Tester
Player Name: Stephan Couzijn
Level: 5
Player type: 39 years old, all-court player, eastern grip, one-handed backhand, fairly flat strokes
Own racket: Wilson Juice Pro, 96 inch, 324 gr, 31.0 cm, 16 x 20 Player's racket history: Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95, Wilson Six-One 95, Head Radical, Dunlop Airgel 300 Tour, Babolat Pure Storm Tour GT, Wilson Pro Staff 95.
Tested racket
Brand: Wilson
Model: Pro Staff RF97
Blade size: 97 inches
Weight: 340 grams
Balance: 30.5 cm
Stringing pattern: 16 x 19
Racket rating
Baseline:
From the baseline this racket plays very stable. It is a real precision tool. Provided you manage to hit the balls in the middle of the blade you can deliver crystal clear shots. It is also remarkable that compared to the 90 you can generate spin much easier with this frame without sacrificing control. The weight of the racket did ensure that I was sometimes too late to the ball in the beginning. It was also noticeable that just like with the 90 version you can hit razor-sharp slices with the RF97. Both defensively from the baseline and offensively towards the net the slices shaved nicely over the net without any deflections. Under pressure the RF97 also performs well from the baseline. By mainly letting the racket do the work, almost all heavy or hard balls are easy to parry and change direction. The drop shots from the baseline can also be played with a lot of feeling. The less power I put into my shots and let the racket swing more naturally, the more power and control I got in return. Furthermore, you can produce controlled flat balls with the RF97. Especially with my one-handed backhand I was able to hit it straight through without any misses.
Service:
Serving with the RF97 is just like hitting with precision with the baseline. Where the RF97 wins on precision, it loses on speed compared to other rackets such as the lighter 97 or the 95. Of course, as a result of the higher weight, it is a bit more difficult to generate racket speed. But the most remarkable thing is how sharply you can place the balls. To be honest, I have not encountered that with any other racket. Not even with the 90. Slice, kick or flat, it is all perfectly possible with the RF97. Whereby the more extreme serves such as the kick service require quite a bit of your wrist and forearm.
Just:
In one word a brilliant racket to volley with. It can't be otherwise if you consider who this racket is made for. The balance and weight of the frame also make it easy to put away hard balls. Compared to the 90 the racket may be a little less manoeuvrable but many times easier to handle than for example the Wilson Juice Pro and certainly comparable easy as the Pro Staff 95.
Power:
With the RF97 you mainly create power by letting the racket do its work and swinging smoothly through the ball. To get the most out of the racket you need to have a good technique and a smooth stroke. More than with the 97 you can easily produce flat and hard balls with the RF97.
Control:
We can be brief about it. This racket is a precision tool with a lot of control in all strokes.
Comfort/Arm-friendliness:
The racket feels comfortable, partly because of the relatively thin box beam frame. Because of the weight and stiffness of the racket I actually expected to get pain in my arm, but after a playtest of more than two hours I had no pain at all. Also the 'day after' there were no discomforts to be found.
General impression:
On paper, the RF97 will scare off many players because of its relatively high weight. However, as a not super powerful player, I have to refute that. It is absolutely not the case that you think when holding the racket, what do I have hanging on my shoulder. Yes, it is one of the heaviest rackets, but not that much heavier than an average frame for advanced players. As a fan of the more classic frames (up to a head size of 95 inches), I could not wait for Federer to figure it out. Last week it finally happened. I got the chance to test the RF97. I had already tried out the lighter version (315 gr) of the RF97 and was curious how its heavier brother would feel. One of the most striking changes in Federer's racket is of course the significant jump in head size from 90 to 97. My experience shows that the difference between 90 and 95 is not that bad, but anything around 98 and above really provides a completely different playing experience. This was also the case with the RF97 to a certain extent. The classic Pro Staff feel has been retained but modern playing characteristics have been added such as more spin possibilities and a larger sweet spot. If I have to indicate both versions (97 and RF97) then I think that the RF97 is more suitable for the more classic player who hits a bit flatter and is looking for a more modern playing style with more spin. Where the 97 seems to be more for players who already play a modern game with more spin and a more extreme grip (semi-western) but who are looking for the feel and control of a Pro Staff.
Here are all the specs of the Wilson Pro Staff 97 RF Autograph and the Wilson Pro Staff 97 .
The Wilson Pro Staff 97 is temporarily available at a very reasonable price in our webshop.