This racket is definitely not for everyone, but I think it does the best job of any racket of making you feel like Roger. It’s shockingly powerful with great precision and really rewards you for being aggressive, really stepping into each shot. I found it difficult to get enough topspin until the strings had significantly loosened up after a 3rd play session, and the sweet spot is pretty punishing. I felt I played my best when I slowed down my swing a lot and let the racket do the work, focusing on making good contact. More than anything else, this racket has the most devastating slice of any racket I’ve tried ever, just a dagger every time. Definitely not for everyone, but its unique play style really is like nothing else.
Just wondering if this is not because of the string . I tried sync in my pure aero and felt bad in the same way. Thanks for giving us your absolute honest opinion without sugar coating.
To be fair, this racket does a lot better when you string it with multi/gut mains and then poly cross. The softer string in the main tends to soften the frame and feel enough to where you do get that amazing feel that is supposed to be there. I don't think it was originally meant to be strung with poly and people's usual tension or just in general as polys are generally too stiff for what the frame wants for strings.
I strung mine first with alu power 1.25 at 55lbs. And i loved the feel, racket definitely gives you way more feel than others. I then tried it with my usual setup of razor soft at 57lbs and still loved it. Its just personal preference. I love the racket since i grew up watching and pretending to be fed by driving the ball, hitting flatter than modern game and being aggressive. Its suited for that playstyle. Others who play more defensively might not like it.
Stiff frames work amazing with loose string tensions and vice versa. If you look at the tw database, to get the equivalent tension of gut at 55lbs with alu rough, you have to string alu rough at 25lbs. The problem is the tension loss of poly makes peoples opinions differ about its characteristics, because it loses a further 10lbs after one week off the stringer, so you can imagine after a month it’s literally going to be 15lbs tension which is why alu rough is only popular with the rich or the pros. I personally string my own racquets and found gut to be the most economical option as it holds tension and actually is quite tough and durable if you take care of it
@@18yearsoldnot yes but again thats personal preference. I prefer stiffer response and the point and shoot feeling. Hence why I like freshly strung polys at 55-57lbs. I prefer the feel of my rf01 pro with a stiffer response and i think it has phenomenal feel with high stiffness. Some people who like the softer, ball pocketing guide feel would like it at a lower tension but regardless, its still a racket on the stiffer side and not everyones cup of tea which is fair.
@@BigBoss-pd9mn partly. Many strings feel like they don’t lose tension because they start to notch and therefore re-stiffen but honestly you should consider cutting out strings every two weeks particularly if you don’t use gut. Playing with dead poly or even multi is a recipe for injury
Couldn’t agree more! I really tried to enjoy all the RF versions, but for the price point and the feel/how the racquet performs, I just can’t get on board with anybody praising this racquet. I’d say 90 percent of sticks out there are better right now. Nice review man 👍🏻
Got the same issues as you’re experiencing. Tried many string setups including gut/multi + alu. Still doesn’t feel as good as it’s supposed to be, let alone full poly setups. Funny story, I strung one for my friend with full poly at 45 lbs and let him guess what the tension is. He said it feels like 55 lbs lol.
@@MPTennis 46 pounds is not low 😆 If I was you, then I'd try again with two difference setups 1) 40 pounds (all poly) and 2) a natural gut hybrid (mains) and poly rough (cross). Tennisnerd even it strung sub-40 pounds.
Unstable and boardy. I also struggled with returning. No great feel for me either even with gut/poly hybrid. Slices and serves were not bad. Flat shots worked well.
@@goldencalf5144 you’re kidding right? It’s really not very similar to the pro staff, it’s totally different. Maybe you could argue it has the same target market, but it gets there in such a different way.
@@goldencalf5144 You clearly haven't tried it. Far more usable than the current Pro Staffs. The PS97 315 is pure junk and the 340 is just too heavy for 99% of people to use effectively. RF01 customised is lightyears more accessible, easier to swing, easier power, better feel, more control etc. Demands that you hit cleanly, have technically well developed stokes and timing to get the best out of it but then the RF01 is not meant for 3.5s / hackers etc.
lol I don’t have the best technique but I basically felt the opposite about volleys and baseline with this racket. My volleys were just about the most stable I’ve ever felt and from the baseline I couldn’t generate power or spin. Can’t stress enough that my technique sucks tho lol.
