Wilson x RF Aug 8, 2024

mk3alex10 said:
Hoping for some advice...below are my choices for an RF 01. I prefer strung sw to be in the 315-320 range. What would you go with? I prefer to not have to add lead and just play stock. I'm leaning toward 5 or 8. My concern is I don't want to end up with something too tip heavy and have it feel like a blade balance, but also want enough SW to have stability. Do these tapered beam racquets swing faster than a standard box beam at same SW? So say a 290sw RF 01 vs same blade the RF would swing faster and feel more maneuverable?

I usually string with16g gut/poly hybrid.

Thanks,

R1- Weight: 300g Balance: 10 pts Swing weight: 277 kg*sq. cm
R2- Weight: 300g Balance: 9 pts Swing weight: 280 kg*sq. cm
R3- Weight: 299g Balance: 9 pts Swing weight: 278 kg*sq. cm
R4- Weight: 305g Balance: 7 pts Swing weight: 293 kg*sq. cm
R5- Weight: 300g Balance: 7 pts Swing weight: 290 kg*sq. cm
R6- Weight: 301g Balance: 10 pts Swing weight: 280 kg*sq. cm
R7- Weight: 305g Balance: 10 pts Swing weight: 282 kg*sq. cm
R8- Weight: 300g Balance: 8 pts Swing weight: 284 kg*sq. cm
Click to expand...
It seems from many peoples comments of the RF01, is that it is too light and need additional lead in the head. If that is the case, you might be better off going with the higher SW racket.

With that being said, if you are looking for closely matched rackets, R2, R3 and R6 and maybe R1 are in a similar spec.
If you are just looking for 1 racket, and not planning to add any lead, maybe the R4 is a better choice.
 
It’s hard to take some of the reviews seriously when the SW on the RF01 is a joke which, coupled with the extremely low TW, gives the appearance that this racquet is close to unplayable in stock form. I guess it makes sense what people are saying about it having a small sweetspot. The fix is obviously adding 5-10gr at 3/9 but when you do that and counter balance with lead on the handle you get into the RF01 pro territory which isn’t what people who chose the RF01 are after.
On the other hand there’s the blade 98 (18x20 for a comparable density although the 16x19 also works for the purpose of the point I’m trying to make) which at the end of the day is only 305gr and ready to play in stock form.
 
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what_army said:
It’s hard to take some of the reviews seriously when the SW on the RF01 is a joke. When you add an extremely low TW the racquet appears mostly unplayable on stock form. I guess it makes sense what people are saying about small sweetspot. The fix is obviously adding 5-10gr at 3/9 but when you do that and counter balance with lead on the handle you get into the RF01 pro territory which isn’t what people who chose the RF01 are after.
On the other hand there’s the blade 98 (18x20 for a comparable density although the 16x19 also works for the purpose of the point I’m trying to make) which at the end of the day is only 305gr and ready to play in stock form.
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You review what you get but such head light rackets only work with high static and swing weight to get that plow.
The feel is nice, its definitely a Wilson feel, the throat of the racket is narrower than that of the blade 100 and shift so its easier to handle with the off hand for the one hander.
I’m changing the head lynx tour to something more lively and adding 2-4 grams more at 3-9.
 
mk3alex10 said:
Hoping for some advice...below are my choices for an RF 01. I prefer strung sw to be in the 315-320 range. What would you go with? I prefer to not have to add lead and just play stock. I'm leaning toward 5 or 8. My concern is I don't want to end up with something too tip heavy and have it feel like a blade balance, but also want enough SW to have stability. Do these tapered beam racquets swing faster than a standard box beam at same SW? So say a 290sw RF 01 vs same blade the RF would swing faster and feel more maneuverable?

I usually string with16g gut/poly hybrid.

