Mike tested the new Wilson Pro Staff X V14 ! This X version of the Pro Staff is new to the line-up and comes in at 315 grams with a 100 sq/inch blade size. A slightly more user-friendly Pro Staff at a serious weight. Read the extensive review here.

Specifications Wilson Pro Staff X V14:

Intro:

When I heard that Wilson would add this X version to the Pro Staff line-up (where the RF version of 340 grams is now a thing of the past) I was immediately triggered. A slightly more forgiving Pro Staff at 315 grams, with a 31.0 balance and a 100 sq/inch head size. All that with the typical Pro Staff playing feel, as I was promised. Interesting and therefore time for an extensive test!

Baseline:

Actually, I was quite surprised by the power that you bring to the court with this Pro Staff X. It's true: the typical Pro Staff solid playing feeling is definitely there, only the power is almost atypical for a Pro Staff. The first half hour a ball regularly flew well behind the baseline. I had the perception that I would almost not be able to overhit with this racket because it is a Pro Staff, but it still happened to me regularly at first. When I got a better feel for this frame after playing a set, I could control the power better. But still certainly noticeable!

You can definitely feel that this is a Pro Staff. What I mean by that is that the racket feels very solid from the baseline and that is very pleasant. This was also clearly noticeable with slice backhands: if you cut the ball well, the racket does the rest. The Pro Staff X therefore offers a good mix of power and control from the baseline, although I had thought that the balance would clearly shift more towards control. That was both pleasant and disappointing at the same time. Perhaps an angled poly like the Diadem Pro X would work a little better with this racket to maintain margin in your strokes. However, I had consciously chosen not to do this because that string is a little stiffer and I was afraid that it would become too 'stiff' as a racket-string combination. The Pro Staff is of course not the most forgiving racket line on the market.

Service:

With the serve I had a lot of control and good guidance over the ball. I did miss a bit of free power like I clearly had with the Head Radical MP 2023 for example. Slice serves from the right to the outside went quite easily. Gripping the ball (100 sq/inch, relatively open 16x19 stringing pattern) is quite easy. With kick serves I had a bit more trouble, but that is not my greatest weapon I have to say.

Just:

At the net, I have to say, it's a blast with this Wilson Pro Staff X V14. The racket is nice and quick to get into position. In addition, the sweet spot feels clearly more generous than other Pro Staffs and the low 31.0 balance does the rest. The feeling at ball impact is very solid and stop volleys can also be put down with a lot of feeling. So, a nice tool at the net!

Power/control Wilson Pro Staff

As I said, I was surprised by the power of this racket. I found it to be much more than I expected. That is purely personal of course, because it is clear where Wilson wants to go with this Pro Staff X. The brand wants to offer the old school Pro Staff player (who may not be able to handle the more difficult 97 sq/inch variants) a slightly more accessible Pro Staff that still has the familiar playing feel of a Pro Staff. They succeeded, but a bit more control would have been nice. I myself experienced more control with the Wilson Blade 100 V8 than with this Pro Staff X V14. And I did not expect that. On the other hand, this could work out fine for Wilson. All in all, the racket is reasonably well balanced between power and control, but I would have expected a bit more control.

Comfort/arm friendliness:

The Pro Staff X is a bit more forgiving than a 'regular' Pro Staff, that is noticeable. I did feel my shoulder a bit more after playing. It remains a robust racket in that respect. Perhaps a hybrid string setup with an angled co-poly in the length and a somewhat softer cross string would work best with this racket.

Wilson Pro Staff X V14 Bottom Line:

All in all a fun and very interesting playtest! It is clear which consumer Wilson is aiming for with this racket: the die-hard Pro Staff player for whom the 97 sq/inch versions may be a bit too much after all these years, but who does not want to miss the Pro Staff playing experience. The racket is indeed clearly more forgiving than the other Pro Staffs, but the increase in power is also clearly noticeable. I would have liked a bit more control myself, but that is personal. All in all a keeper in the Pro Staff line-up in my opinion that also looks great!

The Pro Staff X V14 is now available in our webshop, including free stringing of your choice!