This is a picky racquet that it is not really for the modern player. Also takes quite a bit of time to get used to it. If you hit flat and like to slice, you will like this racquet. Everyone else look somewhere else. It took me a while to understand mine because it is really picky with strings and tension. I currently have mine strung with Hyper G 17g @ 57 lbs on the mains and Razor Soft 16G @57 on the crosses and it plays great for my style. But my style is hitting quite flat with a semi western grip aiming for around 6 inches above the net. I also love to change pace with slices, and using drop shots. All that being said, it is not a great racquet, but it is good and interesting.
I believe this racket shines with a more defined follow through in front of your body and a less with an upwards brush stroke which is the pure aero's bread and butter. In sort flatter shots fly really good but it definitely can spin the ball. My rf01(300g) came 5g heavier than the official weight but it was all in the head so with this error and a leather grip it felt awesome. I've used the v13 prostaff for two years and the 18x20 blade for one and I really enjoyed all three of this rackets even though they have different strengths.
This review completely mirrors the experience that had with this racquet. I play with a pro staff v13, and the mistake people are making is comparing this racquet to the pro staff. There is absolutely no comparison! The RF01 PRO doesn't remotely have the control that the pro staff does. The RF01 PRO is a total board, with no precision. Which makes it very difficult to finish at the net and/or play defense. Unless you swing out on every shot (the racquet does have decent power), every ball sprays. This racquet is more like an Ultra than a pro staff. Roger Federer says that this is the racquet that he would play with in today's modern game. As someone else eluded to earlier, I find that very hard to believe. Roger was an all-court player. And this racquet resembles more of a power racquet, than a control-oriented racquet. I am a huge Roger Federer fan. To me, he's the G.O.A.T. I demo'd this racquet, playing with it every day for 2 weeks. I will NOT be purchasing it.
Everyone who likes to block and brush upwards with an undefined western grip, similar on the 2hbh side, grind/defend and not drive the ball in front of the body can skip this racquet. It was hilarious to hear "intended for 4.5 and below" not gonna lie 😂
It's very interesting that you have no feel with this. I've been using it since it's release and I love the feel, I thought it has really great feel. It has that raw feel (with just the foam filling) with no tech whatsoever. I feel Head's Aux 2.0 and Babolat's NF2 tech really dampens most of their frame.
i guess ‘feel’ is the most subjective aspect. I personally find the feel of the RF01 to be weird even when strung with gut/poly hybrid. In comparison my ps97 v10 & v11 feel much better, and classic racquets like the pt57a or old völkls just feel sublime…
At least someone’s being honest this racquet actually sucks yet people make all these excuses even if it is good for high level players there’s so many better options, one for feds fan boys Wilson have lost their way..
Yes Rf97 is way better better In feel plow through stability volley serve return forehand backhand etc idk seems like marketing feel miss my laser like shots with rf97 the rf01 seems like a downgrade too powerful too at times unpredictable response what did they even make Rf97 is way better to use Well if this is what roger swapped too his game went down,horrible playability,could design better rackets than him,lost some respect for federer,Rf01 is lacking so much stability directional control feel predictability control which Rf97 has,
It's not like a Pro Staff at all. It's not a spin racquet, and the feel is different for everyone. At first it didn't impress me, but I was patient and now it's perfect for me. It's very good at attacking, volleying, flat shots, you have to get the ball quickly.
I tried it and everything about the racket feels artifical. Despite the claims of "no technology" there clearly is some dampening tech that sucks. It is not really fun to play with it. Everything about the racket screams "money grab".
This racquet just seems like a way for Wilson to continue milking the Federer brand. Seems like a pretty dumb concept to me. We're supposed to believe this is the racquet Federer would be using if he was still playing?
