Pro Staff 97 vs. Prince Classic Response 97

Prince is an once heavier overall weight, while having similar SW, so it's half way between a PS and an RF.....
 
Marius_Hancu said:
Any of you having really used both

Pro Staff 97 (the lighter version of Roger Federer's racquet)

and

Prince Classic Response 97 (660),

could you make a comparison?

The price for the 1st is double the one for the 2nd ...
The target player is an all-court athletic junior.

Thanks a lot.
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Marius, I currently have both. The Prince is OK but I much prefer the Wilson. Found the Prince a little bit pingy whereas the Wilson is solid. Lower sw on the Wilson which makes it more manoeuvrable. Excellent at net as a result despite the reviews for the Prince at net. I am biased towards the Wilson.
 
I've played with both. I think the Response 97 may be the greatest racquet for volleys I've ever used. The RF97 is a close second. There's something about the muted feel of the Response that just lends itself to volleys. I wasn't a real fan of the muted/rubbery feel on serves and really disliked it on ground strokes. The PS-97 is a pretty good stick all the way around. It's easier to swing than the RF-97 and much more stable at the net than a Babolat APD or PD. It's got a better feel than the three mentioned above, for me anyway. It's right in the middle.

I really like it.
 
I have both. At the moment I prefer the Response, but I can see the benefit of the PS97 and I am still tinkering with it, in terms of string and weight. The biggest difference is power and feel. The PS97 has more power and a stiffer more direct feel, while the Response has a more muted feel and is a little more solid because of the additional weight.
 
The weight will be too much if they're not use to it but I agree the sw isn't too far outside the normal range. My wife uses a C10 Pro which is heavier and about the same sw, while I use the Response and a couple of lighter racquets.
 
LeeD said:
Prince is an once heavier overall weight, while having similar SW, so it's half way between a PS and an RF.....
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An ounce heavier overall weight? I'm guessing I read that wrong. The PS97 needs a few more grams of lead to bring the weight up just a little. But the PS didn't respond that well to weight for me. I'm trying the Response 97 with no mods right now.
 

It's 11.9 with overgrip and dampener. 11.6oz, about 5pts HL with 2 overgrips (took off the original grip) and dampener.
 
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I've played with both for over 3 hours on each. I'm a 5.0, former DIV 1 player, semi western both sides, one handed back hand (for reference).

I found the Wilson PS 97 to feel dead and "boardy." Mine was strung with Wilson syngut at 55 lbs. I found it to be VERY powerful, however dead with no feel. For the first 1 hour or so, I was spraying everything. It was comfortable, but after I settled in, I still couldn't get any real feel. I couldn't gauge where my ball was going to land like I can with a PS 6.1 95 or PS85, or something softer. It had power but felt like I was hitting with a frying pan... almost like a Pure Drive Roddick feel but with less power.

With regard to the Prince Response 97- I liked it much more and felt I knew exactly where the ball was going to land. It also felt more solid and had much less vibration. The Prince was strung with Forten Sweet SynGut 18g at 50 lbs. I found the syngut in the Prince was WAY too powerful and ended up swapping with a full bed of Hyper G 18g at 50lbs., which really brought out the "balls" of this stick. I was crushing everything with the poly and the poly gave me the added control I was lacking/wanting with the syngut. Plus, the open stringed was shredding the syngut. After about 90 mins there wasn't much left.

All in all, with everything being equal, the Prince Response 97 is a worthy partner for battle. It wins the power, spin, control and feel categories over the PS 97. As a long time Pro Staff 6.1 user, this new Pro Staff plays NOTHING like the 6.1 or even the PS 85/90. It's too firm, hollow feeling, and blunt.
Go demo and try for yourself!
 
I've played with both for over 3 hours on each. I'm a 5.0, former DIV 1 player, semi western both sides, one handed back hand (for reference).

I found the Wilson PS 97 to feel dead and "boardy." Mine was strung with Wilson syngut at 55 lbs. I found it to be VERY powerful, however dead with no feel. For the first 1 hour or so, I was spraying everything. It was comfortable, but after I settled in, I still couldn't get any real feel. I couldn't gauge where my ball was going to land like I can with a PS 6.1 95 or PS85, or something softer. It had power but felt like I was hitting with a frying pan... almost like a Pure Drive Roddick feel but with less power.

