The Wilson Pro Staff Through the Ages - Federer, Sampras, Edberg and Courier
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- It has gone from 85 to 100 sq inches in a period of almost 40 years. Let's have a look at some of the different iterations of the iconic Pro Staff.
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Fed has set the bar so ridiculous high. Guy was 39, came back after surgery and time off, could have made RG quarter finals, made Wimbledon quarter finals. ONE MORE COMEBACK.
The 85 is still in my bag. The best racket I' ve ever played. I worked all summer as a student to be able to afford it. I'm a bit older and use the Head Speed Pro. Everything in between, except the Ninety, is OK, but never comes close to the 85. I tried the 97 for a long time, but the Speed Pro fits better. Different but good. I ALWAYS use the 85 in doubles. Best, but not the hardest serve. You can still shoot cans with it. And as you said, the best feeling on the volley. Great video. Keep up!
Please do one for the prestige series!
Agree
Yes!
agreeeeeeee
One of the best vlogs. Nice hommage to one of the most iconic frames 🖤💛❤️
Thank you for the history Jonas!
The PS 85 was my racket of choice for 30+ years (until my recent switch to the Head PT 2 approx. 1 month ago) so I did find this video "entertaining, informative & somewhat useful" (ha ha). I've tried many of the successor sticks in the line over the years but none really felt very close to or as good as the original imo. I'd say you're pretty much spot-on in your comments on the strengths & shortcomings (primarily only the small head size) of the PS 85 including your description as a "brilliant frame". I'll look forward to your review of the KPS 88 as had that one & played it for around 6 months or so before returning to the original. Still have the KPS 6 pk. bag with Pete's facsimile autograph & a very cool issue by Wilson. I would agree that most nowadays likely acquaint RF w/the PS line of rackets but for me, it's Sampras. Too bad Wilson & Pete parted ways shortly after retirement as we likely missed out on some great PS 85 special edition racket issues in the time since (uugh). I decided to demo the PS 97 v13 this past week & my initial impressions so far are that Wilson did a pretty nice job on the stock setup for the frame & it's the best successor version to the original that they've produced to date imo. Unfortunately it lacks the pure feel, pop & plow through of the PS 85 so not as good in stock form imo but maybe adding some lead tape to the head @ 3/9 o-clock might resolve its underpowered feel issue (but not for sure as have not tried any mods to stock setup yet). I prolly need to give the RF version a try (for its plow through) as presumably could easily drop 12g or so in weight by switching to a thin Babloat grip which might make it's weight more playable (for me anyway). Considering the number of top ranked pros that won slams w/the PS 85 (not some painted over version of another model) it's the greatest racket of all time imo. Thanks much for the walk back down PS memory lane re: this legendary line of rackets by Wilson - as could definitely relate.
Yes, best racket of all time. In terms of slams won also so.
@@Keroppikun Yeah, one of the very few rackets that actually deserves being referred to as "Legendary" imo
Absolutely looking forward to the vintage Pro Staff hitting vids. The greatest line of racquets since graphite and carbon first revolutionized tennis racquets.
Don't forget Mary Pierce used Pro Staff 85 the whole of the 1990s. Won the Australian Open in 1995 and Federation Cup in 1997 with it.
Mary Pierce used Pro Staff 95.
@@Hingvar No you are incorrect. Strange you would make an incorrect statement so willy nilly, not good enough. Mary Pierce used the Pro Staff 85. Not the Pro Staff 95.
@@BurnsTennis No pal, I saw her racket very close, it's 95 sq. in. On the WTA tour, only Chris Evert played PS 85
@@Hingvar No pal. Get yourself a pair of glasses. Or if you have one, get yourself an updated pair. You would have seen Mary Pierce use the Yonex RDTI 80 model up close from the year 2000 onwards. Up until then she used the Pro Staff 85 original throughout the 1990s until 1999. She won the Australian Open using the Pro Staff 6.0 85 in the mid 1990s.
Currently playing with a blacked out 6.0 95 with luxilon gut and 4g. Needs a leather grip and and some weight in the hoop. Got mine up to 355g/315mm strung spec
I recently got my hands on a K factor 90 for $25 and absolutely love it, I’ve been using the original RF97 for a few years but I find the K factor is better balanced and much more controllable. I’m in the process of switching to the Diadem Elevate but have to wait for them to arrive so bought the K factor to keep me entertained in the meantime
You did not mention that supposedly the Pro Staff 85(Pete's) is a copy of the Pro Cenetic 1 by Donnay made in the St. Vincent plant which Pete Sampras used prior to his sponsorship with Wilson.
