Wilson: Pro Staff vs. Burn vs. Steam vs. Blade

[TimeToPlaySets]

Can someone summarize the supposed difference?
Does 1 or 2 sq.in. make any difference whatsoever?

Pro Staff
16x19
97

Burn
18x16
100

Blade
16x19
18x16 (S)
98

Steam
16x15
99

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

In before the fire comes.

 

[QuentinFederer]

I think they are all the same exact frame, just different paint.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

I think they are all the same exact frame, just different paint.

Definitely, they're all made by Wilson too.

 

[TennisHound]

It makes a little bit of difference.

The Pro Staff, Blade, and Steam head shapes all feel close to the same. The Burn 100 feels different.

 

[Pronate]

The Pro Staff 97 has a inconsistent string bed while I felt the Blade being a lot like the Strike in terms of power and spin. The Burn has a very fast swing speed. The Steam is pretty stiff, reminding me of the Pure Drive.

Good luck on whichever one you decide to chose.

 

[kabrac]

Has anyone tried or own the new Burn 100LS? I was in a pro shop and picked one up and was quite smitten with it. I would have demoed it but the demo was out.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Any that is particularly not arm friendly?

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

What is the main difference between pro staff and blade?

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls41]

the blade is lighter than the prostaff and more head heavy. prostaff in contrast is more head light and slightly heavier. more of a players frame.

 

[kingcheetah]

I'll give my opinion on the line as a whole, obviously there will be individual variances between the frames within it.

Pro Staff-- The "classic"-- most headlight, heaviest, the current ones are descended from the old school ones (think Sampras) but lighter/catered to a modern game. Popular with flatter-hitters, and volleyers, or anyone that likes a more traditional feel. This is also oriented towards higher level players.

Burn-- Most recent of the four. Power, ease of use are its main attributes. The power comes mainly through stiffness, head size, and the open pattern. Someone that prefers the baseline and wants more power from the racquet would go to this line.

Blade- A wilson line that has been tremendously popular with juniors, college players, and pros using "off the shelf" racquets, it's lighter than the pro staff, and more evenly balanced, making it relatively stable yet maneuverable. It's pretty solid in all areas, but not outstanding in any single one. Targeted at high intermediate to advanced players.

Steam - This line was marketed for SPIN. The pattern is super open, and as a result topspin is magnified. Control is a bit lacking. Targeted at recreational players that enjoy a spin-oriented game from the baseline.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Pro Staff: Heavy and head light.
Blade: Light and head heavy.

What does that mean to me?

What does head heavy mean?
What are the main characteristics of a light and heavy racket?

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Pro Staff: Heavy and head light.
Blade: Light and head heavy.

What does that mean to me?

What does head heavy mean?
What are the main characteristics of a light and heavy racket?

Man, you really just want attention, dont you?

 

[Tour_G]

Man, you really just want attention, dont you?

It's just another Nostradamus/Fedace.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

No, I want to understand the differences in rackets.
Please answer the questions.

 

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

No, I want to understand the differences in rackets.
Please answer the questions.

Then why'd you make a thread if you're not going to read what people have already posted.

Also, this may be a foreign subject to you, but google the definition of the word "Research".

 

[Daniel_K]

One particular oddity is wilsons idea to wrap certain families up with completely different frame types. This may or may not apply to you but the steam originally came in a bunch of different versions.

steam 95
steam pro (95)
steam 96
steam 99
steam 99s
steam 100
steam 105
steam 105s

the 95 and steam pro, as well as newer steam 96 were all decedents of the older Hammer wilson racquets, which themselves evolved into the wilson tour racquets before turning into the steams.

And you think that it confusing?

the steams in 99, 99s, 100 and 105/105s were actually pretty close to the wilson juice line. Except the juice pro 96, which was a closer racquet to the wilson tour line, but used a different mod from the tours.

