Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph

The sport of tennis is evolving, so is the Pro Staff. Developed with the help of Roger Federer and engineered for the next generation of tennis, the new Pro Staff delivers more power, a larger headsize, and a bigger sweetspot, but keeps the pure, classic feel that players love.

A new look has been incorporated in this RF 97 Autograph racket, strong reds and blacks in keeping with traditional Wilson colours and finished off with the soft leather grip. This racket looks very striking in appearance and different from what Federer has used in the past. Here at Withers we think this is strongest looking racket Wilson has ever launched for Federer.

This is the personal choice for Roger himself. Weighing in at 340 grams, 97 sq.in. headsize, open stringing pattern of 16×19 and a balance of 30.5 cm the updated Pro Staff packs heaps of power and control. An absolute beast of a racket for those that can handle the weight, this is one of the heaviest rackets on the market and has a select crowd.

Being as heavy has the RF 97 Auto is, it is very light in the head so therefore making the racket more maneuverable and around the net providing excellent stability. Service returns are also a high point, in part because this racket’s weight allows it to absorb power and transfer this energy for players own benefit with ease.

In terms of the stringing, we strung our demo in Wilson NXT 1.30 gauge at 56lbs. We found this comfort wise to be fantastic, a multifilament string that absorbs lots of vibrations. The cushioned sensation this gave to our playtesters was unmatched. The only downside with NXT is that is does not provide huge amounts of spin, this is were we would recommend a hybrid combination, a slightly more textured string in the mains (i.e. a Luxilon Big Banger Rough / Babolat RPM Blast) and NXT in the crosses.

The RF 97 is available is lighter models, the RF 97 (315g), RF 97 LS (290g), 95s (313g).

The RF 97 Auto is supposed to be a little challenging for us mortals, but the payoff for playing with Grand Slam legend Federer’s racket correctly, is simply as good as it gets!