Recommended string for Wilson Pro Staff 97 v13?

Mudabbir

New User
I am getting a Wilson Pro Staff 97 v13. What are the string recommendations to get the most out of this frame and at what tension? I demo-ed it with Wilson NXT @ 55lbs but wasn't completely convinced. I have previously been playing with Head Sonic pro @ 50 lbs.
Would love to hear what works for you all on this frame.
 

Steve Huff

G.O.A.T.
If you don't break strings too often, I'd go with an upper end synthetic like Yonex Dynawire or Prince Lightning XX. If you like multis, I found Laserfiber Supreme a little crisper than NXT. Might want to try that, or Head FiberGel Power.
 

Mudabbir

New User
@Steve Huff I have been playing with polys for a while now so I am kind of used to the feel. Hence, I am looking to try some poly or hybrid setup. However, I will be open to trying others if they strongly recommended
 

spanky

New User
So, I've tried the following in my 2x PS97 v13 frames (I have had a bunch of random strings sitting around to try):

+ Wilson Synthetic Gut 17 (Full bed) @55lbs - meh. Vanilla like ice cream. Gets the job done, nothing special. All-around playable and broke in like 4 days.
+ Wilson nxt comfort 17g (Full bed) @58 lbs - great for a week. Lost 10lbs tension and became unplayable. Loved it the 1st two days, hated it afterwards - best serves ~108mph
+ Luxilon Natural Gut 125mm (Full bed) @60lbs - great for about 2 weeks - takes me right home to my PS 85s from the mid-90s. Great spin, control, feel - rocket serves. Lost a bit tension (now at 53 lbs) than I'd like after two weeks - still very playable but starting to be inconsistent (lots of string movement) - best serves right at 115 mph. Might be match ready if I took it to 65lbs.
+ Solinco Hyper G 16L (Full bed) @50lbs - so far my favorite - Good pop, excellent spin, good (not great) feel. This is the first setup I feel like is match-ready. Best serves are ~102mph, but they’re kicking and landing on a dime.

Next up is a gut / poly hybrid - probably VS Touch mains / Dunlop Explosive Speed crosses - to see if I can get the gut feel + the poly snap/spin.

4.5 - 5.0 level all court (but lots of serve/volley) player. Former high-level Jr player (pre-injury) now in my mid 40s.

Overall, love the frame, having a hard time finding a great setup for it. Formerly played with PS 85s (90s), nCode 6.1s (2000s) always with POSG. Now looking to branch out :)
 

Mudabbir

New User
@spanky That's awesome! I am thinking to go by your recommendation and start with the Solinco Hyper G 16L @ 50lbs. I have heard a lot about Solinco but never tried it. From there I will also experiment with the ALU power or ALU rough since I hear about how the ALUs really "come alive" in a pro staff frame.
Would love to hear back from you about how the hybrid setup works. Thanks and cheers!
 
I'll chime in too, as I'm also in the process of searching for good string set-ups for PS97 (v13). I've recently switched from DR98. Tried the following so far:

-- RPM @ 50lbs: Too harsh and boardy off the stringer, with small sweet spot and low spin. It took about 3-4 hours of hitting before the strings loosened up and became more playable.
-- RPM @ 45lbs: Much more comfortable right off the stringer with noticeably better playability. The sweet spot opened up with good feel, and provided decent amount of power & spin. I could also control the ball better at 45lbs than at 50lbs, most likely because of better spin and my greater willingness to swing harder knowing that the strings are more plush (and not like rocks @ 50lbs).

I will try RPM @ 40lbs next. After that, I'll try softer poly's (e.g. Solinco Hyper G) at 50lbs and 45lbs. Will keep you guys posted.
 

jered

Rookie
I did gut/poly at 60/57 in this frame and loved it. Awesome control and touch. Felt point and shoot. Good spin. I could really swing out. Really liking how low powered this frame is. Gut adds a touch of zip and very comfortable. Will see how durable this is. Already seeing serious wear after a couple hours.

