I know I already told you but I had the same racquet journey (coming from a blade 98) and also like the same racquet (except the solinco that I havent tried) and the best option I found ATe the end was the blade 100 with lead at 3/9 +handle with strings like tourbite soft, 4s, black widow and cyclone orange. 😊
My favorite is the Auxetic Extreme Tour. For me, it checks the most boxes of things I seem to like in a racket. Control, spin, feel, comfort and the ability to hit a wide variety of different shots. I tend to hit a pretty heavy topspin forehand and a one handed backhand and the Auxetic ET allows me to hit all those shots well without aggravating my tennis elbow.
Makes sense. I think for me the reason I didn't gel with the extreme is the kind of slingshot flex of the frame. Whereas the Blade has a nice combo of stringed dwell time with some firmness in the hoop. I found the VCore 98 to be similar to the ET...
I play this racket Auxetic Extreme Tour. What is can add to your description is that it has a good amount of power although its a light racket with little weight in the hoop. I put 1g to 3clok, 1g to 9clolc and 1/2g to 12clock. And you have still a very high racket head speed, and good control. Its somehow a Babolat kinda racket without going crazy Babolat. Its softer on the arm, thats the biggest + for me
I am also a Blade 98 V8 16x19 current racquet of choice. After having tried dozens of rackets, the only contender for a switch that I have left is the vcp 97L weighted up to about 300 - 305g. I have not tried the Percept line yet. I find that it has better directional control on serves, better spin generation, and better touch volleys. The cost is worse court penetration and instability which really shows when trying to return big serves or other heavy shots.
Perfect timing. I'm just about to change from my v6 blades. Wasn't getting enough spin and height over the net with the way I swing. Definitely a flat hitter racket.
My thoughts exactly. I tried adding weight at 3 & 9 which helped with stability, plow & power and will try a more spin oriented string (pls feel free to recommend lol). I would prefer to stay with the Blade if all it takes is a bit of modification @@tantennis
Last time I put ReString Zero in. It increased launch angle and spin (but still not as much as I want), at a cost of losing some penetration through the court. I think it needs to hybrid with slick round cross string tho. Blade stringbed is kinda hard and lock up.
i put a VT Advantec leather grip on my ezone 98 and it fixed all the problems that you seemed to deal with, it stays whippy but feels more solid (please use VT Advantec as it has comfort)
I'm in a similar situation with the Balde 98 v8. My biggest hurdle with other options was beam thickness. Anything that was larger than 23mm was just too slow and thick through the air. Same for 100" racquets...just too much drag on the stick. I came down to two options: Pure Aero 98 Radical MP Auxetic I bought the PA 98 and while I loved how fast it felt, the feeling was pretty bad. Disconnected and board-like. Hard to control too. Small sweet spot. The Radical MP, for me, is the better option in terms of feel. While not as much power as the PA 98, there's more there than the Blade. The only challenge I have with it is controlling return of serve. You do have to cover the ball a bit more on the Radical.
Right? You will appreciate how thin and maneuver it is when trying other rackets. I totally agree with you on the Pure Aero 98. For the radical MP, I have more issues with the spin and launch angle so it’s a no go for me.
Yeah, it's a lower launch angle than the blade, but not a whole lot lower. I think it's more about the dwell time. The ball is off the strings pretty quickly. Tennis Euphoria does a nice comparison video of the Radical and Extreme Tour, as they are very similar frames. Again, though, the serve and overall maneuverability of the Blade is very hard to give up.@@tantennis
@@petershort936 I agree with you totally. The ball launch from the stringbed so fast and it doesn’t go well with my style. I cannot find a way to control that.
Strings may help. I think a firm/soft poly hybrid may work well...something that lets the ball sink in the bed a bit, but still provides some control.@@tantennis
Just from video it does look like you are hitting your best with the Whiteout! Try RS Lyon if you are trying to increase string longevity - it's crazy durable both in tension maintanace and abrasion. If the friction increases I apply a bit of silicone lubricant (with paper towel) and stringbed feels like new again. 25+ hours of hitting easily.
@@agradina I disagree, they are very different. Alu power looks more shiny, feels better up front but loses tension faster and pops about twice as fast as RS Lyon.
I am currently using a weighted up Ezone 98 and am still in love with that stick. I also tried the blade and really wonder why it should be more maneuverable than the Blade. I have the opposite feeling. I recommend trying the Head Radical, that may tick all your boxes to be honest
No, Blade is more maneuverable. Radical is one of not many rackets I can’t play with. It shoots the ball way too early and I can’t gel with such low launch angle.
Hi Tan. Great job on this comparison. Regarding the WO 18x20 string tension issue, it may have been your string choices more so than the frame. TB Soft is notorious for dropping a large initial and gradual amount of tension over time, so IMHO it should just be avoided altogether if tension maintenance is a top priority. HG Soft should have been noticeably better; most accounts say that is has almost identical characteristics to regular HG, but a slightly softer feel. That said, you can stack the tension maintenance odds most in your favor by playing the stiffest polys with the best inherent tension maintenance at the lowest tension you can still control (versus softer poly's at higher tension -- which don't hold tension as well, and starting at higher tension, there is more tension to lose to begin with). To drive adequate feel through the WO's foam filling, I would look to a silver, lightly shaped string, such as Head Lynx Tour Anthracite or Champagne 1.25 or even 1.20, Tourna Silver 7 Tour 1.25 or Gamma AMP Ocho Silver 1.25, all strung around 40-ish, maybe even down into the upper 30's. Or if you want a bit more consistency from the string bed, do a poly/poly hybrid of lightly-shaped mains and round, slick crosses -- Head Hawk works wonder as cross to firmer mains. That approach should take care of your tension maintenance issues pretty much full stop. Best of luck!