Thanks,

R1- Weight: 300g Balance: 10 pts Swing weight: 277 kg*sq. cm
R2- Weight: 300g Balance: 9 pts Swing weight: 280 kg*sq. cm
R3- Weight: 299g Balance: 9 pts Swing weight: 278 kg*sq. cm
R4- Weight: 305g Balance: 7 pts Swing weight: 293 kg*sq. cm
R5- Weight: 300g Balance: 7 pts Swing weight: 290 kg*sq. cm
R6- Weight: 301g Balance: 10 pts Swing weight: 280 kg*sq. cm
R7- Weight: 305g Balance: 10 pts Swing weight: 282 kg*sq. cm
R8- Weight: 300g Balance: 8 pts Swing weight: 284 kg*sq. cm
Click to expand...
I picked R5 (300g static weight, 7 pts HL, & 290 unstrung SW). Strung with 16g Babolat VS Touch main and 16g RPM blast cross and final specs are 319g, 4pts HL, 321 SW. I’ll have it tomorrow and will let you guys know how it plays.
 
lidoazndiabloboi said:
I would suggest throwing 2-3grams at 12 on the RF01P. My specs were similar to yours, and after adding a little lead, it played completely different. Even with that, it still comes through much faster than the RF97, so there is adjustment period.
For reference, I am also a RF97 user, and I have a PS97v14 Noir which I have customized to be heavier.
Click to expand...
Will try adding 1g to 3 and 9 today just because I feel it's torsionally less stable than both the ps97 and rf97. I will play around with some lead at 12 too later.
 
It would be interesting to hear how an over spec 01 compares to an under spec Pro with similar swingweights in the 320-325ish range.
 
kblades said:
It would be interesting to hear how an over spec 01 compares to an under spec Pro with similar swingweights in the 320-325ish range.
Click to expand...
This is my next step when I get back out on the court tomorrow. The regular 01 isn't bad, but in stock form (if I were looking at buying an Ezone 98 or PA98, I would also want to throw this in the mix). But I feel like it plays so much different than my demo Pro (and not just less plow). I've added about 7g total at 3 & 9 to bump the swing weight up to 325 to match, although the balance between the two is about 3-4pts different.
 
lidoazndiabloboi said:
Is that the highest SW that we seen on a RF01?
Click to expand...
Ok. I string it up with Luxilon ALU Power Rough 17g and Klip Legend Natural Gut and Swingweight is at 325. Gonna hit with it stock before adding lead.

As a frame of reference Inplay with Blade Pros 18x20 and the swingweight are 340.
 
Played with the RF01 300g tonight for about 2h. 303.7g unstrung, don't know the other specs, but didn't feel too light in the head.
Added 2g of lead at 12 as I do with any frame between 300-305g. Strung it with Gosen G Tour 3 1.28 at 48lbs.

As of late my main racquet has been the Head Radical Pro Auxetic, but I had been also trying out the Dunlop FX500 Tour to go lighter and get more forgiveness. I'm a 4.5 USTA.

The RF01 is basically a FX500 Tour that has been foam filled and plays with more consistency. My only gripe with the Dunlop was that the stringbed is too open and feels very erratic at times. To me the RF01 feels more precise all the while giving you tons of spin and easy power. I was actually shocked at how similar these two frames felt in hand.

Ultimately the RF01 is absolutely staying in the bag for more testing. Most noticeable improvement was on my returns. Absolutely amazing on the OHBH. Felt solid overall with lots of easy power yet great control. Very maneuverable.

Will probably try to string it with a thinner gauge poly and see how that goes since the center mains are VERY tight.
 
i heard this racket loses ton of power and contron on Off center hits ? that means its no good. most players hit off center
 
skip11 said:
Yes. At least the pro does. The power drops a lot on off center hits.
Click to expand...
So why did they get rid of that PWS system in the head,, entire purpose of that thing was to make the sweet spot little bit bigger... but they got rid of it on this racket :unsure:
 
BarryG said:
I just purchased the Pro. My tennis shop said all the 300’s came in under spec with 306 swing weights.
Click to expand...
The demo I just got from TW is 308 and the pro is 320. Both 10 points lighter than the avg. Honestly, the swing weights are what I was expecting / worried about when I saw the specs. Kind of a useless demo. 308 is pretty much unplayable.
 
I hit with the RF 01 on night for about 45 mins.

Initial thoughts:
Ball flight was definitely low and about where it is for my blade pro 18x20. It plays more like an 18 then a 16.

