With thanks to Wilson Netherlands, Mike has been one of the very first to test the Wilson Shift. Following the worldwide testing results of this prototype racket, Wilson will launch this new racket family in the second half of 2023, at least that is the expectation.
Tested racket/specifications:
Intro:
With the well-known Pro Staff (precision), Blade (control and punch), Ultra (power) and Clash (ease of play and comfort) franchises, you might think Wilson already has a good frame for every player. Yet, a 5th racket family is apparently on its way. The Shift racket series should fall between the Blades and the Ultras. Not as stiff and extremely explosive as the Ultra, and in terms of stability, more towards a Blade, only more forgiving and faster. This Shift racket family should compete with the Head Speed series, among others: a modern racket with a good balance between power, control and speed. So, time for an extensive test!
Baseline:
First of all, let's take a look at the appearance of this prototype Shift racket. It can be said: the pearlescent color scheme with a light gloss looks very sleek. What else stands out is the long throat and the 8 main strings that go through the yoke/throat.
From the baseline, the Shift is a nice fast racket that is easy to get into position. The low balance point reminds a bit of a Clash, but this Wilson Shift is much more stable! The power is more than enough, I must say, but it is easy to control thanks to the 16x20 string pattern. It is understandable what Wilson wants to achieve with this racket: the gap between the Ultra and Blade is quite large. Previously, Wilson still had the Steam series that somewhat filled this gap, but that series has been out of the collection for a while. The Shift should be able to fill this gap, and that is how I experience it myself.
Service:
I am not a huge service cannon myself and I can always appreciate some extra service power from the racket itself. This Wilson Shift delivers well on that. Where the racket is nice and fast from the baseline, it is just as fast when serving. You can easily generate rackethead speed, which allowed me to easily get a full service from it. Very nice! The rotation (spin/slice) was decent, but not above average. But 'big serves' are easy to do with this racket.
Net:
At the net, the Shift is not super stable, but it is wonderfully fast again and with a lot of feel. I had some difficulty with hard incoming balls, but feeling volleys went full conviction and touch. And the racket is super maneuverable thanks to the low balance point, always a nice bonus for quick reflexes.Power/control Wilson Shift:
In terms of power/control, the racket is fairly well balanced. This racket, or rather this Shift racket family, should therefore compete with the Speed series from Head. This version of the Shift (there is also a heavier demo version in circulation - not in the Benelux yet) comes close to the Head Speed MP 2022. I still find the Speed MP itself a bit livelier or with a bit more power. This Shift is faster again and has a bit more touch. Wilson actually strangely does not have a racket family in this area, so I understand well what place the Shift should take in the line-up. But anyway, so plenty of controlled power all in all.
Comfort/arm-friendliness:
I found the comfort of the new Ultra V4 series (thankfully) already greatly improved. Because of this, the Ultra has become even more versatile in my opinion. The Blade, in turn, has a somewhat more direct (and therefore super stable) feel, but is a bit more demanding to play/less forgiving. The comfort of this Shift is simply good, even with a full bed Alu Power. I actually felt my sometimes still sensitive shoulder during and after playing hardly at all.Wilson Shift 2023 bottom line:
The Shift should fill the gap between the Blade and Ultra. A racket for the competitive player, therefore. That should certainly work! The Shift has a nice balance between power and control and all in a super fast package. I am curious about what the final design of the rackets will be, but it is a nice all-rounder. The racket has a nice touch and decent comfort, which is sometimes lacking in some rackets in this genre. A bit more mass and plough-through would have been nicer for me myself, but even in stock form this is a very nice racket. So now just have a little patience... The Shift series should be brought to market halfway through 2023.
