***Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 Club***
- Thread starter Arti
- Start date
Have three of the 2017 6.1 95 frames with parallel drilling. When I am playing a lot of sets it doesn’t get much better. Some of the newer poly strings on the market give the 6.1 95 18x20 new life.
Use the RF97 and the Blade Pro mostly that share the higher swing weight.
Use the RF97 and the Blade Pro mostly that share the higher swing weight.
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Hulger
Semi-Pro
I’ve had problems with the powerful middle bed compared to relatively unstable upper part with 18x20... i have couple of classics and 2017 versions with this pattern.
Fortunately tried to skip the top cross, and no need to add weight now - increased spin and softness of the upper part, haven’t noticed any loss of control.
Just have hit against a wall for now, but looking forward to game with this 18x19 beast
Fortunately tried to skip the top cross, and no need to add weight now - increased spin and softness of the upper part, haven’t noticed any loss of control.
Just have hit against a wall for now, but looking forward to game with this 18x19 beast
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That’s interesting, have never tried that with the 18x20.
D
Deleted member 781523
Guest
I’ve recently come to acquire some HPS 6.1s in standard length and 18x20, and I like them a lot.
Doing a bit of research, I see that the PSC is wildly considered to be a better frame than the HPS, but goodness, that RA rating makes me nervous. I like the idea that is offers a less muted feel, but does the stiffness not hurt your arm guys? Even so, it doesn’t seem like sourcing 18x20 standard length models is really even feasible, unlike the HPS
Doing a bit of research, I see that the PSC is wildly considered to be a better frame than the HPS, but goodness, that RA rating makes me nervous. I like the idea that is offers a less muted feel, but does the stiffness not hurt your arm guys? Even so, it doesn’t seem like sourcing 18x20 standard length models is really even feasible, unlike the HPS
ssdeluxe
New User
yeah, they are stiff and if you play a lot, I would suspect you will get arm sore. I play the 16x18 and have several from different era's. (Kfactor, Ncode, blx(candy cane ugly one), parallel drilled). Maybe try going down significantly on tension ?
I'm down to 55 lbs (Solinco Outlast full bed, and sometimes with Velocity cross.) ...but I might go lower and see how it goes.
my generalized impressions of the different era's I have:
Kfactor: plays less "weighty" than the others, stiff, but not as much as the parrellel drilled. I like it.
Ncode: most flexy of the lot, probably my fave after the parallel drilled ( when the parallel drilled is not punishing my arm..it is very stiff)
Blx candy cane: ugly ugly ..lol...different butt than the others (more pronounced....cut into the hand a bit....so I shaved the butt down to be more like the Ncodes.)...stiffer than the Ncode and Kfactor ...ugly looking but consistent good.
Parallel Drilled: Fave when my fitness is top notch as its the heaviest of all of them and hits like a bludgeon. But really really nice plush bed.....ONLY THING: it hurts the arm more than the others, regardless of bed imho....Ncode is chosen when this one wears out my arm. (or Prince Tex Tour 100 310 as bu.)
Lastly, I use a leather grip and og (4 1/2" grip)....this might be contributing to a bit of arm strain....so if you use a squishier grip/og setup...and drop some tension.....that might be enough to keep the arm healthy.
After all these years, still the best stick I have played (I have Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 (16x18 ) as bu, but its not as beastly, great stick when the fitness blows though.)
I'm down to 55 lbs (Solinco Outlast full bed, and sometimes with Velocity cross.) ...but I might go lower and see how it goes.
my generalized impressions of the different era's I have:
Kfactor: plays less "weighty" than the others, stiff, but not as much as the parrellel drilled. I like it.
Ncode: most flexy of the lot, probably my fave after the parallel drilled ( when the parallel drilled is not punishing my arm..it is very stiff)
Blx candy cane: ugly ugly ..lol...different butt than the others (more pronounced....cut into the hand a bit....so I shaved the butt down to be more like the Ncodes.)...stiffer than the Ncode and Kfactor ...ugly looking but consistent good.