I really like the pro staff brand and have a variety of 6.0 and 6.1 models in 90, 95 and 97 sizes. Don't forget, there was a 6.0 Pro Staff 110 "Largehead" made several decades ago. And, I also own it.
Chris Evert needs a mention.
I have the original 85 and the Jim Courier American flag 🙂
great content as always - thanks very much
Super excited for the videos to come playing w these rackets!
Hit with my K Pro Staff 88 this morning. Off the ground it’s beautiful. For such a small head size, you get a lot of spin from it
The 6.0 95 Original. Nothing has or will ever come close. THE best racquet ever made IMO.
Hey i came this video to see what he had to say about the pro staff i own. I have a prostaff 5.0 95, its basically identical to the 6.0 he shows. Do you by chance know what is different between the 5.0 and 6.0?
@@JonathanRoss-f3l the 5.0 is a completely different racquet to the 6.0. I have seen lots of 5.0s as the Hyper Carbon Pro Staff, not in this (mainly) black design which is the 6.0. I found this on the Tennis Warehouse Forums that may help explain -
'When Wilson first came out with the "SI" designation it used to stand for stiffness index. Wilson came up with the numbers by clamping the racquet down at the handle and placing 3kg (6.6lbs.) on the tip and measuring how many millimeters it deflected. So a Profile 2.7 tip would deflect 2.7mm, a Profile 3.6 would deflect 3.6mm, etc. Sometime in the 90's Wilson changed the meaning of "si" to indicate swing index. I personally feel this is a more accurate way to indicate the particular racquet's power level since stiffness is only one factor in determining the racquets power. The swing index numbers are determined not only by stiffness but also by the racquet's length, swing weight, etc. and hence is a more accurate assessment of the racquets true power level.
There used to be a whole line of Sledge Hammer racquets, so when someone mentions the Sledge Hammer as being the most powerful racquet they aren't meaning the 6.3 Sledge but more likely either the 2.0 or 3.8 Sledge Hammer.
Another interesting note- When Wilson was still using "SI" to indicate stiffness index the Original Pro Staff 85 had a 6.1 si. When they switched the meaning to swing index they changed it to 6.0.'
This is awesome. Thank your tennis nerd. I'm a new fan
I picked up a Pro staff tour 90 hyper carbon first edition $5 in mint condition at a thrift shop in New Zealand. Sick piece of Kit!!!!!!
I had a 6.0 95 in the 90's where I put lead at 8, 4, and 12 iirc. It made the entire string bed a sweet spot. It retained all of its control too. I haven't felt a racquet like that since. Wish I kept it.
How much did you add? They're already super heavy so must be tough to add more weight in a playable way.
I believe 3 grams at 8 and 4 each, and 1.5 grams at 12. I used the old Babolat lead tape that was really thick and had dots for measurement. 3 grams in between dots. I believe I cut at the dots and down the middle for 8 and 4 and a half length at 12.
Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert started it
yes they did... "its light"
ua-cam.com/video/tNFVnNUy4Fo/v-deo.html
In 1983.
Yes, then Connors did an about turn and started to use his T2000 again for a while, after the 84 US Open from my recollection 😁.
Lovely video Jonas! Love the head shape of the Six.One 95. Perfect oval with the widest point right in the center. Really wish the Pro Staff 97 had a Six.One head shape
First Pro Staff was the Kramer Pro Staff which was the successor to the Kramer Autograph. Weight was close to 14gm and size was right at 75sqin. First Pro Staff Kevlar/Graphite was 105sqin and then the 85sqin.
I have the 110 oversize st Vincent prostaff. No bumper guard and it's a joy to hit with even if it's seen better days. Also have the KPS88 but like the first, more for practice. my favorite is the blue laver cup RF97A though. Perfect combination of weight, SW and HL balance
Let’s count on del potro to carry on pro staff legacy!
I played with a racquet that was contemporary of the first Pro Staff: The Ultra 2. Stiff as hell, at least for that era. But such a great feel.
Cool idea and video
I still have my St. Vincent PS95 I got when I was in college early 90’s. It’s still an amazing racquet and very playable especially if you have older school game.
