Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Wilson RF 01 Family

Alcawrath

Professional
Same experience here (RF pro), no problems with the sweet spot being too small at all, clean feel, crisp..
Also multi in the mains, next time I will go for gut!
Same. I'm going to finish my review soon and post it, but I wonder if some of the critiques about the sweet spot were influenced by initial reactions to seeing the drill pattern spacing and having a preconceived opinion about it.
 

OEEspino

New User
Wilson Rf-01 Racket Review
Thank you Tennis Warehouse for choosing me as a playtester! I really appreciate it! I tried to be as unbiased as possible because Roger is my favorite player hehe.

String and tension used for test:
First 10 hours - I used Alu power in the mains at 50lbs and Nxt in the Crosses at 52lbs. Didn’t really like this set up, for me it felt too muted, and I was just not feeling it.
Next 20 hours - I used Restring Sync in the mains at 50lbs and Alu Power in the crosses at 48lbs. This felt better! Comfortable and more feel.

Tennis experience/background: Started playing tennis February of 2023. Playing singles consistently since January of 2024. Currently USTA/NTRP 3.5. I usually play with other 3.5s and mid to low 4.0s

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): My playstyle is counterpunching. Not too aggressive on the baseline.

Current racquet/string setups:
I use the Prince Beast 100 2023 Japan Edition with Prince Vortex 17g in the Mains at 48Lbs with Restring Sync in the crosses at 50lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
I played with the racket for 30 hours total
10 hours with the given strings
20 hours with the Sync/Alu Combo
Played for 15 days, 2 hour sessions per day. 90% from match play. 10% from rallies etc

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groundstrokes: The racket swings fast, making it easy to generate topspin and hit angles. However, the small sweet spot can be frustrating, especially on off-center hits. Overall, it feels very traditional, which some players might appreciate. For me, one-handed backhands were easier to hit the sweet spot, but the small sweet spot was annoying.

-Serves:Kick serves and slice serves feel great because the racket swings fast, allowing for good spin and placement. However, the small sweet spot can make it tricky to consistently hit powerful flat serves. Personally, I had a wonderful time hitting kick serves and slice serves.

-Volleys: At the net, the RF-01 is quick and maneuverable. It makes it easy to react to fast shots. The feel is crisp, and slices feel great. However, the stability isn’t as impressive, possibly due to the lack of built-in stabilizers. This can make it harder to handle heavy shots from opponents.

-Serve returns: The fast swing speed helps in getting the racket into position quickly, but the small sweet spot can be a drawback. Control is good, but the lack of stability can be an issue against powerful serves.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control- The RF-01 offers good control, especially at higher swing speeds. Power is decent but not overwhelming. For me, the control was good, but the small sweet spot made it less forgiving. If you can maintain a great racket head speed, aiming and hitting the spot is so easy. But slow it down or hesitate and that control diminishes

Top Spin/Slice- Topspin is easy to generate thanks to the fast swing speed and open string pattern. Slices feel great and are easy to control. Slices were the saving grace for this racket. They were very crisp

Comfort- The RF-01 feels comfortable to play with if you hit the sweet spot, but the small sweet spot can make off-center hits less forgiving. When you hit off center, you can really feel those vibrations and after 1 day of me not hitting well, i can really feel the pain and discomfort after 2 hours. Comfort was easier for me to find in the serves and slices.

Feel- The feel is crisp and clean, giving a good sense of connection with the ball. It definitely has a traditional racket feel, and not muted like modern rackets.

Maneuverability- Maneuverability is one of the strong points of the RF-01. It’s easy to swing fast and get into position quickly. This makes it great for quick reactions at the net and on serve returns. For me, the racket swung fast, which was a plus.

Stability- Stability is where the RF-01 falls short. The lack of built-in stabilizers makes it less stable on heavy shots, which can be a drawback for some players. For me, the stability wasn’t impressive. Especially, MOST ESPECIALLY on off center shots, it makes your groundstrokes suffer.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
For me, hitting kick serves and slice serves was a wonderful experience because the racket swung fast. One-handed backhands were easier to hit the sweet spot. The small sweet spot was annoying, and the stability wasn’t impressive. Overall, it’s not the racket for me. It is very unforgiving. I prefer more user-friendly rackets with bigger sweet spots like the Blade 98 v9.
 

SteveI

Legend
Wilson Rf-01 Racket Review
Thank you Tennis Warehouse for choosing me as a playtester! I really appreciate it! I tried to be as unbiased as possible because Roger is my favorite player hehe.

String and tension used for test:
First 10 hours - I used Alu power in the mains at 50lbs and Nxt in the Crosses at 52lbs. Didn’t really like this set up, for me it felt too muted, and I was just not feeling it.
Next 20 hours - I used Restring Sync in the mains at 50lbs and Alu Power in the crosses at 48lbs. This felt better! Comfortable and more feel.

Tennis experience/background: Started playing tennis February of 2023. Playing singles consistently since January of 2024. Currently USTA/NTRP 3.5. I usually play with other 3.5s and mid to low 4.0s

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): My playstyle is counterpunching. Not too aggressive on the baseline.

Current racquet/string setups:
I use the Prince Beast 100 2023 Japan Edition with Prince Vortex 17g in the Mains at 48Lbs with Restring Sync in the crosses at 50lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
I played with the racket for 30 hours total
10 hours with the given strings
20 hours with the Sync/Alu Combo
Played for 15 days, 2 hour sessions per day. 90% from match play. 10% from rallies etc

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groundstrokes: The racket swings fast, making it easy to generate topspin and hit angles. However, the small sweet spot can be frustrating, especially on off-center hits. Overall, it feels very traditional, which some players might appreciate. For me, one-handed backhands were easier to hit the sweet spot, but the small sweet spot was annoying.

-Serves:Kick serves and slice serves feel great because the racket swings fast, allowing for good spin and placement. However, the small sweet spot can make it tricky to consistently hit powerful flat serves. Personally, I had a wonderful time hitting kick serves and slice serves.

-Volleys: At the net, the RF-01 is quick and maneuverable. It makes it easy to react to fast shots. The feel is crisp, and slices feel great. However, the stability isn’t as impressive, possibly due to the lack of built-in stabilizers. This can make it harder to handle heavy shots from opponents.

-Serve returns: The fast swing speed helps in getting the racket into position quickly, but the small sweet spot can be a drawback. Control is good, but the lack of stability can be an issue against powerful serves.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control- The RF-01 offers good control, especially at higher swing speeds. Power is decent but not overwhelming. For me, the control was good, but the small sweet spot made it less forgiving. If you can maintain a great racket head speed, aiming and hitting the spot is so easy. But slow it down or hesitate and that control diminishes

Top Spin/Slice- Topspin is easy to generate thanks to the fast swing speed and open string pattern. Slices feel great and are easy to control. Slices were the saving grace for this racket. They were very crisp

Comfort- The RF-01 feels comfortable to play with if you hit the sweet spot, but the small sweet spot can make off-center hits less forgiving. When you hit off center, you can really feel those vibrations and after 1 day of me not hitting well, i can really feel the pain and discomfort after 2 hours. Comfort was easier for me to find in the serves and slices.

Feel- The feel is crisp and clean, giving a good sense of connection with the ball. It definitely has a traditional racket feel, and not muted like modern rackets.

Maneuverability- Maneuverability is one of the strong points of the RF-01. It’s easy to swing fast and get into position quickly. This makes it great for quick reactions at the net and on serve returns. For me, the racket swung fast, which was a plus.

Stability- Stability is where the RF-01 falls short. The lack of built-in stabilizers makes it less stable on heavy shots, which can be a drawback for some players. For me, the stability wasn’t impressive. Especially, MOST ESPECIALLY on off center shots, it makes your groundstrokes suffer.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
For me, hitting kick serves and slice serves was a wonderful experience because the racket swung fast. One-handed backhands were easier to hit the sweet spot. The small sweet spot was annoying, and the stability wasn’t impressive. Overall, it’s not the racket for me. It is very unforgiving. I prefer more user-friendly rackets with bigger sweet spots like the Blade 98 v9.
Excellent review. Mine is coming in the next few days for the RF01. I have been using it for 2 weeks .. most every day in some manner.
 

OEEspino

New User
Excellent review. Mine is coming in the next few days for the RF01. I have been using it for 2 weeks .. most every day in some manner.
Thank youu!! Can’t wait to read yours! People have been back and forth regarding the sweet spot with the pro, i wanna see more regarding the normal RF
 

SteveI

Legend
Thank youu!! Can’t wait to read yours! People have been back and forth regarding the sweet spot with the pro, i wanna see more regarding the normal RF
I have two more live hitting sessions coming up and then I will post. Was going to try another string setup, but decided to pass. Pretty sure I know what I am experiencing.
 

A_Instead

Legend
I too have found that slightly slower swings compared to my typical swing speed produces greater ball velocity.
It helps later in long matches when energy levels have dipped.
 
I wasn't "selected" per se, but got my hands on the Pro
Wilson Rf-01 Pro Racket Review


String and tension used for test:
Tour Bite 17 at 48 pounds

Tennis experience/background: Started when I was 5 years old I'm now a grown man terrorizing USTA

Describe your playing style All courter, lefty, same build as Draper, Kyrgios, and Monfils.

Current racquet/string setups:
Regna 98 Tour Bite 17 48 pounds

Racket history post college: Wilson K88, Prestige Pro, DR 98 +, Speed Pro , HD, D, Vore 95, Ezone 98, Regna 98.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groundstrokes: It's a nice plug and play racket, it has a strange or interesting ping to it without using a dampener, maybe it's because I am used to VDM, it's not a great feel per se but a strange sensation. The throat felt weird in my hand, it's kind of phat or a little thicker than Yonex, especially the Regna, but I also used a Vcore tour and Vcore 98 at the same time off and on, it seem to have some weight up above the handle too. It felt a lot lighter than the SW suggested , not even close to 330-331 so I suppose that is a bonus. Sweet spot is fine.

-Serves: They are ok, doesn't have the magic of a vcore or ezne on serves and not close to the Ezone tour on kickers. Sweet spot is fine.

-Volleys: pretty good at net, feels lighter than the SW and probably that's the balance

-Serve returns: Nice and solid for all types of returns, generous sweet spot.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control- Slightly above average power due to weight, but not magic tech or thick beams like the yonex lines, is it a tweener, is it not, what is it? Has average control, not good or bad, I don't see it pleasing a control seeker, nor a power seeker, nor a maximizer of both like maybe those who like the Yonex 100 ezones or vcore, or the 100D etc.

Top Spin/Slice- Nothing outstanding, nothing bad, reality is, what racket can this beat?

Comfort- The ping is strange, maybe that would cause discomfort? I am not sure, my shoulder, wrist, elbow, are not sensitive at all, knock on wood.

Feel- That ping is not pleasant, not going to get anywhere close to a Regna or Percept, an naturally not like the old flexible HD.

Maneuverability- It does have some magic here, the SW feels no where near 331, so props to Wilson for that.

Stability- It's fine

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Why choose this over a yonex, I have no idea, but I am also sure Wilson has better rackets too in the line if you know what you want. I found the throat feel strange in the off hand and it looks interesting, feels like there is some weight there that I am not sure why or what the purpose is of it. It's a fine racket, just not outstanding.
 

SteveI

Legend
Play Test RF01 - SteveI

String and tension used for test: NXT 16G Orange @ 56/54 (Thanks Wilson) - Installed Wilson white pro over grip and Wilson “W” vibration dampener. Frame was 11.2 oz and 6 points HL all in.

Tennis experience/background: Played HS and college tennis. USTA leagues 4.0 plus at peak. Coached HS and college tennis for about 30 seasons. USTA Junior Team Tennis coach. Tennis director in my town for over 20 years. USTA in-service school instructor. .

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-court player with modern FH SW grip and OHBD.

Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 5.1 Surge (Pure Drive clone with PWS) 11.2 oz, 6 points HL, SW 320 (measured) - Strings Forten Sweet 17G (white) 56/54. Wilson pro over grip and Wilson “W” vibration dampener. RA is 68 Beam 24-25 mm.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20+ hours. Live drill sessions, ball machine and back board sessions. Used to teach lessons. Hit multiple hoppers of serves. Played tie breaks and mini sets in singles and doubles with partners and students.

-Groundstrokes: This frame was right in my wheelhouse for me since the RF 01 has almost the same specs as my current frames. The RA (64) the RF01 was much more to my liking than the 68 of the HPS Surge 5.1. The RF01 was so easy to swing and I was making solid contact on both sides with almost no adjustment. Since I picked the NXT 16 and strung it midrange the sweet spot was pretty easy to find and created a nice thump/thwack sound on ground-strokes. It was a wonderful experience and a couple of folks commented on the sound. I got my best results driving through the ball on both sides with less shape than I usually try to obtain. My swing path was much more horizontal. Precision was excellent. Hard to miss the court. Backhand slice was outstanding and powerful. This frame was designed for a OHBH and a flatter driving FH. You could create more shape to your ground-strokes but it took a bit more work. The ball the RF01 created seemed to hug the court and then explode off the bounce. The ball was heavy and fast when driven.

-Serves: Again, precision was the name of the game. My HPS 5.1 Surge was the winner here. The Surge is a PD clone with PWS and RA of 68, 25 mm beam. It serves bombs and you can create massive spin. It was not as accurate as the RF01, but the free points come much easier with less work as do a few extra double faults. The RF01 was at its best when trying to hit spots and using a hard slice to get your opponent off the court. Hitting flat bombs was not an issue when you made solid contact but did not have the heat of the
Surge. Topspin and kick serves worked effectively and did not take extra effort but did not have the reaction of the Surge. The “Dynamic String Spacing” comes into play off the ground as well as on the serves.