With regard to the Prince Response 97- I liked it much more and felt I knew exactly where the ball was going to land. It also felt more solid and had much less vibration. The Prince was strung with Forten Sweet SynGut 18g at 50 lbs. I found the syngut in the Prince was WAY too powerful and ended up swapping with a full bed of Hyper G 18g at 50lbs., which really brought out the "balls" of this stick. I was crushing everything with the poly and the poly gave me the added control I was lacking/wanting with the syngut. Plus, the open stringed was shredding the syngut. After about 90 mins there wasn't much left.

All in all, with everything being equal, the Prince Response 97 is a worthy partner for battle. It wins the power, control and feel categories over the PS 97. As a long time Pro Staff 6.1 user, this new Pro Staff plays NOTHING like the 6.1 or even the 85/90. It's firm, hollow feeling, and dead.
Go demo and try for yourself!
 
donnayblack99 said:
With regard to the Prince Response 97- I liked it much more and felt I knew exactly where the ball was going to land. It also felt more solid and had much less vibration. The Prince was strung with Forten Sweet SynGut 18g at 50 lbs. I found the syngut in the Prince was WAY too powerful and ended up swapping with a full bed of Hyper G 18g at 50lbs., which really brought out the "balls" of this stick. I was crushing everything with the poly and the poly gave me the added control I was lacking/wanting with the syngut. Plus, the open stringed was shredding the syngut. After about 90 mins there wasn't much left.
Click to expand...

Good input on the Hyper G, did you find that the Hyper G created too much spin in this frame? I know that I generally haven't liked shaped strings because it turns your penetrating shots into shots that are super heavy spin, and sometimes that's not good if you're trying to put balls away...Have you tried thicker gauge of Hyper G or even Tour Bite in this frame?
 
ushynoti said:
Good input on the Hyper G, did you find that the Hyper G created too much spin in this frame? I know that I generally haven't liked shaped strings because it turns your penetrating shots into shots that are super heavy spin, and sometimes that's not good if you're trying to put balls away...Have you tried thicker gauge of Hyper G or even Tour Bite in this frame?
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I don't hit with too much spin, so I don't take full advantage of what a poly can give me. However I do like the poly, especially a shaped poly, to help with rolling kick serves or angles. I always try to play with 18g strings as I feel they help me get that extra bite on the ball that I'm looking for. The Response has a 16x20 pattern which is a good pattern for me. It's not too tight, ie., 18x20, and it's not too loose, 16x18. The 100% graphite beam is what is giving you control as it allows for more dwell time and it can absorb more pace depending on how you string it. My game is more like a Federer with setting up points, serve and volley, and using angles and spin... I don't hit through the court like a Nadal.
 
donnayblack99 said:
I don't hit with too much spin, so I don't take full advantage of what a poly can give me. However I do like the poly, especially a shaped poly, to help with rolling kick serves or angles. I always try to play with 18g strings as I feel they help me get that extra bite on the ball that I'm looking for. The Response has a 16x20 pattern which is a good pattern for me. It's not too tight, ie., 18x20, and it's not too loose, 16x18. The 100% graphite beam is what is giving you control as it allows for more dwell time and it can absorb more pace depending on how you string it. My game is more like a Federer with setting up points, serve and volley, and using angles and spin... I don't hit through the court like a Nadal.
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Cool, I grew up in the Sampras/ Rafter era where there were still serve and volleyers winning slams and people were complaining the points were too short (which then gave rise to the slower courts that support more of a backcourt slugfest type of game) and there were more one handed backhands than two. I have a one hander and learned from coaches who believed that rushing the net was the only way to play. I have adapted my game (as unwilling as I was) to keep with the trend, but I always wish I could just rush net and finish points quicker on every point instead. I've found that rounded strings do give more penetration though, and don't necessarily decrease spin potential if they are poly. I do find that shaped polys tend to amplify the bite almost too much sometimes, where the ball almost doesn't leave your strings quick enough and you'll feel like you're catching the ball and throwing it rather than it springing off your stringbed. That's my hesitation with strings like Hyper G in this racquet, I feel like there's already a lack of power and this excess bite may just serve to make it dwell even longer and for the ball to come off even less than it already has....
 
donnayblack99 said:
All in all, with everything being equal, the Prince Response 97 is a worthy partner for battle. It wins the power, control and feel categories over the PS 97. As a long time Pro Staff 6.1 user, this new Pro Staff plays NOTHING like the 6.1 or even the 85/90. It's firm, hollow feeling, and dead.
Go demo and try for yourself!
Click to expand...

