Thanks to Wilson Netherlands, Mike was one of the very first to test the Wilson Shift . Following the worldwide test results of this prototype racket, Wilson will launch this new racket family in the second half of 2023, or so it is expected.
Tested racket/specifications:
Intro:
Wilson has a good frame for every player with the well-known Pro Staff (precision), Blade (control and punch), Ultra (power) and Clash (ease of play and comfort) franchises, you would think. However, a 5th racket family is coming, or so it seems. 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: a modern racket with a good balance between power, control and speed. Time for an extensive test!
Baseline:
First of all, the appearance of this prototype Shift racket. It must be said: the mother-of-pearl color with a light sheen looks very sleek. What is also noticeable is the long heart piece and the 8 length 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 is a bit reminiscent of a Clash, but this Wilson Shift is much more stable! The power is more than sufficient I must say, but it is easy to control partly due to the 16x20 stringing pattern. It is understandable where Wilson wants to go with this racket: the gap between the Ultra and Blade is quite large. Previously, Wilson still had the Steam series that filled this gap somewhat, but that series has been out of the collection for a while. The Shift should be able to fill this gap, 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. That is certainly the case with this Wilson Shift. Where the racket is nice and fast from the baseline, it is the same when serving. You can easily create racket head speed, which made it easy for me to get a full service. Very nice! The rotation (spin/slice) was decent, but not above average. But 'big serves' are easy to do with this racket.
Just:
At the net the Shift is not super stable, but it is wonderfully fast and with a lot of feeling. I had some trouble with hard incoming balls, but feeling volleys went with conviction and touch. And the racket is super manoeuvrable due to the low balance point, always a nice bonus for quick reflexes.Power/control Wilson Shift:
In terms of power/control, the racket is quite 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 find the Speed MP itself a bit more lively as in a bit more power. This Shift is faster again and has a bit more touch. Wilson, strangely enough, does not have a racket family in this corner, so I understand well what place the Shift should take in the line-up. But anyway, so sufficient controlled power all in all.
Comfort/arm friendliness :
I found the comfort of the new Ultra V4 series (fortunately) already improved considerably. As a result, the Ultra has become even more versatile, in my opinion. The Blade in turn has a somewhat more direct (and therefore super stable) playing feel, but is somewhat more spicy to play/less forgiving. The comfort of this Shift is simply good, even with a full bed Alu Power. During and after playing, I actually did not or hardly felt my sometimes still sensitive shoulder.Wilson Shift 2023 bottom line:
The Shift should fill the gap between the Blade and Ultra. A racket for the competitive player. That should definitely work! The Shift has a nice balance between power and control and all that in a super-fast jacket. I'm curious about the final design of the rackets, 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 little more mass and plough-through would have been nicer for me, but even in stock form this is a very nice racket. So now we just have to be patient... The Shift series should be launched on the market in mid-2023.