I played with 46 this afternoon. Honestly after the adjusting time it felt so good. The serve is bombastic. I have always played with 55/56lbs. No more my friend
I've been hitting it in rotation along side a couple of other frames. I started it at 52 lbs and wasn't that impressed. But after the tension dropped as the strings settled in, I started to like it better. Found it great on backhands and serves. I found it needed some weight, the swing weight is too low. I added 4g in the hoop at 3 &9 to help it come through the ball. We'll see how it goes now.
Totally agree with the lower tension recommendation. The frame is very comfy for me and a softer copoly at around 46 works great as well (Black Knight 17g). But the 1 thing I wish they would have done would have been 8 mains in the throat. It swing very quick, same as my 300g Shift and way head light compared to a Speed MP.
@@santiagopinzon5645 They are completely different experiences. I'm a big fan of RESULTs of playing with the Shift. However, I hate the grip on the Shift and it's feel is not even good in my book. The RF01 is a good feeling racquet and it's loaded with control. I'm still trying to find my backhand with it, can only hit 1 type of volley, but the upside is a great serving racquet, great forehand racquet, medium power and ok spin wise. If I switch to it, I'll have to change my volley and backhand, but the upside is every serve is within a foot of where I'm aiming. The funny part is the shape of the Shift and RF are very similar, but the response is completely different.
@@gkinghsmith9352 finally made the switch from my shift to the RF01. Holy shit if my game has improved. Ive not played with it for long (only 4 days), but the sweet spot feels much more well defined than with the shift. I’m still trying to find my OHB with it, but as Ive said it has only been four days. Whenever i hit off center the ball just looses power (which is expected) but with the shift it just flies all over the place. I don’t know if its my game style (i don’t use THAT much topspin), but I’ve found much easier the RF01 than the shift (although i find both rackets to be very hard to use, i think a blade would’ve been much easier). I don’t like like the feel of the RF01, also I don’t enjoy the sound it makes when i hit the ball. I do think i would’ve enjoyed more playing with a blade tho.
I'm really surprised you have not done a test with natural gut and Alu power, considering the strings make such a huge difference to the performance of the racquet and thats the string setup up that Fed obviously used and hence, they would have taken that into account when designing it. The feel would be amazing given the lack of any dampening tech and the use of natural gut.
There's the 300 and the Pro, buy there's also the Semi Pro ie the 300 with the RF leather grip which takes it to about 305g, then you add 5g lead in the hoop and you have the 310g RF01 Semi Pro!
Great video and agree, having demoed both this and the Pro. Question regarding your point on tension - wouldn't it be the case for any racquet that lowering the tension would make the sweet spot bigger? It seems like there are a lot of folks doing everything they can to make this racquet work for them, when there are better options out there, no?
Thanks, well some racquets become rocket launchers with polys at low tension, but this one remains very controlled thanks to the dense string bed. I tried something similar with the Blade 98 16/19 and that did not work
I used to play with a Head Liquid Metal Radical MP back in my highschool/college days. Picked up a racquet for the first time in over a decade and decided it was time for an upgrade. Went initially with Boom MP as I thought I would need more help power and spin wise and didnt like the feeling. It was more muted and hollow feeling than what I remembered. Decided to pick up an RF01 300g and initially strung it with Lynx Spin2 at 52 lbs.. not bad. But also felt like an old friend. Very similar to my old LM Radical MP. After more hitting sessions and the tension started dropping I found it even more enjoyable than initially. Bought a second one an strung it with the same string at 46lbs, so far enjoying hitting with these quite a bit!
Just got the frame. Very positive first impressions. Fast thru the air. A bit low SW on my stick - again! - but Ill work that with som lead. Played it at low tension too, 49 lbs. Might stick with this. I hope!
Working with lower tensions, is a new playground for me as a coach. First I struggled with the „precision“ of my balls in the rally, but after some swing adjustments over a few days, it was more comfortable at the end. 20 KG at the end was a good solution with a poly string….😊
@@CH-yp5byagreed, I played poly tour pro 1.20 at 46-44 today, in a midsize 93inch frame, and it was uncontrollably launchy. Unplayable. Going back to 50lbs, low tension with ptp is not for me.
