Unfiltered Wilson Shift 99 & 99 Pro
Review & Comparison
Unfiltered Wilson Shift 99 & 99 Pro Review & Comparison
New in 2023, the Wilson Shift is an innovative line of tennis racquets designed from the ground up to help players generate maximum spin and controllable power.
Wilson offers the 99 and 99 Pro v1 models for the first-generation Shift series release, each using the same underlying technology and design concepts but featuring slightly modified specs to deliver distinct performance characteristics.
In this in-depth review and playtest, I cover the Shift v1’s design, ideal string setup, and on-court performance, along with my notes on its pros and cons and recommendations for who should buy it.
I also provide a side-by-side comparison of the 99 and 99 Pro, giving you all the info necessary to make an informed buying decision on the best racquet for your needs.
Design
For their Shift line of racquets, Wilson opted for a white cosmetic or, more specifically, the color they’ve dubbed Arctic Prism, which I think perfectly describes its look.
The Shift 99 300 and 99 Pro 315 resemble the color of a pristine glacier, with a unique reflective quality that looks awesome in the sun with very few visual distractions. Wilson also went with a clear grommet strip and bumper guard to keep the frame’s design as clean and simple as possible.
At the racquet’s throat, you’ll find the word Shift printed on the outside in black and bright orange for the ‘I.’ Opposite, Wilson is printed in matte white overlayed with a smaller bright orange ‘W.’
On the inside of the throat, the head size and model are highlighted in bright orange, along with the weight and string pattern printed below in light grey. Also painted in light grey are the specs listed inside the throat.
Finally, at the top of the racquet’s hoop, you’ll find a single bright orange line to help your stringer quickly identify the racquet’s center when mounting it for stringing.
Overall, it’s a pretty cool, eye-catching design that’ll have broad appeal and does a great job of driving interest.
While you're here, I wanted to let you know I recently published a gentle 10-minute dynamic tennis warmup that I think you'd enjoy. It's perfect for priming your body before playing to reduce injury and enhance your performance on the court.
You can check out the videos here. If it's not your thing, I totally get it, but my readers have asked me for it, so I thought you'd enjoy it, too.
Enjoy the rest of the article!
Construction
For years now, Wilson has closely researched the unique bending properties of a tennis racquet, which heavily influence its performance, including spin, power, stability, and comfort.
As a result of their efforts, Wilson first released the Clash in 2019, a racquet with a unique bending profile that delivered well-balanced performance and outstanding comfort, which they later revised as the second-generation Clash in 2022.
However, building upon what they learned with the Clash, Wilson has continued its research and testing of frame bending under the W|Labs moniker to push the boundaries of racquet construction.
Eventually, their team landed on a fresh racquet design and the foundation for the Wilson Shift, enhancing lateral flex in line with a player’s swing path for maximum spin while reducing horizontal bending for power and maintaining torsional stability for control.
Right out the gate, they knew they were onto something unique, but to get the racquet to the finish line, they further refined the frame’s geometry and construction with the help of real-world feedback from playtesters using the racquet.
Now in their final state, the Wilson Shift 99 and 99 Pro v1 represent the cutting edge of Wilson’s racquet technology, providing exceptional spin, controllable power, and arm-friendly comfort for experienced players seeking these attributes.
Strings & Tension
The Wilson Shift’s dominant design principle is helping players generate maximum topspin, so to complement that goal, I opted to string the 99 300 and 99 Pro 315 with 16 gauge or 1.3 mm Luxilon Alu Power at 55 lbs (24.95 kg).
Luxilon Alu Power is a popular polyester tennis string perfect for the task and among my top picks in the category, which offers excellent spin, a controlled response, and solid feel.
For optimal performance, Wilson has a recommended string tension for both Shift racquets between 48 – 58 lbs (22 – 26 kg, so I kept it in that range at 55 lbs (24.95 kg) for my playtest.
As far as gauge goes, I went with 16 gauge or 1.3 mm because I’m a frequent string breaker, and the Shift 99 300’s 16×20 string pattern will lend itself to plenty of string movement and friction that typically leads to faster string breaks.
Typically, I would be more inclined to string the Shift 99 Pro 315 with a thinner 17 gauge or 1.25 mm version of Luxilon Alu Power due to its tighter 18×20 string pattern that will see less string movement. However, I opted to use the same thicker version for a closer comparison between the racquets.
