Ask the Co-Designers of the RF 97 Autograph Questions!

Status
Not open for further replies.
PeterFig said:
Interesting question but the approach we took is quite different than how some people on here are thinking about it.

One of our main goals for this new iteration of the Pro Staff line was to have a stronger visual differentiation between Roger's RF97 and the rest of the Pro Staff line. As a result the RF97 was given the all black treatment Roger wanted, and we brought back the red accent which has a strong heritage in the Pro Staff history for the other Pro Staffs. Roger however rightfully recognized that juniors wanted to play with "his" racquet but of course the specs of the RF97 are too much for them. So his idea (which we loved!) was to have the 97LS and 97ULS (racquets used by many juniors) more closely follow his own racquet's design. So as an upcoming junior one could progress from the 97ULS to the 97LS and when they became old enough finally the RF97 but all under the same design of Roger's racquet. That also allowed the PS97 and PS97S to have their own identity for the many other Pro Staff tour players.

- Peter
Click to expand...


I see. That's too bad. I think that could've worked better with a different color in the W & Wilson accents. Maybe Gold for the RF and Red/silver for the other iterations while still keeping the black on black vibe. I Would've ordered a pair of all black PS97 as soon as they released but oh well.
 
PeterFig said:
I'm going to answer the most important question so far (kidding of course!).
The dog is an illustration I drew of my dog. Her name is Noodle. So there you go - not Wilson or RF related at all :)

- Peter
Click to expand...
@PeterFig you are not going to find this hard to believe but I had a show dog that I bred named Roger. At one time I was a professional dog handler. AKC registered dogs have formal names and then a call name. Rogers registered name was Bronwyn Fedex. Sorry for any thread derailing.
 
Don't worry guys, it won't be just me on here. Nathan will jump in here as well - his schedule is quite busy though but he will do his best to answer questions that I can't. I had a bit of time today so thought I'd jump in on as many questions as I could that were in my area to answer. Nathan's a super nice guy and a great tennis player (former ATP ranked so I think that's a solid TT forum 3.5). ;)
- Peter
 
Wilson Official said:
Don't worry guys, it won't be just me on here. Nathan will jump in here as well - his schedule is quite busy though but he will do his best to answer questions that I can't. But I had a bit of time today so thought I'd jump in on as many questions as I could that were in my area to answer. Nathan's a super nice guy and a great tennis player (former ATP ranked so I think that's a solid TT forum 3.5). ;)
- Peter
Click to expand...

Thanks for being so transparent and accessable, Peter. We all really appreciate that.. You have done a great job interacting with us consumers and balancing the fine line between professionalism and humor.

Quick question, since were derailing a bit here, any chance we see the 6.1 line resurrected? Has the blade/ultra/burn/prostaff suite here to stay? Any of them phasing out?

@Wilson Official


Thanks as always,

G
 
BreakPoint said:
Very interesting, Peter.

Just out of curiosity, would you be able to list all 11 iterations of the Pro Staff line? No problem if you can't.

I'm pretty sure the first graphite Pro Staff was the Pro Staff 110, wasn't it?
Click to expand...

Here are the previous 10 iterations (some of the naming conventions are not really accurate - just did this quickly - but should give you the general idea).

j8go7d.jpg
 
I may have missed this but just thought I'd ask to clarify.

The new RF line (mainly black) is replacing the old one? You will discontinue or already have the previous paint job, or is this going to be a limited run?

Also can you give us any details on the matching bag? Any pics, price, how big the bag is, etc?

In terms of sales of the newer 97 prostaff line, which rackets have the most units sold (RF97, PS97, PS97s, etc)?

Thank you again for this great opportunity to get all our questions answer buy a reliable source and not just speculation.
 
Say Chi Sin Lo said:
Since you threw in the Pro Staff Classic 6.1 and the Pro Staff Hyper Carbon, shouldn't the ALL the Six.One line be in this too?
Click to expand...

Hehe - I had a feeling that by posting this I would get questions like yours :) .... The diagram shows what we classify as official Pro Staff iterations.

And unlike with a lot of things in life .... we get the final say on this one ;) ;)
(just being a little cheeky here of course!) :)

- Peter
 
Wilson Official said:
Hehe - I had a feeling that by posting this I would get questions like yours :) .... The diagram shows what we classify as official Pro Staff iterations.

