ian27
New User
I don't change rackets that often, averaging a switch every 4-5 years. Was considering a new frame after having tried more powerful frames recently.
Does the PS97 deliver? Here are some thoughts.
First Impressions
Up close, this racket's paintjob looks very nice (although I must say the new 95S box-beam looks the best in this new red and black color scheme) and it swings smooth and fast through the air.
My first thought was to use a low-powered, firmer multi. But my go-to string, Yonex Tour Super 850 Pro 16 was out of stock locally so I decided to use up some leftover Prince Premier LT 17 sets which I had picked up at a bargain recently. I knew that a 16G would work much better, but I figured I'd get a feel for a full bed, high-powered multi at mid-tension at least once.
Specs
My unstrung racket was off-spec slightly....A bit too HL at 30.8 cm (11pts HL) but the static weight was good at 11.1 oz.
Strung specs: 11.63 oz., 31.5 cm (8.8pts HL)
Strung with OG & rubberband: 11.78 oz., 31.3 cm HL (9.4pts HL),
(My swingweight estimate: 316)
Performance
Easy power. Excellent access to spin. Smooth through the air and a little whippy, actually. The racket is stable enough for me. No problems keeping up heavy strokes with heavy-hitters. Returns were mixed for me initially, until I got used to the frame and got the string setup right. Would have preferred slightly more weight overall.
A larger headsize for me but manueverability is excellent. The racket is extremely fast, and I was able to generate good racket-head speed and explosive power when needed - This was much appreciated when playing doubles. The first session I hit with it, I was actually pulling some forehands cross-court and wide due to making contact too fast, too soon.
Volleys are great. Slices extremely well. This racket is made for hitting sublime single-handed backhands! Would have preferred a slightly less HL balance for a little extra pop on serves and slightly higher SW. It took me a while before I got the flat first serve right. I suppose if the balance was actually on-spec it might be a fine singles racket for me. (One thing I haven't tried is a leather grip but I would only try it on a head-heavy off-spec PS97 otherwise it'll be too head-light.)
I had expected that coming from one of the most precise rackets I have ever played with, a lack of accuracy might be an issue for a more open 16X19 pattern in a 97" head size. But considering where I was coming from, the precision this racket offered was quite good. It's no scalpel for sure but I had no problems placing the ball where I wanted during a rally. Drop shots and touch lobs were all good and worthy of the touch any Pro Staff offers.
Feel
The PS97 plays crisp and comfortable for me. The frame provides more of a raw feel, as opposed to a more muted feel of some of its older and heavier box-beam cousins. For a racket with so much direct feel and connectedness, this can translate to some double-edged harshness - if you don't use a good dampener.
At 66 RA there's no doubt it is solid and quite stiff. (I really don't think it "plays" any less than that flex rating.) Whether it feels jarringly stiff for you or not will depend on where you are coming from.....A friend of mine who uses a Blade 104 found it too stiff for his liking. But if you are coming from a 98" Blade (18x20) or similar, you should find it pretty comfortable.
An "erratic stringbed"?
The PS97 plays very well for me. But are there "depth control" or "erratic stringbed" issues as highlighted by the TW review?
If I were to nit-pick, the answer is yes. But let's discuss this.
Generally, balls launched off the stringbed at a higher angle than I was accustomed to but that was to be expected when adjusting to a powerful and more open 16x19 pattern in a larger headsize. I got to hit with a friend's Yonex Ezone Ai 98 strung with a poly, and some balls also floated way higher than I intended, on Eastern forehands. (I am coming from a 17mm beam AN90 with a VERY LOW ball trajectory off the stringbed and a distinctly tighter pattern in the sweetspot area - perfect for blasting Eastern forehands).
I thought that perhaps I just needed to reign in the PS97's explosive power a bit. Maybe close up a little more on my stroke or string a few pounds higher.
Nevertheless, an "erratic stringbed" indicates an inconsistent stringbed - a response from the stringbed that is not consistent enough and this goes beyond just getting used to a new frame's launch angle.