I’m still waiting for someone to review it with Roger’s actual string setup in and play. If it was designed for him this is the setup that would make the most sense
I’m just learning that the RF97 has been discontinued? I need to go out and get a backup lol. the 97 is my favorite by far, it really pushes me to play at my best to get the most out of it and i love the ability to play kinda hard and then dramatically turn up the speed and power when i want to
I've use Rf01 for a month now (Switched from Blade v9). Agreed that this Rf01 need time to get used to. A little hard to hit at first, but when you adapted to it. It such a rocket! I really love hitting with this racquet now. I will try a lower tension, hope it will help expand the sweetspot.
I've found that it works perfectly for me. The Pro version doesn't require any extra customization, which is great. I usually play three times a week. Just play with whatever satisfies your tennis needs! 😊
@@CH-yp5by I’ve been using heavy rackets for over 35 years. I’m used to them. Lighter frames don’t do much for my game. Also, it’s 340 g strung with a dampener. I’m a stringer; I have to weigh it, and your number is incorrect. Its not cool guessing numbers.
My rf01 (test) came from tw with luxilon 4g (don't know the tension). Yes, it's a punishing stick. You need to work with the legs.. But guys, it is the best feeling racket i have ever try, at least at this range of weight and sw Yes my gravity pro feels good, but it's so sluggish to compare to this
@Tennisnerd i play with Head Speed Pro with RPM Blast Strings, can you tell me are there any better strings for maybe more power and feel like maybe Luxilon and witch?
I strung the Pro with RPM Blast at 49/47. Still hard. Coming from RF97, RF01 is fast through the air which helps a lot with the single handed BH. Seriously lacking plow on the forehand. Need to add lead. I think anybody coming from Pure Aero or eZone may like it but Pro Staff users will be disappointed. It doesnt have any of the sweet feeling of a PS.
Is this foam filled? A friend used my rf97 the other day instead of his pure drive and he complained about so much vibration through the handle. I never felt anything i would say i dont like, i dont use a dampener but my friend does. Is the rf01 have more feel through the handle than rf97?
I demo’d the rf 01. I really wanted to love it (ohbh, slice, serve, volley), but … i don’t. It felt (or maybe sounded) a bit plasticky/metallic and i had a hard time hitting a proper ball. Pity as i like control oriented head-light rackets. The search goes on …
Try multi on the crosses (head MLT 1.30), poly in the mains, Volkl Cyclone 1.25 black. Experiment with the tension. Multi always 2lbs more if used in the crosses with poly
Very different. RF is direct classic control feel but with modern frame, ezone is modern stick thicker beam and more muted bit nice feel. Yonex is much easier.
I honestly approached this frame thinking it was a marketing gimmick, almost backed up by the lack of a real strong point and no WOW effect after 1-2 hours. I like to give time to frames before ditching them, so I gave this one more time as I was feeling it was a promising frame. It was a good decision as it ended up being perfect for my play style and I moved from my Percept to this one full time now. It doesn't have the pin-point precision of the Percept or the super spin of the Vcore, but it's really a good all rounded racket. It's amazing at net, good for service, very stable on OHBH (with a bit of lead tape). The Pro is too heavy for my taste, even if I can swing it and I felt it to be superior as long as the foot-work keeps up, but the RF 01 300g is just a great base frame to customise and I won't look back from it now. I am also experimenting with tensions and strings now after settling to it, I started with M8 at 23kg, then 22kg, now I am trying something from Toroline as well around 20-21kg and it plays amazing well. Lower tensions makes the frame way more friendlier and also less aggressive on the arm (I don't have arm issues in general, but I feel when a frame/string combo is problematic). So far the best combo has been natural gut at 23kg and wasabi at 21 in the crosses, super comfortable, but I am trying to move away from gut as I am starting to play more and more and re-stringing every 2-3 weeks with gut is unsustainable in the long run... :D
What do you feel the RF 01 300g gives you more of vs the Percept (which I presume was the 97 310)? As for a substitute for gut in the mains, for something similarly crisp and snappy, but also super slick for excellent snapback over the Wasabi crosses, I'd look at Tecnifibre Multifeel Black 1.30 (not Natural - Black is way more slick). If you need more durability and/or a lower-powered response, try Tecnifibre HDMX instead of Multifeel.