And unlike with a lot of things in life .... we get the final say on this one ;) ;)
Click to expand...

I'm just saying, because the whole Six.One line is the successor of the Pro Staff Classic 6.1.

Also, the box beamed Hyper Carbon Pro Staff was not made available to public.
 
gino said:
Very cool. Looking forward to getting one eventually!

What is up with the new RF97 pallet? Is there trap door access? Are they filled with foam or silicone?
Click to expand...

The new red buttcap still retains the trap door and is still Sony sensor compatible.
- Peter
 
Peter it seems none of you want to answer the question about any differences between old RF97A and this new one, if any, apart from the paint. . it sure is the most important question.. must be..
 
I watched the Chris' video and the laser etching is a very nice touch. Looks like a beautiful frame. I'm looking forward to seeing the TW and customer reviews.

One minor question: is there any chance of Extended Length Pro Staffs in the future (doesn't have to be the RF model)? These were produced in the past.
 
movdqa said:
I watched the Chris' video and the laser etching is a very nice touch. Looks like a beautiful frame. I'm looking forward to seeing the TW and customer reviews.
Click to expand...

Some racquets I've designed in the past you can get a good idea of the design just from some photos (and some people may like it while others not). But with this one the design really is in the detail (and the feel) so it's one you really have to hold in your hand to get a sense of the design. Photos don't do it full justice.

- Peter
 
Wilson Official said:
Here are the previous 10 iterations (some of the naming conventions are not really accurate - just did this quickly - but should give you the general idea).

j8go7d.jpg
Click to expand...
Thanks Peter!

Interesting that the lineage includes the PS 6.1 Classic as it wasn't a box beam descendant of the PS Original.
 
Last edited:
Wilson Official said:
Some racquets I've designed in the past you can get a good idea of the design just from some photos (and some people may like it while others not). But with this one the design really is in the detail (and the feel) so it's one you really have to hold in your hand to get a sense of the design. Photos don't do it full justice.

- Peter
Click to expand...

I'll be getting one just because. I'm a Wilson fanboy - Ultra XP 100LS and 100S, and KPS88's baby
 
Wilson Official said:
Here are the previous 10 iterations (some of the naming conventions are not really accurate - just did this quickly - but should give you the general idea).

j8go7d.jpg
Click to expand...
BRB headed to ****.

My question is this, and I understand if it can't be answered. I just recall the initial prototypes in 2013 that Federer tried out that did not have the PWS built into the frame. The string spacing and general look of the beam reminded me a bit of an open-string pattern Head Prestige.. I am wondering if that was the initial source of his search (being "friends" with Tommy Haas and all.)

Also, was a slightly thicker box-beam design ever in the running for the fame?
I too love the feel of the PS85's beam, and always figured if Federer moved to a larger headsize he might increase that beam to 19 or even 20 mm, but stick with the box-beam construction.
 
Peter,

The new line looks awesome!

I love the Six.One 95S, except wanted it in a slightly larger head perhaps a 97/98/99 coming from a 342 grams strung Steam 99S.

What would be the closest frame that Wilson makes in 97 inch frame that has the weight of a Six.One 95S ? If one doesn't exist, could you make one ? 18x16, 310 gram or so unstrung , 66/ 67 Flex :) :)

The 97S just seems quite a bit lighter at 290 grams unstrung vs the 309 Six.One 95S -

Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated -
 
g4driver said:
Peter,

The new line looks awesome!

I love the Six.One 95S, except wanted it in a slightly larger head perhaps a 97/98/99 coming from a 342 grams strung Steam 99S.

What would be the closest frame that Wilson makes in 97 inch frame that has the weight of a Six.One 95S ? If one doesn't exist, could you make one ? 18x16, 310 gram or so unstrung , 66/ 67 Flex :) :)

The 97S just seems quite a bit lighter at 290 grams unstrung vs the 309 Six.One 95S -

Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated -
Click to expand...

Actually the 97S is 310g unstrung and it's a 18x17 sting pattern so it's very much close to the spec you are after. I actually just got off the court playing with it (new version). Love it. It's now my go-to racquet.... although the RF97 is always in my bag and I probably play with it 40% of the time.

