Comments: I had been playing with the Wilson KBlade Team which I really like. I picked this racquet because I was having trouble with both my shoulder and elbow. The flexible frame combined with a natural gut string really seemed to help. One of the things I like about this racquet is I can really swing it and still have the control I need but the one drawback was that the ability to really swing the racquet is great when playing with hard hitters but when playing in a more social setting if I needed to ease up on the power, I felt something was missing. I decided to try this newer model just to see if any improvements. This racquet appears to have a little more feel and slightly less vibration. I see big improvement in return of serve where it seems to handle the hard power serve better. I haven't noticed much difference for both serves and volleys. My groundstrokes feel better especially the forehand where I just feel better connected to the ball. The biggest improvement for me is in the feel and control playing in the more social club tennis. With this new version of the racquet I really feel comfortable either hitting out hard or easing up. In my opinion, a much improved and better all around racquet. I demoed this racquet twice and have now purchased two. I play 3 to 5 times per week and have been playing with the new racquets for a couple of weeks now with no shoulder or elbow problems.
From: Vince, 10/11
String type and tension: Babolat VS Tonic Natural Gut at 58lbs

Comments: I came from using a Wilson NCode6 which gives you a lot of power, but zero control. When I switched to this BLX Blade Team, the difference was night and day - my forehand and backhand now packs a ton of power with precision.
From: Jade, 10/11
String type and tension: Wilson Sensation at 57 lbs
NTRP Rating: 3.0

Comments: I hadn't played tennis since my early 20's (>15 yrs. ago) when I was about a 4.0 player, but started again 4 months ago. My old Donnay just didn't seem to have any power. I got demos for the Babolat AeroPro Drive GT, Head YouTech IG Speed 18x20, Wilson BLX Tidal Wave, and the Wilson BLX Blade Team. All racquets are completely different. The first two are super stiff and since I am hitting a lot of balls outside the sweet spot they led to elbow pain. BLX Blade Team is not stiff at all (53) but feels so solid. There is no vibration in this racquet despite its flexibility and plenty of power. I would buy another one in heart beat.
From: David, 10/11
String type and tension: Wilson Extreme Gut, 60 lbs

Comments: Began playing six years ago at the age of 46. I was very keen on getting solid technique, so used heavy tour racquets from the start such as Head Prestige Mid, Wilson K95, Volkl PB 10 Mid, and Babolat Pure Drive GT. After all, I stepped down a bit, since I never could quite control those heavy racquets, having small hands. Wilson K95 Team proved to be a perfect weight/balance combination; power was just a tad too low and the sweet spot too small. This WIlson BLX Blade Team is just perfect for me. I find this one a perfect serving racquet, kick serves are simply ridiculously easy and jump very high. Groundstrokes still require a full solid swing to get some heat on the ball. This is the first somewhat lighter racquet that gives me back my beloved drop shots. Volleys are ok, perhaps not as edgy as with the Volkl. I think this a still very control oriented racquet with perfect weight/balance and a bit more forgiving sweet spot. This is definitely not a racquet that helps you power wise like the Babolat Pure Drive GT.
From: Anon, 9/11

Comments: By far the best racquet that I have played with in 5 years! It has great control, power, mobility and comfort. That about says it all about a racquet. The sweetspot is large and I don't need a vibration dampener because it is so comfortable and stable. Spin is easy to produce and the confidence it gives me to swing away is amazing. For me the weight is just right in stock form, so no need for lead tape. This is a very solid stick from Wilson!
From: BK. 6/11
String type and tension: RPM Blast mains, Wilson Sensation crosses @ 57lbs
NTRP Rating: 4.0

Comments: I was really surprised by this racquet. Thought I was going to have to use some lead tape to increase the mass, but no need. It has great plow through for what the weight is. Definitely give this one a try. I now have 3 of these.
From: Anon. 4/11
NTRP Rating: 5.0

Comments: I hit with this demo on Monday March 7th, 2011 because an associate and tennis friend had the demo in their bag and they let me hit with it. I noticed you had to create your own power because the racket is not stiff and does not give you ample depth. I felt though that I could take full cuts and keep the ball in. I am starting to develop my own power so the racket not giving me a boost was no problem. I was serving solid with this racket however I did not feel the plow through with this stick. Hitting groundstrokes was enjoyable but not with the pace and depth I like with a stiffer racket. Volleys were good though because I have solid technique. The blade blx is good on overheads because of the headsize being 104 so there was a larger area to hit with. I would give this racket a 7 out of ten overall in terms of performance.
From: Brian, Houston, TX, USA, 03/11
String type and tension: Wilson nxt 17 at 65 pounds
Headsize: 95
NTRP Rating: 3.5

Comments: Love this stick. Everything the nBlade 106 is and then some. Can't really say anymore than that!!
From: Dan, CO, USA, 02/11
String type and tension: M-Signum PPP 1.18 53lbs/X-Tecnifibre X1 Biphase 1.18 55lbs 5% prestretch
NTRP Rating: 4.0