Will try my go to string, Grapplesnake Alpha, at 54lbs next.
 

brn101s

New User
Check my thread out I asked essentially the same question and got alot of great responses. So far my favorites have been x one biphase mains and big hitter blue rough crosses, and amazingly. Isospeed Baseline mains and gosen micro natural crosses..iso is great and inexpensive to boot xD
 

Mudabbir

New User
I'll chime in too, as I'm also in the process of searching for good string set-ups for PS97 (v13). I've recently switched from DR98. Tried the following so far:

-- RPM @ 50lbs: Too harsh and boardy off the stringer, with small sweet spot and low spin. It took about 3-4 hours of hitting before the strings loosened up and became more playable.
-- RPM @ 45lbs: Much more comfortable right off the stringer with noticeably better playability. The sweet spot opened up with good feel, and provided decent amount of power & spin. I could also control the ball better at 45lbs than at 50lbs, most likely because of better spin and my greater willingness to swing harder knowing that the strings are more plush (and not like rocks @ 50lbs).

I will try RPM @ 40lbs next. After that, I'll try softer poly's (e.g. Solinco Hyper G) at 50lbs and 45lbs. Will keep you guys posted.
Sounds great! Would love to hear your experience with those setups.
 

boualvng

New User
Hyper G 16L is super nice in this racket but I am loving Hyper G Soft 16L even more. Feel like it's more plush and bigger sweet spot w this string.
 

boualvng

New User
I strung at 52 mains and 50 crosses. Felt good right off the stringer and I'm 5 matches and around 11 hours in and still feels good. No added weights on head. Only thing I added is 2 overgrips and some putty in the butt cap.
 

spanky

New User
Update - have been playing with VSTouch (mains) / Dunlop Explosive Speed (crosses), both 16g, for a few weeks now in my PS97v13s. One Racquet at 54M/50C and one at 58M/54C. I am loving this setup. The 54/50 is the better tension for me. Great bite, great feel, and amazing spin/action. Much more touch than Hyper-G and seems to be very durable as well.
 
I am demoing v13 and it came with NXT 16. Contrary to my expectations it was not uncontrolled power. It left me wonder between how much power I want (PS v13) vs how much control I am after (Vcore Pro 97HD). Maybe the trick is in the pictures:




(I suggest checking all three of them)

My question is PS v13 really 97? Or just a 16x19 version of six-one 95 (18x20) that we can see at Wilson's website?
 
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spanky

New User
Another week - and now the VSTouch / Explosive Speed combo has bagged out and hurt my arm. Ugh. Love the play, but not a fan of getting hurt. I'm going full-bed VSTouch 16g to try and heal while I contemplate my next move.
 

Bronc10is

Semi-Pro
I've got Hyper G 17 gauge in my racket now - feels solid. Going to switch soon to my normal NRG2 full bed. Sticking with 17 gauge on this frame.
 

AmericanTwist

Professional
Phil, try stacking the racquets with the 95 on the bottom for comparison. I actually didn't think 2 square inches is anything, but the difference should be visually noticeable.
 

WYK

Hall of Fame
I am getting a Wilson Pro Staff 97 v13. What are the string recommendations to get the most out of this frame and at what tension? I demo-ed it with Wilson NXT @ 55lbs but wasn't completely convinced. I have previously been playing with Head Sonic pro @ 50 lbs.
Would love to hear what works for you all on this frame.

A colleague of mine uses TB in the mains and NXT in the crosses in his PS97. The NXT doesn't last long, but it plays well right up until it goes super frizzy and snaps. But since he strings his own, it's worth it to him.
Soft and spinny. He strings in the mid to high 50's.
 
Phil, try stacking the racquets with the 95 on the bottom for comparison. I actually didn't think 2 square inches is anything, but the difference should be visually noticeable.

I think it makes more sense if I can hide the supposed to be bigger headsize behind the smaller one. For example, I am 5 ft 8. If a person claiming that he is 6 ft can hide behind me, either one of us is lying (if not both).

P.S. I ordered one, strung with X-One Biphase 18 @ 55. I hope it will not turn into a catapult.
 
