technique. The racket feels slightly more direct than its predecessor, without being too stiff. I tested this racket in the hall (on carpet) and the balls come off the racket really straight away. Even when you are put under pressure and have to make corners, you do not easily lose control of the ball. The V7 and V8 may have had a little more touch/a softer playing feel, but they performed a little less under pressure than this V9. So that's really nice!

The spin potential is decent - controlled spin I would say. What also struck me is that the racket offers slightly more plow-through (mass in the ball). I quickly noticed this when, for example, cutting my slice backhand. This V9 also has a higher swingweight than the V8. Personally, I prefer my rackets to be around 325 in terms of swing weight: then the racket is sufficiently manoeuvrable, but then you have sufficient mass behind the ball. In that respect, our demo of the Blade 98 16x19 V9 with a swingweight of 323.5 worked very well for me. A great weapon from the baseline all in all!

Service:

I don't know if it was the fast inside track, but I had the feeling that my service with V9 was really better than with its predecessors. I'm not exactly a service person and I have unfortunately had to deal with shoulder problems in the (recent) past, but with this Blade V9 that was no problem at all. I am curious to see how my serves will turn out outside on the clay, especially the kick serve. Slice services from the right to the outside went like a rocket in the fast Fablohal in Haarlem.

Just:

At the net, the Blade 98 16x19 V9 feels super solid and reliable. This racket is not easy to push away. I thought the V7 and V8 versions had a little more touch for feeling volleys such as stop volleys. But steady and reliable on the grid, but definitely agile enough.

Power/control Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V9:

This version (the 98 sq/inch 16x19 variant) of the Blade has always had a strong mix of power and control and fortunately that is no different with the V9. The control of the racket is super nice, especially when it goes a bit faster. Then this racket really holds its own. In terms of power, this Blade has been slightly increased and I feel that this is mainly due to the small increase in RA/stiffness. The excellent mix of power and control makes the Blade so extremely popular and this new version successfully builds on that.

Comfort/arm-friendliness:

Because the racket is so extremely stable, you will not get any annoying vibrations through to the arm. Please note: this remains a tough racket for the advanced player who has enough power and/or has his or her technique well in order. The sweet spot remains relatively nice/compact with this version and with the 18x20 variant that we will review later. But because the racket feels so solid, the comfort is more than decent. However, the racket is slightly brighter than its predecessor. I would say 7.5/10 in terms of comfort.

Wilson Blade 98 16x19 V9 bottom line:

I hadn't mentioned it yet, because I thought I would inform you about the playing characteristics first, but the new Blade V9 really looks great! The racket therefore plays a little more directly than its predecessors, without feeling too stiff. I think the steering (or directional control) has clearly improved and the racket has a fuller playing feeling due to the slightly higher swing weight. The familiar and rock-solid mix of power and control has remained. All together this makes a strong update to an already excellent racket. The new Blade 98 16x19 V9 is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice !
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