Wilson x RF Aug 8, 2024
- Thread starter zettavaska
- Start date
Soundmouse
New User
So after a month I finally got to hit with it, mine (PRO) is strung with champions choice ( gut main @23,5kg, cross @22,5kg ), with no dampener just an overgrip, and my first impression is what is this ?!
1. After only 25 minutes or so I started feeling pain in my shoulder, never felt that before with any racket, not even with the ProjectOne7 which is known for that so I went back to the RF97A, and the pain is gone
2. When you hit outside of the sweetspot it's indeed meh, it lacks power but not the worst I've seen, on the other hand when you hit the sweet spot, I've only ever seen so much free power from the APD, and it's accurate af.
3. It does kinda feel like a board, and by this I mean it does feel like an APD strung with RPM Blast at 26,5kg, minus the vibrations, I felt none at all. Also no hollow pingy sound, but a nice thock.
4. It swings fast through the air fast and nice, but the feeling is weird because despite that it feels like it's heavier than my RF97A, while being faster?!
5. It really does have a very, very, very low trajectory. I though peoples were exagerating but no, you need time to get accustomed to it, the first hits are surprising.
6. Talking about surprising, It's also surprisingly stable. I was worried it would twist but nop, it didn't at all, it was solid on that front (to be clear, not as much as the RF97A though).
Not gonna lie I'm kinda disapointed, I will either I give it another try next tuesday, or move back to the RF97A or ISO 305, as this is only the second time I disliked a new racket, first one being the ezone 100 2022.
To be clear this time it's not on the racket I think, but instead for the first time I found a racket too hard to play, even though I can play with ease with the RF97A, so I think this one is on me.
With this I could indeed see it being what Roger would've used if he had been able to come back, with his perfect ball striking this would have been a monster since he'd have none of the drawbacks.
1. After only 25 minutes or so I started feeling pain in my shoulder, never felt that before with any racket, not even with the ProjectOne7 which is known for that so I went back to the RF97A, and the pain is gone
2. When you hit outside of the sweetspot it's indeed meh, it lacks power but not the worst I've seen, on the other hand when you hit the sweet spot, I've only ever seen so much free power from the APD, and it's accurate af.
3. It does kinda feel like a board, and by this I mean it does feel like an APD strung with RPM Blast at 26,5kg, minus the vibrations, I felt none at all. Also no hollow pingy sound, but a nice thock.
4. It swings fast through the air fast and nice, but the feeling is weird because despite that it feels like it's heavier than my RF97A, while being faster?!
5. It really does have a very, very, very low trajectory. I though peoples were exagerating but no, you need time to get accustomed to it, the first hits are surprising.
6. Talking about surprising, It's also surprisingly stable. I was worried it would twist but nop, it didn't at all, it was solid on that front (to be clear, not as much as the RF97A though).
Not gonna lie I'm kinda disapointed, I will either I give it another try next tuesday, or move back to the RF97A or ISO 305, as this is only the second time I disliked a new racket, first one being the ezone 100 2022.
To be clear this time it's not on the racket I think, but instead for the first time I found a racket too hard to play, even though I can play with ease with the RF97A, so I think this one is on me.
With this I could indeed see it being what Roger would've used if he had been able to come back, with his perfect ball striking this would have been a monster since he'd have none of the drawbacks.
justinhaughtmd
Rookie
This is everyone’s experience… put it down, play it again in a few days, and you’ll be like “yeah I get it”…
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
1. No pain
2. I didn't really hit outside the sweetspot often enough to know, not bad though. Not even close to tons of free power, I'd reserve that for the Ezone, Vcore, Puredrive etc., has a good swingweight, but not "free power"
3. Very pingy, many vibration like sounds not really actual vibrations per se , has decent feel but nothing close to a Regna or an old RF97, or Percepts..
4. Feels deceivingly light than it's SW and not close to the RF97
5. Average trajectory, in line with most non spin rackets, like Ezone, etc.
6. Yes, solid.
it's decent, but can't really boast at being better than other rackets on the market in my opinion.