- Peter
 
Last edited:
Peter, the new Prostaff designs look awesome!

Speaking of Pro Staffs, can you tell me a little bit more information about a couple pro staffs I have? For example, what grommets fit the Limited Edition 95 since it has the same beam width as the regular PS 85? Any other interesting info?

(top to bottom)
1) Wilson Pro Staff Limited Midsize 95
2) Wilson Pro Staff 85 Pete Sampras Autograph
3) Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 85 2000 Special Edition

Using my construction calipers, I took a few measurements of the widths of the frames and also the width of the throat areas (when placed on a table) and noticed that the PS 85 and Limited PS 95 are very similar but one is 95 sq inches. The Sampras Autograph is slightly different, though.

Frame / frame width / throat width

Hyper Pro Staff 85 / 17.0mm / 30.6mm (top of head says "Hyper carbon / Braided Technology)
Limted Pro Staff 95 / 17.1mm / 30.6mm
Prostaff 85 Sampras Auto / 17.7mm / 28.6mm (throat says "80% Graphte+20% Kevlar")

28523006431_c1a9353317_z_d.jpg

28317212670_859311936e_z_d.jpg

27984287734_2435962bba_z_d.jpg

27985483403_5dcaa06b8c_z_d.jpg

Wilson Official said:
Here are the previous 10 iterations (some of the naming conventions are not really accurate - just did this quickly - but should give you the general idea).

j8go7d.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Wilson Official said:
Actually the 97S is 310g unstrung and it's a 18x17 sting pattern so it's very much close to the spec you are after. I actually just got off the court playing with it (new version). Love it. It's now my go-to racquet.... although the RF97 is always in my bag and I probably play with it 40% of the time.

- Peter
Click to expand...

Thanks Peter.

I posted the 97LS specs by mistake in a hurry before having to turn my phone off on a flight home tonight.. I called to reserve 97S demo locally when that frame is released.

The only reason I left the Steam 99S after 3 years of using it is the volleys, so I hope Wilson doesn't give up on the Steam 99S as initial SpIn Effect frame. Maybe Wilson would consider a 18x16 or 18x17 Steam 99S like the Blade lines with several patterns. But rest assured, I will be trying the 97S when it is released. And If it doesn't have a leather grip, I will be adding one. :)
 
Cup8489 said:
BRB headed to ****.

My question is this, and I understand if it can't be answered. I just recall the initial prototypes in 2013 that Federer tried out that did not have the PWS built into the frame. The string spacing and general look of the beam reminded me a bit of an open-string pattern Head Prestige.. I am wondering if that was the initial source of his search (being "friends" with Tommy Haas and all.)

Also, was a slightly thicker box-beam design ever in the running for the fame?
I too love the feel of the PS85's beam, and always figured if Federer moved to a larger headsize he might increase that beam to 19 or even 20 mm, but stick with the box-beam construction.
Click to expand...

Here's my reason based on my observation of these new Pro Staffs, and the traditional box beamed Pro Staffs:

If these 97 square inches Pro Staffs were to retain the true box beam design, it may make the frame as a whole larger. The (face) width of these 97 square inches Pro Staffs are slightly narrower than the traditional box beamed Pro Staffs. Thus resulting in a smaller frame overall despite the increase in head size.

Maybe Roger Federer thought a 97 square inch box beamed frame would have too much "bulk", helping the racquet cut through the air especially when he decided to retain the same weight/balance of the stock frame at 340grams/30.5cm. And that the weight of balance was much more important and he wasn't about to make compromises there.
 
Hi Peter & Nathan, thanks for taking the time to interact with us racquet freaks on here!

I've been constantly searching for something closest to my beloved PS Original 6.0 95, and so far the PS 95S (the white one) has been my preferred choice. I like box beam but not keen on the red accents on the only frame that has this. Sorry but I'm completely superficial and the 'look' of a racquet does affect my choice.
Which of the new frames would be as close to the 6.0 95? Or could I customise one to be like it?

Thanks
 
PeterFig said:
Interesting question but the approach we took is quite different than how some people on here are thinking about it.