Yea partially because of the string. I know the tension drop but on other rackets, it still highly playable. On this frame I was unable to control it once the tension drops. Now it’s on confidential 3.0 at 3rd hour. It’s a stiffer one with great tension maintenance. Will see if it happens again. What you suggest is interesting, I will leave it as my next option. Thanks!
Don't worry about the level - I subscribe to several 4.0-ish level TH-cam channels and I enjoy them very much as its real world tennis rather than ex-pro players which is more difficult to relate to! I just think some real world match play going on in the background when you do your voice over would add another dimension to your videos! @@tantennis
My current racket of choice is speed pro. Maybe a little too thick for my liking but I’ve tried everything under the sun and it’s hard to switch from the speed pro
Do you have Prince Racket selling at your place? In my opinion you may like to try something like Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98/100P. The Speed Pro might be your cup of tea too. Looking forward for your next review!
For ur type of technique zero body into the shots and slow to medium speed u need a medium-fast swing speed racquets radical mp, ezone 100 ,percept 100,head extreme tour,no offens but is like watching slow motion .forget about blade and other advanced racquets.All of this are confortable , have sweetspot generous , no demanding and good control.
I think its fine for him to use advanced racquets. All the balls in his rally and match play seems to come at him at underhand fed ball or slinger machine speed, so he manages to get a clean contact on his shots. His strokes are very slow and has little to no spin just because of the slow racquet head speed, so too powerful racquets will have a problem of sailing far out. His strokes are consistent and he seems to play with people that also doesn't seem to hit with pace so him using advanced control racquets makes sense with the clean contact he makes in his shots.
@@BigBoss-pd9mn control racquets are usually underpowered so u need fast swings to avoid sitting ducks ball or in the net,so maybe an intermediate racquet like speed mp may work
Recently demo'd for a week Blade 98 16*19, Extreme Tour and Boom Pro, looking to move on from my Dunlop Biomimetics 200L (weighted up to 370g) The ET was fun but was very "pingy/twangy" and I started noticing elbow pain for first time in years. (I'm surprised none of the reviews have mentioned this?) With small weights at 10 and 2 plus a shock absorber it played much better but felt a bit less whippy than before. Boom Pro was similar to the ET but with more control, a bit of weight at 3 and 9 again improved the feel and overall felt it was better than ET if very slightly down on spin potential. Given its name I was surprised at how balanced this frame was and could have easily played it as my main stick if there were no other options The Blade had no vices and was overall solid. I added weight but felt it played better stock. Unfortunately the demo strings were not great which may have contributed to lack of spin compared to the other 2. Also had some concerns that it would be hard work towards the end of matches on hot summer afternoons. I played with the original nblade 98 years ago and had fond (although maybe not accurate) memories of how it played and really expected to like the Blade best of all but at this stage as I'm an older player and not exactly improving I think I'll demo the Blade 100 and maybe Dunlop 400 tour to see if they help with spin and free power without sacrificing too much control and maneuverability.
@@tantennis I'm hoping the Blade 100 will help a bit in those areas. Some reviews say it does others say it's almost identical to 98 play wise? I'm assuming you've tried different string setups to maximise spin and power on the blade. I've used hybrid multi/poly to get more pop out of RF97s in the past but obviously full poly bed will have the most spin potential.
@@vidpromjm they are so different rackets. blade 100 feels even chunkier than ezone98. dwell time is longer than blade 98 and ezone. it remembered pure drive to me, just a little bit head heavier. I couldn't hit consistent (spin and depth) with it so sold it very quick. playing with tfight 300 iso now, actually it has what blade98 is missing. consistent and medium launch angle, good spin and power, stability is ok, I just don't like the feel. if has kind of plasticky vibrations on of center shots. if you like blade 100, then you will love dunlop cx400 tour imho.
Great video, I'm have the same blade 98 v8 16x19 and I want to try another racket. Maybe the Pure Aero 100 could be an interesting option to add more spin and power and a more "friendly racket" with a bigger head size, I'm not convinced of the 98 small sweetspot because I'm a beginer/intermediate player. what do you think?
I watched some of your videos and always found a really nice and relaxed style of tennis . I think you should try the Babolat Pure Strike VS which is the best spinning/control 310gr racket around IMHO and with 61/63RA the less stiff between babolats… I own and play all the raquets you mentioned but the Tecnifibre … I really prefer the T4016x19 which I ended buying! More control and with some amount of free power ( less than the stiffer cousin). I prefer among all the raquets the Blade 98 18x20 … I play eastern and OHBH … As I said I watched some of your previous videos and I like your playing but probably is too relaxed if you want to generate good amount of spin from the Blade you would need more hand accelaration , the pace of the rally in general is on the slow side so is difficult to judge how it performs . It would be nice to see some points from You ! Nice content btw , cheers !