The 3 95 versions of the steam (95, pro and 96 [which i believe is a 95 tour mod as i have compared to several version of the tour]) were repackaged and are now closest to the new burn 95, which has no similarities to the new burn 100, 100s. The burn 100 team is an older wilson racquet with the newer burn paint job, hence the power poles of whatever they are called. And the standard burn line and the burn FST line share nothing in common between them besides a name.

what can you take away from this?
well a couple things, one is that you really need to research when you buy a wilson frame. The steam line was always marketed to major spin and power... but if you did your research you would find 3 versions , and 2 in particular that decended from some of the most popular Wilson tour and hammer racquets ever made, nothing like their 99s 105s brothers.

another thing is not to discount older wilson racquets. You could go out and buy the very newest version of the wilson burn 95. yes its on sale right now for 120, but i bet when the 95 CV drops it won't be. It doesnt play radically differently from any of the previous wilson tour, or even hammer racquets. same with the blade line. you can pick up very very cheap new wilson blades on the bay that play similar, if not better than the newer CV version. Not much has really changed in the way that wilson manufactures its racquets, even if they have "new versions" rolling out every year. They are really banking on consumers not taking the time to realize that are really buying the same product year after year.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Used Wilson Blades are $110 on Bay.
Not sure if that what you mean by cheap.
Seems expensive considering a new one might be like $150

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Blade is head heavy?
Based on RESEARCH, that is bad for arm.
So, why would anyone use HH ?

I guess Blade is out for me.

I can hit pretty hard. No way like a beginner.
But, I am 3.5, so hardly an expert.
HH is for beginners, so I need HL?
Stick with Pro Staff over Blade?

 

[Daniel_K]

Blade is closer to even balance, but even the blade is not head heavy.

I would disregard that head heavy is bad for the arm. Of course it can be, but anything can be bad if used improperly. Manufacturers mess with balance combined with layup and weight to make the racquet. These result in differences in frames, but these differences are what give a racquet it's appeal.

Have you looked at Yonex racquets? The Dr 100/ dr98 were some of those easiest racquets to use i have ever tried.

The blade can be used by beginners. But it's much more potent in the arms of a more experienced player.

Of the blade or prostaff to me it's a toss up. I liked both, but you may not. Try to demo racquets for at least a week to avoid taking one up on just a few hours "honeymoon phase"

 

[kingcheetah]

Except the juice pro 96, which was a closer racquet to the wilson tour line, but used a different mod from the tours.

That was a fun racquet but I think Wilson doomed it by giving it the Argentina-style paint job and marketing it with a pure drive wannabe.

 

[kingcheetah]

I agree with Daniel K, in my personal experience (no real history of arm issues) stiffness is going to be a far bigger factor than balance, provided your strokes are relatively technically sound. I currently use the newest blade, and it's pretty soft on the arm, given my usual string setups.

As a general rule- Weight= stability, mass in head (ie, head heavier) gives more stability and power, head light = maneuverability. Mass is great until it leads you to modify your strokes and risk injury, so the key is to find a racquet you can comfortably swing for the length of a match.

 

[CopolyX]

 

[JonnyAbs]

Blade is head heavy?
Based on RESEARCH, that is bad for arm.
So, why would anyone use HH ?

I guess Blade is out for me.

I can hit pretty hard. No way like a beginner.
But, I am 3.5, so hardly an expert.
HH is for beginners, so I need HL?
Stick with Pro Staff over Blade?

You have over a thousand posts but you don't know some of this basic stuff?

Blade is not head heavy. It is just barely head light, but it still feels sluggish and heavy in the head. It is not bad for your arm though.

 

[kabrac]

Blade is head heavy?
Based on RESEARCH, that is bad for arm.
So, why would anyone use HH ?

I guess Blade is out for me.

I can hit pretty hard. No way like a beginner.
But, I am 3.5, so hardly an expert.
HH is for beginners, so I need HL?
Stick with Pro Staff over Blade?

Head heavy is not just for beginners. Some of the pros, once they get done tinkering with their setup, some of them use head heavy balanced racquets. I find head heavy really helps the racquet face come thru contact and gives you a better follow thru. Even though I mostly use head light, I do see the benefits of head heavy because I have used both and could switch between the two easily.

 

[frank52]

Any that is particularly not arm friendly?

I demoed the Wilson Burn 100 CV and found it very arm friendly. The play and specs are nearly a match to my older Wilson Pro Open 100. However, unlike the Pro Open 100, the Burn 100 CV did not transmit shock on off-centered hits, even using full poly. A nice stable racket.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

What is the "word" on Pro Staff?
Is the Pro Staff only for experts?
Is it a wrong racket for a 3.5 ?