Comments: When is the review coming? Is there a date set yet or is it still being decided?
From: Brian, Houston, TX, USA, 02/11
Headsize:95
NTRP Rating: 3.5
(Brian, we have a whole slew of racquets waiting to be reviewed; we will get to the Blade Team when we're all caught up.--TW Staff)

Comments: Are you expected to do a video review on this racquet?
From: Troy, USA, 01/11
String type and tension: 62
Headsize: 104
NTRP Rating: Junior
(Troy, at this time we do not have any plans to review this racquet.--TW Staff)
(Update: Good news, after seeing the interest in this frame we've added it to our list for review.--TW Staff)

Comments: Groundstrokes: Overall I found groundstrokes with this racquet to be a bit better than average. I was really surprised by the topspin I was able to get out of the 18x19 string pattern. Along with the topspin, I was also impressed with the control this racquet offered. The tight string pattern and great maneuverability really allowed me to place the ball well on both side to side and depth. This Wilson is one of the few exceptions. Although at times I felt the racquet didn't offer enough feel (plastic feeling at times), and stability suffered (especially near the top of the frame), I really had amazing control with this racquet. On groundstrokes I had the most success off my forehand side (never thought I'd ever say that) when I was aggressive and hit down the line. On occasion I found myself not being able to whip the racquet quick enough to hit crosscourt forehands, but this was due to a combination of the extra length and my laziness. The one area where I did struggle with this racquet on groundstrokes was when I tried to hit a low penetrating slice off the backhand side. The ball tended to fly when hit hard and lacked bite when hit softly. As a whole, the power level of this Wilson was a bit lower than I was expecting, in part due to the lower stability than I'm used to with my current racquet. Balls not hit near the middle of the racquet face tended to fall short of the expected target. I would say the sweetspot of this racquet is quite small compared to it 104 sq. in. head size.

Serves: My first serve is the area where I really loved the extra length and maneuverability of this racquet. I could toss the ball a bit higher, take a smooth swing, snap my wrist, and really get some good power on my serves. First serves had some good speed on them and control was typically spot on whether going out wide, into the body, or down the 'T'. Second serves were a bit more troublesome, with me throwing in a larger than average number of unexpected double faults.

Volleys: Let me start off by saying volleys are probably my weakest area and I have found very few racquets in the past that have helped me in this. That being said, I found absolutely no success at the net with this Wilson. I was never able to find a sweetspot when at the net with this racquet and the lack of stability really caused me problems. Without that power from the elusive sweetspot, the lack of touch/feel, and the less than stellar stability, I didn't feel like I had very many options when volleying with this racquet. Balls tended to come off the racquet face with no power at all which usually left me vulnerable for a hard groundstroke coming right back at me.

Serve Returns: Returns were somewhat of a mixed bag for me and it was easy to tell which returns were going to be successful and which weren't: if I was receiving a medium to hard serve from my opponent I had very little success; if I was receiving a softer serve or a serve with spin I was going do well with the return. I think the problem I was having with the hard serves stems from the lack of stability of this racquet. I didn't feel like I could block the ball back and be successful. There just wasn't enough power from the face of the racquet (again, the sweetspot felt rather small). At times my difficulties on hard serves came from the extra length. Although very maneuverable, I found myself lacking the time to get the longbody around in order to hit crosscourt returns on fast serves. If I had time to set up for the return, I could really take a good cut at the ball and put it where I wanted, often times hitting out right winners. One of my favorite returns, the slice backhand down the line, wasn't an option with this racquet because of the lack of bite from the slice. One return I found myself going to over and over on second serves was the topspin backhand crosscourt on the deuce side. I could be a little late, hit some heavy topspin, and really get the sharp angle out wide.

General comments on overall performance: Overall I would say that despite the number of negatives of this racquet, I had more success than I thought I would when I initially measured the specs of the racquet. Longer and lighter with a tighter string pattern than what I would typically play with, but overall, if I had to play with this racquet on a permanent basis, I could probably do it. I would say it is a definite baseliners racquet with excellent topspin and the ability to blast first serves.
From: TT Username: TripleB
Racquet of Choice:Prince Ozone Tour Midplus

Comments:
Groundstrokes: Felt I was able to get nice pop with the ball. Good spin and I could really hit through the strike zone. My backhand felt really great with this racquet. I was a bit hesitant at first with this racquet because the head size seemed huge, way over the 100 sq inch mark. However it came with a Hybrid Grip so it made me feel like I was actually wielding a playable stick. Overall, groundstrokes were good, but control could be improved. 7/10

Serve: I felt great with this stick and was able to get a lot of pop on my 1st and 2nd serves. Got some nice kick on the 2nd serve especially. 7/10

