Packed with precision, pop and plow-through, this update combines Wilson's revolutionary bending technology with a classic Pro Staff feel
Updated with Wilson's revolutionary layup technology, the Pro Staff 97 v14 continues to evolve without forgetting its roots. With its 97 square inch head and beefy 330+ swingweight, this stick combines surgical precision with enough mass to effectively redirect the pace of a big hitting opponent. It also delivers impressive pop to those who can leverage its mass. Featuring the same aramid fibers that gave the Original Pro Staff 85 such outstanding feel, the Pro Staff 97 is comfortably dampened without compromising your connection to the ball. According to Wilson, this update brings back that classic Pro Staff feel with Paradigm Bending, a layup technology that optimizes the flex between hoop and shaft. This racquet also has FORTYFIVE technology, which strategically aligns the graphite fibers at a 45 degree angle to increase lateral bending through impact. The payoff is increased dwell time and pocketing for greater command over the ball. Like the previous generation, this racquet also has String Mapping, which combines denser spacing in the center for control with wider spacing at the margins for greater comfort outside the sweetspot. Ultimately, this update combines pinpoint precision with impressive stability and plow-through. Experienced players looking for a modern Pro Staff that doesn't forget its roots will love this one.
Swingweight lowered to 325 on 12.1.23
Specifications
| Head Size: 97 in² / 625.81 cm² | ||||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||||
| Strung Weight: 11.7oz / 332g | ||||
| Balance: 12.6in / 32cm / 7 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 325 | ||||
| Stiffness: 66 | ||||
| Beam Width: 21.5mm / 21.5mm / 21.5mm | ||||
| Composition: Aramid/Graphite | ||||
| Power Level: Low | ||||
| Stroke Style: Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colors: Rust | ||||
| Grip Type: Wilson Pro Performance | ||||
String Pattern:
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| String Tension: 50-60 pounds |
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Customer Reviews
Perfect weightThis racquet is the perfect weight and it feels solid when swinging.
Solid racquetFeels solid which is perfect for my game where I like to torture my opponents making them run from side to side and then go for the kill with a drop shot. IF they can get to it, I lob them where they cannot get to it and leave them out of breath and defeated. This racquet helps me accomplish that goal!
Awesome Team at TWThe team was really helpful in answering my questions, the response was friendly and to the point. The replacement was hassle free and quick. Thank you!
Not the prostaff of oldToo stiff. Mass gone. I got two matching sticks of TW and have been playing close to two years with these now. The stiffness helps a ton on serve but the launch angle and drive are all out of sorts for me especially on volley (no stability) and return (again very frail). I’m missing balls by inches each time, and I’m trying my best to understand why. Strings? Poly…. If a hybrid forget about it the gut and the stiffness make the launch of the ball uncontrollable. Fully poly will kill your arm >50lbs on this stiffness and low mass. Jeez I feel like my game has regressed and I have to pull in my punches just to get the ball in safely. Really disliked my two years here. Arm is also hating that I didn’t move on earlier, Too much power and stiffness to be called a true prostaff by any means. Shame they don’t make this like they used to.
All Court FreedomI've transitioned to this frame from the Blade V8 18x20. Hitting heavy extra duty balls with low powered box beam oriented frames from 3 feet behind the baseline is for yoga instructors and young people. I know ProStaff! I hit the Classic PS, not well, in the 90's. This frame has a much more forgiving feel and is very modern in how quick and stable it is. It's the hoop shape and possibly the pws system that just makes this a proper ProStaff. I can just hit spots with this thing on demand and there is pop on tap. The frame wants to bomb when you go flat and it's very accurate if not a bit magic. Some angles I get on pronated flat wide stuff are unusual in a paranormal sort of way. But the frame also provides good dwell on kick and run serves, and the spin is very invasive. It's a paint brush on serve. I'm just putting a full bed of 4G 17 gauge at 51 lbs. Simple. Two handed backhands are the only area I struggle with this stick, but I think I watched too much Jim Courier back in the day. The dwell time is not there for me. But forehands, like serves, are whatever I want. I prefer the feel of the Yonex Percept 97D on everyday hitting, but the PS will be my last racquet because of what it gives me on serves, forehands, overheads, and slice backhands. It makes me want to play proactive tennis. I should note that I put a leather grip on one of my two v14's and it ruined the playability of the frame. I added just a bit of weight to the handle and reverted to the synthetic grip and the playability of the stick returned. With the leather grip the engineering of this frame seemed to work against itself and well struck balls would just sink into the frame as if all tension in the strings was lost. I find myself ending points with this frame and I'm getting better results since leaving the Blades. But it took a few months to find this better result. Great frame.
