I have been testing the Wilson Shift racquets with Nikki Roenn, and we are both positively surprised. This is my Wilson Shift review.

Wilson Shift Review

The Wilson Shift is similar to a HEAD Speed. It is a racquet for the modern player who wants spin and power but in a controlled package. As far as I understand, two models have been released for now in a prototype cosmetic, but more to come this summer.

The Wilson Shift will be available through our friends at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe, and Tennis Only.

Wilson Shift 300

Here are the unstrung specs for the Wilson Shift 300g racquet, as listed by Tennis Warehouse Europe.

Wilson Shift 315

Below are the specifications of the Wilson Shift 315, as listed by Tennis Warehouse Europe.

How do they play?

My friend Nikki (ex-pro and coach) and I tested these racquets and we were both very positively surprised. Nikki is not easy to please with tennis racquets, but he was captivated by the 315g version from the first hit. I had a similar feeling, but gravitated towards the lighter 300g version. I might add a tad of lead tape to it, but overall it allows me to play with confidence on both clay and hard courts.

The beauty of the Wilson Shift is that it blends different characteristics beautifully. Good power, but not too much. Nice spin potential, but no crazy launch angle. Solid, but not too stiff or harsh on the arm.

I felt very connected to this racquet. It worked well on serves and groundies, but was also stable at the net. I think this is Wilson's best racquet in years.

I find it difficult to find any flaws in this frame, at least during my first ten hours with it. I rarely have this much of a positive experience from a racquet test, so the Shift puts a smile on my face.

Have you tried the Wilson Shift?

The Volkl C10 Pro is a legendary racquet but a bit too heavy for many players. Hence, this Volkl C10 Evo Review.

Volkl C10 Evo Review

The Volkl C10 Evo is taking the feel of the C10 Pro (check out my Volkl C10 Pro review) and making it lighter and more approachable for intermediate to advanced tennis players who like old-school feel and playability. But when you reduce weight, the trade-off is obvious. You lose some stability, plow-through and power. When they reduce the weight (from 325g of the C10 Pro to 310g of the C10 Evo) they change the balance of the racquet, so there is a bit more mass in the head, but I still felt like the racquet might benefit from some customization.

Volkl C10 Evo Specs

Tech

Technologies include Super Grommets which increases the power and vibration dampening of the string bed. The Twin Absorber Handle System along with a V-Tex butt cap is there to improve comfort and dampening. Otherwise it is a pretty no-frills, feel-inspired racquet.

How does it play?

You can watch my video review of three new Volkl racquets below. This include the Volkl C10 Evo, the V1 Evo and the V8 Pro.

The Volkl V1 Evo is a racquet made for advanced players. The narrow frame makes the sweet spot rather small, but it feels great when you hit it. The power level is low so you need to really go for your shots to hit a heavy ball with this racquet. The swing weight is not high for the kind of control racquet it is, which means some customization improves how the racquet performs in my opinion. It is, in many ways, what I would call a platform racquet.

Feel and touch are outstanding features of the Volkl C10 Evo. Even with a full bed of poly, like the Volkl V-Square I tried it with, it delivers an excellent sensation when impacting the ball. The downside is that it doesn't give you anything for free. You need to swing hard for it to generate some pace, and it is not the most spin-friendly racquet, although the V-Square four-sided poly really helped to open up some spin potential.

This racquet is kind of a throwback, but for players that love that C10 Pro performance but want to be able to play it with their desired specs, the Volkl C10 Evo is a great choice. It is a demanding low-powered racquet that leaves it up to the player, so many intermediate players will likely struggle with this one. But I also know many players that will love the feel and the “vintage playability”.

You can check out the Volkl C10 Evo and other tennis things at Tennis Warehouse or Tennis Only.

Have you tried the Volkl C10 Evo? Let me know in the comments.

The Volkl V1 Classic is what the name tells you – a classic! This Volkl V1 Evo Review talks about the evolution.

Volkl V1 Evo Review

The Volkl V1 Classic has been around for over 20 years and was among the original “tweeners” on the market. The idea behind it is to offer a light racquet for intermediate players that offers great all-around performance and excellent comfort. When Tennis Magazine reviewed the racquet in 1995, they labeled it as “an extension of the arm”, which made it very popular during the 90s. I understood what they meant while doing this Volkl V1 Evo review because it is an excellent tennis racquet, still, after all those years.

Since you can still buy the V1 Classic, what is different with the V1 Evo? Let's have a look.