-Volleys: Lovely volleying frame. What would one expect from a RF frame? Easy to get into position to pretty stable up to about 4.5 USTA. Over that the RF01 Pro is gonna be your pick of this line. You could drive volleys but I loved the touch and feel and drop volleys you could create. Sweet spot played a bit larger than the 98 but again I was using the NXT 16 which is one sweet string and really worth the extra money. My guess using a full bed of poly at a high tension would shrink the sweet spot on volleys as well as off the ground. No comparison with the Surge. The RF01 was designed for this.

-Serve returns: I loved the fact I could take full rips at returns and not worry about the ball flying out. It worked great on BH slice returns and flat drive on that side also. It was not the best on FH blocks as I had to remember to lean into the shots and keep a foot on the gas. You could leave short and weak returns in that case. I assume the RF01 Pro is much better in that regard. The Surge was less accurate but could as expected produce winners over the RF01.


Power/Control- Again, precision was the name of the game. The RF01 is a wonderful frame for the all court player. You can hit all sorts of shorts from multiple positions on the court and be confident you would hit the court. I loved the power/control combination. You could feather a shot or drive a winner in the same rally. This is not a baseline basher's frame. It was designed for a "tennis player". A few more flyers with the HPS Surge 5.1, of course more raw power.

Top Spin/Slice- Not the biggest top spin frame frame out there as the dynamic spring spacing there for reason. It allows for a tighter spin window and lower launch angle. The ball hugs the court and the ideal ball shape seems to be more flat. Slice BHs are the very best feature / shot I experienced with this frame or any frame and that is a number of frames. You can create bigger shape on the ball but you have to do a bit of extra work to get there. The HPS Surge 5.1 is a spin machine off of both sides but the BH slice tends to float and drift.

Comfort- Extremely comfortable. Zero arm, shoulder, wrist pain. Using the NXT 16G at 56/54 really created great ball pocketing. The RF01 already has shock dampening technology in the handle. I have a tender elbow from years of playing poly and this was a dream. Playing a stiff poly at higher tensions might offer less comfort. The RF01 beats the HPS Surge 5.1 hands down in comfort.

Feel- The really enjoyed the feel of this frame. Folks that like that old school "raw" feel might not love this offering. it plays a bit muted but not to the point of losing connection to the ball. It was just right for me and I also loved the handle shape. The flared Wilson but cap might not be everyone cup of tea but it is the small on the HPS 5.1 Surge so not issue here. The preferred the newer handle shape over my current frame.

Maneuverability- Both the RF01 and HPS Surge 5.1 have a SW right about 320 so they are both easy to get moving and create racquet head speed. For some reason the HPS Surge 5.1 was easier to get moving on the serve and created a faster outcome. Tie here. Both of these frames are in my wheelhouse and I could go back and forth with ease in sessions.

Stability- Both frame are pretty stable for their static and SWs. When playing stronger players you could feel some stability issues on both frames. The HPS Surge 5.1 has a bigger sweet spot than the RF01 but the beam width, PWS and RA helps in that regard. RF01 is a great platform frame for mods to get it into the advanced players specs. It is plenty stable for intermediate and up and coming juniors. It also works great for aging players with solid skills.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Thanks so much to TW and Wilson for the opportunity to test this one. I loved the frame, the performance and the look. I did not find the sweet spot to be small. It seemed pretty standard for a 16 x 19 - 98 head. I was also using a really sweet string that I am sure opened up the sweet spot. I have have not played a high end multi in many years. It was a plush ride!! I was going to try another string but lost track of time as the review is due soon. Happy Hitting All!
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
I was selected by TW to review the RF 01 Pro

String and tension used for test: HEAD Velocity @ 55lbs
Tennis experience/background: I have been playing tennis since I’m 8 years old. I started playing USTA junior tournaments at 12 years old. I played ITF Satellites/Futures, National and ITF Senior tournaments. I have also coached/taught tennis off and on for the last 35 years.
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I am an all court player that’s looking to finish the points at the net. When I play doubles I serve and volley.
Current racquet/string setups: I currently play with the HEAD 2023 Prestige Pro 18x20
How many hours did you play with the racquet? I played 6 hours with the RF 01 Pro

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):
-Groundstrokes: I found it more difficult to control my forehand. As was noted by people I hit against my forehand which is my weapon I tended to hit flatter than my normal racket and sail on me a little.
-Serves: I thought it had a very closed/tight pattern for 16x19 and expected much more spin than I was getting. I didn’t seem to get any more power than my normal frame. I was able to hit my targets.
-Volleys: I liked volleys the best with the RF. I had good directional control because of its stiffness. I felt a big drop off in power outside the sweet spot.
-Serve returns: good directional control. However on length sometimes it would fly on me. For me when returning big serves I could really feel the stiffness and lack of ball pocketing that I’m used to.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)
Power/Control- the widebody design made up for the lack of plow through. So for me on most shots it was a wash on power to my normal frame
Top Spin/Slice- I thought spin was average for 98 head size 16x19. I thought it had a launch angle much like my Prestige Pro 18x20
Comfort- I wasn’t comfortable with this frame. It has a variable beam width design that’s actual what Wilson used to called Dual Taper Beam and I never found stiff widebody rackets comfortable
Feel- I thought this was a very stiff racket with what was called in 1989/1990 a widebody players racket. There was no ball pocketing and a horrible widebody ping on contact. Those that played tennis in 1989-1990 know all about the that widebody ping. This isn’t a plush feeling frame.
Maneuverability- The racket didn’t feel sluggish at all. It was 20g lighter than what I use and felt easy to swing
Stability- the stiffness combined with the Dual Taper Beam gives it a very stable feel. No twisting or bending sensations at all

General reaction/comments on overall performance: This isn’t the type of frame I like. There was a lot of hype created by Wilson because supposedly this was/is the next racket of Roger Federer. I have my doubts because of an Instagram post by a famous stringer stringing Mr Federer’s RF97 shortly before the release. The look of this racket and play of this racket reminds me of widebody rackets of 1989/1990. The big difference being the light weight and tighter 16x19 pattern. It reminds me of a slimmed down Profile and the Dunlop Max Impact Mid 90. I didn’t like widebody rackets in 1989/90 and I feel the same way about them now. I like something plush and that pockets the ball
 
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OEEspino

New User
Play Test RF01 - SteveI

String and tension used for test: NXT 16G Orange @ 56/54 (Thanks Wilson) - Installed Wilson white pro over grip and Wilson “W” vibration dampener. Frame was 11.2 oz and 6 points HL all in.

Tennis experience/background: Played HS and college tennis. USTA leagues 4.0 plus at peak. Coached HS and college tennis for about 30 seasons. USTA Junior Team Tennis coach. Tennis director in my town for over 20 years. USTA in-service school instructor. .

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): All-court player with modern FH SW grip and OHBD.

Current racquet/string setups: Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 5.1 Surge (Pure Drive clone with PWS) 11.2 oz, 6 points HL, SW 320 (measured) - Strings Forten Sweet 17G (white) 56/54. Wilson pro over grip and Wilson “W” vibration dampener. RA is 68 Beam 24-25 mm.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 20+ hours. Live drill sessions, ball machine and back board sessions. Used to teach lessons. Hit multiple hoppers of serves. Played tie breaks and mini sets in singles and doubles with partners and students.

-Groundstrokes: This frame was right in my wheelhouse for me since the RF 01 has almost the same specs as my current frames. The RA (64) the RF01 was much more to my liking than the 68 of the HPS Surge 5.1. The RF01 was so easy to swing and I was making solid contact on both sides with almost no adjustment. Since I picked the NXT 16 and strung it midrange the sweet spot was pretty easy to find and created a nice thump/thwack sound on ground-strokes. It was a wonderful experience and a couple of folks commented on the sound. I got my best results driving through the ball on both sides with less shape than I usually try to obtain. My swing path was much more horizontal. Precision was excellent. Hard to miss the court. Backhand slice was outstanding and powerful. This frame was designed for a OHBH and a flatter driving FH. You could create more shape to your ground-strokes but it took a bit more work. The ball the RF01 created seemed to hug the court and then explode off the bounce. The ball was heavy and fast when driven.

-Serves: Again, precision was the name of the game. My HPS 5.1 Surge was the winner here. The Surge is a PD clone with PWS and RA of 68, 25 mm beam. It serves bombs and you can create massive spin. It was not as accurate as the RF01, but the free points come much easier with less work as do a few extra double faults. The RF01 was at its best when trying to hit spots and using a hard slice to get your opponent off the court. Hitting flat bombs was not an issue when you made solid contact but did not have the heat of the
Surge. Topspin and kick serves worked effectively and did not take extra effort but did not have the reaction of the Surge. The “Dynamic String Spacing” comes into play off the ground as well as on the serves.

-Volleys: Lovely volleying frame. What would one expect from a RF frame? Easy to get into position to pretty stable up to about 4.5 USTA. Over that the RF01 Pro is gonna be your pick of this line. You could drive volleys but I loved the touch and feel and drop volleys you could create. Sweet spot played a bit larger than the 98 but again I was using the NXT 16 which is one sweet string and really worth the extra money. My guess using a full bed of poly at a high tension would shrink the sweet spot on volleys as well as off the ground. No comparison with the Surge. The RF01 was designed for this.

-Serve returns: I loved the fact I could take full rips at returns and not worry about the ball flying out. It worked great on BH slice returns and flat drive on that side also. It was not the best on FH blocks as I had to remember to lean into the shots and keep a foot on the gas. You could leave short and weak returns in that case. I assume the RF01 Pro is much better in that regard. The Surge was less accurate but could as expected produce winners over the RF01.


Power/Control- Again, precision was the name of the game. The RF01 is a wonderful frame for the all court player. You can hit all sorts of shorts from multiple positions on the court and be confident you would hit the court. I loved the power/control combination. You could feather a shot or drive a winner in the same rally. This is not a baseline basher's frame. It was designed for a "tennis player". A few more flyers with the HPS Surge 5.1, of course more raw power.

Top Spin/Slice- Not the biggest top spin frame frame out there as the dynamic spring spacing there for reason. It allows for a tighter spin window and lower launch angle. The ball hugs the court and the ideal ball shape seems to be more flat. Slice BHs are the very best feature / shot I experienced with this frame or any frame and that is a number of frames. You can create bigger shape on the ball but you have to do a bit of extra work to get there. The HPS Surge 5.1 is a spin machine off of both sides but the BH slice tends to float and drift.

Comfort- Extremely comfortable. Zero arm, shoulder, wrist pain. Using the NXT 16G at 56/54 really created great ball pocketing. The RF01 already has shock dampening technology in the handle. I have a tender elbow from years of playing poly and this was a dream. Playing a stiff poly at higher tensions might offer less comfort. The RF01 beats the HPS Surge 5.1 hands down in comfort.

Feel- The really enjoyed the feel of this frame. Folks that like that old school "raw" feel might not love this offering. it plays a bit muted but not to the point of losing connection to the ball. It was just right for me and I also loved the handle shape. The flared Wilson but cap might not be everyone cup of tea but it is the small on the HPS 5.1 Surge so not issue here. The preferred the newer handle shape over my current frame.

Maneuverability- Both the RF01 and HPS Surge 5.1 have a SW right about 320 so they are both easy to get moving and create racquet head speed. For some reason the HPS Surge 5.1 was easier to get moving on the serve and created a faster outcome. Tie here. Both of these frames are in my wheelhouse and I could go back and forth with ease in sessions.

Stability- Both frame are pretty stable for their static and SWs. When playing stronger players you could feel some stability issues on both frames. The HPS Surge 5.1 has a bigger sweet spot than the RF01 but the beam width, PWS and RA helps in that regard. RF01 is a great platform frame for mods to get it into the advanced players specs. It is plenty stable for intermediate and up and coming juniors. It also works great for aging players with solid skills.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: Thanks so much to TW and Wilson for the opportunity to test this one. I loved the frame, the performance and the look. I did not find the sweet spot to be small. It seemed pretty standard for a 16 x 19 - 98 head. I was also using a really sweet string that I am sure opened up the sweet spot. I have have not played a high end multi in many years. It was a plush ride!! I was going to try another string but lost track of time as the review is due soon. Happy Hitting All!
Love the in depth review!!! Jealous that everyone is hitting the sweet spot easier. I just need to get better with contact point training with my forehand i guess hehe. Back hands, slices, and serves really were so good! I was just really off put by the instability of hitting off center shots. I’ll probably try again with a very low tension like 40lbs and see if the pocketing is better and hopefully widen the sweet spot a little bit for me
 

Power Player

Bionic Poster
I was selected by TW for this playtest. Always super grateful to get a frame and strings free of charge, and this Wilson package was excellent with a top tier multi and poly option. I enjoyed the Orange NXT so much that I ended up buying a few more packs of it. Thank you again TW for letting us test and review these racquets. It is always super enjoyable even if I don't make the switch.

