Most Expensive vs Cheapest TENNIS RACQUET TEST | Wilson RF 97 vs $14.97 Walmart Racket
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2022
- 🎾 Get 10% OFF on Kirschbaum Strings & Grips (ENTER CODE INTUITIVETENNIS AT CHECKOUT)
kirschbaumusa.com/INTUITIVETE...
Wilson RF97: amzn.to/3ohzZOc
Wilson Walmart Racquet for $14.97: goto.walmart.com/c/3549221/12...
In today’s video, I test the cheapest vs the most expensive tennis racquet. The Wilson RF 97 autograph vs $14.97 Wilson racket from Walmart.
This video is not sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something, I’ll receive a small commission.
🎾 Get 10% off on n1 & n2 Nisplay ball machines by entering coupon code INTUITIVE
nisplaysports.com
My Gear:
Racquet: amzn.to/3NbuMl6
Balls: amzn.to/3NiDezc
Overgrip: amzn.to/39TYbTb
Shoes: amzn.to/3NfFQNZ
Microphone: amzn.to/3QLJwKA
Camera: amzn.to/3NfALpa
Tripod: amzn.to/3QLZZhC
Drone: amzn.to/3nal2gn
🖱 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
👉🏻 th-cam.com/users/IntuitiveTe...
🤜🤛 Share this video
👉 • Most Expensive vs Chea...
🎾 Second TH-cam Channel 👉 / intuitivetennis247
🎾 Premium Content 👉 www.intuitivetennis.com
🎾 Video Analysis 👉 bit.ly/2Kz8AEK
🎾 Instagram 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 TikTok 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 Twitter 👉 / intuitivetennis
🎾 Facebook 👉 / intuitivetennis
#intuitivetennis #rf97 #walmart - กีฬา
![บุกร้านไอศกรีม VJ วุ้นเส้น !!!! [ดูคลิปเต็มหน้าช่อง] #Short | PANG ORNHIRA](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/g549nEhKZdc/mqdefault.jpg)
Get the Intuitive Tennis iPhone/iPad App
apps.apple.com/us/app/intuitive-tennis/id1614768143
Thank you very much
Please compare apples with apples and compare the RF97 with the cheapest GRAPHITE racquet.
Meanwhile at Wilson HQ: "guys, you are not going to believe what our new best-selling racket is"
😂😂😂
This video 'proves' not absolutely, of course, that solid fundamentals and proper technique are way more important than equipment. I love these types of comparison videos. I want to see a low handicap golfer play with a $99 complete golf set, like TopFlite, which includes the bag.
Exactly I love his quote “who says tennis is expensive, I’m hitting aces with a $15 racquet.”
My high school tennis coach used to say “if you buy a $5000 racquet and use it to hit 25 cent strokes you’ll never win a single match”
Rick Shiels does things like that with golf
@@benjackson9980 While I understanding the intention behind the quote, it's not the full picture. Tennis equipment doesn't have to be expensive, but it is usually expensive to get good at tennis. Yes, he's hitting aces with a $15 racquet, but how much time and money did he invest to develop the skills and technique to be able to hit aces with a $15 racquet? Probably a lot more than $15.
while that is true, its important to upgrade equipment once you reach a certain level, or else that equipment will hold you back.
Thank you so much, I just started learning tennis and I have the exact same cheap racket, in a group lesson the coach took my racket to look, then told me to get a more expensive one if I want to keep learning at a more advanced level. I was slightly embarrassed by that because I also saw others had really expensive rackets there. I am just a tiny lady whose ultimate goal of learning tennis is to be able to do the back-and-forth rallying. After seeing your video, I feel so much better. Thank you!
I remember my teachers telling me to get a "more expensive" camera.
Until they saw my photographs. 😎
This video was hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing at how well you played with the Walmart racket. Your comments when hitting the cheap racket were priceless!
I got the Wilson one from Walmart 2 weeks ago for $14.95 purely bcoz I’m a beginner. But this video makes me feel so good about the decision 😊 you had more fun with the cheaper one than the other for sure 💯
From where bro?
Its also very fun to play down when you are at a higher level but having a bad day. Sometimes i use bad racquets or woodem ones as a way to loosen up when im playing bad. Its like "oo now i have an excuse", then I just end up playing better not at all because of the racquet.
My first racquet was a wooden one from a garage sale, then steel frame, then aluminum, before my parents finally helped me buy a higher quality one. It was probably after 4 years of playing. I think when you're new you should go demo different frames to help get a feel for what's comfortable to you, but a cheap racquet, especially with some new, better strings can take you pretty far if you're diligent about learning form, technique, etc
@@Back2Zack I do this too, but I didn't realize why until I read your comment. This makes total sense to me.
Its now even cheaper
In germany its double
I use to manage and teach at a small clay court tennis club. I strung lots of racquets and frequently tested racquets thatI had strung. So many players use racquets because of the brand or professional players that endorse that model. It really says something when a player with your skills has difficulty playing with Federer’s racquet. When you hit so well with the $14.95 Walmart racquet it reminded me of the saying, “ it’s the craftsman not the tools”.