Feels great, great shot making abilities/spinI used to play with pro staff / hyper pro staff racquets a long time ago then gave up tennis for about 15 years. While this racquet does not feel exactly like those racquets did as they were heavier, after demoing every brand and possible head size this pro staff feels the best to me. Just easy to pick up and use. Despite the 97" head size I am able to generate a decent amount of spin. It also serves well, although I can not generate as much slice spin as I could generate with my babolat pure aero tour. I used the aero tour racquet for about 5 years when I initially returned to play. The wilson pro staff v14 is solid and stable at the net, on returns against heavy fast balls and I can easily slice and drop shot easier than the pure aero tour, hit solid overheads as well as topspin lobs - I am able to hit a deep penetrating ball. It is a great all around racquet. I do sometimes miss the super heavy topspin that I could generate with the babolat open string pattern, but, considering the racquets are pretty different it was a super easy transition.
ProStaff 97 V14Awesome racquet. Bought 3 from TW. Very precise. I don't need a racquet to provide power. I can hit out and control the placement. Great volley's. Very pleased.
Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14Great sticks. Bought three. I like the control. Thought I needed more power and was using another "power racquet." But couldn't control them. I have long, fast strokes. I can hit out and the ball stays in the court. I can hit flat or with spin. Volleys are awesome. Highly recommend.
Direct feelingWith this stick you get a crisp and direct feel. The power level is also perfect. The paint job we could discuss
Made for those who like to rip itThe trend is that players with well-developed, longer, traditional strokes and less extreme grip rotations love this racquet. It's not a spin machine and the smaller sweet spot is less ideal for those sporting a full western grip and a windshield-washer swing.
For those in the former group, this thing is ideal for ripping the ball and on some touch shots. It is more lacking for mid-speed swings. In other words, it's great on big serves, volleys, and flatter, piercing groundstrokes. This bias is because of its true stiffness/ feel, which the paper stats don't convey very well.
If you're wanting a slightly larger sweet spot and the option of a greater range of swing speeds, the Blade is the better option. The Blade is a more well-rounded stick and more oriented to a post-2000 style of play where there are more groundstrokes required.
Relative to the v13, there are only modest changes. The racquets come from the same mold, so it's the lay-up and internal dampening that were tweaked. The most notable change is that this racquet feels a little more solid (i.e., less brittle) on off-center shots and a little bit warmer on dead-center shots. However, the changes are minimal. I suspect many other v13/v14 comparisons are influenced more by manufacturing variances and placebo effect than anything. One would have an easy time switching between a v13 and v14 once modified to account for manufacturing variances.
Finally, with respect to aesthetics, few racquets will look as cool as the v13. It's worthy of mounting to the wall as usable art. That said, the v14, in-person, is gorgeous. Photos really don’t do it justice. As a side note, Wilson Duo Feel string works great in this racquet. The hot take is to make your own hybrid setup by matching Element with black NXT. It looks and feels fantastic… more usable art
Pro Staff is a DreamI moved to the Pro Staff v14 from the old PS 85. It’s so much more maneuverable and yet still has the Pro Staff feel. Crisp on volleys, easy to access spin on serves, and steady with ground strokes. I can’t ask for anything more in a racquet.
Feels like old style mixed with power & spinLoving this racquet so far. Great for my two-handed backhand. Seems there's much greater power than usual with an average swing, but not crazy power when swinging out. Overall my groundstroke game feels more solid and reliable than it's ever been. There is a hint of similarity with the old Wilson PS 85, with its weighting and the way it swings around - but with a bit more ease, power, and spin. Volleys are controlled and I would say "unpowered". No need to back off from hard shots coming at you, while punching volleys forward can still be well controlled (or at least with a particular hybrid string setup of [K Pro Line 2 (M) / Head Velocity MLT (X)] at 53 pounds). Getting the racquet tip into position seems easy. Great racquet.
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Great starting pointAfter TW staff selected the racquet for me I was able to analyze its motion properties then I customized it to make comply with my requirements. Racquet is faster from its previous versions
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Outstanding racquetLove the racquet. It is controllable, predictable and direct. Reminds me in that regard of the old Prince Synergy DB26. No downsides to report.
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Good tennis racquet, but not for meNice racquet.
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Great All-Court Racquet!This is a great all-court, versatile racquet that allows you to dictate from anywhere on the court! I felt confident with being aggressive with this racquet and the 16x19 string pattern makes this racquet quite spin-friendly as well. The racquet also has such a solid, crisp feel which I enjoyed too. This racquet has impressive stability as well as it was great with dealing with higher pace shots and volleys. Ultimately, I decided to switch over to a racquet with an 18x20 string pattern for more control, but I definitely recommend this racquet for aggressive, all-court players as it was absolutely great to play with!