When you get into a hitting rhythm, you are striking the ball well and you expect a sufficient level of reproducibility in your shot......and that's what we are talking about here.
I switched to a 16G, low-powered and fimer multi hybrid (Prince Premier Attack-Dunlop Hexy Fiber) with better results. I was getting consistent depth with returns, better accuracy and I liked the shotmaking confidence the new stringbed inspired. (TW's Chris took a while to find a string that provided the stringbed consistency he liked.).
I did switch back and forth between the PS97, my old racket and other rackets in this weight class (Head Graphene Radical Pro and Yonex Ezone Ai 98 ), and after much consideration, my conclusion is that while there are rackets out there that offer a higher level of stringbed consistency, this difference isn't much at all.
Some rackets play very consistently no matter what strings you slap on it. Even after some tension loss, the stringbed is bouncy, but consistent. With the PS97 offering so much feel and connectedness, perhaps string sensitivity is its downside. You just have to find the right strings at the right tension that can provide good consistency throughout. Perhaps string the mains a little higher. A good stringer can help with this issue with the right string recommendation and stringing technique.
Let's put it this way - My AN90 is similarly string-sensitive but for me, but the more powerful frame of the PS97 amplifies the effects of string sensitivity more. Perhaps the slight difference between the PS97's 83 score (which is a very good TW score if you ask me) and Ai 98's 84 lies right here: Consistency of stringbed response.
Final thoughts
I tried out the PS97 in a tournament match this weekend. No issues with stringbed consistency, but I just wasn't able to groove to the extra power and higher launch angle of the PS97 yet. The higher trajectory off some passing shots and net play in doubles did not work well for me. My partner also remarked that I was playing better with the old racket so I switched back for the rest of the tournament.
With the PS97, it's lighter, easier to manuever and it provides easy power and good feel.
However....
Is it a box-beam frame? No.
Does it have box-beam feel and control? No.
Is it a racket I can see myself switching to before I hit 40? Given enough time, yes......Just not yet.
Does the PS97 deliver? Here are some thoughts.
First Impressions
Up close, this racket's paintjob looks very nice (although I must say the new 95S box-beam looks the best in this new red and black color scheme) and it swings smooth and fast through the air.
My first thought was to use a low-powered, firmer multi. But my go-to string, Yonex Tour Super 850 Pro 16 was out of stock locally so I decided to use up some leftover Prince Premier LT 17 sets which I had picked up at a bargain recently. I knew that a 16G would work much better, but I figured I'd get a feel for a full bed, high-powered multi at mid-tension at least once.
Specs
My unstrung racket was off-spec slightly....A bit too HL at 30.8 cm (11pts HL) but the static weight was good at 11.1 oz.
Strung specs: 11.63 oz., 31.5 cm (8.8pts HL)
Strung with OG & rubberband: 11.78 oz., 31.3 cm HL (9.4pts HL),
(My swingweight estimate: 316)
Performance
Easy power. Excellent access to spin. Smooth through the air and a little whippy, actually. The racket is stable enough for me. No problems keeping up heavy strokes with heavy-hitters. Returns were mixed for me initially, until I got used to the frame and got the string setup right. Would have preferred slightly more weight overall.
A larger headsize for me but manueverability is excellent. The racket is extremely fast, and I was able to generate good racket-head speed and explosive power when needed - This was much appreciated when playing doubles. The first session I hit with it, I was actually pulling some forehands cross-court and wide due to making contact too fast, too soon.
Volleys are great. Slices extremely well. This racket is made for hitting sublime single-handed backhands! Would have preferred a slightly less HL balance for a little extra pop on serves and slightly higher SW. It took me a while before I got the flat first serve right. I suppose if the balance was actually on-spec it might be a fine singles racket for me. (One thing I haven't tried is a leather grip but I would only try it on a head-heavy off-spec PS97 otherwise it'll be too head-light.)
