Review: Wilson Pro Staff 97 (315 gram version)

[Candide]

I don't know if have already talked about this. Today, I had the PS 97 (315 grams) in my hands for the first time in a retail and the first thing that called my attention was the small and narrow head size (it looked to me smaller than I expected for a 97 in.). I compared it with a six one 95 L and they seemed to have the same head size (even the six one looked wider in some parts)

Did anyone noticed it? Could anyone compare it to other similar rackets?

I must admit I picked one up in a shop last week and I had the exact same reaction. I'm looking to demo the heavy and light one in the next few weeks but I have a feeling that I'll be going with the ai98 or the new Radical Pro, the other two on my shortlist. They both look like they'll be a little easier to use in competition play.

 

[Candide]

By the way I played with the BLX 6.1 95 for a good while and I agree, the head looks more 'rounded' in comparison.

 

[parasailing]

I've had my racket for a week now, and have loved it.

I strung my racket with Cyber Blue at 52 on a Bab 5 star. At first the tension felt too high, now that I've played a bunch with my racket and the strings have loosened, I can groove my shots so looks like I'll drop the tension to around 45-47 pounds the next time I re-string.

I had another 2 hours hitting with it today and now the strings have lost some more tension, it feels softer and more plush. I think this racquet needs to be strung at a lower tension to hopefully help find the sweet spot. I can't imagine stringing this racquet at a higher tension due to the stiffer feel of this racquet.

Natural gut at 50lbs might be a really nice plush feel and might be the setup I use next time. Serving is very nice with this racquet and feel is good but the sweet spot isn't determined yet.

 

[MasturB]

I had another 2 hours hitting with it today and now the strings have lost some more tension, it feels softer and more plush. I think this racquet needs to be strung at a lower tension to hopefully help find the sweet spot. I can't imagine stringing this racquet at a higher tension due to the stiffer feel of this racquet.

Natural gut at 50lbs might be a really nice plush feel and might be the setup I use next time. Serving is very nice with this racquet and feel is good but the sweet spot isn't determined yet.

Yeah. I strung at 52ish with Cyber Blue on my previous racket, Pure Storm Tour and it took about 20-30 minutes of hitting for it to break in to where I wanted it.

Tried that with this just as a reference point and the string bed felt like a paddle and I didn't have the feel of brushing the ball. Now that the strings are loosened up I feel I can go for any shots and take a home run cut and have the spin + power balance I need.

Bought some Red Devil (I used Red Code for 2 years before switching to Cyber Blue) and will be looking forward to trying it out as I really loved the bite and spin I got with red code.

 

[Wanchope]

I must admit I picked one up in a shop last week and I had the exact same reaction. I'm looking to demo the heavy and light one in the next few weeks but I have a feeling that I'll be going with the ai98 or the new Radical Pro, the other two on my shortlist. They both look like they'll be a little easier to use in competition play.

I had the ai98 and the G radical pro. Both are very good rackets but I didn't feel comfortable with their mass distribution. I finally chose the Pure Strike 16x19. Give it a try if you can.

I was interested in the PS 97 for it's specs but what I saw about the small headsize has decreased my interest.

 

[srvnvly]

I had the ai98 and the G radical pro. Both are very good rackets but I didn't feel comfortable with their mass distribution. I finally chose the Pure Strike 16x19. Give it a try if you can.

I was interested in the PS 97 for it's specs but what I saw about the small headsize has decreased my interest.

Did you modify the PS 16x19? I liked it except for a little lack of stability in the hoop; I feel that some lead tape at 3 and 9 would help.

 

[Matchball]

Did you modify the PS 16x19? I liked it except for a little lack of stability in the hoop; I feel that some lead tape at 3 and 9 would help.

Out of the various different positions I tried, 3 and 9 felt the best.

 

[JackB1]

I had another 2 hours hitting with it today and now the strings have lost some more tension, it feels softer and more plush. I think this racquet needs to be strung at a lower tension to hopefully help find the sweet spot. I can't imagine stringing this racquet at a higher tension due to the stiffer feel of this racquet.

