Federerkblade
Hall of Fame
Best leather grip , fairway what else ?
Wilson x RF Aug 8, 2024
- Thread starter zettavaska
- Start date
I think it's closer to the Shift.
My Ultra Pros/Tours have a beam like the current Pro Staff 97, which is to say a boxy beam
Ultra Pro is thin beam low powered, totally opposite to this one. Not sure why you compare the RF to UP.
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
... because the specs are similar? How do you know it's not low powered, you played with it already?
If so, tell us how it plays.
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
I can agree with that, good observation.
Boxbeams4ever
Rookie
I thought you meant a different Ultra at first and got mixed up haha
Darn a couple posts and one of mine got wiped, looks like links aren't allowed but the specs I mentioned from another user are. Slightly surprised
Leather grips will shrink down slightly too, depending how tight you pull it at first. If it's also similar to the leather grips on the RF97, then it's also pretty thin which I hope not
Yonex and Tecnifibre are also pretty good, Prince is soft and calfskin if you can find it, but there's the calfskin part. Oehms, Angell, Head Calfskin if you have access. But you can't beat TW unbranded ones for price and quality mix, the colour could be better on the tan ones though
Darn a couple posts and one of mine got wiped, looks like links aren't allowed but the specs I mentioned from another user are. Slightly surprised
It's an average 23mm beam, and it's not marketed as a pure control racquet like UP. It's a more power/spin type of racquet for modern games.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Could be. The pics on the Olympics event with 10 phases site show it has 12 thin winds along the handle, which is like the 1980s Fairways.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
I thought it was interesting Fed said he switched from the 90 to 97 for the sake of his backhand. It was implied that he preferred the 90 for his forehand. I always thought Fed’s forehand was a slightly bigger weapon before his switch to the RF97.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
I think there's a good chance Wilson will reissue the K90/PS90 and RF97A at some point, but with the updated branding and cosmetic. There's historical precedence with the RF85. Imagine an all black K90 with the RF logos instead of the Wilson W. I don't care if the paint quality sucks or if it's matte; I would buy a few of them, as long as they're not over $300 a pop, which unfortunately they probably would be 
Say Chi Sin Lo
G.O.A.T.
Most of us who went through that transition from the 90 to 97 would say the same thing. If the game is to just hit forehands, the 90 would still be supreme.
It’s a 23-24-22 variable beam and there have already been a lot of people on this forum that have played with it and given their testimonial. That’s why the UP comparison is a bit random.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
The dual taper dimensions are already listed on various sites too.
Boxbeams4ever
Rookie
Good video showing the curves of the frame off the lighting, I see the Blade traits now
Edit: never mind it's been scrubbed from this thread, wow that was quick haha
Edit: never mind it's been scrubbed from this thread, wow that was quick haha
His heaviness off the forehand side was always a little problem though, never pressured Novak or Rafa if he didn't get the placement or pace right. But it was better overall, just not usable anymore due to his age
julianokay
New User
Would love to see the 300g version compared to the Radical MP Auxetic. Seems to me like these two would perform very similarly.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
I'd probably personally consider buying the Angell React 96 before the RF01 Pro. Similar concept - an aerodynamic players' racquet. But with the Angell you'll get higher manufacturing quality and some spec preferences to choose from at about $100 less.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Is the maximum beam width of 24mm at the shoulders or at 3 & 9?
Not at 3/9
I measured one in a shop recently, at that position, and it was 23mm there.
I assumed it was constant beam as most Wilson's are.
The thickest part is in the throat.
dgoran
Hall of Fame
Looks like a cheap target/walmart mold Wilson sells in those storesIt looks like an Ezone!!
what_army
Professional
I played with the PS 6.0 95 in my late junior years and then also with the tour 90 for a few months. Although I almost didn’t play with the 97 I understood the need for the PS to evolve and I think the RF/PS97 successfully achieved that. This new line however, just seems unnecessary and when you take into account the last line introduced by wilson (shift) I’m no longer sure of what each line is attempting to achieve.