I had expected that coming from one of the most precise rackets I have ever played with, a lack of accuracy might be an issue for a more open 16X19 pattern in a 97" head size. But considering where I was coming from, the precision this racket offered was quite good. It's no scalpel for sure but I had no problems placing the ball where I wanted during a rally. Drop shots and touch lobs were all good and worthy of the touch any Pro Staff offers.
Feel
The PS97 plays crisp and comfortable for me. The frame provides more of a raw feel, as opposed to a more muted feel of some of its older and heavier box-beam cousins. For a racket with so much direct feel and connectedness, this can translate to some double-edged harshness - if you don't use a good dampener.
At 66 RA there's no doubt it is solid and quite stiff. (I really don't think it "plays" any less than that flex rating.) Whether it feels jarringly stiff for you or not will depend on where you are coming from.....A friend of mine who uses a Blade 104 found it too stiff for his liking. But if you are coming from a 98" Blade (18x20) or similar, you should find it pretty comfortable.
An "erratic stringbed"?
The PS97 plays very well for me. But are there "depth control" or "erratic stringbed" issues as highlighted by the TW review?
If I were to nit-pick, the answer is yes. But let's discuss this.
Generally, balls launched off the stringbed at a higher angle than I was accustomed to but that was to be expected when adjusting to a powerful and more open 16x19 pattern in a larger headsize. I got to hit with a friend's Yonex Ezone Ai 98 strung with a poly, and some balls also floated way higher than I intended, on Eastern forehands. (I am coming from a 17mm beam AN90 with a VERY LOW ball trajectory off the stringbed and a distinctly tighter pattern in the sweetspot area - perfect for blasting Eastern forehands).
I thought that perhaps I just needed to reign in the PS97's explosive power a bit. Maybe close up a little more on my stroke or string a few pounds higher.
Nevertheless, an "erratic stringbed" indicates an inconsistent stringbed - a response from the stringbed that is not consistent enough and this goes beyond just getting used to a new frame's launch angle.
When you get into a hitting rhythm, you are striking the ball well and you expect a sufficient level of reproducibility in your shot......and that's what we are talking about here.
I switched to a 16G, low-powered and fimer multi hybrid (Prince Premier Attack-Dunlop Hexy Fiber) with better results. I was getting consistent depth with returns, better accuracy and I liked the shotmaking confidence the new stringbed inspired. (TW's Chris took a while to find a string that provided the stringbed consistency he liked.).
I did switch back and forth between the PS97, my old racket and other rackets in this weight class (Head Graphene Radical Pro and Yonex Ezone Ai 98 ), and after much consideration, my conclusion is that while there are rackets out there that offer a higher level of stringbed consistency, this difference isn't much at all.
Some rackets play very consistently no matter what strings you slap on it. Even after some tension loss, the stringbed is bouncy, but consistent. With the PS97 offering so much feel and connectedness, perhaps string sensitivity is its downside. You just have to find the right strings at the right tension that can provide good consistency throughout. Perhaps string the mains a little higher. A good stringer can help with this issue with the right string recommendation and stringing technique.
Let's put it this way - My AN90 is similarly string-sensitive but for me, but the more powerful frame of the PS97 amplifies the effects of string sensitivity more. Perhaps the slight difference between the PS97's 83 score (which is a very good TW score if you ask me) and Ai 98's 84 lies right here: Consistency of stringbed response.
Final thoughts
I tried out the PS97 in a tournament match this weekend. No issues with stringbed consistency, but I just wasn't able to groove to the extra power and higher launch angle of the PS97 yet. The higher trajectory off some passing shots and net play in doubles did not work well for me. My partner also remarked that I was playing better with the old racket so I switched back for the rest of the tournament.
With the PS97, it's lighter, easier to manuever and it provides easy power and good feel.
However....
Is it a box-beam frame? No.
Does it have box-beam feel and control? No.
Is it a racket I can see myself switching to before I hit 40? Given enough time, yes......Just not yet.
