boulderchips
Rookie
I'm new to the forums, but I've really appreciated all the detailed thoughts that people share about racquets, strings, etc. It's my favorite part of the forums. This week I'm demoing racquets, and I thought I'd post my results. May they help future researchers the way so many folks here have helped me. Forgive me if I'm wrong to start a new thread, and feel free to chastise me appropriately.
My tennis background: Played at a strong high school in Colorado, then DIII college. I was a pretty solid all-court player, but (like so many) I rely most on my serve and my forehand. Although singles always had my heart, I ended up something of a doubles specialist, especially in high school. College burnt me out pretty hard (in more ways that one), and I didn't pick up a racquet for several years. I recently moved to California, and the beautiful weather combined with my girlfriend's wish to learn got me back on the courts. It feels good to be hitting again, but my old racquets are pretty shot. I played with the APD Cortex back in the day (leaded up at times), but this being a new era of my tennis life, I thought I'd take the opportunity to find a new racquet that I love.
Hence the demos. Here's what's up for comparison: Wilson Blade v7 18x20, Wilson Pro Staff v13, Wilson RF97A, Yonex Pro 97HD, Yonex Pro 97 330. I also gave into the hype and snagged a lightly used Blade Pro (18x20), which will be arriving for comparison this weekend. Today was my first chance to hit with the other 5, and the initial results are in:
Wilson Blade v7 18x20: I understand why people like this, but it's not for me. Nice stability for the weight, but the balance made it feel less maneuverable than I would like. It also had a little more power than I like — despite the predictable string pattern, I found it hard to tame my strokes. This was especially evident when I was on defense, where I struggled to come up with the balls I needed on the run. I'd probably want a control-oriented poly if this were my racquet, but it didn't feel great in my hands.
Wilson Pro Staff v13: A very different hit from the Blade. Very headlight, and an open string pattern. That's a lot of fun in some ways — tons of maneuverability, easy access to spin, and felt like I could swing for days. But the obvious con was the lack of stability. Hitting hard, I felt like I had to work to get this guy through the stroke cleanly. For me, it would need a decent amount of lead to play the way I like. I think it would be a pretty fun racquet at that point. Feel and control felt pretty decent despite the string pattern. That said, I'm not sure I want to dive into heavy customization, and I can't confirm my suspicions with a demo.
Yonex Pro 97HD: I like this racquet a lot. Felt great to swing out, with lots of control and good reward for full swings. I found the string pattern pretty accessible for an 18x20, and I had no trouble generating spin. The feel is a bit more muted than the Blade, and there's a little less power. I liked both of those things, and I felt I had better control and a better sense of my strokes. It also felt more maneuverable to me, and it played nicely at net. Slices were sweet. The sweet spot felt a little different than I'm used to (probably because of the isometric shape?) but not in a bad way. Given time to adjust, I could see myself getting along well with this racquet. I would maybe add a touch of lead and fiddle with the balance, but it was great fun in stock form.
Yonex Pro 97 330: Similar to the HD in some ways, but very different in others. Contrary to reports I had read, I found this guy harder to swing than the RF97. The payoff is there: loads of stability, a heavy ball, plenty of control. But the hoop felt a little flexier than I would like, especially for the weight, and I didn't feel all that connected to my strokes. My confidence went down as a result, and I wouldn't look forward to playing a full match with this racquet. It didn't feel clumsy, exactly, but it definitely didn't feel like an extension of my arm. The weight, string pattern, and control made me feel like I should like it, but I came away feeling like I hadn't bonded with this one. Although I generally like a heavy racquet, I think I might get along better with the 310 in this case.
Wilson RF97: Saved the best for last, because this is the clear winner for me. What an absolute blast of a frame. Yes, it's heavy, but I found it easier to swing than the Yonex 330. It's reasonably head light, which gave me all the maneuverability I wanted. I felt like I could generate spin when I needed, and felt confident crushing the ball for winners. My hitting partner and I played some groundstroke games to start and finish, but we played a match in the middle, and this racquet was an easy choice for match play. The rumors are true: it's a beast on serves, and it destroys volleys. I was worried about swinging it for a full match, but after a couple hours of solid play, I felt like I could still hit out. I was also worried about touch and control, but I liked the feel more than I expected. It's probably a little less intuitive than the 97HD, but not by much...and the payoff is big enough that I didn't mind. Coming from the APD, the touch is a definite improvement
As things stand, for me this will likely be a playoff between the RF97 and the yet-to-arrive Blade Pro. Many here seem to love the BP, and I'm really interested to see how it compares to the other Wilsons.
