As a Wilson frame player for many years, I looked forward to playing with this racquet. I was not disappointed as I found this stick to be a solid performer in every area.

 

 

As I hit groundstrokes, I felt that I was never going to hit long. Actually, it took a bit of adjustment from my racquet (ksix one 95) to make sure to hit it deep enough. The first few strokes fell into the net so I had to adjust my shots upwards. After I did, I found the BLX Tour very consistent. There was not a ton of power with this racquet but there was enough. When I ask the racquet to give me a bit more, it came through. The BLX technology gave fantastic shock absorption and power compared the previous K Factor technology. It did feel a bit light to me to be considered a baseline racquet but a bit of lead tape would lengthen out and add heft through the shot. The upside of the shorter landing zone is that I could whip it through harder and be confident that the ball would stay in. I got plenty of depth and spin on my slice which helped me get out of several slippery situations. Overall this racquet is a baseline rallyer’s delight.

 

Since this is a lighter-weight racquet, the “plow-through” on volleys weren’t as solid as I would have liked. Reflex volleys were easy as the light weight and even balance allowed me to quickly switch between forehands and backhands. This racquet gave ample feel for short angles and drop volleys. Overheads were solid and I was able to control the direction nicely. They weren’t super powerful, but I had no complaints as it was easy to direct the ball. Overall my volleys were solid; however, I would have preferred a little bit more pop on put away shots.

 

After a slight adjustment period, I was able to hit consistent first and second serves. I didn’t feel like there was any one outstanding feature, but I had no problems and felt it was very solid overall. I was not able to generate the power on my first serve that I prefer but the direction was impeccable. I also had to work extra hard to generate kick and slice which was a downside for me. Returns were solid, and like groundstrokes, I felt like I was never going to hit the ball long.

 

Overall, this is a very consistent racquet and one that would suit the all court player well. It may not have been outstanding in any one area, but it was solid in every area. The paintjob takes a bit of getting used to but isn’t a deal-breaker to me. The orange and blue can be a little distracting but a racquet this solid will keep your eyes on the winners you hit. I would recommend this racquet for players who have a solid transition game or players looking for a lighter weight midsized frame. Players with an NTRP rating of 4.0 or higher should definitely give this racquet a try.