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spanky

New User
So I had one of my racquets strung up with a full bed of VSTouch 16 prestretched @64 this week and played twice. Was much happier with this full gut setup than the Luxilon 17 I tried about a month ago. Much better feel and good control and no arm issues (as I was after). Not as much spin on groundies as I would like, but serves and volleys are epic.
 

spanky

New User
Update ... now 2 weeks and ~20 hours of playtime in on the 16G VSTouch. Wow. I played 5 hours of singles (2x3 set matches) on Sunday - and 6 hours of doubles Mon-Tues. The string is frayed but still going strong! What is amazing is that the spin production has really ramped up and I'm able to do things with the ball right now that I haven't been able to do in 20+ years. I'm an Eastern forehand (Agassi like?), One-handed backhand guy - and I'm really liking this setup right now - it was tougher to adapt to than the SynGut, Poly, or Hybrid setups, but now that I have, I'm not sure I can go back to anything else. As the poly in the hybrid of my backup racquet was done - I strung up it up with X-One Biphase @62 last week - and will have a go with it Thursday to see if it is close.
 

CostarreraGT

New User
I am getting a Wilson Pro Staff 97 v13. What are the string recommendations to get the most out of this frame and at what tension? I demo-ed it with Wilson NXT @ 55lbs but wasn't completely convinced. I have previously been playing with Head Sonic pro @ 50 lbs.
Would love to hear what works for you all on this frame.
I use Multis (have banned myself from Polys but may try again in crosses) because of old lingering injuries and because I play a mostly offensive brand of tennis and I therefore appreciate the added "touch" and playability multis offer. I have tried:
1) Full bed Velocity MLT 17 Black. Felt quite stiff and dead, almost like a poly. Superb directional control and general control. Not enough "touch" for me.
2) Velocity MLT 17 Black in the mains with X-One Biphase 18 in crosses. Similar results to (1) above but with added power and feel and oddly enough additional spin.
3) My winner so far : Gamma Ocho XP 16 in mains (winter tension around 25KGs) and Velocity MLT 17 in crosses (winter tension around 23.5KGs). Great touch, great power, good spin. It lacks a bit in control compared to (1) above but has nothing to envy compared to (2) and overall suits my type of tennis best. I would say: 10/10 for comfort, 9/10 for power, 7/10 for control, 7.5/10 for spin (a step up from any spin-friendly syn gut I've tried but nothing like a full bed of shaped poly), 10/10 for touch shots.

Perhaps also worth noting is that my V13 came in 1 point more headlight than spec, so this may also increase the natural control characteristics of my frame and if on-spec you may get different results.
 

1HBHfanatic

Legend
-IMO this racquet line has some bad vibrations!
-good solid racquet, but it needs help
-i started noticing pain on the wrist when hitting with the w.ps racquets, v12 and v.13
-softer mains and slick poly crosses, work best for me
 

harsh_alive

New User
So far I have tried few setups in Pro Staff 97 v13.
1) Wilson NXT 16 @ 55 lbs- IMO I felt very connected to the ball, plush and got good directional control. Power level was good as well. Feel very confident taking full swings. I get 5 hours out of the strings and the crosses break.
2) Head Reflex MLT 16 @ 55 lbs- IMO the strings felt plush. Control was same compared to NXT. However, string movement was far more with MLT and so got bit more spin. Got close to 7 hours out of the strings.
3) Gamma Live Wire XP 16 @ 55 lbs- IMO the strings felt stiff compared to NXT and MLT. Lots of string movement. I lacked the control which both NXT and MLT provided. Got close to 10 hours out of the strings.
4) Wilson NXT 16 mains @ 53 lbs and Luxilon Alu Power Rough crosses @ 51 lbs- IMO the string bed felt stiffer (obviously since its multi poly hybrid). I get more spin and balls are heavy. I do lack the confidence to take full swings at the ball. Directional control was better with full bed of NXT. Will be trying this hyrbid set up for some more time.

As of now if I have to choose strings for Pro Staff 97 v13 I will go with full bed of NXT 16@ 55 lbs.

Let me know if you have any recommendations on what I can try. Thanks.
 

PhxRacket

Hall of Fame
1-Element 16L @ 47#
2-Wilson Gut/4G Soft 52/47
Both sticks are super comfortable. Of course the hybrid has a different response from the full bed of poly. Looking to try NXT/4G Soft next time.
 

