Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.3

The Clash 100 v3 had plenty of power and comfort to offer our team of testers during baseline exchanges. The easy power wasn’t too much for them to handle, and the smooth nature of this racquet allowed for full swings without any fear of discomfort. Brittany, found the Clash 100 v3 to be very user friendly, with above-average spin potential. She said, "I have playtested all three generations of the Clash 100, and I was a big fan of the first iteration. Like the previous two generations, the v3 has a unique feel that is unlike any other racquet I’ve tested. This is just an easy-to-use racquet that’s fun to play with. I loved practicing with the Clash v3 because I was able to get into a groove on long cross-court groundstroke rallies. While the Clash 100 v3 was maneuverable and offered high spin potential, when I started playing points I noticed that I couldn’t put away my shots; they were sitting up a little bit and didn't feel as heavy. I started to utilize placement and spin to hurt my opponents and win points, but my slices were sitting up a bit as well."

Finding more fun than anything else, Tiffani had lots to like about the current Clash. She explained, "If I ever need a reminder that tennis is fun, I should pick up a Wilson Clash! Not to sound cheesy, but this Clash 100 v3 is simply a blast to play with. I quickly fell into a rhythm when rallying from the baseline. I had my best results with this racquet when I used relaxed swings and didn’t try to force the issue. Even though this racquet was enjoyable, I did have some struggles. I was ahead of the ball at times if I went for too much when I was playing points, and other times I missed long if I tried to hit a flatter put-away ball. For best results, I needed to not rush and remember to add topspin."

Like Tiffani, Oak found his playtest experience to be defined by the enjoyment factor he found on court. He said, "This was one of the most fun playtests I've ever had the fortune of being on. The Clash 100 v3 simply exudes joy. Hitting with it is a resoundingly comfortable experience, and it has a ton of pop to make it viable for those looking for some extra pace. I really enjoyed the feel on my forehand, which is often a make-it-or-break-it factor for me when trying out a racquet. If it can work with my natural forehand motion, then we are good to go, and thankfully, the Clash 100 v3 allowed me to confidently swing into my shots. I really enjoyed it on my backhand because it felt like I had plenty of power, which made hitting one-handers a great experience. I could slice effectively on either wing, but I wasn't getting a ton of depth on most slices, so it felt necessary to push through the ball a little more. Of course, this racquet leaned toward power, but it had better directional control than previous Clashes I've tried. The ability of this frame to redirect pace is superb, and I really liked how stable it felt when under duress." 

Jason appreciated the "return to form" this racquet seemed to offer in relation to its predecessor. He said, "From the baseline, I think this new Clash has a bit of that Clash magic from the original model, meaning that there are shots I would hit thinking they were going way long, but somehow they would land in. It is a very whippy racquet that gave me great access to spin. For me, the feel kind of sits between the first and second Clash models. When it came to point play, I did struggle a bit to win easy points or push my opponents back with this racquet."

Once he dialed in his depth, Luca had a great time hitting groundstrokes with the Clash 100 v3. He said, "I found the racquet to be extremely maneuverable. Its strung weight and head-light balance made it excellent for generating spin. What struck me the most was its combination of power and maneuverability. At first, I struggled a bit to find the right depth on my shots and the optimal contact point, but things improved significantly after a few hours." 

This racquet slotted in nicely with Alex's preferred game style. He described, "The Clash 100 v3 is perfect for agile defense, generating spin and hitting winners on the run. It also proves highly maneuverable for more technical shots, like slices or passing shots. On forehands, I felt a lot of stability when it came time to finish points, and it delivered great feedback and excellent spin potential. I experienced good feedback on my slice backhands and also on attacking shots leading up to net approaches."

Volleys: 8

When points moved forward to the net, the Clash 100 v3 had plenty to offer in terms of maneuverability. Despite some instability against the heaviest of shots, the racquet had enough speed and spin capability to offset the lack of mass. The volleying experience made Luca want to move forward. He noted, "Because the racquet is maneuverable, I felt really connected when I played close to the net."

Similarly, the handling of the frame allowed Alex to effectively get into position and attack the ball. He said, "The Clash 100 v3 was incredibly quick, allowing me to react much faster when my opponent tried to put me under pressure. On low volleys, I noticed good control and excellent touch."

"I enjoyed the feel of the Clash 100 v3 at net," added Tiffani. "I was reminded of the softer feel of the original Clash. Not being the strongest volleyer, I relied on the comfort of this racquet when I undoubtedly missed the sweetspot and also on its quickness."

For Brittany, this racquet's quick handling really made itself known at net. She did, however, struggle at times with the lack of stability and mass. She said, "On one hand, the Clash 100 v3 was easy to get into position and felt great during reflex volley exchanges. On the other hand, I struggled with instability. I had to consciously grip the racquet a little tighter right before impact to avoid the racquet twisting in my hands. I struggled to close points out at net."