Can you do a video of Ivan Lendl's switch from 80 sq in to 90 sq inch head? The switch from Adidas to Mizuno to try to win Wimbledon.
85 square inches was an improvement over 65 square inches.
Federer used the Hyper Carbon Pro Staff with a 90 sq inch headsize, before Wilson released a PS90 for him.
I believe they were the same racket, just different names/paint jobs
@@vnishpt7036 agree👍👍
After your review of 6 1 100 , i got one, and yesterday i played for 3d time.I knew that the specs would suit me and i left my xtc 305 that hurt my arm and my new blade v7 and viola! i might found a not so soft not so crisp racquet that doesnt give me arm pain, has very good control ,enough power and big sweet spot!I think wilson knows how to surpise us and make evonutional products.Not to forget my 61 100 weighs 305 grams.
One question Is it 64 RA unstrung?
Thank you Jonas!
It would be interesting to see what to you think about Wilson Pro Staff Spin line. Right now I playing 97S. Years ago I playing 95S. Also time to time I play Wilson pro staff aire shell 6.5. Which is relatively rare racket.
Ps 6.0 95 or just original ps 95 in nineties are lighter and easier to swing. Yes, it’s not as precise as 85 but it’s fun to play with social tennis. Because it’s thinner, it’s more play able than rf97a.
It's funny! I held on to my old school 85 sibling which is a matt black finish "largehead" Pro Staff 6.0 80%graphite/20%kevlar. I am in vogue again with this frame as the frame sizes increase in size. Recently, I put Wilson Sensation on the mains and Babolot Super Fine on the crosses. It plays niiiiiiiiiice!
Awesome, Jonas! PS 95 still in my collection; I think 6.0 from 1997/1998
Could you please do this type of video for the Head Radical series of racquets?
Agassi, Murray and Djokovic
I agree, Federer's strokes weren't quite as pretty once he changed to the 97 sqi frame. When he first made the change, he was framing balls constantly during rallies. I thought at the time he made a mistake and should have stuck with the 90. Of course, I was wrong.
His forehand suffered in accuracy but his backhand was lethal plus the free power helped revive his career. No question, the frame is absolutely superb.
Gaudio i think won RG with that ncode 6.1 95 (maybe it was the pro staff 90 i am not 100% sure)
What about the Hyper Pro Staff?
Federer used a hyper pro staff 6.0 until the remodel, only available in US for a short time.
very interested to see comparison of ps 85, kps90. kps88, and rf 97. A comparison of PS 85's would be interesting also if possible chicago, st vincent, taiwan and japan
If my 2 cents are worth anything, KPS88 is like a sledgehammer; massive power if your timing is right with early preparation. Both are unforgiving racquets; KPS88 is hard to maneuver with if you're pressed for time because that thing is heavy to wield and swing with. PS85 has a smaller sweetspot (it feels noticably smaller) but is a bit easier to maneuver and feels tons lighter even tho it's not really that far off from the weight of KPS88. In short, PS85 is better for serving and volleys, KPS88 gives better groundies as long as you have enough time and can handle the weight.
The Prostaff 97 family doesn't really feel anything like the old prostaff racquets, in a sense it carries the name but it's basically a modern frame.
I've got the K Factor prostaff 90, prostaff 95 (2014), prostaff 95S, six.one 95 (18x20) 2018, prostaff RF97A (v11 and v12), and prostaff 97 v13.
My K Factor is absolutely fantastic racquet, absolute tank (384g with a shrink sleeve added), fantastic plow and great top spin.
I wish Wilson reissues the 85 again, they did a reissue in 2016 with the velvet coating.
FYI, Pro Staff 90 has the asian version with unstrung weight of 319 grams.
Price phantom 93p 18x20 actually reminds me of the ps85.
I think the player who was the greatest representative of the Pro Staff was Pete Sampras. The fact that it was Sampras’ racquet of choice influenced many others to adopt it, including Federer.
I didn't even know Pete played with a pro staff until recently. I didn't see a single ad for this racket with Pete in it. Not that I really cared, he was not one of my favorite players to follow. Conversely, I knew Fed played with it his whole career.
@@twinwankel I am 35 years old so I could watch tennis during the 90s. During Sampras’ career, tennis stores had some Wilson posters with him using the Pro Staff. The racquet came with a cardboard depicting Pete Sampras.
He retired in 2002. It has been 20 years. (Time flies). Thus it is expected that not much people don’t know about that.