@@outcometechnology Tecnifibre Multifeel popped up last week, there's a guy who plays in my same club who's a former ATP tour stringer and suggested it to me as well, what a coincidence! I will definitely give it a shot, thanks for the recommendation. Yes, I was playing with the 97 and sometimes with a 97D (which is 5g more). So, the first thing I noticed was that on easy balls I was not anymore that precise, this was my first feeling and it got me a bit disappointed... but then I decided to give more time because at the net I was feeling so much better, but normally that's something people tend to overlook, but I like to approach the net, so I just tried to convince myself it was a good enough reason to keep playing with it. Now, after almnost 15 hours of trainig and matches and some analysis of the shots with Swing Vision, I arrived a the conclusion that the initial feeling was indeed correct, I was less precise because I was just swinging too fast... all the balls I was sending out were a solid 10km/h faster than when I was hitting with a Percept. Also the guys I normally hit with told me the balls were heavier and more difficult to control on their side on fast courts, which also translated into some differences in the Swing Vision data. So I adjusted a bit and now I still have the precision I wanted, even if I feel it's a bit less than the Percept, but the rest of the game improved. My first serve is 10-12km faster than with the Percept, that data alone surprised me a lot, at least according to Swing Vision, second is around 5-7, which is not that bad either. My net approaches and shots are just better, the racket is way more stable on that (again, after some customization). Spin is a bit better as well, I can play quite defensive forehands with more penetrating spin, I noticed that especially on clay, where before I would really need to use some wrist to get that effect, here a proper setup + normal swing does the trick. Also: locked up/blocked defensive backhands are also more stable, that was quite annoying on the Percept, if I didn't correctly time the forward movement with the body, it would land either in the net or fly off the court, with the RF01 that shot came out naturally and is way more consistent. Maybe the clear downside was the smaller sweetspot, Yonexes tend to give the impression of a larger sweetspot, but after dropping tension, that issue sort of vanished, I was expecting to lose control, but that's not the case, which also was unexpected.
@@bonto_jr Great info. Thank you! Seems the move was very much a net-positive overall. And yeah, low tension seems to be the ticket with the RF 01. Somewhat to be expected, given the central density and the overall rigidity of the design (elliptical beam, medium-firm layup). May have to give it a try myself!
@@outcometechnology that kind of make sense, but I tried a low tension (20kg) with the Percept 97D and it was unplayable :/ it became a rocket launcher impossible to control. This one I went down to 21 now with M8 and still plays beautifully, maybe I can get 1kg extra down. Let’s see
I have to disagree with the racket being demanding. This is definitely one of the easiest, most maneuverable, swiss army knife rackets I have ever played with. I felt like I could be very creative and enjoy tennis in almost any way with this racket. Doesn't give as much pop or power as the aero 98 that was my main, but this feels like it does everything else better and really let's you be yourself in tennis. Hope everyone tries it out :D
Hi TennisNerd always love to watch your new videos. It would be interesting and helpful if you check in your future video how the string thickness influence the weight, swingweight and balance of the racqet?
There is no way Fed was going to drop to a frame 320g unstrung, when he had lead under then hoop in his RF97 Autograph that was 340g unstrung/uncustomized to start. This is a total Wilson/Fed smoke screen. More money in the bank.
I see that Roger is using the model for his senior tour but adding weight where he wants to be 335--340 grams unstrung becuse it is more difficult to mass produce a racquet in his exact specs of weight in how it will feel.
RF01 Beauty of a Racket, Demoed RF01 and RF01 Future, RF01 if you like a more even balance, and RF01 Future if you like feeling of a more headlight frame...Diregard the specs. I played with a Prostaff and this would be a blend between the aero dynamics of an Aero with the Control and Good feeling of a Prostaff. It does not have the hollow feeling of some Babolat rackets. It is Solid, i played with an Aero Storm Tour before and Pro staff both solid feeling and Contol oriented. RF Future Picked as i like feeling of more maneuverable reminiscent of a 12points head light Six One and can weigh it up to your preferred spec or spec multiple out, one to fight against flat hitters with 3 &9 position lead tape and one stock for other conditions.Beautiful Rackets,45lbs my preffered string tension.
