Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph 2016 Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 86

The Pro Staff RF97 Autograph has all the ingredients to be a serious weapon in the right hands. Pushing the scale at 12.6 oz and with a 330 swingweight, the RF97 helped our playtesters hit heavy, penetrating shots from the baseline. Michelle, whose current racquet of choice is a modified RF97, was excited to playtest the updated version. She said, "The biggest reason I initially switched to the RF97 was because of how effective it helped me to be from the baseline. This update is no different. It has the perfect combination of power, control, feel and plow through for my game. I love that I can drive through the ball and am rewarded with heavy balls that penetrate the court and push my opponents back behind the baseline. My rally balls were deep and heavy enough to create the short ball that I was looking to attack. When I got a short ball to attack, my shots weren't coming back. I loved the weight and heft of this racquet, and I had no issues swinging it consistently. Plus, I found that some of that heft lent control to my game. I also loved that when I was on the defensive and not completely in the best position I could stab at balls and the stability of the racquet helped me hit shots that landed deep enough to get me back in the point. Honestly, I never thought the racquet Roger Federer uses would line up with my game and what I like in a racquet, but to me, this racquet is an awesome option. I think anyone who considers themselves a strong, offensive player would appreciate what it has to offer."

From the first ball strike from the baseline, Troy remembered the rock solid feel he experienced a couple of years ago with the original release. He explained, "Considering the spec and weight of this racquet, it felt pretty maneuverable and easy to whip through on my groundstrokes. Topspin came easy from the open 16x19 string pattern. Compared to my Wilson Blade 98 (18x20) racquet, the 16x19 pattern made it easier to create sharp angles cross court. Just like the original, this RF97 performed brilliantly on the slice backhand. I loved how it carved through the ball on the backhand slice and created a deep penetrating shot with ease. If I had one knock on this racquet from the baseline, it was that it felt a bit stiff at times when strung with a firm co-poly string. My customized Wilson Blade 98 (18x20) has similar specs to this RF97, but I get a much plusher feel on contact with the ball during baseline rallies."

Mark, who was also on the review for the first iteration of the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph, was quickly reminded of the heft this racquet possesses. He commented, "From the first hit until around 45 minutes later, this was my favorite racquet to play with from the baseline. Stability was stellar with this stick. My shots on the run when I was stretched out were actually offensive (normally I have to apply slice when I'm stretched wide). Access to spin was very easy, and my directional control was great, aiding my ability to keep the ball deep to my opponents. The RF97 Autograph was a true point and shoot racquet from the baseline. However, every time I played with the RF97 Autograph I ran out of gas after 45 minutes and had to switch back to my 12 ounce racquet."

No stranger to the Pro Staff line of racquets, Granville gave his take on the updated Federer racquet, saying, "It's a truly rare and satisfying experience to hit a tennis ball with a 12.6 oz, balanced and tuned racquet. It provided me with extra time due to the ball sinking deeper into the stringbed and a (seemingly) bigger court to hit into as my targeting felt improved. Plus, the 'underpowered' response allowed me to hit away with little threat of hitting the ball long. This racquet can make you a better player simply by having it in your hand as you walk onto the court. That is what confidence does -- it lets you focus your energies -- and the RF97 exuded confidence. I will add, I was surprised by how much the 'personality' of this racquet changed with different string setups."

Volleys - Score: 89

The Pro Staff RF97 Autograph felt solid and stable, and it gave our playtesters all the right tools they needed to be successful at net. Troy said, "The crisp and responsive feel allowed me to feel connected to the ball when I was placing my volleys throughout the court. I enjoyed the maneuverability, and it was easy for me to flick with my wrist whenever I needed to volley a shot when I was on the run or off balance. While playing doubles, I felt comfortable being offensive when charging the net to close out a point. The mass of this racquet allowed me to create easy depth on my volleys, and like the backhand slice, my volleys penetrated through the court with ease."

"The weight of this racquet will always pop up in conversation," began Mark. "No doubt, that played a major role at net, but I also felt its construction lent to its performance. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the RF97 would be stable at net, but its feel was very rewarding, too. With a full bed of a monofilament in the RF97 I got a predictable and manageable response off the stringbed. The response, coupled with a confidence inducing, low pitched thud of a sound, made volleys a pleasant experience."