FH was good. I was getting good depth. Maneuverability was good. Flattening was nice. Was a bit clunky on off center hits but didn’t lose a ton of power

My 2 handed BH really shined. It was just easier. Even off center hits were good.

Slice was ok but I was tired so will revisit tomorrow or Thursday.

Serves were very nice. Way more pop than my Blade Pro. Kick was super nice. Slice as well. Big improvement here.

Volleys were solid. Not spectacular.

I was hitting with my wife who is about a 4.0. I need to get out an hit with one of my 4.5 guys and see how it holds up.

My racquet string with a thin overground 1 point HL. With my Blade Pros I put putty in the Handle and lead at 10 and 2. I am going to play this stock a couple of more times before leading it up.

Bottom line so far. Way more responsive than the regular blade. A bit clunkier imo than a PS 97 V 14. However, it’s more stable. Would I consider replacing my BPs. Well if my serve is much better and my volleys are there maybe.
 
Dishiki said:
I hit with the RF 01 on night for about 45 mins.

Initial thoughts:
Ball flight was definitely low and about where it is for my blade pro 18x20. It plays more like an 18 then a 16.

FH was good. I was getting good depth. Maneuverability was good. Flattening was nice. Was a bit clunky on off center hits but didn’t lose a ton of power

My 2 handed BH really shined. It was just easier. Even off center hits were good.

Slice was ok but I was tired so will revisit tomorrow or Thursday.

Serves were very nice. Way more pop than my Blade Pro. Kick was super nice. Slice as well. Big improvement here.

Volleys were solid. Not spectacular.

I was hitting with my wife who is about a 4.0. I need to get out an hit with one of my 4.5 guys and see how it holds up.

My racquet string with a thin overground 1 point HL. With my Blade Pros I put putty in the Handle and lead at 10 and 2. I am going to play this stock a couple of more times before leading it up.

Bottom line so far. Way more responsive than the regular blade. A bit clunkier imo than a PS 97 V 14. However, it’s more stable. Would I consider replacing my BPs. Well if my serve is much better and my volleys are there maybe.
Click to expand...
Thanks, interesting review especially about the low ball flight and on serves. Not surprised that the RF01 feels more responsive than the Blade Pro 18x20, given their very different SW. How about the feel, comparing to the Blade Pro?
 
10sGearHead said:
The demo I just got from TW is 308 and the pro is 320. Both 10 points lighter than the avg. Honestly, the swing weights are what I was expecting / worried about when I saw the specs. Kind of a useless demo. 308 is pretty much unplayable.
Click to expand...
for such a gigantic new release/over the top hype of a brand new collaboration, the infamous Wilson QC is letting it down……!!!!!

Doesn’t really inspire confidence, and I “was” very tempted to pull a Pro version, even though not a Pro Staff/RF fan.

In saying that, this will still sell like hot cakes, anyway. lol.
 
WalC2019 said:
Thanks, interesting review especially about the low ball flight and on serves. Not surprised that the RF01 feels more responsive than the Blade Pro 18x20, given their very different SW. How about the feel, comparing to the Blade Pro?
Click to expand...
Blade Pro is plush to me with great pocketing. I have played with it for four years despite the fact that I don’t generate enough on my serves.

So far RF 01 is stiffer more boardy. As a flat hitter with a barely eastern grip I found I had to really force myself to think about spin and net clearance to create a deep ball. The BP does that naturally for me.

I will know more Thursday after hitting with a buddy
 
Update 3 on the Pro:

1. 6 hours gut/poly. I cut the gut, didn’t snap it, was playing a bit flatter until I learned more about the frame stylistically. I figured out how to get it to play the way I want consistently. Hard driving topspin but defense bounce high topspin when needed. Gut got way too launchy for the amount of power this frame has very quickly.

2 Restrung it with restring zero mains and sync crosses, my go to poly @ 46/44. Just wanted to be safe first time in a full bed of poly given RA.

3. Definitely sticking with my poly, I lost little if any power but the bite, angles I opened, enhanced control were noticeably better. I don’t think I’m changing tension either. Maybe 1LB on hot days.

4. I’m pushing opponents back with pace or spin or both on ground strokes . Kick serve is coming with pace and head high jump on 6 foot opponents.