@@Tennisnerd I usually use string with tension 50-52, but forthis racket I might use Solinco Confidential, please need your advice on the tension of these string.. Thank you
Thats a completely different racquet for a completely different style of game, maybe the style you have ... this isa head light racquet that s also 98 sq inches, its best suited to single handed backhands and net play.
I not trying to be a hater but hero worship and picking a racket should never mix if your tennis is ultimately about wins and losses. If your a Cosplay tennis player then it’s fine. And it should be pointed out that he’s RETIRED. He’s no longer totally invested in this racket, the designers can do what they want now without having to cater to his personal requirements. The evidence for this is the 98 inch head size (Feds ego would never allow him to use a racket that big) and the 11.9 oz weight down from 12.6 ozs. These are things done to make the racket more user friendly to the mass market. Fed would never allow these specs in his personal racket so even Cosplay types are being scammed. At this point as long as the check clears he’ll put his name on any racket Wilson comes up with. Don’t let Marketing executives pick your racket.
He was literally testing this racquet right before his final return to the ATP tour. I reckon he would have played with the Pro version if he didn’t retire.
@@Tennisnerd I agree with you in that 45--40 pounds for the string besides a few models in a series Pro players use from Yonnex who are sponsored by Yonnex/use need a low poundage string. About the only few ways people can string high are more flex models or if they are using full synthetic nylon gut/Kevlar nylon gut or a multifilament nylon simply becuse of how stiff modern carbon fiber racquets are that are not a beginner model made of carbon fiber, even most modern graphite racquets made/designed from 2000's onward are braided so they are stiffer some nearly as stiff as a modern carbon fiber model.
I played with 46 this afternoon. Honestly after the adjusting time it felt so good. The serve is bombastic. I have always played with 55/56lbs. No more my friend
what string did you use? i am doing 52lbs and struggled at times.
@@makhengfai head hawk. Naturally very stiff. Works for me
I definitively agree on the low tension.
Maybe not for me but good to see a refreshing product
I've been hitting it in rotation along side a couple of other frames. I started it at 52 lbs and wasn't that impressed. But after the tension dropped as the strings settled in, I started to like it better. Found it great on backhands and serves. I found it needed some weight, the swing weight is too low. I added 4g in the hoop at 3 &9 to help it come through the ball. We'll see how it goes now.
4g on each side, or 2g on each side?
@@makhengfai 4g total, 3g each side
Totally agree with the lower tension recommendation. The frame is very comfy for me and a softer copoly at around 46 works great as well (Black Knight 17g). But the 1 thing I wish they would have done would have been 8 mains in the throat. It swing very quick, same as my 300g Shift and way head light compared to a Speed MP.
Hi! I own a shift 300g. How would you say this racket plays in comparison to that one?
@@santiagopinzon5645 They are completely different experiences. I'm a big fan of RESULTs of playing with the Shift. However, I hate the grip on the Shift and it's feel is not even good in my book. The RF01 is a good feeling racquet and it's loaded with control. I'm still trying to find my backhand with it, can only hit 1 type of volley, but the upside is a great serving racquet, great forehand racquet, medium power and ok spin wise. If I switch to it, I'll have to change my volley and backhand, but the upside is every serve is within a foot of where I'm aiming.
The funny part is the shape of the Shift and RF are very similar, but the response is completely different.
@@santiagopinzon5645 After playing with Rf01, my Shift 300 today it feels like a Kid Racket
@@gkinghsmith9352 finally made the switch from my shift to the RF01. Holy shit if my game has improved. Ive not played with it for long (only 4 days), but the sweet spot feels much more well defined than with the shift. I’m still trying to find my OHB with it, but as Ive said it has only been four days. Whenever i hit off center the ball just looses power (which is expected) but with the shift it just flies all over the place. I don’t know if its my game style (i don’t use THAT much topspin), but I’ve found much easier the RF01 than the shift (although i find both rackets to be very hard to use, i think a blade would’ve been much easier). I don’t like like the feel of the RF01, also I don’t enjoy the sound it makes when i hit the ball. I do think i would’ve enjoyed more playing with a blade tho.