If comfort is a concern, another option is stringing the Shift racquets as a hybrid, with polyester in the mains for spin and a softer multifilament in the crosses to help soften up the string bed, improving comfort.
For optimal feel, I’m using my custom-designed black vibration dampener, which I designed for better performance.
Performance & Ratings
In the construction section of this review, I shared a lot about what Wilson hoped to accomplish with their Shift racquets, which is helpful to review and understand before making a purchase.
However, at the end of the day, what really matters is how the racquet feels in your hand and performs on the court.
To that end, I’ve put the Wilson Shift 99 300 and 99 Pro 315 through the paces during an extended playtest to help you gain transparent insight into their performance.
Below, you’ll find my ratings across several prominent attributes and strokes for a more objective evaluation, which I’ll use when reviewing any tennis racquet on this site.
| Shot / Attribute | Wilson Shift 99 300 | Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315 |
| Groundstrokes | 8.7 | 8.6 |
| Volleys | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| Serves | 8.6 | 8.5 |
| Returns | 8.5 | 8.6 |
| Power | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Control | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| Spin | 8.9 | 8.7 |
| Slice | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Touch/Feel | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| Maneuverability | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Stability | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| Comfort | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Average | 8.52 | 8.48 |
In the following sections, I’ve included my playtest notes on both racquets for a more detailed review of my experience playing with them and to bring further context to each rating.
Groundstrokes
Shift 99 300
From behind the baseline, the Shift 99 300 handled well, with a unique feel reminiscent of the Wilson Clash but a tighter response that lent itself to improved handling and control.
I hit with a semi-wester grip on my forehand and quickly felt right at home with the frame. Its 16×20 string pattern plays more like an open 16×19, with spin coming effortlessly during my three-quarter speed warm-up. I also found the racquet to accelerate with ease thanks to its 6 pt head light balance, so as I found a groove and increased my swing speed, I could really start to feel the frame’s added flex, helping amplify topspin further.
Even on my backhand side, where I hit a flatter ball, the extra grip was readily apparent, resulting in more action on my shots and freeing up a bit more angle cross court.
The Shift 99 300 also handled surprisingly well hitting slice, with equally as much bite as topspin and adequate stability to deflect a heavier ball to change the pace of a rally.
Regarding power, I didn’t find the racquet to be overbearing as long as I swung confidently, enabling the racquet to produce the necessary spin to keep the ball in the court.
At the same time, the Shift 99 300 didn’t produce an ultra-high level of precision, so I found I needed to give myself a bit of extra margin for error and avoid trying to hit too close to the lines.
Overall, I thought the Shift 99 handled well on groundstrokes, delivering on the promise of excellent spin and mid-range power with above-average comfort for a racquet in its class.
Shift 99 Pro 315
Hitting groundstrokes with the Shift 99 Pro 315, the added stiffness created by the tighter 18×20 string pattern is readily apparent, which has a noteworthy influence on the ball’s trajectory, lowering its launch angle and resulting in less topspin compared to its lighter Shift 99 300 counterpart.
The racquet is also 5 oz (15g) heavier, so it doesn’t swing as quickly and easily, making you work harder for topspin. Despite that, the frame isn’t void of spin. It’s simply not as pronounced, rewarding players with the strength and technique to swing it effectively with less margin for error over the net.
However, the upshot with the Shift 99 Pro is that it’s less powerful and delivers more accurate targeting giving you a greater overall sense of control, which can translate to added confidence.
The racquet’s extra weight also improves the frame’s stability, making it less likely to get pushed around when your opponent picks up the pace and hits harder – I especially appreciated these qualities hitting slice to help take the air out of the ball.
Regarding comfort, this frame’s 18×20 string pattern adds a bit of stiffness when hitting, so I’d give the edge to the lighter Shift 99 300, which also has an RA rating that’s 1 pt lower.
Although the Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315’s attributes somewhat dampen its spin effects, it’s well-suited to a strong intermediate to advanced player who can compensate with enough swing speed while appreciating its added control and precision.
Volleys
Shift 99 300
Hitting volleys at net, the Shift 99 300 delivered its biggest surprise, with solid all-around performance.