Having both the PS97 and Response in my bag I agree with most of your thoughts, but I have to say that the power battle is easily won by the PS97 no contest. The key with the PS97 and the Response for me was find the right string. After a little trial and error with a couple of strings job each, Black Widow or a Tour Bite / Pro Line II hybrid works well for me in the PS97, while Hyper G or Tour Bite works well in the Response.

I find most racquets to be fairly string sensitive and it is often the feel that I have to dial in with the correct string set up, which also includes getting the tension right.
 
donnayblack99 said:
My game is more like a Federer with setting up points, serve and volley, and using angles and spin... I don't hit through the court like a Nadal.
Click to expand...

I think you have this reversed unless its just a wording thing. Nadal has the most spin in the game and uses more angles and spin whereas Federer hits a flatter ball that I would define as through the court. It's how he can keep up with the young guys. He hits more flat bombs that can end points so his old body doesn't have to grind.

counterpuncher said:
Having both the PS97 and Response in my bag I agree with most of your thoughts, but I have to say that the power battle is easily won by the PS97 no contest.
Click to expand...

I also have both of these in my bag. The Response has less power and hits with a lower launch angle because of the tighter string pattern. The Pro Staff is more open and has a really high launch of the stringbed. I have more trouble controlling the PS, but I get more power and spin, so that is a tradeoff. My Response is also 10 grams heavier than the PS, so that 350 gram stick can get a little heavier to swing and because I get less power too, I get more tired with the Response. I am not built for endurance, so I don't use the Response any more.

I also am experimenting with other racquets because the PS's high launch angle and slight lack of consistency is troubling when people are at the net and frustrating when I sometimes spray balls long. I have tried the Pure Strike, DR 98, Pure Drive+, and Pure Drive Tour. The Strike too low of a launch angle and is a little low on power, DR 98 hits a nice driving flat ball but because it is more flat, it can fly on me. The PD+ and PDR are great but they can be a little sluggish for me and I tire with them a bit. I have a standard pure drive coming this week, so hopefully I get everything I am looking for.
 
JonnyAbs said:
I also am experimenting with other racquets because the PS's high launch angle and slight lack of consistency is troubling when people are at the net and frustrating when I sometimes spray balls long. I have tried the Pure Strike, DR 98, Pure Drive+, and Pure Drive Tour. The Strike too low of a launch angle and is a little low on power, DR 98 hits a nice driving flat ball but because it is more flat, it can fly on me. The PD+ and PDR are great but they can be a little sluggish for me and I tire with them a bit. I have a standard pure drive coming this week, so hopefully I get everything I am looking for.
Click to expand...

My 2 cents given that I have tried most of the racquets you've mentioned is to try out the Pure Aero as I found it better than the PD and PD+. Also i would recommend giving the Prince 100P a shot. Control is excellent, spin is good and fairly open for an 18 mains and certainly has better feel than most tweener / light player frame racquets.
 
donnayblack99 said:
I've played with both for over 3 hours on each. I'm a 5.0, former DIV 1 player, semi western both sides, one handed back hand (for reference).

I found the Wilson PS 97 to feel dead and "boardy." Mine was strung with Wilson syngut at 55 lbs. I found it to be VERY powerful, however dead with no feel. For the first 1 hour or so, I was spraying everything. It was comfortable, but after I settled in, I still couldn't get any real feel. I couldn't gauge where my ball was going to land like I can with a PS 6.1 95 or PS85, or something softer. It had power but felt like I was hitting with a frying pan... almost like a Pure Drive Roddick feel but with less power.

With regard to the Prince Response 97- I liked it much more and felt I knew exactly where the ball was going to land. It also felt more solid and had much less vibration. The Prince was strung with Forten Sweet SynGut 18g at 50 lbs. I found the syngut in the Prince was WAY too powerful and ended up swapping with a full bed of Hyper G 18g at 50lbs., which really brought out the "balls" of this stick. I was crushing everything with the poly and the poly gave me the added control I was lacking/wanting with the syngut. Plus, the open stringed was shredding the syngut. After about 90 mins there wasn't much left.

All in all, with everything being equal, the Prince Response 97 is a worthy partner for battle. It wins the power, control and feel categories over the PS 97. As a long time Pro Staff 6.1 user, this new Pro Staff plays NOTHING like the 6.1 or even the 85/90. It's firm, hollow feeling, and dead.
Go demo and try for yourself!
Click to expand...

What do you currently play with now? I guess you used the PS90 before so what replaced the 90? Anything similar to the 90 on the market at the moment? Thx
 
NuBas said:
What do you currently play with now? I guess you used the PS90 before so what replaced the 90? Anything similar to the 90 on the market at the moment? Thx
Click to expand...

