Wilson has long stood at the top of the market when it comes to racquet innovation and quality. The Wilson Shift 99 Tennis Racquet has continued this trend as a revolutionary frame perfect for players of any level. The innovative design of the frame's flexibility offers tremendous comfort while also providing an excellent mix of power and control. The spin potential is off the charts, allowing players with fast swings to hit the ball with massive shape over the net. Overall, the Wilson Shift 99 has lived up to its name, providing a unique feel perfect for the modern game of tennis.
Groundstrokes
The Wilson Shift Tennis Racquet excels from the ground, and is easily the most spin friendly racquet I have ever used. Time and time again when play-testing it, I would hit a shot that I felt would fly long, only for it to viciously drop into the court at the last moment. The relatively light weight and comfortable balance of the frame allowed me to generate huge racquet head speed with little effort, resulting in easy power and spin. As a player with a one-handed backhand, I typically prefer to use a heavier tennis racquet that provides more stability, but I felt that the stability of the Wilson Shift was excellent despite the weight. As long as I was able to take a full swing at the tennis ball, I felt that the spin would allow me to drop the ball exactly where I wanted it in the tennis court. The unique design of the racquet's flexibility was apparent when hitting, as I could feel the lateral flex of the tennis racquet assisting in the creation of spin, but also felt the horizontal stiffness assist in generating power when hitting more through the ball.
Volleys
The Wilson Shift also felt excellent at the tennis net, as the racquet weight and balance made it very easy to maneuver into position quickly. The Horizontal stiffness of the racquet made volleys feel very clean and crisp, and easily allowed me to keep the tennis ball deep in the court. Though firmly hit deep volleys felt the best with this frame, I also felt that there was good control and feel for finesse and touch shots at the net. The muted feel of the frame did however sometimes result in touch shots being more difficult to execute, but I believe that this could be easily adjusted to over time.
Serves
Unsurprisingly, the Wilson Shift Tennis Racquet excelled at hitting serves with heavy spin. Kick serves in particular felt great, and I found it easy to get the ball bouncing up over my opponent's head. Slice serves also felt fantastic however, staying very low and biting through the tennis court. I most noticed the lighter weight of the racquet on my flat serve, and though I was still able to generate easy power, I felt that the frame could have benefitted from being a bit heavier.
Summary
Overall, the Wilson Shift 99 is a fantastic addition to Wilson's lineup of racquets. I felt that it offered comfort similar to the Wilson Clash, but a mix of the playability of the Blade and the Ultra. If you're looking for a racquet with a fantastic mix of power and control along with unparalleled spin potential, The Wilson Shift 99 Tennis Racquet is definitely worth checking out.