Oak also found plenty of success with the Clash 100 v3 on volleys, rushing forward even more often than usual. He explained, "The Clash 100 volleyed exceptionally well, and I found this to be the way I finished off most points with it. I definitely would've appreciated more overall finesse, control and mass, but the pleasant sensations upon contact went a long way to make the frame play well. The feel was good — not the best I've had from a Wilson frame, but it left little to be desired. It doesn't feel like this racquet is trying to be anything it's not, which is always welcome as far as design theory and execution are concerned. My volleys were somewhere in the middle between deep and short, with not a ton of venom behind them, and usually dying out before my opponents could retrieve them."

For Jason, the volleying experience was highlighted by the speedy handling of the Clash 100 v3, but that was somewhat offset by the lack of mass. He said, "I liked how fast and maneuverable this racquet was up at net. It was fun doing rapid-fire volley-volley drills, but this racquet got pushed around a bit when I had to volley against someone hitting big shots from the baseline. The torsional stability could be better. If I continue hitting with this, I'd definitely add just a touch of tungsten tape at 3 and 9 o'clock."

Serves: 8.3

When it came to starting points, our team was left wanting more plow through, an interesting conundrum considering the easy pop of this Clash 100 v3 on other strokes. While Brittany could get some nice heat on her first serve, her second serve felt easily attackable. She explained, "I was able to generate pace with ease when starting points off on serve. My serves were also landing deep in the service box. While I didn't feel like I was getting any additional free points, I was able to start off points effectively and in a good position. While I could consistently hit second serves (and limit double faults), I definitely felt that my opponents could step up and attack them." 

The easy handling proved welcome for Tiffani, but she too was looking for more mass overall. She said, "I initially struggled on serves with the Clash 100 v3. I wasn’t timing my serves correctly because it was swinging so easily over my head. It took me one practice serving session to really find my rhythm on serve. In the end, I was wishing for a little more weight to get the ball to penetrate through the court better."

Likewise, Jason noticed a drop in pop for his serves. He said, "I don't think I was serving the biggest with the Clash 100 v3. It just didn't have enough mass behind the ball to be able to get a ton of pop. However, I did like the access to spin, and I was serving at a high percentage with it."

For Oak, the Clash 100 v3's serving experience was characterized more by spin than power. Oak is used to his serves easily hitting the back fence after one bounce, but it felt like the ball was dying sooner for him during this playtest. He said, "On serve, it felt like I had to ask a little bit more of this racquet. The overall weight left me wanting more mass for some free power, which forced me to rely more on spin to be successful. Control was decent, but I would've appreciated a touch more fine-tuned precision to really make serving an effective experience. Placement was so-so, and I didn't feel like I could trust all of my shots 100 percent of the time. On second serves, this Clash 100 v3 was decent, but again, my serves lacked the depth I sought. Ultimately, I wanted more predictability because I have become more accustomed to getting a larger return on investment on my serves."

Luca and Alex both seemed to find more success on their serves. Luca said, “I felt immediately at ease on serve. The Clash 100 v3 completely connected to my game. I appreciated how easy it was to generate power and kick, and I have to say that the hidden power is one of the qualities I liked the most."

Alex noted the easy targeting. He said, "I found precise zones with enough safety and excellent angles, giving me a significant advantage in setting up the point. I didn't take too many risks on second serves, opting for a higher-arcing ball to give myself time in the rally." 

Returns: 8.3

On returns, the Clash 100 v3 provided our team with a lot of versatility and good stability despite its somewhat lower mass overall. This racquet set Luca up for success regardless of the situation he found himself in. He described, "I found the Clash 100 v3 to be very versatile on returns. Its maneuverability allowed me to react quickly and adapt to various game situations, whether I was attacking or defending."

Likewise, Alex's returns were characterized by the plentiful options at his disposal. He noted, "The new Wilson Clash v3 offered access to a wide range of shots, allowing me to generate slice, topspin or flat shots with ease."

Oak ended up having a better time returning than he did serving. He said, “My returns with this Clash 100 v3 were definitely better than my serves. The power access and pace-absorption allowed me to go for heavy line drives to start points off with some urgency on my end. While I didn't feel as confident picking aggressive spots, the power of the racquet allowed me to pick a side of the court and hammer through it with ease. I really enjoyed returning with this racquet, particularly up the line on the backhand side. I never felt pressed for time prep-wise, even against heavier servers. It felt unbelievably solid at impact, and I enjoyed being aggressive with my returns as a whole."

Brittany was split on whether she preferred returning or serving with this racquet. She said, "I had similar results with return of serves as I did groundstrokes. I actually ended up undecided on whether I liked to serve or return more. Every now and again I would make clean contact with the sweetspot with enough racquet head speed to hit a deep, offensive return of a first serve to win a quick point. But for most of the playtest, I found myself taking a more cautious approach and aiming for larger targets to keep myself in a neutral position."

However, Tiffani much preferred returning to serving. She explained, "Returning with the Clash 100 v3 came much more naturally to me. Like groundstrokes, there was plenty of net clearance, and that made it easier to hit effective returns." 

Jason found himself simply wanting more mass at contact. He said, "This Clash 100 v3 got pushed around against first serves or bigger second serves. Physics comes into play here, and there just wasn't enough mass at times. This racquet excelled at attacking slower serves, which allowed me to tee off on the ball. The spin and fast acceleration helped me be aggressive on my returns." 

Breakdown Summary