Nik - great video. I played college tennis with an aluminum Prince Pro. Rackets made from aluminum can work quite well, although I certainly appreciated the higher quality and performance of the graphite rackets I eventually transitioned to. You should string up the cheap racket with the same set up as you have in the RF 97 to complete the comparison test. Also, your followers might be interested to know how the vibrations felt in the aluminum racket vs the graphite model.
this is a good example of why the honeymoon period works with a new racquet. when you want to like the racquet you get up on your toes and focus more/ high enthusiasm therefore play well (in this case the cheap racquet) compared to the racquet your bored with/ don't want to work, flat footed/ low energy (in this case the RF)
I loved this. Niko this is exactly what recreational players need to hear and see.
At the 2.5, 3.0, even 3.5 level the type of racquet that a player uses should be the least of their concerns. Niko you would beat me using a frying pan lol. To anyone reading this considering getting into tennis but scared of the cost, just go out and buy the cheapest racquet and get out there and start swinging. Better than sitting on the sidelines and not playing at all.
Well said Luka
I don’t agree at all. I used to play professional table tennis, friends and I started picking up tennis recreationally. He went and bought 30 dollar rackets and eventually I said to him, think about what limitation we would have if we bought 10 dollar table tennis rackets from Walmart? I went and bought the 200 dollar Wilson clash and played 5x better immediately. It wasn’t my imagination, half of the people we played with asked what I bought so they could buy the same thing. Obviously results will vary individually, but to suggest that some stock racket is as good as good as other equipment is just ridiculous for anyone to say. You can always compensate with individual skill if you’re good enough, but that isn’t the case for most players
@@uchihadayne6506 you missed the point of my post and of this video completely. Brand new and inexperienced/beginner players can’t tell the difference between racquets and they’re not necessary to BEGIN to LEARN the sport. Obviously you get better equipment as you progress, and that’s what is in the video. I’ve never played table tennis before. Would you recommend me a 200 dollar racquet to try the sport and see if I like it? Of course not.
As a former professional table tennis player, you aren’t starting at the same level as other beginners to tennis because you have elite level hand-eye coordination and athletic abilities. But for my 63 year old mom who wants to start tennis, I’m not recommending a Wilson Clash lol.
Tennis is an expensive sport though. The equipment is not that expensive. It is the cost of club dues, court time, tournaments, etc.
@@robertservant1936 It depends on the location. I live in Eastern Germany and the price for a club membership is around 220 € a year. Some clubs have courts where you can play the whole year and some have only clay courts that can be used between April and October. So it's common here to play indoors during Oct to Mar and playing indoors is indeed expensive (20€/hour).
In contrast, playing in the US is basically free as you'll find many public courts that don't require a membership. Plus you have the climate in many parts of the US where you can play outdoor the whole year.
Flip side is, some of these public courts are not that well-kept.
Thanks Nick very useful! I've got a Pro Staff 97 315 version so some of the insights you gave on the RF re stiffness are really useful. Would be great to see you review and play with different rackets and explain how they compare and their impacts on playing style. Cheers
Many, many top pros used aluminum frames back in the day and won slams with them. Fiberglass was also popular. Eventually something will replace graphite I suppose. My first stick was a $20 Wilson aluminum frame and it was just fine. It all boils down to the archer not the bow. I spend much more time tweaking my string setups than anything else.
Thank you for this video! I actually bought that exact Walmart racket for my bday a couple months back to try get into tennis and was glad that there was a vid like this to compare the quality in prices!
5:49 says 250 grams, corrects it on screen with 240 grams. The correct weight is 340 grams :D
Played with RF97 for a year, weight was ok but at the level I was playing, against the equivalent of 3-4.0 in US, it was waaayy too powerful. Made too many mistakes. Used RPM Blast and natural gut in hybrid. Replaced it with a Ezone Dr98 and all of a sudden, the most mistakes/UE were gone.
I think this racquet is for someone with a medium swing (length and speed).
I am interesting.
What kind of string & how much tension did you strung on Ezone DR98 ?
I am already had DR100, want to restring it
I’m a social player now, but played a lot of comp as a junior into early adult. I always used the Hammer when I was younger, the same as Venus used to use. It was an awesome racquet. I now use the RF97 v11, and I completely agree, you really need to know technique before using this racquet. Sweet spot hitting is a must
I always love these racket comparison videos.
I've been playing the Wilson Pro Staff 97 (315 g version) for five years now after going through a series of customized Head rackets (tuned to around 300 g, neutral balance). It took me some time to figure out how to serve properly with it. I also play a one-handed backhand and it feels great swinging through the ball - as long as you hit the sweet spot. This racket forces you to improve your technique and has helped me personally to get rid of shoulder and elbow pains as a welcome side effect.
Whenever I switch rackets with friends for fun (Clash, Blade, Babolat, ...), I feel like I'm playing with a toy racket. Of course, the strings are another huge factor and make a difference as well.