Natural gut at 50lbs might be a really nice plush feel and might be the setup I use next time. Serving is very nice with this racquet and feel is good but the sweet spot isn't determined yet.

What does that mean?

 

[JackB1]

I had the ai98 and the G radical pro. Both are very good rackets but I didn't feel comfortable with their mass distribution. I finally chose the Pure Strike 16x19. Give it a try if you can.

I was interested in the PS 97 for it's specs but what I saw about the small headsize has decreased my interest.

Do u have any issues with the sweetspot on the PS 16x19? Most reports says it's small and not forgiving.

 

[MasturB]

What does that mean?

There are times when I hit with it slightly off center and it actually feels like I shanked the ball on the frame but I didn't.

So the consistent sweetspot itself has yet to be discovered by me.

 

[maxpotapov]

There are times when I hit with it slightly off center and it actually feels like I shanked the ball on the frame but I didn't.

So the consistent sweetspot itself has yet to be discovered by me.

Wow, so sweetspot is big but inconsistent to the point of shanking the ball on slightly off center hits. I'm confused

 

[srvnvly]

Do u have any issues with the sweetspot on the PS 16x19? Most reports says it's small and not forgiving.

When I tried it, the sweetspot was fine, just needed some stability in the hoop/head; volleys were insanely awesome and I may have to revisit this, along with the PS 97 and the Volkl SG10 295.

 

[radu]

There are times when I hit with it slightly off center and it actually feels like I shanked the ball on the frame but I didn't.

So the consistent sweetspot itself has yet to be discovered by me.

I didn't found any sweetspot weakness yet and I'm sure I wouldn't. It is one of the most forgiveness frame I played just because the sweetspot is huge and you simply can not hit outside it
I strung the PS97 with full Topspin Cyber Blue at 24*23 kg and I love it .
Of course I am one of those who believe that PS97 is a very nice frame

 

[Wanchope]

Did you modify the PS 16x19? I liked it except for a little lack of stability in the hoop; I feel that some lead tape at 3 and 9 would help.

I just add a bit of weight in the handle of 2 out of the 3 PS I have to match the specs. Even they have the same static weight and balance, every rackets has different mass distribution (one is more polarize and I feel more mass in the tip, another one has more mass in the handle, and the third one is in betwen the others).

These days I'm enjoying more the one that has more mass in the tip. It has more plowthrough and consistency. The one with more mass in the handle seems more erratic. Maybe I'll have to change the specs of some of my PS.

 

[Wanchope]

Do u have any issues with the sweetspot on the PS 16x19? Most reports says it's small and not forgiving.

I've spent most of last 10 years on courts playing with the Wilson 6.1 95 line and the sweespot of the PS 16x19 is definitely bigger than the 6.1 95s in my opinion. For me the PS 16x19 is a good mix of the rackets like 6.1 95s and the aero/pure drives in all aspects.

Being a Wilson user for many years I was very interested in trying the new PS 97 but after checking how small is the frame in person I'm afraid to go with something less forgiving than mi PS.

 

[srvnvly]

I've spent most of last 10 years on courts playing with the Wilson 6.1 95 line and the sweespot of the PS 16x19 is definitely bigger than the 6.1 95s in my opinion. For me the PS 16x19 is a good mix of the rackets like 6.1 95s and the aero/pure drives in all aspects.

Being a Wilson user for many years I was very interested in trying the new PS 97 but after checking how small is the frame in person I'm afraid to go with something less forgiving than mi PS.

Wanchope - have you tried the Volkl Organix Super G 10 (295)? In stock form, the SG 10 is slightly more powerful than the PS 16x19, and more stable, which seems amazing for a straight beam racquet at 20mm.

 

[parasailing]

What does that mean?

I am really struggling to consistently find the sweet spot and I wonder if it's due to the string I am using. Maybe the deader poly string I am currently using in the racquet, Head Hawk, prevents me from getting a good feel of the sweet spot. I noticed that after a few more hitting sessions, going lower in the tension seems to help soften the racquet and offers a bit more plush feel to it.