 

[Sirius Black]

What is the "word" on Pro Staff?
Is the Pro Staff only for experts?
Is it a wrong racket for a 3.5 ?

Yes. You cannot physically wield it unless you're a pro. It's like Thor's hammer. It knows.

Hence Pro. Staff.

 

[Daniel_K]

its a fine racquet for a 3.5. it won't turn you into federer though.

 

[JonnyAbs]

What is the "word" on Pro Staff?
Is the Pro Staff only for experts?
Is it a wrong racket for a 3.5 ?

Now I definitely think you are trolling

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

Nope, serious question. No one I know plays 95 inch head. I almost never hear it recommended here

 

[Daniel_K]

nobody uses a prince TT95?

 

[kingcheetah]

Nope, serious question. No one I know plays 95 inch head. I almost never hear it recommended here

A part of that is there aren't as many produced as in the past-- when the six one was popular, you saw 95" racquets EVERYWHERE. These days, guys like the forgiveness/spin potential of a slightly larger headsize (98"-100"), and can add weight if they want a heftier racquet.

 

[TimeToPlaySets]

I prefer a larger head for more spin and more power.
So, it looks like Pro Staff is not for me, at only 90.
90 gives little power and spin, and I'm not at that level.

 

[WillisAU]

The pro staff is a 97. You'll find that power and spin are determined more by other factors rather than head size alone (age. Talking about the difference between 90-100). Mostly string type and tension, but also string pattern, especially for spin. Technique being equal that is....

From my own research the Pro staff 97 seems like a good intermediate to advanced player racquet. It's not super stiff like a power tweeter frame nor is it as flexy as a players frame. It has a smaller head size than tweeners but a more open string pattern than players frames (usually18x20) so to me it seems like a real tweener to bridge the gap between your pure drive/APD and a more demanding frame, eg ps90, prince tt95, prestige 18x20.

 

[TennisHound]

I prefer a larger head for more spin and more power.
So, it looks like Pro Staff is not for me, at only 90.
90 gives little power and spin, and I'm not at that level.

While string patterns play a role, I'm not sure what you mean about "a racquet gives. . .spin"?

Do your mom and dad know that ur up on your phone? How old are you?

 

[Daniel_K]

some frames are just inherently more powerful, and more spin friendly.

 

[TennisHound]

some frames are just inherently more powerful, and more spin friendly.

Oh okay, now I understand. The frames have spin built iinnn to them. Got it. Good point, man.

 

[Daniel_K]

think aero pro drive or steam 99s. Very powerful, very spin friendly. You do sacrifice control though. The frame doesn't have "spin built in" but the whole design of the frame is to hit a lot of spin off of nearly every stroke.

 

[TennisHound]

think aero pro drive or steam 99s. Very powerful, very spin friendly. You do sacrifice control though. The frame doesn't have "spin built in" but the whole design of the frame is to hit a lot of spin off of nearly every stroke.

I'm amazed at the knowledge on the forum today.

You do realize most of this thread is a joke, right?

 

[Daniel_K]

I'm amazed at the knowledge on the forum today.

Its all open to discussion or rebuttal

 

[TennisHound]

No, I want to understand the differences in rackets.
Please answer the questions.

Blade is head heavy?
Based on RESEARCH, that is bad for arm.
So, why would anyone use HH ?

I guess Blade is out for me.

I can hit pretty hard. No way like a beginner.
But, I am 3.5, so hardly an expert.
HH is for beginners, so I need HL?
Stick with Pro Staff over Blade?

What year of racquet, what string, what grip, what stroke, what modifications have been made, what specs are you at with each? What string tension? How old are you? How long have you been playing? Are you more of a Dennis Van de Meer, Vic Braden, or Boliterri type of player? Who have you patterned your strokes after? What grip do you use on fh and bh? Ohbh or thbh?

 

[Bender]

What is the "word" on Pro Staff?
Is the Pro Staff only for experts?
Is it a wrong racket for a 3.5 ?

Yes. You cannot physically wield it unless you're a pro. It's like Thor's hammer. It knows.

Hence Pro. Staff.

That's not true. For example, the more 3.0-3.5 and armchair expert you are, the more likely that you'll swear by the RF97A.

