String & Racket Finder
WILSON BLADE tennis rackets compared
FORTYFIVE° — carbon laid at 45° so the hoop “flexes with you” — plus DirectConnect, a carbon handle fused straight to the hoop for torsional calm. Both real, both subtle; the v8 colour-shift paint moved more units than any layup ever has. The Blade's true tech is its pattern discipline: 18×20 for the surgeons, 16×19 for everyone else.
Compare these frames in the finder →Specifications and scores
All 8 current WILSON BLADE models, with unstrung weight, head size, string pattern, stiffness (RA), swingweight, balance and beam width, followed by the eleven playing axes rated 0–10 and a difficulty rating.
| Model | Weight | Head | Pattern | Stiffness | Swingweight | Balance | Beam | Ctrl | Prec | Spin | Pwr | Feel | Stab | Man | Serve | Smsh | Slice | Ret | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blade 98 v8 | 305g | 98 | 16x19 | ~62 RA | ~321 | ~320 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| Blade 98 18x20 | 305g | 98 | 18x20 | 60 RA | ~322 | ~320 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 7 |
| Blade 98 16x19 v10 | 305g | 98 | 16x19 | 62 RA | ~322 | ~320 | 21.5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
| Blade 98 18x20 v10 | 305g | 98 | 18x20 | 61 RA | ~320 | ~320 | 21.5 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| Blade 100 v10 | 300g | 100 | 16x19 | 63 RA | ~318 | ~320 | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Blade 100L v9 | 285g | 100 | 16x19 | 64 RA | ~305 | ~330 | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Blade Team v9 | 285g | 100 | 16x19 | 66 RA | ~305 | ~330 | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| Blade 104 v9 | 290g | 104 | 16x19 | 64 RA | ~315 | ~330 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
Swipe the table sideways for the remaining columns.
Axes, in order: Control (flat) · Precision · Spin · Power · Feel / comfort · Stability · Maneuverability · Serve · Smash & overhead · Slice / touch · Return / blocking. Difficulty is how demanding the frame is to use well, not how good it is.
Model notes
Blade 98 v8
Wilson's all-court control frame, and the more comfortable of the modern 98s. The flexible layup gives noticeable dwell time and a plush, connected impact — you feel where the ball is on the bed. Expect very good precision and touch with moderate power, meaning you supply pace but rarely fight the racquet to place it. Strong on slice and at the net, honest from the baseline.
Blade 98 18x20
The tighter-patterned Blade: lower launch, tighter dispersion, and a more deliberate ball than the 16x19. Best suited to a flat, driving player whose errors go long. The dense bed cuts spin access noticeably, so if you rely on shape to bring the ball down, the 16x19 is the more natural choice. Feel remains plush for a control frame.
Choosing between them
Frames in one family share a construction story but not a playing character — head size, pattern and swingweight move the numbers above far more than the marketing does. If you want a shortlist matched to how you actually play, and a string bed matched to the frame, the finder does that in a few taps.