Toda la razón del mundo, amigo.
This is exactly what I went through, I usually use the babalot pure aero but switched to the rf 97 (340) and it forces me to use proper technique, I just cant figure out the serve for it some times.
Very informative and entertaining video, Nick. But I'd be very interested to hear what you think about the difference between more and less expensive rackets, instead of between the most expensive vs. the cheapest. I.e., is there a big difference between the Babolat Pure Drive or Aero and the Babolat EVO or Boost, which are still at least $99, but about half of the more expensive Babolat models? I have never bought the less expensive Babolats because I assumed they weren't as good, but are they really not as good?
As a coach and casual player, I've found the Artengo rackets from Decathlon to be outstanding. Much better than anything else in their price range for my needs anyway and competitive with the top of the line models from the big makers.
The Artengo are practically 1:1 copies of decent rackets (only with terrible design).
@@brocanova actually the tr960 control tour is quite a good design for me.
The problem in Australia is they are expensive and no resell value
Great Video Nik. I have long said that you can hand a pro any Walmart or Target racquet (maybe even a youth model) and the pro would have no issues beating any recreational player. Also, a cool video would be seeing you play with a wooden racquet and with classic strokes vs one of your 4.5 students to further prove that proper technique and tactics can beat the most expensive equipment.
I'm 77 years old, weigh 142 and have been using the RF97 Autograph for about three years, with a break in between. In that break I've mainly used a Prince Textreme Tour 100 (310) and a Head Gravity Pro. Is the RF 97 "heavy"? This is a misleading question because you have to consider not only the total weight of the racket (the technical term is "static weight") but the distribution of the weight between the racket head and the rest of the racket. The RF 97 is very head light, meaning the distribution of weight is more towards the handle side of the racket than many other rackets (it is 9 points head light, which is a lot). One way of measuring the influence of this weight distribution is with the swing weight; this gives some idea of the relative effort needed to swing the racket horizontally. The RF 97's swing weight averages 333 which is pretty high. The Head Gravity Pro has about the same swing weight but is about 20 grams lighter. The other major factor in swinging a racket is the fact that you swing not only the racket but also your arm. The average 150 pound man' arm weighs a total of about 8 1/2 pounds. The forearm and hand together weigh about 2 1/2 pounds. A 355 gram strung racket like the RF 97 weighs about 3/4 of a pound. In 60 years of playing tennis, I've never heard of anyone complaining of their arm being too heavy to swing in that sport. I grew up playing with wood rackets and despite being probably less than average in strength for a man I have no trouble handling the RF 97. Playing with lighter rackets, like the Prince Textreme Tour I mentioned, did not improve my game even though it is a wonderful and versatile racket. You like light rackets and are used to them. To pick up a heavier racket and "evaluate" it without spending at least a few weeks getting used to it is prejudicial IMHO. With all your tennis experience, Nik, you should know that it takes time to become accustomed to a different racket and on the spot evaluations are not trustworthy.
Very true! But also as an older chap you know that rackets back in the day were commonly 350 sometimes 360g+, the rf97a at 340 plus headlight balance definitely wouldn't feel heavy to you 😄
@Matej Juhás I think the point of the video was that an expensive racket might be a poorer playing racket than a cheap one. The RF97 was chosen because it is the most expensive mainstream racket available (there are more expensive ones that are, however uncommon). There was misleading information given, e.g., because the RF97 has a high static weight that is the reason it is hard to use. The important concepts of weight distribution and swingweight were not mentioned and these have as much, or more, to do with racket difficulty of use than static weight. There are advantages to lighter weight and lower swingweight rackets. There are also important disadvantages, the biggest one is that a very light racket can contribute to arm and shoulder problems because they tend to be stiffer frames to compensate from the loss of power with reduced weight. That combination of stiffness and light weight can be dangerous to people susceptible to joint problems.
Me I went for a racket that was neither too cheap nor expensive as I wasn't fully sure I'd get into tennis as a beginner. I'm enjoying it much more and would definitely consider what ideal rackets to look for when my current ones break, probably one that has a good lifespan. Thanks for all the coaching tutorials
all rackets basically have a lifespan mostly impacted by how you use it. if you rage and throw your racket it wont last long, if u treat it well, itll easily last you 5 years. what you really want to worry about are strings. those will break but also just need to be relatively frequently restrung
Thats why they have cheap rackets.
The steady cost of shoes, balls, and strings really add up. The rackets themselves are just a one time fee that last virtually forever.
I think follow up videos about cheap strings and cheap shoes are needed.
love the big message of this video. tennis really isn't a largely expensive sport (unless you're going pro), its a lifelong sport that you can easily play for a lifetime at the recreational level. I started tennis off with some old Walmart rackets I found in my garage and upgraded my gear as my level progressed. Now im playing college level as a freshman this year
Laughable when you add up the cost of membership, overgrips, restringing, tennis balls..
Yeah cheap sport… NOT
Racquets are cheap but access to courts can be expensive and proper instruction costs a lot. It's not a cheap sport for most people.
