Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

When it came to striking balls off the ground, our playtesters found the Blade 98 18x20 v7 plush and stable, with easy access to plow through. "The comfort really stood out with this update," began Troy. "It felt very smooth and plush on contact. This is likely the most comfortable Blade 98 since the original Wilson nCode nBlade 98. The swingweight has always been pretty close to my preferred spec, but this version felt just about perfect. I was timing the ball very well off both sides, and I found I could swing freely without second-guessing where the ball would land. My slice felt very smooth, and balls came off the racquet with a lot of pace and depth. Having used a 16x19 string pattern for the past year with my Yonex VCORE Pro 97 (330), I had to adjust slightly at the beginning of this playtest. This wasn't a huge deal since we recently wrapped up the review of the Head Graphene 360+ Gravity Pro, which also had a dense string pattern, but I noticed a naturally lower launch angle from the baseline. Although this Blade 98 18x20 v7 possessed loads of control, there was a nice 'pop' to the ball exiting the stringbed, and I found enough mass and power to penetrate the court with my shots."

"I have never really gelled with the Blade line of racquets," said Michelle. "I know they are great racquets that a lot of top players use, but they just have never been for me. I also want to add that I was one of the few who didn't mind the Countervail in the previous generation. With all that being said, I really enjoyed the updated feel and spec of this Blade 98 18x20 v7. The tighter pattern came equipped with a pretty hefty swingweight, and it was loaded with stability. I felt pretty connected to the ball at contact and had no problems swinging fast and hitting my shots deep and flat. I loved drilling with it since I could bash balls consistently and was able to really key in on my timing. It was fun to take balls on the rise and attack, and transitioning from offense to defense was a cinch. I could stab at balls that were out of my reach and get them deep enough to allow myself to get back into the point. The directional control was solid, and the stringbed was relatively forgiving. I felt in command of points with this racquet, and I could effectively push my opponent back. I think the biggest thing I noticed with this update compared to past versions was that I felt I had plenty of mass behind the ball and didn't have to swing harder to get the ball going. The specs worked well with my flatter mechanics, and I could just naturally swing and generate speed and depth without doing anything special. With the previous 18x20 Blades I felt I had to muscle shots to get anything to penetrate the court."

Having played with many of the previous Blade models, from the KFactor version forward, Mark has never been dissatisfied with the line's performance from the baseline. He said, "Overall, this update delivered a familiar, but slightly improved, Blade feel from the backcourt. With a weight of around 11.3 ounces, it was unusually stable against heavy hitters, although it took a little bit of an adjustment to get used to its 330-ish swingweight. My directional control with this stick was great. Depth and access to spin were good with a round, smooth polyester, but I have to say that shaped polys gave me the higher launch angle I needed to play offense and defense more effectively. Lastly, as expected, my backhand slice with this updated racquet was very reliable and effective."

Erik felt extremely connected to the ball on groundstrokes. He said, "My slices were staying very low, and I could knife the ball effectively as hard as I wanted. There was a good blend of power and control, but this racquet was more on the control-oriented side overall. I really enjoyed it and found it to be super solid; it never got pushed around. The Blade 98 18x20 v7 was pretty maneuverable despite the higher swingweight, so I could generate solid racquet head speed. Though the Blade 98 18x20 v7 worked for my game for the most part, the launch angle was a little lower than I'm used to, so I'd use a shaped poly and bump down the tension for my personal preference."

Volleys - Score: 87

Our group of playtesters all agreed that the Blade 98 18x20 v7 felt very stable at net, and despite a relatively hefty swingweight, it was easy to get into position when volleying. Although Mark enjoyed hitting shots from every part of the court, he particularly loved this racquet at the net. He described, "It was so comfortable on volleys. If I had to explain why, I would maybe point to its overall lighter weight (for a player's frame) paired with that higher swingweight number. The low 11-ounce strung weight of this updated Blade 98 18x20 v7 made it easy for me to get it into position at net, and the extra graphite in the hoop kept it very stable, even at full stretch and when ball contact was off-center."

Erik agreed, adding, "This was my favorite part of the playtest. The feel was very responsive and plush on contact. The Blade 98 18x20 v7 was ridiculously stable, and I loved playing doubles with it. I found myself hitting volleys wherever I wanted because I felt in total command the ball."

The Blade 98 18x20 v7 performed solidly at net for Michelle as well. She said, "The specs on paper were convincing, and the racquet proved to be stable and made it easy to block heavy balls back. As long as I got it into position, I was set. Despite the healthy swingweight, the Blade 98 18x20 v7 was maneuverable, and I was always able to get it into place quickly. I felt like I had good touch and could target my shots well."