No, no way, see above. And this doesn't invalidate @Soundmouse experience, just explaining it's not everyone , not even close.
Same here, the more I play with it the more I like it. But it is for a certain type of player, probably more for classic strokes (?). Last time a hit with it this week it just felt a couldn’t miss a single shot. I switched shortly to PS 6.1 v14 because my hitting partner wanted to try the pro, and I really like that racket as well, but back to the RF pro was just so nice and better. Easier to get some extra juice on the ball, but very precise and nice, at least for me…
dyslexical-scope
Rookie
Always fun watching his tiebreaks with Milan
jackcrawford
Professional
It is a fantasy of several board posters that one needs a frame that weighs 16 ounces, has an RA of 58, and SW of 400 to handle the amazing pace at the 3.0 and above level.
what_army
Professional
I like this review a lot because he can make it look good against the ball machine but when the tiebreak starts and he actually has to hit on the run it quickly becomes apparent that it’s a difficult racquet to play with.
Yikes, he’s missing from all areas of the court and struggling to get balls back with decent pace/spin/depth.
heavyD
Professional
Has there ever been a racquet that elicited so many excuses for simply not being very playable for the masses? If anything this racquet is a prime example of branding and how it can sway the perception of the masses. So many people want to love this frame so much because of the RF factor that they are making excuses for it not really being a great all around racquet. Last week I was hitting with a RF97 user that I hit with weekly who was demoing this and he was beaming the whole time how much he loved it despite the fact that he was hitting the ball poorly compared to his RF97. I get it as people get attached to flashy paint jobs, using the frames of players they idolize, favorite brands, etc, but I had to tell him to demo it longer before pulling the trigger on buying one because his ground strokes weren't nearly as consistent.
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FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
This. Legendary observation. I am less harsh on friends, don't needle them as much as I do on the boards, but I even have a friend that plays 3.5 over 40 usta doubles, that's it, nothing else, and he is adding lead for stability this week to like a generic Head racket tweener. (forgot which one).
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Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Not saying the RFPro is particularly great, or that the RFFuture is bad, but it looks like Nik made the schoolboy-error of starting the review with the lightest racket. As anyone who reads the Classic Racquets forum would know, rule 1.01 of racquet testing is always start with the heaviest / smallest racquet. Otherwise, you just end up miss-timing with the heavier sticks, unless you do a decent break of mini-tennis in between to allow your brain to adapt. In particular, as we all know, launch-angle declines with SW, so you have to adjust that in your strokes.
In fact, his best bet would have been to start with an RF97, then every one of the modern RFs would have felt super easy to manoeuvre, and his concerns about the 01 and Pro manoeuvrability might have never arose. It's like, yes the PS97L was super easy and fun to hit, but most adult males landed on the PS97 given the extra stability and control. Moreover, Nik has a 2HBH, which the RF range is not designed for. I suspect the slice on the RFPro and RF01 is 'better' [more consistent, deep and skiddy] than that on the Future.
It's also important to remember that Nik is looking for a personal stick for his coaching, so easy hitting is his main requirement.
In fact, his best bet would have been to start with an RF97, then every one of the modern RFs would have felt super easy to manoeuvre, and his concerns about the 01 and Pro manoeuvrability might have never arose. It's like, yes the PS97L was super easy and fun to hit, but most adult males landed on the PS97 given the extra stability and control. Moreover, Nik has a 2HBH, which the RF range is not designed for. I suspect the slice on the RFPro and RF01 is 'better' [more consistent, deep and skiddy] than that on the Future.
It's also important to remember that Nik is looking for a personal stick for his coaching, so easy hitting is his main requirement.
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
For perspective I could play with the pro, didn't try the other, if I had to, and have a fun match, not really blame the racket for losing so to speak, it's like a 6 or 7 out of 10 for me.
But, I find some rackets more 10 out of 10. Wilson moved from RF autograph to closer to tweener and get credit from me for making a hgh SW racket seem more normal in SW, but they didn't create a top 10 racket for myself, maybe for someone it is the best, but I bet there aren't that many that will think so. Maybe it needs a few more iterations to become a staple for Wilson.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
That's so silly. On the ladies' side, you don't need that until 3.5. Haha.