I love the guys in here that say "nope, tennis is very expensive". Makes it overall less stressful when so many people are taking themselves out of the competition before even playing. ;-)
That's why I never bought the newest model racquets. I bought older models that are on sale, which are $100 less than the newest models. For the really cheap racquets that he demoed , I played with them too, but I found that it's easier when the head is big, so your arm get some help, because if the head is small, with cheaper material, your arm will feel every vibration from the frame. But if you have a one handed backhand, it's not easy to use a big head racquet.
@@stockton350 It depends on where you live. Access to courts is not too hard where I live. I didn't have to pay. As for instruction, you can get a lot out of video clip these days. I joined my high school tennis team and was taught the fundamental there. Most high school coaches are not high level players, but if they are just 4.0 level players with good technique, they can show you. Remember that having good technique is not too hard to achieve. What's hard is consistent execution and movement. In college I took tennis as PE and there I was taught by a former D1 college player. It wasn't one on one but that's good enough for me. My goal was not to become a high level player, just as high as my skill and practice time allow. I suspect most rec players don't seek to be high level players. So it doesn't have to be expensive. The expense you can't get away with is tennis balls.
Loved it. BTW just switched to a Rafa Aero - 100 inch, highly stiff racquet. Love the control and lower power. Serve is about as powerful but way more consistent. Had played with a Volkl Organix 3 (110 inch, very stiff) since starting to learn tennis a few years ago.
Great video idea. Great demo and great insights.
You are so enthusiastic about this sport. Sooooo good. Thanks vor the video.
This is a very useful video as I am a beginner and got a really good deal on a demo model pro staff 97l, I love the racket but I have had issues with chips and drops so the swing radius tip is really helpful.
I had a heavy version of the RF97 about ten years ago. I demoed one and hit very well with it, so I gave it a go. After a while I found that too many of my shots were going just long and I blamed it on my inability to get enough topspin on the ball due to the racquet's heft. I ended up giving it to a friend and never looked back.
This was a very interesting and different video of yours as far as content. I really enjoyed it! Love the $14.00 Aces! haha. This proves you should never buy a brand-new racket at retail prices that just came out on the market. Thank you Nic!
Great content - thanks for sharing! Technique > equipment.
Ever tried the Wilson ProStaff85, from a few decades ago (still available -- new/China make -- at TW), and/or the Head Prestige Classis 600 (also, the old school one) if so what was your take?
On another note, have you never got tangled/tied up with your mic cable lead? Just wondering if it would be better to have it run under your t-shirt?
Thanks.
Great video and comparison. Now you need to do strings. I was a coach for years and nothing bugged me more than a beginner showing up with RPM blast poly in their racket.
Thanks Nik, racquets are definitely not a one size fits all. For me two key indicators a particular racquet becomes my choice is arm comfort and confidence in hitting balls where you need to attack, stepping into the court.
Nick's serves are kicking like crazy. The RF brings your game to a new level.
For the affordable racket, it's a lot like a Pure Drive to me. Big serves. 100 sq in. It's designed to do a lot of the work for you, somewhat like the thick frame of the PD.
When I moved from aluminum to the PD2018, it was a pretty natural transition. I just had to get used to the opposite balance.
I have the Wilson pro staff 97 v13 and I am loving it, I switched from a head liquid metal 4 after 3 years because it was too light and I kept breaking strings. I used it temporarily until my racquet was restrung but the owner told me to keep it because I was doing so much better with it than my head racquet.
You always upload some great videos thanks for sharing, I bought myself a Wilson Ultra 100 CV platinum I cant find anywhere opinions on this racket since is not the blue Wilson Ultra 100 , if you can some day make a video about this racket I'll be in debt with you and very greaful, keep on playing :D
Haha. Great video. A million tennis fans are going to rush to Walmart and Costco. Tennis warehouse is losing it right about now. You should do a review of the 1980’s wood rackets.
pro staff 90s, 88s and 85s that are new or in very good condition sell for around $700, often more, on ebay right now. The classic prestige mid would probably be in the same boat if there were any new ones left.
Thank you for this very informative video. I am picking up tennis again after about a 30 - 35 year break because my little boy started taking lessons. I'm having fun just being a weekend hacker now with my son because before I was playing tournaments every weekend on the junior circuit and I kind of burned out on the sport after a few years.
I have been watching a lot of your videos lately and I was thinking that maybe I should upgrade my racket since today I'm using my old racket from when I was a teenager. After watching this and your other videos about rackets though I'll just stick with my old trusty Prince Precision Graphite from the 1980s. I don't need to have the latest and greatest racket that is endorsed by some pro that I don't recognize. That is just not important to me now like when I was a kid and I lusted after a Wilson Ultra or a Prince Graphite.