CostarreraGT

New User
I tried Gamma Ocho XP 1.32 @25kg mains with Yonex PolyTourPro 1.20 @ 23.5kg crosses. Works a treat. Great snapback and spin. Great feel. Virtually just as comfortable as fb multi but with improved control and negligible loss of power (flat serve bombs remain bombastic, but you can do a lot more with your groundies).
 

jz000

Semi-Pro
PS97 v11:

All 17/16L
1. Head Hawk Touch 17 Mains / 4G (threaded) cross @ 51/50 - hitting flat winners left and right. Not too stiff, not too soft.
2. VStar 17 Mains / 4G (threaded) Cross @ 51/48 - felt a little stiff at first, but a powerful setup. Mains are a bit soft if you don't hit the ball perfectly, and can fly out.
3. VStar 17 Mains / Adrenaline @ 51/48 - Felt great off the bat. Adrenaline not threaded tho. Will try next time.
4. Head Hawk 17 M / 4G cross @ 51/48 - Felt very stiff, need a big swing to generate pace. But gets massive spin + pace. Arm/shoulder started to hurt in armpit area. Maybe need to adjust my stroke style.
5. HyperG 17 M / 4g Cross @ 51/48 - Very stiff again. Not much pace, but lots of spin. Noticed a break in period. And more pace as weather got warmer (tried in 50-60F) not a good idea imo.

Looks like most people like the power strings in the mains (gut or soft polys). Maybe that's what the racket is for. The strings do more of the work.
My friend can play with stiff strings in his pure drive. I guess the racket does the work there.
 

Casper777

Professional
Tried Tecnifibre Ice Code 120 at 22kg on my PS 97 and really like it! not too powerful.
Might try HGS 120 next and some Volkl Power Fober multi to so if its a bit more comfortable...

I have a set of Babolat hybrid (XCel + RPM Power)... I think it could fit this raquet with the RPM in crosses...
 

KYHacker

Professional
I liked Kirschbaum Max Power Rough 18 at 51M/50X. After that I have gone to Klip Legend 16 Mains at 54/Tourna Black Zone 17 Crosses at 53. This will probably be my main choice since I have about 20 hours on it and very little change in playability. Soft, good feel, good pop, lots of spin, predictable launch angle. Also trying Tecnifibre Triax 15L at 55/54. I also like that string so far (2 hours in). Good snapback, good power, a little less spin, a little flatter and less predictable launch angle. Super soft and great feel. Could go either way between the Legend/Black Zone and the Triax. I may also try a full bed of Black Zone. If doing poly, go with a dead, stiff poly with really good tension maintenance and then string low 44-48lbs to open up the sweetspot and improve pocketing and feel. V13 has a little more consistent stringbed than the v11 but it also makes the response a little more boardy. I personally feel like the PS97 frames perform best with gut mains and poly crosses. I definitely get at least 3 times as much string life out of those setups as compared to a full bed of poly or a full bed of multi. It turns out to play the best and it costs less per hour of hitting time when you factor stringing costs of 3 sets poly or 4 sets of multi to every 1 gut/poly string job.
 
Tried Tecnifibre Ice Code 120 at 22kg on my PS 97 and really like it! not too powerful.
Might try HGS 120 next and some Volkl Power Fober multi to so if its a bit more comfortable...

I have a set of Babolat hybrid (XCel + RPM Power)... I think it could fit this raquet with the RPM in crosses...

Dude really? I came here to say if you don't have Ice Code in your v13 you're really missing out... but you the person who bumped this thread into my sight already said exactly that :O
 
Anyway the v13 was way too low powered for me with other strings my opponents were dealing with the ball too easily, so I looked into most powerful polys found Ice Code and its so good... Gives a lot of extra pop on the ball if you go for your swings, and still maintains super control. I love it.
 

Casper777

Professional
Anyway the v13 was way too low powered for me with other strings my opponents were dealing with the ball too easily, so I looked into most powerful polys found Ice Code and its so good... Gives a lot of extra pop on the ball if you go for your swings, and still maintains super control. I love it.

Haha nice to see another Ice Code lover here... what gauge and tension are you using on the PS 97?
 

Casper777

Professional
Have some sets of Solinco Tour Bite / Vanquish hybrids coming and plan to test them in my PS 97...

Very cheap alternative to a nat gut / poly setup

Will try first with TB in the mains for maximum spin and control... if power is too low and still too stiff I'll try the reverse!!

:D
 

Casper777

Professional
OK tried some more strings with my Pro Staff v13...

By the way I was extremely luck as my local sports store stops selling tennis goods and made a 50% sale on everything tennis related.. bought some strings, grips... and a $150 brand new Pro Staff v13 LOL so I have a spare one to try strings now!!

