@Geoff review of the new 2016 Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph
String and tension used for test:
- Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge @ 26kg in the mains
- Luxilon ALU Power Rough 16L @ 25kg in the crosses
- 5 Babolat Elastocross installed on both the 4th cross from the top and the 6th cross from the top (a la our hero from Switzerland)
- Changed the 1/4 handle to a 3/8 handle
- Replaced stock Wilson black leather grip with a Wilson tan leather grip
- Wilson Pro Overgrip (white)
- 372g static weight, 31.8cm balance, 339kg/cm2 swingweight, 68RA
Tennis experience/background:
- USTA NTRP rating 4.5
- USTA ranking in 55 and over Singles in the Southern section and in the state of Tennessee
- Played college tennis at the University of Alabama-Birmingham
- USPTA certified Elite Pro
- Started playing tennis in 1975
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
- All court player trying to add serve and volley, chip and charge. Strengths are consistency and foot speed (for my age!).
Current racquet/string setups:
- Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph
- 4 3/8
- Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge @ 26kg in the mains
- Luxilon ALU Power Rough 16L @ 25kg in the crosses
- 5 Babolat Elastocross installed on both the 4th cross from the top and the 6th cross from the top (a la our hero from Switzerland)
- Wilson Pro Overgrip (white)
- 364g static weight, 30.8cm balance, 335kg/cm2 swingweight
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
- 15 hours and counting as of 8/22
Comments on racquet performance:
- Groundstrokes: Maintains the same classic Pro Staff feel as first reviewed by @drakulie. This racquet in my opinion excels in precision of shot. I experienced no unexpected "trampolining". The racquet delivers what you put into it, with a crisp feel at contact whether hitting topspin. slice or flat. In my opinion power can be affected by string type and tension which ultimately comes down to personal preferences. I find the RF97 very maneuverable. The added weight does not bother me but I have always played with 12+ ounce racquets. My practice partners commented that I was able to hit a deeper heavier ball when I switched to the RF97.
- Serves: As with the groundstrokes I had no transition period to be able to feel comfortable with the RF97 on the serve. I do not possess a big serve but have to rely on placement for any "easier" points. The feel on correctly hit spin serves is very pleasing. I do not find that the RF97 has any issues in being able to hit slice, flat or kick serves. The only fault is in user error! This racquet is a big time control racquet so balls go where you hit them. I find the feel consistent each time I play and know what to expect from a racquet responsiveness perspective.
- Volleys: I think that volleys are definitely one of the shots where you will feel the advantages of the RF97 right away. The headsize and shape lend itself to being able to add good bite on the shot. The racquet has a high enough swingweight that allows the racquet to be head light adding to the maneuverability at the net. The open string pattern also adds to giving the volley the necessary underspin to keep the ball bouncing low off the court.
- Serve returns: The stock weight of this racquet makes it very stable on hard hit serves. I do not experience any twisting at impact. I feel confident on returns whether hitting out on a return or chipping a return. The RF97 allows me the confidence to do something with a return on even well placed serves. The RF97 seems to allow one to handle balls effectively whether set up well or on the move. Once again the traditional Pro Staff precision and feel are evident on returns of serve.
General reaction/comments on overall performance:
- The new 2016 Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph plays identical to the original Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph in virtually every aspect from my perspective. I feel that the added silicone in the handle makes the new frame even more comfortable due to the obvious dampening from the silicone. However there is no loss of feel or responsiveness from this addition. The stock black leather grip is thinner than the stock tan leather grip found on the original RF97. For me personally transitioning in 2014 from the Wilson Pro Staff 90 lineage of frames gave me much needed added depth, spin and power. I did not need a transition or break in period and welcomed the immediate added benefits of a larger head size without any sacrifice in control. I have never felt any fatigue from the weight of the RF97 in long matches or over the course of a tournament. I find the combination of balance, static weight and swingweight very appealing in stock form. I tweak mine slightly to insure that all of the racquets in my bag are identical.
Here is my Academy Award acceptance speech. Thank you to
@PeterFig for the amazing work on the graphics of this new frame and sharing some of the behind the scenes action of what goes on in the design process at Wilson Tennis with the Talk Tennis at Tennis Warehouse community. Thank you to Wilson Tennis for working with Tennis Warehouse to make this play test and many other previous play tests a possibility for the Talk Tennis community. And thank you to Tennis Warehouse for your hard work in having a forum that we can share and learn from each other as well as the privilege to play test this exciting new racquet!
I know this was posted earlier, but here is my video review. Thanks to the video editing talents of
@onehandbh and the incredible on court consistency of
@BounceHitBounceHit !
One day, I hope to meet you two on a tennis court somewhere just to hit around and have lunch. I am a little younger (36), but just as dedicated to tennis!!!
so my question is what string to use with it? 
