Official Pro Staff 97 S Club

The Wilson Shock Shield is surprisingly great at bringing the bevels out for sure. It still keeps the bevel very pronounced, not as much as leather, but much better than synthetic for sure.
 
The Wilson Shock Shield is surprisingly great at bringing the bevels out for sure. It still keeps the bevel very pronounced, not as much as leather, but much better than synthetic for sure.
 
Matt_May said:
I will look to see if I kept any of the original Wilson grips, but if memory serves the TW grips I use are in the neighborhood of 10-12g heavier.
Click to expand...

After cutting down to length, I am getting approximately 5 grams heavier on the TW grip. IMO, the TW leather grips are more durable than many of the name brand ones out there.
 
o0lunatik said:
The Wilson Shock Shield is surprisingly great at bringing the bevels out for sure. It still keeps the bevel very pronounced, not as much as leather, but much better than synthetic for sure.
Click to expand...

How thick is the Shock Shield grip? This racquet does transmit a lot of vibrations in my opinion and am curious if the shock shield grip makes the handle a lot larger. I realize it is thicker than leather but curious as to how thick. Thanks!
 
The shock shield and TW grip comes in approximately the same thickness around 20mm. If there's a difference it is maybe 1mm apart. It's hard to say exactly b/c caliper tool are only precise. Data sheet says the shock shield is 20mm and TW leather grip varies 22 or 25mm. The difference is minimal in my opinion. Besides, all of the grips I'd used settled and compressed over time.
 
blackpearl2007 said:
How thick is the Shock Shield grip? This racquet does transmit a lot of vibrations in my opinion and am curious if the shock shield grip makes the handle a lot larger. I realize it is thicker than leather but curious as to how thick. Thanks!
Click to expand...

I'm not sure on exact thickness, but if feels in between a 3/8 and 1/2 to me if I wrap it normally. I use a lot of overlap so it's more like a 1/2 on mine.
 
Finally demoed this stick. I have been using the RF97 as my go to for the last year or so.

97s: better comfort, more feel, more control, more spin, less power, not quite as good for flattening out, response on the slice is a bit odd will see how i adjust to that.

I didn't find the 97s any less manoeuvrable, in fact was easier on my one handed backhand, but my RF97 racquets are 345 SW, 7.5 HL balance, 363 static, so a bit over spec to say the least.

Biggest advantage of the 97s is the nicer feel and because its less powerful it makes it easier to go for broke when attacking and not overhit, especially on short balls around the net.

One thing i'm really surprised with is i found the racquet really good on defensive shots like flicks on the backhand and lobs.
First serve also had more control and the power was surprisingly good as i assumed with less weight/sw it would be a bigger drop off.

But there was one major draw back and that was the spin on the second serve. I have a great second serve, but with this it felt like the strings gave so easily that it made it difficult to impart weight on the ball, so there was a ridiculous amount of spin, but it made the ball floaty as opposed to a heavy kick with pace. I think this is what i was experiencing on the slice too, the angle you need to contact the ball with to knife the slice and put weight on the second serve seems different to the more traditional patterns, i could get the slice to knife but not consistently.

I think the negatives for me might be from the spin pattern, which is very surprising as i assumed it would make little difference. So in the end it would come down to whether one can adjust to the difference in response. If so i'd probably give the nod to the 97s unless you're a pure baseline basher, in which case the power of the RF97, and the option to flatten out would be of more benefit.
 
Sorry for the double post, but this customer review echoes my sentiments perfectly and articulates it better.

"Comments: I play with the RF97. I am a teaching pro and was a high D1 player. I really like the RF97, a great racquet for playing a big game. Only negatives, I wish the RF97 had a thinner beam and softer feel. So now, I will skip to the end of this review. This 97S racquet pisses me off (in a good way)! This is what the RF97 should have been, frame wise. The 97S has a nice thin beam, soft flex and good feel. What was Wilson thinking? Take this frame, make it 340 grams and a 16x19 pattern. It would play and feel so much more like Fed's old racquet. As much as I like the RF97, I enjoyed playing with this a little more. But I will not switch. The 97S is too light and I am not sold on the spin pattern. But overall a great racquet and concept. The string pattern is a good compromise and the balance is kind of unique. All those longing for a thin beam players racquet, it is very close. Maybe Wilson knows something I don't and think this is the future of tennis (it just might be). Wilson always surprises me with great products and I was skeptical at first with the RF97 replacing the old BLX90. I was wrong, it did and I am a happy RF97 guy.
From:Will, 11/15"
 
