Just came back from my first hit with PS 97s (~11.9oz). Strung VS mains at 55lbs, RPM Blast at 53lbs. Racket swings much differently through the air than my current frame (Head Youtek Speed 16x19 from '09 custom ~12.4oz) so there was a brief adjustment period.
26-year-old male, semi-western forehand, Eastern OHBH, USTA 4.5 ex-collegiate, if that helps.
Pros:
- Extremely comfortable racket, butter. Much more muted than my current racket (reminder my current frames are 2009 models). Thought it felt way better without a vibration dampener.
- Great dwell time, felt extremely connected to every ball.
- The best spin potential I've had out of a frame in awhile. Curious how much spin I can get out of a full bed of something like HyperG. Reckon it's going to be insane.
- Solid power but only when you hit the sweetspot (or somewhere near it).
- Stock form I felt already had enough plow and stability to hang with the big boys.
- For me, it shined on every stroke. Volleys and overheads included. Maybe the best serving racket I've ever used, and one of the best rackets for my OHBH. Would probably still put the IG Prestige MP above it for the OHBH.
Cons (kinda):
- Basically the only con is it's a demanding racket. Below is just me elaborating.
- I felt the sweetspot was plenty but not generous.
- Launch angle was a bit higher than I'm used to. Found it helpful when I caught the backhand late. Would have liked the forehand to be lower, more penetrating.
- You'll be dropping balls short and slow if your footwork and technique aren't up there, especially against bigger hitters.
- Didn't feel the racket gave much "free power", sweetspot or not. You'll have to take full strokes which the racket rewards.
- For whatever reason, I wasn't able to find consistent depth on my slice today. Was dropping them short and long. Probably just an adjustment period thing.
Conclusion:
- Overall, sick racket. One of the best I've tried and I'm switching to it full-time. Might try a leather grip on it but I could also totally live with stock form.
- Rewarding, but not generous. That means, your footwork, fitness, and technique will determine how much spin, power, control you get. Doesn't gift much for free.
- Pretty demanding over 3 sets. If you tend to fade late in matches you're probably going to have a tough time winning with this frame.
- I recommend it for true 4.0+. I feel there are better rackets for lower levels.
Disclaimer: Impressions are from one 90 minute session and one string setup. Would probably rate my physical level a 7/10 today. That said, it's a really awesome performance frame. Must demo if you're an advanced player (4.0+ IMO).
Note: I've tried so many frames over the last 7 years and really just end up sticking with the early Speeds (Youtek,IG), IG Prestige, or 2013 black and silver Wilson Blades. This is the first frame I've really liked since those '13 blades.