I play the previous gen TFight 300 with leather grip. Not much different than current gen. Love it. Switched from eZone a couple months ago. Maybe give that a try?
I see you're still unable to demo Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20, but the standard next best racquet. I play with the XTD but i just ordered standard 18x20 for Doubles play. It seems bit cumbersome in Volleys and quick exchanges with the XTD. But in Singles is very nice, it can handle heavy balls and drive the ball back deep. Currently, using full bed of Zero 17g but i don't check on my tension. Started at 46lbs. I am going with VS Gut in mains and RPM on crosses in my standard 18x20. Let me know your thoughts . Thanks
Yea the XTD version doesn’t come available in my country so it’s not possible to find. I think Zero should work well. The only reason I don’t use it before is the gauge is a bit large, but I will consider using it to see if tension still drops.
If you like the Blade 98 16x19 but need more spin and higher launch angle, you could also check out the Blade 98S V8.0 18x16. I would also be interested in a review of the Blade 98S V8.0 18x16 and how it compares to the 98 16x19 Blade. Thx I like your channel and I just subscribed.
I own both the ezone 98 and blade98, and I am getting into more double matches now. So I am looking for more manoeuvrability and can volley well. I want to decide which one to use, or you have other recommendation for me to try. I might also consider head speed pro
I got the pure aero (rafa but not origin edition) second hand. It came with solinco x natural 17g at 52lbs. I never played with multifiliment before (always poly like rpm) but I love it so much - the racquet and the strings. I've since been restringing my other racquets with full x natural or hybrid (with poly in the crosses) to see what I like best. The pure aero rafa is my favorite racquet I've ever played with (previous racquets were older aeropros and head speed pro 2016 which I still love) I think strings make a huge different as they can compliment the frame or make it feel worse. One of my students loved my pure aero and bought one with poly strings - he loves it but I think it feels a bit hollow with poly and will stick with multifiliment.
@@PeterNordstrom-rd3if yes, string makes a lot differences in feel and how the racket performs. The thing I like about x natural is that it’s an underpowered multi string.
Ezone98 is the easier raquet (power, forgiviness, sweetspot, maneuverability) of your choices and all inch 98 raquets ? more powerfull and sweetspot forgiviness than Vcore98 ? I was playing since 4 year with GravityTour and VcorePro100 and i am thinking change for Vcore98 or Ezone98. Which one is more powerfull and better sweetspot ?
Yea I think it’s in the powerful spectrum of 98 sqin rackets. I would say Vcore 98 is more forgiving and has larger sweetspot. Both are powerful, not sure which one is more powerful but it’s not far from each other.
I had the aero 98, great racquet. I just hate the kiddy paint job. Got a Speed MP. I tightened the strings to 55lb. Control is awesome. decent power, good at everything, cool new paintjob, cant complain.
@@gusgus7794 I use confidential. 16L. It's the only strung I use after rpm blast. Don't feel any stiffness but that might just be me. I started playing tennis on a pure drive.
@@tantennis yeah, the whiteout checks out most boxes. My main concern is higher stiffness rating and heavier swing weight; if play with ezone 100 and have arm issues all the time. That’s why I’m leaning blade. I’m a flat hitter too so it might work out for me?
All the swingweight of rackets in this video are based on my own measurements, not from tenniswarehouse. On their website, it's based on average of the some rackets, which could vary in real life. From my experience, you could get SW of sub 310 to just above 330, based on your luck.
They do make a Tfight ISO 305 in a 18x19. Are you referring to a 16x19 version? Also, on the Technifibre, how is the grip shape? I've heard can be annoying.
I’m referring to Tfight 315 has high static weight, while Tfight 305 has high SW like 340. I just want something in the middle like 305 with lower SW. The grip I think it’s pretty small and round.
I actually have used couple of Vcore 98 in the past. One day I realized that I’m not such fan of its muted feel. Also, I’m in a group of people who don’t find it to have an extra topspin.
@tantennis what would u recommend because i currently play with the ezone 98, and as the games get longer, I tend to struggle with my serve. Would the speed pro be a good racquet to look at? Or what else could be an option?
My experience on that - I've recently pulled out my 18x20 Blade Pro again to compare to my VCore 95...Pro was really (gram-for-gram) inferior in terms of spin and control. Not bad but much harder to play with and also required more weight for comparable stability.
Already tried both of them. Six.one 100 v13 I basically cannot get topspin on the ball and it doesn’t feel like a pro staff at all, the stringbed doesn’t pocket the ball much. Blade 100 is totally fine but I got more power with just little extra topspin and ease on backhand. So I kinda lost depth control a bit. Decided to come back to 98.
Why’s everyone going Solinco?! No!!! Try Yonex prospect. also I am thinking Wilson ps 97L also to add weight. L seems stiffer which I like but lacks weight. Is that why you had the 97L and not regular 97?
I was using a customized PS97L before. It hits great on forehand but it’s difficult to hit a strong 2 handed backhand. That’s why I moved on. I was using a regular PS97 too, but 315g is too much for me.