What can I say...I love my Precision Graphite. It still plays as nicely now as it did when I was a kid. (I sure wish that I could say the same for my tennis game but it's coming back.) I like it so much that I bought another one recently as a backup just in case something happens to my old one. So, even though I am perfectly happy with my old racket I still love watching your videos. It's kind of mind boggling to me how much rackets have changed since my day! I am actually old enough to remember when people played with all of the rackets that you showed in your "Testing Old Tennis Rackets" video. (My first racket was my mom's old Prince Classic when she got a Prince Pro to replace it.)
Thank you again for the great video and please keep them coming.
hey coach, as a current pure drive user yourself and old racket enthusiast, would be great to see you make a video comparing some of the original babolat frames (aeropro original, swirly pure drive, pure control, etc) to the ones out on the market currently. keep up the great content, thanks!
I once bought a Wilson SPS (Super Power Series) Centrix, which I bought at the Carrefour market for 15 dollars. My game flowed very well with this racket, I had a lot of fun!
I got a chance to play with a standard PS97 a few months ago via a friend who bought one. It was hefty and just as unforgiving as a wooden 85 that I hit for fun/practice with - sort of like a wooden spoon - but unlike the wood racket, the PS is extremely satisfying when you could find the sweet spot and hit your target.
Great video - I needed this! I'd been going crazy trying to decide between all these 1000s of different rackets and specifications, and I'm only a 3.0 player. Thanks to this video, I'm just going to get a $100 racket and call it a day.
When I started tennis a few years ago I saved up for the RF97 instead of getting a beginners racket because I wanted something nice quality that would last. This made me realize i should definitely get an easier to use racket as my technique could be hindered by such a hard to use racket. I'm a 2.5 player still, no way I should be using such an unforgiving racket. I still have a lot of technique to learn. Thanks for the great video as always!
I love this kind of test, Wilson will win no matter what!
Thank you Nick!
I love the message that this video carries. Tennis, like a great many other sports in the world, is very accessible. All you need is a 14$ racket, a pair of shoes and a 2$ ball. You get better at soccer, you buy more expensive shoes, and maybe an official ball. You get better at tennis, not much more of a dent in your budget if you want high quality equipment.
I enjoyed this video. I would have liked to understand a little more though about the characteristics of the cheaper racket. Weight, swing weight, stiffness, and balance (head light). I have a sneaking suspicion that what works better is generally a lighter racket, allowing beginner players to develop their shots, without having to lug a heavy racket which may be cumbersome to swing and volley with.
I played with cheap Walmart rackets before because I didn’t have my racket with me while on vacation. But it takes a bit of adjustments to get used to loose strings. But the thing with light/cheap rackets, it will creat tennis elbow if you have fast strokes.
I think testing it returning heavy/fast serves and ground strokes the difference will be much greater. The mass and flexibility of the cheap racquet will become and issue and potentially would lead to injuries as well trying to keep the stick stable .
Thanks for comparing these racquets. I own the Walmart Wilson. I figured it was a good choice as an entry level racquet 🎾 to get started with
You can always upgrade as you get better and progress in tennis. I'm glad you thought it was a suitable choice.
True
It's funny, Nic - while you comment on the video that you feel a bit uncomfortable with the ProStaff RF97 and feel you're getting much less power, to the eye your shots look even better than usual (and of course they usually look great), like your command is much stronger. Yes, your shots do look flatter than usual (maybe to be expected with the weight and geometry of the racquet) but they seem to have nice "bite" and you seem to be putting the ball pretty much where you want. I sometimes think the bigger issue with these kinds of racquets is fatigue setting in as you play longer matches, particularly in singles (and particularly when you're older - I'm 45 and I think you're a similar age so wonder how you'd feel after a couple of sets). Great point about how racquet technology has gotten so good and efficient that even extremely cheap racquets are still more than adequate to play and have fun. Great video, thanks!
Yeah - his shots looked great. I never heard anyone describe the RF97 as a flexible frame.
everyone with fatigue loses their legs first than arms. Blaming the racket weight is just an excuse. 20 -30 gms is not a difference in winning and losing
I feel like It is not about the latest and greatest but what you are comfortable with. If you look at the pros, they usually get an older racquet model that they are used to painted to look like the newer model (to promote the newer models).
Hey! How about trying the same racquet with a lower 315 gm or 290 gms? 97, 97L. 290 gms is probably going to take care of the difficulty in swinging the racquet. I use the prostaff 97 315 gms and it works for me. Also is stiffness linked to the weight of the racquet?
incredible shots on the rise, amazing shot quality
I found a really old ProStaff in the trash at a high school court that I rescued. Had it restrung/regripped, and it's vastly different from my RF97, but it's a lot of fun to play with. And I win just as infrequently with it.
thanks a lot. It explained a lot why the tennis shop boss told me it was so hard to play RF97 well
I think the rf97 requires one to know good technique/basics. I use the rf97 v12 (tuxedo) to warm up, I usually use the pro staff team 100sq in. (the v12 and v13) most of the time. The weight of the rf97 does take some getting used to, but more importantly is the technique. I did buy it because I'm an RF fan, but do recognize my limitations and improvements needed to use the rf autograph more efficiently.
