pro staff 85 vs. Prostaff 88

[The Net Rusher]

i just tried the prostaff 88 for the first time.....i am completely in love!

I have never felt a racquet this solid in my entire life.
i have been reading about the PS 88 as the 85 are discontinued.

can anyone give a review of both amd say how they compare?

from everything i read the 88 seems more head heavy but more powerful.

which do you guys like better

 

[callen3615]

Now, granted Im not a "player", but ive hit both for awhile so here goes.

The 85.

More control
Probably more maneuverable
A bit more headlight
Less powerful
Much smaller sweetspot
Probably less spin

kps88
I bit heavier
More stable
Huge sweetspot
Lots of power...once you get the racquet moving
Lots of spin

 

[callen3615]

I personally like the 88 better but im no 5.0 so I cant appreciate the added control of the 85.

I played the 88 for awhile and came to the conclusion that it was way too heavy for me.

Both of these racquets make every other racquet not made of wood feel like an OS.

 

[MrFlip]

On paper the PS85 should be more spin friendly than the KPS88 considering its 16 x 18 not 16 x 19, plus the fact its more headlight. Never played with one though so I'm not saying it isnt

 

[safinator]

It is a pity I didn't have a chance of trying any of them.... guess my time has passed, for both of them are discontinued and I doubt that they will produce this kind of stuff anymore - a damn shame!

Luckily for me there are still plenty of 93sq.in heads moving around there, and the Tour 90 will be for a while, at least as long as Federer plays - a couple of years XD

 

[VGP]

^^^^ have you not heard of buying used?

 

[The Net Rusher]

It is a pity I didn't have a chance of trying any of them.... guess my time has passed, for both of them are discontinued and I doubt that they will produce this kind of stuff anymore - a damn shame!

Luckily for me there are still plenty of 93sq.in heads moving around there, and the Tour 90 will be for a while, at least as long as Federer plays - a couple of years XD

The 88 is still in production.

 

[pyrokid]

85 felt tiny and whippy when compared with it's big brother. (not by age, by size.)

 

[safinator]

^^^^ have you not heard of buying used?

I have heard, but had some bad experience with used raquets, besides, many used racquets may be compromised even if they don't seem damaged.

And the KPS88 is already out of production, there are many threads where ppl involved with Wilson told that Wilson can no longer provide them with the KPS88 for it is discontinued, and the price reduction on TW confirms that.

 

[onehandbh]

I used the PS85 for years. To me the PS88 lacked the most important thing
to me that the PS85 had: Feel and feedback.

It looked liked the PS85's older brother but me thinks this was a step brother
who cut his hair and wore clothes like his younger brother.
This older step bro was a bit clumsy and overweight, too.

IMO, the K90 plays more like the PS85 than the PS88.

 

[stormholloway]

Clumsy and overweight describe the 88 nicely. It's a top heavy club.

The 85 feels so sweet, not just at impact but in mid-swing. The flex is perfect. The feedback is amazing. I just picked up a couple on the bay, but I don't understand why they wouldn't re-release this frame in the not so far future.

 

[safinator]

Sincerely, me either, I don't under why they don't re-release them, like Prince does with the Diablos and the POGs.

I see that a hell lot of ppl are great fonds of the PS 85, and I'm sure that for a decent price and original like production it would automatically be a best seller.

Wilson only looses this way, they have a very demanded product which is not sold!

 

[Marcus]

^^^ Wilson talk in terms of tens of thousands to make a product run work, OK so a few old timers and gear heads would buy an 85 Re-issue, not enough for them to justify it....

However i'd be first in line if they ever did !

 

[VGP]

I have heard, but had some bad experience with used raquets, besides, many used racquets may be compromised even if they don't seem damaged.

And the KPS88 is already out of production, there are many threads where ppl involved with Wilson told that Wilson can no longer provide them with the KPS88 for it is discontinued, and the price reduction on TW confirms that.

Ok. I can understand that, but in my experience, a regularly used frame is quite durable and using some good judgment, asking the right questions, and having good pictures of an item from a reputable seller will still net you a good deal on a used frame.