One of our main goals for this new iteration of the Pro Staff line was to have a stronger visual differentiation between Roger's RF97 and the rest of the Pro Staff line. As a result the RF97 was given the all black treatment Roger wanted, and we brought back the red accent which has a strong heritage in the Pro Staff history for the other Pro Staffs. Roger however rightfully recognized that juniors wanted to play with "his" racquet but of course the specs of the RF97 are too much for them. So his idea (which we loved!) was to have the 97LS and 97ULS (racquets used by many juniors) more closely follow his own racquet's design. So as an upcoming junior one could progress from the 97ULS to the 97LS and when they became old enough finally the RF97 but all under the same design of Roger's racquet. That also allowed the PS97 and PS97S to have their own identity for the many other Pro Staff tour players.

- Peter
Click to expand...

Wouldn't a transition from either of the light frames to the PS97 or the PS97S be a more natural expectation for a junior playing those light frames now to achieve in the typcial 2 year design life cycle of this and the other product lines? I don't see alot of younger players going to such heavy frames as the RF anyway.
 
Say Chi Sin Lo said:
That was a repainted 6.0, the actual "Hyper" Pro Staff was never released to the public.
Click to expand...
No, that's an actual HPS 6.0 95 Tour. I almost bought a bunch of them from TW after demoing it.

It was based on the PS 6.0 95 mold but it included HyperCarbon in the layup so it had a different, more muted feel and it also swung a bit lighter.

If it was never released to the public, they wouldn't have created a retail placard inside of the hoop and put on a retail UPC label on the handle.

Wilson_Hyper_Pro_Staff_6.0_95_II.JPG


It also wouldn't have had customer feedback on TW:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030413194644/http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/feedback.html?pcode=TOUR95
 
BreakPoint said:
Well, since we're also talking about other racquets, as I suggested in another thread, is there any chance whatsoever that Wilson would be willing to re-release the 2014 PS 90 but with the updated all-black RF97A paintjob? Even as a Special or Limited Edition? :)
Click to expand...
That would be awesome.
 
Ozellman said:
Wouldn't a transition from either of the light frames to the PS97 or the PS97S be a more natural expectation for a junior playing those light frames now to achieve in the typcial 2 year design life cycle of this and the other product lines? I don't see alot of younger players going to such heavy frames as the RF anyway.
Click to expand...

Exacty, I'm no marketing and product design expert, but the paint job distribution among the new PS line makes no sense. Juniors with a 97ULS are gonna think "Look I've got Roger's stick" and then somebody is gonna crap on their dream saying "No son, that's a completely different flex, string pattern, balance, weight, etc. It just looks like his". While someone getting the 97 is well aware that it is the Roger stick for the average Joe. And what about us Wilson wielders that don't necessarily like Roger but really enjoy the new PJ?

It's gonna be interesting seeing how it develops and if it has any impact in the paint jobs for the next generation 2 years down the line.
 
Nathan and Peter- just want to say "Thanks!" for letting us ask questions here! You guys are really cool! :)
I didn't ask anything as there are many really good questions already, :)
Really looking forward to playing with the new "Black" RF! :)
 
Wilson Official said:
Actually the 97S is 310g unstrung and it's a 18x17 sting pattern so it's very much close to the spec you are after. I actually just got off the court playing with it (new version). Love it. It's now my go-to racquet.... although the RF97 is always in my bag and I probably play with it 40% of the time.

- Peter
Click to expand...

Since the balance has moved more headlight I am assuming the swingweight has changed? Do you know approximate swingweight and when the 97S will be sold?
 
@Wilson Official
  • When designing the the upcoming Pro Staff line it sounds like you started with the RF and visual design choices cascaded out to the other models.
  • How many versions of the design were originally considered?
  • Once you were on the black path could you hazard a guess as to how many iterations until release?
  • The graphic element of Roger's face in the throat has some history with Wilson, were other historic emblems used on the autograph racquets of the past explored, was that something the primary client had a hand in choosing?
 
Wilson Official said:
Actually the 97S is 310g unstrung and it's a 18x17 sting pattern so it's very much close to the spec you are after. I actually just got off the court playing with it (new version). Love it. It's now my go-to racquet.... although the RF97 is always in my bag and I probably play with it 40% of the time.