Although its mid-range weight is on par with other competitor racquets in its class, it plays with above-average stability and feel, doing a fantastic job redirecting pace. I credit the frame’s unique bending properties and design on this front.
Strung, the racquet is also highly maneuverable for an 11.2oz (318g) frame thanks to its 6 pt HL balance, helping you position the racquet quickly in all situations when moving forward.
As far as touch goes, I think this is where a bit of extra weight would go a long way to softening up its response while maintaining stability, but it’s not a slouch in this area, either.
Shift 99 Pro 315
The Shift 99 Pro 315 does every bit as well up at net as its lighter counterpart, but there’s a tradeoff with the extra weight.
The racquet isn’t quite as nimble at 11.7oz (332g) strung. However, there’s more mass to deliver even better stability, which comes in handy at higher levels of the game.
Regarding accuracy, the Shift 99 Pro does the job well, with the tighter 18×20 string pattern stiffening up the string bed to help prevent overhitting or an overzealous volley from going long.
Although it doesn’t offer best-in-class feel for its weight range, it performed well, and its extra weight comes in handy when playing with finesse, such as executing a well-placed drop volley.
Serves
Shift 99 300
I found the Shift 99 300 to offer a well-rounded performance hitting various types of serves, including slice, kick, or flat.
With its 6 pt head light balance, the racquet moves through the service motion with ease, enabling you to ratchet up your swing speed to hit with extra power or accentuate spin.
In particular, hitting a kick serve benefits from the frame’s vertical bending properties, with above-average spin production that ensures the ball clears the net with a high margin and rebounds off the court to keep the ball out of your opponent’s strike zone.
Although you won’t find the racquet helps you hit the biggest serves, with plenty of pop and variety at your fingertips, the Shift 99 300 is fully capable while serving.
Shift 99 Pro 315
Hitting serves with the Shift 99 Pro 315, I found the racquet to take more energy to swing while offering less free power, with its 11.7oz (332g) weight and stiffer 18×20 string pattern.
That also meant I didn’t find spin to be as pronounced as the lighter Shift 99 300, requiring tighter technique and a more pronounced swing to generate an aggressive kick or slice.
However, true to its design, the frame does offer more consistent and precise targeting, so once again, the racquet’s attributes are well-suited for the strong intermediate to advanced player who prefers extra weight and an emphasis on control.
Returns
Shift 99 300
On returns, the Shift 99 300 benefits from its speed and maneuverability, allowing you to pull the racquet back and accelerate through the ball quickly.
Like you’ll find on groundstrokes, the same spin-friendly characteristics are on full display when hitting returns, providing you with higher net clearance and extra margin for error.
Although I found its stability adequate for groundstrokes, the racquet’s lighter weight becomes more apparent when facing a big serve, including when trying to block the ball back, so you’ll need to consider that along with your level of play.
Shift 99 Pro 315
Although the Shift 99 Pro 315 is less agile than the 300 model, its 6 pt head light balance does ensure plenty of maneuverability on returns, so I didn’t find myself late to the ball.
Moreover, the frame’s added weight does a much better job of accurately deflecting pace and remaining stable under pressure, especially combined with an abbreviated backswing.
Overall, the Shift 99 Pro 315 is fully capable hitting returns with the control and precision to keep your opponent on their toes.
Summary
With the release of any new racquet line that’s pushing the boundaries of design and construction, there’s always the risk of the final product falling flat of expectations.
However, following the success of their Clash racquets, Wilson’s deep investment into the bending profile of their racquets continues to pay dividends, with the Shift v1 family delivering on performance expectations.
Within the Wilson lineup, I find the Shift to sit between the Blade and Clash line, not as control-oriented as the Blade or powerful as the Clash. In some respects, it’s a happy medium, providing players with an entirely new and compelling alternative.
With smaller 99 in (638.71 cm) head sizes and a baseline strung weight of 11.2oz (318g) for the lighter Shift 99 300, these racquets are well-suited for intermediate to advanced players who are looking to strike a balance between control and power with a strong emphasis on topspin that enhances precision.
Although the frame’s sleek aesthetics and spin-amplifying design characteristics may tempt beginners, I’d encourage them to look elsewhere for a more user-friendly option that weighs less and has a larger head size for maximum fun and ease of learning.
