Wilson Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 87

The Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail proved a tad cumbersome and hard to control at times from the baseline. However, this racquet also came with some huge upsides. Troy explained, "I found easy depth from the baseline, even on shorter swings. With its 28-inch length and 341 swingweight, this racquet possessed a hammer-like response that allowed me to crush the ball from the backcourt. The power and reach allowed me to hit offensive shots even when I was in defensive position. The downside was that I had to hold back occasionally when hitting flat put-away shots. The extra power meant I had to add more spin on approach shots to keep the ball from flying long. Topspin was easy to generate, partly because this racquet's generous surface area allowed me to brush up the back of ball with ease. The impressive plow through made it easy to drive through the ball on my backhand slice. I found good directional control, and I could move the ball side-to-side with with good accuracy. The biggest downside for me was that I couldn't find consistency when hitting flatter shots because the ball flew long too often."

"This thing is a beast to swing from the baseline," said Andy, who had to focus on his mechanics to unlock this racquet's considerable charm. He continued, "I really had to be cognizant of getting my shoulders turned and the racquet back early so I could get it through the contact point on time. When I did I was rewarded with great power and spin from all the leverage that this 28-inch frame provides. With the dense string pattern I found I could control my shots pretty well, too! This certainly isn't an easy racquet to swing, and it's not forgiving in any way if you're late with your take back, but boy, can it drive through the ball!"

Although she occasionally had trouble taming the power, Michelle was able to hit some very penetrating balls with the SW104. She said, "I had no issues getting around the ball with this racquet, but it had a bit too much oomph for me when I was attacking or going for a bigger shot. I also found it more demanding at times when I was hitting my backhand. What I loved was how easy it was to get my shots to penetrate the court and push my opponents back, and that's the same thing that made me fall in love with the Federer racquet. That extra plow through was super rewarding. I also appreciated the extra inch and large head size when I was on the run. I felt confident going for a bigger shot when I would normally have to be defensive. It made me realize how Serena can be offensive 90 percent of the time because I felt like I could be, too. A lot of times when I'm on the run I slap a ball down the line and go for a low percentage shot, and with this racquet I was more successful doing that. The Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail was pretty forgiving in that regard. The biggest issue I had was making sure to get the racquet prepared early enough and giving myself bigger targets to work with."

Mark was initially skeptical about being able to handle this racquet's length, but he eventually settled into quite a groove with the SW104. He said, "I knew the 28-inch length would spur some conversations around the office. I typically don't like frames longer than 27.25 inches, so I was curious how this racquet would fit my game. When I started hitting with it I was surprised at how well it complemented my swing from the baseline. I definitely noticed the extra length, both in how the racquet arrived at contact and how the ball jumped off the stringbed. Even with the tight 18x19 string pattern, both my spin and depth were improved. I have played with some older Kneissl frames that were 28 inches long, and I loved how they helped my backhand slice. The SW104 was just as good in this area, if not better. From the back court there was little I couldn't do, and I was able to hit my targets with pace and spin. I put about 25 hours of playtime on the SW Blade 104, and I have to say that this is the best racquet I have ever swung from the baseline. Truth is, I was not expecting to contemplate making this my new frame."

Volleys - Score: 81

As we experienced from the back court, volleying with the Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail was filled with highs and lows. Each player had varying levels of success adjusting to the specs of this racquet. Mark ultimately made his peace with the extra inch. He said, "I loved the Wilson SW104 at net as long as I got set up properly for my volley. Admittedly, handling a volley to the body on the forehand side was sometimes challenging. I just had to remember to get out of my own way for that shot, or to take that volley on the backhand side. There were quite a few volleys on the stretch that I retrieved, where I said to myself, 'That definitely was the 28 inches!'"

Andy had success with the SW104 at net, but he again discovered that attention to mechanics was crucial. He explained, "I really enjoyed this racquet up at net. Once again, I had to make sure I was keeping the racquet out in front of my body and I didn't get caught in a position where I needed to whip it around quickly into position. When my mechanics were good and I kept the ball out in front of me I loved the level of stability and control that the racquet provided. I could generate pace and depth very easily without needing to take a big cut at the ball. In addition, the racquet is very responsive and I felt very connected to my shots, making finesse shots easy as well. As long as you don't get caught with the racquet out of position, this is an awesome racquet to volley with for its control, stability, feel and reach around the net."

Although she had good results on swinging volleys, this racquet's extended length proved a tad difficult for Michelle to handle at the net. She explained, "This might have been where that extra inch of length made this racquet the most demanding. I wouldn't say it was super maneuverable at net. I had no issues with the weight, but I did find the racquet flopping back more than usual on volleys, which was frustrating. I ended up choking up a little bit to keep the racquet a bit more steady. The SW104 didn't have a ton of feel, but I was rewarded when I was attacking or swinging, and the extra reach was awesome. Again, I can see why it works for Serena since she likes to attack and keep her volleys simple and deep."