I think I am going to string this up with 52lbs natural gut mains and 48lbs L-tec 4S crosses to see how it plays.

So far, I am getting use to the feel of the racquet and love how it feels pretty solid.

 

[JackB1]

I am really struggling to consistently find the sweet spot and I wonder if it's due to the string I am using. Maybe the deader poly string I am currently using in the racquet, Head Hawk, prevents me from getting a good feel of the sweet spot. I noticed that after a few more hitting sessions, going lower in the tension seems to help soften the racquet and offers a bit more plush feel to it.

I think I am going to string this up with 52lbs natural gut mains and 48lbs L-tec 4S crosses to see how it plays.

So far, I am getting use to the feel of the racquet and love how it feels pretty solid.

There were some people saying the sweet spot of the PS97 feels "vague". Do u agree?

 

[Murray_fan1]

There were some people saying the sweet spot of the PS97 feels "vague". Do u agree?

Got my demo today and find the sweet spot extremely generous which some could describe as vague. Compared to my Tfight 315 which requires you to hit the sweetspot consistently to get the most out of the racquet , the PS 97 seems to be a little more inconsistent in it's response when hit in certain areas of the stringbed. I think due to stringbed being less defined, many playtesters are finding "hotspots" in the racquet stringbed. Although forgiving on off center shots, the trade off for me is that it little harder to get the dialed in feeling from this stick.

 

[Candide]

I had the ai98 and the G radical pro. Both are very good rackets but I didn't feel comfortable with their mass distribution. I finally chose the Pure Strike 16x19. Give it a try if you can.

I was interested in the PS 97 for it's specs but what I saw about the small headsize has decreased my interest.

This is spooky. Just got the Pure Strike 16X19 for a demo yesterday! Haven't had a chance to play yet but it feels nice in the hand. It actually feels a bit heavier than the indicated specs. Will be interesting to see how it goes. I have to say it is by far the sexiest looking racquet out at the moment.

 

[parasailing]

There were some people saying the sweet spot of the PS97 feels "vague". Do u agree?

Yes it's the first racquet I have hit with that I am still trying to figure out where exactly I should strike the ball to get a certain type of feedback from the racquet. For example, with the Graphene Speed Pro, I know if I hit it in certain areas, I should get a certain feel from the racquet. With the PS 97, I am still trying to figure out which areas I should avoid and which areas I should try to make contact with the ball.

I think with poly since you lose a bit of feel, it makes it harder to find the sweet spot. I will string this up with gut to see if this improves the feel and location of the sweet spot.

Got my demo today and find the sweet spot extremely generous which some could describe as vague. Compared to my Tfight 315 which requires you to hit the sweetspot consistently to get the most out of the racquet , the PS 97 seems to be a little more inconsistent in it's response when hit in certain areas of the stringbed. I think due to stringbed being less defined, many playtesters are finding "hotspots" in the racquet stringbed. Although forgiving on off center shots, the trade off for me is that it little harder to get the dialed in feeling from this stick.

You pretty much summon up my findings. With other racquets when you hit certain parts, it tells you don't do that. With this racquet, since you really don't get that unless you really shank it, you have no idea if the ball you hit was a solid one or not because it feels the same.

 

[parasailing]

This is spooky. Just got the Pure Strike 16X19 for a demo yesterday! Haven't had a chance to play yet but it feels nice in the hand. It actually feels a bit heavier than the indicated specs. Will be interesting to see how it goes. I have to say it is by far the sexiest looking racquet out at the moment.

Having owned the Pure Strike 16x19 when was first released, I would say this racquet is not my cup of tea. It is less solid feeling and more tinny than the Pro Staff 97.

 

[Power Player]

Got my demo today and find the sweet spot extremely generous which some could describe as vague. Compared to my Tfight 315 which requires you to hit the sweetspot consistently to get the most out of the racquet , the PS 97 seems to be a little more inconsistent in it's response when hit in certain areas of the stringbed. I think due to stringbed being less defined, many playtesters are finding "hotspots" in the racquet stringbed. Although forgiving on off center shots, the trade off for me is that it little harder to get the dialed in feeling from this stick.

