I've been reading lots of online reviews of the Pro Staff RF97 as I'm thinking of getting a couple of these. I've read people's experiences on Tennis Warehouse forums, Reddit, Quora, read all the reviews I could find online, watched YouTube reviews and read comments, etc. So, I thought it would be a good idea to summarise all this in one post for those who are also thinking about getting the RF, but are afraid to take the plunge. Obviously, I've demoed the racquet, but demoing it for a day or two doesn't tell you what's it like to use long term.
Based on all the reviews and people's experiences with this racquet these are the main points and conclusions. It is too heavy but easy to swing, it is also heavy and very hard to swing, and it is light unless you put some lead to make it swing properly. It is very powerful, yet it lacks power. It is very stable but a little unstable. It is very bad for beginners because you have to have the proper technique to use it, but at the same time, it is good for beginners because it forces you to learn the proper technique to use it. It is too heavy to use for singles but great for doubles, and it is great for singles but too heavy for doubles. It is hard to generate good racquet head speed on forehands because of its mass, yet it is easy to generate good racquet head speed on forehands because the mass gives it momentum. It's great on serves but hard to manoeuvre during play, and it's great to play with but very hard to serve with. Nobody but Federer can use it, and everybody can use it. It has easy access to spin, yet it's impossible to spin the ball with it. Its weight can give you tennis elbow, but its weight can cure or prevent tennis elbow. Vibrations will destroy your wrist on off-centre shots due to its weight, but its mass will absorb vibrations on off-centre shots making it wrist-friendly. It is crisp but plush. It is stiff but feels flexible. It's heavy but it feels light, and it's light but it feels heavy. The string-bed is control-oriented but erratic. It has that classic Pro Staff feel, but it feels nothing like Pro Staff. If you can't wield it, it is not due to weight but your bad technique, but even if you have good technique it's like hitting with a baseball bat, even though it feels great.
Two things are certain though, the plough through is apparently great, and it looks cool.
Hope this is helpful.
Based on all the reviews and people's experiences with this racquet these are the main points and conclusions. It is too heavy but easy to swing, it is also heavy and very hard to swing, and it is light unless you put some lead to make it swing properly. It is very powerful, yet it lacks power. It is very stable but a little unstable. It is very bad for beginners because you have to have the proper technique to use it, but at the same time, it is good for beginners because it forces you to learn the proper technique to use it. It is too heavy to use for singles but great for doubles, and it is great for singles but too heavy for doubles. It is hard to generate good racquet head speed on forehands because of its mass, yet it is easy to generate good racquet head speed on forehands because the mass gives it momentum. It's great on serves but hard to manoeuvre during play, and it's great to play with but very hard to serve with. Nobody but Federer can use it, and everybody can use it. It has easy access to spin, yet it's impossible to spin the ball with it. Its weight can give you tennis elbow, but its weight can cure or prevent tennis elbow. Vibrations will destroy your wrist on off-centre shots due to its weight, but its mass will absorb vibrations on off-centre shots making it wrist-friendly. It is crisp but plush. It is stiff but feels flexible. It's heavy but it feels light, and it's light but it feels heavy. The string-bed is control-oriented but erratic. It has that classic Pro Staff feel, but it feels nothing like Pro Staff. If you can't wield it, it is not due to weight but your bad technique, but even if you have good technique it's like hitting with a baseball bat, even though it feels great.
Two things are certain though, the plough through is apparently great, and it looks cool.
Hope this is helpful.