Comments: Demoed this three times for a week. I did not like it. I do not swing super fast and this felt like swinging a board and it made me slower. It has a lot of pop but I was never able to find a zone where this felt good, I think a severe western grip might be served well by this stick. I couldn't keep the ball in unless I bunted the ball. And again, it was slow on volleys. I do have a preference for heavier, head lighter sticks. This feels like an old Hammer Hyper Carbon 5.3 and not in a good way. It would have looked perfect if the graphics were more muted like the black of the frame.
From: Patrick, 3/13

Comments: I never leave online reviews but felt compelled to after finding this racquet. I demo'd just about everything, typically the heavier, open pattern racquets which I loved for their plow through/stability and I thought this one felt like a toy (in a bad way) when compared to them at first. One month later, it's effortless depth, extra pop on the serve, and accuracy has raised me from a 4.5 to a 5.0. I almost feel like I'm cheating by using it, haha. I also demo'd the 93" and 16x18 98" - the 93" wasn't as spin friendly or forgiving as I need, and the 16x18 98" was too powerful and I was spraying balls constantly. I've only played with open patterned racquets until now and somehow this plays just like one. I still get plenty of spin but the biggest difference is my newfound depth and I'm consistently beating up on guys I used to have tight matches with and each of them comment on my new game. I strung it with Technifibre's Multi Feel at 62 lbs, two more than they recommend but I string them myself and probably lost a couple pounds of tension since I don't have a pro machine. I just switched to Technifibre's Red Code poly which is really arm friendly for a poly. Definitely recommend trying this stick out!
From: Buddy, 3/13

Comments: This update to the old 98 is great. I did not play with the old one but I recieved this as a gift and now own four of them. It may be cheaper to buy the older one as it could save you money, but I really enjoy the control and stability of this racquet. It is very good looking and feels awesome. I have tried had two different string jobs so far, first was LUX 4g mains at 56 lbs and Wilson NXT crosses at 54 lbs and second was a full bed of NXT tour at 55 lbs, which was way more comfortable and had more spin and control as I could swing harder.
From: Jake, 3/13

Comments: I don't know if I got a bad quality-controlled one or not, but when I played with this stick, it was way too light and whippy, which I didn't like at all. I think if you prefer lighter racquets and you have heavy topspin groundstrokes you might want to take this out for a hit.
From: Evan, 2/13

Comments: I have been using the K-Blade for a long time now and just bought this new BLX and played a few sets yesterday with it. Definitely better then the previous BLX (which I had tried but gave me terrible elbow problems). So far so good with this one. It does have a 'muted' sound and feel as some guys have mentioned. Ground strokes were great but my serve was off a bit. I am going to string it today with some Savage Black and will see if the serve improves.
From: Matthew, 2/13

Comments: There is no doubt about it. The better you get the more you search for a solid control-oriented raquet. That is where this version of BLX Blade comes. The solid feel and plowthrough with each stroke has a very rewarding feel and feedback. The 18x20 pattern helps with the stability but it helps tame the heft from the raquet with a pleasing catcher mitt like sound as a reward. It improves your serve and one handed backhand consistency if you have good technique, and volleys are effortless. I bought 3 and changed to a Wilson leather grip, and it makes it more maneuverable. Give it a try if you dare!
From: Joel, 2/13

Comments: I tried hard to like this frame, but could not. It felt flimsy to swing and so muted as to be almost completely devoid of any kind of feel when striking the ball. Inferior to the earlier K Blade 98 version, which I currently play with and will continue doing so.
From: Gabriel, 1/13

Comments: A substantial improvement from the BLX Blade. This racquet should be renamed the scalpel. It has incredible precision, as I could place the ball on a dime. However, it combined an unusually large sweetspot and power level with the control, encouraging me to be aggressive with my groundstrokes on both sides. I was playing well the first time I hit with it, but I could sense a good degree of forgiveness and power for those days when I'm slightly off. Being a lefty, the racquet worked especially well with my heavy crosscourt forehand and slice serves. Flat serves were a little tougher to dial in, but when you hit it just right it gets great with pace and placement. Kickers came off incredibly consistently. I think the Amplifeel technology is for real, as it felt significantly more solid and crisp than the Blade BLX, which I also have. I would highly recommend this racquet for anyone who wants to supplement a power game with incredible accuracy, and for lefties.
From: Brandon, 1/13
String type and tension: Luxilon Adrenaline 17g @ 55 lbs

