Wilson Clash 100 Tennis Racquet Review

As one of the leading manufacturers of tennis equipment, Wilson brings out new tennis rackets every season. Typically, the focus is on improving existing models and technologies to bring tennis players the best on-court experience. But with the Wilson Clash Series, everything was to change.

Typically, the time to develop a new racket model is approximately 18 months. With the Wilson Clash, the development team took more than twice as long to create the final model. Wilson himself describes the Clash as one of the greatest revolutions in the history of tennis rackets.

This kind of hype has not been seen on a racket for a long time. Is the hype about the Wilson Clash justified or is it all just marketing? This is the question we are looking at in today’s test report.

Here is an overview of all specs of the Wilson Clash 100:

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 24,5 mm
• Stiffness: 55 RA
• Weight: 295 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 31 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 21-25 kg (recommended)

Here we find three characteristics in which the Wilson differs significantly from other rackets. One is the beam width, which at 24.5 mm is above average.

An even bigger difference is the stiffness of the Clash 100. It is only 55 RA, which means that the frame is extremely flexible. On the other hand, most other models are available with a stiffness of over 70 RA.

The third point is the relatively low string tension, which is set at 21-25 kg.

The Wilson Clash catches the eye with its high-contrast frame. The bright red colour at the tip of the racquet is particularly striking. With the grey stripes on the sides, Wilson managed a perfect transition to the black throat.

The matt surface of the frame also gives the racket a noble look. White and red lettering on the racquet neck complete the overall look of the Clash. From the visual point of view, this makes the racket a real eye-catcher.

As we have described above, the Wilson Clash has some unusual racket characteristics. According to Wilson, these are the result of two special technologies. Which technologies are these?

With this technology, the carbon layers are aligned at several different angles during the production of the racket frame. This procedure is also called “carbon mapping”. This increases the flexibility of the frame.

Since the frame can now bend in several new directions, the tennis ball stays longer in the racket’s string bed when it comes into contact with the racket. As a result, you have more control.

Basically, one could assume that with such a high degree of flexibility, the stability of the Wilson Clash would suffer. However, this is not the case here.

The “Stable Smart Technology” transforms the racquet frame into a solid frame despite the flexibility. The frame geometry is adapted to maintain the stability of the racquet when it comes into contact with the ball. At the same time, the racquet provides you with a decent amount of power.

The most important criterion for tennis rackets is of course their performance. So how did the Wilson Clash 100 perform? We have tested it intensively on the court for you.

During the test we immediately noticed the big sweet spot of the Clash 100. More precisely, this racquet has a head size of 645 cm². This puts this model in the “Midplus” category.

Overall the Clash 100 feels very forgiving when playing. Flat shots that felt like the ball was already out of bounds still ended up on the court. For players who often miss the sweetspot, this racquet is a perfect aid on court.

Another big advantage of the Clash 100 is its excellent playing comfort. The majority of our testers found it very pleasant to hit the ball at faster pace.

For one thing, this can be attributed to the balance point. The balance point is 32 cm, which makes the racquet head light. Therefore the racquet is quite maneuverable, giving you a lot of freedom in the backswing and the follow through.

In addition, the Clash 100’s flexibility provides a very soft feel when hitting the ball. In general, this model is very arm-friendly as it optimally absorbs the vibrations of the frame. As a result, your arm doesn’t tire as quickly, so you can save more energy. Thus you can also reduce the risk of arm injuries.

When you choose a tennis racket, you actually have two options. On the one hand, you can choose a racket that mainly offers you good control.

On the other hand, you can choose a model that supports you with great power. Normally these two characteristics are in contrast to each other in tennis. Originally, Wilson’s idea was to create a racquet that combines the features of both racquets. Did that work?

Surprisingly, Wilson took the step in the right direction. Although the Clash 100 does not have as much control as a tournament racquet, it can still keep up with a racquet used by an advanced club player.

In the rallies the Clash has rather convinced us with an above average power. This distinctive power is especially interesting for baseline players. At the end of the day, you can play powerful shots from the baseline, but you have to sacrifice a little bit of control.

The serve is essential in tennis. What’s the Wilson Clash 100 doing here? In principle, all testers were able to achieve good results with the racket. Fast serves are no problem with this model.

In addition, the open string pattern (19×16) allowed us to add a lot of spin to the ball. Therefore the Clash 100 is also very well suited for kick serves.

Our testers obviously had fun trying out the groundstrokes as well. This racket supported us in hitting the forehand and backhand. Especially aggressive baseliners will love this model, because you can generate a lot of power with a small amount of effort. This way you can effectively put your opponent under pressure.

If you are a player who likes to work with a lot of spin, you should definitely try the Clash 100. The incredible spin potential of this racquet amazed us all. We noticed that the balls had an unbelievably high spin when we warmed up. In the game our first impression was confirmed.