Tech

In the evolution of the V1 Classic, Volkl includes a Vario Beam, Big Grommets (to increase string movement, I assume), and a Dual Dampening Grip (softer feel on impact). Comparing the racquets, the V1 Evo has received some extra weight, turned the balance a bit more towards the grip, and reduced the stiffness—all good things, in my opinion. The specs should be interesting to loads of intermediate players out there.

Specs

How does it play?

As you can see in the video below, I recently tried three different Volkl racquets and this was the winner of the bunch. It is just easy to use, pretty forgiving, excellent feel, nice comfort, decent power, good spin potential. Yes, for an intermediate player looking for a versatile racquet, it is pretty much all there. I can see why this type of racquet has won rewards in the past, because the usability is great. The only real downside is that the dampening in the handle can mute some of the connection to the ball.

You also need to be aware that Volkl racquets have a pretty rectangular grip, so if you come from an even-sided grip like a Wilson or even a Babolat, this can require some adjustment time, but it is usually not a big deal.

I strung up my Volkl V1 Evo with Volkl Cyclone 1.25 at 51 lbs (23 kg) and I think it created a controlled, yet not too stiff response. If you want more power, I would string it at a lower tension or try it with a softer string like a softer polyester string, a hybrid or even a multifilament string. You can dial in your power level and feel with the right string setup.

The Volkl V1 Evo is not a power racquet, because the stiffness is lower, but is a versatile, relatively forgiving and comfortable racquet for intermediate players that work well across styles. Since the frame profile is narrow, the racquet moves faster than you'd think for a 102 sq inch racquet.

Summary

The Volkl V1 Evo is the evolution of a classic and it is a good one. I would say that this is better than the original. Some more weight for stability, lower stiffness, but retained the good stuff. This is definitely worth a go if you are looking for a versatile and comfortable racquet that offers a nice blend of power, spin and control.

You can purchase the Volkl V1 Evo from Tennis Warehouse, (or anything else) which sends a small commission our way and helps the site stay alive. At the moment of writing, the Volkl V1 Evo is not available at Tennis Warehouse Europe, but you can find it at Tennis Only in Australia.

Have you tried the Volkl V1 Evo and what did you think of the racquet?

Reviewing racquets sounds like fun, but there is also a limit. That is why I wanted to write about testing fatigue.

Testing racquets is fun, but…testing fatigue

I have repeatedly said on my various channels that playing around too much with tennis gear harms your game. You lose your timing, muscle memory, and feel for the ball, and then when you are back with your standard racquet, you need to rebuild that again. It's a part of the process. Once you do this over and over again, a certain testing fatigue sets in. Partly it is physical, because your hitting arm is not a huge fan of new racquets, grip shapes, strings and tension. All regular and somewhat serious play-testers I talk to suffer from the same problem. It's often exciting when you unwrap a new racquet for testing, but if there are too many in a row and they aren't as exciting to hit with as you thought they would be, you can suffer from testing fatigue.

If you're playing tournaments, don't keep switching racquets.

I played an ITF Masters event in Malaga a couple of weeks back and did pretty well. I won all my singles matches except the final against a much better player and won the doubles title with the same guy (Daniel Rutkowski). Then I went to Austria to the HEAD headquarters (a link to a video of the first time I went there) to join Tennis Warehouse and Tennis Warehouse Europe on a global review of the new HEAD Gravity Auxetic, which will be revealed in a couple of weeks.

It's been fun but tiring. And then, when you get back home, you have an avalanche of different racquets to try since there are so many releases during this part of the year. What are you looking forward to the most? And have you ever suffered from testing fatigue?

Upcoming reviews

Wilson Pro Staff 97 V14
Volkl V1 Evo
Volkl C10 Evo
Volkl V8 Pro
Toroline Wasabi string
Wilson Shift
Babolat Pure Drive 98

The Pure Aero 98 is the follow-up to the beloved Pure Aero VS. I won't hesitate to say it's an improvement in my Babolat Pure Aero 98 review.

Babolat Pure Aero 98 Review

The Babolat Pure Aero VS brought the more control-oriented Aero into the spotlight again, thanks to being adopted by players like Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune. It provided a good balance of power, control, and spin despite the 98 sq inch head size and 16×20 string pattern. Several high-level friends made the switch to the frame, with the only knock being that it was a bit harsh on the arm at times. Babolat have now changed the layup and made this racquet softer, which is why this Babolat Pure Aero 98 review was a very positive experience.

Specs

There is nothing drastic about the specs as listed by Tennis Warehouse. They are very similar to the Pure Aero VS.

Tech

What's new in the Babolat Pure Aero 98 is NF² Technology which uses flax inserts at 3/9 in the head to soften ball impact. This change is significant and results in a much softer feel without creating an over-dampened response.