Wilson RF01 Playtest

String and tension used for test: I used the included Wilson NXT at 56#s

Tennis experience/background: Started playing tennis before I was 10 and played under 16 USTA team and tournament tennis. Took years off to focus on other sports and went on to play collegiate lacrosse. Came back to tennis a little over 15 years ago and have been playing USTA league tennis for a Mens 4.0 team.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Aggressive Baseliner

Current racquet/string setups: 2010-2013 era Pure Drives and Aero Pro Drives mainly. Before that I was using the Pro Staff 97 v14. I string some with gut and multi in the 50s and others with poly at 40#s.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I was able to log close to 10 hours with the frame. I began with it in stock form, but did not really unlock the frame until I bumped up the swingweight to the low 320s and was then able to time my shots better.

Groundstrokes: First off, I have to say this is an interesting frame. It reminds me of my Dad's old Wilson Profile a little bit. I remember he had that and a Prince Response 90 when I was growing up. I did not know much about frames, but I found myself using the 90 a lot more than the Profile.

The RF is a wide body racquet, but it swings much faster than my Pure Drives and feels more aerodynamic. If all I had to do to play tennis was shadow swing, then I'd probably love this racquet, but we must make contact with the ball. On contact I found the sweetspot to be medium in size, but unforgiving if the ball was not centered. It was confusing to me who this racquet is for, because it made me want to flatten the ball out and drive it, but the power level was pretty high and that made me need to add spin to better control depth. It was hot and cold off the ground, where sometimes the ball would fly on me for no reason when struck clean and other times it gave me that laser like flat trajectory. I did not have full confidence with this frame from the baseline on forehand or backhand and found myself thinking random thoughts like "There is no way Rogi would use this racquet" in the middle of rallies.

Serves: Due to it's speed through the air, the RF01 is quite nice on flat serves even though it offfers less pace. I don't serve a lot of flat serves. Maybe 2-4 per match. I like to body serve and kick a lot more. I could do that with this frame , but it was not as forgiving to me as a Pure Drive. Since I like to swing up to the ball at angles and with questionable technique, I found myself sometimes punished with less spin if I was not centering on contact. I think this frame rewards the flat serving player with a second serve slice the most. Those seemed to be the 2 best serves I generated with it.

Serve returns: Oof. I love return of serve. There is nothing like sending one back with interest and really getting in the head of the opponent. That said, even though he is in my Avatar, I am not Andre Agassi, and I need a little more help sometimes than the RF could offer. The key to returning serve with the RF01 was to block back anything big, because if not the ball could fly. As for attacking down the line, be wary. It can be done, but the ball must be hit clean or you may have a flyer. In short, I need a little more forgiveness than the RF01 offers, which is a little perplexing from a widebody midplus frame.

Power/Control- This is an odd one because the frame has power and control, but the consistency of those 2 traits was not there for me. The sweetspot of the frame is very tight and I expected more control from it than I got. The main issue for me was depth control, not directional.

Top Spin/Slice- This frame is a slice machine and that was probably the most enjoyable shot to hit with it. Very tight rotation and nice and low neat clearance. I liked that a lot. Top spin was good, mainly due to how fast the racquet swings. This is not a top spinners racquet, at least it would not be my first choice. I don't need a wide open pattern to generate spin, but I do need a more consistent string bed since I use a SW to extreme SW grip and am not a linear, flat hitter.

Comfort- I had NXT in it and have been dealing with an arm injury and had no pain with this setup. It seems to be a pretty comfortable frame but it's not exactly a Pro Kennex or an old Head either. I'd put comfort at around 7/10 if I had to rate it.

Feel- Not bad but not as special as I had hoped. Having used the PS97 and the old RF frames like the K90, I have come to correlate the RF line with great feel. Unfortuantely while this frame did feel fine, there was nothing spectacular about it. Spectacular in the Wilson line is the K90, Blade Pro, PS85..etc. This is more like a run of the mill frame where the sweetspot feels nice, but doesn't blow me away. I let a hitting partner (Pro Staff 85 user) try it and he said "oh man, it's one of those modern soul-less frames" and I think that was a fair assessment.

Maneuverability- Exceptional. Probably the stand out feature of this frame for me. My complaint would be that Wilson did not have to give this frame such a low swingweight. Even modded to 323, it is lightning fast through the air.

Stability- Very stable for me. Twistweight feels lower than a Pure Drive but I had no issues with twisting at all. This was pronounced at the net where the lightning speed and stability really shined.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: My main thought on this frame is I have no idea who the racquet is for. It doesn't feel like a frame Federer would use and it doesn't have that legendary Wilson Pro staff feel to it. If you have hit with a K90, or RF97 you know that there is a special magic to those racquets that has captured many a player. I don't see that in this frame. I guess my main thought is that it is a competitor to the Yonex Ezone 98, but the frame is called EZ for a reason. The RF01 is not easy at all. It is a fairly demanding racquet with no real reward to it. Consider a Wilson Ultra Tour, which is very demanding, yet rewards the user with pinpoint control and some of the best feel in a modern racquet - when you directly hit the small sweet spot in the UT, you get a boost of power that takes the frames attacking characteristics to another level. With the RF01, there is no reward, it is just a necessity to hit the sweetspot if you want to play with any form of consistency. If I am going to use a demanding racquet, I expect to be rewarded with exceptional feel and control. Unfortunately, I did not find those characteristics in the RF01.

Hopefully this is not too negative because I did enjoy this playtest and there was something very special in being a part of a Federer release. Just because it did not work out for me does not mean it is a bad racquet. I just did not click with it like I had hoped. Thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of this play test!
 

Fighting phoenix

Professional
I was selected by TW for this playtest. Always super grateful to get a frame and strings free of charge, and this Wilson package was excellent with a top tier multi and poly option. I enjoyed the Orange NXT so much that I ended up buying a few more packs of it. Thank you again TW for letting us test and review these racquets. It is always super enjoyable even if I don't make the switch.

Wilson RF01 Playtest

String and tension used for test: I used the included Wilson NXT at 56#s

Tennis experience/background: Started playing tennis before I was 10 and played under 16 USTA team and tournament tennis. Took years off to focus on other sports and went on to play collegiate lacrosse. Came back to tennis a little over 15 years ago and have been playing USTA league tennis for a Mens 4.0 team.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): Aggressive Baseliner

Current racquet/string setups: 2010-2013 era Pure Drives and Aero Pro Drives mainly. Before that I was using the Pro Staff 97 v14. I string some with gut and multi in the 50s and others with poly at 40#s.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I was able to log close to 10 hours with the frame. I began with it in stock form, but did not really unlock the frame until I bumped up the swingweight to the low 320s and was then able to time my shots better.

Groundstrokes: First off, I have to say this is an interesting frame. It reminds me of my Dad's old Wilson Profile a little bit. I remember he had that and a Prince Response 90 when I was growing up. I did not know much about frames, but I found myself using the 90 a lot more than the Profile.

The RF is a wide body racquet, but it swings much faster than my Pure Drives and feels more aerodynamic. If all I had to do to play tennis was shadow swing, then I'd probably love this racquet, but we must make contact with the ball. On contact I found the sweetspot to be medium in size, but unforgiving if the ball was not centered. It was confusing to me who this racquet is for, because it made me want to flatten the ball out and drive it, but the power level was pretty high and that made me need to add spin to better control depth. It was hot and cold off the ground, where sometimes the ball would fly on me for no reason when struck clean and other times it gave me that laser like flat trajectory. I did not have full confidence with this frame from the baseline on forehand or backhand and found myself thinking random thoughts like "There is no way Rogi would use this racquet" in the middle of rallies.

Serves: Due to it's speed through the air, the RF01 is quite nice on flat serves even though it offfers less pace. I don't serve a lot of flat serves. Maybe 2-4 per match. I like to body serve and kick a lot more. I could do that with this frame , but it was not as forgiving to me as a Pure Drive. Since I like to swing up to the ball at angles and with questionable technique, I found myself sometimes punished with less spin if I was not centering on contact. I think this frame rewards the flat serving player with a second serve slice the most. Those seemed to be the 2 best serves I generated with it.

Serve returns: Oof. I love return of serve. There is nothing like sending one back with interest and really getting in the head of the opponent. That said, even though he is in my Avatar, I am not Andre Agassi, and I need a little more help sometimes than the RF could offer. The key to returning serve with the RF01 was to block back anything big, because if not the ball could fly. As for attacking down the line, be wary. It can be done, but the ball must be hit clean or you may have a flyer. In short, I need a little more forgiveness than the RF01 offers, which is a little perplexing from a widebody midplus frame.

Power/Control- This is an odd one because the frame has power and control, but the consistency of those 2 traits was not there for me. The sweetspot of the frame is very tight and I expected more control from it than I got. The main issue for me was depth control, not directional.

Top Spin/Slice- This frame is a slice machine and that was probably the most enjoyable shot to hit with it. Very tight rotation and nice and low neat clearance. I liked that a lot. Top spin was good, mainly due to how fast the racquet swings. This is not a top spinners racquet, at least it would not be my first choice. I don't need a wide open pattern to generate spin, but I do need a more consistent string bed since I use a SW to extreme SW grip and am not a linear, flat hitter.

Comfort- I had NXT in it and have been dealing with an arm injury and had no pain with this setup. It seems to be a pretty comfortable frame but it's not exactly a Pro Kennex or an old Head either. I'd put comfort at around 7/10 if I had to rate it.

Feel- Not bad but not as special as I had hoped. Having used the PS97 and the old RF frames like the K90, I have come to correlate the RF line with great feel. Unfortuantely while this frame did feel fine, there was nothing spectacular about it. Spectacular in the Wilson line is the K90, Blade Pro, PS85..etc. This is more like a run of the mill frame where the sweetspot feels nice, but doesn't blow me away. I let a hitting partner (Pro Staff 85 user) try it and he said "oh man, it's one of those modern soul-less frames" and I think that was a fair assessment.

Maneuverability- Exceptional. Probably the stand out feature of this frame for me. My complaint would be that Wilson did not have to give this frame such a low swingweight. Even modded to 323, it is lightning fast through the air.

Stability- Very stable for me. Twistweight feels lower than a Pure Drive but I had no issues with twisting at all. This was pronounced at the net where the lightning speed and stability really shined.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: My main thought on this frame is I have no idea who the racquet is for. It doesn't feel like a frame Federer would use and it doesn't have that legendary Wilson Pro staff feel to it. If you have hit with a K90, or RF97 you know that there is a special magic to those racquets that has captured many a player. I don't see that in this frame. I guess my main thought is that it is a competitor to the Yonex Ezone 98, but the frame is called EZ for a reason. The RF01 is not easy at all. It is a fairly demanding racquet with no real reward to it. Consider a Wilson Ultra Tour, which is very demanding, yet rewards the user with pinpoint control and some of the best feel in a modern racquet - when you directly hit the small sweet spot in the UT, you get a boost of power that takes the frames attacking characteristics to another level. With the RF01, there is no reward, it is just a necessity to hit the sweetspot if you want to play with any form of consistency. If I am going to use a demanding racquet, I expect to be rewarded with exceptional feel and control. Unfortunately, I did not find those characteristics in the RF01.

Hopefully this is not too negative because I did enjoy this playtest and there was something very special in being a part of a Federer release. Just because it did not work out for me does not mean it is a bad racquet. I just did not click with it like I had hoped. Thank you again for the opportunity to be a part of this play test!
Very thoughtful review and well written - I have very similar thoughts regarding both the 01 and Pro after having demoed them. One thing to consider though that TN/Jonas brought up in his review yesterday on youtube - he stated and followed up with me in a comment that this racquet responds well to using a low tension (like ~40lbs), as it opens up the sweet spot (as it does for all racquets) but still excellent playability/control given the tighter string bed. I might consider demoing the RF01 again at a lower tension than the ~50lbs full poly that I tried.
 

OEEspino

New User
Man... the time flew by. Had so much fun with the RF01... lost track of the deadline. Great reviews all!
I think only 4 have submitted so far! Hopefully more of them submit within the day! They risk losing the privelege of playtesting in the future :(
 

StringStrungStrang

Professional
As @SteveI said, I too have been have a great time with this new Wilson RFO1 (300gr.). Having played several versions ( and liked) of the Roger inspired ProStaff and mostly playing with a Pure Strike 98 16x19 now I think this racquet has a lot to offer whether it is played stock or looked at as a platform to customize to taste. I have been playing mine absolutely stock with only a vibration dampener and an overgrip, but now that I've played it that way for some time (for purposes of this playtest) I'll be tweaking it a little to make it my own.

I'll be finishing up my thoughts later, but what I can say is that its very refreshing to see and play this new take on a players racquet from Wilson. I mean what has more appeal as a line or brand than RF? Now that's a built in advantage that their Clash or Shift lines never enjoyed.
 
Playtest Review – RF01
Thanks Wilson and TW for the opportunity to test this racquet!