I second the ultra pro v4, 16x19. not much written about it and i think it's only available from larger shops, but it's an excellent stick. it is nothing like the regular ultra 100 frames, so i don't know why wilson labeled it an ultra.
There's not much sense in doing this switcharoo between rackets soooooo different. If you like the Blade so much you just customize it to improve the CONS you dislike. All though if you have an underpowered backhand stringing soo low than maybe you have a technique issue more than a racket issue. Or you can just switch to a hybrid setup and put a lively multi/gut in the crosses for more power. You can open up the sweetspot a bit with some lead/tungsten at 9 and 3 o clock (and balance with smome in the handle if you wanna keep the same balance). The Blade is a great platform racket to start with if you're advanced and enjoy control more than free power.
I already tried to improve the cons on Blade but it just isn’t enough. Hybrid setup can helps with the backhand yes, but it even lowers the launch angle on forehand and reduce topspin, so it’s a give and take. I don’t want to add any weight as the static weight and SW is already perfect for me. My backhand has issues yes, but the issues completely gone when using a bunch of other rackets. I only have issues with Wilson control frames like Blade and Pro Staff. But when I was using Gravity Pro or Whiteout or Ezone, my backhand is even stronger than forehand. That’s why I’m looking for alternatives.
@@tantennis in that case good luck. PS: if the static weight and SW are already perfect then what are you doing testing 310 and 315 gram static weight rackets for your next choice. It doesn't make sense. Good luck tho.
@@euLIRIC That’s why I ditched the Tfight 315g that I like the most. The reason I will try the Speed Pro is because it’s one of not many rackets that I have never did a review on, and I expect the stringbed should be more predictable than the MP. I’m not saying I will switch to it, let’s see if I can handle 310g. But you never know, if it comes underspec then the static weight will not be much different than 305g and also it comes with more head light as well.
I know I already told you but I had the same racquet journey (coming from a blade 98) and also like the same racquet (except the solinco that I havent tried) and the best option I found ATe the end was the blade 100 with lead at 3/9 +handle with strings like tourbite soft, 4s, black widow and cyclone orange. 😊
My favorite is the Auxetic Extreme Tour. For me, it checks the most boxes of things I seem to like in a racket. Control, spin, feel, comfort and the ability to hit a wide variety of different shots. I tend to hit a pretty heavy topspin forehand and a one handed backhand and the Auxetic ET allows me to hit all those shots well without aggravating my tennis elbow.
Makes sense. I think for me the reason I didn't gel with the extreme is the kind of slingshot flex of the frame. Whereas the Blade has a nice combo of stringed dwell time with some firmness in the hoop. I found the VCore 98 to be similar to the ET...
I play this racket Auxetic Extreme Tour. What is can add to your description is that it has a good amount of power although its a light racket with little weight in the hoop. I put 1g to 3clok, 1g to 9clolc and 1/2g to 12clock. And you have still a very high racket head speed, and good control. Its somehow a Babolat kinda racket without going crazy Babolat. Its softer on the arm, thats the biggest + for me
Might want to try the Blade 100. With a bit of lead at 3 and nine for stability, it performs very well.
I am also a Blade 98 V8 16x19 current racquet of choice. After having tried dozens of rackets, the only contender for a switch that I have left is the vcp 97L weighted up to about 300 - 305g. I have not tried the Percept line yet. I find that it has better directional control on serves, better spin generation, and better touch volleys. The cost is worse court penetration and instability which really shows when trying to return big serves or other heavy shots.
Thanks for the suggestion
Perfect timing. I'm just about to change from my v6 blades. Wasn't getting enough spin and height over the net with the way I swing. Definitely a flat hitter racket.
Yes! But it's really hard to move on from it lol.
My thoughts exactly. I tried adding weight at 3 & 9 which helped with stability, plow & power and will try a more spin oriented string (pls feel free to recommend lol). I would prefer to stay with the Blade if all it takes is a bit of modification @@tantennis
Last time I put ReString Zero in. It increased launch angle and spin (but still not as much as I want), at a cost of losing some penetration through the court. I think it needs to hybrid with slick round cross string tho. Blade stringbed is kinda hard and lock up.
i put a VT Advantec leather grip on my ezone 98 and it fixed all the problems that you seemed to deal with, it stays whippy but feels more solid (please use VT Advantec as it has comfort)
OK!
I'm in a similar situation with the Balde 98 v8. My biggest hurdle with other options was beam thickness. Anything that was larger than 23mm was just too slow and thick through the air. Same for 100" racquets...just too much drag on the stick. I came down to two options:
Pure Aero 98
Radical MP Auxetic
I bought the PA 98 and while I loved how fast it felt, the feeling was pretty bad. Disconnected and board-like. Hard to control too. Small sweet spot.
The Radical MP, for me, is the better option in terms of feel. While not as much power as the PA 98, there's more there than the Blade. The only challenge I have with it is controlling return of serve. You do have to cover the ball a bit more on the Radical.
Right? You will appreciate how thin and maneuver it is when trying other rackets. I totally agree with you on the Pure Aero 98. For the radical MP, I have more issues with the spin and launch angle so it’s a no go for me.