Well tried the Solinco hybrid with tour bite in mains and vanquish in crosses at 23kg... VERY comfortable, very decent spin and control... quite a nice setup but maybe a tad too much power... might try adding 1kg to the vanquish crosses...

Also tried Hyper G 115 at 23kg.... that's my favorite setup so far as it's as control and powerful than Ice Code but a tad more forgiving and comfortable... and damn... the sound of hyper G is so great

So hyper G 115 and Ice Code 120 are both ex equo I would say... will try some more soon

- isospeed V18 112
- polyfibre evolution ribbed 120
- polyfibre high-tech premium 115
- full bed tour bite 120
 
OK tried some more strings with my Pro Staff v13...

By the way I was extremely luck as my local sports store stops selling tennis goods and made a 50% sale on everything tennis related.. bought some strings, grips... and a $150 brand new Pro Staff v13 LOL so I have a spare one to try strings now!!

Well tried the Solinco hybrid with tour bite in mains and vanquish in crosses at 23kg... VERY comfortable, very decent spin and control... quite a nice setup but maybe a tad too much power... might try adding 1kg to the vanquish crosses...

Also tried Hyper G 115 at 23kg.... that's my favorite setup so far as it's as control and powerful than Ice Code but a tad more forgiving and comfortable... and damn... the sound of hyper G is so great

So hyper G 115 and Ice Code 120 are both ex equo I would say... will try some more soon

- isospeed V18 112
- polyfibre evolution ribbed 120
- polyfibre high-tech premium 115
- full bed tour bite 120

Omg thats amazing lol best racquet deal ever. Tour bite hybrid was only very decent not great spin? I'd be looking for great spin out of any tour bite setup. Too much power is surprising the one time I tried tour bite was full bed in a Pure Aero 2019 that racquet is high power but this string made it pretty low power and held it back, I guess Vanquish is powerful never used it?

Hyper G as powerful as Ice Code? Thats hard to believe... I see Ice Code as the most powerful great control poly. The small gauge doesn't give it too much depth or height difference?
 
Have some sets of Solinco Tour Bite / Vanquish hybrids coming and plan to test them in my PS 97...

Very cheap alternative to a nat gut / poly setup

Will try first with TB in the mains for maximum spin and control... if power is too low and still too stiff I'll try the reverse!!

:D

I'm about to try 4G @ 50 lbs in my v13... just waiting on the stringer to get it done. I bought a v13 in late 2020 when it released strung with 4G and absolutely loved it for serving haven't been able to reproduce such great serves since then (both hard flat first serves and epic very kicky 2nd serves), also a lot of spin and nice control on groundstrokes. Sometimes if you catch the ball just right on a forehand which is rare for me it'd explode off the stringbed for an awesome hard winner. You ever used that string?
 

Casper777

Professional
Omg thats amazing lol best racquet deal ever. Tour bite hybrid was only very decent not great spin? I'd be looking for great spin out of any tour bite setup. Too much power is surprising the one time I tried tour bite was full bed in a Pure Aero 2019 that racquet is high power but this string made it pretty low power and held it back, I guess Vanquish is powerful never used it?

Hyper G as powerful as Ice Code? Thats hard to believe... I see Ice Code as the most powerful great control poly. The small gauge doesn't give it too much depth or height difference?
Maybe due to the super thin 115 gauge of the Hyper G....

Yeah was surprised too about the hybrid TB setup... never tried TB alone so difficult to compare...
 
Very happy to report that 50lb 4g plays beautifully in this racquet. Probably will only play that and ice code white in this frame. Easy access to power, lots of spin and tons of control also feels great at impact absolutely love this string.
 

CostarreraGT

New User
Fast forward a full year++ and I have tried dozens of combos of strings on my two matched frames. Even tried switching to a Blade v8 18*20 at some point. I found the one thing that absolutely undoubtedly always works best (though is a waste if you use it in humid weather as it gets ruined too quickly) and it's so good that I think I may never leave the v13 for as long as I play. And that, to no surprise, is VS Touch 16 mains @26kg with Alu Rough 17 crosses @24.5kg. not a budget setup but having tried many poor man's versions of this, nothing even comes close to the magical feel and precision and power you get.
 
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