Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.9

The Wilson Blade 100 v9 impressed our playtesters from the baseline. Brittany also tested the last three generations of the Blade 100 and has liked each update a little more than the last. She said, "Past generations of the Blade 100 have been very easy for me to use, and I had no adjustment period to the v9. In fact, I found that it plays very similarly to my racquet of choice, the Yonex EZONE 100 (I was going back and forth between the two during some practice sessions). I found a nice blend of power and control from the baseline. I could tap into power when I needed to be aggressive, but I was still able to be precise. I also found myself hitting a deep and heavy ball that kept my opponents pushed back behind the baseline."

Currently using the Head Speed MP, Jason found the Blade 100 v9 an easy racquet to transition to. He said, "The specs are nearly identical to my racquet of choice, so not surprisingly, I really enjoyed it on my groundstrokes. I felt like I could swing the racquet through contact pretty easily to generate power and spin, and it also felt fairly stable. I thought I was able to get some nice shape on my shots with good net clearance. The only slight downside for me was the feel. This update felt a bit more muted, so it was tougher to know if I was hitting a ball in the sweetspot or not."

"I can honestly say that I had a lot of fun testing the new Wilson Blade 100 v9!" added Zsofi. "I thought it was a pretty easy racquet to pick up and play with. It felt forgiving and easy to swing, and I especially enjoyed it on the baseline, where I could really tap into the spin potential of the frame. Another aspect of this racquet that I really liked was the fact it felt a bit stiffer than the previous version (the v8). On paper, the two racquets have the same stiffness rating, but somehow the new version still feels a bit stiffer, which I definitely prefer. Don't get me wrong, this Blade 100 is still soft, but just a tiny bit stiffer than the last version. One more thing to note is that I would have liked a tad bit more control. It felt like the racquet could get a little 'launchy' if I hit the ball nearer the top of the racquet head."

Ana completely fell in love with the Blade 100 v9 from the very first hit. She said, "For both my forehand and my backhand, but especially my backhand, the racquet felt great. My backhand is my weakest shot, but I felt more confident and comfortable with this racquet. I was able to generate a solid amount of spin, power and racquet acceleration while still feeling in control of the ball from the baseline. I do have to say that this Blade 100 generates more power and spin than any Blade in the line that weighs more than 300 grams (unstrung). Despite the extra power, I felt like I could really go for the ball and still make it in. The racquet was very maneuverable and quick to get into position. With the 100-square-inch head size, the Blade 100 v9 not only offers more power, but it's also more forgiving when hitting the ball outside of the sweetspot. Even on shots when I was rather late, I was still able to control the ball and have some intention of where I wanted it to go. Not only did I feel like this racquet worked on my topspin groundstrokes, but it also helped me on my slices and drop shots. So far, the Blade 100 v9 is one of the best racquets I have tried for my game."

Volleys: 8.5

The Blade 100 v9 offers a responsive feel, which allowed our playtest team to finish points up at net with ease. Zsofi is known for her great touch, especially on volleys, and she had nothing but positives to share about the racquet's performance up at net. She described, "I definitely liked hitting volleys with the Blade 100 v9. I was able to maneuver the racquet head very quickly and had a great feel for where my ball was going."

"This racquet felt great for volleys," continued Ana. "I felt like the racquet was very forgiving when going for riskier shots such as angle and put-away volleys; it's easy to lose control on those, but the Blade 100 v9 was firm enough for me to make them consistently. Even though I had to be a little firmer when going for first volleys, the racquet felt stable enough to control the depth of the ball and was not getting pushed back. The Blade 100 v9 did feel easy to maneuver at the net; it was fast on the turning and setting for quick volleys."

Brittany enjoyed playing both singles and doubles with the Blade 100 v9. She said, “The Blade 100 v9 is an extremely versatile racquet. I found that the feel and the maneuverability kept me connected to my volleys, and I was able to pick and choose which volley to hit. This racquet was stable enough that I never felt like it was being pushed around."

Jason didn't find many negatives with the Blade 100 v9, but on volleys he did have one small knock. He explained, "I liked how the racquet performed up at net. It had a nice combination of maneuverability, pop and spin. I also thought it was decently stable with off-center shots, but I could've used just a smidge more weight to help with torsional stability."

Serves: 8.7

Spin seemed to be the common theme among the playtesters when it came to the Wilson Blade 100 v9's serving performance. Ana found effortless spin potential on serves. She said, "The Blade 100 v9 also felt great on serves. I was able to generate a good amount of spin and slice on my serves. It was also quick to get in position, which gave me more confidence and better timing on my serves. My slice serve on the deuce side was probably my favorite shot."

"Serving with the Blade 100 v9 was a breeze," added Jason. "I was able to get enough spin and power on my serves to make them effective. Was I hitting with more power than ever? No, but I don't think I was too hindered by the lack of MPHs. Another positive with this racquet was control. I felt pretty dialed in on hitting my targets."

Nothing special stood out with the Blade 100 v9 for Brittany on serves, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. She explained, "This racquet did everything I needed it to do. I could hit my flat first serve down the T and then carve the next first serve out wide. While there wasn't easy power, I was still able to tap into some extra pace with just a little effort and keep my MPHs up. On second serves, I had to be more conscientious with my racquet head speed and spin because it wasn't as forgiving as some other racquets I prefer, and I would dump the ball in the net if I was a little tight (but that is mostly a personal issue)."

Returns: 8.6

The Wilson Blade 100 v9 features a fast, forgiving response that allowed the playtesters to step in on returns and take control of points. Like with most racquets, Brittany favored returning over serving. She said, "The Blade 100 v9 allowed me to confidently step up to the baseline and attack the serve. I was able to get into a nice groove very quickly and didn't have to make any adjustments, and I could get the ball to dip at my opponents' feet when they served and volleyed in doubles. I also loved flattening the ball out down the line to start the point off on offense. I felt very comfortable from the first return."

"The Blade 100 v9 felt great on my returns," added Ana. "It was quick on the shoulder turn and felt good at the moment of contact when returning fast serves. For second serve returns, I tried to go for heavier spin shots that landed deep in the court, and the Blade 100 v9 was able to help generate those shots with a lot of confidence. Once again, the head size is more forgiving on these types of shots."

Jason had mixed opinions when it came to returns. He said, "I thought the Blade 100 v9 was better for hitting aggressive returns. It swung through the air quickly so I could take bigger cuts at the ball, and the access to spin helped keep my shots in play. I was having a little trouble getting depth on my shots when I blocked or chipped a return back.”

Lastly, Zsofi loved that she could start return points aggressively with the Blade 100 v9. She wrapped up the playtest, saying, "Returns were great, and I was able to take control of the rallies pretty easily with this racquet. I usually like to step in and take a confident swing at my returns, and the Blade 100 v9 allowed me to feel great about that shot." 

Breakdown Summary