Matt_May said:
I will look to see if I kept any of the original Wilson grips, but if memory serves the TW grips I use are in the neighborhood of 10-12g heavier.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

My demo was 0.8 cm more HL than it was supposed to be, but I liked that and bought that particular demo stick because of that, but I might want to get it even more HL, so it is nice to know, that I can achieve that without adding lead or silicon.

Will that TW leather grip increase my gripsize?
I've just used it once, but there wasn't any grip installed, so I cannot compare.
 
Unfortunately I didn't keep the original Wilson grips. The extra TW grips I have all weigh within a few tenths of 28g uncut.
 
Just got my hands on one of these and it is a very, very sweet frame. It's a little too head-heavy for me and I've added 7.5g of lead under the butt cap to this demo to get it to just under 4pts HL. I'd have to scrape out a little of the silicone in the handle to add some more to get it closer to 6.5HL, but it's light enough in stock form to do that.

Once the price goes down a couple of notches I'm gonna pick up three of them (two, if I'm allowed to keep the demo I have now (fingers crossed)). It really is what I was hoping the Federer racquet would be: a larger head size/slightly thicker beam, modern update to the Pro Staff 85. If you're a former Pro Staff 85 player like I was in my twenties, or you miss the classic Prestige feel that's missing in the latest versions, definitely demo the PS97S.
 
-Bobo- said:
Finally demoed this stick. I have been using the RF97 as my go to for the last year or so.

97s: better comfort, more feel, more control, more spin, less power, not quite as good for flattening out, response on the slice is a bit odd will see how i adjust to that.

I didn't find the 97s any less manoeuvrable, in fact was easier on my one handed backhand, but my RF97 racquets are 345 SW, 7.5 HL balance, 363 static, so a bit over spec to say the least.

Biggest advantage of the 97s is the nicer feel and because its less powerful it makes it easier to go for broke when attacking and not overhit, especially on short balls around the net.

One thing i'm really surprised with is i found the racquet really good on defensive shots like flicks on the backhand and lobs.
First serve also had more control and the power was surprisingly good as i assumed with less weight/sw it would be a bigger drop off.

But there was one major draw back and that was the spin on the second serve. I have a great second serve, but with this it felt like the strings gave so easily that it made it difficult to impart weight on the ball, so there was a ridiculous amount of spin, but it made the ball floaty as opposed to a heavy kick with pace. I think this is what i was experiencing on the slice too, the angle you need to contact the ball with to knife the slice and put weight on the second serve seems different to the more traditional patterns, i could get the slice to knife but not consistently.

I think the negatives for me might be from the spin pattern, which is very surprising as i assumed it would make little difference. So in the end it would come down to whether one can adjust to the difference in response. If so i'd probably give the nod to the 97s unless you're a pure baseline basher, in which case the power of the RF97, and the option to flatten out would be of more benefit.
Click to expand...

That's interesting you struggle on the slice. Mine is really good to begin with, but I can knife the hell out of it now with much more ease. Every slice skids now when I want it to. Can hit pretty much any slice I want without variances.
My specs are:
348.3 grams
4 HL
343 SW
 
ClintimusPrime said:
That's interesting you struggle on the slice. Mine is really good to begin with, but I can knife the hell out of it now with much more ease. Every slice skids now when I want it to. Can hit pretty much any slice I want without variances.
My specs are:
348.3 grams
4 HL
343 SW
Click to expand...
Usually my slice is really good and my drive/topspin backhand is inconsistent, with this it was the opposite. The only thing i can think of besides the string pattern is that I was using it stock, so maybe the less hl balance and lower static/SW are throwing me off.
 