....and as of this post, you can still get the kPS88 in any available grip size from TW.

I was excited about the kPS88.....until I hit with it. It's just too powerful and too stiff for my liking. I would use it if I had to, but I've instead gravitated to my current favorite. A 26 year old Wilson midsize model, the Wilson Graphite Force. I've obviously had to buy the frames used and have been extremely happy.

I even like it more than the PS85. I was happy with the PS85 until I came across the Graphite Force. I was pleased to find a nice solid midsize that swings easy and has good punch on the volley with good control all-around. In retrospect, I realized I was tweaking my PS85s to have more control and stability. Higher string tensions, adding lead at 3 and 9, etc. When I came across the Graphite Force ($10 at the local used sporting goods store) and took it out for a hit, after the first ball I knew it was my "new" frame.

Back to the kPS88, even at the now discounted prices of the kPS88 ($150 each if you buy 2 or more) I'd still be able to get almost 8 of my current favorite on the used market. Availability is an issue especially for grip size, but sometimes patience pays off.

 

[callen3615]

IMO, the K90 plays more like the PS85 than the PS88.

+1000000000

 

[safinator]

....and as of this post, you can still get the kPS88 in any available grip size from TW.


.

The fact that they still have all grip sizes available only says that it is not long since they discontinued it, and that this racquet is not so popular as to get completely sold out from such a big retailer as TW.

 

[J011yroger]

Clumsy and overweight describe the 88 nicely. It's a top heavy club.

The 85 feels so sweet, not just at impact but in mid-swing. The flex is perfect. The feedback is amazing. I just picked up a couple on the bay, but I don't understand why they wouldn't re-release this frame in the not so far future.

OMG! It's ALIVE!!!

J

 

[Bobby Jr]

On a slightly unrelated note - I've been checking out the odd KPS88 on the *large auction* website and wondered if there have been any issues with fakes like there have been with other racquet models on occasion?

Or should I take it that any KPS88 is legit? (at least then you'd only have to worry about the seller!)

 

[JoelDali]

On a slightly unrelated note - I've been checking out the odd KPS88 on the *large auction* website and wondered if there have been any issues with fakes like there have been with other racquet models on occasion?

Or should I take it that any KPS88 is legit? (at least then you'd only have to worry about the seller!)

Do not buy an 88 on E-pray.

Especially the 'new' ones that come strung with a stencil.

 

[cork_screw]

85 for sure. The things I didn't like about the 88 were that it was super stiff. In fact it was hard to keep the ball in play during a fast paced rally because the ball would spray on you just from the the racquet making contact with the ball. There's absolutely no dwell time. It touches the racquet and in a split second it's gone. You better make sure where you wanted it because the racquet doesn't allow you to decide for too long. That's what I didn't like about it. The faster the rally got or the more spin that was applied, the more the ball would project in random directions and the harder it was to keep it steady. The six one 90 is good in that you feel like you can control the pace of the rally more. The 85 was good because you could hit all you wanted and the ball would stay in the court. There was no second guessing your stroke. I sold mine a long time ago, but still have an 85 that I bought 3 years ago. The 85 holds its own very well. The 88 is just too unpredictable against 5.0 + college level hitters. Maybe if you could end the points shorter with a little serve/volley but for me long balls were a constant.

 

[Roadway]

like both. but if can only choose one, i have to choose 85.

 

[stevewcosta]

i just tried the prostaff 88 for the first time.....i am completely in love!

I have never felt a racquet this solid in my entire life.
i have been reading about the PS 88 as the 85 are discontinued.

can anyone give a review of both amd say how they compare?

from everything i read the 88 seems more head heavy but more powerful.

which do you guys like better

The real answer is - a PS88 with the weight, balance and materials of the 85 would be the best frame of all time. On second thought, a PS 6.0 90 would be even better!

 

[T23]

I know this is an old thread looking at the dates, anyone here at ttw still using this as their main racquet ?
1. What strings do u like on urs and tension ?
2. Arm/shoulder hold up after 2hrs or so ? What’s ur age brother ?
3. I’m 43, should I switch to a softer option ?
thanks to anyone who replies.