String and tension used for test: First Luxilon Alu Power at 48lb, then Solinco Confidential 16L at 48lb.
Tennis experience/background: USTA NTRP 4.0. Playing recreationally for 20 years, USTA, high school, and college club.
Describe your playing style: Aggressive Baseliner
Current racquet/string setups: Diadem Elevate V3 with Toroline Super Toro, Solinco Confidential, or Restring Sync/Zero all at ~48lb.
How many hours did you play with the racquet? 25+ hours (15 hours stock, 10 hrs w/ added 6g lead at 3 and 9 o’clock)

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke
Groundstrokes:
I thought the RF01 was a pretty good racquet for my game played from the baseline. In stock form it was very whippy and took me a bit of time to adjust to the low stock swing weight (314SW strung). During my first, I felt every ball I hit was landing short which allowed my opponents to tee off. I remember thinking, “uh oh this is going to be a long playtest.” I wasn’t getting clean contact in the center, and everything felt wrong. I play with a few different racquets and this one took me longer than usual to adjust to, and I think this can be chalked up to the low SW and a smaller sweet spot than I am used to.
Once I got an hour or two in, I really settled into the racquet. I felt like I could get the pace on the ball that I needed to control points and keep my opponents on the run. I learned I needed to command every point and attack each shot with confidence or else I would leave one at the service line. Shots went where intended and I felt very consistent while playing points. Forehands I felt like I had easy access to spin, but the trajectories were pretty low. I did find that I could hit short crosscourt winners more than my typical setup.
I felt okay with two-handed backhands but struggled finding the sweet spot here. I found it easier to hit backhands with the Pro model, but that’s because I like the extra weight for backhands. For those that can rip a backhand, I think this would work better for you.
I hit exactly 2 OHBHs during the test period. It was fun to try but will leave that to the experts as the RF01 didn’t magically give me the technique to do so.

Serves: I really loved how quick the RF01 was to get around on a serve. I had good control/accuracy on kick serve, but noticed I don’t get the same action that I do with my Diadem. I felt the flat serve was more of a weapon with the RF, and hitting the sweet spot here was a dream. Since it was easier to swing, I felt less fatigue after serving practice matches. (Even with added weight, so I know the stock SW wasn’t the only contributor.)

Volleys: I found volleys were stable and had ample power coming from the string bed. I didn’t have any issues where the racquet would twist from hitting outside the middle. I found it was easily able to stay in control and not be late to the ball with the RF. The racquet is very maneuverable and easy to get around for an overhead, not unwieldy at all.

Serve returns: Performance was mediocre for me. I found it difficult to get clean contact. I felt I couldn’t punch the ball back against a good serve because I didn’t have enough mass behind the ball. Slower second serves were less of an issue as I could attack them a bit more. I did note that the racquet being quick through the air helped me when I was late to the ball on serves, making up for some lost time.

Comments on racquet performance in each area
Power/Control:
I found this frame to be more of a control racquet than powerful. I could be as precise as I wanted and was able to move opponents around the court. I felt like I needed to tap into power when I wanted it. I didn’t find much free power like I would with a Pure Drive or something like that. The seemed to reward me with a big ball when you find the sweet spot and get body weight into the shot.

Top Spin/Slice: I loved hitting top spin shots with the RF01. I liked the low trajectory and not being afraid of the ball going long. It isn’t a spin monster by any means, but it was very controlled spin, and I didn’t feel like I was launching the ball off the strings like I do with some spin frames. Some feedback I received from hitting partners was that I was hitting a penetrating ball that was hard to keep up with when I was on offense. Slice was excellent, which I expected based on the name on the racquet. I don’t hit a ton of slices usually, but I did notice the frequency increased while using the RF01.

Comfort: Very comfortable and no issues with vibration/shock. Felt no pain in my wrist/elbow/shoulder (rare for me but it does happen on some racquets).

Feel: The racquet was firm and crisp. Great pocketing sensation when hit in the sweet spot, anything outside did not have that. I thought that the racquet felt similar to other foam racquets, where it just had a ‘solid’ feel when contacting the ball. Wasn’t too soft or too stiff, it was right in the middle for me.

Maneuverability: No complaints here. Very easy to generate racquet speed, move around for shot preparation, light and quick for volleys. Adding weight reduced the ease, but it still is fairly quick through the air compared to my box beam frames.

Stability: I found the stability to be adequate in the stock form. I didn’t have stability issues with hitting outside the sweet spot during ground strokes or volleys. Obviously adding the additional mass at 3/9 improved it, but I was never frustrated in stock form during points. (Didn’t notice any notable twisting of my hand during contact)

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
As someone that never really liked playing with the Pro Staff lineup, I was very curious what Wilson was going to come up with for this racquet. I found it to be something a little different from their current lineup, and liked the ball feel better than the rest of the lineup.
Over long hitting sessions, I noticed the drop in my game using this frame over others. When the fatigue sets in, I had a hard time being the aggressive hitter the RF seems to require.
I enjoyed playing with this frame stock, but I needed to add lead to the hoop for me to get more from the frame. I added 6 grams lead to three and nine o’clock to bring it in line with my spec (~325SW). It has helped open the sweet spot a little bit and has given the extra plow on my shots, especially on returning serves. Just added a bit more forgiveness on those off-center shots. I hope to dial in the customization a bit more.
I am also preferring the confidential over the alu power in the string bed. I think it gives me a little more spin production and increases the launch angle a bit (plus it is the perfect color match). I plan to put something softer in to see how that feels as well (maybe O-Toro).
I did hit this next to a Ezone 98 for a few minutes and can see the comparison others have made. I think the Ezone is a little more user friendly, but I prefer the feel of the RF01.

One last note: I love the sound of foam filled racquets, and the RF01 does not disappoint there!
 

mpournaras

Hall of Fame
RF01 Playtest

Thanks TW! I selected the 300g RF01 because I am trying to come down in racket weight for long term playability. trying to come from 320g unstrung down to 300-310g max. I put maybe 20 court hours in with this frame. I only play 2x maybe 3x a week so it was a good test over time.

I am a 3.5-4.0 all court player who is held back by fitness and footwork haha. I really like kicking serves, slicing, and being up at net in singles.

I use a Gravity Tour with either Grapplesnake Alpha at 53# or VS 17/4g at 56/51#
I chose to use Grapplesnake Alpha at 51# for this playtest as I am familiar with the string and felt it would reduce variables

*I am going to go light in this section as I think its more important to read how it fits into my personal strokes*

Power: 7. I think this is a great blend of power and control with a slight lean towards power. I was never left wanting for either side of the spectrum even with full poly.
Spin: 6. The RF01 moves fast which allows you to generate racket head speed to get your spin, but the tight mains keep you from getting that easy arc over the net. I did not mind this but it could be a defining difference between the RF01 and an Aero. Again, I was not left wanting. It gripped the slices and brought my top spin shots in.
Comfort: 9. Loved it. I think its a medium low flex. The foam fill keeps vibration to a minimum. I typically do not use a dampener and this felt less "pingy" than my Gravity Tour. With full poly I did not feel so much as a zing in any of the hours I was on court. I think this would also be butter with gut mains. Maybe I will try that next :)
Feel: 9. Any more muting technology besides the foam fill and I would dislike it. Again, I do not use a dampener and I like the feedback I get from the strings (good or bad!). The foam fill mellowed out the overtones so-to-speak. The connection on volleys and slices was great. I guess I cannot expect more feel from a non box beamed frame. I do not think they'd release a Federer racket without feel.
Maneuverability: 10. Mine came in 5pts HL strung and a 318 SW. Very maneuverable. You would think it would come at the cost of stability but not entirely. I think its so maneuverable that it took a moment to adjust strokes from my higher SW and generally more sluggish Gravity Tour.
Stability: 7. It was stable enough for a frame of its weight and balance. I think hitting off center while swinging fast I felt some wavering. You cannot cheat physics and this obviously wont be as stable as its 320g dad counterpart. I think a few grams of lead at 3/9 o'clock will make it adequately stable for how playable this frame is.

So a raw average of characteristics for me makes it 48/60 or 8/10!

-Groundstrokes:
I found this racket to be exceptional from the baseline. You need to keep the swing speed up. I really lean on my one-handed backhand topspin and slice, so I really need a racket to work here. This was a great blend of ENOUGH power and stability without a drawback in maneuverability. Mine came in 5 pts HL strung, which combined with a 318 strung SW made it whippy without feeling too polarized (think modern HEAD Speed MPs). The launch angle is relatively low for a 16x19. I would say this comes from the really tight center 6 mains (which are tighter than my Gravity Tour 18x20). This sounds like a problem, but it is so maneuverable that you can get under and come over it even with a OHBH. It does get a little pushed around against bigger hitters but so does my Gravity. This will come down to footwork which is not a fault of the racket. The best ground stroke from the RF01 was the flat groundie (on either side) with enough spin to bring it in. I don't thit with a ton of shape, but I would assume you could play that way just fine. This RF01 was super comfy, and I was able to use full poly with no problems.

-Serves: Generally great. The main strengths here are precision, flat serves, and the ability to move the racket over your head over and over into a 3rd set. The precision on flat serves was incredible. You might lose an mph here or there compared to more powerful sticks, but you will not get this kind of precision. The maneuverability here was a boon and a drawback. On one hand, you could get the racket moving fast super easy and use that speed to apply slice... but the con was weight of second serve. The spin was there.... but the oomph was not. I felt my second serve sit up more than with my Gravity and I definitely felt that in key points in a match. Considering I lean on my kick serve a lot this made me feel like sets were hard to win at times. Some serves kicked just fine! So the possibility is there I suppose. My technique is far from perfect so your mileage may vary


-Volleys: LOVE. Super stable up at net for a racket of its weight. It allows you to hit angle volleys well. Assuming you volley in the center of the racket the ball goes EXACTLY where it feels likek it should go. However, if you hit around the frame... it's going to go EXACTLY where it feels like it should go too haha. You will be left with little surprise one way or the other here. Overheads were fine too. No real glaring weakness here.


-Serve returns: This is a place where I had some issues. This lower launch angle was just drawing some net balls way more frequently than any other stick I have used recently. I generally return low, so I didn't start with a lot of space to work with. The weight and balance make me feel like I've gotten into position so easily... it feels good... then I swing.. and boom I hit the white tape. It checks all the mental markers of setting up a good return then I just net them. This predominantly happened on the FH side. I had no issues with backhand returns with all spins so this indicates its probably a "me issue". That all being said it is stable and the foam fill makes the returns feel "thuddy". All good things.

-General Comments: I like it a lot. Nothing is truly better or worse than with other great sticks... it is just a tradeoff. I think it is easy to swing, a good spec for many players, comfy flex that should not hurt most folks, and it is SEXY. It occupies the same space as the Blade in so far as I could pick up wither one and play a tournament with it with almost no issue. I think the difference between these obviously comparable sticks is: whether you like black or green, like Federer, can handle a 330 SW of the Blade, and if you are able to move away from box beam rackets. I think this racket also just gives you what you put in... it is very ProStaff in that regard. I think the ceiling is higher with the RF01 than a Blade, but also higher with a ProStaff than the RF01. This bridges that gap nicely. It really seems like Wilson wanted an offering in the Ezone 98/Aero 98 category and this is a worthy entry. I think that speaks volumes of the player spec non box-beam category.

I will personally need to modify it to make it my main racket... but I think it is a great platform to start from and very doable. I look forward to messing around. I will say though... if you get the low end of the Wilson quality control circus... I could see an under-spec unit of this frame being tough to like.

Thanks TW for the test! This is one I will tinker with, keep in my bag, and likely grab a second of if I can find my perfect spec.
 

Alcawrath

Professional
Here is my review of the RF 01 Pro Frame!
My apologies for waiting until just before the deadline to post, but I wanted to be sure about what I was feeling before submitting my review:

String and tension used for test: For this RF 01 Pro playtest I used a string that I am most familiar with, Solinco Tourbite strung at 56 lbs (then I strung it at 48# at about the 10 hour mark).

Tennis experience/background: I have been playing regularly for about 5 years now. I played HS tennis, then picked it back up for a couple years in my 20s, stepped away from the game for a couple years, and now have been back and playing more than ever (2-3x/ week). I play with a mix of 3.5s & 4.0s regularly.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I prefer to play from the baseline, but will attack any short ball and come into the net to end points if the opportunity arises. While I prefer to be at the baseline, I do not play defensive and moonball, I play as much spin and pace as I can sustain. My serve and forehand are what I rely on to put pressure on my opponents and open the court. I play a one handed backhand that works well but isn’t my best shot.

Current racquet/string setups: I am currently maining the Pure Strike VS 2022 with Solinco Tour Bite 16L at 56# with an overgrip. Prior to this I mained a Pure Aero 98 for about a year, and a Wilson Blade 16x19 v7 before that.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I was able to get about 15-20 hours of play so far on this frame.

-Groundstrokes: I think it’s fair to start my review of the strokes on this racquet by mentioning its low launch angle. Right away when I began hitting groundstrokes I could notice the tight string spacing at the center of the frame. The launch angle was not problematic in any way, it just simply felt a little like hitting an 18x20 string pattern. Beyond the low launch angle, you immediately notice the shape of the hoop. With its slightly thick aerodynamic beam shape, rather than a box beam or d shape, and its high stiffness, I honestly felt a little disconnected with groundstrokes on this frame. The more I played with it, the more predictable I found the response from the frame, but I still never felt as connected on full strokes from the baseline as I do my other racquets. I will say that when I was making good contact on the ball, I was rewarded with easier power than I was used to, which is the standard trade-off for thicker beamed frames.

-Serves: This racquet served really well for me. I exclusively hit slice and kick serves, and I found the aerodynamic shape of the beam helped me generate the headspeed that I rely on for power and ball movement. Additionally, the 347g weight of this racquet in a headlight package allows for its user to generate plenty of spin and power with a little technique.

-Volleys: Volleys and slices were where this racquet absolutely shone. Out of all the racquets I have mained over the years, this one is best for me on volleys and touch. It has plenty of mass, which allowed me to put away volleys with ease, and it also provided me fantastic touch and the ability to hit some of my best droppers ever. I attribute this to the tight string spacing in the racquet paired with the weight and frame stiffness. My volleys are by far the weakest part of my game, and I felt like I instantly improved my net game with this stick in hand (which was surprising given that I had that disconnected feel from the baseline).