Depending on what an individual is seeking (power, control, spin, etc), but this is more of a control racquet which is what i was seeking. String/ tension set up might help with spin/power, but in the end it's more for control and requires the user to be intermediate or advanced. I don't recommend it for beginners, unless one is willing to really put in the time and effort to learn to use it.
I am a beginner and I started playing using a Wilson tour slam and a Head elite I got from Target. They were not too expensive but what I’ve noticed after a couple of months the strings were kinda loose loose and after playing a game most of the strings would all be crooked and I would have to straighten them out. Also it felt like the rackets weren’t responding well the way I wanted the to. After switching to a Head TIS6 which is lighter, tighter strings and a little more expensive, I noticed the racket responded well during play. And I’ve also noticed my elbow and wrist don’t hurt as much or not at all after playing.
I have a feeling you could play great with a broom stick Nick! 🌞
for me, for the past 4 years, I'm playing with Wilson Clash Pro Tour 100, I find it the best for my game style, heck, it made me #2 in 4.0 Texas region LOL. Joking aside, I've tried mostly all of the racquets I could demo from TennisWarehouse, but could not find anything better. No elbow pain and gives you "free" power. Give it a try guys.
first time I've heard the Rf described as flexible
That caught me off as well. Kinda made me doubt about his knowledge about the racket. The frame is only softer by like 3% than the bb drive he uses...
I bought an old Prince racket in a pawnshop for $ 2,50 took it out on the court and yes it played very nice despite the 2 sizes smaller grip. I normally plat the Head Gravity Tour rackets. In the long term, the Prince will be of course not the ideal racket, if I pick a random racket from anyone at my club it always feels better on the first hit. But a nice comparison.
What a nice video comparison. Please try to compare the yonex ezone and vcore editions. 💪
I decided years ago that a good low mid price racket was what worked best for me. I've hit with the Babolat PureDrive and it's OK; but, I can't see the price difference being worth it. I play with the Head Ti-S2. I like its stiffness (which some hate) and lightness (which some hate). Here's the thing, I'm the one playing with it, so who cares what other people like. A few years back I tried making a shift to the similarly priced Babolat Pulsion102 and broke two frames just hitting ground strokes. Granted I hit a very heavy forehand; but, breaking two frames is unacceptable, so it was back to the Head. I also switched from synthetic gut to Luxilon ALUpower 125 Rough 16L and I'm not having to restring my racket constantly.
In summary, play with what works for you. The price tag doesn't make the difference, you do.
Arthur Ashe played with the Head Comp I racquet towards the end of his career. It had a very small sweet spot and the frame was nylon with thin aluminum laminate on each side. The head of the racquet was oval - looked elongated. Of course in those days most of the tour pros were playing with wood racquets. Early in his career McEnroe used a Dunlop Maxply Forte and then Wilson came along and put the Kramer Pro Staff in his hands. Connors played with the "lightening rod" Wilson T-2000 - tiny round head all metal frame uniquely it had a wire twisted around the frame through which they ran the strings. There weren't many people who could string that racquet properly.
Great video, love the channel
Thank you 🙏
By far the best tennis channel on youtube. Love this
🙏
RF stifness is not low. I think the feeling you described is due to the difference in weight and swing speed. And perhaps strings tension and type
Great video. I just bought the $15 Walmart racket and was really impressed with it so I looked for a review and found this. I'm actually surprised how inexpensive tennis equipment is, even the top pro model is only $279. I figured pros must have $3000 rackets. I played a little tennis years ago and don't think prices have changed in 30 years. Crazy thing is, many courts I see are empty on a sunny spring weekend; apparently a $400 video game station is cheaper than a $15 racket and a $3 can of balls.
Wow what a great lesson. No need to spend a ridiculous amount of money to play this beautiful sport. Thanks Nick!
💯
You are truly hones "online" coach, that's big thing for sure. Thanks for the video Nick
Honest ...
I play with the lighter version of Wilson Pro Staff v13 at 305g and 100 square inches and it plays beautifully for me. Then again, I do play with a one-handed backhand
That racquet was actually $3 cheaper before the recent inflation. It was $11.95 maybe a year ago or less. I started with thrift store racquets for like $2. Then I bought one of these. It was cheaper than paying someone to string one.
Oh nah bro
I use the Prince tour 95 and 98 with hybrid 17 gauge strings, and i noticed a huge difference with power and accuracy.
14:24 Hilarious! Great stuff Nick!
Like you said, the most important thing is muscle memory, but that's when you first pick up the racquet. In the long term, you can adapt to any racquet, as long as it doesn't cause an injury. So I think long term it should be about what will reduce injuries for you & allow you to hit harder without injury. If your arm it more likely to get injured from the weight of the racquet itself, like if the swing motion injures your arm even with no ball, choose a lighter racquet, but if you're more likely to get an injury from the force of the ball hitting the strings (or hitting the frame), heavier racquets should actually reduce that type of injury. My injuries seem to be from the force of the ball on the strings, because that's when I get the most pain and the heaviest racquets seem to help even though I'm only at a beginner recreational level (UTR = 3). But there are cheaper options if you want something heavier including adding lead or tungsteen tape.