Another update is FSI Spin technology with slightly tighter string spacing. The result is greater control (and confidence) when maximizing stroke speed in the service of power and spin.

Sometimes the “tech” part of a racquet can feel like just marketing, but in this case the changes are felt.

How does it play?

The Babolat Pure Aero 98 plays like intended, with excellent access to power and spin for a 98 sq inch racquet. The ball lifts from the string bed and you can create some really nasty spin and weight on your shots with this racquet.

But the most important aspect compared to the VS is that the feel and comfort is better. This was noted by all fellow play-testers (Steve and Jesús). What I particularly enjoy is that they didn't make the racquet too dampened or muted, so you can still feel the ball. It pretty much plays like a smaller Babolat Pure Aero (click the link for my review), which is a good thing.

It packs excellent power on serves and groundstrokes and you feel connected enough to caress a drop shot for a winner. It's a fantastic racquet for top spin-oriented players who like to dictate play from the back of the court.

Who is it for?

The Babolat Pure Aero 98 is for high level intermediates to advanced players. They require a fast swing speed to play controlled and despite being softer than the predecessor, they are still firmer in terms of stiffness. It's not a racquet I'd recommend to someone with a history of tennis elbow, for example.

But if you like to hit heavy from the baseline, perhaps you play a lot on clay, where top spin generation is important. Then I think you'll love the Aero 98.

Babolat Pure Aero 100 vs 98

The Babolat Pure Aero 100 was also a significant step in the right direction this year, thanks to the denser string pattern. The 98 offers better control and is faster through the air. But it's not quite as forgiving and powerful as the 100.

Summary

The Babolat Pure Aero 98 is an excellent update. The VS was already a very good racquet, but they improved it where it matters, making this a modern classic that will be in the hands of many strong, up-and-coming tennis players in the future. You need to keep up your swing speed with this racquet, but if you do, you have a real weapon on your hands. Flatter, traditional players might not like the high launch angle and aerodynamic design, but this racquet is not made for them. It's made for players that want to hit the ball like Alcaraz. Well, only Alcaraz hits the ball like Alcaraz, but you know what I mean.

If you like to create havoc for your opponent with heavy groundstrokes, this is perhaps the weapon you have been waiting for.

Where to buy the Babolat Pure Aero 98?

Please consider purchasing the Babolat Pure Aero 98 from one of our affiliates, Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe or Tennis Only. They offer it in a matched package of two racquets as well, which is a good idea if you want to limit the possibility of getting two slightly different racquet due to quality control.

What do you think of the new Aero 98?

Have you tried the new Babolat Pure Aero 98? What are your thoughts? Please help other tennis nerds on their racquet journey by commenting below.

Diadem is an up-and-coming American brand. I reviewed a few of their racquets earlier. Now it's time for the Diadem Elevate V3 Review.

Diadem Elevate V3 Review

Diadem was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I sat down (on Zoom) with one of the founders, Evan Specht, to talk about the growth of the company and the new Diadem Elevate V3. You can listen to our podcast below. The video review is coming later tonight, CET.

The Diadem Elevate is a control-oriented racquet for intermediate to advanced players who can generate their own power. Their third generation includes Kraibon (HEAD used this material in the Graphene Touch racquets, for example), which is supposed to increase flexibility and stability without sacrificing power. The Elevate also comes with high-density foam and HMT carbon.

You can check out the specs of the Diadem Elevate V3 below.

Specs of Diadem Elevate V3

There is nothing really new about the specs. This makes the Elevate a sold competitor to the Wilson Blade and the HEAD Radical or Tecnifibre TF40.

How does it play?

The Diadem Elevate has been a solid performer since its release. V3 is a solid evolution of the line. It feels softer, perhaps thanks to the Kraibon. The feeling is “plush”, which I think most players will enjoy. It's not a power or spin line like the Nova, so this is for players who like to generate their own power.

But the V3 does perhaps play a tad more powerful than V2. At least that's how it felt like.

The Elevate is, simply put, a really nice stick. I think many players who are looking for control and feel can enjoy this frame. It does most things well. Solid on volleys, can create a penetrating slice, decent on serve. It's not a spin monster like an Aero 98 or Extreme Tour, but that is not what it is supposed to be. It's a very solid control racquet that can compete with the best.

I tested this racquet with Solinco Hyper-G Soft 1.25 at 51 lbs / 23 kg.

Summary

If you want a lighter control frame, consider this alongside the racquets I mentioned. This has a softer feel than the Radical, more similar to the Blade. The power level is somewhere in between Blade and TF40, but you can always dial the power a bit with the customization and stringing.

