Review of Blade 104 2015 Model and 2017 Model
Wilson Blade 104 Review
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| Wilson Blade 104 Racquet Scores | |
|---|---|
| Ability | 81 |
| Comfort | 81 |
| Bear on/Experience | 78 |
| Serves | 81 |
| Groundstrokes | 82 |
| Returns | 82 |
| Slice | 82 |
| Topspin | 81 |
| Volleys | 78 |
| Overall | 81 |
Upsides
- Easy to use
- Blend of ability & command
- Comfort
Downsides
- Not as spin friendly
Summary
Endorsed past WTA superstar Serena Williams, the Wilson Blade 104 gets updated for 2015. With the addition of graphite braided with basalt and parallel drilling, this extended length racquet promises enhanced feel and a larger sweetspot in a 104 foursquare inch headsize. Our playtesters constitute a seamless transition from the previous version to the new Bract 104, and they appreciated the big sweetspot created by the parallel drilling of the grommet holes. Our team institute acceptable power and precision, which allowed them to be aggressive and put the ball away. Our playtesters establish ample maneuverability at the cyberspace, where they could be crafty and creative with their volleys, and they were happy that their power levels didn't endure when hitting big first serves. Nosotros did, however, experience a lack of stability when playing against large hitters or when the ball hit outside the sweetspot. To put it simply, we remember fans of the Bract 104 volition transition into this update effortlessly. Players who capeesh condolement, touch, maneuverability and power will get exactly what they're looking for once they get their hands on this racquet.
Groundstrokes - 82
Wilson continues the development of basalt by braiding it with graphite to raise experience and flexibility, and it added parallel drilling to aggrandize the sweetspot. Despite the new elements of this racquet, our squad all the same felt like this racquet played a lot like the version information technology replaces -- which is a practiced matter! Chris said, "The previous Blade 104 felt soft and flexible, and I got that same kind of feel from this one. Switching between the two was seamless, with the only departure coming from the stringbed (fresher or different types of string) rather than the frames. With this update I also loved how fast and maneuverable the racquet felt. I was able to accept the ball very early with it every bit well equally chop-chop change the direction of play. I was getting proficient spin and excellent feel for where the ball was going. I liked how like shooting fish in a barrel it was to accelerate this racquet through contact. The only downside was that information technology was a petty underpowered on defensive shots -- I would have liked some boosted weight or beam stiffness to help me generate depth."
Like the previous Bract 104 and earlier Blade Teams, this version of the Bract 104 amped up the fun cistron from the baseline for Tiffani. She said, "The Blade 104 is really easy to utilise, and the depth and spin comes easily. I don't feel similar I'm getting the plow through I would become from a heavier racquet, but I savor how the ball just flies off the stringbed -- at that place'south no temptation to arm the ball to become some pace. When it came to spin, I especially liked how I could feel the strings pocket the ball on my backhand slices so I could go on them depression to the court. Ane knock on this racquet would exist the lack of stability when playing against someone who hits heavy topspin. I could feel the racquet flutter, especially on my forehand side. On my two-handed backhand my 2nd hand helped stabilize the shot."
The Blade 104 reminded Brittany of the previous version from the first hitting. She said, "I was amazed at the corporeality of control I was receiving from a 104 square inch head. I could really go after my shots. I think the biggest difference betwixt this Blade 104 and the previous version is the slightly larger sweetspot. Afterward several hits I found myself playing a little more aggressively past taking the ball on the rise and letting the racquet do the work. I could alter directions and place the ball where I wanted on the court. I also establish enough plow through to hit some solid slice shots."
Karly too establish similarities to the previous version, and she loved how easy the Blade 104 was to use, saying, "The Blade 104 swung extremely fast and seemingly generated plenty of ability on its own, and then I didn't have to put much energy or endeavor into getting the brawl dorsum. I enjoyed setting up quickly and taking the ball early on and on the ascension. The power was definitely more prominent than control, just with the help of its piece of cake to access spin, the power wasn't overwhelming. I could rely on the spin to prevent my shots from soaring long, whether it was by adding topspin or slicing through the ball. The only downsides for me were the lack of plow through and instability outside of the sweetspot. The racquet didn't feel like it had enough mass to bulldoze through the ball, and the harder my opponent striking the more I felt pushed effectually."
Volleys - 78
Our playtesters found enough maneuverability and affect to exist dangerous at the net with the Bract 104. Tiffani said, "I can always use a bit of extra reach at the cyberspace, and with its extended length the Blade 104 delivers on that front. Unlike some other 27.v" racquets, the Blade 104 didn't feel unwieldy. I also enjoyed the experience at internet. The but issue I had was some stability when the ball didn't hit in the sweetspot."
For Brittany, maneuverability was the highlight when taking this racquet to the net. She explained, "I was able to get the racquet into position rapidly to try to return any passing shot, and the larger sweetspot gave me a little actress oomph when I had to reach for a volley. Nevertheless, like the previous version, I wasn't the biggest fan of the feel and had a hard time adjusting to information technology."