I still have all my Response 97's strung and in my bag, (actually, I have way too many and want to unload some). To answer your question, I did use both the PS 85 and PS90 back in the 90's and early 2000's. Both fabulous frames, both still viable in today's game. I teach a 12 year old boy who's using the ProStaff 85. We are teaching him proper stroke mechanics so he'll be able to take full advantage of that frame in another 2-3 years. His strokes will look like Sampras' strokes by the time we're done with him!

Currently, I have a couple of Babolat Pure Control 95s which I'm really loving at the moment. They are super soft, forgiving and actually quite powerful due to their static weight. It's the closest frame out there right now to the PS 85/90 in my opinion. It will do everything you ask of it and nothing more. If you have clean mechanics and classic strokes and don't "whip" the ball like Nadal, you will be rewarded with depth, pace and precision. I like that it is a 18x20 pattern in a flexy frame. I get the control from the string bed yet I can still swing out.

When using the Response 97, you can't swing out the same way because the ball will fly unless you have some spin on the shot. Both frames weigh almost equally, however the the PC95 is much more headlight and has a lower swing weight which gives it a whippy feel, where the Response 97 is much more firm and you get less flex but more inherent plow through. Think ProStaff 85 vs. a Babolat Pure Drive Roddick.

I could play with both on any given day, but right now my arm prefers the PC95.
 
counterpuncher said:
Having both the PS97 and Response in my bag I agree with most of your thoughts, but I have to say that the power battle is easily won by the PS97 no contest. The key with the PS97 and the Response for me was find the right string. After a little trial and error with a couple of strings job each, Black Widow or a Tour Bite / Pro Line II hybrid works well for me in the PS97, while Hyper G or Tour Bite works well in the Response.

I find most racquets to be fairly string sensitive and it is often the feel that I have to dial in with the correct string set up, which also includes getting the tension right.
Click to expand...

How was Hyper G or Tour Bite the "right" string in this frame for you? Just wondering what those strings did for the frame. Did those increase the power you were able to produce? What did you string those at? As I mentioned, one of my biggest issues with the Response is that it seemed to be a powerful frame, but I found that I could almost produce more power in a less powerful frame such as a Prostaff 90 or Blade 93 than I could with the Response. It had a muted feel and almost to the point where it seemed like power would literally be absorbed rather than transferred when you hit the ball...I've tried everything except a textured poly in the frame so just curious what the result was....
 
counterpuncher said:
My 2 cents given that I have tried most of the racquets you've mentioned is to try out the Pure Aero as I found it better than the PD and PD+. Also i would recommend giving the Prince 100P a shot. Control is excellent, spin is good and fairly open for an 18 mains and certainly has better feel than most tweener / light player frame racquets.
Click to expand...
Thanks I appreciate the insight. 100P is a good idea as I have read good things. I was actually on the tenniswarehouse playtest for the Pure Aero, so I got one before it was even available to the public. However, the bounce off the stringbed was too high (worse than PS97) so I would send a lot long and I lost confidence over time. The pure drive sends a lower ball, which is why I am hoping it will work out OK. I am good with the PDT and PD+ for a set but the 330ish swingweights tire me out after a set and I start making more mistakes than usual, and playing when gassed isn't fun.
 
ushynoti said:
How was Hyper G or Tour Bite the "right" string in this frame for you? Just wondering what those strings did for the frame. Did those increase the power you were able to produce? What did you string those at? As I mentioned, one of my biggest issues with the Response is that it seemed to be a powerful frame, but I found that I could almost produce more power in a less powerful frame such as a Prostaff 90 or Blade 93 than I could with the Response. ..
Click to expand...

Hyper G and Tour Bite primarily felt right as they lessened the dampened feel for me. This assisted greatly with the control aspect and gave me much more confidence to swing out on my strokes. Spin was also greatly improved. Strings like Cyclone and Yonex PTP were a little too dead and my usual Pro Line II far too mushy.

I initially strung at 50/48 and gradually moved down to 42/40 which I prefer to provide a little more pop, but took a little getting use to.
 
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counterpuncher said:
Hyper G and Tour Bite primarily felt right as they lessened the dampened feel for me. This assisted greatly with the control aspect and gave me much more confidence to swing out on my strokes. Spin was also greatly improved. Strings like Cyclone and Yonex PTP were a little too dead and my usual Pro Line II far too mushy.

I initially strung at 50/48 and gradually moved down to 42/40 which I prefer to provide a little more pop, but took a little getting use to.
Click to expand...