Yep. It is an art form to have a large sweetspot and still feel the ball properly. I think this is why babolat is so popular. They pull it off with the APD especially. The rf97 was not as defined to me as an APD.

 

[Wanchope]

Wanchope - have you tried the Volkl Organix Super G 10 (295)? In stock form, the SG 10 is slightly more powerful than the PS 16x19, and more stable, which seems amazing for a straight beam racquet at 20mm.

Really? The specs don't suggest me that SG10 is more powerful than the PS. I'm happy with the PS and I'll keep it for some time (I'm just curious abuot the PS 97 as a former Wilson user) but I'll try SG10 if I have the chance. Thanks for your suggestion

 

[Wanchope]

This is spooky. Just got the Pure Strike 16X19 for a demo yesterday! Haven't had a chance to play yet but it feels nice in the hand. It actually feels a bit heavier than the indicated specs. Will be interesting to see how it goes. I have to say it is by far the sexiest looking racquet out at the moment.

Yes, it feels and plays heavier than its specs

 

[Power Player]

Really? The specs don't suggest me that SG10 is more powerful than the PS. I'm happy with the PS and I'll keep it for some time (I'm just curious abuot the PS 97 as a former Wilson user) but I'll try SG10 if I have the chance. Thanks for your suggestion

Yeah, I thought the same. And maybe it is the case, but I have an SG10 demo coming this week to see for myself. Some frames can do some things at a light weight. A good example is the graphene radical MP.

 

[EasternRocks]

Yes it's the first racquet I have hit with that I am still trying to figure out where exactly I should strike the ball to get a certain type of feedback from the racquet. For example, with the Graphene Speed Pro, I know if I hit it in certain areas, I should get a certain feel from the racquet. With the PS 97, I am still trying to figure out which areas I should avoid and which areas I should try to make contact with the ball.

I think with poly since you lose a bit of feel, it makes it harder to find the sweet spot. I will string this up with gut to see if this improves the feel and location of the sweet spot.



You pretty much summon up my findings. With other racquets when you hit certain parts, it tells you don't do that. With this racquet, since you really don't get that unless you really shank it, you have no idea if the ball you hit was a solid one or not because it feels the same.

Para, for me, when I used the gut it was too powerful/unpredictable. When I used the poly I found similar results with you... no feel and just no access to any pop. The string bed felt too dead.

 

[Matchball]

Turns out feel is not the best attribute of this frame and perhaps it feels more "modern" than one would anticipate. String it high and it's even brassy.

Some lead at 3,9 and a round, low powered poly strung really low transformed it for me - a lot better now. Still not as all-court as I would have wanted, even when if taken individually, one by one, serves, volleys and some ball bashing from the baseline seem a lot better than average after the mods.

 

[parasailing]

Turns out feel is not the best attribute of this frame and perhaps it feels more "modern" than one would anticipate. String it high and it's even brassy.

Some lead at 3,9 and a round, low powered poly strung really low transformed it for me - a lot better now. Still not as all-court as I would have wanted, even when if taken individually, one by one, serves, volleys and some ball bashing from the baseline seem a lot better than average after the mods.

Yes got to go low on the tension to reduce that tinny feel. I will be stringing gut mains at 54lbs with poly cross at 50lbs on this racquet and hope it's not too powerful.

 

[time_fly]

You pretty much summon up my findings. With other racquets when you hit certain parts, it tells you don't do that. With this racquet, since you really don't get that unless you really shank it, you have no idea if the ball you hit was a solid one or not because it feels the same.

I'm not sure I quite follow this complaint. The PS 97 has a generous sweet spot so you will get smooth contact and consistent power across a bigger area than most sticks with a similar head size. If you hit far enough off center, you will feel the twist in your hand and the kick of the relatively stiff frame. Otherwise, you're pretty much good. I know my shot was solid because I see what the ball does -- and I haven't had any experience where it felt like I hit the sweet spot but the ball behaved oddly or badly.

