• Head Size: 98 sq. in
  
• Length: 27 inches
• Weight: Strung — 11.3 oz Unstrung — 10.7oz
• Tension: 50-60 Pounds
• Balance: 2 Pts Head Light
• Beam Width: 20.6mm
  
• Composition:  Basalt
• Flex: 65
• Grips Type: Wilson Sublime
  
• Power Level: Medium
• String Pattern: 18 Mains / 20Crosses
  Mains skip: 8T, 10T, 8H, 10H
  One Piece
  No Shared Hole
• Swing Speed: Medium-Fast
• Swing Weight: 330

There’s a reason that Milos Raonic and Gael Monfils have chosen the Blade 98 as their racquet of choice. The greater amount of feel and control makes this racquet worth the upgrade from the previous Blade 98 BLX. The updated version has added Amplifeel technology to reduce unwanted vibrations for improved feel and comfort, making it perfect for aggressive players looking for a racquet that provides a great amount of control. 

Volleys &Serves

At the net, this racquet had plenty of stability. When compared to the 16 x 19 pattern, I thought I could get much greater control on my volleys, as I was able to place them more precisely and go for sharper angles more easily without missing wide. I also noticed that volleys landed a bit shorter in the court. Similar to the other Blade 98 with the open pattern, moving the racquet around at net required a little extra effort. I think it is just a matter of adjusting to the weight and balance, though. When serving, the control and accuracy of this racquet definitely stood out. I could pick a point in the service box and hit it with great consistency. Though the Blade has a dense string pattern, I didn’t really notice any loss of power on my serves. 

Groundstrokes

Though the only difference between this and the other Blade 98 is the 18 x 20 string pattern, I didn’t really detect any loss of power in this racquet. The denser string pattern allowed for greater control, and this was especially noticeable from the baseline. I felt that I could comfortably hit aggressive balls without losing precision and could easily direct my shots to move my opponent from corner to corner. Compared to the Blade 98 with the open string pattern, I didn’t overhit quite as much with the 18 x 20. I thought this racquet also offered a pretty solid feel.

Overall

The Blade 98 is my favorite out of the new Blade series. I love the glossy black paint job. It is a great, versatile racquet with awesome feel and comfort for the all-around player. With more control than the 16 x 20, it was easy to place my groundstrokes and volleys to move my opponent around the court. Overall, the Blade 98 is a stable racquet with a great blend of both power and control.