Wilson Blade 100 Review

This Wilson Blade 100 review deals with version 9 of the Blade racquets from Wilson. The Blade 100 falls in between the 104 and 98 racquets.

I truly enjoyed this Wilson Blade 100 review. I am a fan of the Blade 100 V8, but I thought that this was a slight but positive update that improved a little bit in terms of stability and power. You might not need this update if you already have a couple of Blade 100 V8. However, I will say that one of the strongest selling points of the V9 Blades is the significant improvement in quality control. All five Blade review racquets (98 18/20, 98 16/19, 104 purchased from different places) were very close to the listed specifications, which is pretty much unheard of in the racquet world.

You can watch the Wilson Blade 100 video review on our YouTube channel.

Specifications

The listed specifications of the Blade 100 V9 are taken from Tennis Warehouse Europe (get 10% off using the code TNERD10). Sadly, we cannot offer discounts if the racquet is purchased from Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Only or Wilson.com but prices might be lower in these places, I don’t know.

My strung specs on the Metortune tuning center were 319g, 33.1 cm balance, 320.4 SW, 14.7 TW stung with Solinco Hyper-G Round 1.25 with an overgrip. Slightly below in terms of static weight, but close to listed in terms of SW.

What’s new?

This is not a HUGE update compared to the V8. Some technologies remain, like:

Direct Connect, fusing the butt cap directly to the carbon fiber handle for increased stability.
FortyFive layup, which increases lateral flexibility to complement the explosive vertical mechanics of the modern game (think heavy ball).

What is new for the V9 is StableFeel technology, which introduces a slightly firmer layup for greater stability and easier access to power.

You do feel that the racquet plays slightly firmer and more stable compared to the V8.

How does it play?

The Blade 100 is one of those racquets that are difficult to fault as it so well-balanced between power, spin, comfort, feel and control. It is not extreme in any category, but just a versatile easy-going racquet to use.

It compares well to racquets such as the Dunlop CX 400 Tour, the Babolat Pure Strike 100 16/20, the Yonex Percept 100, the HEAD Speed MP and the HEAD Gravity MP/Tour.

It is the most balanced of the racquets mentioned. It has less power than the Dunlop and Babolat, similar to the Yonex Percept and HEAD Speed, but with a more controlled launch angle. It’s a bit more powerful than the Gravity racquets.

I find this racquet to just be fun and easy to use. For me to use it successfully in matches, I might add weight to the handle as I prefer a more head-light balance, but there were really no strokes I couldn’t hit with it. Decent power on serves, solid response at the net, nice touch on drop shots, not too difficult to generate top spin with, etc.

It does not give you loads of anything, but it achieves a balanced response. This makes me feel it is an ideal racquet for players who are unsure what would suit them. It is such a versatile racquet that it is difficult to go wrong with it.

Summary

This is a racquet category that is growing in popularity and for a good reason. Versatile and controlled, but with some more power and forgiveness than your typical control racquet. Lots to like and not much to dislike. Is it perfect, no, no racquet is. You will likely find it has too much or not enough of something. As it is aimed at being well-balanced and versatile, it might not enhance your strengths, which many players like. But if you want to take the racquet worry out of the equation and just settle for a nice stick that does most things well, this is a great choice.