 

[parasailing]

Another couple hours of hitting with this racquet and I think the strings have finally settled in. I initially had this strung at 52lbs Head Hawk but now that they have broken in, it's definitely feel a bit more plush.

I think the tension is now around 44 or 46 lbs and it feels really nice. Ball pocketing is much better and dwell time has improved. I think I will string this up next time with gut mains at 52lbs and poly crosses at 48lbs to see how it goes. Hopefully this doesn't add to much power to the racquet.

 

[LeeD]

You can always go lower in tension.
My Bio300T, 18x20, 97 sized, 64 flex rating, weighted to 320SW, get's 38 lbs SpikyShark, is NOT powerful at all, very controllable, and almost plush. Going down 8 might make it plush.

 

[elias_ch]

Hi,

It seems as if the PS97 is a softer version of Graphene Radical Pro..

Anyone got the chance to play test both racquet compare them?

cheers

 

[pfrischmann]

I played them both recently but not back to back. The head was really harsh on of center shots, probably the harshest of any stick I've ever played with.

The 97 had that buttery feel that you associate with pro staffs but it was a little harder to pinpoint when you hit dead center compared to like a PS90. When/if I hit the center on a small stick, it's just beautiful, I never got that sensation with the 97. The Radical was better at defense, it just has more power, making it much better to hit a shot when you are not perfectly balanced.

My serve was much better with the Radical, more pop. My feel was much better with the PS97RF, it was also much more stable.

This brings up an interesting point, RF has been winning a lot more with the 97 but he's made the highlight reel a lot less. I wonder if he cannot find the same level of feel with the 97 inch stick.

 

[elias_ch]

I agree on everything you said on GRadPro..harshness is the main reason why i am looking for alternative!! enjoy everything about this racquet except for that..

But i was referring to the PS97 (315gr) ..i think you referred to the RF97 Autograph (340gr)

 

[prjacobs]

I agree on everything you said on GRadPro..harshness is the main reason why i am looking for alternative!! enjoy everything about this racquet except for that..



But i was referring to the PS97 (315gr) ..i think you referred to the RF97 Autograph (340gr)

I'm no expert by any means, but to me, the GRadPro is much more solid and and my ball is much heavier than with the PS97 315. Yes, the GRadPro serves better, has better spin potential and I think is more consistent. But I did get rattled by some off center hits....

 

[superdave3]

We had a Wilson Demo day at our club, where we could try most all of the Wilson racquets currently offered. I really wanted to try both the PS97 and RF97, since they have been talked up so much. I was very disappointed that I could not establish consistency with either. I found the RF version to have a little more control than the PS version. Also, the RF version did not seem that much heavier than the PS version, surprisingly. The leather grip on the RF version is of poor quality (years ago Wilson used Fairway leather grips, which were great), while the grip on the PS version was fine. I would have to use an overgrip or replace the leather with a synthetic grip to use the RF version. I also got to try some other Wilson racquets which were all better performers. The Pro Staff 95S performed with much more consistency, but by far the most solid racquet was the Juice 100. For a racquet that is just over 11 ounces strung it had great plow through, and very controllable power. The only drawback is it has a very high stiffness rating, which could lead to TE for those susceptible to it.

 

[srvnvly]

We had a Wilson Demo day at our club, where we could try most all of the Wilson racquets currently offered. I really wanted to try both the PS97 and RF97, since they have been talked up so much. I was very disappointed that I could not establish consistency with either. I found the RF version to have a little more control than the PS version. Also, the RF version did not seem that much heavier than the PS version, surprisingly. The leather grip on the RF version is of poor quality (years ago Wilson used Fairway leather grips, which were great), while the grip on the PS version was fine. I would have to use an overgrip or replace the leather with a synthetic grip to use the RF version. I also got to try some other Wilson racquets which were all better performers. The Pro Staff 95S performed with much more consistency, but by far the most solid racquet was the Juice 100. For a racquet that is just over 11 ounces strung it had great plow through, and very controllable power. The only drawback is it has a very high stiffness rating, which could lead to TE for those susceptible to it.