On the other hand, the Wilson Clash 100 showed a little weakness in the volleys at net. We lacked the feeling when placing the volleys. Most of the balls landed in the court, but we would have liked more accuracy.

In comparison with models of different brands we noticed that the stability of the Clash 100 is a bit lower. That is the reason why it performed worse in this area. Therefore serve-and-volley players should rather use a different racquet.

However, this does not mean that the net is a forbidden zone for the Clash. It is just more difficult to play a precise volley there.

With regard to the backhand slice the Wilson Clash could shine again. Because of the good maneuverability you are able to cut the tennis ball from below in an optimal way. Additionally the string pattern helps you to transfer a strong backspin to the ball.

During the test we used the slice on the backhand side more often. In total, all testers were satisfied, although some of them hit the slice fewer in their matches. This again underlines the versatility of the Wilson Clash 100.

Wilson’s vision was to design a racquet for tennis players of all levels. From our point of view, they almost succeeded. Overall, the racket is suitable for the ambitious hobby player to the experienced club player. The main target group consists of tennis players with a modern playing style.

This means that you use as much topspin as possible in your basic strokes. You also benefit from this racket if you want to play your forehand or backhand from the baseline at high speed into the opponent’s field. In both cases, the Wilson Clash 100 saves you a lot of energy that you can use elsewhere in the match.

Another group for whom the Clash 100 is an interesting option are tennis players with arm problems. In fact, this model is by far the most flexible racket on the market. With a stiffness of only 55 RA, it is the best choice for players who suffered from arm injuries.

Regular tournament players or professionals will probably not want to rely on the Wilson Clash 100. Unlike recreational or club players, they require less support for power and spin. Instead, control is extremely important to them, which is why they stick with their regular tournament rackets.

If you don’t like the Wilson Clash 100, we have a bonus for you here. Fortunately, Wilson has developed five more racquets in the Clash series with slightly different features. Below we compare the different versions with each other.

• Head size: 696 cm²
• Length: 69,2 cm
• Beam width: 24,5 mm
• Stiffness: 55 RA
• Weight: 280 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 33,5 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 21-25 kg (recommended)

This model has the largest racket head and sweetspot in the Clash family. The Clash 108 corrects badly hit balls even better than the Clash 100. On the one Hand, the light weight increases the maneuverability of the racket. However, the control suffers slightly. For these reasons, the Clash 108 is aimed more at beginners.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 24,5 mm
• Stiffness: 55 RA
• Weight: 280 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 31,5 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 21-25 kg (recommended)

The Wilson Clash 100L is a mixture of the 100 and 108 model. More precisely, it has the same head size as the Clash 100, but the weight of 280 g is identical to the Wilson Clash 108.

This version gives you an increased comfort as with the Clash 100 and slightly more control than the Clash 108. Basically, the Wilson Clash 100L is perfect for recreational players.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 24,5 mm
• Stiffness: 60 RA
• Weight: 265 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 33 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 21-25 kg (recommended)

Of all five models, the Clash 100 UL is the lightest. You can recognize this by the name of the model. Here “UL” stands for ultra-light.

Compared to the Clash 100L, there are only two characteristics that differ between the two rackets. The first is the lower weight and the slightly stiffer frame. Recreational players who want extra maneuverability will be more than satisfied with this model.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 24,5 mm
• Stiffness: 55 RA
• Weight: 310 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 30,6 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String pattern: 21-25 kg (recommended)

The Wilson Clash 100 Tour is one of the heaviest rackets in the Clash line. Because of a rebranding this model is now called the Clash 100 Pro.

The higher weight of this racquet gives you more stability when hitting the ball. Your control will improve significantly. Overall, the Clash 100 Pro is a good option for all advanced players.

• Head size: 632 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 24 mm
• Stiffness: 55 RA
• Weight: 310 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 30,6 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 21-25 kg (recommended)

The Wilson Clash 98 has many similarities to the 100 Pro model. With the exception of the head size, all features of both models are identical.

This racquet has a smaller head size to provide you with the maximum of stability and control. This gives you the ability to distribute the balls very precisely on the court. The bottom line is that the Wilson Clash 98 is ideal for the competitive player.

In addition to tennis rackets for adults, there are also models for kids. These are available in lengths of 25 and 26 inch. Wilson has also released bags and backpacks in the clash version to match all rackets.

In fact, it can be said that Wilson is reshaping the racket market with the Clash models. Such an innovation hasn’t been seen in tennis for several decades.

Currently, the Wilson Clash is a unique racquet that combines control and power in the best possible way. We’ll see if other racket manufacturers will now jump on this bandwagon and develop comparable models.