My only real knock on the frame is that it sometimes feels a bit dampened/muted. Kind of similar to the new Yonex VCORE racquets in feel. But it didn't concern me while playing points, so it's more a matter of taste.

I think there is a lot to like here for intermediate to advanced players. And the racquet also looks great, which I think will convince many players to try it.

Let me know what you think about the new Diadem Elevate V3 below.

Have you ever heard of Bolt racquets? No? They do deserve more attention. Here is my Bolt Racquets review.

BOLT Racquets Review

You might never have heard of Bolt racquets. But they are worth considering for many players out there thanks to their innovative technology, comfort, and power. If this sounds interesting, read on. You can also watch my video review or listen to my podcast with founder Brett Bothwell below.

You can check out Bolt racquets here.

Tech

The Bolt racquets have been around for a while, but the idea has been around even longer. My podcast with Bolt founder Brett Bothwell discusses how he came up with these suspension technology racquets. The suspension technology is nothing new in tennis but has never really broken through. In Bolt racquets, there is something called a Zipstrip; you can see how it works in the video below.

The Zipstrip technology creates a nice pocketing feel in the string bed. You get power, spin, and comfort in one racquet. The response was not overly dampened, and I did feel the ball well.

And although I was highly skeptical (as I tend to be of new technologies in tennis), they do work! You can play with a stiff and powerful racquet, and the suspension tech will remove most vibrations.

Racquets and specs

I tested three different Bolt racquets. 100L, B100 and B98. Below you can see the specifications.

My father (66 years old, two new knees) tried these frames too and really enjoyed the 100 sq inch versions. They actually outperformed other racquets he tested, which include Wilson Ultra 100 V4, HEAD Extreme Team and Yonex Ezone 100. He enjoyed the comfort and power that the racquets provided.

The swing weights on my racquets were a bit higher than on other racquets in the category, similar to what you might find with ProKennex racquets. I am sure the zipstrips have something to do with that. But I am sure you can ask Bolt for a racquet with a lower swing weight, if that is what you prefer. They did swing faster than the swing weighs suggested though and my 66-year-old father did not complain about the racquets being sluggish. Still, good to keep this in mind.

How do they play?

I could actually play some good tennis with these racquets, especially the 98. It played a bit like a Pure Strike 98, but without the discomfort. There is a slight trampoline effect from the Zipstrips, which remind me of the Wilson Clash, but offer a more direct feel thanks to the stiffer frame.

I liked the 98 on pretty much every stroke. Good pop on serves, very stable at the net, offering excellent touch on drop shots, you can generate power and spin from the back of the court. The only real downside is that the ball can trampoline a bit from the string, which reduces control. However, most players might not even notice this, because it is not as pronounced as with the Clash.

Highly advanced players and coaches with many years of tennis experience might struggle with that slight lack of control and the presence of the zipstrips, making the racquet look somewhat unconventional, but many club players, veterans, doubles and intermediates will love the power, spin and comfort from the Bolt racquets. I left the play-test surprised and impressed.

Strings

I tested a bunch of different polyesters strung around 53-54 lbs and I had no discomfort even with this relatively stiff setup. So unless you prefer multifilaments, you can string with a poly string even if you usually won't use them due to stiffness. Brett even had a video of playing with a Bolt racquet using a steel string on the Bolt website!

Summary

I am a bit crazy when it comes to racquets. I have been testing hundreds of racquets over the years and that obsession turned into tennis nerd. Still, I had not come across a Bolt racquet before. So it was fun to try something a little bit out of the ordinary. I think it would be interesting if major tennis brands took more risk (Prince does it pretty well with their o-ports and unorthodox string patterns) but tennis players might be a tough bunch to convince outside their traditional thinking.

The Bolt racquets convince me that more efforts could be made among brands to find new solutions to the issue of tennis elbow. ProKennex do it well with their Kinetic tech, Donnay add several layers of foam to protect players' elbows. But the zipstrips also work excellently to increase comfort while retaining a stiffer frame.

If you are curious about Bolt racquets, they do offer demo program via their website. I am not sure about the shipping rates outside the USA, so you have to check that, but I can definitely recommend these racquets if you're looking for a mix of power and comfort and are keen on trying something new.

I don’t know what the future has in store for tennis racquets, but these should be considered as taking racquets into an interesting direction. As Brett illustrates on his blog, these are far from the first suspension racquets, the idea have been out for many, many years. But since the mainstream brands seem uninterested, I think it’s great that Brett has taken this on and is moving it in a good direction.