Parallel Drilled: Fave when my fitness is top notch as its the heaviest of all of them and hits like a bludgeon. But really really nice plush bed.....ONLY THING: it hurts the arm more than the others, regardless of bed imho....Ncode is chosen when this one wears out my arm. (or Prince Tex Tour 100 310 as bu.)
Lastly, I use a leather grip and og (4 1/2" grip)....this might be contributing to a bit of arm strain....so if you use a squishier grip/og setup...and drop some tension.....that might be enough to keep the arm healthy.
After all these years, still the best stick I have played (I have Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 (16x18 ) as bu, but its not as beastly, great stick when the fitness blows though.)
Addxyz
Hall of Fame
I use gut/poly in mine so that alleviates the stiffness issue for me.
The last PSC was probably the 25A, most likely sold out everywhere for a few years now.
moon shot
Hall of Fame
I picked up a few of those when they were on the way out. Ideal for the best kind of ball bashing.
wangs78
Legend
I have the Classic, Hyper, and Ncode, also 16x18 and 4 1/2 grip (lol). I think I like the HyperPS the most as it’s lighter than the Classic (more maneuverable) but still heftier than the Ncode. And I love the red paintjob. I have a leather grip with either Wilson Pro og or Yonex Supergrap over it. I’ve since moved on to the RF97, which I find to be more stable and seems to keep the ball in the court better (I think it’s due to the more open string pattern). The 6.1 95 had greater precision but I really needed to be dialed in to keep the ball in the sweet spot.
I’ve only ever developed arm strain when I used Wilson K-gut in the 6.1. K-gut is a pretty stiff multi that plays like a poly. Have never developed arm strain with the RF97 as I use natural gut as the main string.
I hope I will always be in good enough shape to use either of these racquets, but I have come to accept that eventually I may have better results with a racquet closer to 11.7-12.0oz strung.
basil J
Hall of Fame
I just came across a new old stock kfactor 6.1 16 x 18. I strung it with NRG at 55# and I have to say , I love the mass and Head light feel to this frame. No issues with moving back to a 95" from a 98", and the 16 x 18 has not been an issue coming from 18 x 20 or 16 x 19's I have been using. This frame is great for attacking tennis, not something I would use for endless baseline rallies. My serve has amped up with this frame and it is rock solid at net. I get great spin but when I flatten out shots they come off the string bed with greater velocity than any other frame I have used. I would love to find another one, but sadly, I juts can't fine any 16 x18's for sale that are in great shape. As a fit 61 year old that still loves to play singles I actually find this frame to be a great option.
chrischris
G.O.A.T.
Drives me nuts that i cant find grommets for my PSC 6.1 16/18 and 18/20s.. Have 2 of each.. Any suggestions?
Classic-TXP-IG MID
Hall of Fame
Not even sure if I have any spare grommets that I've stashed away for the PSC 16x18... but I might have stoked a few of the 2014 18x20, as that was closer to when they were in stock.
I don't use them as much these days, due to a large collection and some of the recent racquets being so good (G360+ PMP, GP, SP, ET, and EP... as well as, UT 18x20s, ZUS Custom 95 62 RA, Blade Pro, VCP 97HD, Phantom 93P, Phantom 97P, VC95, PT 2.0, LM Rad Tour MP, Pro Staff 97 v13, etc, etc).
ssdeluxe
New User
Very hard to find......try finding the last parallel drilled iteration.....can't find those anywhere in 16x18".
I have to agree, there are some great racquets out there......but they don't feel like the mightly 6.1.95......but perhaps some are even better, it might be time as a rec player to move from it.
I actually made the transition to the Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 this year.....and playing some of my best tennis with it.
