Roger Federer introduces the new Wilson Pro Staff

THE BREAK: Federer in Tokyo

Few racquets, if any, can match the heritage of the Wilson Pro Staff. It was 40 years ago in 1983 when the first carbon fiber Pro Staff was originally launched, and it has since been swung by an assembly line of Grand Slam champs and Hall of Famers. And perhaps no player is more closely associated with the Pro Staff than Roger Federer, who has his very own signature model. Now retired, Federer still holds a deep connection to the frame and brand, recording the video above to announce the upcoming release of the 14th installment of the seminal franchise.

For Pro Staff players, it’s all about the precise and connected response of the racquet. And for this latest version, Wilson wanted to get back as much of the original feel of the racquet as possible. Their engineers studied the older 85 and 90 square-inch models and noticed they had rather unique bending profiles. The greatest proportion of bending was experienced in the bottom half of the racquet, or through the throat.

However, when the racquet was reconfigured with Federer—increasing the head size to 97 square inches and thickening the beam—it altered the bending profile. The ratio shifted closer to 50-50 between the top and bottom half of the racquet. The goal was to marry the bending of the older models with the forgiveness and playability of the more modern version.

The core technology to make this happen is called Paradigm Bending. Wilson was able to adjust the layup of the frame to mirror the traditional profile of greater bending in the bottom half of the racquet. The updated response was universally applauded during internal playtests, particularly by longtime Pro Staff players. The racquet’s DNA is still intact—relatively head light and maneuverable, all-court versatility, superb touch and feel—but Wilson believes it has upped the frame’s precision to give it pinpoint accuracy.

Perhaps even more intriguing than the updated 97—and it’s lighter 97L and 97UL versions—is the brand-new member of the family: Pro Staff X. It has the same weight and beam width as the 97, but with a slightly larger 100 square-inch head, lower swing weight and greater flexibility. So it still delivers the trademark Pro Staff playability and response, but in a more forgiving package. This expands the frame’s audience to seasoned Pro Staff users who now need a bit more help, as well as fans of control-oriented and comfortable 100 square-inch frames.

Both feature highly predictable responses with respectable power gleaned from proficient strokes. They’re racquets conversant in the game’s many languages—baseline aggression, net game, variety—and perform best when speaking all of them. In other words, they’re Pro Staffs. Deciding between the two comes down priorities.

The Pro Staff X has a buttery, plush feel at contact, arguably superior to its smaller-sized sibling. Its bigger sweet spot also makes it easier to hit deep with consistency, change direction of the ball, and is less punishing on off-center contact. Racquet speed is a little easier to come by which comes in handy on serves or when trying to put a little extra spin on the ball. Even with the larger head, it’s still a smooth handler and virtual wand at net. An experienced doubles player could make excellent use of the frame’s capabilities.

On the other hand, the higher swing weight and stiffer layup of the 97 gives its shots more heft. Serves and ground strokes penetrate through the court with more authority. The frame carves through slices like butter; balls skid low and with purpose. Aspiring Federers will be inspired to hit those short, tight slices that draw opponents off the baseline and create gaps in the court. As is its heritage, the 97 isn’t a natural rocket launcher or spin-monster, but has command to spare and does everything well enough to keep opponents guessing with a variety of attacks. It’s the more demanding of the two options, but feels and plays with more substance.

As with its other recent releases, the look of the Pro Staff continues down the path of what Wilson has been calling dynamic design. The racquets implement a kind of color-shifting appearance. For the Pro Staff, they wanted to do a play on the classic red and yellow which has been on the frames throughout the history of the franchise. The racquet has an overall earthy tone, which depending on the angle, goes from a dark maroon to a goldish yellow. It’s a unique cosmetic, befitting a unique frame.

The Wilson Pro Staff v14 97 and X frames are priced at $279 and will be available at wilson.com and tennis specialty retailers starting February 17.