5. I’m not feeling any lack of stability or wobble even when off center. Have hit with four different partners and 2x were big hitters. My SW with dampener is 327, Static with OG and dampener 346 and bal approximately 31.7/.8. 1HBH and slice are spot on as expected and there hasn’t been anything off putting.

I’ve been in a racket testing whirlwind for a very long time. This frame, for me, required a little adjustment as much as I liked it day 1. Unlocking this frame requires emphasis on closed face technique, more so than other frames I feel. But when doing so, frame performs well, consistent, good shape and margin, precise and it puts an emphasis on put away shots. So far so good.

Final comment, I think the one commonality that I can say it shares with the Pro Staff is if you have the game, the frames can do some high level stuff in their respective ways.

Starting to gel with the Pro’s characteristics.
 
JEDI MASTER said:
I added 4g at the head.. and got my 01 to around 323SW
Click to expand...
Thanks ! What was your strung SW to begin with ? Yours was also quite underspec if I recall correctly. Did you counterbalance at the grip ?
Planning on giving it a play as is (at 303.5g) and then either customizing upwards (though would probably need a fair bit of weight for that) or just going for the RF01P.
 
Dishiki said:
Blade Pro is plush to me with great pocketing. I have played with it for four years despite the fact that I don’t generate enough on my serves.

So far RF 01 is stiffer more boardy. As a flat hitter with a barely eastern grip I found I had to really force myself to think about spin and net clearance to create a deep ball. The BP does that naturally for me.

I will know more Thursday after hitting with a buddy
Click to expand...
Very helpful, thanks!
 
Does anyone know what difference in weight between the RF01 and RF01 Pro is, if their respective grips are taken out?

I understand that the Pro uses a leather grip, and the RF01 uses a rubber grip. Leather grips add at least 10g more


I'm thinking of changing the rubber grip of my Rf01 to a leather grip. Will that put it closer to Rf01 Pro territory?
 
nawoo said:
Does anyone know what difference in weight between the RF01 and RF01 Pro is, if their respective grips are taken out?

I understand that the Pro uses a leather grip, and the RF01 uses a rubber grip. Leather grips add at least 10g more


I'm thinking of changing the rubber grip of my Rf01 to a leather grip. Will that put it closer to Rf01 Pro territory?
Click to expand...
The swingweight and the twistweight are different. The additional weight in the Pro is clearly not only in handle!
 
nawoo said:
Does anyone know what difference in weight between the RF01 and RF01 Pro is, if their respective grips are taken out?

I understand that the Pro uses a leather grip, and the RF01 uses a rubber grip. Leather grips add at least 10g more


I'm thinking of changing the rubber grip of my Rf01 to a leather grip. Will that put it closer to Rf01 Pro territory?
Click to expand...
All these talk about weight differences, but the SW, TW and RA would still be different. Unless you are keen to mod/match the SW and TW as well, but not the RA. lol
 
I am thinking about my hitting last night a bit more.

As a comparison this is what I had:

RF 01
Static Weight 321
Swingweight 325
Twistweight 12 ish
Balance 1 point HL (it is almost dead even)

Blade Pro 18x20
Static Weight 338
Swingweight 340
Twistweight will measure tonight
Balance 4 points HL
My BP has putty in the buttcap and lead at 10 and 2.

FH comparison: BP has this by a mile. I can pretty much hit any shot with it. Heavy spin, flat, short angle, slice, you name it. It feels like an extension of my arm. I never have to swing full out, but can if needed. I am an old shcool player so I have a barely Eastern FH grip. I usually have about 2 feetof net clearance (I play doubles primarily), but can increase it as needed. With the RF 01, my ball flight was noticebaly lower. But it was nice in that even at such a low ball flight I was getting shape to clear the net. High Balls were fine, and I was gettimg more free power than with the BP. Off center hits on both racquets you lose power, but I wouldn't say that there was a noticeable difference.

BH comparison: RF01 here. It felt great. I have a 2 hander and I am a pull hitter so my BH has always been weaker of my strokes. On this I was getting depth with ease, good power and good height clearance. The ball flight on this wing was higher than with my BP. I did not attempt too many slices so not sure from that perspective. I felt really confident hitting on this wing.