Comments: I played with the K Blade 98 and the BLX Blade before this one. The BLX had a higher swingweight than the K Blade, but with that came a bit more stable racquet with plenty of power. This latest update feels to me to be right between the lighter feeling (k)blade and the BLX. It swings a little lighter than the BLX, but it still has the power of a Hammer style racquet. It also "feels" like it flexes more, even though the specs don't say that it does. Could be the Amplifeel? I absolutely love the feel of this new version. I had no trouble updating to playing with this new frame from the BLX. It's very responsive for an 18x20. Anyone who already plays in this line of racquets, it should be a no brainer to upgrade. I am a 4.5 all court player with moderate topspin strokes.
From: Danny, 12/12
String type and tension: Topspin Cyberflash 1.25 @ 57 lbs

Comments: My son who's a competitive junior loved this racquet right from the start. While watching his game closely for years, I noticed from him an immediate game change. He was hitting with depth and control. The racquet took spin well, his volleys had a lot more control, and slices from the baseline did exactly as he wanted. They just dropped over the net. He seemed to get balls that with his Babolat AeroPro Drive that he normally wouldn't get. This actually wasn't a racquet he wanted. He wanted the ProStaff Six.One 95 because that's what his friends seemed to be going for and he had begged me for months, but when he finally demo'ed it he played dismal with the racquet. During the demo when I asked about the PS he said "it's ok, but I don't think I like the strings. Nothing is working right." With the Blade (with the same strings) his comment was, "I really like this one!" He played a challenge match with each one. He also demo'ed the new Babolat 2013, but he put it down after 30 minutes and gravitated back to the Blade. He loved Babolat but I think he's found a new racquet.
From: Alex, 12/12

Comments: Wilson has managed to screw up the cosmetics of all their lines of racquets. Performance wise, I could not tell a significant difference to the previous model. I still prefer the Head Radical MP in this category because of the flex, feel and low power. I have been playing with the Babolat Pure Storm Ltd. for several years now, but enjoy testing different racquets.
From: Eric, 12/12
String type and tension: Luxilon ALU Power @ 52 lbs

Comments: Excellent racket. I'm a K Blade 98 user and upgrading to this was no problem! It has a slightly different feel, as it's just a touch softer, probably due to Amplifeel, but still feels solid on serves, groundstrokes and volleys. The new black/silver color scheme is pretty cool too.
From: Jones, 12/12
String type and tension: Tecnifibre NRG2 mains / Luxilon Big Banger crosses @ 56/64 lbs

Comments: Despite Wilson's claims, the specs are different from prior versions, as posted by TW. Wilson's specs on the racquet itself are unchanged since the K Factor version, which I use, but reality is different. This latest version is more head- heavy than the K Factor version, leading to a higher swingweight, and it's a bit more flexible as well. Bad quality control, Wilson! Having said all that, the stick plays nicely. It has a more muted feel (due to Amplifeel maybe?), which I like but others may not. It did not feel heavy, and I had no maneuverability issues. I will demo it again and revert with more details.
From: Gabriel, 12/12
String type and tension: Gamma TNT @ 56 lbs

Comments: Nice improvement by Wilson. Like Bryan said, it plays like the old version and has nice feel with the added AmpliFeel technology. I have the previous models and would not pay $200 for it because the old one is just the same, so save your money and purchase the Blade 98 on SALE.
From: Jacob, 12/12
String type and tension: Wilson NXT Tour mains / Luxilon M2 Pro crosses @ 58 lbs

Comments: Very nice looking racquet. It plays like the old version but a little softer on the arm. But I only played 2 sets with it. I will update later when I have a chance to play more with it.
From: Bryan, 11/12