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Great control, amazing racquet!The racquet definitely lives up to its name. The control is fantastic, and the power, while mostly generated by the player, is still balanced out. This is my number one pick in 2024 and I definitely recommend it :)
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Good racquetThis racquet is pretty good but for playing long matches it gets your arm tired and you start making more mistakes.
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Wilson Pro Staff.Since the first Pro Staff 95. When the 97 appeared I changed to this model since it came out on the market until today. When there are modifications I use the most recent one.
I like it because I remember my first Jack Kramer racquet which had a similar weight
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Great product.This was a birthday present for my son. It was ordered online. There was a question with my order which I received really quickly. I answered it and was notified that the order was now being processed. So, communication was excellent. I was again notified when the racquet shipped. It was delivered to my son’s front door without issue. He says he loves the racquet. His exact words “I love it. It’s perfect”.
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SmoothTHE BEST RACQUET OF 2024!
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PS 85 for todayMy favorite racquet of all time was the Pro Staff 85. As it became obsolete, I have played nCode, Volkl PB 10, K Blade, RF 97, and the Yonex DR 98. All great racquets, but none gave me the “extension of my arm” feel I got with the Pro Staff 85. My new Pro Staff 97 v14 has that feel for me. The frame's swing weights vary a lot, so I made sure I got one that suits me. I feel the racquet does exactly what I tell it to and never fights me or surprises me. Solidity, feel, and control. Very happy!
Pretty amazing in all areas, but.....I've played these frames now for the past nine months exclusively. Having come from Ezone 98 2022's modified up to 340 grams, I was just craving something with a bit more direct feel and control. I've tried a number of string setups, but have settled playing Volkl Cyclone 18 gauge on the mains at 50 pounds and Gamma Live Wire Pro 17 on the crosses at 52 pounds. At times it still feels a little stiff and not as plush as my Ezone's or even my older Head Speed Pro's. However, I'm able to hit serve spots better, rally from the baseline in offense and defensive positions as well as hit direct punchy style volleys. I did notice at times the racquets vibrate aggressively when you don't strike the ball clean and in the sweet spot. There's little forgiveness in this frame and it can occasionally aggravate my elbow, hence the use of a hybrid string setup. It does require proper footwork and really good ball striking. The reward is awesome when you play well. But you can't get lazy with this stick like you can on other sticks (like an Ezone!). I've recently weighed all three of my PS 97's and they are considerably off spec! This also was the case when I played with the Blade V7's. One of my PS 97's strung static weight is 329 with a swing weight of 314! The other two are at 334 and 337 static, but with these whimpy swing weights of 313 and 320. So the sticks are kind of all over the map. They all have the same strings and one Wilson overgrip. These were all measured on the Head swing weight machine. Balance ranges between 6-8 points HL, which is tolerable. I just wish I was getting the 325 swing weight as advertised. I'm going to have to modify the hoop and handle to get a more stable plush feel from them. Overall they make you play well and aggressively, but they aren't easy and forgiving. I also own a Blade 98 18x20 v8, which is also fun to play with. I can plow better with that frame and the comfort on off center shots is easier on the arm. But overall, I prefer the PS.
Not the traditional Pro StaffI’ve used many different iterations of the Pro Staff, from the Ncode 90, K Factor 90 (when I was a 6.0-6.5 NTRP rating), first generation of the RF97 and the second generation of the RF97. These have all been incredible frames with fantastic feel, plow through, pocketing, and control. Yes, I had to generate spin and racquet head speed, but the headlight balance made up for it. This newest generation felt splashy, uncontrolled, extreme, and too flexible. I chose not to switch frames for the time being and stick with the last RF frame. I’m very disappointed with Wilson for not continuing with a frame that exceeds the 12.0 oz weight. Will try again once my frame's elasticity fails in another year. Will probably go with a Prestige tour or Yonex though. In the 29 of my 34 years of playing tennis, the last 18 have been with a 12.0oz plus racquet, lighter ones ruin my timing. Get with it Wilson; adding lead tape and getting the proper balance is a pain in the butt. I’m 34 now I don’t want a 14/15oz racquet like I used to play with anymore. I will say that the positive was the ease of spin production made it easier to focus on plow through. Lackluster everywhere else compared to the Pro Staff of old. Tempted to just go with the limited Pro Staff 85's.
Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 RacquetVery pleased with this racquet. I was very surprised to learn racquets no longer ship with covers. Also surprised that the maximum racquet grip size is 4 & 1/2. I normally used a 4 & 5/8 and I don't have a particularly big hand.
“Whoa”In the words of Neo….. ”Whoa.”
Pro Staff 97 v14Dependable and responsive.