Volley: Didn't feel that comfortable volleying with this stick, but then again my volleys aren't the best part of my game. Could use more improvement here, but still wasn't bad at all. 6/10

Serve Returns: Felt just like my regular racquet on the return. 8/10

General comments on overall performance: The racquet wasn't the one I was hoping for. The racquet isn't suited for me because of the big headsize, and me being a player who likes to stick in the MidPlus range. However, I can definitely see people who want a friendly string bed racquet that has some characteristics of a true player's racquet including the Hybrid grip that gives it a nice feel when holding it.
From: TT Username: mrmo1115
Racquet of Choice: Wilson K-Factor K Blade 98

Comments:
In any event, I really liked it for groundstrokes, especially forehands. I could generate much more racquet head speed. In fact, I could often hear the strings whistling when I swung, which is unusual for me. I found that the extra racquet head speed made for some nice penetrating forehands.

On the whole, the racquet felt much more whippy than what I am used to, and I rather liked it. I had few off-center hits, which was also nice. Unlike other Wilsons' I have used or playtested, it didn't feel stiff and it didn't hurt my arm at all.

I think I noticed some less favorable results on volleys. I felt like I was getting less penetration (or I had to work harder to get penetration) than with my racquet.

I did some serving in a social match last night. The racquet felt very light and whippy, and it seemed to generate a lot of spin. Alas, it felt too light and whippy, and I felt it was difficult to get as much penetration as I would like.
From: TT Username: cindysphinx
Racquet of Choice: Babolat Aeropro Drive

Comments:
Groundstrokes- The groundstrokes were fine, but nothing special (spin was a bit hard to generate), feel was only so-so; maneuverability was okay, but plow-through lacked something. The control was not exceptional; it was no better than a 16 X 18 racquet.

Serves- Excellent, I think the extra length allowed me to really drive the ball.

Volleys- Very good, the racquet seemed stable on most hits up at the net.

Serve Returns- Nothing special, in my opinion the racquet would benefit from more weight, and thus plow-through.

General comments on overall performance- I was surprised at how much of a non-issue the extra 1/2" of length was. I did not care for the string pattern of 18 X 19; from the string-bed I did not detect any extra control, but I did perceive a lack of spin.
From: TT Username: hoodjem
Racquet of Choice: Dunlop AG 500 Tour

Comments:
Groundstrokes- Groundstrokes were pretty good with this racquet. It produced a very heavy ball, but for some reason I could never really get in the groove. My timing seemed to be off due to the balance being less head light than what I like. It had a very wide head which really helped with a full western forehand.

Volleys- This was the one area where I felt this racquet had a weakness. Volleys hit dead center felt great, but if you were out of the sweetspot even a little, you were punished with no pace. Stability was on the weak side as well.

Serves- Unlike volleys, this is where the racquet shined. I could really bring the heat with my flat first serves. My slice and kick serves really had some action on them.

Serve Returns- I always feel like volleys and serve returns kind of go hand in hand, and in this case it was true.

Overall, I think Wilson was very close to making a perfect tweener racquet that would appeal to advanced players as well. With the 18X19 pattern, you could hit massive topspin or flatten it out with ease. The main concern with this racquet was stability! If you missed the sweetspot at all, you were punished severely. I wouldn't put lead just in the head on this one because it is already a little sluggish. Overall, a fun test and a good racquet, it just needs a little tweaking.
From: TT Username: edman9898
Racquet of Choice: Dunlop Aerogel 4D 300

Comments:
This racquet is not as powerful as my main racquet, but that was expected as this has a thinner beam. It is a sturdy racquet and should hold up well in baseline rallies.

Groundstrokes- This racquet seems designed for control rather than power. I get good directional control, even when hitting off-balance. Because it is a dense pattern, I tried maybe too hard to generate topspin. Once I compensated, I noticed I got a good amount of spin off the forehand. The forehand slice on the run worked well.

Serves- I was impressed with the amount of spin I can impart. The racquet performed well with my slice and kick serves. Flat serves were good too. Took a little pace off and I was getting serves in at a good rate.

Return of serve- When I first returned serves, I had a problem with hitting the top of the net. It tended to be a low trajectory return of serve for me. I find myself having to make a bit more of an effort to clear the net. Otherwise, the directional control was quite good.

Volleys-I was very impressed with it. I felt I could land most of my volleys with it. I felt comfortable making contact and placing the ball in the vicinity I wanted. I think a good serve-and-volleyer or all-courter would enjoy it.

In general- I have had a good time playing with it. It didn't impress me so much at first, but after 60-90 minutes of practice I got a better idea of how it can fit my style of play. You can play different styles with this racquet with the appropriate strings. An all-purpose racquet that holds it own from the baseline or up close to the net. It's similar in weight, balance, and pattern of a Microgel/Youtek Radical.
From: TT Username: soyizgood
Racquet of Choice: Dunlop M-Fil 400