Yeah, it's a lower launch angle than the blade, but not a whole lot lower. I think it's more about the dwell time. The ball is off the strings pretty quickly. Tennis Euphoria does a nice comparison video of the Radical and Extreme Tour, as they are very similar frames. Again, though, the serve and overall maneuverability of the Blade is very hard to give up.@@tantennis
@@petershort936 I agree with you totally. The ball launch from the stringbed so fast and it doesn’t go well with my style. I cannot find a way to control that.
Strings may help. I think a firm/soft poly hybrid may work well...something that lets the ball sink in the bed a bit, but still provides some control.@@tantennis
Just from video it does look like you are hitting your best with the Whiteout!
Try RS Lyon if you are trying to increase string longevity - it's crazy durable both in tension maintanace and abrasion.
If the friction increases I apply a bit of silicone lubricant (with paper towel) and stringbed feels like new again. 25+ hours of hitting easily.
Thanks!!
rs lyon is alu power just with another colour and rebranded.i think u are the last one who didnt know that.
@@agradina I disagree, they are very different. Alu power looks more shiny, feels better up front but loses tension faster and pops about twice as fast as RS Lyon.
I am currently using a weighted up Ezone 98 and am still in love with that stick.
I also tried the blade and really wonder why it should be more maneuverable than the Blade. I have the opposite feeling.
I recommend trying the Head Radical, that may tick all your boxes to be honest
No, Blade is more maneuverable. Radical is one of not many rackets I can’t play with. It shoots the ball way too early and I can’t gel with such low launch angle.
What did you weighed that Ezone with? I have a stock version
@@raulrodrigueznyc I just used lead tape that I have bought on the internet and the swing weight machine of a friend.
Hi Tan. Great job on this comparison.
Regarding the WO 18x20 string tension issue, it may have been your string choices more so than the frame. TB Soft is notorious for dropping a large initial and gradual amount of tension over time, so IMHO it should just be avoided altogether if tension maintenance is a top priority. HG Soft should have been noticeably better; most accounts say that is has almost identical characteristics to regular HG, but a slightly softer feel. That said, you can stack the tension maintenance odds most in your favor by playing the stiffest polys with the best inherent tension maintenance at the lowest tension you can still control (versus softer poly's at higher tension -- which don't hold tension as well, and starting at higher tension, there is more tension to lose to begin with). To drive adequate feel through the WO's foam filling, I would look to a silver, lightly shaped string, such as Head Lynx Tour Anthracite or Champagne 1.25 or even 1.20, Tourna Silver 7 Tour 1.25 or Gamma AMP Ocho Silver 1.25, all strung around 40-ish, maybe even down into the upper 30's. Or if you want a bit more consistency from the string bed, do a poly/poly hybrid of lightly-shaped mains and round, slick crosses -- Head Hawk works wonder as cross to firmer mains. That approach should take care of your tension maintenance issues pretty much full stop. Best of luck!
Yea partially because of the string. I know the tension drop but on other rackets, it still highly playable. On this frame I was unable to control it once the tension drops. Now it’s on confidential 3.0 at 3rd hour. It’s a stiffer one with great tension maintenance. Will see if it happens again. What you suggest is interesting, I will leave it as my next option. Thanks!
Please post a video of you playing some competitive points. Would be a good addition to your channel!
Thanks! Will try my best but I’m not high level tho.
Don't worry about the level - I subscribe to several 4.0-ish level TH-cam channels and I enjoy them very much as its real world tennis rather than ex-pro players which is more difficult to relate to! I just think some real world match play going on in the background when you do your voice over would add another dimension to your videos! @@tantennis
For me, I switched from Wilson blade v6 16x19 no cv seamlessly with head speed pro auxetic. Very easy transition.
I’m excited to try the Speed Pro. Have a good feeling that I gonna like it.
@@tantennis it’s a solid all around racket. I use it in stock form and string it with hyper g 16L at 48lbs
My current racket of choice is speed pro. Maybe a little too thick for my liking but I’ve tried everything under the sun and it’s hard to switch from the speed pro
Do you have Prince Racket selling at your place?
In my opinion you may like to try something like Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98/100P.
The Speed Pro might be your cup of tea too.
Looking forward for your next review!
For ur type of technique zero body into the shots and slow to medium speed u need a medium-fast swing speed racquets radical mp, ezone 100 ,percept 100,head extreme tour,no offens but is like watching slow motion .forget about blade and other advanced racquets.All of this are confortable , have sweetspot generous , no demanding and good control.
None of what you said works for me except Percept 100. Too powerful.
I think its fine for him to use advanced racquets. All the balls in his rally and match play seems to come at him at underhand fed ball or slinger machine speed, so he manages to get a clean contact on his shots. His strokes are very slow and has little to no spin just because of the slow racquet head speed, so too powerful racquets will have a problem of sailing far out.
His strokes are consistent and he seems to play with people that also doesn't seem to hit with pace so him using advanced control racquets makes sense with the clean contact he makes in his shots.
@@BigBoss-pd9mn control racquets are usually underpowered so u need fast swings to avoid sitting ducks ball or in the net,so maybe an intermediate racquet like speed mp may work
Recently demo'd for a week Blade 98 16*19, Extreme Tour and Boom Pro, looking to move on from my Dunlop Biomimetics 200L (weighted up to 370g)
The ET was fun but was very "pingy/twangy" and I started noticing elbow pain for first time in years. (I'm surprised none of the reviews have mentioned this?) With small weights at 10 and 2 plus a shock absorber it played much better but felt a bit less whippy than before.
