Tester:
Player Name: Stephan Couzijn
Level: 5/6
Player type: all-court player, eastern grip, one-handed backhand, fairly flat shots
Own racket: Yonex EZONE DR 98 , Wilson Clash 100 , Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour
Racket history: Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95, Wilson Six-One 95, Head Radical, Dunlop Airgel 300 Tour, Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, Wilson Pro Staff 95, Wilson Juice Pro, Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Gravity MP, Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV, Prince Synergy 98 , Babolat Pure Aero VS, Head Extreme Tour, Yonex VCORE 98
Tested racket/specifications:
Brand: Wilson
Model: Shift 99 Pro
Blade size: 99 sq/inch
Weight: 315 gr
Balance: 31.5 cm
Stringing pattern: 18×20
Length : 27 inches
RA: 68
Beam : 23.5 mm
Swingweight: 332
Stringing: Diadem Flash 17 on 22/22 kg
Intro:
In addition to the impressive range of tennis racket lines such as the Pro Staff, Blade, Ultra and Clash, we celebrated the birth of a new racket line in 2023, namely the Wilson Shift with a 300 gram version and a Pro version of 315 grams. This has now been expanded with a Shift 99L of 285 grams . As soon as Wilson comes up with a new line, my tennis heart starts beating faster. After the groundbreaking Clash line, I expect a lot from the Shift series. The Wilson Shift is an innovative line of tennis rackets that is designed from 'scratch' to help players generate maximum spin and controllable power. That immediately reminds me of the Gravity line from Head and the VCore 95/98 line from Yonex, but also my current racket, the Head Extreme Tour .
Building on what they learned from the Clash, Wilson continued their research into flex in their Wilson Labs labs to push the boundaries of racquet construction. Ultimately, the team arrived at a new racquet design and the foundation for the Wilson Shift, increasing lateral flex to align with a player’s swing path for maximum spin, while reducing horizontal flex for power and maintaining torsional stability for control. All in all, a very interesting new line of racquets that should appeal to many modern players, and I’m excited to see how this Shift Pro performs on court.
Racket review:
First of all I think the design with the white ice-like color is beautiful and clearly something new that we have not seen before. In addition, it is noticeable that at the bottom of the blade there are not 6 or 8 strings coming in but 10! A small challenge for Mike during stringing but of course he succeeded. Especially with the Shift Pro with its 18x20 string pattern the 10 incoming strings give a dense pattern in the length. Curious how that feels.
Baseline:
The Wilson Shift Pro feels good in the hand, the frame is not too thick and not too thin and also has a nice grip for my one-handed backhand. So that already feels good. From the first stroke exchanges from the backfield, the Wilson Shift Pro feels very solid and despite its RA value of 68 very friendly on my arm. The swingweight of around 330 grams also feels perfect so I don't feel the need to stick lead. I do notice that the launch angle is slightly higher, which means that my flat strokes sometimes end up just behind the baseline. But by turning my grip a little more towards semi-western, the balls do land with a lot of weight within the lines. Especially from my backhand I can produce deep heavy balls that hurt on the other side and that is exactly what I want! The slice also works out well with the Wilson Shift Pro. Aided by the denser string pattern, my slices fly nicely tight against the lines. But especially noticeable is the control and length in my strokes.
Volleys:
At the net, the Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315 performs just as well as its lighter counterpart, but has a bit more body. The racquet is not as agile with its total weight of 332 grams. On the other hand, there is more mass to stably place hard incoming balls. In terms of accuracy, the Shift 99 Pro does well, the tighter 18x20 string pattern provides more control and prevents overzealous volleys from flying out. Although it is not the best racquet for volleying (I think more like a Pro Staff), the Wilson Shift Pro performs very stably. The extra weight comes in handy when playing with finesse, such as executing a well-placed drop volley.
Serving and returning:
Serving with the Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315 was relatively easy for me. Despite the higher weight, I was able to generate sufficient power. However, it does cost you more energy to really serve hard and to hit a splashing kick. That is not surprising with an 18x20 string pattern and a swingweight of 330. On the other hand, the frame offers a lot of consistency and precision. The properties of this racket are very suitable for strong beginners to advanced players who prefer extra weight and emphasize control.
Although the Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315 is less maneuverable than the 300 model, the balance makes for a lot of maneuverability on the return, I was almost never late to the ball. Furthermore, the extra weight of the frame does a much better job of accurately controlling the pace of incoming balls and remaining stable under pressure, especially in combination with a shortened backswing you can hit hard serves back into the lines with surprising ease. In fact, I think the return is my favorite shot with the Wilson Shift 99 Pro.
Conclusion:
With the release of any new racquet line that pushes the boundaries, there is always the risk that the final product will not live up to expectations. However, after the success of their Clash racquets, Wilson’s investment in the flex of their racquets continues to pay off, with the Shift family delivering on expectations. Within the Wilson lineup, I find the Shift to sit between the Blade and Clash, not as control-oriented as the Blade or as powerful as the Clash. In some ways, it is a happy medium, offering players a completely new and appealing alternative.
With smaller 99” heads and a strung weight ranging from 318g for the lighter Shift to 332g for the Pro, these racquets are well suited to intermediate to advanced players looking for a balance of control and power with an emphasis on spin (especially with the lighter Shift) that enhances precision. While the slim frame and spin-enhancing features may entice beginners, I’d encourage them to look elsewhere for a more user-friendly option that weighs less and has a larger head for maximum fun and ease of learning. In terms of comfort, the Shift racquets hold their own, and I’d say they’re better than their RA ratings suggest. That said, they wouldn’t be my first recommendation for players looking to switch to a more forgiving blade, with the Clash line making more sense for them.
Bottom line, the Wilson Shift 99 300 and Shift 99 Pro 315 are two excellent additions to Wilson's lineup that don't heavily overlap with either existing line, creating a new and attractive option for the modern game.
The Wilson Shift 99 Pro is now available in our webshop, strung for free with a string of your choice.