I'm hoping to get out more this weekend, and I'll post if any of my impressions change. Several of these demos came from TW — huge thanks to their team, because the demo program is awesome. With what limited knowledge I have, I'm happy to answer any comparison or spec questions. Hope everyone's having a good week.
My tennis background: Played at a strong high school in Colorado, then DIII college. I was a pretty solid all-court player, but (like so many) I rely most on my serve and my forehand. Although singles always had my heart, I ended up something of a doubles specialist, especially in high school. College burnt me out pretty hard (in more ways that one), and I didn't pick up a racquet for several years. I recently moved to California, and the beautiful weather combined with my girlfriend's wish to learn got me back on the courts. It feels good to be hitting again, but my old racquets are pretty shot. I played with the APD Cortex back in the day (leaded up at times), but this being a new era of my tennis life, I thought I'd take the opportunity to find a new racquet that I love.
Hence the demos. Here's what's up for comparison: Wilson Blade v7 18x20, Wilson Pro Staff v13, Wilson RF97A, Yonex Pro 97HD, Yonex Pro 97 330. I also gave into the hype and snagged a lightly used Blade Pro (18x20), which will be arriving for comparison this weekend. Today was my first chance to hit with the other 5, and the initial results are in:
Wilson Blade v7 18x20: I understand why people like this, but it's not for me. Nice stability for the weight, but the balance made it feel less maneuverable than I would like. It also had a little more power than I like — despite the predictable string pattern, I found it hard to tame my strokes. This was especially evident when I was on defense, where I struggled to come up with the balls I needed on the run. I'd probably want a control-oriented poly if this were my racquet, but it didn't feel great in my hands.
Wilson Pro Staff v13: A very different hit from the Blade. Very headlight, and an open string pattern. That's a lot of fun in some ways — tons of maneuverability, easy access to spin, and felt like I could swing for days. But the obvious con was the lack of stability. Hitting hard, I felt like I had to work to get this guy through the stroke cleanly. For me, it would need a decent amount of lead to play the way I like. I think it would be a pretty fun racquet at that point. Feel and control felt pretty decent despite the string pattern. That said, I'm not sure I want to dive into heavy customization, and I can't confirm my suspicions with a demo.
Yonex Pro 97HD: I like this racquet a lot. Felt great to swing out, with lots of control and good reward for full swings. I found the string pattern pretty accessible for an 18x20, and I had no trouble generating spin. The feel is a bit more muted than the Blade, and there's a little less power. I liked both of those things, and I felt I had better control and a better sense of my strokes. It also felt more maneuverable to me, and it played nicely at net. Slices were sweet. The sweet spot felt a little different than I'm used to (probably because of the isometric shape?) but not in a bad way. Given time to adjust, I could see myself getting along well with this racquet. I would maybe add a touch of lead and fiddle with the balance, but it was great fun in stock form.
Yonex Pro 97 330: Similar to the HD in some ways, but very different in others. Contrary to reports I had read, I found this guy harder to swing than the RF97. The payoff is there: loads of stability, a heavy ball, plenty of control. But the hoop felt a little flexier than I would like, especially for the weight, and I didn't feel all that connected to my strokes. My confidence went down as a result, and I wouldn't look forward to playing a full match with this racquet. It didn't feel clumsy, exactly, but it definitely didn't feel like an extension of my arm. The weight, string pattern, and control made me feel like I should like it, but I came away feeling like I hadn't bonded with this one. Although I generally like a heavy racquet, I think I might get along better with the 310 in this case.
Wilson RF97: Saved the best for last, because this is the clear winner for me. What an absolute blast of a frame. Yes, it's heavy, but I found it easier to swing than the Yonex 330. It's reasonably head light, which gave me all the maneuverability I wanted. I felt like I could generate spin when I needed, and felt confident crushing the ball for winners. My hitting partner and I played some groundstroke games to start and finish, but we played a match in the middle, and this racquet was an easy choice for match play. The rumors are true: it's a beast on serves, and it destroys volleys. I was worried about swinging it for a full match, but after a couple hours of solid play, I felt like I could still hit out. I was also worried about touch and control, but I liked the feel more than I expected. It's probably a little less intuitive than the 97HD, but not by much...and the payoff is big enough that I didn't mind. Coming from the APD, the touch is a definite improvement
As things stand, for me this will likely be a playoff between the RF97 and the yet-to-arrive Blade Pro. Many here seem to love the BP, and I'm really interested to see how it compares to the other Wilsons.
I'm hoping to get out more this weekend, and I'll post if any of my impressions change. Several of these demos came from TW — huge thanks to their team, because the demo program is awesome. With what limited knowledge I have, I'm happy to answer any comparison or spec questions. Hope everyone's having a good week.