"The stability of this racquet just shone at the net," began Michelle. "Volleys were perfect. Even mis-hits found their way into the court, and still seemed effective. At the same time, the RF 97 Autograph possessed a good amount of touch and feel, making it easy to carve out touch shots. Plus, the weight and heft of the racquet made it easy to be aggressive and effective at the net."

Granville found the most stable platform for volleying in the game today. He added, "I struggled a bit with the weight and the maneuverability, but when dialed in, volleying was beautiful."

Serves - Score: 88

Our team noted the effectiveness of the blend of precision and power this Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph had to offer on serves. Mark commented, "I loved the RF97 for this portion of the playtest, too. Its overall weight and balance definitely helped me gain easy pace and spin on the ball. The racquet's firm (but not stiff) layup of graphite and Kevlar provided me with a plush feel and was almost vibration free."

"It's always nice when a racquet brings something extra to your game," stated Granville. "While I'm still topping out at 105 mph, I do feel, and am told by my opponents, my ball is heavier with this RF97. I attribute this to the massive racquet slicing and peeling the ball with just a little extra mass. My kickers were kicking with a little extra spin, but as much as I'd like to report some extra MPHs, I just didn't see that kind of benefit."

Michelle continued to praise this racquet and talked about how it was a game changer for her serve. "When I switched to the RF97 I tapped into a bunch of serving potential I always knew I had but never accessed, or at least couldn't access easily. With the RF97 my first serves became dangerous and heavy. They were much harder to get back, and I have heard from my hitting partners and opponents that my serve is much more effective and offensive. I've been able to crack some pretty big serves (120+ mph) because of it. Also, my body serves became dangerous because they push my opponents back and I usually get a short response. Bigger serves lead to a great one-two combination. Second serves are whatever I want them to be - slice and kick serves are easy and precise. I felt very confident stepping up to the line and serving with this racquet in hand."

Troy was effectively hitting all his serves with confidence. He added, "With a swingweight of 330, I had no problem getting racquet head speed on my kick serves. My topspin second serves were getting a lot of action and were jumping off the court. My flat first serves were going in with plenty of speed and pop. This racquet had plenty of control to go along with the power it provided. I felt like I was hitting my targets with good consistency, whether it was a flat serve down the middle or a kick serve out wide."

Returns - Score: 83

Whether our TW testers were attacking returns or tapping into their defensive games and blocking serves back, the Pro Staff RF97 Autograph lent them a plethora of return options. Granville felt sure of his return game with the RF97 in hand. He said, "There is nothing that can replace stability on a serve return. Perhaps this is where I found the most benefit for my game. I could be aggressive when returning, which turned into break opportunities. I think it goes back to confidence. With the RF97 Autograph I could swing away, use my momentum moving forward into the ball, and let the racquet do the rest."

"It's no secret I love to take a crack at returns," explained Michelle. "This racquet suited my groundstroke game so well, and it was just as seamless when returning. What I appreciated here was the stability, weight and heft. It helped add built-in control to my game, so even when I did go for a little more than I should I was OK because this racquet absorbed some of my power and rewarded me with a controlled response. Then, when I got to return weaker second serves my eyes got big and I was able to attack! I was able to play the sort of tennis I enjoy playing and attack 90 percent of the time."

The solid feel and plow through this racquet offered allowed Troy to consistently hit returns effectively. He said, "I love how this racquet allowed me to keep a compact and simple swing on my returns and still get the ball deep in my opponent's court. The maneuverability, once again, was a big benefit with this racquet. Against big servers, like Andy and Michelle, the maneuverability helped me get more returns in. Just like when I was hitting groundstrokes, my backhand slice return was lovely. Being able to use the mass of this racquet to redirect the ball back into the opponent's court with easy depth and placement was something that I enjoyed on my return of serves."

Mark believes that his returns could become more effective with time. He said, "The backhand slice return was very natural and effective for me. In general, however, I did have a hard time maneuvering the RF97 Autograph into position on my returns."

Overall - Score: 87