Tennis String Review: Wilson Shock Shield 16 Gauge 

Wilson, one of the United State’s largest sports equipment firms, has a long history with racquet sports. Roger Federer and the Williams Sisters have used Wilson racquets and string with great success (duh!). Wilson Shock Shield tennis string was recently introduced and appears intended for players seeking comfort as their # 1 concern. Wilson Shock Shield is constructed with a hollow-core center that is filled with a shock-absorbing gel (Isozorb). This center core is then surrounded with a multi-filament outer wrap. Wilson Shock Shield is blue in color.

MARKETING
WILSON SHOCK SHIELD is promoted as a tennis string that offers relief from shock and vibration when hitting a tennis ball. It is touted as very arm-friendly string and may even help players with arm issues continue playing (or return to playing sooner). Wilson rates the string as follows (10-Scale): Power – 8; Control – 7; Comfort – 10; Durability – 6.

STRINGING
Wilson Shock Shield tennis string feels medium-stiff. It unravels nicely, but has a tendency to kink while stringing. Weaving crosses is a breeze (not much texture) and knots tie easily. I found it interesting that no gel “escapes” when one cuts the string (I thought the “blue blood” may ooze from the string).

GROUNDSTROKES / SPIN
Wilson Shock Shield tennis string lives up to its name during baseline rallies. It hits a very solid ball—and some of that sensation is from the wonderful, somewhat muted, sound. It dampened the hits so well that even off-center contact felt better than it should! Power was excellent and spin was what I would term “normal”. If you play with a poly set-up, then try Wilson Shock Shield, you may at first send some balls flying. But a little while later you may just fall in love with the enhanced ball feel that Wilson Shock Shield delivers.

VOLLEY
Volleys with Wilson Shock Shield were crisp, accurate, and powerful. On “extended reach” volleys (reflex “gets” or poaches) Shock Shield helped prevent the immediate soreness on my forearm—it really lessens negative sensations.

SERVES & OVERHEADS
Wilson Shock Shield performed very well with serves or overheads. Nothing too unusual—just good placement and adequate power.

TOUCH
This string really has great ball “feel” (as most comfort strings do). I felt confident with my drop-shots and angles with Wilson Shock Shield. Again—the sound was a big part in the sensation of string performance. And good sound may equal better performance (confidence-builder).

SUMMARY
Wilson Shock Shield may be a good choice for players who have moderate swing styles and/or have had any history of arm issues (hand/wrist/elbow/shoulder). But it is not limited to those players only. I really enjoyed Shock Shield’s feel, sound, and overall comfort—and my arm is just fine at the present time (crossing my fingers). It is a better quality synthetic gut that may just enable you to play longer, harder, and perhaps better!

Greg Christopherson
Oceanside, CA