Awesome! I’ve got $99 Head Radical Microgel that goes on sale for $79 strung!! Love it!
My first racquet was a cheap one i bought 25 years ago and i swear that i still play better with that thing than any of the expensive replacements i've bought. Plus all of the dings and dents add character.
Show it, don't tell it - and you just did! Phenomenal 🙏😄 Have a great weekend! 😊
You should do a review of the $50-$100 rackets. Or the junior rackets. There are many. I used to buy rackets off the shelf from sports authority.
I never played with the RF but I play the standar v13 315g. Do you think is a big difference with the RF for the recreational player in easeness to use or I am also stopping my progress? I would say I am between 4.0 or 4.5
Great video and comparison! I STILL play with the Pure Drive GT from 2014 after trying out everything else they've made since then and not feeling they help me play any better. A $200 racket does not guarantee a $200 game.
those were the best models from babolat, both aeropro and pure drive. they dont feel the same anymore. keep that racket
Fascinating review. I liked it. Love to see what you'd do with a wooden racket! lol
Nic has made one video where he tried different rackets used by past top players. Borg's Donnay Allwood wooden racquet was one that was featured. A few others he tested were Connors' Wilson T2000 aluminum racket. And Dunlop Max 200G graphite racket used by McEnroe and Graf. And some others which I don't recall. Maybe Michael Chang's extended Prince Longbody... Was a cool video. Was interesting to see someone hit with a wooden racket using modern technique. IIRC he said he started to feel the weight of the Donnay Allwood in his shoulder after a few full powered serves.
There's also the non Autograph version of the racquet, which is lighter and probably more suited for the recreational player. 340g (Autograph) vs. 315g.
I use the spin friendly LS version of the racquet and love it. I'm a player/coach with a level of 5.0 and I'm 53 yrs old.
I owned the lighter version, it's honestly still not very friendly. The racquet is just so demanding! need to have excellent technique which I definitely don't lol
@@DonRobberto So go out and take a few lessons, work on your technique, develop your game. I'm 53, although I'm a stronger player/coach I'm constantly trying to better my game. No racquet is going to make you play better. Good luck and happy hitting my friend.
I think I'm in the minority that plays with beefier rackets like the RF97 and VCore Pro 330 simply because I prefer how they feel. For a gag I started playing with wooden rackets for a few months and ended up finding a lot of enjoyment in the experience. Going back to my Wilson Blade after that time ended up feeling like I couldn't control the ball as well even though I was suddenly hitting far more in the center of the string bed. I switched around to heavier more control oriented rackets and have been playing my best tennis since, I find myself spraying far less than I ever did with my Strikes or Blades.
That said, I tell everyone I ever try to get into tennis that I have seen a player make it to the High School State level using a racket that was free with rebate at Menards. It's all about personal preference and I love that that was made clear here.
I agree with the conclusion that tennis doesn't have to be expensive and that if you're starting out, any aluminum racket should be enough for you to know if this is something you're going to stick with.
In my case, I also can't stand how light rackets feel after getting used to playing with heavy rackets. I'm not a competitive/pro tennis player right now, and I play mostly because it's the exercise I most enjoy having learned the game some 12 years ago, but in that same line, I don't have the pressure to hit good shots, I just want to move around and improve my technique, also my hitting partner is a wall. I bought a lightly used RF97 tuxedo and worked my way up to using it more and more until I grew used to it. I know have some Six-one 95s (ncode version) that are nearly as heavy as the rf and even more demanding from a footwork/sweetspot perspective, and that's ok for me. When I switch back to the other frame I used before (head microgel radical) I can't stand the tinny feel of it, and it's a good racket.
I am guilty of having an RF97 that is sitting around collecting dust for reasons explained in this video but until now didn't know why. I just knew If I hit exactly right it was gold, otherwise it was a pain in the neck to use and became frustrating. Not all of the racquets fault as my eyes weren't always on it but even with that I win more now with another lighter, stiffer racquet and even in losses it's just more fun to play without the RF97. I need some forgiveness in a racquet although aforementioned eyed on the ball has vastly improved. I will not go back to the RF97 though. Thankfully I did not buy that RF97 new.
@nick - impeccable angle with my backhand for the low cost of $14 🤣👍🎾. I love your channel man! Ive often wondered if those Walmart rackets would perform descent if using a high quality poly. I played with 1 years ago and it's string pattern was bizarre. I didn't want to waste my good strings in it. I play with ProStaff lite. Because I have a 1 hander and like you mentioned the weight feels good if you can set up and execute a full swing, true. But I found I could play many flick and last second improvisation shots or fall away from the ball. The bad things a lot rec players can get away doing with a lighter and more forgiving racket. Pro Staff RF is heavy. Unless you have high level footwork I would go with something lighter. And my backhand volley felt very weak. It's all weight related
Thank you Profesah 🙏
I asked in a prior comment if I should buy a XL Racket this was the one I meant I believe so I will have to Replace this after it bends Jaha and Yes this is actually my cheap Set-up.for now... Thanks Coach...