The touch, feel and stability of this racquet allowed Troy to hit his volleys with plenty of confidence. He said, "The amount of stability and mass in the head of this racquet allowed me to punch volleys deep with little effort. The soft feel on contact made it easy for me to feather a drop volley and take pace off the ball. There was a more responsive feel compared to the previous version. This had me dialed into my targets, and I am tempted to add the Blade 98 18x20 v7 to my list of scalpel-like racquets. The only knock I had was that there were a few times when the racquet head felt a bit sluggish during quick exchanges at the net. Toward the end of the playtest I tail weighted one of our test racquets and made it about 3 to 4 more points head light. With this modified version I found the balance to be much more to my liking and closer to my racquet of choice."

Serves - Score: 81

The Blade 98 18x20 v7 offered our team just what they needed to deploy big, precise first serves. "I wasn't sure what to expect when serving with this racquet," began Michelle. "Initially, I could tell I would have to be a bit more intentional and dialed in with my timing and my placement. When that all lined up, I was effectively targeting my spots and hitting an aggressive, heavy first serve. I didn't feel as confident as I normally do when hitting my second serves just because I knew I was working against the tight string pattern, but I tried to really go up and after my second serves to either get them deep and kicking a bit or slicing off the court."

Erik found he could rip serves without fear of his shots going long. He said, "I was very confident hitting serves with the Blade 98 18x20 v7. The spin was solid, especially with a shaped string in the racquet. I loved to hit heavy kick serves on the ad side and wide slice or body serves on the deuce side."

The relatively high swingweight and dense string pattern of the Blade 98 18x20 v7 worked well for Troy's flat first serves. He noted, "I felt I could really pancake the ball and hit some heavy, penetrating first serves. I was dialed into my targets and able to find the corners of the service box consistently. At the beginning of the playtest I struggled with my topspin and kick serves. With the balance being less head light and the string pattern being denser than my racquet of choice, I had a tough time getting the ball dipping down into the service box. The more swings I took with this racquet the more I was able to get it figured out. With some added weight in the handle and a thinner gauge co-poly, I boosted the spin potential and bridged the gap."

Mark prefers a heavier racquet on serve but a lighter racquet from the baseline, so he appreciated the Blade 98 18x20 v7's balanced specs. He added, "The combination of the low 11-ounce strung weight and swingweight in the 330s provided me with that 'heavy racquet' benefit without taxing my energy level."

Returns - Score: 82

Loaded with precision and stability, the Blade 98 18x20 v7 proved to be a great tool for both offensive and defensive returns. Erik found himself playing more aggressively. He said, "I had a ton of control with the Blade 98 18x20 v7, so I could rip the ball off the return and know that it would still drop in the court. This racquet was very solid against first serves; I could chip the ball back nice and low without getting pushed around. On second serve returns, I could rip the ball with no fear of missing long. I had no issues here."

Troy blocked serves back with effortless depth, and he was very effective returning with this racquet. He said, "As with racquets like my own and the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, I found it easy to counterpunch serves that were coming in fast. The Blade 98 18x20 v7 felt very stable on contact, but at the same time, it was plush and smooth. This combination reminded me of the Prince Phantom Pro 100P, especially on returns. The control aspect of this racquet allowed me to swing aggressively when I had the time, and I felt confident that my returns would land in. My backhand slice worked well; I could block it back deep and keep the ball low off the bounce. My two-handed backhand return felt very forgiving as well. Even if I missed the sweetspot, the response was rather comfortable."

The weight and balance of the Blade 98 18x20 v7 immediately benefited other parts of Mark's game, but it took a little longer to get in a groove with his return of serve. He explained, "By the third hour of testing I got used to the fact that this racquet is not very whippy. Once I realized that, I became reasonably effective returning serve with it."

"I was expecting to really love returning with this racquet based on how much I liked it on groundstrokes," said Michelle. "However, there were a few little things that kept it from being a 10 out of 10 here. Against bigger servers, there were times I felt like I couldn't get a complete hold of the ball, especially when I only had time for a shorter backswing. When I had more room to swing big, that wasn't as much of an issue. Even against big servers, I still was able to get the ball back in play and deep enough to get myself into the point; The Blade 98 18x20 v7 just didn't feel as solid as a racquet like the RF 97, which may be due to the 97's thicker beam and more open pattern. On the positive side, I was very effective stepping up and ripping returns off weaker second serves. I could then look for the short ball and finish the point in a one-two punch."

Overall - Score: 85