That is one of the big assets of the Shift. Still in its first edition, the newest Wilson frame is aimed at aggressive baseliners looking to hit a heavy, penetrating ball with lots of spin. The source of which is the racquet’s unique bending profile. It’s designed to experience minimal torsional twisting at contact so there’s ample power and energy back into the ball. At the same time, the frame has a fair amount of lateral flexibility. This combines high-end stability with a higher launch angle to accentuate the spin on the ball.
For Roddick, it added a user-friendliness that put the Shift over the top.
“I like the little bit of extra help. I call it the late save,” he says. “A lot of times with the Shift I’ll hit it and it’s not perfect and I think it’s a lost ball, and all of a sudden gravity finds it. You’re not having to choose between spin or depth—both are available. I’m weird because my shots on either side are very different. I have a spinnier forehand and I can’t hit topspin on my backhand if you were threatening my life. To find a racquet that suits both of those is pretty rare.”
Giving way to age, Roddick’s stock model Shift is a bit lighter than what he swung during his playing days. The weight is also distributed a little differently; still on the head-heavy side for that “whip around effect” but a little more balanced. Partnering with Wilson has also allowed him to dabble with Luxilon—what he calls “Pandora’s box of strings.” Since he was a gut-hybrid user on tour—he felt it was the best setup for his serve—the stiffness of stringing with all Luxilon has meant dropping his string tension as well.
