Does this compromise the unique Blade feel its users have come to covet? Hardly. It’s perhaps a bit crisper at contact, but still exceedingly comfortable and arm-friendly. Undoubtedly a combination of the flex, bending tech and string freedom in the grommets, contact feels highly cushioned. The thin, constant beam offers decent ball connection, although the overall feedback is quite muted.
In terms of performance, it’s also still a Blade. That means it produces from all areas of the court and can suit a variety of playing styles. It has decent pep for a softer-control frame that’s fairly trim on the scale. It’s steady enough to go toe-to-toe on the baseline before injecting pace when the opportunity arises. The 16x19 string pattern is plenty spread to produce deep, spin-laden groundies or carving up the court with angle.
Always an effective serving racquet, deliveries with this Blade seem particularly rowdy. It’s not a natural rocket launcher, but there’s ample horsepower for players who already bring some of their own to the court. Let loose on a flat bomb down the T, throw a slider out wide or twist a kicker up and away, the racquet creates the pace, spin and placement needed to start points on the front foot.
But players don’t flock to the Blade because it’s a bully; its charms lie in its ability to balance aggression with the subtler tactics. So you can follow one of those heavy serves with a punched volley into the open court; take pace off a passing shot and drop it just over the net; or you can stretch out wide when scrambling and hack back a defensive slice that keeps you squarely in the point. It’s just one of the more versatile frames around.
Even with the enhanced stability, advanced players may still choose to add weight to give the frame more heft, and shots a little extra oomph. One of the attractive aspects of the Blade is it tends to be a willing platform for customization. And it appeals to the types of avid tournament players who like to tinker with their frames. Which makes the stricter quality control standards—what took you so long Wilson?—a nice feature for frequent players to more easily match their racquets.
Along the same lines is the Click & Go bumper and grommets which make it easier to replace those parts of the frame. It’s another facet that will players who are constantly playing and restringing to extend the lifespan on their racquets. Although your mileage may vary on neon green staples.
Which also can be said of the new dynamic emerald green cosmetic. Our limited straw poll found mixed results of some players digging the look, while others preferred the previous model. It really depends on how you feel about this particular shade of green, because it’s a lot.