I'm really surprised you have not done a test with natural gut and Alu power, considering the strings make such a huge difference to the performance of the racquet and thats the string setup up that Fed obviously used and hence, they would have taken that into account when designing it. The feel would be amazing given the lack of any dampening tech and the use of natural gut.
There's the 300 and the Pro, buy there's also the Semi Pro ie the 300 with the RF leather grip which takes it to about 305g, then you add 5g lead in the hoop and you have the 310g RF01 Semi Pro!
mine strung, with overgrip and a makeshift racket saver and its at 325
Where did you add the weight?
Great video and agree, having demoed both this and the Pro. Question regarding your point on tension - wouldn't it be the case for any racquet that lowering the tension would make the sweet spot bigger? It seems like there are a lot of folks doing everything they can to make this racquet work for them, when there are better options out there, no?
Thanks, well some racquets become rocket launchers with polys at low tension, but this one remains very controlled thanks to the dense string bed. I tried something similar with the Blade 98 16/19 and that did not work
@@Tennisnerd Having a stiffer poly at a mid forties tension help with keeping control more that a soft poly!
Great review Jonas. Sorry I missed you on my last trip out to Bel-Air.
I used to play with a Head Liquid Metal Radical MP back in my highschool/college days. Picked up a racquet for the first time in over a decade and decided it was time for an upgrade. Went initially with Boom MP as I thought I would need more help power and spin wise and didnt like the feeling. It was more muted and hollow feeling than what I remembered. Decided to pick up an RF01 300g and initially strung it with Lynx Spin2 at 52 lbs.. not bad. But also felt like an old friend. Very similar to my old LM Radical MP. After more hitting sessions and the tension started dropping I found it even more enjoyable than initially. Bought a second one an strung it with the same string at 46lbs, so far enjoying hitting with these quite a bit!
100% wanted to love the rf pro but the rf 300g was a better racquet for me. faster and with lower tension I reckon circa 45lb / 20kg will suit.
Just got the frame. Very positive first impressions. Fast thru the air. A bit low SW on my stick - again! - but Ill work that with som lead. Played it at low tension too, 49 lbs. Might stick with this. I hope!
Working with lower tensions, is a new playground for me as a coach. First I struggled with the „precision“ of my balls in the rally, but after some swing adjustments over a few days, it was more comfortable at the end.
20 KG at the end was a good solution with a poly string….😊
using a stiffer poly at a lower tenison will help with the control being maintained using a soft poly at low forties would be to har dto control
@@CH-yp5byagreed, I played poly tour pro 1.20 at 46-44 today, in a midsize 93inch frame, and it was uncontrollably launchy. Unplayable. Going back to 50lbs, low tension with ptp is not for me.
I’m still waiting for someone to review it with Roger’s actual string setup in and play. If it was designed for him this is the setup that would make the most sense
We tried premium multi mains and Alu crosses for the RF Pro and that was very nice
@@Tennisnerd would be good to see what a (pre stretched) natural gut mains at 48lbs and Alu power or Lux 4G at 45lbs, would be like !
I play the pro with lynx tour in the mains and hawk in the crosses at 50lbs each and I love it
I’m just learning that the RF97 has been discontinued? I need to go out and get a backup lol. the 97 is my favorite by far, it really pushes me to play at my best to get the most out of it and i love the ability to play kinda hard and then dramatically turn up the speed and power when i want to
I've use Rf01 for a month now (Switched from Blade v9). Agreed that this Rf01 need time to get used to. A little hard to hit at first, but when you adapted to it. It such a rocket! I really love hitting with this racquet now. I will try a lower tension, hope it will help expand the sweetspot.
no weight added?
@@CH-yp5by Nope.
How does it compare to PS97 v14?
Yes seriously, good question V14
Is there a difference between "bagged-out" and pocketing?
