Looking for similar racquet to Pro Staff Classic 6.1 95

Maarten

New User
I need a new racquet and unfortunately cannot test any where I live (Thailand). Hopefully some of you have some advice for me. My level is 5.5. Previous racquets that I have been happy with are Pro Staff 6.1 95 and Babolat Pure Control Team. I just bought Babolat Pure Storm under the assumption it would be similar to Pure Control Team, but I don't like it. I am thinking about going back to Wilson.

I am an old fashioned player with flat strokes and a long swing, like to volley. Control and feel are more important than power. I see the old Pro Staff 6.0 85 is available at TW, but I am afraid an 85 head may be too small. Don't want to take the risk.

Does anyone know which of the Wilson six.one 95 or Pro Staff 90 BLX models comes closest to the classic Pro Staff and is best for an advanced player seeking control and feel?
 

MikeHitsHard93

Hall of Fame
I need a new racquet and unfortunately cannot test any where I live (Thailand). Hopefully some of you have some advice for me. My level is 5.5. Previous racquets that I have been happy with are Pro Staff 6.1 95 and Babolat Pure Control Team. I just bought Babolat Pure Storm under the assumption it would be similar to Pure Control Team, but I don't like it. I am thinking about going back to Wilson.

I am an old fashioned player with flat strokes and a long swing, like to volley. Control and feel are more important than power. I see the old Pro Staff 6.0 85 is available at TW, but I am afraid an 85 head may be too small. Don't want to take the risk.

Does anyone know which of the Wilson six.one 95 or Pro Staff 90 BLX models comes closest to the classic Pro Staff and is best for an advanced player seeking control and feel?

Closest rackets I have found to resemble the PSC 6.1 (my holy grail) are the PDRGT, six one 95 blx, and the pro staff 90.
 

tennixpl

Rookie
Closest rackets I have found to resemble the PSC 6.1 (my holy grail) are the PDRGT, six one 95 blx, and the pro staff 90.

not hating.... but man i would not consider those rackets close in feel to each other. Just a point that we all perceive things differently.

All three rackets have there pluses, I'd say the the new 6.1 BLX 95 is closest though my time hitting a 6.1 Classic is a long time ago. the new 6.1s seem to getting good reviews but can you trust the people selling them? :)
 

ATP100

Professional
I need a new racquet and unfortunately cannot test any where I live (Thailand). Hopefully some of you have some advice for me. My level is 5.5. Previous racquets that I have been happy with are Pro Staff 6.1 95 and Babolat Pure Control Team. I just bought Babolat Pure Storm under the assumption it would be similar to Pure Control Team, but I don't like it. I am thinking about going back to Wilson.

I am an old fashioned player with flat strokes and a long swing, like to volley. Control and feel are more important than power. I see the old Pro Staff 6.0 85 is available at TW, but I am afraid an 85 head may be too small. Don't want to take the risk.

Does anyone know which of the Wilson six.one 95 or Pro Staff 90 BLX models comes closest to the classic Pro Staff and is best for an advanced player seeking control and feel?


Easy Answer: Just buy a Pro Staff Classic, a lot of them around the world.
 

MikeHitsHard93

Hall of Fame
not hating.... but man i would not consider those rackets close in feel to each other. Just a point that we all perceive things differently.

All three rackets have there pluses, I'd say the the new 6.1 BLX 95 is closest though my time hitting a 6.1 Classic is a long time ago. the new 6.1s seem to getting good reviews but can you trust the people selling them? :)
It's ok! The PSC, to me, was pretty stiff and had lots of power. That's where the pdr comes in for me. The PSC also has a lot of classic feel, which is why I mentioned the ps90. And obviously the new 6.1 is a grandson to the PSC. The new ones aren't as good, but they're still pretty nice.
 

BLX_Andy

Professional
Just go to the upgraded version: BLX Amplifeel Six.One 95. Not sure whether to recommend the 16x18 or the 18x20. Probably the 18x20 since you have flat strokes.

I recommend the Amplifeel version over the new ones mainly because of the large price difference.
 

HRB

Hall of Fame
I would venture that given same strings, at same tension, you'd be hard pressed to find a difference in a "blind" test between Classic 6.1, HPS 6.1, and K-Factor. N-Code had a touch more muted feel..still great though.

Then came BLX 2012 and it felt like a hollow board to me...so never tried any model beyond that.

If "wanderlust" has set in and you need to taste other brands then Prestige Pro 16x19 or Bab's Pure Control may suffice.
 

BLX_Andy

Professional
I would venture that given same strings, at same tension, you'd be hard pressed to find a difference in a "blind" test between Classic 6.1, HPS 6.1, and K-Factor. N-Code had a touch more muted feel..still great though.

Then came BLX 2012 and it felt like a hollow board to me...so never tried any model beyond that.

If "wanderlust" has set in and you need to taste other brands then Prestige Pro 16x19 or Bab's Pure Control may suffice.

Is it worth finding some old N-Code, K-Factor, etc. on the bay since they're hit really well compared to the Amplifeel version? I'm pretty happy with mine especially since I got used to the weight. Very maneuverable.
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I used the 6.1 Classic for many years and I'd say it ranks among the all time champs in terms of serve and volley performance. I grew up playing that style on grass courts, but when I got older I went to work on developing a better baseline game. The heft, stiffness, and head-light balance of the 6.1 Classic were great for furnishing some pop and quick handling, but I started looking at softer frames for extra control on my full swings.

The first keeper for me was the Volkl C10, which shares similar heft and balance with the 6.1 Classic, but it has more flex, particularly in its hoop. This frame plays more "tip dead" than some, but it's a very smooth performer. I was particularly happy with these racquets for several years, but I always missed a bit of spin potential that I had with other frames.

I got hold of a newer Volkl O10 325g to try out, but didn't like it at all in its stock layout - only 6 or 7 pts. HL and only 11.8 oz. strung. I added lead to the handle for more familiar balance (my C10's also had leaded handles for 6.1 Classic sort of balance) and just a few grams to the hoop at 3/9 o'clock for mildly better stability. The improvements after tuning have been stunning for me - the tuned version of this racquet has been a perfect fit. Power, control, spin potential, comfort, feel... DONE! Although this frame is potentially spectacular, especially for a 6.1 Classic player, I'd say it needs some tuning for that sort of performance to really come out.

I've also had some good luck in recent history with some heavier Yonex options. Their RDS 002 Tour was a very good serve and volley/doubles racquet and their RD Ti 80 also played well for me. It was extra heavy, but rather soft and churned out much more spin for me than the 002 Tour. If you look at Yonex, don't be afraid of their mids. The semi-square hoop shape seems to help those racquets play a bit bigger than the modest number listed on their head sizes.

Haven't played any recent versions of the 6.1 95's, but I'd bet that it would be easy to get one of them rather close to the 6.1 Classic with just a little tuning with the lead tape.
 

Noisy Ninja

Semi-Pro
I played with the 6.1 Classic for ~ 13 years staring in junior. When I was forced to give up the 6.1 Classic due to scarce inventory, I looked to the newer 6.1 95's starting with the KFactor version. Despite repeated customization efforts (i.e. lead tape), it was impossible to reproduce the same feel as the 6.1 Classic. IMO, the one racquet that most closely resembles the feel and playability of the original 6.1 Classic is the Wilson KPS 88; you get the same resounding thud and plow through that was so familiar with the 6.1 Classic.
 
The main features of ps 6,1 classic are difficult to find. I changed to the ps90 and liked it but the best one for me was the kps88. But it is stiffer and difficult to adapt. I suggest that you try the ps90 2014. Kevlar composition will make the change easier.
 
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