I mimicked the headlight balance I had with the 6.1 (10 pts headlight) with leather grip and some lead, still need a bit more lead around the hoop, but with just lead in the handle and a leather grip, it plays very close to my 6.1
Also, the sad truth is, I'm aging out of being effective with a 6.1.....you simply have to be at a great level of fitness to get the most out of the 6.1 imho.
I'm actually making more shots with the Prince Tour 100 310 and the crazy part is: it was a really easy transition.....a great match up coming from the 6.1 for me.
I have to thank Jonas @ Tennisnerd for the consultation he provided, the Prince Tour 100 310 was one of the reco's.
I still love that 6.1.95 16x18..nothing really like it at the net and serve......but with this Prince Tour 100 310 weighted and headlighted.......I'm damn close and playing better to boot.
Long live the 6.1.95 though !!!
n.b. forgot to say: the Tour 100 310 is waaaay easier on the arm......no longer do I feel like my arm went through a blender after 3 or 4 sets on the 6.1.95 16x18.......a nice benefit for sure ! Its great on the arm.
I have to agree, there are some great racquets out there......but they don't feel like the mightly 6.1.95......but perhaps some are even better, it might be time as a rec player to move from it.
I actually made the transition to the Prince Textreme Tour 100 310 this year.....and playing some of my best tennis with it.
I mimicked the headlight balance I had with the 6.1 (10 pts headlight) with leather grip and some lead, still need a bit more lead around the hoop, but with just lead in the handle and a leather grip, it plays very close to my 6.1
Also, the sad truth is, I'm aging out of being effective with a 6.1.....you simply have to be at a great level of fitness to get the most out of the 6.1 imho.
I'm actually making more shots with the Prince Tour 100 310 and the crazy part is: it was a really easy transition.....a great match up coming from the 6.1 for me.
I have to thank Jonas @ Tennisnerd for the consultation he provided, the Prince Tour 100 310 was one of the reco's.
I still love that 6.1.95 16x18..nothing really like it at the net and serve......but with this Prince Tour 100 310 weighted and headlighted.......I'm damn close and playing better to boot.
Long live the 6.1.95 though !!!
n.b. forgot to say: the Tour 100 310 is waaaay easier on the arm......no longer do I feel like my arm went through a blender after 3 or 4 sets on the 6.1.95 16x18.......a nice benefit for sure ! Its great on the arm.
gino
Legend
for many years ive switched to and back to the 6.1 in some iteration... the truth is my game was developed with that frame in my hand, thus the familiarity with the sweet spot is really unmatched for me. Even if I lost my fitness i dont think i could use a frame that would allow me as much confidence in every tennis shot. that being said, if its a frame you found later in your playing journey and it doesnt give you that empowerment through familiarity, might as welll move to something more foregiving
gino
Legend
also if you love the parralel drilling varient, look at the 95 S ... similar feel with more spin, forgiveness, and less stiff
Seth
Legend
That’s an interesting thought. I began using the HPS 6.1 in 2004, which coincided with me taking junior tennis a lot more seriously. Now I don’t find any other frame to feel quite as good. The PT2.0 I’m currently using is fantastic, but the 6.1 is unique.
ssdeluxe
New User
Good point Gino. I suspect that is why pro players find it so hard to change...it is built in muscle memory.
Exactly what you mentioned: I didn't grow up with it, but found it when i came back to tennis 12 yrs ago.......I found it accidently when trying racquets.....it felt the best (even if I didn't know squat about racquets at the time).
To your point, that explains why I have had success moving from the 6.1 to the Tour 310.....NOT saying I'm selling any of the 10 6.1's I have though! (kfactor, Ncode : my fave, CandyCane, and, parallel drilled: all 16x18). LOL....
I'll try them again if I magically get to my "beast middle age fitness" ..lol.
Exactly what you mentioned: I didn't grow up with it, but found it when i came back to tennis 12 yrs ago.......I found it accidently when trying racquets.....it felt the best (even if I didn't know squat about racquets at the time).
