1 posts categorized "January 2009"
A few weeks ago I wrote a post on the soon-to-be-released Wilson [K] Pro Staff 88. Judging from the response it's obviously a hotly anticipated item. I finally managed to play a bit with the frame, and it’s definitely a true player’s stick like its predecessor, the Pro Staff 6.0 85. But instead of my full assessment, I’m going to yield the floor to Vasiliy Guryanov. He works at the Midtown Club in Chicago and, like much of the staff there, is a racquet tech of the highest order. When it comes to determining the merits and shortcomings of a racquet, those guys know there stuff.
Here’s Vasiliy’s evaluation:
I've had this racquet for the past couple of days and have spent about 4 hours playing with it so here is my review of this highly anticipated stick. My Background - I'm a teaching pro and get to play test many racquets. My regular racquet is Wilson [K] Blade 98 (340 swingweight, 338.5 g, 329 mm) with some customizations strung with Luxilon Alu 16L at 50 pounds.
First Take
Since I caught the first glimpse of this new arrival I couldn’t wait to try it out and compare it to PS85 and its other versions including [K] 6.1 Tour 90 U.S. and Asian additions. Once you have the frame in your hand, two things stand our right away - the heavy but comfortable swingweight and very substantial pick-up weight. Its cosmetics are a clever combo of old school red and yellow stripes and the [K] Factor signature outline patterns. Another cool retro reference is the white butt cap with a red Wilson logo. At first I was very impressed, but after having it around for several days the look just fell short of the original classic.
Initial Impression: 9
Playability
Once the racquet was examined and its specs measured (350 swingweight, 371.5 g, 322 mm) it was time to hit. This racquet was strung with Wilson's new hollow core string at 56 pounds, which was surprisingly comfortable and controllable. The Wilson leather grip and Pro Overgrip provide lots of feed back on all shots and allow for very precise racquet control. Starting with some light hitting at the baseline it will take you a few shots to figure out that the sweet spot is about 1.5 inches lower than most of the racquets out today, but once you figure this out you will find this frame to be pretty playable.
Power: 7
Control: 10
Baseline Play
Ground strokes and returns felt very controllable and pretty consistent, but because of its weight I did lose some racquet head speed and spin. Overall, I hit the ball harder than my [K] Blade 98, but not quite as consistently and with less movement.
Topspin Groundstrokes: 8
Flat Groundstrokes: 8
Sliced Backhand: 10
Net Play
It feels very stable on all shots, but most notably on half volleys and volleys and my personal favorite - delicate drop shots from all areas of the court.
Volleys: 10
Half Volleys: 10
Overheads: 9
Serving
Serves felt great with lots of precision and pretty good power. I did lose about 5 mps of my usual speed, but its control makes up for less power with superb placement. The only down side to this frame is that most recreational players are not conditioned to handling such a heavy stick over two or three sets of tennis.
Serve Power: 8
Serve Placement: 10
Bottom Line
In order to compete well with this stick you'll have to be a very good attacking player in fit shape and with great hand-eye coordination. It’s best-suited for players with an NTRP rating of 4.5 and above. But to truly appreciate this racquet, you have to experience it for yourself. The official release is scheduled around 1/25/09, but those of you who can’t wait that long (like me) can probably find a way to play with it sooner.
Final Overall Grade: 9
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