Racquet Preview: Wilson Clash v3

The DNA of Wilson’s Clash racquet is combining extreme flexibility with best-in-class stability to create a powerful racquet that’s also exceedingly comfortable. It’s a novel approach that results in a wholly unique feel. For its third installment of the franchise, the brand wanted to stay on that pathway while making some strategic deviations to make this Clash the best edition yet.

The first change is the racquet has been softened in key places of bending; specifically throughout the shaft and throat. It is being dubbed SI3D and it’s the culmination of the three bending moments—lateral, horizontal and torsional. It’s a minor tweak, but someone familiar with the racquet will notice the difference. The hope is to bring back more of the feel of the original Clash that was lost with the changes to hoop in the second generation.

“What that does is maintain that soft, yet crisp feel which is kind of the magic of Clash,” says Michael Schaeffer, Wilson’s Global Product Director for Racquet Sports. “But it also, in my opinion, feels faster through the air and more maneuverable.”

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The next alteration is where the weight is distributed throughout the frame. The mass for all but one model has remained the same, but now there’s more of it placed at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions of the hoop. This “Hit Stabilizer” improves the racquet’s torsional stability at contact, which results in a more accurate and reliable shot.

A last new feature is the Click and Go bumper and grommet system. If you look closely at the racquet face, there are a couple of distinct staples located around the 2 and 10 o’clock positions. They may not appear to be much, but they take much of the headache out of removing and replacing the bumper and grommets on the racquet. There’s no longer a need to use a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the frame to ease the install. First introduced in the Wilson Blade v9, it has been well-received by players and racquet retailers.

From an overall line perspective, Wilson also decided to consolidate the core line to four frames 100 square-inch head size and above: 100, 100 Pro, 100 L, 108. Which means the Clash 98 is no longer.

“We realized after two generations, that’s the consumer that’s best-suited to this technology,” says Schaeffer.

They also adjusted the specs on the 100 Pro to be more attractive to the Clash customer. The static weight has dropped from 310g to 305g, but the swing weight is a bit higher. The combination has made the racquet even more forgiving and user-friendly, which is what the Clash is known for.

“It's just easy to play with in general. That’s always been a true reason to believe in the franchise,” says Schaeffer. “It’s one of the racquets we have at demo that if you mesh with it, you mesh with it really quickly. That’s why it’s been one of our most popular franchises for six years running.”

The Clash v3 racquets and new bag line will be available in stores and wilson.com starting January 15.