Boom Pro was similar to the ET but with more control, a bit of weight at 3 and 9 again improved the feel and overall felt it was better than ET if very slightly down on spin potential. Given its name I was surprised at how balanced this frame was and could have easily played it as my main stick if there were no other options
The Blade had no vices and was overall solid. I added weight but felt it played better stock. Unfortunately the demo strings were not great which may have contributed to lack of spin compared to the other 2. Also had some concerns that it would be hard work towards the end of matches on hot summer afternoons.
I played with the original nblade 98 years ago and had fond (although maybe not accurate) memories of how it played and really expected to like the Blade best of all but at this stage as I'm an older player and not exactly improving I think I'll demo the Blade 100 and maybe Dunlop 400 tour to see if they help with spin and free power without sacrificing too much control and maneuverability.
The lack of spin and pop on Blade 98 is the only reason I’m looking for alternatives. Other than that it is a very solid frame.
@@tantennis I'm hoping the Blade 100 will help a bit in those areas. Some reviews say it does others say it's almost identical to 98 play wise? I'm assuming you've tried different string setups to maximise spin and power on the blade. I've used hybrid multi/poly to get more pop out of RF97s in the past but obviously full poly bed will have the most spin potential.
@@vidpromjm they are so different rackets. blade 100 feels even chunkier than ezone98. dwell time is longer than blade 98 and ezone. it remembered pure drive to me, just a little bit head heavier. I couldn't hit consistent (spin and depth) with it so sold it very quick. playing with tfight 300 iso now, actually it has what blade98 is missing. consistent and medium launch angle, good spin and power, stability is ok, I just don't like the feel. if has kind of plasticky vibrations on of center shots. if you like blade 100, then you will love dunlop cx400 tour imho.
Great video, I'm have the same blade 98 v8 16x19 and I want to try another racket. Maybe the Pure Aero 100 could be an interesting option to add more spin and power and a more "friendly racket" with a bigger head size, I'm not convinced of the 98 small sweetspot because I'm a beginer/intermediate player. what do you think?
Of course. Also, try Percept 100 and Gravity MP
Can you please review Prince ATS Textreme Tour 98, which is scored the highest (91) in TW by far. Thanks,
I watched some of your videos and always found a really nice and relaxed style of tennis . I think you should try the Babolat Pure Strike VS which is the best spinning/control 310gr racket around IMHO and with 61/63RA the less stiff between babolats… I own and play all the raquets you mentioned but the Tecnifibre … I really prefer the T4016x19 which I ended buying! More control and with some amount of free power ( less than the stiffer cousin). I prefer among all the raquets the Blade 98 18x20 … I play eastern and OHBH … As I said I watched some of your previous videos and I like your playing but probably is too relaxed if you want to generate good amount of spin from the Blade you would need more hand accelaration , the pace of the rally in general is on the slow side so is difficult to judge how it performs . It would be nice to see some points from You ! Nice content btw , cheers !
Thanks!
I play the previous gen TFight 300 with leather grip. Not much different than current gen. Love it. Switched from eZone a couple months ago. Maybe give that a try?
I tried it a recently and I don’t like it as much as the 315. Probably need that leather grip.
I see you're still unable to demo Whiteout 305 XTD 18x20, but the standard next best racquet. I play with the XTD but i just ordered standard 18x20 for Doubles play. It seems bit cumbersome in Volleys and quick exchanges with the XTD. But in Singles is very nice, it can handle heavy balls and drive the ball back deep. Currently, using full bed of Zero 17g but i don't check on my tension. Started at 46lbs. I am going with VS Gut in mains and RPM on crosses in my standard 18x20. Let me know your thoughts . Thanks
Yea the XTD version doesn’t come available in my country so it’s not possible to find. I think Zero should work well. The only reason I don’t use it before is the gauge is a bit large, but I will consider using it to see if tension still drops.
If you like the Blade 98 16x19 but need more spin and higher launch angle, you could also check out the Blade 98S V8.0 18x16. I would also be interested in a review of the Blade 98S V8.0 18x16 and how it compares to the 98 16x19 Blade. Thx I like your channel and I just subscribed.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Have you tried the Artengo tr960 control tour? It's very much like these rackets. Needs at least 4g at 3 and 9 though
Yes I tried but specs are very unreliable
@@tantennis did you customise it in any way? What was your opionion on it?
Edit: never mind I've found your video 😂😂😂
@@James-qv1dr it’s a lottery ticket. If you get the on spec one then it plays very well. If you get an underspec one its horrible.
I have heard a lot of good things about the Dunlop CX 400 tour. would you consider reviewing that one?
I will
Great...why you didn't include speed pro? How would you compare it with gravity tour auxetic?
I will get one soon. Probably includes it in next video if I like it.
I own both the ezone 98 and blade98, and I am getting into more double matches now. So I am looking for more manoeuvrability and can volley well. I want to decide which one to use, or you have other recommendation for me to try. I might also consider head speed pro
I think Blade is more maneuverable for sure, but Ezone is also ok. For double, I think Ezone 98 would be more versatile.
thanks really clear vid with good info!! Just wondering have you tried the newest pure aero 100 and if so how did it compare to speed mp auxetic?