"I never quite felt dialed-in at net," said Troy. "I think this racquet's muted feel and 28-inch length may have compromised the feedback. Although the extra length extended my reach, I struggled to position the racquet on body shots. Also, when I was hitting drop volleys and short angles I wasn't getting a good feel for the ball, and I couldn't seem to hit my targets consistently. The power and length of this racquet seemed to be best suited for someone who likes to hit swinging volleys (but maybe not for me)."

Serves - Score: 88

Did we mention that this racquet is 28 inches long? The extra length of the Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail factored heavily into our serving experience. As we discovered on groundies and volleys, the payoff for wielding this racquet correctly was huge. Andy explained, "The length of this racquet rewarded me a ton on serve. I'm hard pressed to remember a racquet that could generate the kind of pace I was getting on my first serves during this playtest. I had to be careful not to muscle the racquet up over head - instead I just stayed relaxed, got the racquet moving and let it do all the work. Placement was good, too, as long as I didn't try to do too much with my serve. Spin potential was good as well, but I think it could've been better with a more open string pattern. All in all, after a little adjustment period I was serving very effectively with this racquet and hitting some of the fastest serves I can remember."

Troy also appreciated this racquet's extra power, but he struggled with control. He said, "The SW104 packed a punch on serves. The length of this racquet required some minor adjustments, but it added impressive leverage and power on flat first serves. The higher contact point helped me get more serves in, essentially making me feel taller. Although I was getting a big boost on my first serves, I struggled to find consistency on spin serves. On kick serves especially, I struggled to get the ball to drop inside the service box. The extra length made it harder for me to snap my wrist and get the needed spin on second serves."

Like Troy, Michelle struggled a little with control, but she ultimately figured out how to get the most out of this racquet. She explained, "The first time I served with this racquet I struggled to find my timing and wasn't snapping on top of the ball, which resulted in a lot of serves going out. However, after that I really focused on exploding up and into my serve. That worked, and I was able to blast big serves! Serving into the body was very effective as the ball was coming in hard and flat and would just handcuff my opponents. I really tried to let the racquet do the work for me on my second serve, and I was able to get some serious kick going. I really had to focus on not forcing the power, otherwise I ended up frustrated with a sore shoulder."

This racquet enabled Mark to hit some heavy serves. He said, "The fun and effectiveness with the new SW104 did not cease with the serve. I felt that my serve was heavier than with my standard length frame of choice. Both my opponents and PlaySight data backed that notion up."

Returns - Score: 83

Despite some maneuverability issues, the majority of our playtesters had a positive experience returning serve with the Blade SW104 Autograph Countervail. Not surprisingly, our resident power player, Michelle, was able to hit some big returns with this racquet. She said, "This might have been my favorite stroke with this racquet. The extra length kept me feeling like I wasn't going to get aced, and I really could take a big swing and attack the return, get the reply and put the next ball away. That's my favorite way to play tennis, and it worked great for that. I also found that because it was a bigger racquet (length and racquet face size), when I was jammed by a big serve I could still block the ball back pretty effectively."

Although he struggled at times, Andy definitely appreciated the stability and plow through of this racquet on returns. He explained, "I was returning well when I kept my swings short and compact. The racquet plowed through the ball like a wrecking ball and made it easy to generate pace and depth. Blocking back chip returns deep in the court was simple as well with all that mass behind the shot. However, whenever I tried to take a bigger swing I simply couldn't get the racquet around quick enough."

Troy liked the extra reach and power on his service returns, but he could have used more control and feel. He explained, "I was able to generate easy depth on my returns, even with a compact stroke. When I was stretched out and off balance, this racquet's length allowed me to get returns back that I typically wouldn't with a standard length racquet. When I was able to extend my arms and lengthen my stroke this racquet helped me hit powerful returns. When I wasn't able to get good arm extension, like when I was defending a body serve, I struggled to maneuver this racquet. While playing doubles I wasn't quite getting the control and feel I needed to place my returns effectively. This allowed the net player to pick off my returns. At times I was loving the easy power and depth, but mostly I was frustrated with the lack of consistency on my serve returns."

"Although I felt very effective with the SW104, I found service returns to be a little challenging," said Mark. "This is where I really noticed the extra length and heft of this racquet. For the most part, my backhand and forehand returns were close to being spot on (for me). However, as I found with forehand volleys, I occasionally struggled to position the racquet on body serves."

Overall - Score: 84