Were any of the new Burn racquets available to demo?

 

[superdave3]

Were any of the new Burn racquets available to demo?

Unfortunately no.

 

[dmcb101]

Any info on this burn racquet? Is it even real?

 

[ringwraith]

I played them both recently but not back to back. The head was really harsh on of center shots, probably the harshest of any stick I've ever played with.

The 97 had that buttery feel that you associate with pro staffs but it was a little harder to pinpoint when you hit dead center compared to like a PS90. When/if I hit the center on a small stick, it's just beautiful, I never got that sensation with the 97. The Radical was better at defense, it just has more power, making it much better to hit a shot when you are not perfectly balanced.

My serve was much better with the Radical, more pop. My feel was much better with the PS97RF, it was also much more stable.

This brings up an interesting point, RF has been winning a lot more with the 97 but he's made the highlight reel a lot less. I wonder if he cannot find the same level of feel with the 97 inch stick.

I bought the PS97 from a forum member here in almost new condition, but I think it is going back up for sale. I had a similar experience as you - found the sweetspot as not defined very well. It also felt clunkier through the air compared to my weighted up blades.

 

[JackB1]

I bought the PS97 from a forum member here in almost new condition, but I think it is going back up for sale. I had a similar experience as you - found the sweetspot as not defined very well. It also felt clunkier through the air compared to my weighted up blades.

seems like you aren't alone. been seing lots of these popping up in the F/S listings.

 

[ringwraith]

Yeah, to me it kinda felt like a Dunlop f3.0. I wasn't a fan of that stick either. I would probably still wanna demo the autograph version later on (when it becomes more widely available) to see if it is any different.

 

[MasturB]

Sad news to report friends...

I was just finding my groove with my PS97... after 19 days of playing with it.

Well today I came out bombing serves and groundies. A guy I play who is literally a backboard, I was plowing through him and playing out of my mind. I was up 5-4 and serving for the first set... first point of the game I wanted to bomb a serve up the middle, and at contact the racket slipped out of my sweaty hand... new overgrip and all... hit the ground and bounced twice in the air.

Picked it up to discover the horror...

R.I.P. my friend. We barely knew ye. (10/11/'14 - 10/31/'14)

 

[ringwraith]

Gah, that sucks. I have one that is almost new in the sale section if you are looking for one.

 

[MasturB]

Gah, that sucks. I have one that is almost new in the sale section if you are looking for one.

1/2 grip size?

 

[ringwraith]

No its a 1/4. http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=516430

 

[corners]

Sad news to report friends...

I was just finding my groove with my PS97... after 19 days of playing with it.

Well today I came out bombing serves and groundies. A guy I play who is literally a backboard, I was plowing through him and playing out of my mind. I was up 5-4 and serving for the first set... first point of the game I wanted to bomb a serve up the middle, and at contact the racket slipped out of my sweaty hand... new overgrip and all... hit the ground and bounced twice in the air.

Picked it up to discover the horror...

R.I.P. my friend. We barely knew ye. (10/11/'14 - 10/31/'14)

Sorry about your loss! In the interests of science, are you interested in perhaps sending that frame my way for dissection and analysis - I would report my findings, with pics, on the board.

 

[MasturB]

Sorry about your loss! In the interests of science, are you interested in perhaps sending that frame my way for dissection and analysis - I would report my findings, with pics, on the board.

Sent you an email.

 

[Candide]

Having owned the Pure Strike 16x19 when was first released, I would say this racquet is not my cup of tea. It is less solid feeling and more tinny than the Pro Staff 97.

I quite liked this demo for ground shots but whatever it was I couldn't server or volley for peanuts with this stick. I also felt it twisted really easily in the hand. Just finishing a week with the RF97 and it was fun in many ways, serve was awesome and my one hand backhand was singing but overall if I'm playing comp there are just too many down sides for me. I'm getting the PS97 for a demo on Monday and if it has close to the attributes of its heavier brother I'll probably pull the trigger and give myself an earlier Christmas present.