In short, this was an interesting play-test that told me that Bolt racquets should not be overlooked!

The new Radicals are revealed. For this HEAD Radical 2023 Review, I have tested the HEAD Radical Auxetic MP and Pro.

HEAD RADICAL 2023 REVIEW

The Radical is what HEAD calls the “people’s racquet.” Why? Because this racquet is a versatile, middle-ground racquet that works for many players at the intermediate to advanced level. The MP is relatively easy to use with a focus on control, while the Pro is more for the advanced aggressive striker.

What is new in the HEAD Radical 2023?

This racquet is very similar to the predecessor called the Graphene 360+. What’s new is the Auxetic technology. What is Auxetic and how does it work? This is how HEAD describes it.

Auxetic constructions show a unique deformation compared to non-Auxetic constructions. Due to their internal properties, Auxetic constructions widen when a “pull” force is applied and contract when squeezed. The bigger the applied force, the bigger the Auxetic reaction.

I felt like the Auxetic tech has slightly altered the feel of most of the racquets in the HEAD line-up. But the change is subtle and you need to really focus on feeling it.

If you are happy with your current 360+ racquet, I don’t think the difference is significant enough to get the new ones. But on a note of the cosmetics, I would say they look better.

You can check out the new HEAD Radicals at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe, and Tennis Only.

Specs

The mold and the specs of the new Radical racquets are the same as the 360+ version. The MP offers a bit more power. The MP also has a slightly lower stiffness, but I haven’t seen any data yet to back this up.

MP

CPI: 400
WEIGHT (UNSTRUNG): 300 g / 10.6 oz
STRING PATTERN: 16/19
HEAD SIZE: 630 cm² / 98 in²
GRIP SIZE: 1-5
BALANCE: 320 mm / 1 in HL
LENGTH: 685 mm / 27.0 in
BEAM: 20/23/21 mm

PRO

CPI: 200
WEIGHT (UNSTRUNG): 315 g / 11.1 oz
STRING PATTERN: 16/19
HEAD SIZE: 630 cm² / 98 in²
GRIP SIZE: 1-5
BALANCE: 315 mm / 1 in HL
LENGTH: 685 mm / 27.0 in
BEAM: 20/21.5/21 mm

Stringing the new Radicals

I strung the racquets up with a few different setups. A full bed of HEAD Lynx Tour, a full bed of HEAD Hawk Power and a hybrid setup (I went for X-One Bi-Phase) with a multi in the mains and HEAD Lynx Tour orange in the crosses.

To me, Hawk Power felt a little firm during the first hour in the Radical Pro, but softened up later on. But I still believe that a hybrid setup is the way to go for both of these racquets unless you are a string breaker.

I use 51 lbs (23 kg) as a reference tension, but I think these racquets could be strung lower, down to around 47 lbs and still play controlled. I’d string the multi a few lbs higher than the poly with a hybrid setup.

How do they play?

The Radicals offer a nice balance between control, stability, spin and power. They are more on the control spectrum and require you to be able to create your own power.

There are no real standout features, but they offer a nice balance for intermediate to advanced players. You can hit out with confidence, but I would have liked a slightly softer feel. The last great Radical to me is the HEAD IG Radical, which felt very nice and plush on impact. These racquets are a more modern interpretation of the Radical. It's halfway between old-school Radical and the stiffest first generation Graphene.

The best way to describe both Radicals is balanced—just a racquet to pick up and play. No frills. No standout features. Just dependable racquets. Kind of HEAD’s response to the Wilson Blade.

360+ vs Auxetic

They are not much in terms of difference between the Auxetic and the 360+. Perhaps the feel is a tad softer, but they are similar enough that it will be hard for most players to tell the difference.

In terms of comparing the Radical MP and the Pro, I would say the MP is more forgiving, powerful and easier on the arm. I think 80% of players should go for the MP and if you want more weight, you can always customize it.

I enjoyed the MP more and preferred a softer string setup with a hybrid over a full bed of poly. A full bed of HEAD Hawk Power in the Radical Pro was a bit tough on the arm.

Summary

The new Auxetic Radicals are not far away from the previous generation. I think HEAD’s step into the Auxetic era is very subtle. Maybe too subtle in most cases to be called much of an update. But you can argue that you shouldn’t mess with a good thing. And the Radicals are good racquets. They are dependable and balanced frames that do most things well, but nothing exceptionally.

One thing I would have liked from these racquets is a slightly softer feel, more towards the IG Radicals. But that is my personal taste.

If you like the previous Radicals, you will enjoy these. But it might not be worth the update unless you prefer the cosmetic of the new ones.