I've been very happy with my Speed Pro 360+ sticks for the last 6+ months and haven't even had a desire to try anything else, but the allure of this one was just too much. I loved the PS 6.0 95's and is my all time favorite racquet. I love the new cosmetic that brings back the old school look. The 100sq in was very intriguing to me so I bought one and strung it up with Triax 16ga at 54lbs. My thought was that even at the lighter weight and SW that the Pro Staff 6.1 would play similar to my Speed Pro, but with a 16x19 pattern. At the very worst it would be a nice option to switch to on a bad day if I needed something a little easier in the spin depth and with a touch more power.
I played a set of doubles with it last night and I have to say at first hit it is basically what I thought it would be... it has the Pro Staff feel to it which was comfortable, but still had a slight crisp/firmness to it and great feel/touch. Topspin came easily and power was slightly more than my Speed Pro. The only thing this frame is lacking is a touch more static and swing weight... although it plays extremely well in stock form. The lack of static weight and SW made slices a little tougher as they tended to float and sit up more compared to the Speed Pro. Also despite good controllable power and spin... the weight of shot was lacking a bit compared to my Speed Pro.
I loved the whippy feel of the frame... so easy to get moving and catch up to shots if you're a little late. Also really helped on return of serve. Launch angle was a little higher than my Speed Pro (using same strings, SP strung at 52lbs), but I'd call it medium. Serves were well placed with good power and great spin. Return of serve was fantastic. Very maneuverable for volleying with good touch. Compared to other 16x19 100sq in frames this is a nice almost tweener option with a players frame feel/touch to it. I think it might even be slightly better with a few grams added to it and will play around with adding 6-7g possibly at 3 & 9 to give it a little more SW and stability.
It was a really nice alternative to my Speed Pros... quicker to swing, easier spin and still very controllable. I did have to make sure to dial in some spin when hitting big... with the Speed and 18x20 pattern I can hit flat and get away with it a lot more.
With strings, OG and dampener mine came in at 325g and 7pts HL. I didn't try and measure it yet, but I'd guess the SW to be in the low 320's... probably 323 like the TW measured spec. If you like the Pro Staff line and want a slightly easier to use version... this is definitely one to try.
I don't think it's enough to consider switching from my Speed Pro's, but I'll definitely keep this one in my bag.
www.tennis-warehouse.com