To your point, that explains why I have had success moving from the 6.1 to the Tour 310.....NOT saying I'm selling any of the 10 6.1's I have though! (kfactor, Ncode : my fave, CandyCane, and, parallel drilled: all 16x18). LOL....
I'll try them again if I magically get to my "beast middle age fitness" ..lol.
bobeeto
Professional
i started with a candy cane blx, and then got my hands on an ncode. i could never get the 16x18 to sit down with my stroke, but i will say with alu power in a full bed, the ncode was a delight.
i’ve since sold, but i hope to cross paths again with this racket.
to this day, my phone lock passcode is “6195”
i’ve since sold, but i hope to cross paths again with this racket.
to this day, my phone lock passcode is “6195”
wangs78
Legend
I started with the HPS 16x18 with the red paintjob with yellow highlights. Still have three of them. Then when the Ncode came out, I picked one up but babied it bc it had the same paintjob as Roger's racquet at the time. Then when the Kfactor and subsequent generations came out, I stopped buying. The paintjobs were just too ugly. "Candy cane" is right lol. Oddly enough, I picked up a Classic along the way, and despite its funny paintjob (black with splashes of red and yellow), it looked MUCH better than the Kfactor and subsequent generations.
I have since switched to the RF97, although now that I'm in my 40s, I definitely need to be in good shape to wield it respectably. That racquet (as well as the 6.1 95) requires very good footwork and a full swing that involves your body's entire kinetic chain from the legs up. If you try to arm the ball with any of these 12.5oz racquets, it won't be pretty.
I have since switched to the RF97, although now that I'm in my 40s, I definitely need to be in good shape to wield it respectably. That racquet (as well as the 6.1 95) requires very good footwork and a full swing that involves your body's entire kinetic chain from the legs up. If you try to arm the ball with any of these 12.5oz racquets, it won't be pretty.
While we're swapping 6.1 95 stories ...
The PSC was my first serious racquet. Still have the receipt for it ... 119.99! One strung with Gosen Arammix ($18) and the other Head Blend 16 ($20).
Came back to tennis after a few years and dabbled in the various 6.1 95 versions. I still have a bag of various grommets that's not really doing me any good, as well as a completely new HPS 6.1 with placard hanging on my wall.
I also have an 310g nCode 6.1 95 16x18 (not the lighter 18x20 Team) that I don't think was sold here in the US, and I still use that one for testing different string setups and the nostalgia kick.
The PSC was my first serious racquet. Still have the receipt for it ... 119.99! One strung with Gosen Arammix ($18) and the other Head Blend 16 ($20).
Came back to tennis after a few years and dabbled in the various 6.1 95 versions. I still have a bag of various grommets that's not really doing me any good, as well as a completely new HPS 6.1 with placard hanging on my wall.
I also have an 310g nCode 6.1 95 16x18 (not the lighter 18x20 Team) that I don't think was sold here in the US, and I still use that one for testing different string setups and the nostalgia kick.
gino
Legend
are you still using the extended length pro stock 6.1 man??? i recall you picked up a few of those
PT2.0 a great frame too cant blame you for moving over to that either, buttery feel and more arm friendly than the 6.1
gino
Legend
legendary passcode mate
Seth
Legend
No, I sold those. I just don’t want to commit to 27.5” after 21 years of using standard length.
chrischris
G.O.A.T.
Ncodes?
bobeeto
Professional
i feel like 6.1 95 is the coolest racket name to ever be in tennis,
i play vcore 95 now, and while i think it’s in its own right sexy, it’s merely a shadow of the OG
D
Deleted member 781523
Guest
Cooler than the T-Rebound? /s
ssdeluxe
New User
Can you kind folks, in your experience, tell me what the differences are in the 18x20 vs. 16x18 ?? ( they only offered the 16x`18 in North America apparently...so that's what I have. )
to clarify: please tell me what the playing characteristic differences are.
thank yoU !
to clarify: please tell me what the playing characteristic differences are.
thank yoU !