Nothing on the market compares to the RF97 autograph. Sad truth. Once you try that racquet, other racquets just dont feel right. This RF01 is nowhere near RF97A. Tried it and gave it back immediately. My beefed PS97 v14 is not close either but in terms of feel, comfort, precision it is another class compared to this RF01 Pro.
Once playing with the Wilson Pro Staff Autograph V13.0 you will nothing else anymore , also teaching tennis Feel and control are unmatched , strung with Technifibre Triax
Nothing is like the PS 85. I only use the PS 85. All rackets passed the PS 85 were just created for marketing and revenue purposes, he ended up using the 90,95,97 but nothing was ever like the 85.
Actually, once you weight up the PS97 in the handle to give it a similar weight and balance to the 85, it is sublime. The feel is almost as good, but a lot more forgiving.
@@TimTheMusicMan It's the non RF 97. The V13. I added 20 grams of silicone to the handle and some lead at 3, 9 and 12. It weighs 365 grams, but swings easier than than the 85 because it's more than 10 pts head light.
I bought it in August I strung it with Wilson gut and RPM blast 25/24 and I won the first tournament I played. Racket is great.
That’s the thing. College players don’t use gut
@ I also don’t use it regularly, but when I want to give
Myself joy I do :)
This racket is definitely not for everyone, but I think it does the best job of any racket of making you feel like Roger. It’s shockingly powerful with great precision and really rewards you for being aggressive, really stepping into each shot. I found it difficult to get enough topspin until the strings had significantly loosened up after a 3rd play session, and the sweet spot is pretty punishing. I felt I played my best when I slowed down my swing a lot and let the racket do the work, focusing on making good contact. More than anything else, this racket has the most devastating slice of any racket I’ve tried ever, just a dagger every time. Definitely not for everyone, but its unique play style really is like nothing else.
Just wondering if this is not because of the string . I tried sync in my pure aero and felt bad in the same way. Thanks for giving us your absolute honest opinion without sugar coating.
To be fair, this racket does a lot better when you string it with multi/gut mains and then poly cross. The softer string in the main tends to soften the frame and feel enough to where you do get that amazing feel that is supposed to be there. I don't think it was originally meant to be strung with poly and people's usual tension or just in general as polys are generally too stiff for what the frame wants for strings.
I strung mine first with alu power 1.25 at 55lbs. And i loved the feel, racket definitely gives you way more feel than others. I then tried it with my usual setup of razor soft at 57lbs and still loved it. Its just personal preference. I love the racket since i grew up watching and pretending to be fed by driving the ball, hitting flatter than modern game and being aggressive. Its suited for that playstyle. Others who play more defensively might not like it.
Stiff frames work amazing with loose string tensions and vice versa. If you look at the tw database, to get the equivalent tension of gut at 55lbs with alu rough, you have to string alu rough at 25lbs. The problem is the tension loss of poly makes peoples opinions differ about its characteristics, because it loses a further 10lbs after one week off the stringer, so you can imagine after a month it’s literally going to be 15lbs tension which is why alu rough is only popular with the rich or the pros. I personally string my own racquets and found gut to be the most economical option as it holds tension and actually is quite tough and durable if you take care of it
@@18yearsoldnot yes but again thats personal preference. I prefer stiffer response and the point and shoot feeling. Hence why I like freshly strung polys at 55-57lbs. I prefer the feel of my rf01 pro with a stiffer response and i think it has phenomenal feel with high stiffness. Some people who like the softer, ball pocketing guide feel would like it at a lower tension but regardless, its still a racket on the stiffer side and not everyones cup of tea which is fair.
@@BigBoss-pd9mn partly. Many strings feel like they don’t lose tension because they start to notch and therefore re-stiffen but honestly you should consider cutting out strings every two weeks particularly if you don’t use gut. Playing with dead poly or even multi is a recipe for injury
Couldn’t agree more! I really tried to enjoy all the RF versions, but for the price point and the feel/how the racquet performs, I just can’t get on board with anybody praising this racquet. I’d say 90 percent of sticks out there are better right now. Nice review man 👍🏻
Got the same issues as you’re experiencing. Tried many string setups including gut/multi + alu. Still doesn’t feel as good as it’s supposed to be, let alone full poly setups.