From a comfort standpoint, the Shift racquets hold their own, and I’d argue they’re better than their RA ratings suggest. At the same time, they wouldn’t be my first recommendation for players looking to switch to a more forgiving frame.
Overall, the Wilson Shift 99 300 and Shift 99 Pro 315 are two excellent additions to Wilson’s lineup that don’t heavily replicate any existing line, creating a new and appealing option that delivers balanced performance for the modern game.
Why I Love the Shift Series
- Excellent spin
- Lively yet controlled
- Maneuverability
- Respectable stability
Tradeoffs
- Somewhat muted feel
- Underpowered for some
Shift 99 300 vs. Shift 99 Pro 315
One of the biggest decision points for players evaluating the Wilson Shift line is which model to purchase.
Although Wilson designed these racquets to deliver similar performance characteristics, a few spec modifications between the two resulted in a markedly different experience. Let’s start with a side-by-side comparison of the specifications for each.
| Spec | Wilson Shift 99 300 | Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315 |
| Head Size | 99 in² / 638.7 cm² | 99 in² / 638.7 cm² |
| Length | 27 in / 68.6 cm | 27 in / 68.6 cm |
| Unstrung Weight | 10.6 oz / 300 g | 11.1 oz / 315 g |
| Strung Weight | 11.2 oz / 318 g | 11.7oz / 332g |
| Unstrung Balance | 12.4 in / 31.5 cm / 9pts HL | 12.4 in / 31.5 cm / 9pts HL |
| Balance | 12.8in / 32.4cm / 6 pts HL | 12.8in / 32.4cm / 6 pts HL |
| Swingweight | 317 | 332 |
| Stiffness | 67 | 68 |
| Beam Width | 23.5 mm / 23.5 mm / 23.5 mm | 23.5 mm / 23.5 mm / 23.5 mm |
| Material | Graphite | Graphite |
| Grip Type | Wilson Pro Performance | Wilson Pro Performance |
| String Pattern | 16 Mains / 20 Crosses | 18 Mains / 20 Crosses |
| Recommended Tension | 48-58 pounds | 48-58 pounds |
Reviewing the data, they have three distinct differences: weight, swingweight, and string pattern.
From a performance standpoint, these differences make the Shift 99 300 lighter, easier to maneuver, a bit more powerful, and easier to swing, resulting in faster racquet head speeds that influence and maximize topspin.
On the other hand, the Shift 99 Pro 315 is heavier, aiding stability, with a stiffer stringbed that supports a more controlled response.
In both cases, one isn’t better than the other. Instead, these nuances in design and performance aim to appeal to two different groups of players: notably intermediate vs. advanced.
The Shift 99 300 is built first and foremost for intermediate tennis players who have developed sound technique and are looking for a frame that’s accessible with added control that supports their continued growth without being overly demanding.
Meanwhile, the Shift 99 Pro 315 skews more toward strong intermediate to advanced players competing at a high level who have developed the necessary strength and endurance to swing a heavier frame with added control while relying more on their technique to manipulate the ball.
To provide additional context, the table below compares the Wilson Shift 99 300 and 99 Pro 315 across several attributes and strokes, highlighting which performed better in a specific area.
| Shot / Attribute | Wilson Shift 99 300 | Wilson Shift 99 Pro 315 |
| Groundstrokes | x | |
| Volleys | x | |
| Seves | x | |
| Returns | x | |
| Power | x | |
| Control | x | |
| Spin | x | |
| Slice | x | |
| Touch/Feel | x | |
| Maneuverability | x | |
| Stability | x | |
| Comfort | x |
Another consideration that might factor into your decision-making is string breakage. Without a doubt, I started to see quicker notching in strings of the Shift 99 300 vs. the Shift 99 Pro 315, so if you are a string breaker and opt for the lighter model, you’ll want to consider that in your racquet or string selection.
Meanwhile, you’ll find more durability with the heavier Pro model, so you’ll get away with a thinner gauge, which will also help soften up the stringbed and increase spin potential.
Ultimately, you’ll get the best results by selecting the racquet that most closely aligns with your skill level, experience, and performance characteristics you desire.
5-Point Friday
A brief recap of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about in tennis.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!