How does the RF1 compare to the Radical MP? since they share similar characteristics although the Radical MP has auxetic for dampened feel
I've found that it works perfectly for me. The Pro version doesn't require any extra customization, which is great. I usually play three times a week. Just play with whatever satisfies your tennis needs! 😊
your lucky you can swing a racquet that about 447g with strings and dampener !
@@CH-yp5by I’ve been using heavy rackets for over 35 years. I’m used to them. Lighter frames don’t do much for my game. Also, it’s 340 g strung with a dampener. I’m a stringer; I have to weigh it, and your number is incorrect. Its not cool guessing numbers.
Such lpw tension..wouldn't it strain the frame more and lose stiffness quicker?
My rf01 (test) came from tw with luxilon 4g (don't know the tension).
Yes, it's a punishing stick. You need to work with the legs..
But guys, it is the best feeling racket i have ever try, at least at this range of weight and sw
Yes my gravity pro feels good, but it's so sluggish to compare to this
In your opinion what are some similar racquets to the RF01 300g?
You mentioned stringing lower would be good and you strung it with 18kg. What tension do you normally string your Rackets?
22 kg
Hi! How and how much did you add to the RF01 (300 g)?
@Tennisnerd i play with Head Speed Pro with RPM Blast Strings, can you tell me are there any better strings for maybe more power and feel like maybe Luxilon and witch?
I strung the Pro with RPM Blast at 49/47. Still hard. Coming from RF97, RF01 is fast through the air which helps a lot with the single handed BH. Seriously lacking plow on the forehand. Need to add lead. I think anybody coming from Pure Aero or eZone may like it but Pro Staff users will be disappointed. It doesnt have any of the sweet feeling of a PS.
Is this foam filled? A friend used my rf97 the other day instead of his pure drive and he complained about so much vibration through the handle. I never felt anything i would say i dont like, i dont use a dampener but my friend does. Is the rf01 have more feel through the handle than rf97?
I demo’d the rf 01. I really wanted to love it (ohbh, slice, serve, volley), but … i don’t. It felt (or maybe sounded) a bit plasticky/metallic and i had a hard time hitting a proper ball. Pity as i like control oriented head-light rackets. The search goes on …
Any thoughts on this with the NXT Power 18 at 48-50 lbs?
Should weights be 9 and 3. Or 10 and 2?
depends on your preference which ultimaltey come form your swing style and where you hit the ball mainly.
Could you try grapplesnake tour m8 on rf 01 and let me know the result please
Jonas, Would a full bed of rpm blast work with this racket?
If you go low in tension, like 40 lbs yes
@@Tennisnerd Sent the RF 01 back…. just ordered Clash 100 V2 gut mains 55; poly crosses 52..
Jonas, any gut experimentation with this frame?
not gut but we tried premium multi hybrids and they played nice, but made the launch angle very low
Try multi on the crosses (head MLT 1.30), poly in the mains, Volkl Cyclone 1.25 black. Experiment with the tension. Multi always 2lbs more if used in the crosses with poly
@@Tennisnerd was there enough tension difference between main and cross string? e.g. 3lbs
@@jlparcerisa I usually go at least 3 lbs more
Is this like a not as easy to use EZONE 98?
Very different. RF is direct classic control feel but with modern frame, ezone is modern stick thicker beam and more muted bit nice feel. Yonex is much easier.
I honestly approached this frame thinking it was a marketing gimmick, almost backed up by the lack of a real strong point and no WOW effect after 1-2 hours. I like to give time to frames before ditching them, so I gave this one more time as I was feeling it was a promising frame. It was a good decision as it ended up being perfect for my play style and I moved from my Percept to this one full time now.
It doesn't have the pin-point precision of the Percept or the super spin of the Vcore, but it's really a good all rounded racket. It's amazing at net, good for service, very stable on OHBH (with a bit of lead tape). The Pro is too heavy for my taste, even if I can swing it and I felt it to be superior as long as the foot-work keeps up, but the RF 01 300g is just a great base frame to customise and I won't look back from it now.