I can play fine with most rackets over 320 g in weight, but I could not play with the Pro Staff 90. It was fine for serving with, but it was hard to hit the sweet spot on ground strokes. I have a friend that is almost pro standard and he swears it is the greatest racket ever!
The RF 97 is a H22 neck with a prostaff face. Even feels like an H22.
sorry, in the video, i did not catch your thoughts on the modern version of the 6 1 95. I have been playing with the 2014 frame (16 x 18) for some years now. I add a couple extra grams at 12 o clock and my racquets weight about 12.5 oz. I have tried updating to the RF 97 and although it has similar specs to my frame, it feels drastically different. I am still looking for the correct upgrade from my frames.
Love the video! How much have the materials used for the frames changed over the years?
he doesnt know.
John McEnroe played with the wooden Wilson PS.
Great vid! Would it be possible to make a followup about the Pro Staff family of rackets, but all the weird and wonderful variations. There was a dual taper beam prostaff that looks a lot like an old Profile, another was a Sledge Hammer Pro Staff (5.3 I think). More recently there was a Torch 7.1, and the classic 4.3 that was apparently what many pros used underneath a different prostaff paint job. It is nice to know the differences and quirky variations on the theme, what made them pro staffs etc. I know in know... many of those are not considered “true” prostaffs because they are not 6.0 or 6.1, but it is a tennis nerd channel, not tennis pro right? Haha.
I've an 1995 pro staff classic 95 18x20. I would like to restart playing to do some training now that I'm 45years old. May you suggest what string to use and lbs to make easy as possible to start playing after long time? A multi will be a good option?
Have you ever hit a 6.6 Tour classic? Was endorsed by Jim Courier. Wondering your opinion on it? I played it for a few years in college, the only Wilson I ever enjoyed.
I watched this video looking to see what he had to say about the pro staff i own. But it was not mentioned, i own the prostaff 5.0 95. Its very similar to the 6.0, now im curious what the difference / change between the two
Hi! 5.0 is a bit stiffer, so it's more powerful... similar weight
why did you not include the 6.1 95 classic with these pro staffs?
Don’t forget Chris Evert and Jimmy Conners
Hi Jonas, I have 2 Pro Staff 6.0 85’s.
On the butt cap of 1 of them I have a 3 letter code, KWQ and a small sticker that reads, “ST.VINCENT, W.I.”
On the 2nd Pro Staff the 3 letter butt cap code reads, GOQ and does not have a bumper guard just the standard grommet system.
Would love to know more about the 3 letter codes and what exactly I have. Any help with this would be much appreciated.
Thank you again for a great video, D.
Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert.
didn't you switch to the Clash Pro100?
Prostaff precision 100 is it also a prostaff?
whats the weight written at the throat of the kfactor 90 of yours? i got the 320gram written at the throat and it was a beast of a racket. now i move on to pro staff 95s
Mine is 340 🍻
@@Tennisnerd thank you :D
Connors, Evert, Graf.
Modern racket give you power but it will magnify your errors .
Yes, that's about right.
Have you ever hit an 85 w/ a modern spin poly (eg hyper-g)?
I have and it works really well if your arm can handle it. Unfortunately, my wrist gets sore every time I use this combination these days. I've ordered some multifilament string to use specifically for this racquet because I love it so much. Hopefully my wrist will be a lot happier going forward.
@@goldencalf5144 if you can handle a lower tension that issue goes away, I have Alu Pearl (alu rough knock off) strung at 40lbs in the mains and then syn gut or nylon strung at 45-48 in the crosses it hits smooth as butter !
Well done, but to be "spot on", you must strung a full natural gut Chicago or St V . Try and track down that vibrant, soft natural gut that used to be sold - ya know the stuff that was expensive to make. That was the "gold standard" with the iconic original editions - the best natural gut. All of those brilliant players that you mentioned (except Jim C) played full gut - from very tight to pretty medium... Try some more neutral gripped play - flatten things out and there you will have it - precision and power and ridiculous feel...
What they could do with this frame is beyond brilliance...
who used the wooden Jack Kramer Pro-Staff in the 70's ?
I remember it when I introduced to the game.
Why is it so fucking stiff like 68...wtf takes away all the feel otherwise it would be the perfect frame
I thought Jokovic's racket is the best.
First!
Second
Boy you love to talk… zzzzzzzz
If you could only play with one brand of racket, which would you choose?