- Peter
Click to expand...
Peter did you add weight behind the budcap of the 97s and of so how and how much? And how wouldyou describe the string pattern in terms of feel, is it not very alive ? Sufficiënt control?
Thanks and by the way I think the design of the new RF97 is just beautiful
 
o0lunatik said:
Seems that the red buttcap retained the classic look with a modern twist of the Sony Senor compatibility. Excellent touch.
Click to expand...

With the red buttcap we really wanted to keep a very strong and memorable branding piece (and of course the heritage). Realizing that match after match on courts around the world, many players start off with the spin of the racquet to see who serves first.

- Peter
 
BreakPoint said:
No, that's an actual HPS 6.0 95 Tour. I almost bought a bunch of them from TW after demoing it.

It was based on the PS 6.0 95 mold but it included HyperCarbon in the layup so it had a different, more muted feel and it also swung a bit lighter.

If it was never released to the public, they wouldn't have created a retail placard inside of the hoop and put on a retail UPC label on the handle.

Wilson_Hyper_Pro_Staff_6.0_95_II.JPG


It also wouldn't have had customer feedback on TW:
http://web.archive.org/web/20030413194644/http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/feedback.html?pcode=TOUR95
Click to expand...
In Europe it was released to the public though and sold in many shops. Used to have one but sold it back then, played a bit flimsy, and stiff. Didn't like it and have never liked adding lead etc that much ..
(Even though I now do consider the novel 97S and add some weight in the bud cap
 
moon shot said:
@Wilson Official
  • When designing the the upcoming Pro Staff line it sounds like you started with the RF and visual design choices cascaded out to the other models.
  • How many versions of the design were originally considered?
  • Once you were on the black path could you hazard a guess as to how many iterations until release?
  • The graphic element of Roger's face in the throat has some history with Wilson, were other historic emblems used on the autograph racquets of the past explored, was that something the primary client had a hand in choosing?
Click to expand...

Yes the RF was the main starting point for sure, but we also did have to think about the entire line of racquets early on too as we wanted a consistent design language.

Because Roger wanted to be part of the design process VERY early on, we actually didn't do much design exploration before going down the path we went on with him. The first meeting with him we barely had any designs developed to any extent. So really the design plan was set as a result of that first meeting with Roger and all the ideas he had. It was a fairly extensive meeting with lots and lots of ideas and thoughts coming from Roger. He's actually a very design oriented person and really understands design from the big picture to the nuances.

In terms of iteration until release .... LOTS. some were just on the screen but MANY were actual racquet design samples. I probably have about 20 or 30 iterations of samples right here beside me and that's not all of them. I'd have to say and this is just a rough guess there must be about 40-50 iterations of actual physical design samples. We created small batches of variations based on Roger's feedback and then at various meetings over the last year+ he would have seen and gone through virtually every single one of those.

The inside of the throat / his face and the autograph was again an element that Roger had a lot of input on. There was a whole session during one meeting where we went over many many options for this. This included alternate illustrations and other similar options. The one that's on the final racquet is the one Roger wanted.

One of the main points that Roger wanted and really pushed us hard on was to try and keep the design as clean and minimal as possible. With every iteration he wanted to minimize and simplify the design, but at the same time really focus and get all the little details right (paint finish, flush grommet strip, metal lettering, etc). I think it's that focus on the details that makes this clean and minimalistic design so effective. The old adage of "Design is in the detail" really applies here.

- Peter
 
I play the current model RF97 and love it. What differences can I expect if I switch to this model? I'm sure once the new model is released, the old model will go on sale. What benefit will i gain by switching to this new one, instead of stocking up on the old ones, especially if it plays no differently? The price is going to be considerably more steep...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

H
Pro staff RF 97
Replies
8
Views
1K
lelopez
lelopez
Raul_SJ
Anyone here extended the Pro Staff RF 97? How does it play?
Replies
7
Views
581
inwoodnyc
I
TW Staff
  • Locked
Ask the Racquet Designers of the New Tecnifibre TFight RS Racquets Questions!
2
Replies
76
Views
9K
TW Staff
TW Staff
TW Staff
Tennis Warehouse Playtest: 2016 Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph
16 17 18
Replies
863
Views
91K
tennisfiles
tennisfiles
A
Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph v13 missing paint job?
Replies
6
Views
1K
1HBHfanatic
1HBHfanatic
Back
Top