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-Bobo- said:
Usually my slice is really good and my drive/topspin backhand is inconsistent, with this it was the opposite. The only thing i can think of besides the string pattern is that I was using it stock, so maybe the less hl balance and lower static/SW are throwing me off.
Click to expand...

The only shot I struggled with for a bit was a flattened out forehand. All other shots, did what my Pro Staff 95 did, but better and easier.
 
So much talk of adjusting the balance with weights leads me to think that maybe there is something different in the feel of a racket due to the density or composition of material. Without being able to compare directly a heavier stock racket with a leaded up lighter racket, I can only ponder on getting both.
 
PWS4me said:
So much talk of adjusting the balance with weights leads me to think that maybe there is something different in the feel of a racket due to the density or composition of material. Without being able to compare directly a heavier stock racket with a leaded up lighter racket, I can only ponder on getting both.
Click to expand...
Well, I think a lot of players that would like the flexibility and beam width of this frame often use more head-light racquets. I think the balance is supposed to be near-even in stock form which is unusual for a traditional player's frame and for me I need something somewhere in the 6-7pts HL range. The handle is filled but there's a bit of room under the butt cap and I was able to add about 12.5g to get it to around 4.5pts HL.

The issue for me would be that, once or if I get permission to customize the one I have, I would prefer a synthetic grip and a thinner one than the Wilson Leather that it comes with, but that would take even more weight away from the handle. That's the only downside of the 97S for me. I wish it were a little more head-light in stock form. But the flexibility and feel are sublime, and that's the much harder thing for me to find in new frames. So I'll probably get some and figure out how to get it to my preferred specs.
 
supineAnimation said:
Well, I think a lot of players that would like the flexibility and beam width of this frame often use more head-light racquets. I think the balance is supposed to be near-even in stock form which is unusual for a traditional player's frame and for me I need something somewhere in the 6-7pts HL range. The handle is filled but there's a bit of room under the butt cap and I was able to add about 12.5g to get it to around 4.5pts HL.

The issue for me would be that, once or if I get permission to customize the one I have, I would prefer a synthetic grip and a thinner one than the Wilson Leather that it comes with, but that would take even more weight away from the handle. That's the only downside of the 97S for me. I wish it were a little more head-light in stock form. But the flexibility and feel are sublime, and that's the much harder thing for me to find in new frames. So I'll probably get some and figure out how to get it to my preferred specs.
Click to expand...
Use Blu Tack in the buttcap.
 
SpinToWin said:
Use Blu Tack in the buttcap.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I usually just cut lead tape into .5"x.5" squares, stick them together and glue them to the underside of the cap with a dab of crazy glue. Works pretty well and it's easy to undo. I was able to add 12.5g that way to the 97S, but until I get confirmation that I can keep the demo I have, I have to make sure I can easily undo anything in case I need to send it back.
 
supineAnimation said:
Well, I think a lot of players that would like the flexibility and beam width of this frame often use more head-light racquets. I think the balance is supposed to be near-even in stock form which is unusual for a traditional player's frame and for me I need something somewhere in the 6-7pts HL range.
Click to expand...
QFT.
 
Agree on the beam width. I think that makes a big difference in the overall playability of this stick. I even hit a couple of nice volleys with it yesterday (surprised myself that I came in, hah). But this gives me everything i've looked for in terms of my forehand, it's a weapon again.
 
So what are people stringing these racquets with? And how low can you go with tensions? I'm thinking of getting one and putting a thin poly in the cross and a thicker in the main.
 
How is the life time of gut on mains with poly on crosses in 97S in general compared to non-spin tech racquets? Does it deteriorate faster due to the nature of spin tech?
 
I restring it approximately once a month, but I only use it for hitting. Would imagine if I taught with it too, they'd wear much faster.
 
Sander001 said:
So what are people stringing these racquets with? And how low can you go with tensions? I'm thinking of getting one and putting a thin poly in the cross and a thicker in the main.
Click to expand...

My question as well.

I've tried:
(cheap) kirshbaum Super Smash (yuck)
Solinco TB 17 - which was nice, but noticed after a second time, that the string is too thin for this frame (for me) and got too unpredictable after 2 sets
RPM Team 16 (pink) - my fave so far (not the color), was crisp and solid for 6+ sets
Lux 4G 1.25 - second fave but thicker gauge would be more solid IMO
Tomorrow trying Lux BBO (1.30) ...