Great, sounds promising! I will try it! I think 42/40 sounds a little risky to me, I find that poly at such a low tension can get mushy pretty quick, did that not happen?
 
ushynoti said:
Great, sounds promising! I will try it! I think 42/40 sounds a little risky to me, I find that poly at such a low tension can get mushy pretty quick, did that not happen?
Click to expand...
Tour Bite hasn't gotten mushy on me at those tensions, but then I'm not a huge spin hitter. The only time it did slightly was in a Blade 98S.

I'd say use your usual tension, I just find I usually prefer tension in the low 40s unless I'm hitting with something like a Pure Aero, in which case I go high 40s.
 
counterpuncher said:
Tour Bite hasn't gotten mushy on me at those tensions, but then I'm not a huge spin hitter. The only time it did slightly was in a Blade 98S.

I'd say use your usual tension, I just find I usually prefer tension in the low 40s unless I'm hitting with something like a Pure Aero, in which case I go high 40s.
Click to expand...

What gauge of Hyper G/ Tour Bite did you use in the Response 97?
 
ushynoti said:
Was there a reason why you used 19 gauge in Tour Bite and 18 in Hyper G? Did you try the thicker gauges too?
Click to expand...
I usually go with the thinnest gauge poly I can. Hyper G does't come in 1.10. I didn't try any other gauges of those, but I also had Pro Line I I 1.15 which was too muted with the double bridge dampening.
 
counterpuncher said:
I usually go with the thinnest gauge poly I can. Hyper G does't come in 1.10. I didn't try any other gauges of those, but I also had Pro Line I I 1.15 which was too muted with the double bridge dampening.
Click to expand...

Just strung up the Response 97 with Tour Bite 20g, hope you're right about Tour Bite and this frame! Has been tough finding a string for this racquet that feels good. Even Babolat VS Touch and poly blend didn't feel good in it, lol...
 
ushynoti said:
Just strung up the Response 97 with Tour Bite 20g, hope you're right about Tour Bite and this frame! Has been tough finding a string for this racquet that feels good. Even Babolat VS Touch and poly blend didn't feel good in it, lol...
Click to expand...
Hmm. I'm feeling the pressure and anticipating your feedback :)

VS touch is going to be hard to stack up against for feel!

BTW, I also added an O ring damp to soften that poly ping and it provided just the right amount of dampening for my taste.
 
counterpuncher said:
Hmm. I'm feeling the pressure and anticipating your feedback :)

VS touch is going to be hard to stack up against for feel!

BTW, I also added an O ring damp to soften that poly ping and it provided just the right amount of dampening for my taste.
Click to expand...

Haha, it's ok, my expectations have gotten so low for this racquet that anything that is playable is probably a positive thing. Such a disappointing frame, I can't really say that about many other frames, but this one definitely takes the cake....It actually made VS Touch/ Luxilon blend feel like utter garbage. I usually play with a dampener, but trying to keep it off to reduce the weight or something. I feel like it's just a little heavy and swings a lot bulkier than it actually is, like you're swinging a 2x4 when it's not even that thick a frame...Oh well, we'll see how it goes...
 
ushynoti said:
Haha, it's ok, my expectations have gotten so low for this racquet that anything that is playable is probably a positive thing. Such a disappointing frame, I can't really say that about many other frames, but this one definitely takes the cake....It actually made VS Touch/ Luxilon blend feel like utter garbage. I usually play with a dampener, but trying to keep it off to reduce the weight or something. I feel like it's just a little heavy and swings a lot bulkier than it actually is, like you're swinging a 2x4 when it's not even that thick a frame...Oh well, we'll see how it goes...
Click to expand...
Yes I agree with the way it swings, it reminds me a lot of the Pure Storm Tour in that regard. That and the low powered response (especially on flat serves) aside, I do seem to play very well with it and stability and spin are surprisingly good.
 
counterpuncher said:
Yes I agree with the way it swings, it reminds me a lot of the Pure Storm Tour in that regard. That and the low powered response (especially on flat serves) aside, I do seem to play very well with it and stability and spin are surprisingly good.
Click to expand...

So it was still low powered even with the Tour Bite? So disappointing to hear that a racquet that actually feels as solid as this doesn't produce any power. It just doesn't reward you at all no matter how fast you swing the ball just flutters off the frame. Directional control I did find was good, but it was hard to hit any balls the your opponent couldn't get to...
 