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bobeeto
Professional
actually, the Dynacore XTC T-Fight ATP LTD 95 315 1080p is the coolest. tecnifibre has such a way with names
gino
Legend
16x18 will give you higher trajectory on your shots and generally reward you with more spin. I find the 16x18 6.1 frames are a touch erratic outside of the sweetspot
18x20 will give more control and lower trajectory, thus will allow you to find your spots on serve but have a reduction in spin, liveliness, and power. I notice that the 18x20 feels much lower powered than a 16x18 but to me feels like it has a smaller sweet spot
ssdeluxe
New User
Thanks Gino ! ...that is exactly my experience with the 16x18...."erratic outside the sweetspot" is very accurate .....which is exactly how I experience the 6.1 if you are not swinging high RHS and not getting the footwork sorted ahead of the shot.
Very interesting about the 18x20....not sure if I would like it as much.....I'll have to try it.................So far though, the Prince Tour 310 is really giving me the goods.....
But who can stop loving the 6.1 ?) lol
Very interesting about the 18x20....not sure if I would like it as much.....I'll have to try it.................So far though, the Prince Tour 310 is really giving me the goods.....
But who can stop loving the 6.1 ?
) lol
Shangri La
Hall of Fame
Does anyone know what current grommets work on the Prostaff
Classic 6.1 95 16x18? Thanks.
Classic 6.1 95 16x18? Thanks.
Current? None. Some pop up occasionally on the big auction site (starts with e, ends with Bay).
Seth
Legend
It’s terrible. This frame was ubiquitous in the 2000s and 2010s. It’s still on the singles and doubles tours, but disappeared (along with grommets) from rec players.
I get the current trends in gear, but nothing beats a heavy 95” stick. Preferably with an 18x20 pattern.
Slight correction, you can buy the 18x20 grommets from Wilson Pro Labs ... but it costs $249 and comes with the rest of the racquet
Seth
Legend
Slight correction, you can buy the 18x20 grommets from Wilson Pro Labs ... but it costs $249 and comes with the rest of the racquet
Lol you’re right. In September 2021 their site did offer the grommets separately. I bought a couple of sets then. I guess they won’t be restocking those any more.
Fed Kennedy
Legend
Amen
gino
Legend
This is why we must fight the good fight. Keep these 6.1 threads alive. I know some Wilson marketing employee will come across this eventually
Fed Kennedy
Legend
How good is the prolabs 6.1? It looks absolutely incredible
Addxyz
Hall of Fame
It's Mjolnir painted black.
brownbearfalling
Hall of Fame
Wow Gino. That’s a cool find. Do they have anything written inside the throat that’s different from retail models?
I think it’s funny that the Kfactor pro stocks were matte PJ and retail glosses. Recently it’s been the reverse.
I think it’s funny that the Kfactor pro stocks were matte PJ and retail glosses. Recently it’s been the reverse.
Winners or Errors
Legend
Agreed. I have a love-hate relationship with my 16x18's, though I seem to have found a solid string setup that tames most of the erratic play - Multifeel 16 Black mains / Proline X or Red Code 17 crosses. I played pretty well with them last weekend, though they get the hook pretty quick if I'm not "on" with them.
gino
Legend
Which iteration are you using? I usually go full bed of poly to deaden that erratic nature
I've been unwilling to give up on my candy canes. My only gripe is with Wilson's Quality Control. They are in fact all over the place. I had 4 BLX2's candy canes recently, matched pair them in weight and balance, trying to minimize static weight.
Pair of 2013 BLX2 350g 9HL (since sold)
Pair of 2012 BLX2 342g 5HL (currently in-use)
Pair of 2013 BLX2 350g 9HL (since sold)
Pair of 2012 BLX2 342g 5HL (currently in-use)