Keep them coming, always curious (and afraid to try gut or multi).

Loving the thin beam and swing weight.
 
"afraid" might have been strong.

Afraid I'll Love it and become an expensive combo. Have you tried it ? How long does it last for you?

I would feel like I'd want to put it in the cross if I did try it.
 
Yes. I posted above about it. I use Wilson 17g gut in the mains and Lux 4G soft in the crosses, strung at 55/50.
I've been getting 3-4 weeks out of a stringing, but I don't use it when I'm teaching so I probably use it maybe 3x a week.
A lot of the longevity or lack there of, comes from how well you take care of it, how much spin you hit with, and how well you minimize shanks and mis hits.
 
I switched too. Coming from a PS90, went to prestige, PT630, radical, PS95, RF97, PS90 again... FINALLY! This racquet is very close to perfection to me. It might lack of power though, but I'll get it fixed at the the next string job.

Mine is SW 327, 345g, don't know about the balance but if i had to tell I'd say I'm about 3-4HL. I used to play with heavier racquets and 7-8 HL balance but this stick is really great how it is. Easy to swing, not to easy, not a hammer like the RF. I got back my flat forehand which I couldn't perform with the RF. Volleys and serve are great, very good control, but again, maybe a lack of power overall. I didn't notice much more spin. Coming back from ACL, I enjoyed the extra room to hit a backhand. Much more error margin than with the 90 (obviously).

Downside : this baby literally eats the stringjob. I noticed the same thing with the RF, and couldn't explain it. Playing with multi main and poly crosses, the multi is getting shred after only 4-5 hours of play. This was never the case with any other racquet I used, well, not before a LONG time.
 
Mickael122 said:
I switched too. Coming from a PS90, went to prestige, PT630, radical, PS95, RF97, PS90 again... FINALLY! This racquet is very close to perfection to me. It might lack of power though, but I'll get it fixed at the the next string job.

Mine is SW 327, 345g, don't know about the balance but if i had to tell I'd say I'm about 3-4HL. I used to play with heavier racquets and 7-8 HL balance but this stick is really great how it is. Easy to swing, not to easy, not a hammer like the RF. I got back my flat forehand which I couldn't perform with the RF. Volleys and serve are great, very good control, but again, maybe a lack of power overall. I didn't notice much more spin. Coming back from ACL, I enjoyed the extra room to hit a backhand. Much more error margin than with the 90 (obviously).

Downside : this baby literally eats the stringjob. I noticed the same thing with the RF, and couldn't explain it. Playing with multi main and poly crosses, the multi is getting shred after only 4-5 hours of play. This was never the case with any other racquet I used, well, not before a LONG time.
Click to expand...
I wish I'd get that much out of multi/poly… I get at the very best 2 hours from multi/poly!!
 
That's interesting. I hit with a lot of spin as well, and the only time it broke super quick was when I tried 17g gut. That was an expensive experiment.
 
ClintimusPrime said:
That's interesting. I hit with a lot of spin as well, and the only time it broke super quick was when I tried 17g gut. That was an expensive experiment.
Click to expand...
Gut lasts much longer than multi though. I get close to 20 hours of play with Tonic + Longevity for instance.
 
I must be one of only a very few who isn't able to give the 97S a resounding endorsement. Just couldn't get accustomed to its swingweight/balance, I guess. Volleys felt great when I was able to anticipate well and get into position, but routine groundstrokes for me have been very inconsistent (I swing long and fast, ultra western grip). Have since hit with the regular Pro Staff 97 and have found it to be better all around for my game.
 
I think this frame requires a certain play style to feel good in all areas of the court. I've also noticed your setup needs to be consistent. If I ever swing late, it's hard to get the racquet around in time, unlike more headlight frames that you can whip easily.
 
Have one, but rarely use it. Main racquet is a Youtek Prestige MP and the 97S just feels a bit too erratic and unpredictable. I get better spin with the Prestige as well. Same stroke, but the shots have less of a launch angle and visibly less height upon landing and bouncing up with the 97S. 2 handed backhand also feels a bit off since the handle is slightly shorter. Have yet to try serving with it though.
 