Good, not greatTrying to replace my 2019 Yonex V Core Pro that had a swingweight around 330 and a stiffness of 65. The newer Yonex Percepts have good plow through, but stiffness around 61 and feel under-powered for me. The Wilson RF stiffness around 67 was a great racquet but too stiff causing tennis elbow issues over time. This racquet vibrated in stock form so I weighted it up significantly with lead tape and it now feels similar to my old Yonex. Better for backhand slices, volley quickness and slice serve. Worse for standard topspin on rally balls.
Finally a good Pro StaffI'm a long time Six One 95 user and own many of the Pro Staff in the past. I've never liked the Pro Staff 97, since I felt like they were always missing something that the old Six One 95 had. Once I tried this new Pro Staff out, I thought it fit everything I wanted. Good power, predictable spin potential, and a very familiar feel that made touch shots and slices easy to execute. Serving has been a lot easier to execute thanks to the lower weight. Overall, a great racquet to try for any Pro Staff enthusiast.
Great sticks!Hard to write a review for something as player-specific as a racquet, but IMO these are just amazing bats. I moved down from a 332g Wilson Six-one 95 to the 315g, 97sq.in head and my shoulder has thanked me many times already. With ALU power at 50lbs, there’s great ‘pocketing’ of the ball, excellent control and I can get my hands through the shot so much faster - first thing I noticed was the ability to generate topspin from low balls.
The only thing I’m struggling with it touch, but I think this is just a matter of getting used to the lighter frame.
Take advantage of the demo program and try these out!
Pro Staff 97 v14Comparing to a v13 freshly strung at same time, immediately feels more stable, more feel/feedback.
It is also very obvious that it is less muted which combined with the extra feel can be easily mistaken as jarring. It is not. Also, it swings noticeably heavier than v13 but with no noticeable extra heaviness of the ball and on top of that, with less power. I think I'll need to dial down 2 to 4lbs to get back to v13 power level. I doubt I'll lose control as the v14 frame is felt to be extremely stable and consistent. My opinion is that it's a great racquet to consider for the folks currently using RF97 looking for a lighter racquet. The metallic brown didn't affect me as much as I thought it would. Lol.
Current setup: Volkl cyclone 19, 52lbs.
Best Pro Staff 97 Ever!For the past 8 years I've been playing with the first version of the Pro Staff 97 that came out in 2015. Every time another version would come out I would give it a try but never switch because I always thought that the first version was better. I was always hoping for a version that would provide a bit more power and control. Well guess what? The V14 finally delivered! I ordered a matching pair as close to advertised specs as possible. TW found two that were spot on. This racquet hits a huge ball. The added swingweight is such a huge improvement. And the string mapping provides a ton of control. It's exactly what I've been waiting for. It's like playing with an under spec RF97. I just spent 8 weeks testing out 9 different frames. The V14 is hands down the most solid, stable, powerful and control orientated frame on the market imo. I have to admit. I'm not a fan of the paint job. But oh well... I don't even care about it anymore. I highly recommend this racket to anyone who has a one handed backhand and enjoys playing with modern day players frames.
HeavyDefinitely heavier. I purchased 2 and both weighed 12.1 ounces strung. These will become work out racquets when I'm playing short durations to build muscles. I prefer v13 which more muted and has less vibration.
Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14I love this new Pro Staff!
New Favorite Players RacquetThis racquet has a very comfortable, stable and predictable response. It’s the perfect platform to “just play,” not adding or taking away anything. I feel this approaches the perfect players racquet for 4.0 and above. I know exactly where the ball is going.
Former D2 College playerPro Staff was always the racquet that I wanted to play with because of everything the racquet represented. Version 13 was my favorite design and also in terms of playability from all Pro Staffs, but version 14 once you have in hands it is so stunning and unique. In addition, its playability reminds me a lot of the feel from Pro Staff 90 but in a much modern way and easier to use.
5.0 player all court gameUsed the Pro Staff v11 before. This racquet feels better in almost every way. Slightly more muted, but still has great feel. Seems more powerful and forgiving, but still loads of control. I have arm issues so I was scared of the higher ra of 66 on this, but it feels more comfortable to me that the previous versions. Still maneuverable, but has more swingweight which really helps me hit through the ball. I highly recommend. They say this is made to feel like the older Pro Staffs I hit with the Ncode 90 back in the day. I don’t think it has that feel, but it still feels great and is a great players racquet.
Perfect racquetIm an all rounded-player at about level 4.5. The shining golden coating is attractive. When I am using that in the court meanwhile I can draw others' attention. In view of performance, this racquet provides a lot of control with precision. Great balance of head heavy that provide perfect a powerful groundstrokes. Every single shot makes some trouble to your opponent. On serve, I can feel the connection with the ball, the serve shot comes with force and precision, I can hit the ball on the corner side, thus which becomes the nightmare to the opponent. All in all, if you chase a power, control and tradition play style in your game, this racquet will be your good choice.
