Advanced
Our playtesters were fairly familiar with what to expect when hitting the Blade 98 18x20 v8 from the baseline because each one has spent some time hitting with previous versions. Troy, who considers himself a fan of the Blades going all the way back to the Blade 98 in 2008, really loved this update's feel on contact. He began, "The Blade 98 18x20 v8 felt comfortable, smooth and plush — similar to the previous version, but I also found it to be a bit more responsive, and the feedback felt slightly less muted. The test racquet we hit with was also more manoeuvrable than the average spec of the previous iteration. The control and precision were great, and I could drive through the ball with ease. It was solid and precise when hitting backhand slices, and I loved the smooth feel and easy plow through on my two-handed backhand. My only knock was that it took a little bit of adjusting during the first week to get dialled in with the launch angle from the 18x20 string pattern. I found that I had to focus on getting more net clearance, whereas with my usual 16x19 I don't really think about it."
Mark, who has always liked the 18x20 Blades, was able to get dialled in from the baseline. He described, "This racquet definitely gets the 'point-and-shoot' title from me. The substantial, but not overwhelmingly high, swing weight and the tight 18x20 pattern helped minimize how long it took for me to confidently aim at smaller court targets. Wilson's evolution of this frame has yielded a racquet that is light enough for me to rally from the baseline all day long, yet is heavy enough for me to absorb pace and change the direction of the ball, which is pretty much my game style."
While Michelle plays with a Pro Staff rather than a Blade, the previous Blade was her favorite yet, so this v8 update had big shoes to fill. She said, "I know a lot of big hitters love these controlled frames, so with this playtest, I tried my best to get along with this racquet better. Right off the bat, I noticed a bit of a softer feel at contact compared to the previous Blade. The racquet felt comfortable and easy to swing, manoeuvrable and quick to accelerate. I noticed the precise, controlled stringbed right away and picked up on a little less plow through than the previous model. With that being said, I was craving a bit more from the racquet since I prefer to end my points quickly rather than work the point for several balls. I enjoyed drilling with the Blade 98 18x20 v8, though, because I could hit a consistent ball and was able to hone in on depth and a consistent swing speed. I remember loving redirecting balls with the previous version, but I felt like I didn't have enough behind my shots with this racquet; when I redirected, it wasn't necessarily a good enough shot to do the damage I was hoping for. The Blade 98 18x20 v8 felt stable and comfortable, but I just never felt like I had an offensive weapon in my hands."