WILSON PRO STAFF 97S REVIEW

Price

139,90 €

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Upsides

Stability
Comfort to the arm
Great access to spin

Downsides

Not very maneuverable

Summary

The Pro Staff 97S injects Wilson's innovative Spin Effect string pattern into a more traditional feeling frame. The 19mm beam and softer flex give the racket a plush feel at impact with nice precision, while its even balance gives it exceptional plough through and stability when combating hard hitting opponents. The unique 18x17 string pattern gives the racket a subtle boost in spin and a forgiving sweetspot without losing too much control. Although it's a Spin Effect racket, it won't have as quite a dramatic impact on performance compared to some of the other more wide open string patterns. While we enjoyed the high swingweight for knifing backhand slices and volleys, we did find the racket difficult at times to get the racket moving through the air or into position during quick exchanges. Forehand returns and serves were most affected, although the results of our shots were still good after a brief adjustment period. All in all, we really liked this marriage of a more traditional feeling frame combined with Spin Effect's more modern response.

Overall - Score: 83/100

Groundstrokes – Score 83/100

Our playtesters immediately noticed the high swingweight of the Pro Staff 97S when hitting groundstrokes, and after a brief adjustment period they started to reap the benefits. The racket offered plenty of plough through and stability, moving through the contact point with the ball like an unstoppable force. One stroke that this was especially beneficial was for was the backhand slice, where our team found them knifing through the court with easy depth and pace. The 18x17 string pattern provided a subtle boost in spin and forgiveness along with plenty of control to instill confidence when going for aggressive shots. The thin beam provided a soft, plush feel that reminded us of more traditional rackets.

Volleys – Score 79/100

Once our team got used to the even balance and high swingweight of the Pro Staff 97S they were able to volley quite effectively during the playtest. At first, a couple of our testers noted that it was a little difficult getting the racket into position during quick net exchanges, but once they got used to its weight the racket performed well. The soft, plush feel and excellent stability were our favourite qualities when volleying, allowing us to combat hard hitting opponents with precision and touch.

Serve – Score 81/100

The Pro Staff 97S' high swingweight once again came into play as our playtesters hit serves. The results were good with a nice blend of power, control and spin, but our testers noted that it was at times a little difficult to get the racket moving quickly through the air. The Spin Effect string pattern allowed for easy access to spin when we were going for kick and slice serves, and the heft of the racket got our flat serves moving through the court nicely. A couple of our testers commented that with a little bit of weight added to the handle they may have enjoyed a more 'whippy' feel.

Returns – Score 79/100

Our playtesters had similar experiences and opinions of the Pro Staff 97S with returning serve as they did from other areas of the court. The heft towards the tip of the frame continued to give it a solid feel and made it easy to generate pace and depth, but it also made it difficult to get the racket around the body to catch up to hard hit first serves. Backhand chip returns were consistently being sent back with depth and precision, but forehand returns were sometimes struck late.

Likes:

Chris: “ I loved hitting slice backhands with this racket. I also liked the classic feel combined with the spin-friendly stringbed response. ”

Andy: “ A really nice all-around stick! It had a great blend of power, control and spin to go along with its plush feel. Plenty of weight in the hoop helped the racket stand up well against hard hitting opponents too. ”

Troy: “ The thin beam gave me good feel and comfort compared to the RF97 Autograph. The 18x17 string pattern added some spin but didn't cause the inconsistencies I have found in other Spin Effect rackets. And of course, the stock leather grip! ”

Mark: “ I liked the look and feel of the racket, and it offers a unique feel with its 18x17 string pattern. ”

Dislikes:

Chris: “ The swingweight and balance took some getting used on my forehand side. I would definitely tail weight this racket to make it more head light and give it a whippier feel. ”

Andy: “ I would have liked a little more mass under my hand (more head light) to give my shots a bit more weight. ”

Troy: “ I would add some weight to the handle of this racket to create a more head-light balance, which I feel will help with maneuverability when hitting volleys. ”

Mark: “ Even after hitting with the racket for hours, I struggled with the high swingweight. I both loved that it swung heavily and disliked it at the same time. ”

Comparing it to other racquets they've used, our testers said:

Chris: “ It is somewhat tough to compare this racket as it is light but swings big. Head's Graphene Prestige Rev Pro is another light racket with a substantial swingweight but the feel of the two is quite different. The Yonex Tour G 310 is another racket that feels hefty when swung and also shares the same headsize. ”

Andy: “ I was real impressed with this racket, and I think it belongs among the best in the 'modern player's racket' category with some others like the Wilson Blade 98S, Yonex EZONE Ai 98 and Babolat Pure Control Tour. The Wilson Spin Effect frames have more spin potential than the other two but don't quite offer the same level of precision. Also, the Pro Staff 97S may have the softest, plushest feel of the group, making it nice and arm-friendly. ”

Troy: “ This Pro Staff 97S is more plush and dampened compared to the RF97 Autograph, although the RF97 Autograph has a bit more pop. Another racket that comes to mind is the Yonex EZONE Ai 98, although this Pro Staff 97 is less manoeuvrable but has better plough through. This Pro Staff 97S has some similarities to the Wilson Blade 98 (18x20), but it's heftier and has more spin potential. ”

Mark: “ Because the racket feels heavier than its stock weight would indicate, I have to compare it with some racket that weigh around 12 ounces. The RF97 Autograph, Volkl Super G 10 Mid (330), Pro Kennex Ki QTour and Babolat Pure Control Tour all come to mind. ”

Playtester Profiles:

Andy: Open level all court player with a semi-western forehand grip and a two handed backhand. Andy currently using a Yonex EZONE Ai 98.

Chris: 4.5 all-court player currently using the Wilson Six.One 95S. Chris uses a full-western forehand grip, has a fast swing style and hits a one-handed backhand.

Troy: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a full Western Forehand and a two-handed backhand. Troy currently plays with a Wilson BLX Six.One 95.

Mark: 5.0 lefty all-court player with a one-handed backhand. He currently plays with the Wilson Pro Staff 95S.

Review date: September 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us: information.en@tenniswarehouse-europe.com.