This racquet is great, bought one so I might join the club. There ain't no party like an S Club party.
 
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I have been using this frame for my last 3 sessions and I am starting to get used to the feel of it.
I would agree with most others on here in regards to their reviews of this racquet, it seems to do everything well.
I had it strung at 50lbs but that felt to loose, restrung at 55lbs feels very nice. I also added 10g into the handle.

I remember Drakkulie posting a video hitting with the RF97 when it first came out and I thought it was helpful to see and "Ordinary Joe" using that racquet
so I posted a video hitting some forehand and backhands with it because I hadn't seen anyone actually using this racquet,
other than TW staff in their reviews...which seemed spot on.

 
ClintimusPrime said:
Yes. I posted above about it. I use Wilson 17g gut in the mains and Lux 4G soft in the crosses, strung at 55/50.
I've been getting 3-4 weeks out of a stringing, but I don't use it when I'm teaching so I probably use it maybe 3x a week.
A lot of the longevity or lack there of, comes from how well you take care of it, how much spin you hit with, and how well you minimize shanks and mis hits.
Click to expand...

Cool, thanks. I love the stick but I think I'd eat thru gut in 4-5 sets. I might try it tho. But if I love it....Damn$
 
ClintimusPrime said:
I think this frame requires a certain play style to feel good in all areas of the court. I've also noticed your setup needs to be consistent. If I ever swing late, it's hard to get the racquet around in time, unlike more headlight frames that you can whip easily.
Click to expand...

agree here, it's hard to speed up the swing or reroute if you're late, bc of the swing weight (and balance?)... But it's not like I was great at it with an 8pt HL racquet either.
 
Sander001 said:
Have put some hours and tests and am ready to share me thoughts about the Pro Staff GD97S. In short: Brilliant. I was immediately comfortable with it and that's very rare for me because I'm accustomed to the solidity of usual player frames 355gr/12.5oz, very head light and so I almost always need to customize. For years I've said that weight in the handle is dead weight as far as stability goes because it's just too far from the point of impact and the 97Signature proves this. Solid, generous sweetspot and the nicest feel of any Pro Staff since before they changed it to 6.0. Excellent feedback.

The balance was not an issue at all. Very soon I was ripping backhands with ease, less mass is less mass and it's not like the handle portion of your racquet is stationary during any swing.

The control is outstanding on the 'Greg'. The 18 mains provide a level of control that I can never have with 16 mains. When going flat, the power really dies down so you can just put it over the net by a millimeter to trouble your opponent who's closing in. Or lob it and have it land on the baseline. Directional control and touch is superb. The confidence I soon got was like I have been playing with this racquet for years, not minutes.

The power happens when going for spin. The reduced cross strings gives you more power but more spin too. On normal loopy ground strokes, I still get more spin right now with my current racquet[98sq" 16x19 Yonex but more on this in a moment]. But when going for the big power winners, the 97Sig puts an awesome level of pace and spin on the ball that are much easier to pull off. I hit some unreal shots, this racquet is magic at times.

1st serves were amazing, excellent pace and placement. I was having a bit of trouble with 2nd serves though but nothing major.

I think the 97S is really onto something even more special because although I'm getting more spin with my regular frame on standard groundstrokes, the Dimitrov allows me to do something that my regular frame can't. And that also happens to follow a big trend in tennis right now: Very low stringing tensions. On my Yonex I string in the 50's but I think with the 97S, I could string in the high 30's and still be good for control. And going low opens up new levels of spin, power and feel. Can't wait to get my own and begin experimentations. I'm thinking Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25 mains with Pro Line 2 1.20mm crosses, 40lbs as a starting point.

There ain't no party like an S Club party

uIPRuC0.jpg
Click to expand...
LOL, and thx for the review. If you have time to load up, this stick is nasty.

Favorite shot: Heavy CC FH
Second Fave: Slice BH (Topspin CC BH is a close third).

Overall, it's great to have an offensive stick that is also great on defense, and have great feel all at the same time.
 
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