pro staff 97 vs blade 98 stiffness?

rockbox

Semi-Pro
I'm currently playing with a blade 98 16x19 which I like a lot and I'm pretty settled on it. Before I commit and buy 2 more spares, I would like to try the pro staff 97 and RF 97. I've leaded the handle of my blade to 12.2 ounces so it's probably 7-8 pts headlight. According the TW database, the racquets have similar swing weight and similar flex. Is there a drastic difference in feel and power between the two racquets? I've read quote from reviews that the pro staff feels stiffer than the blade.
 

Lukhas

Legend
Blades are very muted feeling while Pro Staffs are very lively and crisp. While in terms of performance they're pretty similar, they hardly could be more different to each other in terms of feel. I suggest demoing.
 

esgee48

G.O.A.T.
Not only demo, but if you are serious about your Blade, you need to measure the mass, balance and SW of your current Blade. If you decide to order 2 more Blades, you want something that can be mod to what you have. Given Wilson's QC issues, you will need to specify what max mass, balance and SW you can tolerate. OTW, you may end up with something that is not usable even after mods. 2 cents.
 

fuzz nation

G.O.A.T.
I'd say yes, there's a substantial difference in feel. Keep in mind that I'm referring to the Blade 98 from maybe two years ago and not the current CV.

I actually considered getting myself a pair of the Blade 98 in the 18x20 layout, but I've been such a Volkl nerd over the last several years that I wasn't about the put that whole collection on the shelf. And because my Volkls are up in the 12.6-12.8 oz. range, I knew I'd be needing some significant tuning to eventually get cozy with the Blades.

The Blade 98 impressed me with its feel and control over the course of an afternoon of use. Much fun around the baseline on clay courts, but lighter and less stable than my regular players, along with much less HL balance than what's familiar for me. I really love going to net and if I have a racquet that's too light to be stable feeling for me up there, I have trouble with commanding my volleys. Since I hit a one-handed backhand, I also like a more stable racquet through the ball for that shot, too.

For some reason I picked up a PS 97 at the end of the summer, just for the sake of experimenting with something different I guess. After some tuning with lead tape on both the hoop and the handle, along with a few different string layouts, I haven't been able to make that frame click for me. While my Volkls give me a relatively soft feel (C10's and O10 325g's), I didn't find it with the PS 97, even after tuning and stringing with softer setups. Should have grabbed a Blade 98 instead?...
 
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