Net Play: The BP does not really shine at net IMO. You have to work because the sweet spot feels like the size of a golf ball. Your feet and timing have to be impeccable. The sweet spot on the RF is definitely bigger. In fact the head size feels bigger. It feels more like a Clash/Shift style mold then a Blade/Pro Staff style. Volleys were crisp. Even though the racquet is significantly lighter, I did find my racquet dipping every now and then because of the balance point. But no issues here, and I would give the edge to the RF 01.

Serves: The racquet really shines on serves. I am a high face hitter meaning I usually hit my serves closer to the upper hoop. I was hitting bombs, kicks, slices. Aced my wife about 7 times and she is a good mover and usually gets a racquet on the ball. Definite upgrade from the BP.

Feel: The BP owns this category. In a word it is comfortable. The RF felt stiff and at times clunky. For being 17 g lighter and 15 g SW less, it felt clunkier at times, and actually harder to swing through the air. I am sure the balance point is affecting my perception here.

I am going to hit with it stock on Thursday, then lead it up halfway through and see the difference. Both racquets are strung with Lux ALU Pwr Rough/ and Natural Gut at 47/45. I want to try to get the balance point like my blades so will probably add putty. Or I might throw a leather grip on and see what happens. I like that the SW and static are pretty low so that I can fiddle around with it.

So quick recap:
Pros: BH, Serve
Cons: Clunky a bit and feels heavy, not a huge fan of the thicker beam, and the rubber grip is atrocious (it looks pink).

I will have more feedback Thursday or Friday.
 
I got the RF 01 and, for me, it feels like it needs a bit more weight. I'm in a situation where I'm not able to demo racquets so could anyone give me a rough guide about how much lead to add to 3, 9 and 12 and the handle to get it close to 01 Pro specs. I'm planning to add a leather grip and a bunch of weight and work backwards from there, removing weight until I get it close to something I'd prefer. I know it's probably difficult without weighing my own racquet etc but I'd appreciate anyone's advice.
 
Iv heard so far lead at 12 1-2g transforms the pro

I wonder if PTP will go well in it with lead at 3 and 9 too

Paint quality is rubbish

I could not hit a forehand well at all with the Rf pro

The backhand was decent two handed
 
topangasun said:
I got the RF 01 and, for me, it feels like it needs a bit more weight. I'm in a situation where I'm not able to demo racquets so could anyone give me a rough guide about how much lead to add to 3, 9 and 12 and the handle to get it close to 01 Pro specs. I'm planning to add a leather grip and a bunch of weight and work backwards from there, removing weight until I get it close to something I'd prefer. I know it's probably difficult without weighing my own racquet etc but I'd appreciate anyone's advice.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't add a leather grip unless you are already used to heavy rackets. I would just add weight on the head at 3-9 and 12.
 
topangasun said:
I got the RF 01 and, for me, it feels like it needs a bit more weight. I'm in a situation where I'm not able to demo racquets so could anyone give me a rough guide about how much lead to add to 3, 9 and 12 and the handle to get it close to 01 Pro specs. I'm planning to add a leather grip and a bunch of weight and work backwards from there, removing weight until I get it close to something I'd prefer. I know it's probably difficult without weighing my own racquet etc but I'd appreciate anyone's advice.
Click to expand...
The swingweight on the RF01 is around 315 strung on average so you’ll need to add 5-7gr at 3/9 to match the pro.
 
esm said:
All these talk about weight differences, but the SW, TW and RA would still be different. Unless you are keen to mod/match the SW and TW as well, but not the RA. lol
Click to expand...
Ya, it feels like a completely different layup. I tried to match my demos as close as possible, but I can't get the balance quite there (the RF 01 is way more head heavy while being under spec than the Pro). I added what I could in the handle to counterbalance the 7.5g at 3 & 9, but I didn't want to wrap it w/ lead b/c the padding on the grip was already very thick, moreso than on my Shifts.
 
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Sorry if this was posted already, but great video comparing all RF models to comparable racquets with data on power, spin, etc. Blade 98 does well guessing because it's more head heavy.