"Hitting volleys with the Blade 104 was groovy because of how fast and maneuverable information technology played," began Karly. "I could move the racquet quickly into position and react to every shot that was hit at me. It likewise provided the same powerful response that I enjoyed from the baseline, which made the racquet feel similar it did most of the work for me. All I needed to do was move the racquet into position to hit a hard volley. I only had to make sure to make contact in the sweetspot, otherwise the racquet felt unstable."
Chris actually liked the response of this racquet when information technology was strung with a multifilament string. He tested it with Wilson NXT Power sixteen (also as another multis), which he felt gave the racquet even meliorate feel at net. He said, "My bear on shots were working very well. When I was volleying from deeper in the court I had to make sure I punched through the volley because the racquet was lacking some mass. Other than that everything was feeling pretty dandy at net, and I liked the response of this racquet. I felt similar I could react quickly with it, and I enjoyed attacking the net in both singles and doubles."
Serves - 81
Our playtesters were quite content with the amount of pop they could get on their serves with the Blade 104. Generating racquet head speed with this racquet was a breeze for Brittany. She explained, "I was able to get the racquet moving quickly and was able to accelerate into my serve with niggling endeavour. This allowed me to go afterwards my serves for a total hitting session without my arm getting fatigued. I enjoyed the easy power on my start serves, and I was able to hit some pretty powerful serves co-ordinate to our PlaySight smart court. It took some adjustment to become comfy hit 2nd serves, and I would have liked a niggling more control."
The infrequent power and spin of the Blade 104 was magnified for Karly on her serve. She said, "This was the stroke where I establish spin and power to come the easiest. I didn't demand to swing very hard on flat serves to generate power, and the ball launched off the stringbed. I enjoyed the actress pop I got from the Blade 104 on my serves, but I preferred hitting my serves with spin. That powerful response made it hard to identify my shots with good command. Instead, I relied on the racquet's impressive spin potential. The whippy feel made it simple to brush over the ball, and with the like shooting fish in a barrel power my second serves landed with a dangerous kicking behind them."
Chris was surprised by how much power he could generate on his serves. He commented, "I typically like much heavier racquets, but this one impressed me. I was not only getting bully spin, but I was also finding lots of pace. Because the specs of the Blade 104 I didn't await to serve besides as I did in our recent review of the Babolat Pure Bulldoze Plus. However, tracking my serves on our new PlaySight smart court revealed the step and spin I was getting was correct in in that location. My bigger first serves typically hit 90-95 MPH, and I was correct there with this racquet with a high of 95 MPH and an average of 92 MPH on my faster kickoff serves. When information technology came to 2nd serves, I plant plenty spin to become the ball to my targets without having to take off much step -- resulting in a combined serve speed average (get-go and second) of 85 MPH."
Tiffani was content with the maneuverability, considering this was an extended length racquet. She offered, "It swung very easily, and at times I could get some good pop on my serve, just I had trouble replicating the pace consistently. I striking some serves every bit fast as I hit with the new Babolat Pure Bulldoze Plus, but my average pace was not as loftier. A lot of that is technique, but I do typically serve more effectively with racquets stiffer than this i."
Returns - 82
With its comfy response and manageable swingweight, the Blade 104 performed well for our squad when returning. Notwithstanding, some of our playtesters were looking for a bit more stability when peachy offensive returns or blocking assurance back defensively. "The fast and whippy feel of this racquet was the chief highlight for me on returns," stated Karly. "I had an easier time attacking serves and taking the offensive speedily with the Bract 104 than near racquets. Because it was and then easy to swing it gave me more time to set up upwardly, and with its natural power I didn't take to take a full swing to hit a large shot dorsum. The only time I got into trouble was if I went for too much or fabricated contact off-middle. I had to be careful non to overhit since the ability came and so hands, and if I didn't brand contact in the sweetspot the racquet felt unstable. Luckily, the larger headsize and mobility made it easier to hit in the sweetspot."
One of Chris' favorite shots to hit with this racquet was the return. He found he could take the ball ridiculously early in doubles, which enabled him to attack the net as fast as the server. He added, "I could whip the racquet through contact very, very easily. I was able to hit angles, add pace or inject some added spin at will. Best of all, the Blade 104 felt solid plenty to easily handle triple-digit serves."
There was a mix of skilful and bad for Tiffani when it came to returning. She said, "On the positive side, I could go the Blade 104 effectually in time for just virtually any serve and stride in early on when the opportunity presented itself. Withal, fifty-fifty though I could get my racquet on some of those big serves it felt like the racquet was being pushed back, and I was unable to handle serves with pace. A lot of my returns against big serves cruel too short to be effective."
