Wilson Clash Review & Playtest Notes

As I mentioned earlier, the specs and technology behind a racquet are interesting, and it’s helpful to understand the intention behind them.
However, what really matters is how a racquet feels when you hit the court. With this in mind, I put the Wilson Clash to the test over two-weeks to share my experience.
Below you’ll find a few notes that you might find useful when considering my thoughts and opinions.
Main Strings | Luxilon ALU Power (1.25 mm) |
Cross Strings | Wilson NXT (1.30 mm) |
Mains Tension | 50 lbs / 22.68 kg |
Crosses Tension | 52 lbs / 23.58 kg |
Forehand Grip | Semi-Western |
Backhand | Two-handed |
Grip Size | #3 – 4 3/8 |
Grip | Wilson Performance Pro |
Overgrip | Wilson Pro |
Weight | 165 lbs / 74.84 kg |
Height | 6’0″ / 1.83m |
Furthermore, I’ve included ratings on various criteria below, which I explain in greater detail on the sections that follow.
Groundstrokes

On groundstrokes, the Wilson Clash was fantastic, and the racquet delivered on the promise of a solid balance between control and power.
Without a doubt, you can feel the flex of the racquet, but the lively response and energy return on contact make it unique.
The ball really moves to deliver a level of power that’s counterintuitive to its feel, and pairs nicely with the open 16×19 string pattern for plenty of topspin without which would likely cause the power to be overbearing.
Despite its lower weight, I found the Clash to perform excellent hitting slice, and overall the comfort level from this frame is top-notch.
If I had to pick one area where this racquet shines, this would be it.
Volleys

Up at the net, the Clash is easy to maneuver.
However, while its power is controllable from the baseline with the added benefit of topspin, it felt a bit too lively hitting volleys.
It’s the only area of the court where I felt I could have used a bit of extra tension or a full poly setup to help reign in power slightly.
I also think a bit more weight would go a long way with volleys to aid stability. I’d be inclined to add a few grams of weight at 10 and 2 o’clock on the racquet’s head, a simple customization that could go a long way.
With that said, the more time I spend with the racquet, the better it gets at net, which I think is partly to feeling out the unique response of the racquet, so I’m confident my feel here would continue to improve.
Serves

For serves, I thought the Wilson Clash was well-balanced.
It’s no slump when it comes to power, but it’s not entirely on par with racquets like the Wilson Ultra, Babolat Pure Aero, or Drive, and I think that’s perfectly fine.
You can argue it makes up for it by helping deliver more accurate placement, plenty of spin, and way more comfort, which is a tradeoff many players are likely happy to make.
Returns

On returns, the racquet’s lower weight and head light balance make it easy to maneuver as expected, and although it can tend to get pushed around a bit on a heavier serve, it’s stable for its weight.
Overall, I was impressed with returns and felt confident in my approach with the frame’s spin-friendly characteristics helping keep the ball in play.
Again, adding a few grams of extra weight to the upper hoop of the racquet’s head might be worth considering to give the frame a bit more mass to handle bigger serves.
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