-Serve returns: Dialing in my serve return game felt difficult with this racquet. As I mentioned in the groundstroke section, I felt a slight disconnect from the ball at times, so serve returns against big servers resulted in a few sprayed balls. Against slow serves and slower spin serves the RF 01 pro felt great and I was rewarded for teeing off on them aggressively. I would need to become far more confident with serve returns to consider switching to this frame. I’ve heard, and read from others, that this racquet rewards aggressive play, and I would have to agree after reflecting on my ability to return serves with it. The lack of control against big servers stems from contact outside of the sweet spot

Power/Control- The thick beam and 67 RA provided this frame with the accessible power that I expected, and the tight center pattern of the string-bed gave this frame a surprisingly high level of control. Coming from a PSVS, PA98, and Blade v7, this frame was more powerful than all of them. It took me a few strokes before I began to really dial it in. When comparing it to other frames (just in the power department), it reminded me a great deal of the Ezone line from Yonex. In regards to control, this is where I began to have some doubts about potentially switching to this racquet or considering a switch. With a tight stringbed in the center, I found that I had to work really hard to shape the ball. That became problematic for me since it is a powerful frame. To me it felt like a flat hitting and powerful racquet which is pretty far removed from what I’m used to. I’ve played with powerful spin racquets and low powered control racquets, but I’ve just never gelled with flat/powerful frames like a Pure Drive or Ezone. Some have criticized its unpredictable string bed, but I really didn’t feel that it lacked predictability.

Top Spin/Slice- This racquet played fairly flat to me, and I could only generate topspin by really working at it. Conversely, it sliced maybe better than any racquet I’ve ever played. My backhand slice is one of my better shots and I was able to hit knifing slices deep into the court with little net clearance. If you’re looking for a racquet that plays like an Ezone on the forehand and a Pro Staff on the slice, then this might be worth a try.

Comfort- The comfort was average for me. While the frame launches the ball like you’d expect with a 67 RA, it does not feel like a 67 RA on your body. The foam filled frame really does its thing here and takes away from the harsh feel that you would expect with that stiffness. This also does not feel like a soft frame. There is no lengthy dwell time or flex to the RF 01 Pro. I have never had any extended bouts with arm or shoulder pain, and did not feel uncomfortable with this frame in the slightest.

Feel- When describing feel I’m going to have to call this frame a bit of a contradiction. At the net, I’ve never played with a racquet that has such great feel and connection to the ball. You feel like you can shape and place the ball exactly where you want with ease. From the baseline, this racquet felt slightly disconnected from the ball in a way that reminded me of a Pure Drive or Ezone. Yet, with its foam filling it did not have the harsh response that Pure Drives are known for.

Maneuverability- This racquet felt much more whippy than its static weight would suggest. After stringing it up and slapping an overgrip on it, I was sitting at about 347g. This weight is a bit more than I normally play, but the headlight balance of the frame made it feel nearly as whippy and maneuverable as my PA98, PSVS, or Blade v7. Forehands did not take long to dial in, backhands simply took a slight adjustment to prep time, and volleys felt instantly better. It certainly felt much more maneuverable than I expected with a 320g unstrung frame.

Stability- Stability was not a factor that I spent much time reflecting on. What I mean by that is that it never was an issue that I noticed when playing. I felt like it was rock solid at the net and hefty enough from the baseline to generate easy power. Off center hits were a little unpredictable, but the frame didn’t feel as though it lacked stability in my opinion.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
Overall I still want to play more with this frame before considering a switch. I need to answer a few questions about it in the serve return department and with backhand timing. If all I needed to hit were slices, volleys, serves, and forehands I might make the switch immediately. I would say that the RF 01 Pro is a racquet for aggressive intermediate/advanced players that want a slightly power oriented frame. This racquet is designed to create pressure on your opponents in order to end points quickly. This is not a defensive frame designed to grind out long points.

Thank you Wilson, RF, and TW for the opportunity to participate in this play test! I thoroughly enjoy reading the experiences of play testers every time a new frame comes out, and it was a blast to be in on one!!!
 
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Purestriker

Legend
Wilson RF 01 Pro Playtest Review

Wow! Thank you TW for the opportunity to play test the Wilson RF01 Pro!


String and tension used for test: I decided to use my normal string Luxilon Savage 127 at 50 pounds rather than the champions choice style hybrid that was provided. That way, any variance in string setup would be eliminated.

Tennis experience/background: My tennis experience is exclusively in recreational tennis. I have been playing tennis for the last 7 years and I am a USTA rated 3.5 player. I play on average four times a week and play USTA tennis year-round.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): I primarily play doubles now; however, I do occasionally play some singles scrimmages for fun. I like to play very aggressive and get to the net as fast as possible. I have modern strokes with top spin on both my forehand and two handed backhand.

Current racquet/string setups: My current racket is a Wilson Blade 98 V9, strung with a full bed of Luxilon Savage 127 at 50 pounds.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? I was able to get out and play 19 hours with the RF 01 Pro.

Groundstrokes: As a 3.5 player, I was a little nervous that I would be skilled enough to be able to generate any power with this racket. The denser string pattern (much denser than a standard PS 97 and the RF97 autograph, both of which I have used in the past) was very noticeable. However, the racket felt light in my hand and once I started playing, I realized that this racket is very maneuverable. I really had no issue generating spin and power on my forehand. I was able to hit precisely where I wanted with depth and plenty of top spin. However, my two-handed backhands were not as consistent as my forehands with the RF 01 Pro. When I hit the sweet spot, the depth and topspin where there and the lower launch angle really made it a weapon. But if I mishit the racket, the shot was a little under powered and erratic (usually in the net). This occurred more often when I was on the run defending or trying to hit a high ball. This is different than my current racket setup and took me some time to adjust too. I really had to focus on my footwork and watching the ball into the strings. Slices were great, I was able to place a lot of bite on the ball and place them wherever I wanted.

Serves: I was a little worried that the maneuverability would have impacted the power, but s Serving with the Wilson RF 01 Pro is amazing. I felt confident with every type of serve. I was able to place flat serves where I wanted and with lots of power and control. Unlike my Wilson Blade 98, I felt like I could really go for flat serves and not be concerned about missing long. My slice serves had a ton of spin and really skidded off the court and or into the body of my playing partner. I also found it easy to generate a lot of spin on kick serves that bounced high and away from the returner.

Volleys: My volleys were crisp and powerful with the Wilson RF 01 Pro. The maneuverability of the racket really helps to get volleys that were a little out of my strike zone. That maneuverability also made it easier to poach and quickly adjust to cover the down the line shot. The racket does not feel as stable as my Wilson Blade 98, but I still found it easy to redirect heavy shots. I also found it very easy to put away higher volleys and overheads had plenty of power.

Serve returns: On return of serve I was able to take full swings on the forehand side that sent my opponent on the defensive. I did struggle with taking larger cuts on backhand returns. I had a lot of framed miss hits, and I think it was due to the smaller sweet spot and not focusing enough on the ball. So I really had to focus to get the backhand return in and setup for the next shot. I do love to chip and charge the net, and this racket does work well in that regard. I simply set the racket in placed and chipped it wherever I wanted. I also loved the precision that you get from a well hit ball to put my opponent in a weaker position.

Power/Control- For a control-oriented racket, I found it very easy to generate power and depth on groundstrokes with the RF01 Pro. I was able to take aggressive swings with topspin and I really felt like I couldn’t miss. My forehand tends to break down on tight points and this racket gave me the confidence to swing away. The power on serve was also very impressive while still be controlled enough to allow me to place the ball where I wanted.

Top Spin/Slice- The 16x19 string pattern and head light setup helps to generates a lot of top spin on ground strokes. Even though the launch angle is very different from my Blade, I was still getting a lot of topspin. My hitting partner told me I kept pushing them back with the topspin from my forehand and backhand. I actually like the lower launch angle for doubles as it made it harder for my opponents to poach and the ball stayed out of the base liners strike zone. The spin on the slice was great, on both the forehand and backhand. I was able to easily mix up the depth and angles.

Comfort- This racket is very comfortable. I felt no pain or discomfort from mishits or framed shots after several hours of play in each session. However, the extra weight was a noticeable the next day on my shoulder, but that went away after building up some strength. I just had to get used to the higher overall weight.

Feel- The feel of the racket is very crisp, and you get instant feedback on off center shots. That feedback isn’t harsh per se, but you know when you didn’t hit the sweet spot. The crisp feel is unique to my previous Wilson experience (Blade PS97 and RF97) and I liked it.

Maneuverability- I found the Wilson RF 01 Pro to be very maneuverable. The racket felt very quick for such a heavy stick. In fact, I had to double check the static weight myself to believe it. You can really generate a lot of spin and I didn’t find any tradeoff on serve. You can really hit shots on the run and whip them back with a lot of top spin.

Stability- This racket is stable, but only if you hit the sweet spot. When I missed it, the racket would twist or simply feel like I lost all power. This was very apparent on my backhand side on higher balls. I didn't find any stability issues on volleys.

General reaction/comments on overall performance. Overall, I think this is a great racket and I really enjoyed playing with it. I really love the paint job; it just looks awesome, and the RF logo butt cap is really sets it apart. I think this is the best looking racket that I have seen in a long time. The RF 01's performance far exceeded my expectations! While I know the RF 01 Pro is probably better suited for 4.0 and above players, this 3.5 player found it a joy to play with. I am really looking forward to getting more match time with the Wilson RF 01 Pro!
 

Mjolnir

New User
RF 01 Pro

String and tension used for test: NXT 16 gauge, orange, 53 lbs/24 kg, first 1.5 hrs. ALU Power 1.25, silver, 50 lbs/23 kg for 9.5 hours.

Tennis experience/background: Will give my racquet progression as it's more germane - Pro Staff 6.0 85, Pro Staff 6.1 95 classic 16x18 (the favorite...still have it). Fourteen years elapse not playing 2003-2017. Return to tennis, search for new frames, everything I like is gone...end up with leftover new Pro Staff 90s ('14 version) and Pro Staff RF97s ('15 or v10) as they're most similar to what I used. But then the question appears, what has 14 years of progress meant for racquets?? Start reading TT and rabbits begin appearing instead of sheep at night...you know the rest.

Describe your playing style (i.e., serve & volley...): All courter, can mess up any stroke with equal aplomb, prefer half volleys because I'm low to the ground.

Current racquet/string setups: Current favorites -

Wilson: RF97 v13, PS97 v11, trying the PS97v14 lately
Prince: 2019 Textreme Tour 100 (16x18), 98 ATS, 95
Head Prestige (now)Tour 95 aux 1.0, 360+ Mid, Extreme Pro and MP, Speed MP Aux 1.0
Have a few Dunlops FX98, FX100; Tecnifibre TFight RS 315; Pro Kennex Q+Tour 300 & 315

Prefer this general recipe:
310-340g, 9-12 HL unstrung, constant thickness beam, stiff, 16x19 or 16x18 open pattern, SW 325-330 strung.
Gut/syn gut/multi @ 58-60 lbs, poly @ 48 lbs.

How many hours did you play with the racquet? 11 hours since receiving it August 20.

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke:

Groundstrokes: Excellent, swings smoothly and easily probably due to low twistweight. After adjustment period, easier to dial in trajectory. Launch angle was a bit different initially from what I'm used to, tending to go either a little too high or low until adapted to. The swingweight feels just about optimum for plowing through fast incoming balls or heavy spins.
Serves: Playing only in clinics, we haven't done much serving, but it serves comparably to my other frames. Good pace, spin a little harder to generate though.
Volleys: The starring role for this frame. Nearly equal to the RF97, with not quite the top end clobberability. Almost no adjustment period unlike the groundstrokes; first few were coming off a little low, but that quickly changed.
Serve returns: See Serves comments...what I did notice on the returns, which took place in the golden period (I'll explain below) was that every one was in, and went exactly where I intended. Will need more time to fully evaluate, but no problems for now.

Comments on racquet performance in each area):

Power/Control- This is a really powerful frame, that's what stands out above other qualities. It is substantially more powerful than a PS97, nearly as much as an RF97. Easy to cannon one if you have time. Control is good, but not quite at Pro Staff 97 levels. A small difference though.
Top Spin/Slice- Have to work a bit harder for top than the more open patterns in the RF/PS 97s. Slice for whatever reason is very easy to achieve, in fact another standout for this frame. I received a medical bill from my opponents for surgery expenses related to scalpel use.
Comfort- Big surprise here. Playing with poly for the last 9.5 hours, thought I might suffer for it. Usually I alternate to other racquets with syn or multi every other week to give my arm a break, but no problems here. I would say it's comfortable despite the RA. Even more so with multi.
Feel- Unique. You know immediately it's not an RF97/PS97, but it's in the neighborhood. Feels like it bends very little anywhere like the RF97. Definitely the missing Kevlar makes for a different hitting sensation. The foam seems to do a good job damping noise/shock.
Maneuverability- Good maneuverability; low twistweight combined with, speculatively, low spinweight, makes for easy movement. Definitely easier to accelerate upward for brushing than an RF!
Stability- Generally quite stable like its relatives but a little more prone to being deflected on below center strikes. Probably goes back to the twistweight.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:

RF 01 ProPS 97 v14
Weight, unstrung323.3g316.5g, 322.3g (leather grip)
Weight, strung+overgrip (Pro Sensation)342.6g, 2.7g overgrip336.7g
Swingweight, unstrung305302
Swingweight, strung334329
Twistweight, strung13.413.6
Balance, unstrung8.5 HL8.5 HL
Balance, strung5.5 HL5.5 HL

When I first saw the announcements for the new RF series (here at TT...many deleted posts ;)) I wasn't too intrigued by the specs of 320g, 9HL and the frame geometry. When the playtest thread appeared I decided to apply anyway, since the RF97 has been done away with and this might be the nearest thing. Coincidentally, on Aug. 6th, a clinic mate had gotten one early and let me hit a few with it, and I did like it immediately, though you can't tell much from 6 hits. So I was glad I had applied, and very much have enjoyed testing it. TW, I'm sure not their fault, was delayed in getting them out and I only received mine Aug. 20th, hence the relatively short amount of hours with it...I only get to play 2 - 3 times a week.