Yes I did. It’s way more spin and more powerful. It’s firmer and I don’t feel the flex like on the Speed MP.
@@tantennis Thanks!
I got the pure aero (rafa but not origin edition) second hand. It came with solinco x natural 17g at 52lbs. I never played with multifiliment before (always poly like rpm) but I love it so much - the racquet and the strings. I've since been restringing my other racquets with full x natural or hybrid (with poly in the crosses) to see what I like best. The pure aero rafa is my favorite racquet I've ever played with (previous racquets were older aeropros and head speed pro 2016 which I still love) I think strings make a huge different as they can compliment the frame or make it feel worse. One of my students loved my pure aero and bought one with poly strings - he loves it but I think it feels a bit hollow with poly and will stick with multifiliment.
@@PeterNordstrom-rd3if yes, string makes a lot differences in feel and how the racket performs. The thing I like about x natural is that it’s an underpowered multi string.
@@tantennis yes, the x natural feels like hitting a cloud. Great for tennis elbow. Hybrid with a poly for a good mix of feel and power.
Why is the Extreme Tour not on your list?
Which is heavier (strung weight) the blade 98 v8 or the solinco whiteout 18x20 and swing weight
On average I would say whiteout 18x20 is heavier and has higher SW.
@@tantennis thanks. Last question, how about the stiffness?
@@thebeastmtb Blade is noticeably softer than whiteout
i have the blade and head speed, which one is better? I played with both and noticed the speed mp has an unstable head, but it has great spin.
Overall I think Blade is better. But I’m a Blade user so I might be biased.
what strings would u recommend for speed? I use alu power on my blade but it isn't as smooth on speed.
Ezone98 is the easier raquet (power, forgiviness, sweetspot, maneuverability) of your choices and all inch 98 raquets ? more powerfull and sweetspot forgiviness than Vcore98 ?
I was playing since 4 year with GravityTour and VcorePro100 and i am thinking change for Vcore98 or Ezone98. Which one is more powerfull and better sweetspot ?
Yea I think it’s in the powerful spectrum of 98 sqin rackets. I would say Vcore 98 is more forgiving and has larger sweetspot. Both are powerful, not sure which one is more powerful but it’s not far from each other.
what string set up you use on your blade now? i use confi and i feel a bit stiff like a board
Tour bite soft at 46 lbs
I had the aero 98, great racquet. I just hate the kiddy paint job. Got a Speed MP. I tightened the strings to 55lb. Control is awesome. decent power, good at everything, cool new paintjob, cant complain.
What string you using?I also strung my SpeedMP at 55lbs with tour bite but it quite Stiff.
@@gusgus7794 I use confidential. 16L. It's the only strung I use after rpm blast. Don't feel any stiffness but that might just be me. I started playing tennis on a pure drive.
What are your thoughts on blade v8 18x20? If so, do you prefer solinco white out 18x20 or blade 18x20?
I really can’t play with Blade 18x20 due to low launch angle and low spin. I prefer Whiteout 18x20.
@@tantennis yeah, the whiteout checks out most boxes. My main concern is higher stiffness rating and heavier swing weight; if play with ezone 100 and have arm issues all the time. That’s why I’m leaning blade. I’m a flat hitter too so it might work out for me?
@@aneas7 It works for flat hitter as well. But if you have arm issues I would rather go to Blade or Gravity instead.
How is the grip size on the Solinco compared to Yonex? What do you use on the Whiteout and the Ezone
IMO Yonex grip is larger than normal and I don’t really like its shape.
@@tantennis Would you say if you like to use a grip size #2 on Yonex, grip size #3 would be better in your case for Solinco?
@@azure159 No. I like grip 2 on all rackets. Yonex grip 2 is too large for me so I don’t like.
Why in a specs of wilson blade 16x19 swing weight 325 in your video ? In tenniswarehouse the swing weight is 317
All the swingweight of rackets in this video are based on my own measurements, not from tenniswarehouse. On their website, it's based on average of the some rackets, which could vary in real life. From my experience, you could get SW of sub 310 to just above 330, based on your luck.
what about the ezone 98?
What about it?
I think Radical pro is great for alternative.
Pure aero 98 and Radical MP are too stiff for Blader…
They do make a Tfight ISO 305 in a 18x19. Are you referring to a 16x19 version? Also, on the Technifibre, how is the grip shape? I've heard can be annoying.
I’m referring to Tfight 315 has high static weight, while Tfight 305 has high SW like 340. I just want something in the middle like 305 with lower SW. The grip I think it’s pretty small and round.
@@tantennis Make sense! How about the TF40 16x19?
why not Head gravity Tour?
Topspin and launch angle are even worst on the gravity tour and it’s not as stable. So, it does not really solve my issues.
try the angell k7 lime and dunlop cx 200 tour 18x20. theyre better than the blade i in my opinion. best 18x20 with maximum control
I can’t find the angell here but cx200 probably. Thanks!
Why didn't you consider the Yonex VCore 98? I am debating between the pure aero 98 and the vcore 98.