I didn't try the Future model ... for me the RF 01 Pro is a semi "collector" racquet to go next to my first gen RF97 that I pull out once in a while, so I wasn't too concerned about the weight. But I did try the Diadem Elevate Lite out of curiosity based on the Essential Tennis review of how usable it was for the weight, and I agreed. Obviously, Ian is sponsored but I was surprised about how he praised the Lite model in particular and I wanted to verify his claims. I also was generally pleased with the Gravity MP that I demoed. It seems like with the newer layups and tech, those light racquets can be very usable although you are definitely gaining maneuverability and swing speed potential rather than the nice, smooth plow-through power of the heavier versions.
Personally, I prefer slightly heavier racquets. That's what I learned to play with in the early days of graphite racquets, and also with age I have lost explosiveness and swing speed more than strength so a slightly heavier and slower racquet suits me. I'm currently using the TF40 315g with just a bit of lead with around a 320 SW for maneuverability and I think it's a happy medium for me.
Alcawrath
Professional
Which one? The RF pro certainly isn't built for the masses. The future and the 300g RF probably are much more playable (haven't tried them yet myself). I wouldn't lump reviews for all three racquets into one generalization because they're so different that it's not useful.
SteveI
Legend
I only play tested the RF01 (300g) and it seems like it might be more playable than Pro from the reviews I have read. The 300 g seems to be a nice platform frame.
heavyD
Professional
The guy I was hitting with was using the pro which I even told him that he should try the regular 01 before settling on the pro. You comment is fair but I haven't seen any review that called any version a game changer. I have never seen a frame being demoed so heavy right now whether it be the future, the tweener, or the pro as I've seen them all in the hands of local players the last month. I'm not even saying the frames are bad but all new racquets these days are generally really good and the hype for this frame is like it's some sort of game changer or something. I'm certainly not a Wilson hater or anything as I have two Blade 100 V9's currently in my bag. I guess this kind of shows just how much the RF brand carries which really is impressive as it's a license to print money for Wilson.
What was the last new frame to come out? The Shift? What was the hype like back then? More than anything, I would think that it's exciting for players and fans that a brand new frame was launched and that it would generate way more interest than the next iteration of any current frame.
lidoazndiabloboi
Hall of Fame
From the latest Wilson video
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
As close to Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan marketing as tennis will ever get.
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
His groundstrokes are terrible. He's not a high level player by any means.
Looks like the retail string pattern right?
From the latest Wilson video
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
Damn! Look at how tight the center mains are.
From the latest Wilson video
Yep, the reason for the like/hate reactions to how this frame plays.Damn! Look at how tight the center mains are.
gino
Legend
reminds me of the spacing on the ultra tour/pro
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
What does a person need to do in tennis to be a high level player in your eyes, top 1000 ATP at least or?
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
They need to have better strokes than he does. That's for sure.
tele
Hall of Fame
Nikola Aracic (2014) - Hall of Fame - Murray State University Athletics
Murray State University Athletics
That’s were the excellent control comes from in a rather powerful stickDamn! Look at how tight the center mains are.
time_fly
Hall of Fame
The guy was a top 40 NCAA division I player. You might not like how his strokes look but they seem to work.
Fighting phoenix
Professional
Dude please, he’s a good player. Doesn’t play a lot competitively anymore, but give me a break.
Tan Tennis
Rookie
I have the RF01 and Ultra Pro in my hand. The spacing of RF01 is way closer on the center mains. Around 10% difference.
Orezap
Rookie
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.
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?
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.
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?
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
The mains are tighter, but the crosses are way more open. What we need is a highly stylish and cultured person to measure the distance for the 11 cross cells around the central cell, and the 9 mains cells around the same central cell, then multiply the numbers together and divide by 99 to give us the average cell size. I wonder if such an elite raconteur exists around here?
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FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Someone loves it...