With returns of serve being one of her strongest strokes, Brittany is ever on the watch for a racquet that is maneuverable and stable. With the Blade 104, she was left wanting for a little more than stability. She said, "While I was able to get the racquet around super fast, I was struggling a bit with the control and placement of my returns. I wasn't as authentic as I would have liked, and this was well-nigh noticeable when I was playing doubles and I had a much smaller window to where I could hit my returns. Additionally, I found a small bit of torsional instability when trying to return large, heavy serves."
Overall - 81
Likes
Chris - "I liked the condolement, ability, spin, generous sweetspot and overall ease of use."
Tiffani - "I enjoyed the experience, comfort, easy pace and maneuverability."
Brittany - "I liked the combination of ability and control (which felt about fifty-fifty), forth with the maneuverability."
Karly - "I liked how like shooting fish in a barrel the Blade 104 was to use. It swung fast, generated plenty of ability and offered great spin potential. All I had to do was proceed the brawl in. It did the rest for me."
Dislikes
Chris - "I'd add some weight to the handle and tip, plus a leather grip to increase stability. Otherwise, no complaints from me on the new Blade 104."
Tiffani - "At that place was just a fleck too much instability confronting bigger hitters."
Brittany - "I'm non the biggest fan of the experience and would have liked a tad more stability when returning serves. Additionally, it'due south hard for me to hold onto the flared butt cap."
Karly - "With its lightweight feel came some instability and lack of plough through. I felt pushed effectually on the court when I was hitting against harder hitters."
Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:
Chris - "The Blade 104 is very similar to the previous version, and I call up most players will notice it an easy transition. At that place'due south non much else in this weight class except for the Head MicroGEL Radical Oversize, which has a slightly larger headsize but pleasingly like flex at effectually 56 RA."
Tiffani - "The previous Bract 104 and earlier Blade Team racquets are very comparable, and I could switch between those and this version without much thought. The experience of the Power Hole grommets is very distinctive to me, only I think the Volkl Super Thou four comes close to playing like this Blade 104. The Volkl is slightly lighter, just it has a like feel at impact. Both allow me to go creative with my shot option from the baseline."
Brittany - "To exist honest, the Blade 104 plays pretty similarly to the previous model. There wasn't a ton difference between the 2 every bit they had a like power/control ratio, feel, and maneuverability. I would say that the sweetspot was slightly larger on this version."
Karly - "This version of the Blade 104 played very, very similarly to the previous model. They were almost identical to me -- they swung extremely fast, generated decent power and had great access to spin. The only difference to me was the feel. The newer Bract 104 felt slightly softer at contact."
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Scores
(Scores are adamant by averaging individual play test scores)
| Chris' Scores | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | eight.ane | Serves | 8.2 |
| Control | 8.5 | Groundstrokes | 8 |
| Maneuverability | 8.v | Returns | eight.five |
| Stability | vii.3 | Slice | 8.ii |
| Condolement | 8.5 | Topspin | 8.iv |
| Impact/Feel | 8.3 | Volleys | vii.9 |
| Overall | 8.2 | ||
| Tiffani's Scores | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | eight.1 | Serves | 8 |
| Control | 8 | Groundstrokes | 8.three |
| Maneuverability | 8.half dozen | Returns | viii.1 |
| Stability | 7.5 | Piece | 8.3 |
| Comfort | 8.3 | Topspin | viii.iii |
| Touch/Feel | 7.9 | Volleys | 7.9 |
| Overall | 8.1 | ||
| Karly'south Scores | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ability | viii.3 | Serves | 8 |
| Control | seven.eight | Groundstrokes | 8.two |
| Maneuverability | viii.iv | Returns | 8.3 |
| Stability | 7.8 | Slice | 8.3 |
| Condolement | 7.viii | Topspin | 8 |
| Touch/Feel | seven.7 | Volleys | 7.9 |
| Overall | 8.three | ||
| Brittany's Scores | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 8 | Serves | 8 |
| Control | vii.viii | Groundstrokes | 8.2 |
| Maneuverability | 8.iv | Returns | 7.7 |
| Stability | 7.8 | Slice | vii.viii |
| Condolement | 7.ix | Topspin | 7.8 |
| Impact/Feel | 7.four | Volleys | vii.6 |
| Overall | 7.ix | ||
Playtester Profiles
Chris: iv.5 all-courtroom player currently using the Wilson 6.One 95 Due south. Chris uses a semi-western forehand grip, has a fast swing manner and hits a 1-handed backhand.
Tiffani: 4.0 level baseliner with a semi-western grip on the forehand and hits a two-handed backhand. Currently playing with the Donnay Formula 100.
Karly: 4.0 baseline player currently playing with the Volkl Organix x Mid. She hits with a semi-western forehand grip and uses a two handed backhand.
Brittany: Open up level thespian with a semi-western forehand and a two-handed backhand. She currently plays with the Yonex EZONE Ai 100.
Review engagement: Dec 2014. If yous constitute this review interesting or have farther questions or comments please contact us.
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Source: https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/learning_center/racquet_reviews/B104review.html
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