Ground strokes were okay, but I struggled for power on serve. When I could swing it fast the results were better, but as you it's a frame I find that swings a little log like.
 
counterpuncher said:
Ground strokes were okay, but I struggled for power on serve. When I could swing it fast the results were better, but as you it's a frame I find that swings a little log like.
Click to expand...

Ok, took the racquet out for a spin tonight...Full bed of Tour Bite definitely beat the VS Touch/ Luxilon combo (when does that EVER happen??) but it still felt worse than pretty much every racquet I've ever played with...so I think I'm going to have to just give up on this frame. Such a disappointment, but I guess this is one of those times where you have to just fold and with so many other frames that are better it just makes no sense putting so much effort into this one...
 
counterpuncher said:
Glad my reputation is still in tact on the string suggestion, but curious as to what it is about the feel that you don't like?
Click to expand...

Haha, yeah, the problems with this frame extend far beyond the strings it seems...it's hard to put my finger on it, but I think it just has a weird hit on the ball, like you hit it square and it feels like you hit a memory foam pillow, and you get inconsistent feedback. I'll hit the ball and have no idea how deep it's going to go, and sometimes it almost feels like I hit the ball and it loses momentum. Add to that it feels like swinging a oddly balanced tree trunk. I grew up using the Wilson Prostaff 85 and Prince Graphite 90, so it's like night and day in terms of feedback when you make contact with the ball with those sticks vs. the Response 97. I even have a bunch of the cheaper, re-released Prince TT Warrior MPs, which are basically the same frame as these except for weight and balance, and those feel great with Tour Bite or a bunch of other strings. They are lighter frames, but definitely have more control and feedback, and don't have that same mystery of not knowing where the ball is going to go. Being that I'm a huge Pat Rafter fan, I really wanted to like the Response 97, but it's just not working for me...very unfortunate. I picked up a Prince Graphite 90 tonight after hitting some with the Response 97 and it felt worlds better...
 
I played both (previous) version for the Pro Staff, and possess the Response right now. In terms of response (ha!) and feel, they're completely at odds with each other. The Response is very muted, with a even feedback and a dead upper hoop. The Pro Staff is very lively and crisp and feels more powerful as a result. To be honest, out of the box I do prefer the more immediate feel of the Pro Staff as I tend to like livelier feeling frames overall.

Right now I play my Response without the huge dampener in the throat; saves 7 grams. This may help with the trunk-like swing; however this won't fundamentally change the global feel of the racquet at impact.
 
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Yet another update:
After a long period of playing of PS97, I tried the Response97 yesterday - I made sure I had same string and tension on both. I used a hybrid poly on mains and syn gut on crosses at 20Kg vs 19Kg respectively.

In terms of final weight, they were 2 grams apart - no lead anywhere.

Although very very similar on paper specs, they feel completely different on court.
Somewhat opposite to what @Lukhas felt, I found that one was very whippy in relation to the other thus also lacked mass in certain shots, also felt lighter and more maneuverable.

Strangely while I felt the racket lacked mass and the shot was not as heavy as with the other one... my sparring partner said the shot with the whippier racket had a lot more action on it... it sort of accelerated after the bounce...

With one I could flick and / or accelerate the racket head much faster than with the other - but I had to put my body weight on it and in proper position. The other allowed more leeway in that.

With the other I felt I could just clobber the ball, or in defensive shots just let the racket's mass do the defensive sort of work on the ball, with the other it certainly lacked the mass on the same kinds of shots, but I could flick it - so it allowed for a different kind of defense.

On serve the flick vs clobber allowed for completely different serve attitudes... I could relax and flick a relaxed spin serve that I could not with the other.

With the clobberer sort of everything was solid and I could somewhat slack of on proper body position, not the the "light" whippy one...

I'm not choosing which one is better, it's a compromise, with either one you gain some you loose some, you get to choose what's better for you.

BTW, whippier = Response 97, Clobberer = PS 97
 
I have had 3 of each (now down to 1 of each) and I would agree with most of your observations but it is dependent on the spec tolerances. I stuck with the lightest Response 97 I had and the heavier of the PS97s as this is what worked best for me. The heavier Response 97s didn't provide any additional benefit and the lighter PS97s felt terrible in comparison. The Response 97 worked better as a whippier spin racket and the PS97 as a club with put away power.
 
The Classic Response swings aprox 1 oz lighter.. In a good way...
Meaning it has the benefits of a 12 oz racket...but whips around and easy to play with like a 11 oz racket.
I keep 1 around because of that.. a fun hit from time to time..
 
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