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
He also loves the Percept 97 (regular) and Gravity ProI think he likes the RF01 Pro
My demo arrives tomorrow
thenewbig3
Semi-Pro
Icsa
Professional
but he didn't tell us how it went
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
I just received my RF01 Pro Demo today. It's actually a brand new racket with the plastic still on the handle. Wow... I'm actually pretty impressed by that. Thanks TW
I'm really excited to get out tomorrow with it. I noticed that it has been freshly strung with a full bed of a string called "Tennis Only Proto P6". Has anyone else had this in there racket when given a demo or when sent one to review? If I were to guess, I'd say that this racket was strung at like 40 lbs. or so. The strings are moving very easily yet snapping back into place really well. And when I smack the racket against my hand and listen for a ping.... it's not pinging at all. It's making a thud sound. I've never heard this sound before. And I've been stringing rackets with all kinds of poly's for about 20 years now. What in the world is this string? Could it be a game changer?
I'm really excited to get out tomorrow with it. I noticed that it has been freshly strung with a full bed of a string called "Tennis Only Proto P6". Has anyone else had this in there racket when given a demo or when sent one to review? If I were to guess, I'd say that this racket was strung at like 40 lbs. or so. The strings are moving very easily yet snapping back into place really well. And when I smack the racket against my hand and listen for a ping.... it's not pinging at all. It's making a thud sound. I've never heard this sound before. And I've been stringing rackets with all kinds of poly's for about 20 years now. What in the world is this string? Could it be a game changer?
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
nopeCould it be a game changer?
thenewbig3
Semi-Pro
I just received my RF01 Pro Demo today. It's actually a brand new racket with the plastic still on the handle. Wow... I'm actually pretty impressed by that. Thanks TW
I'm really excited to get out tomorrow with it. I noticed that it has been freshly strung with a full bed of a string called "Tennis Only Proto P6". Has anyone else had this in there racket when given a demo or when sent one to review? If I were to guess, I'd say that this racket was strung at like 40 lbs. or so. The strings are moving very easily yet snapping back into place really well. And when I smack the racket against my hand and listen for a ping.... it's not pinging at all. It's making a thud sound. I've never heard this sound before. And I've been stringing rackets with all kinds of poly's for about 20 years now. What in the world is this string? Could it be a game changer?
Buy Some
P6 1.30mm Tennis Only String Silver | Tennis Warehouse
www.tennis-warehouse.com
Spec
Tennis Only Proto strings
TW, Would love to learn more about the demo strings in my VCore 98. Do you have any string metrics to share -- stiffness, spin rating, etc. Any comps to this demo string?
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
TennisManiac
Hall of Fame
I just found it on my end. Thanks for the heads up.Buy Some
P6 1.30mm Tennis Only String Silver | Tennis Warehouse
Spec
Tennis Only Proto strings
TW, Would love to learn more about the demo strings in my VCore 98. Do you have any string metrics to share -- stiffness, spin rating, etc. Any comps to this demo string?
Have you played with it? I just talked to a guy who said it was TW's version of Hyper G but in silver.
Alcawrath
Professional
It might be a little to do with the string, but the RF pro also just makes a unique sound on contactI just received my RF01 Pro Demo today. It's actually a brand new racket with the plastic still on the handle. Wow... I'm actually pretty impressed by that. Thanks TW
I'm really excited to get out tomorrow with it. I noticed that it has been freshly strung with a full bed of a string called "Tennis Only Proto P6". Has anyone else had this in there racket when given a demo or when sent one to review? If I were to guess, I'd say that this racket was strung at like 40 lbs. or so. The strings are moving very easily yet snapping back into place really well. And when I smack the racket against my hand and listen for a ping.... it's not pinging at all. It's making a thud sound. I've never heard this sound before. And I've been stringing rackets with all kinds of poly's for about 20 years now. What in the world is this string? Could it be a game changer?
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Haha, my bad, thought you meant the racket, have not, but I like tour bite more than G, they have a copy of that?
FuzzyYellowBalls
Legend
Did for me too, a little um, strange I guess.
Icsa
Professional
Rallies and practice are easy. Can we see an actual match?
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