 

[TennisHound]

What is the "word" on Pro Staff?
Is the Pro Staff only for experts?
Is it a wrong racket for a 3.5 ?

Do you mean, Can a caveman (moron) like yourself play with it? lol

 

[Tour_G]

It's just another Nostradamus/Fedace.

What I told you guys?

 

[Hollymtennis]

I am currently looking for a new racket,I’ve been playing tennis for about 9 months now and am looking for a better racket as I’m progressing as a player. I don’t play matches but I play with my friends and have a coaching session every week. I am currently playing with a cheap Wilson and am wondering which racket will give me more power and spin. Thanks

 

[James Goldstein]

I am currently looking for a new racket,I’ve been playing tennis for about 9 months now and am looking for a better racket as I’m progressing as a player. I don’t play matches but I play with my friends and have a coaching session every week. I am currently playing with a cheap Wilson and am wondering which racket will give me more power and spin. Thanks

I recently got back into tennis and just purchased a Burn 100S and demoed Pro Staff and Blade. Progressing is a little vague, do you know if you're 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, etc.?

To add to this whole thread: The Pro Staff and Blade are not forgiving racquets and to me are very different from the Burn. The head shape is different and the 3 sq. in. can make a big difference. The Burn is a pretty forgiving racquet that's probably good for 3.5 and above that takes decent cuts. It has more power than the other two, and it is stiffer. There are probably way too many people playing with the RF simply because RF plays with it. In addition to being strong, you need to have better coordination and control than with a more forgiving racquet like the Burn 100S. If you're 3.5 or lower, you could even consider a larger, more powerful racquet.

The best thing to do is demo racquets.

 

[Karma Tennis]

I am currently looking for a new racket,I’ve been playing tennis for about 9 months now and am looking for a better racket as I’m progressing as a player. I don’t play matches but I play with my friends and have a coaching session every week. I am currently playing with a cheap Wilson and am wondering which racket will give me more power and spin. Thanks

The only thing that will give you significantly more power and spin at the moment is working on your stroke technique. More lessons and hitting more tennis balls on the court.

IMO, stick with your existing racquet for another 9 months and then consider a new racquet and string combination. Racquets and strings are not magic bullets for players who are in the early stages of development. If you feel that you need a new racquet, seek out a decent Racquet technician and in combination with your coach you can find a racquet and string combo that will suit your game at its current stage of development and provide a bit of headroom for you moving forward for the next couple of years.

Power POTENTIAL and Spin POTENTIAL can be realised with appropriate racquet and string combination. Notice I said POTENTIAL. In spite of what you might have heard, racquets and string don't magically create appropriate power and spin. The player has to have the correct stroke technique to generate that. Good Luck on your journey.

 

[albertobra]

Can someone summarize the supposed difference?
Does 1 or 2 sq.in. make any difference whatsoever?

Pro Staff
16x19
97

Burn
18x16
100

Blade
16x19
18x16 (S)
98

Steam
16x15
99

And the Ultra, the blue one? I think Wilson is on a mission to make us crazy!

 

[Hollymtennis]

I recently got back into tennis and just purchased a Burn 100S and demoed Pro Staff and Blade. Progressing is a little vague, do you know if you're 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, etc.?

To add to this whole thread: The Pro Staff and Blade are not forgiving racquets and to me are very different from the Burn. The head shape is different and the 3 sq. in. can make a big difference. The Burn is a pretty forgiving racquet that's probably good for 3.5 and above that takes decent cuts. It has more power than
I am a 3.5

I recently got back into tennis and just purchased a Burn 100S and demoed Pro Staff and Blade. Progressing is a little vague, do you know if you're 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, etc.?

To add to this whole thread: The Pro Staff and Blade are not forgiving racquets and to me are very different from the Burn. The head shape is different and the 3 sq. in. can make a big difference. The Burn is a pretty forgiving racquet that's probably good for 3.5 and above that takes decent cuts. It has more power than the other two, and it is stiffer. There are probably way too many people playing with the RF simply because RF plays with it. In addition to being strong, you need to have better coordination and control than with a more forgiving racquet like the Burn 100S. If you're 3.5 or lower, you could even consider a larger, more powerful racquet.

The best thing to do is demo racquets.

I am a 3.5