I’ll follow the reviews but most certainly I won’t be trying it myself. Life’s too short to play with something you don’t like when there are so many fantastic racquets out there.
I’ll follow the reviews but most certainly I won’t be trying it myself. Life’s too short to play with something you don’t like when there are so many fantastic racquets out there.
this is nothing to do with the ProStaff - it is not an evolution of it or remotely related to it. The Shift is an experimental line (as shown by its launch with the Pro Labs branding) and was aimed at advanced juniors in all the marketing, perhaps in a similar space to the RF, but the RF is more clearly going after the Aero 98 as a mainstream racquet etc... with Federer branding - again they aren't suggesting it's an evolution of the ProStaff which will continue on in the hands of Dimitrov, Lehecka et al
People are way to territorial about their Pro Staffs. It's also bizarre how quickly the racquet is dismissed before it's even been released. By most accounts I've seen on TTW, it's a solid racquet worthy of trying. It's way more accessible than the Pro Staffs and RF97a's that came before it. And why worry about where it sits in Wilson's lineup? Let their marketing team worry about that. Produce racquets that I'd love to play with and I couldn't care less how convoluted the lineup is.
Although I understand the fact that people want this to be a pro staff because it's an "RF" racket, I think that most people have to realize that that type of racket just doesn't really work in the modern game anymore. Now does that stop us from playing the pro staff, hell no, but that doesn't mean we should label it a pro staff successor just because it's an "RF". For me personally (considering my first two main adult rackets were the 6.0 85 and KFactor 90), I would probably still love it if it had pro staff characteristics (feel mostly), but modernize it in a way that lets younger guys and girls still use it competitively.
yourtennisfit
Professional
Once again, I also don't think that any brand will look at their rackets and go: " we are missing a 97inch players racket with this beam and the 18x20 pattern"...
They will look at the adressable public and make sure to sell as many rackets at possible if we are honest, no matter the style. The frame style will only matter to the pros for them anyhow.
And with that being said, it is a genius move to not do the RF97 anymore, but introduce this racket. I would guess that 90% of the RF97 buyers just got it out of fandom or RF craze. You can get those to buy the RF01, plus address more people who wanted to play a Fed frame, but were unable to swing 340gr.
And those few racket nerds that wanted to play the real thing, they can get used ones, customize the 315gr PS or maybe they will even put it on ProLabs one day.
yourtennisfit
Professional
The v14 315gr works about perfect for the modern game, whatever you label that modern game to be
I was more so talking about the RF97 models specifically not so much the regular v14
The regular v14 I think feels a little too muted for my taste, but other than that I agree in that it's still perfectly fine for the modern game, which I define to be baseliners with heavy spinny groundstrokes that can get to any ball (by sliding) and can attack (for the most part) from anywhere that isn't when they are on the backfoot
Disagree. If Pro Staff works out for the modern game, we should see more players using it, both college players and pros, but we barely see that happening. Blade, Radical, Pure strike and Vcore, these are more suitable for modern games.
To be fair, I still see upcoming juniors and some college guys in my area using either the 97 or the x. Even saw a girl using a pro staff x in a college tournament recently
yourtennisfit
Professional
Players are using the PT57 and ProStaff 6.1 - so your argument is not really one to make I fear
True but you were talking about 315g pro staff v14, not 6.1...
I'm not saying nobody uses pro staff, but you can see way more Blades and Pure Aeros in college. That's the point.
yourtennisfit
Professional
That one is easier to use for all the qualities of the "modern game" though
But the rackets that ideally should be suited for that gamestyle aren't being used as much. The player market is either a game of being used to your racket and not switching, or about market power. A college player will much more likely take a free Yonex than pay for a ProStaff. And on tour you will see mostly paintjobs and endorsement anyway.