Opening the box, I misread the NXT packet to say "Control" in place of the word "Comfort." So I strung it up at 53 lbs/24 kg...my mistake! Felt just like NRG2 which I also don't like at low tension in stiff and heavy frames. My mistake and I cut it out after 1.5 hrs. Really soft on the arm though. No tragedy as I didn't really want to test this racquet with full multi anyway. So in went Lux ALU Power 1.25 at 50 lbs/23 kg for the remainder of time, 9.5 hrs. My choice of tension is because I have been using that in the RF97 over the past few months, and to eliminate a variable I chose the same tension. Didn't go as planned and the stringbed was somewhat harsh the first 2-3 hours. In contrast, the RF97 was great right off the stringer. Since momentum is mass(velocity), to get the same momentum as the RF97, you have to have (320g/340g), or about 6% higher velocity at impact to impart the same bending to the string. In other words, you have to swing the RF01P a bit faster to get similar results as the RF97. Using 6% as a scaling factor I would next time string it at 50(.06) or 47 lbs/21 kg to start off.

Nonetheless, after hour 2, ALU settled into a golden period (or should that be silver?) till about the last 2 hours, when it's been declining into stiffer/harsher/deader. All to say while ALU dropped to roughly where I should have started, 47 lbs, my comments on the racquet should be viewed in the context of the 5.5 hours of good string time. And it was good; everything came together and the racquet felt great...sweetspot opened up, mind had adapted to racquet face adjustments needed, this is a good frame.

The natural comparison, and the one I'll make, is to the RF/PS97. This racquet required a longer initial adjustment period for me, where usually I can adapt to a different racquet within a 20-30 minutes. The response of the ball off the racquet face is not quite the same as it's relatives. In fact, I'll call the PS85, PS90, RF/PS97 brothers where the RF01P is more like a first cousin. It's not worse, just different, and in the golden period I was hitting just as well with it as the others. Whether the adjustment needed was due to mains spacing, variable elliptical beam, or something else I can't say. I would say if it's a try for you, stick with it for a little longer than usual if initial impressions aren't totally positive; you may end up liking it.

The reason I put the PS97v14 in the table above is I capped off this test by playing with it last night to offer a direct comparison. Specs for both are quite close to each other. From first hit to last, the PS97 was familiar territory and surprising to me, didn't need a readjustment after playing with the RF01P for the last three weeks. Clearly the RF01P offers more pop at the expense of slightly less control.

In comparison to the RF97, you have to swing the 01P a bit faster to get equal results. The RF97 is like a 10 speed transmission with good, closely spaced ratios; the RF01P is like a 6-speed with wider ratios; you need to be on the gas a bit more.

From the silverback paint (I have it on good word from a local shop that the initial run of RF01P went mostly to the over 50 crowd!) to the sculptured beam shape with odd flats in the top of the hoop this is an attractive and well designed frame. It'll be interesting what future iterations bring. Big thanks to TW for selecting me, I hope some of this info will be useful. I plan to continue playing with it, as 11 hours was a bit short, with gut/poly next, to fill out my impressions. Will update later.
 

StringStrungStrang

Professional
Wilson RF01 peRFect Playtest (300gr.)

String & Tension: used for test:
Solinco Hyper-G Shaped / Round Hybrid 17 g. @ 44 m 46 crosses.
Tennis experience/background: I have played, coached and been stringing racquets for over 10 years and I am always experimenting with equipment, strings, diet and training etc. in search of things that work. Currently, self-rated at 4.0 looking for 4.5 NTRP.

Playing Style: All-court attacking style. Love to come in whenever possible. Can play from the baseline, but prefer to be inside of it especially on returns and will play the occasional serve and volley, so I need a racquet that is quick enough to accommodate this style of play.
Current racquet/string setup: Babolat Pure Strike 98 16x19 (Gen 2 and 3) weighted in the hoop and buttcap to approx. 11.5 oz. Strings: Generally a Poly / Poly Hybrid. Shaped Poly Mains / round poly crosses. Mains Ytex Quadro Twist 17, Hyper-G 17, or Volkl Cyclone 16 and Round polys like Kirschbaum Flash, PP Vendetta and the occasional synthetic gut or multi
Hours spent with RFO1: Approximately 12 hours absolutely stock (for playtest) with plans to modify post review by bumping up swing weight a touch by adding weight to give it a touch more stability, pop and plow through.

Stroke Comments:
Groundstrokes: From the first hit this was an easy racquet to play with. Power was noticeably greater than my current Pure Strike. It was easy to hit with pace off of both wings and I particularly enjoyed driving shots of my 2HBH. The slightly shaped beam moved through the air easily too. Racquet head speed was easier to generate too, giving me options of power or spin generation. Power was easy but the swing weight was a little low for my tastes, but that is something that can be tailored with a little lead tape. The feel of the ball was firm, but muted due to the foam filled grip. No problem at all with the size of the sweetspot (a touch smaller) and the transition from my Pure Strike 98 was nearly seamless - that for me is very unusual. The biggest differences were power output (higher) , swing weight ( lower) and crispness (more) of feel. The RF01 launch angle was nominally lower, better for drives but you do need to keep that in mind.

Serves: Serves and ROS are critical to my game (as for most) and the RF01 gave me a lot of confidence to hit both. This racquet delivers plenty of spin for kicks or slices and the power and head speed is awesome for hitting flat bombs up the T. That’s where the tighter string pattern helps most. The aero shape and light weight probably helped a bit here too. The slightly thicker beam delivered plenty of power and directional stability. Awesome for overheads too.

Volleys: As an attacking all-court player I tend to hit a lot of volleys and the RFO1 did not disappoint. Firm, powerful, and controlled best describes my experience. For a light racquet it was very stable (not RF97 stable) and the pop it delivers lets you dictate play around the net. This racquet is quick too, which is a big help in getting your racquet on a lot of balls.

Service Return: Return of Serve is critical to my game. For me it is also what separates good racquets / strings from just okay. While it does generate power the denser mid-string bed gives you a fair amount of control. I loved being able to redirect pace with ultra-compact swings and drive it cross court or down the line. In stock form it feels a little light for me, but when I give it a little weight later it will be a screamer.

Racquet Performance:
Power / Control
Power stands out on the RF01 to me as it is (much) more powerful of a racquet than my previous ProStaffs and Pure Strikes. Not too much, but the difference is notable. Most of the time, the added power is a welcome addition to my game. In fact, it is a bit alluring calling you to hit even harder. It can be fun ( a little reminiscent of hitting with Pure Aeros) but what I got in terms of power I lost in terms of touch and accuracy. Generally control (directional / depth) was fine, with the directional being somewhat better IMO than the depth. I had to be more aware with the increase in power of how deep I was hitting, but that’s just getting used to any new racquet.

Top Spin/Slice:
With a 16x19 and strung with Hyper-G spin was not an issue. It is not a spin monster, but spin generation was better than my ProStaff and somewhat on par with my Pure Strike racquets. Groundstrokes were dipping, but my topspin lobs were going long more than I would have liked.

Slices were very nice and powerful, but hindered just a bit by the head light weight. I also had to be aware of a slightly lower trajectory than I’ve been accustomed to. When hit right this helped the ball knife through the air and stay low.

Comfort
The foam filled handle made the RF01 comfortable even though the racquet itself is firm/ crisp. Thanks to the RF01 lower RA of 64 and Wilson’s carbon braid it never felt harsh in the slightest. I think it struck the peRFect balance between comfort and crispness.

Feel
The feel of this racquet is very nice, but not the magic that you might have come to expect from the previous RF97 and ProStaff lines. Again I think this might be a result of the overall light weight and I expect this area to benefit greatly by a little additional weight. As it is now I like it, but not head over heels in love with it. Considered also that I strung it up with poly and there is definitely some wiggle room to make it even better.

Maneuverability
Another definite strength of this racquet. The RF01 is highly maneuverable, being light helps, but the overall balance adds to this as well. It nice as is, but it is so quick that I know I’ll be able to add some weight and it will still be quicker than most racquets! If you need or value quickness in a racquet like I do the RF01 is definitely one of the racquets you need to check out!

Stability
Quick and stable. The new 23mm Shift-like beam absolutely lend itself to making this racquet very stable. One thing I hate is for a racquet to twist in my hand when returning a big shot or serve and the RF01 represented itself well time and time again. For me that is huge around the net and on return of serves. I could play with this anytime!!

General Reaction/ Additional Comments:

What an interesting racquet !! I love the lineage of this offering from Wilson, but it is definitely not a ProStaff it is uniquely a new Wilson line that walks a fine line of paying homage to the RF97/ ProStaff lines while not being constrained by them. It looks outstanding, sleek, stylish and elegant. We wouldn’t expect anything less from and RF racquet. Out of the box it plays very well too and if you never changed a thing you might love it. For me though what is even more intriguing is how this will play with some minor modifications. As others have said, this is a great platform racquet just dying to be modified and I think a little weight in the hoop will unleash the true potential of the RF01. For me I want a racquet as heavy as I can swing without making it too slow, so the out of the box lightweight of the RFO1 is something that appeals to me since I can add weight where I want it.

I am sure to be adding to this after I make some mods to continue this review !!

Thanks TW and Wilson for making this peRFect playtest happen!! Thanks to Roger too!!
 

Icsa

Professional
Wilson RF 01 Pro Playtest

String and tension used for test: Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange 17 at 38#

Tennis experience/background:
8 years of experience playing competitively in USTA matches, on average 6 hours per week of court time. Tennis is my main hobby, and I dedicate significant time to both improving my technique as well as learning about tennis strategy, equipment and training.

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
All court coverage, with a strong first serve, and a game strategy based on placement and counterpunching. Singles is my main activity, but I also play doubles competitively especially during the mixed doubles season, where I’m an aggressive net player.

Current racquet/string setups:
Wilson Pro Staff RF97, customized to 350 swingweight and Wilson overgrip. String: Kirschbaum Super Smash Orange 17 at 38#

How many hours did you play with the racquet?
More than 30 hours on court, 50/50 between rallies and matches.

Groundstrokes:
I really wanted to master this racquet whatever it took and for that I committed to play only with it for all my activities from rallies to competitive matches, with the risk of losing some matches during the transition. It took me longer than usual to learn how to make the best of this racquet, and it required changing my technique in a couple of places. The first noticeable change from the RF97 was the power increase and speed through the air. In addition, when brushing the ball to generate spin, I found an unpredictable response from the string bed either in the form of too much shape in the trajectory of the ball or inconsistent power delivery. The adjustment I made was to hit through the ball most of the time, resulting in a mostly flat trajectory, while maintaining the contact point in the center of the string bed. This helped me build confidence in hitting the groundstrokes at full swings and power. My tennis partners (and even myself) were impressed with the fast powerful flat shots that I was able to generate. Once you find your groove with smooth swings and full strokes, the RF01 Pro delivers exceptionally well in this area.

Serves:
I struggled on first serves initially because I’m used to hitting higher in the string bed. Hitting near the top of the racquet generates a lower power response as if the frame bends backwards a little bit and also because the sweetspot is located only near the center of the racquet. With practice, I learned to move the contact point lower and was able to serve well again with flat serves. Never really reached the same level as the customized RF97, but good enough to get some easy points during my service games.
Kick and slice serves were great from the first try. It was very easy to shape the ball, send it to the right spot and cause trouble on the receiving side. The second serve was my savior while working on finding the right way to execute first serves.

Volleys:
The racquet is very stable and precise at the net. It was a pleasure being the person at the net in doubles due to its maneuverability and stability. As long as I avoided hitting with the top of the string bed, volleys were just natural to block, redirect or counter punch in force on the other side of the court.

Serve returns:
After experimentation, the trick is to return the serves with flat shots while avoiding the top of the racquet. Do this, and you can win the point with a powerful and penetrating return. When hitting with the top of the string bed, due to the flex of frame, the ball felt like dying in the strings, barely going over the net and with an unprecise direction.

Power/Control:
Amazing and addictive power. Keep the ball in the center of the racquet and you get the best control as well. Even with its muted feedback, I was able to control the power delivery and place the ball where I wanted.

Top Spin/Slice:
Being forced to hit mostly flat shot to gain the needed control, top spin was lacking - it was there to push the ball down in the court at the last second, but nowhere near the spin generated with RF97. Attempts to hit loopy shots that brush the ball to generate more spin often failed with unpredictable launch angles. However slices were amazing, I was never able to hit better slices than with this racquet. Unbelievable at times. This racquet was made for slicing.