I actually have used couple of Vcore 98 in the past. One day I realized that I’m not such fan of its muted feel. Also, I’m in a group of people who don’t find it to have an extra topspin.
Thanks, your videos are very helpful!@@tantennis
Why not Yonex Vcore 98?
What version of the ezone 98 is that because my personal ezone is 323 grams
It’s Naomi Osaka version of Ezone 98 305g
@@tantennis the regna?
@tantennis what would u recommend because i currently play with the ezone 98, and as the games get longer, I tend to struggle with my serve. Would the speed pro be a good racquet to look at? Or what else could be an option?
@@hershsingh1149 On the top of my head, Vcore 98 and Shift 99 have great power and spin on serves.
@tantennis I have played with the shift, and for some reason, it really didn't click with me. I might have to retry the vcore 98, though
Tan…. What are you playing with right now? strings and tension? 🎾
Percept 100D with tour bite soft 46 lbs
@@tantennis I tried the 100 D… soft, not maneuverable,no pop…. I like my Shift 99. 300. more…. I think I would prefer the Blade 98, too..
@@johnnacke4134 Whattt I think it pop a lot. Need to string low tho.
@@tantennis TAN: what do you think about the Blade 98 16x 19… ? They are cheaper now, so I’m thinking of buying one..
@@johnnacke4134 Defitnitely go for it. Blade is probably one of the most (almost) complete racket.
in your opinion, which raquet is the most "wristy"?
Do your game and wrist a favor - don't try to actively wrist anything.
I would say Extreme tour and Shift 99
What's with the Head Extreme Tour?
The shock strangely hurts my palm so I ruled it out lol
also have problem with my wrist with mp version..has to sell it out..now I suprisingly consider Prince beast as the best..@@tantennis
Why not the Pro Staff X? 🙂
Because it’s 315. And among the 315 I like Tfight the most.
what about the blade Pro?
Quite demanding.
My experience on that - I've recently pulled out my 18x20 Blade Pro again to compare to my VCore 95...Pro was really (gram-for-gram) inferior in terms of spin and control. Not bad but much harder to play with and also required more weight for comparable stability.
It’s too much for me to handle
true @@tantennis
No Gravity line rackets?
Nope. The only one I like is the Gravity Pro.
Is the sweetspot of Blade similar to RF97? Does T-Fight 300 ISO have larger sweetspot? Could You compare Aero VS with 300 ISO, please?
I think RF97 is smaller
my friend what raquet you use now? 02.2024
Now use Percept 100D most often
hi is tension maintenance still a problem with the solicno whiteout? thanks!
Wilson pro staff 100 V13..Blade 100 V8..Try them.
Already tried both of them. Six.one 100 v13 I basically cannot get topspin on the ball and it doesn’t feel like a pro staff at all, the stringbed doesn’t pocket the ball much. Blade 100 is totally fine but I got more power with just little extra topspin and ease on backhand. So I kinda lost depth control a bit. Decided to come back to 98.
Why’s everyone going Solinco?! No!!! Try Yonex prospect. also I am thinking Wilson ps 97L also to add weight. L seems stiffer which I like but lacks weight. Is that why you had the 97L and not regular 97?
I was using a customized PS97L before. It hits great on forehand but it’s difficult to hit a strong 2 handed backhand. That’s why I moved on. I was using a regular PS97 too, but 315g is too much for me.
Try ultra pro 16x19
Soon I will
I second the ultra pro v4, 16x19. not much written about it and i think it's only available from larger shops, but it's an excellent stick. it is nothing like the regular ultra 100 frames, so i don't know why wilson labeled it an ultra.
There's not much sense in doing this switcharoo between rackets soooooo different. If you like the Blade so much you just customize it to improve the CONS you dislike. All though if you have an underpowered backhand stringing soo low than maybe you have a technique issue more than a racket issue. Or you can just switch to a hybrid setup and put a lively multi/gut in the crosses for more power. You can open up the sweetspot a bit with some lead/tungsten at 9 and 3 o clock (and balance with smome in the handle if you wanna keep the same balance). The Blade is a great platform racket to start with if you're advanced and enjoy control more than free power.
I already tried to improve the cons on Blade but it just isn’t enough. Hybrid setup can helps with the backhand yes, but it even lowers the launch angle on forehand and reduce topspin, so it’s a give and take. I don’t want to add any weight as the static weight and SW is already perfect for me. My backhand has issues yes, but the issues completely gone when using a bunch of other rackets. I only have issues with Wilson control frames like Blade and Pro Staff. But when I was using Gravity Pro or Whiteout or Ezone, my backhand is even stronger than forehand. That’s why I’m looking for alternatives.
@@tantennis in that case good luck. PS: if the static weight and SW are already perfect then what are you doing testing 310 and 315 gram static weight rackets for your next choice. It doesn't make sense. Good luck tho.
@@euLIRIC That’s why I ditched the Tfight 315g that I like the most. The reason I will try the Speed Pro is because it’s one of not many rackets that I have never did a review on, and I expect the stringbed should be more predictable than the MP. I’m not saying I will switch to it, let’s see if I can handle 310g. But you never know, if it comes underspec then the static weight will not be much different than 305g and also it comes with more head light as well.
I wonder Speed MP.
Wassup?
God he’s annoying.
Then why are you here?