 
Played some dubs with the RF01 last night - because it came in under-spec at 311sw, I added lead at 10 and 2 to get it up to 320, and 4 grams of putty under the butt cap to get the balance to around 32cm or 7 pts head light. I will say that I enjoyed it more than I did the Pro version (which was also underspec at 320sw but I didn't modify that one) - easier to maneuver and it felt good in the hand. Some thoughts:
  • spin was easy, and depth was okay but I felt the power was still underwhelming
  • stability and forgiveness on off center shots was better than the pro I used
  • serves were just okay - I had to work pretty hard to get the same level of power and spin I can get with the blade
  • comfort - the RA is lower than the pro, and I could feel the difference in flex, I felt that this took away from the directness and power that I was expecting, and after a two hour session my arm was a little sore, probably due to having to work harder to compensate for the lower power/flex
I do like the feel of these racquets, and I'm sure I could get it to work (at least the RF01 I could - the pro was too cumbersome and lacked maneuverability, stability, and forgiveness for me), but I don't see this as a big upgrade from something that's just easier to play with, like the Blade v9 98 16x19, which to me offers easier depth, spin, comfort, and stability. I'm sure some will love it, but it isn't the game changer it's hyped to be.
 
Got demos of all 3 models, hitting tonight and tomorrow. No way to measure sw but as usual the balances were too head heavy compared to TW specs but static weights not bad.

Pro 339g 32.3cm (multi)
Standard 315g 32.7cm (multi)
Future 295g 33.3cm (poly)
 
Kokobear said:
Thanks ! What was your strung SW to begin with ? Yours was also quite underspec if I recall correctly. Did you counterbalance at the grip ?
Planning on giving it a play as is (at 303.5g) and then either customizing upwards (though would probably need a fair bit of weight for that) or just going for the RF01P.
Click to expand...
yea.. unstrung mine came it at 280SW
I didn't counterbalance..
it actually played pretty good.
 
Contributing some additional data points to the thread. I impulse bought a batch of 4 Pro's from Wilson directly with the intent of measuring and sending back the ones I choose not to keep. Interestingly, 3 of them turned out to be pretty close, but all 3 of those have silicone added into one chamber of the grip. The one that is slightly heavier has foam in both chambers. Which leads me to believe the reason those 3 are so close is because they came in under spec, then Wilson injected them with silicone to bring them within the acceptable QC range. I know Wilson has had a history of doing this in different frames over the years, but just thought I would mention it. The measurements below are with the plastic still on the grip but without the cardboard placard.

Here are the measurements of the one that didn't have any silicone in the grip:
Static: 324.0g
Balance: 31.5cm/9HL
SW: 300

Here are the 3 that had silicone:
#1
Static: 321.0g
Balance: 31.2cm/10HL
SW: 292
#2
Static: 321.8g
Balance: 31.1cm/10HL
SW: 294
#3
Static: 320.6g
Balance: 31.4cm/9HL
SW: 295
 
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Although, now I'm debating whether to keep any of them after reading more reviews since purchasing them. I've been switching back and forth between the PA98 and GPro, so when the initial reports came out I thought this may be the perfect blend of the qualities I enjoy most from those two frames without the negatives. However, there seems to be a lot of reports coming in now around the erratic response off the stringbed and unpredictability depending on where on the string bed you make contact that has me second guessing.
 
kblades said:
Although, now I'm debating whether to keep any of them after reading more reviews since purchasing them. I've been switching back and forth between the PA98 and GPro, so when the initial reports came out I thought this may be the perfect blend of the qualities I enjoy most from those two frames without the negatives. However, there seems to be a lot of reports coming in now around the erratic response off the stringbed and unpredictability depending on where on the string bed you make contact that has me second guessing.
Click to expand...

You will have to try for yourself. I learned not to trust reviews from TTW or anywhere else a long time ago. If the racket "speaks to you" - demo it OR buy and resell for a $50 or so loss in case doesnt work. Some of the reviews are SUPER SUSPECT - both the overwhelming positive and negative ones. Some reviewers are trying to make a "name" for themselves using the RF as a vehicle seems like, with marginal technique and even more suspect word choices

Roger is not going to attach his name to a POS, that I am sure. No Im not buying an RF01.

5dbwxl.jpg
 
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