IG Prestige Pro vs RF97 Autograph

[Minion]

Hi, I play with the IGPP, have been for a while. Not a super heavy racquet, 360g strung, swing weight +- 325 - 330. I'm very happy with the racquet, but I've been reading some great things about the RF97 Autograph.

I've never owned a Wilson racquet before, so I am utterly clueless about their racquets. But I am curious about it - the specs seem fairly similar to what I currently use, so I should be able to play with it.

Has anybody here hit both, and can maybe shed some light on feel, stability, power, spin - compared to the IGPP?

 

[Fedinkum]

I am interested to hear comparison, too. IGPP is my stick as well, and I have a feeling the RF97 is a similar beast but I never played with one.

 

[SpinToWin]

360g strung??? Are you sure it's stock?! Mine weighed in at 343g strung!

 

[Minion]

360g strung??? Are you sure it's stock?! Mine weighed in at 343g strung!

hehe, yes, I had them matched by TW, same batch(must've been a heavier bacth). Thats with an overgrip and dampner though. No lead tape or anything.

 

[SpinToWin]

hehe, yes, I had them matched by TW, same batch(must've been a heavier bacth). Thats with an overgrip and dampner though. No lead tape or anything.

Jesus! And some like to single out Wilson for its QC!

 

[Minion]

Jesus! And some like to single out Wilson for its QC!

I thought that was normal. My IGMP with a leather grip, og and dampner comes in at 354g - obviously lower sw though.

 

[Taveren]

One thing to note shifting from a Head racket to a Wilson is the grip shape. Head has a more rectangular grip while Wilson has a more square shape.

 

[dnj30]

hehe, yes, I had them matched by TW, same batch(must've been a heavier bacth). Thats with an overgrip and dampner though. No lead tape or anything.

That is very very heavy for the igpp, beyond any manufacturer tolerances. Unless you are using a super heavy over grip.
The autograph is probably gonna be considerably more powerful than the pp.

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

That is very very heavy for the igpp, beyond any manufacturer tolerances. Unless you are using a super heavy over grip.
The autograph is probably gonna be considerably more powerful than the pp.

This... also I feel the pacific x force pro is somewhere between the two but closer to the prestige which I used to play with... and more comfortable than either one. Basically the rf97 is a far heavier and more powerful in stock form.

Another Thing To consider... The Pacific has Zero tolerance so they all match.

 

[Minion]

Wow, I didn't know the IGPP shouldn't be that heavy. I thought it was normal. I just have one Yonex Super Grap, and a normal dunlop bio dampner on it, nothing else. Doesn't feel heavy though

So, the RF97 is more powerful. How about control and spin though? I find the control with the IGPP to be really good, and the spin decent.

 

[Backhanded Compliment]

Wow, I didn't know the IGPP shouldn't be that heavy. I thought it was normal. I just have one Yonex Super Grap, and a normal dunlop bio dampner on it, nothing else. Doesn't feel heavy though

So, the RF97 is more powerful. How about control and spin though? I find the control with the IGPP to be really good, and the spin decent.

The IGPP has a rather dense pattern in the center for a 16x19 so I found I could switch between the MP and the Pro depending on my mood (used the pro on windy days or if I just wanted more pace in slow conditions). It shouldnt feel heavy if you keep it head lite. The RF97 is comparatively heavier but since I routinely use 12.75-13 oz frames I dont think that is a deal breaker. Both seem a little stiff to be honest, thats why I mention the pacific 98... volk's 10mp, yonex's 98's... technifiber etc all give you options to consider if you like a "players" mp. On racquet that we all mention is the head microgel radical... a great great classic frame for a great price.

 

[Anton]

Wow, I didn't know the IGPP shouldn't be that heavy. I thought it was normal. I just have one Yonex Super Grap, and a normal dunlop bio dampner on it, nothing else. Doesn't feel heavy though

So, the RF97 is more powerful. How about control and spin though? I find the control with the IGPP to be really good, and the spin decent.

RF 97 is far more stable and spin friendly frame, if you can put the spin potential to use overall control should be improved, even though it is more powerful.

 

[Teniludius]

I'm currently playing with the IG Prestige Pro and have demoed the RF97, so here's my take. As for how they feel to swing, the Prestige "cuts" through the air more; I wouldn't exactly call it whippy, but like the cutting metaphor. The RF 97 feels thicker, bulkier. My play partner and I called it the beast. The RF 97 definitely has good deal more easy power and plow through, but was harder for me to generate racquet head speed (this may not be as much of an issue for you since your Prestiges are quite heavy); I think I could adapt but it would take time. As for spin, my playing partner actually said I got significantly less spin than I did from my 6.1 95s, which I used to play with (both the 16 x 18 and 18 x 20, both of which I get good heaviness with according to my partner). I found this bit about the RF's spin surprising; it could have been the strings, since my demo had a poly / synth hybrid that looked like it had been in there for awhile. (I used to play with the K90 for awhile, and that was a spin monster.) But to sum up, my experience with the spin of the RF97 was very much like what Chris says in the TW review; less spin but more of a drive. But you really should just demo it!

 

[RalphJ]

The RF97 is stiffer than the IGPP but feels less harsh to me. The IGPP has a weird harshness to it. Maybe I should have messed with the strings a little, but the YTPP felt better. This was opposite on the MP. The RF is the next step up for IGPP and IGMP users IMO.