Funny story, I strung one for my friend with full poly at 45 lbs and let him guess what the tension is. He said it feels like 55 lbs lol.
Intertesing you say because I strung it low and it felt kinda tight too.
@@MPTennis 46 pounds is not low 😆 If I was you, then I'd try again with two difference setups 1) 40 pounds (all poly) and 2) a natural gut hybrid (mains) and poly rough (cross). Tennisnerd even it strung sub-40 pounds.
Feeling like a board at 46lbs🙅definitely still want to try it but that sounds like an arm shredder for me..appreciate the honest review👍
Unstable and boardy. I also struggled with returning. No great feel for me either even with gut/poly hybrid. Slices and serves were not bad. Flat shots worked well.
RF01 is great. You're just a Pure Aero type of player.
Maybe I guess? 🤔🤔
Well, what does this racquet give you that the Pro Staff does not? Other than the tacky RF branding.
@@goldencalf5144 you’re kidding right? It’s really not very similar to the pro staff, it’s totally different. Maybe you could argue it has the same target market, but it gets there in such a different way.
@@nicks8060 Ok, so answer my question, what does it give you that the Pro Staff doesn't?
@@goldencalf5144 You clearly haven't tried it. Far more usable than the current Pro Staffs. The PS97 315 is pure junk and the 340 is just too heavy for 99% of people to use effectively. RF01 customised is lightyears more accessible, easier to swing, easier power, better feel, more control etc. Demands that you hit cleanly, have technically well developed stokes and timing to get the best out of it but then the RF01 is not meant for 3.5s / hackers etc.
lol I don’t have the best technique but I basically felt the opposite about volleys and baseline with this racket. My volleys were just about the most stable I’ve ever felt and from the baseline I couldn’t generate power or spin. Can’t stress enough that my technique sucks tho lol.
This is a picky racquet that it is not really for the modern player. Also takes quite a bit of time to get used to it. If you hit flat and like to slice, you will like this racquet. Everyone else look somewhere else. It took me a while to understand mine because it is really picky with strings and tension. I currently have mine strung with Hyper G 17g @ 57 lbs on the mains and Razor Soft 16G @57 on the crosses and it plays great for my style. But my style is hitting quite flat with a semi western grip aiming for around 6 inches above the net. I also love to change pace with slices, and using drop shots. All that being said, it is not a great racquet, but it is good and interesting.
When Wilson doesn’t pay for influencer reviews this is what you get . Agree with the review 👊👊👊 keep it up MP!
I believe this racket shines with a more defined follow through in front of your body and a less with an upwards brush stroke which is the pure aero's bread and butter. In sort flatter shots fly really good but it definitely can spin the ball. My rf01(300g) came 5g heavier than the official weight but it was all in the head so with this error and a leather grip it felt awesome. I've used the v13 prostaff for two years and the 18x20 blade for one and I really enjoyed all three of this rackets even though they have different strengths.
This review completely mirrors the experience that had with this racquet. I play with a pro staff v13, and the mistake people are making is comparing this racquet to the pro staff. There is absolutely no comparison!
The RF01 PRO doesn't remotely have the control that the pro staff does. The RF01 PRO is a total board, with no precision. Which makes it very difficult to finish at the net and/or play defense. Unless you swing out on every shot (the racquet does have decent power), every ball sprays. This racquet is more like an Ultra than a pro staff.
Roger Federer says that this is the racquet that he would play with in today's modern game.
As someone else eluded to earlier, I find that very hard to believe.
Roger was an all-court player. And this racquet resembles more of a power racquet, than a control-oriented racquet.
I am a huge Roger Federer fan. To me, he's the G.O.A.T.
I demo'd this racquet, playing with it every day for 2 weeks. I will NOT be purchasing it.
Everyone who likes to block and brush upwards with an undefined western grip, similar on the 2hbh side, grind/defend and not drive the ball in front of the body can skip this racquet. It was hilarious to hear "intended for 4.5 and below" not gonna lie 😂
Man, I thought the feel of this racquet was amazing. This is in comparison to my Boom Pro and 2023 Vcore 98. Way less muted than those, in my opinion.