I am also experimenting with tensions and strings now after settling to it, I started with M8 at 23kg, then 22kg, now I am trying something from Toroline as well around 20-21kg and it plays amazing well. Lower tensions makes the frame way more friendlier and also less aggressive on the arm (I don't have arm issues in general, but I feel when a frame/string combo is problematic).
So far the best combo has been natural gut at 23kg and wasabi at 21 in the crosses, super comfortable, but I am trying to move away from gut as I am starting to play more and more and re-stringing every 2-3 weeks with gut is unsustainable in the long run... :D
What do you feel the RF 01 300g gives you more of vs the Percept (which I presume was the 97 310)?
As for a substitute for gut in the mains, for something similarly crisp and snappy, but also super slick for excellent snapback over the Wasabi crosses, I'd look at Tecnifibre Multifeel Black 1.30 (not Natural - Black is way more slick). If you need more durability and/or a lower-powered response, try Tecnifibre HDMX instead of Multifeel.
@@outcometechnology Tecnifibre Multifeel popped up last week, there's a guy who plays in my same club who's a former ATP tour stringer and suggested it to me as well, what a coincidence! I will definitely give it a shot, thanks for the recommendation.
Yes, I was playing with the 97 and sometimes with a 97D (which is 5g more).
So, the first thing I noticed was that on easy balls I was not anymore that precise, this was my first feeling and it got me a bit disappointed... but then I decided to give more time because at the net I was feeling so much better, but normally that's something people tend to overlook, but I like to approach the net, so I just tried to convince myself it was a good enough reason to keep playing with it.
Now, after almnost 15 hours of trainig and matches and some analysis of the shots with Swing Vision, I arrived a the conclusion that the initial feeling was indeed correct, I was less precise because I was just swinging too fast... all the balls I was sending out were a solid 10km/h faster than when I was hitting with a Percept. Also the guys I normally hit with told me the balls were heavier and more difficult to control on their side on fast courts, which also translated into some differences in the Swing Vision data. So I adjusted a bit and now I still have the precision I wanted, even if I feel it's a bit less than the Percept, but the rest of the game improved.
My first serve is 10-12km faster than with the Percept, that data alone surprised me a lot, at least according to Swing Vision, second is around 5-7, which is not that bad either.
My net approaches and shots are just better, the racket is way more stable on that (again, after some customization).
Spin is a bit better as well, I can play quite defensive forehands with more penetrating spin, I noticed that especially on clay, where before I would really need to use some wrist to get that effect, here a proper setup + normal swing does the trick.
Also: locked up/blocked defensive backhands are also more stable, that was quite annoying on the Percept, if I didn't correctly time the forward movement with the body, it would land either in the net or fly off the court, with the RF01 that shot came out naturally and is way more consistent.
Maybe the clear downside was the smaller sweetspot, Yonexes tend to give the impression of a larger sweetspot, but after dropping tension, that issue sort of vanished, I was expecting to lose control, but that's not the case, which also was unexpected.
@@bonto_jr Great info. Thank you! Seems the move was very much a net-positive overall. And yeah, low tension seems to be the ticket with the RF 01. Somewhat to be expected, given the central density and the overall rigidity of the design (elliptical beam, medium-firm layup). May have to give it a try myself!
@@outcometechnology that kind of make sense, but I tried a low tension (20kg) with the Percept 97D and it was unplayable :/ it became a rocket launcher impossible to control.
This one I went down to 21 now with M8 and still plays beautifully, maybe I can get 1kg extra down. Let’s see
I have to disagree with the racket being demanding. This is definitely one of the easiest, most maneuverable, swiss army knife rackets I have ever played with. I felt like I could be very creative and enjoy tennis in almost any way with this racket. Doesn't give as much pop or power as the aero 98 that was my main, but this feels like it does everything else better and really let's you be yourself in tennis. Hope everyone tries it out :D
Cope
Hi TennisNerd always love to watch your new videos. It would be interesting and helpful if you check in your future video how the string thickness influence the weight, swingweight and balance of the racqet?
What club does Sean coach at?
a bit here and there in Marbella
@@Tennisnerd Sean hits some crazy smooth and effortless shots!
50lbs changed to 44, it's better to play with.
so this is a customization frame...