Comfort:
I found good comfort with this racquet. It doesn’t feel stiff and stringing at low tension also helped in this area. No discomfort throughout the playtest and the handle is also more comfortable when compared to the one in Pro Staff. The racquet feel solid without being harsh. Please keep in my mind that I prefer stiff racquets in general since they give me a more direct response.

Feel:
Probably the area that lacked the most when compared to the RF97. The ball leaves the string bed very fast with a quiet thud sound and there is minimal pocketing. It requires you to trust your own swings and strokes because the racquet will not give you much of a feedback. It is muted but not completely disconnected. I do prefer the RF97 for feel.

Maneuverability:
Big change from the RF97, the RF01 moves through the air fast and fast. It will require an adjustment on timing - I was framing the ball at the beginning because the racquet would rotate faster than what I was used to. Once you build the muscle memory, things will get back to normal for groundstrokes. Volleys and poaching at the net were great from the beginning, I would even say it was very satisfying hitting winners at the net.

Stability:
The RF01 Pro is a very stable racquet with one exception. Its stability is rewarding in redirecting heavy shots and hitting powerful volleys. However, don’t forget to avoid the top of the string bed. Maybe a few grams of lead at 12 can solve this power loss/bending/unpredictable issue with hitting the ball near the top.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
With all the efforts I had to put in to make this racquet work, I still love it. It is a great racquet for its purpose. A demanding racquet that rewards with power and control. Probably not for everyone - it suits flat hitters with smooth and full swings and those that are able to keep the contact point always in the center. If you like slices, this is the perfect racquet for them. I know it made me a better tennis player going through this journey.

Thank you TW and Wilson for this opportunity to learn, experiment and master a new racquet. And thanks to Roger for staying involved in the tennis community after retirement.

PS: if you are stringer or string your own racquets - weaving the crosses in the middle of the racquet is hard, you need small fingers or lots of patience. The main strings are really dense in the center.
 
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SteveI

Legend
Wilson RF01 peRFect Playtest (300gr.)

String & Tension: used for test:
Solinco Hyper-G Shaped / Round Hybrid 17 g. @ 44 m 46 crosses.
Tennis experience/background: I have played, coached and been stringing racquets for over 10 years and I am always experimenting with equipment, strings, diet and training etc. in search of things that work. Currently, self-rated at 4.0 looking for 4.5 NTRP.

Playing Style: All-court attacking style. Love to come in whenever possible. Can play from the baseline, but prefer to be inside of it especially on returns and will play the occasional serve and volley, so I need a racquet that is quick enough to accommodate this style of play.
Current racquet/string setup: Babolat Pure Strike 98 16x19 (Gen 2 and 3) weighted in the hoop and buttcap to approx. 11.5 oz. Strings: Generally a Poly / Poly Hybrid. Shaped Poly Mains / round poly crosses. Mains Ytex Quadro Twist 17, Hyper-G 17, or Volkl Cyclone 16 and Round polys like Kirschbaum Flash, PP Vendetta and the occasional synthetic gut or multi
Hours spent with RFO1: Approximately 12 hours absolutely stock (for playtest) with plans to modify post review by bumping up swing weight a touch by adding weight to give it a touch more stability, pop and plow through.

Stroke Comments:
Groundstrokes: From the first hit this was an easy racquet to play with. Power was noticeably greater than my current Pure Strike. It was easy to hit with pace off of both wings and I particularly enjoyed driving shots of my 2HBH. The slightly shaped beam moved through the air easily too. Racquet head speed was easier to generate too, giving me options of power or spin generation. Power was easy but the swing weight was a little low for my tastes, but that is something that can be tailored with a little lead tape. The feel of the ball was firm, but muted due to the foam filled grip. No problem at all with the size of the sweetspot (a touch smaller) and the transition from my Pure Strike 98 was nearly seamless - that for me is very unusual. The biggest differences were power output (higher) , swing weight ( lower) and crispness (more) of feel. The RF01 launch angle was nominally lower, better for drives but you do need to keep that in mind.

Serves: Serves and ROS are critical to my game (as for most) and the RF01 gave me a lot of confidence to hit both. This racquet delivers plenty of spin for kicks or slices and the power and head speed is awesome for hitting flat bombs up the T. That’s where the tighter string pattern helps most. The aero shape and light weight probably helped a bit here too. The slightly thicker beam delivered plenty of power and directional stability. Awesome for overheads too.

Volleys: As an attacking all-court player I tend to hit a lot of volleys and the RFO1 did not disappoint. Firm, powerful, and controlled best describes my experience. For a light racquet it was very stable (not RF97 stable) and the pop it delivers lets you dictate play around the net. This racquet is quick too, which is a big help in getting your racquet on a lot of balls.

Service Return: Return of Serve is critical to my game. For me it is also what separates good racquets / strings from just okay. While it does generate power the denser mid-string bed gives you a fair amount of control. I loved being able to redirect pace with ultra-compact swings and drive it cross court or down the line. In stock form it feels a little light for me, but when I give it a little weight later it will be a screamer.

Racquet Performance:
Power / Control
Power stands out on the RF01 to me as it is (much) more powerful of a racquet than my previous ProStaffs and Pure Strikes. Not too much, but the difference is notable. Most of the time, the added power is a welcome addition to my game. In fact, it is a bit alluring calling you to hit even harder. It can be fun ( a little reminiscent of hitting with Pure Aeros) but what I got in terms of power I lost in terms of touch and accuracy. Generally control (directional / depth) was fine, with the directional being somewhat better IMO than the depth. I had to be more aware with the increase in power of how deep I was hitting, but that’s just getting used to any new racquet.

Top Spin/Slice:
With a 16x19 and strung with Hyper-G spin was not an issue. It is not a spin monster, but spin generation was better than my ProStaff and somewhat on par with my Pure Strike racquets. Groundstrokes were dipping, but my topspin lobs were going long more than I would have liked.

Slices were very nice and powerful, but hindered just a bit by the head light weight. I also had to be aware of a slightly lower trajectory than I’ve been accustomed to. When hit right this helped the ball knife through the air and stay low.

Comfort
The foam filled handle made the RF01 comfortable even though the racquet itself is firm/ crisp. Thanks to the RF01 lower RA of 64 and Wilson’s carbon braid it never felt harsh in the slightest. I think it struck the peRFect balance between comfort and crispness.

Feel
The feel of this racquet is very nice, but not the magic that you might have come to expect from the previous RF97 and ProStaff lines. Again I think this might be a result of the overall light weight and I expect this area to benefit greatly by a little additional weight. As it is now I like it, but not head over heels in love with it. Considered also that I strung it up with poly and there is definitely some wiggle room to make it even better.

Maneuverability
Another definite strength of this racquet. The RF01 is highly maneuverable, being light helps, but the overall balance adds to this as well. It nice as is, but it is so quick that I know I’ll be able to add some weight and it will still be quicker than most racquets! If you need or value quickness in a racquet like I do the RF01 is definitely one of the racquets you need to check out!

Stability
Quick and stable. The new 23mm Shift-like beam absolutely lend itself to making this racquet very stable. One thing I hate is for a racquet to twist in my hand when returning a big shot or serve and the RF01 represented itself well time and time again. For me that is huge around the net and on return of serves. I could play with this anytime!!

General Reaction/ Additional Comments:

What an interesting racquet !! I love the lineage of this offering from Wilson, but it is definitely not a ProStaff it is uniquely a new Wilson line that walks a fine line of paying homage to the RF97/ ProStaff lines while not being constrained by them. It looks outstanding, sleek, stylish and elegant. We wouldn’t expect anything less from and RF racquet. Out of the box it plays very well too and if you never changed a thing you might love it. For me though what is even more intriguing is how this will play with some minor modifications. As others have said, this is a great platform racquet just dying to be modified and I think a little weight in the hoop will unleash the true potential of the RF01. For me I want a racquet as heavy as I can swing without making it too slow, so the out of the box lightweight of the RFO1 is something that appeals to me since I can add weight where I want it.

I am sure to be adding to this after I make some mods to continue this review !!

Thanks TW and Wilson for making this peRFect playtest happen!! Thanks to Roger too!!
Great stuff. Please keep adding to your experiences. I am planning also to do the same. I let a high USTA 4.0 use the frame yesterday and he gave me some solid feedback. I really want to replace the NXT 16.. but man oh man, that string is so nice to my arm and it creates such a plush playing experience I can't bring myself to cut it out yet. Great feedback from all the playtesters. You can really see folks did some serious work on the court and then reporting.
 

jlouie

Rookie
From reading the reviews it appears that the most liked version of the three is the 300g one. Anybody here tried both the regular and the Pro? How do they compare?
I wasn't a TW playtester, but I've demoed both twice. I felt they were similar in playability, but night and day different in feel. The regular RF 01 has a much more dampened feel, I compare it to the muted feel of an Ezone. While the Pro is much more raw firm feeling. My favorite thing about these racquets is the sensation when you connect with the sweet spot, and it's amplified and significantly more satisfying on the Pro.

The Pro is right around my sweet spot for swing weight. IME, it's a bit better at finishing points and more stable than the regular RF 01, but a lot of it could just be due to the heavier frame. I tried customization but just couldn't match the feel of the Pro.

I'm planning on adding the Pro to my bag and putting it in the rotation. I'm just a little concerned about the overall static weight, it would be the heaviest racquet I play with by a good margin. But not the highest swing weight.
 

SteveI

Legend
I wasn't a TW playtester, but I've demoed both twice. I felt they were similar in playability, but night and day different in feel. The regular RF 01 has a much more dampened feel, I compare it to the muted feel of an Ezone. While the Pro is much more raw firm feeling. My favorite thing about these racquets is the sensation when you connect with the sweet spot, and it's amplified and significantly more satisfying on the Pro.

The Pro is right around my sweet spot for swing weight. IME, it's a bit better at finishing points and more stable than the regular RF 01, but a lot of it could just be due to the heavier frame. I tried customization but just couldn't match the feel of the Pro.

I'm planning on adding the Pro to my bag and putting it in the rotation. I'm just a little concerned about the overall static weight, it would be the heaviest racquet I play with by a good margin. But not the highest swing weight.
When you drive through the ball with the RF01 and nail the sweet spot there is magic. The slice BH and slice serve are impressive and might lead one to believe Roger was very much in on the design of this line. I have been testing and playing frames for many....many years. No frame has ever allowed me to do just about anything on command with my OHBH. The BH slice is just wicked.. The FH drive has less shape, hugs the court and is extremely heavy. In the hands of an young all court player, this RF01 could create a variety of shots from many positions on the court. The other positive is it can be a great platform frame for a number of players and it can be used stock by improving juniors and older players that have a solid skill set but can no longer handle the a "Pro" spec frame. I think it fits between a PD and a Head Radical 16 x 19 string pattern.
 

Orezap

New User
I have played with :
Wilson Blade 98, 16x19 V7 and V9 and
Head Speed MP 2022 and Head Speed MP Legend


Thinking of purchasing RF01 Pro what do you think in terms of a rough , brief comparison with the rackets above?
My style is very aggressive aiming to finish points quickly, big serve and 2 handed backhand.
 

Alcawrath

Professional
I have played with :
Wilson Blade 98, 16x19 V7 and V9 and
Head Speed MP 2022 and Head Speed MP Legend


Thinking of purchasing RF01 Pro what do you think in terms of a rough , brief comparison with the rackets above?
My style is very aggressive aiming to finish points quickly, big serve and 2 handed backhand.
The RF 01 pro does remind me a little of a Speed racquet on groundstrokes (though it's string pattern is very different), but it would be a little closer in weight to the speed pro rather than the mp. The RF pro will feel substantially heavier than what you've been playing and I'd highly recommend demoing it before you buy it.
 
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time_fly

Hall of Fame
I have played with :
Wilson Blade 98, 16x19 V7 and V9 and
Head Speed MP 2022 and Head Speed MP Legend


Thinking of purchasing RF01 Pro what do you think in terms of a rough , brief comparison with the rackets above?
My style is very aggressive aiming to finish points quickly, big serve and 2 handed backhand.

The Pro will have more power and plow through than the Blades, and be less forgiving and spin friendly than the Head Speed MPs but more precise.
 

Fighting phoenix

Professional
The Pro will have more power and plow through than the Blades, and be less forgiving and spin friendly than the Head Speed MPs but more precise.
The Blade v9 98 16M will allow you to swing out fully and confidently and still feel like the ball is going in - great all court racquet, forgiving, and better for hitting through the court than the Speed MP. The RF01 Pro is too difficult of a racquet to play with long term (for me at least - I demoed it), and has less spin potential and way less forgiving than the Blade.
 

Orezap

New User
well my current Blade v9 98 16x19 retail has been customized with leather grip and lead tape on 3&9 to be around 344g static and 334 sw. But still i dont feel the mass i would like.
So im between Blade Pro V9 16x19 and RF01 Pro, however Blade Pro not yet available in EU.
 

TennisManiac

Hall of Fame
well my current Blade v9 98 16x19 retail has been customized with leather grip and lead tape on 3&9 to be around 344g static and 334 sw. But still i dont feel the mass i would like.
So im between Blade Pro V9 16x19 and RF01 Pro, however Blade Pro not yet available in EU.
Blade Pro is nothing special. Trust me. I was very disappointed in its anemic power level.
 

Orezap

New User
Regarding RF 01 Pro with full bed Alu Power 1.25 would you recommend a 21/19/, 23/21 or 24/22 kg tension setup for the mains/crosses? due to stiffness 67 and tight center bed?
 