We don't see many 100sq inch Speeds, real Booms or Ultras either?
I like the v13 and v14 both for their pinpoint precision but still good spin potential. If you can handle the weight, the RF even gives you some upside, such as plowthrough for days and more stability. But for sure this racket concept isn't outdated.
There's also the marketing aspect of it with many of the pros on tour using the blade and the aero being represented (mainly) by alcaraz and nadal, while there's almost no one (on the younger side) representing the pro staff
Pro Staff X v14 is supposed to be a modern game Pro Staff, but IMO 315g unstrung is way too much...If its 305g unstrung I'm pretty sure there's gonna be more young players using it... RF01 since I haven't get my hand on it so I don't have too much to say, but it looks like an Ultra Head with a Pure Strike 2014 throat mix together...That one is easier to use for all the qualities of the "modern game" though
But the rackets that ideally should be suited for that gamestyle aren't being used as much. The player market is either a game of being used to your racket and not switching, or about market power. A college player will much more likely take a free Yonex than pay for a ProStaff. And on tour you will see mostly paintjobs and endorsement anyway.
We don't see many 100sq inch Speeds, real Booms or Ultras either?
I like the v13 and v14 both for their pinpoint precision but still good spin potential. If you can handle the weight, the RF even gives you some upside, such as plowthrough for days and more stability. But for sure this racket concept isn't outdated.
what_army
Professional
Yes but the two approaches are really the same. When you have a fraction of the players that prefer a more classic feeling, not powerful, with control you know they won’t buy pure aeros, ezones, et al. so you offer them the opposite - which in this case it’s a 18x20 with thin beam and soft layup in 95-98 headsize.
TNNSDR
Rookie
Hahahaha, c'mon it's not that bad!
))
TNNSDR
Rookie
I read "modern game" too many times in this thread. Well, look at the Djoker's stick; it could not be more classic (Head Radical Liquidmetal mold) and we know what happened in Paris a few days ago. The whole bubble around modern game racquets is only relevant for the semi-pros and pros. 90% of rec players aren't good enough to feel a big difference in their game and could easily adjust to an Ezone, Radical, or even ProStaff within a few days as they don't hit the balls often and properly etc. One of the reasons why we see too many switches. I think that the RF01 has been released to increase sales, which is OK of course. That said and as I doubt that we will see any Pro player hitting with it, a new RF Pro Staff 97 (or 98 @320, as released in Asia with the PS90) would have worked as well from a marketing perspective. We will see...
dgoran
Hall of Fame
Wall Ball Wizard
Semi-Pro
Say what you want, but Fed moves product like no other.. and Wilson know it.
Modern game, modern player…..SHBH friendly racquets just don’t exist anymore… small head size, thin beam thickness, stability at net… all are unimportant anymore.
in that case, why not pick up a Rafa origin or speed pro legend? Do we admire RF so we purchase pro staff or we buy ps because we play shbh?
lastly, do I support RF because he is a gentleman, or because he wear Rolex, or because he play single hand back hand?
I am working hard to adopt dhbh now.. it’s very hard but it’s possible… unlike begging a manufacture to produce shbh friendly racquet…
in that case, why not pick up a Rafa origin or speed pro legend? Do we admire RF so we purchase pro staff or we buy ps because we play shbh?
lastly, do I support RF because he is a gentleman, or because he wear Rolex, or because he play single hand back hand?
I am working hard to adopt dhbh now.. it’s very hard but it’s possible… unlike begging a manufacture to produce shbh friendly racquet…
gino
Legend
If you’re good enough at tennis & hitting a one hander, the stick doesn’t really matter. I mean, dimitrov does fine with the PS97 18x18. Thiem did well with the strike. Tsitsipas well with the kblade. I don’t think any specific mold will unlock a one hander
Fed Kennedy
Legend
Downtheline1
Rookie
Should be interesting to look at the release tomorrow.
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