A good suggestion for a video would be to compare a mid range racket with a flagship. Not many people taking up the sport are going to choose the absolute cheapest. But it would be nice to know if there's much if any advantage to buying the top of the range rackets. E.g. An $80-$120 racket Vs the flagships.
I'm looking to buy my first racket after borrowing one for a few months. I'm naturally pretty good having played different racket sports. But I doubt I'd appreciate the flagships. They'd likely be wasted on me. But of course the cheapest one would hold me back.
Hope you make this video. I haven't saw anyone else do this. But many have did the cheapest Vs most expensive.
best review i ve seen lately
I'm in complete agreement with you: playing tennis as a hobby is not expensive at all.
You can spent 100-150€ for 2 rackets
40€ for 2 new string sets and stringjobs
Add a couple of cans of balls, let's say antoher 15€
All you have to do then is find available public courts and some friends to play with.
Nice for summer but it becomes very expensive if you want to play more than 5 months in country with a winter. And I find that the shoes are becoming a lot more expensive.
@@hhcurieux I'm talking about casual tennis playing. As a hobby, not professionaly. You can wear your regular sneakers if the court is acrylic. For winter, yes, rain and cold weather is an issue.
Finding people to hit with is the expensive part. Have to join a club basically at least in Arizona
for the most part i agree. if youre playing in NYC, USA, or maybe other metropolitan areas, you may not be so lucky. Court fees and reservations are a god send. the "if" to finding public courts is non-existent in the area unfortunately.
Public courts? In Europe? Where?
In the 80’s I used to play with an aluminium racket . it was a Dunlop. A very powerful one.
I used a combination of Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 Classic and Stretch for decades. Coming from those the RF97 felt great. Lots of feel and great balance. But the RF97 is indeed a heavy racquet by modern standards.
Odd you find the RF97 "so flexible". It has a very similar stiffness rating to the Babolat.
I played with the Wilson 6.1 95 Classic too. My dad had one and gave it to me when I started learning. I remember when Wilson stopped making them even though Sampras and Courier both used played with it. Sampras refused to change and would buy old stock. That was a heavy racquet already and he added lead tape. Crazy.
@@timothy4664 I think Sampras mentioned he regretted not moving to a modern racquet sooner.
Long story short; I have just added a 97RF to my bag. Before that, I’ve played the 100” Blade (too light/sold both), Yonex 98 (still own 3/ 1 in my bag/ 2 for sale), Volkl 98 (have 1 in my bag), Babolat Puredrive (sold/hated it), and extensively demo’d Technifibre, Head, etc.….the one I demo’d and repeatedly came back to…was the 97RF Signature. The weight makes it stable, the slice is better than with any other racket I’ve played, and the power loss on my serve is made up with the predictability of setting the ball. I suppose, every player’s mileage may vary.
Tested all sorts of racquets. Always come back to the ProKennex heritage C93 Redondo. Smooth. Precise. Obliges me to prepare early, get the right rhythm timing tempo and swing through the ball.
I’ve been getting into tennis more seriously, i’ve been using an oversized wilson to start out. Would it be better to switch to a normal sized racket now if i know i will take tennis seriously in the future, or is it ok to stick with the oversized racket until i get better?
You know, I always like getting myself a freshly strung polyester or gut, but I think people should give various synthetic strings a try. That 14$ racket has nylon in it, I've never tried it, but I've tried various syn-gut and I found that when you string them tight, I like it.
Could you tell me usually how many pounds your synthetic string strung?
I smiled when he described the problem with the RF97 on chipping serve returns - when the problem was his feet were totally out of position. And he’s a good player! That stick requires you to be in position and a fast swing speed.
That Antwerp open trophy is forever etched in my mind. What a gorgeous golden racquet embedded with thousands of diamonds and million dollar plus paycheck added to the trophy. I remember Lendl winning it 3 out of 5 years and the look on McEnroe face when he lost to lendl was priceless
Great video. I am 66 and not that muscular, but I love my RF97. I spent many years using the BLX six.one mostly because Fed is my guy on the circuit. Marketing does work. The BLX has the smallest racket head of any, and I managed to hone some hitting skill so that I mostly hit pure. This helped when I moved to the RF97 and the sweet spot felt huge. So I do benefit from hitting the sweet spot regularly. I also try to hit the ball very early since I hit little if any spin. The racket heft really helps me with flat power and my arm never tires. By the way, watch Federer ALWAYS look the ball into the racket. Other great players look like they are looking ahead of the ball upon contact. I try to emulate Federer that way and I feel it helps locate the sweet spot.
Smallest racket head? Surely not, there's 90 inch, 85, 80, then aluminum frames and woodies with 60-70in heads.
@@uchihasasuke7436 I meant to say the smallest racket head that mens professional tennis had used when Fed used it. I understood Fed's BLX racket had the smallest string bed of any men's player.