OEEspino

New User
Wilson Rf-01 Racket Review
Thank you Tennis Warehouse for choosing me as a playtester! I really appreciate it! I tried to be as unbiased as possible because Roger is my favorite player hehe.

String and tension used for test:
First 10 hours - I used Alu power in the mains at 50lbs and Nxt in the Crosses at 52lbs. Didn’t really like this set up, for me it felt too muted, and I was just not feeling it.
Next 20 hours - I used Restring Sync in the mains at 50lbs and Alu Power in the crosses at 48lbs. This felt better! Comfortable and more feel.

Tennis experience/background: Started playing tennis February of 2023. Playing singles consistently since January of 2024. Currently USTA/NTRP 3.5. I usually play with other 3.5s and mid to low 4.0s

Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley): My playstyle is counterpunching. Not too aggressive on the baseline.

Current racquet/string setups:
I use the Prince Beast 100 2023 Japan Edition with Prince Vortex 17g in the Mains at 48Lbs with Restring Sync in the crosses at 50lbs
How many hours did you play with the racquet?
I played with the racket for 30 hours total
10 hours with the given strings
20 hours with the Sync/Alu Combo
Played for 15 days, 2 hour sessions per day. 90% from match play. 10% from rallies etc

Comments on racquet performance for each stroke (each section should be 3-5 sentences minimum):

-Groundstrokes: The racket swings fast, making it easy to generate topspin and hit angles. However, the small sweet spot can be frustrating, especially on off-center hits. Overall, it feels very traditional, which some players might appreciate. For me, one-handed backhands were easier to hit the sweet spot, but the small sweet spot was annoying.

-Serves:Kick serves and slice serves feel great because the racket swings fast, allowing for good spin and placement. However, the small sweet spot can make it tricky to consistently hit powerful flat serves. Personally, I had a wonderful time hitting kick serves and slice serves.

-Volleys: At the net, the RF-01 is quick and maneuverable. It makes it easy to react to fast shots. The feel is crisp, and slices feel great. However, the stability isn’t as impressive, possibly due to the lack of built-in stabilizers. This can make it harder to handle heavy shots from opponents.

-Serve returns: The fast swing speed helps in getting the racket into position quickly, but the small sweet spot can be a drawback. Control is good, but the lack of stability can be an issue against powerful serves.

Comments on racquet performance in each area (should be 2-3 sentences minimum)

Power/Control- The RF-01 offers good control, especially at higher swing speeds. Power is decent but not overwhelming. For me, the control was good, but the small sweet spot made it less forgiving. If you can maintain a great racket head speed, aiming and hitting the spot is so easy. But slow it down or hesitate and that control diminishes

Top Spin/Slice- Topspin is easy to generate thanks to the fast swing speed and open string pattern. Slices feel great and are easy to control. Slices were the saving grace for this racket. They were very crisp

Comfort- The RF-01 feels comfortable to play with if you hit the sweet spot, but the small sweet spot can make off-center hits less forgiving. When you hit off center, you can really feel those vibrations and after 1 day of me not hitting well, i can really feel the pain and discomfort after 2 hours. Comfort was easier for me to find in the serves and slices.

Feel- The feel is crisp and clean, giving a good sense of connection with the ball. It definitely has a traditional racket feel, and not muted like modern rackets.

Maneuverability- Maneuverability is one of the strong points of the RF-01. It’s easy to swing fast and get into position quickly. This makes it great for quick reactions at the net and on serve returns. For me, the racket swung fast, which was a plus.

Stability- Stability is where the RF-01 falls short. The lack of built-in stabilizers makes it less stable on heavy shots, which can be a drawback for some players. For me, the stability wasn’t impressive. Especially, MOST ESPECIALLY on off center shots, it makes your groundstrokes suffer.

General reaction/comments on overall performance:
For me, hitting kick serves and slice serves was a wonderful experience because the racket swung fast. One-handed backhands were easier to hit the sweet spot. The small sweet spot was annoying, and the stability wasn’t impressive. Overall, it’s not the racket for me. It is very unforgiving. I prefer more user-friendly rackets with bigger sweet spots like the Blade 98 v9.
So I tried the RF01 racket again but with the Sync in the mains at 40 and the Alu power in the crosses at 42
And my goodness, the difference it makes.

-Groundstrokes: So in my previous post, I mentioned that I had a hard time adjusting my forehand because I couldnt hit the sweetspot and it was unforgiving. And I know it’s because I’m still a comparatively new player compared to the rest of the people here. But lower the tension, softened up the string bed and the sweet spot was reasonably bigger. I was hitting more consistent forehands with varying degrees of spin, height, etc. My backhand was a canon, and I have no complaints there. From a 6/10 my experience became an 8.5/10.

-Serves: The looser tension made my serves better in all aspects. Faster flat serves, higher kicks, and my slices were definitely more pronounced. One thing I would add is that the pocketing was so much more noticeable in the serves (and groundstrokes too) that I could really guide my shot for the most part.

-Volleys: Since the sweet spot was bigger I was able to volley better. But it would still be a bit more unstable compared to my other sticks when hit on the edges. But still a nice change. Though since it was more loose, control was a bit harder at the volleys

-Serve returns: most of my serve returns were REALLY REALLY good. Didnt have to be on the sweet spot but it would stil be somewhat decent. A perfect return felt like a powerful shot, hitting it nice and deep with pace. And since it’s so headlight, the maneuverability was on point.

Power/Control- At the tension I had it at, I had power at slower swing speeds, and even more so when going full out. Surprisingly control was great. Likewise to my previous review, control is better at higher swing speeds, and i can pretty much pinpoint the area I want it to go to. Deeper balls are much easier to hit and to be honest compared to my current prince beast, I can swing really hard with the RF without the fear of it going long.

Top Spin/Slice- i mean loosening the tension got me more access to spin on topspin and on slices. Most of my poweful deep groundstrokes are due to the amount of spin im putting on the ball. Slightly slower swing speeds now can generate more spin, which contributes to the overall control I have on the ball. Tbh I think the control aspect is a big part mental, because I really didn’t have much problems with the sweetspot anymore, which made playing a whole lot more enjoyable.

Comfort- went from a 5/10 to 8/10. Is it the most comfortable? No. Was it? Yes. Hitting outside of the sweetspot didnt hurt anymore. Instability, yes. But I was able to play 2 hours straight with no discomfort whatsoever. The tension provided more plushness. The pocketing contributed to the comfort of the racket.

Feel- Feel was more plus but it was still crisp. I still think it still has the best feel out of all the wilson lineup (except the pro because I haven’t tried it).

Maneuverability- Same as my previous review

Stability- Better stability because of the bigger feel of the sweetspot. But hitting outside of it was still really unstable. But I prefer this a whole lot better than before. I might try to add lead tape at the 9 and 3 or the 10 and 2 and see if the twist stability would be better.

General reaction/comments on overall performance: i thoroughly enjoyed this racket so much more than before. I only used it for less than 10 hours with this setup and it felt better for me in all aspects. Considering switching to this from my Prince, but we shall see. I’ll probably use this a few more times before I make my decision!
 
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OEEspino

New User
The more I play with the Wilson RF 01 (300gr.) the more I am liking it and gaining confidence in it. It generates more power than my Pure Strike 98 and is a little more stable. I don't think it is quite as nimble and quick around the net, but it holds its own nicely. The power come in handy on serves.
I 100% agree! I've bcome more and more fond of this racket. It's soooo nice to use
 

Orezap

New User
bought an RF01P and played yesterday for 2h during training.

Specs:
Strung static weight : 340
Swingweight: 330.5
Balance: 32.5-33 (stock unstrung spec was 32.5 instead of 31.5)
No lead tape. Retained Leather Grip and put a Wilson Pro Overgrip.
Strung with Alu Power 1.25 grey 21/19 kg.

Racket felt spinny and powerful but i didnt like the feel so far it feels like a cardboard and i dont feel the mass of a 340g racket.
Sweet spot is strange if you hit in the center its like a cannon but if not then i think its true that the power drops off quite fast or it results in a short mishit.
Backhand feels very penetrating and flat when hit in the sweet spot. On the forehand side you can hit both flat and high loopy topspin balls with ease. Very easy to find depth.
Racket indeed feels fast swinging through the air for a 340g racket. Volleys and returns are great and very penetrating when hit in the sweet spot.

Didnt quite figure out the Serve as i served only a few. Again the same if during serve you hit the ball above the sweet spot on top of the racket the serve is done.
When hit clearly I had some good penetrating flat serves with precision albeit not so powerful as I would expect. Slice is nice and relatively easy.
Kicks i failed hard i was shanking the ball very often. Will need to adjust and start slow to get the hang of it. 1-2 that i managed to hit were mediocre in terms of height and spin.

I will give it a month to get used to it and will see. I was disappointed tho because i didnt get this addictive feeling. Maybe its string sensitive and requires an even lower tension or a gut/poly combo.
I also think it would benefit from some lead tape on 12 and 3&9 but swingweight of 330 in stock already makes that difficult for me.
 

Artemis

New User
From reader to poster :D

I own the RF 01 for a month and a half and want to leave my review (ntrp 3.5-4.0 male player)
Rackets compared to: my previous racket Head Flexpoint 295g, my wife's racket - Babolat Strike Team 285gr

Strung weight: 327gr (3g at 3 and 9 o'clock, overgrip, dampener)
Strings used: Babolat RPM rough at 54lbs and WIlson Revolve 17 at 50 pounds

Advantages:
+ this racket is a whip. I don't think I have ever played with anything that cuts air as well as this one. Feels more like a blade than Blade.
+ really nice control in the aspect of the pinpoint direction of the shot intended and executed
+ looks. Don't know, subjective, but it is like a Bugatti Veyron among the rackets. Can't imagine Roger coming up with something pimpy like a Rafa Origin. Class is class.
+ 8-9 points headlight is where I love it and it feels like it is me playing the ball rather than the racket doing stuff for me.
+ very nice at the net with the stiffness being much higher than that with my Flexpoint

Disadvantages:
- Tiny sweet spot. Had to add a bit of weight at 3 and 9 o'clock to extend it. Otherwise the racket isn't as forgiving as my old Flexpoint and my wife's Babolat Strike.

- And here is a thing that I have with this frame and I was wondering if any of the actual owners experienced it. As I purchased the racket I had it strung with Babolat RPM Rough 18 (I loved that string on my Flexpoint). Yet with the RF01 i heard a lot of the clingy high pintch noises every time I hit 50% force and up. Didn't have any of that with the Flexpoint. I do have the dampener in and just assumed it was something that the stringer did. A month and a half later I had it restrung with Wilson Revolve 17 and lowered the tension by 4lbs to see the difference. The job was done by another stringer, who is said to be the best stringer in town. The noise remained. Tough to describe it, but even when hitting with the dampened sweet spot the racket made the impact noise of the undampened 50$ Walmart racket. Can't complain about the power loss and stuff, just somehow irritationg and distracting. Can't figure out if this is the feature of the "raw" RF01 that was mentioned by the reviewers, or it is something I should discuss with WIlson in the aspect of warranty? Any ideas/suggestions?
 
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justRick

Rookie
I've been playing with my RF01 for over a month now, a few comments:
1. I've acclimated to the difference from my PS 97L v13 and I rarely mis hit anymore
2. I had it strung @50 lbs but after beating some of the tension out it (Hyper G soft), the sweet spot has opened up nicely.
3. More spin, more power, more feel, more everything than my v13.
4. I suggest stringing it under 50 lbs
5. It's an amazing racquet and a keeper
 

HolyMountain

Semi-Pro
I briefly hit with the 01 yesterday, strung with gut/poly. It was a demo and the shop guys insisted I check it out. Mostly because they know I am a racquet junkie. I recently settled down on an H19 16x19 set up, with very similar weight/balance as the 01. Man, what a great frame! It certainly has more power than the H19 but still control. Wicked, wicked fast through the air on serves and slices - could just feel the cutting of the ball. I could easily play with these. Perfect balance between power and control and you can really see the logical evolution of the frame - assuming you have played with the previous versions. It is a very tight 16x19, even tighter than my H19 - thus the pinpoint control. I will say, buddy I was playing with it had only demoed it with full poly and did not like it, he tried it with the gut/poly and was very impressed himself and said it really was like two different frames.
 

SteveI

Legend
I briefly hit with the 01 yesterday, strung with gut/poly. It was a demo and the shop guys insisted I check it out. Mostly because they know I am a racquet junkie. I recently settled down on an H19 16x19 set up, with very similar weight/balance as the 01. Man, what a great frame! It certainly has more power than the H19 but still control. Wicked, wicked fast through the air on serves and slices - could just feel the cutting of the ball. I could easily play with these. Perfect balance between power and control and you can really see the logical evolution of the frame - assuming you have played with the previous versions. It is a very tight 16x19, even tighter than my H19 - thus the pinpoint control. I will say, buddy I was playing with it had only demoed it with full poly and did not like it, he tried it with the gut/poly and was very impressed himself and said it really was like two different frames.
Great comments. The frame is a keeper if you don't string it with a stiff poly at higher tensions. My review was done with NXT 16 at 54 I think and it was a plush wonderful ride. No small sweet spot.. no pinging sound. Mine created a nice thump! If Fed helped with the design.. you bet it was made to be played with his rig or something like it..

I love this frame and you nailed it above.
 
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