Yep, customize it with plastic so you can have it ready to sell
aka platform racquet, racquets for advanced or intermediate players should always be customised as simply not everyone is the same!
42/38 is golden.
Let go of the high tension 'ego'.
for the price, might as well get a pro labs racquet
There is no way Fed was going to drop to a frame 320g unstrung, when he had lead under then hoop in his RF97 Autograph that was 340g unstrung/uncustomized to start. This is a total Wilson/Fed smoke screen. More money in the bank.
I see that Roger is using the model for his senior tour but adding weight where he wants to be 335--340 grams unstrung becuse it is more difficult to mass produce a racquet in his exact specs of weight in how it will feel.
Wow string it at 36lb that's freaking low
RF01 Beauty of a Racket, Demoed RF01 and RF01 Future, RF01 if you like a more even balance, and RF01 Future if you like feeling of a more headlight frame...Diregard the specs. I played with a Prostaff and this would be a blend between the aero dynamics of an Aero with the Control and Good feeling of a Prostaff. It does not have the hollow feeling of some Babolat rackets. It is Solid, i played with an Aero Storm Tour before and Pro staff both solid feeling and Contol oriented. RF Future Picked as i like feeling of more maneuverable reminiscent of a 12points head light Six One and can weigh it up to your preferred spec or spec multiple out, one to fight against flat hitters with 3 &9 position lead tape and one stock for other conditions.Beautiful Rackets,45lbs my preffered string tension.
36 pounds so it feels good is crazy...
I don’t understand as well. From 50lbs down to 36lbs to have feeling
36 pounds, really??
You can play 45 and it plays fine too, I did not like it at 55
I play against the wall for exercise. What do you recommend between 01 Future and 01 300g?
@@Tennisnerd I usually use string with tension 50-52, but forthis racket I might use Solinco Confidential, please need your advice on the tension of these string.. Thank you
Meh. I'll stick with the kfactor 88 and 90
LBS in kg
Wilson is cashing only on RF name.
WELL DUH
Sounds like the 300g racket is a BUST 👎🏻
2025 Gravity 98, 16x19 will be a much better option than this.
Thats a completely different racquet for a completely different style of game, maybe the style you have ... this isa head light racquet that s also 98 sq inches, its best suited to single handed backhands and net play.
Too much hype, the Pro staff v14 290g with a simple leather grip plays much better.
Have to disagree. At most it's a taste. But I found th RF have a more classic prostaff character
I not trying to be a hater but hero worship and picking a racket should never mix if your tennis is ultimately about wins and losses. If your a Cosplay tennis player then it’s fine. And it should be pointed out that he’s RETIRED. He’s no longer totally invested in this racket, the designers can do what they want now without having to cater to his personal requirements. The evidence for this is the 98 inch head size (Feds ego would never allow him to use a racket that big) and the 11.9 oz weight down from 12.6 ozs. These are things done to make the racket more user friendly to the mass market. Fed would never allow these specs in his personal racket so even Cosplay types are being scammed. At this point as long as the check clears he’ll put his name on any racket Wilson comes up with. Don’t let Marketing executives pick your racket.
It’s a mix of pro staff and pure aero 98 which the current young generation uses over the Rafa
He was literally testing this racquet right before his final return to the ATP tour. I reckon he would have played with the Pro version if he didn’t retire.
36lbs is nonsensical
why?
@@Tennisnerd I agree with you in that 45--40 pounds for the string besides a few models in a series Pro players use from Yonnex who are sponsored by Yonnex/use need a low poundage string. About the only few ways people can string high are more flex models or if they are using full synthetic nylon gut/Kevlar nylon gut or a multifilament nylon simply becuse of how stiff modern carbon fiber racquets are that are not a beginner model made of carbon fiber, even most modern graphite racquets made/designed from 2000's onward are braided so they are stiffer some nearly as stiff as a modern carbon fiber model.
@@Tennisnerd simple answer, probably not enough control at such a low tension, especially with a soft poly !
What a Bad racket that is
First!😊
Wow amazing
@@mpham815 don’t hate
Just say it: this racquet is bad, Roger will be fine, trust me, we will still love him