Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV tested!

Tested racket:
Brand: Wilson
Model: Blade 98 18/20 CV
Blade size: 98 sq/inch
Weight: 304 gr
Balance: 32.5 cm
Stringing pattern: 18/20
Length: 27 inches
RA: 65
Stringing: Diadem Solstice Power 17 on 22/21 kg

Tester:
Name: Mike
Playing strength: 4/4
Player type: somewhat more classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself. Had shoulder problems until recently
Player's racket history: Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP and the Prince Textreme Warrior 107 .

Innovations and technology:
For 2017 there are a few innovations in this racket. First of all this new Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV feels different in the hand and then I haven't even mentioned how the racket hits. The racket is matte black and has a slightly more 'grippy' structure than his predecessor which simply had a smooth top layer. This gives the racket a very chic look and feel. The bright green color accents at 3 and 9 o'clock in the blade give the racket the well-known Blade look. In all performance rackets, Wilson will make the characteristic colors of that racket line visible at 3 and 9 o'clock in the blade. The 'laser-engraved' Blade logo on the side of the frame makes it complete. So much for the looks of the racket.

The Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV comes from the first racket family with Countervail technology. Next year, this material will also be used in the new Burn series. Countervail is a material that originally comes from the aerospace industry. Bianchi has recently also successfully applied the material in racing bicycles. The addition of a layer of Countervail in the frame structure ensures less shock load on the body, which means the body tires less quickly. This without making concessions to (in this case) the performance such as stability, control and power of a tennis racket.

Baseline:
The Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV plays like a dream from the baseline, just like its predecessors. The racket is incredibly solid, more solid than you would expect from a 304 gram racket. You can parry hard balls with control (and feeling!). In addition, the racket itself also has enough 'punch' to hit hard. What I personally like about this racket is that when you let the racket do the work and therefore play well on technique, you always maintain control over the ball. This when you accelerate a lot yourself, but also when your opponent does this.

One of my other favorite rackets at the moment is the Babolat Pure Strike 16/19 2017 . This racket works with similar specifications (98 sq/inch head, 305 grams, 32.0 balance), only with a 16/19 stringing pattern. This racket offers more spin from the baseline and has a bit more power due to the slightly wider frame construction in the head, as well as the slightly higher RA value (stiffness) of 67. This new Blade 98 18/20 CV offers a bit more control and touch.

The spin potential is okay. With my relatively flat strokes I could use a little bit of extra spin from the frame. In that respect the 16/19 version of this racket would suit my game better. This compact 18/20 string pattern does give extra control. And the string eaters among us will certainly appreciate the extra durability of this string pattern.

Service:
In this respect the Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV differs considerably from my current Prince Textreme Warrior 107. I chose the latter mainly for extra comfort for my shoulder when serving. When serving you clearly notice that the new Blade is a real control racket. With strokes from the baseline I can definitely get away with that, but less so when serving. I clearly had to do a bit more to get speed in my serves. As a result you can notice that the racket is a bit more spicy on my shoulder. So this has more to do with me than with the new Blade 98 18/20 CV. The vibration damping is namely more than fine, but it took me too much effort to get speed in my serve. When it comes to serving, the Babolat Pure Strike 16/19 2017 offers some extra free power.

Slice serves from the right to the outside went very well. The kick serves also cost me a bit more effort. So you do need some muscle to get this racket around!

Just:
In one word: great! The racket felt wonderfully solid at the net. I could put the volleys where I wanted and there is definitely enough touch in this racket for stop volleys. I did not expect this good performance at the net itself, given the 'middle' balance point of 32.5 cm on this racket.

Power/control:
For a control oriented frame, the Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV has a nice 'punch' from the baseline. You can definitely deliver some good hits with this racket. But the great thing about this racket is that you always keep the feeling and control over the ball. So you will not quickly overheat with this racket. This makes it the ideal tool for the big hitters! As mentioned before, the ball feel is also very good. Perhaps the addition of the more dampening Countervail material provides the extra touch. In any case, it is certainly in this racket.

Comfort/arm friendliness:
Compared to the previous BLX versions of this racket, this new Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV certainly has more comfort. The racket feels a bit more dampening. I personally like that very much, although I know that some players swear by more direct feedback from the racket, so that they actually always know where they hit the ball in their blade. Again, this worked great for me. Serving remains a point of attention for me, given my sensitive shoulder. This does not mean that this racket has not improved in terms of comfort.

General impression:
A great update! The Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV is a wonderful racket full of control with a sharp edge. It also offers more than enough power from the baseline. In addition, I find the touch and feel of this racket (apart from the sleek looks) a breath of fresh air to play with. As far as I'm concerned, this racket is a contender for racket of the year together with the Babolat Pure Strike 16/19 2017!

The Wilson Blade 98 18/20 CV is now available in our webshop! The Wilson Blade 98 18/20 2015 version is now available extra cheap.