It's very interesting that you have no feel with this. I've been using it since it's release and I love the feel, I thought it has really great feel. It has that raw feel (with just the foam filling) with no tech whatsoever. I feel Head's Aux 2.0 and Babolat's NF2 tech really dampens most of their frame.
i guess ‘feel’ is the most subjective aspect. I personally find the feel of the RF01 to be weird even when strung with gut/poly hybrid. In comparison my ps97 v10 & v11 feel much better, and classic racquets like the pt57a or old völkls just feel sublime…
At least someone’s being honest this racquet actually sucks yet people make all these excuses even if it is good for high level players there’s so many better options, one for feds fan boys Wilson have lost their way..
haha.... ya this will not be in the hands of any college players.
Same experience!
Yes Rf97 is way better better In feel plow through stability volley serve return forehand backhand etc idk seems like marketing feel miss my laser like shots with rf97 the rf01 seems like a downgrade too powerful too at times unpredictable response what did they even make Rf97 is way better to use Well if this is what roger swapped too his game went down,horrible playability,could design better rackets than him,lost some respect for federer,Rf01 is lacking so much stability directional control feel predictability control which Rf97 has,
Ya he is using a green ball would be a different feel and outcome of the racquet if he was using a yellow ball.
It's not like a Pro Staff at all. It's not a spin racquet, and the feel is different for everyone. At first it didn't impress me, but I was patient and now it's perfect for me. It's very good at attacking, volleying, flat shots, you have to get the ball quickly.
I had the 300g, wanted to love it, it was amzing on ground strokes, but that tight tight tight sweet spot, I just ran out of talent!
So how diff is it from WPS Rf97
imo not even close
I tried it and everything about the racket feels artifical. Despite the claims of "no technology" there clearly is some dampening tech that sucks. It is not really fun to play with it. Everything about the racket screams "money grab".
Some friends and I found that the only way to make it playable was by using a dampener. Other than that, fairly underwhelming experience
This racquet just seems like a way for Wilson to continue milking the Federer brand. Seems like a pretty dumb concept to me. We're supposed to believe this is the racquet Federer would be using if he was still playing?
No chance 😂
Nothing on the market compares to the RF97 autograph. Sad truth. Once you try that racquet, other racquets just dont feel right. This RF01 is nowhere near RF97A. Tried it and gave it back immediately. My beefed PS97 v14 is not close either but in terms of feel, comfort, precision it is another class compared to this RF01 Pro.
K tour 90 is another level above the rf97a
same. I also tried... not for me.
Such a beefy frame. That slice plows through all kinds of balls.
Once playing with the Wilson Pro Staff Autograph V13.0 you will nothing else anymore , also teaching tennis Feel and control are unmatched , strung with Technifibre Triax
Nice! Triax is unreal.
@@MPTennis String tension is 22 Kilo's in de main 21 Kilo's in the crosses and I like it a lot
Used racket for a month, this is your review and not close to what most including myself are saying
It seems like author didnt get paid from wilson this time
BAHHA…. I’m never getting paid from the brands. I wish lol.
This racquet is a bag of crap.
Nothing is like the PS 85. I only use the PS 85. All rackets passed the PS 85 were just created for marketing and revenue purposes, he ended up using the 90,95,97 but nothing was ever like the 85.
Actually, once you weight up the PS97 in the handle to give it a similar weight and balance to the 85, it is sublime. The feel is almost as good, but a lot more forgiving.
@ is that the PS RF 97 or what year is that ?
@@TimTheMusicMan It's the non RF 97. The V13. I added 20 grams of silicone to the handle and some lead at 3, 9 and 12. It weighs 365 grams, but swings easier than than the 85 because it's more than 10 pts head light.
@ 👍 thank you.
Take your hands on the nordic dots 99 maybe this is something you enjoy😉❤️🔥
Yeah, great one for the fire 🔥
i actually played it. Never made a video about it though.