Braided Graphite + Basalt Elastic and reactive material combination improves the flex of a racket to increase ball contact with the strings for enhanced feel and greater control. Parallel Drilling Grommet construction provides a consistent, more forgiving string bed response while dramatically increasing the sweet spot. Top Grip Taper Tapered grip lends better feel for top-handed grip placement on two-handed backhand. FORTYFIVE° Patent-protected frame layup produces more connected-to-the-ball feel while better complementing the more modern, vertical swing path. Material increases both flexibility and stability without compromise through the swing. The Blade 98 (16x19) v8 pairs captivating design with a new layup to better accommodate the more modern, vertical swing path commonly used by competitive players. The headliner innovation, FORTYFIVE, manages to increase both the flexibility and stability of the frame to lend supreme feel for the ball on every shot. Still characterized by its superior presence in the hands of the best players in the world, this evolution of Blade rewards aggressive, precise ball-strikers with a top-tier blend of connected-to-the-ball feel, torsional stability and color-shifting design to wow teammates and opponents alike.