Mike tested the latest version of the Pro Staff 97. This Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV offers the well-known Pro Staff precision, is wonderfully fast at the net and has a more dampened playing feel.

The matte black Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV is now available in our webshop!

Tested racket:

Brand: Wilson Model: Pro Staff 97 CV Head size: 97 sq/inch Weight: 315 gr Balance: 31.0 cm Stringing pattern: 16/19 Length: 27 inch RA: 65 Stringing: Luxilon Alu Power 1.25 on 23/22 kg, also tested with the Diadem Elite XT 17 on 23/22 kg.

Tester:

Name: Mike Playing strength: 4/4 Type of player: somewhat classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself. Had shoulder problems until recently. Racket history player: Head Ti Fire, Babolat Pure Drive, Prince EXO3 Rebel Team, Wilson Steam 100 BLX2, Head Graphene Radical MP and the Prince Textreme Warrior 107. Recently also the Babolat Pure Strike 16/19 2017 in use.

Test scores Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV:

Power: 7 Control: 8.5 Spin: 7.5 Arm friendliness: 7.5 Agility: 8.5 Touch: 8.5

Technology Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV:

The Wilson Pro Staff series has always stood for classic control and ball feel. This Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV is no different! The racket has exactly the same specifications as the previously released 'regular' Pro Staff 97. However, this latest version has the same matte black looks as the heavier Pro Staff RF97 Autograph , the racket of Roger Federer. The other difference with the regular black-red Pro Staff 97 is the addition of Countervail around the heart of the racket. Countervail ensures reduced impact on the arm and body and therefore also less fatigue during the game.

Baseline:

From the baseline, the Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV makes a solid impression. You can really go all out with this racket, without having to worry about overheating. This is clearly a more control-oriented racket, you will have to put the speed into the ball yourself from a full swing. With good timing and swing, I noticed that I got a lot of mass through the ball and could also accelerate a lot. This racket therefore requires good timing and technique from the player, as is the case with other Pro Staff models. Under pressure, the racket also performs well, provided you keep an eye on your technique. The racket feels a bit less solid and crisp than the black-red Pro Staff 97. With that version, I had a bit more feeling and connection with the ball. This version with CV feels a bit softer and therefore more comfortable. My first question was whether this would fit in with the Pro Staff racket family. These are always top-notch control frames with a very direct playing feel, a lot of precision and direct feedback. For that, I also tested both rackets side by side. This matt black Pro Staff 97 CV has a little less of that direct feel and feedback. With the more direct Diadem Elite XT string this was somewhat compensated. For the rest I did not find the differences in performance between both rackets that big.

Service:

The Pro Staff 97 CV does not offer a lot of free service power, but it does grip the ball very well. As a result, I had very good control and excellent ball rotation (both kick and slice) with this racket. The low balance makes the racket easy to get round.

Just:

Super! This racket performs great at the net! Because the weight is proportionally more towards the grip/handle of the racket, the racket is very easy to get into position. The racket is solid enough to parry hard balls, but also offers a lot of touch. I have hit some great stop volleys with this racket.

Power/control:

With this Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV it is logically control over power. This is a racket where you have to put the speed in the ball yourself from a good swing. The timing is also very important: if you come well for the ball and choose the right moment of contact, then you can put a lot of power in your strokes. However, if you are a bit late and/or lazy, then you will not get away with that with the Pro Staff 97 CV. The control is where this racket excels in particular. I could pull through with this racket without having to worry about overheating. The racket offers fine control to be able to play precisely.

Comfort/arm friendliness:

This Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV feels a bit more comfortable than the red-black Pro Staff 97. This makes the racket a bit more versatile. Still, this is a fairly spicy frame with a relatively compact sweet spot. If you hit the balls nicely in the sweet spot, you feel the fine touch and control of the racket, as well as the dampened playing feel. With balls outside the sweet spot, the racket is a bit more spicy on the arm. For Pro Staff standards, the racket has become a bit more comfortable, but that does not mean that you do not need quite a bit of muscle to be able to play this 'work racket'.

Overall:

The update with the Countervail material gives this version of the Pro Staff 97 a somewhat softer playing feel. I had to get used to this, because I was not used to this from the generally more direct Pro Staff series. I personally like this extra bit of comfort. The difference with the red-black Pro Staff 97 was not too bad. With this update with Countervail, Wilson makes the Pro Staff 97 a bit more accessible to a wider audience. However, someone who is looking for the direct playing feel of the Pro Staff 97 of yesteryear will prefer the red-black version. The Wilson Pro Staff 97 CV is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice!