Most Expensive vs Cheapest TENNIS RACQUET TEST | Wilson RF 97 vs $14.97 Walmart Racket

[@IntuitiveTennis]

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[@asyrafnukman1991]

Thank you very much

[@elton3541]

Please compare apples with apples and compare the RF97 with the cheapest GRAPHITE racquet.

[@YashKMusic]

Meanwhile at Wilson HQ: "guys, you are not going to believe what our new best-selling racket is"

[@definitionsupervillain4583]

😂😂😂

[@HC-wt1cg]

Thank you so much, I just started learning tennis and I have the exact same cheap racket, in a group lesson the coach took my racket to look, then told me to get a more expensive one if I want to keep learning at a more advanced level. I was slightly embarrassed by that because I also saw others had really expensive rackets there. I am just a tiny lady whose ultimate goal of learning tennis is to be able to do the back-and-forth rallying. After seeing your video, I feel so much better. Thank you!

[@DarkAngelEU]

I remember my teachers telling me to get a "more expensive" camera. Until they saw my photographs. 😎

[@timetheory84]

How's the Tennis coming so far?

[@a2max280]

This video 'proves' not absolutely, of course, that solid fundamentals and proper technique are way more important than equipment. I love these types of comparison videos. I want to see a low handicap golfer play with a $99 complete golf set, like TopFlite, which includes the bag.

[@benjackson9980]

Exactly I love his quote “who says tennis is expensive, I’m hitting aces with a $15 racquet.”

[@FiendishFuManchu]

My high school tennis coach used to say “if you buy a $5000 racquet and use it to hit 25 cent strokes you’ll never win a single match”

[@mrgolftennisviolin]

Rick Shiels does things like that with golf

[@DeeeFoo]

@@benjackson9980 While I understanding the intention behind the quote, it's not the full picture. Tennis equipment doesn't have to be expensive, but it is usually expensive to get good at tennis. Yes, he's hitting aces with a $15 racquet, but how much time and money did he invest to develop the skills and technique to be able to hit aces with a $15 racquet? Probably a lot more than $15.

[@beinbean6952]

while that is true, its important to upgrade equipment once you reach a certain level, or else that equipment will hold you back.

[@jscott4431]

This video was hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing at how well you played with the Walmart racket. Your comments when hitting the cheap racket were priceless!

[@thomasmedeiros5722]

I use to manage and teach at a small clay court tennis club. I strung lots of racquets and frequently tested racquets thatI had strung. So many players use racquets because of the brand or professional players that endorse that model. It really says something when a player with your skills has difficulty playing with Federer’s racquet. When you hit so well with the $14.95 Walmart racquet it reminded me of the saying, “ it’s the craftsman not the tools”.

[@danielp6762]

this is a good example of why the honeymoon period works with a new racquet. when you want to like the racquet you get up on your toes and focus more/ high enthusiasm therefore play well (in this case the cheap racquet) compared to the racquet your bored with/ don't want to work, flat footed/ low energy (in this case the RF)

[@prageeth4855]

I got the Wilson one from Walmart 2 weeks ago for $14.95 purely bcoz I’m a beginner. But this video makes me feel so good about the decision 😊 you had more fun with the cheaper one than the other for sure 💯

[@shirin8402]

From where bro?

[@Back2Zack]

Its also very fun to play down when you are at a higher level but having a bad day. Sometimes i use bad racquets or woodem ones as a way to loosen up when im playing bad. Its like "oo now i have an excuse", then I just end up playing better not at all because of the racquet.

[@nicholasmourad1529]

My first racquet was a wooden one from a garage sale, then steel frame, then aluminum, before my parents finally helped me buy a higher quality one. It was probably after 4 years of playing. I think when you're new you should go demo different frames to help get a feel for what's comfortable to you, but a cheap racquet, especially with some new, better strings can take you pretty far if you're diligent about learning form, technique, etc

[@zachrichard7039]

@@Back2Zack I do this too, but I didn't realize why until I read your comment. This makes total sense to me.

[@kloschuessel773]

Its now even cheaper In germany its double

[@ef10s]

Nik - great video. I played college tennis with an aluminum Prince Pro. Rackets made from aluminum can work quite well, although I certainly appreciated the higher quality and performance of the graphite rackets I eventually transitioned to. You should string up the cheap racket with the same set up as you have in the RF 97 to complete the comparison test. Also, your followers might be interested to know how the vibrations felt in the aluminum racket vs the graphite model.

[@lukas.540]

I loved this. Niko this is exactly what recreational players need to hear and see. At the 2.5, 3.0, even 3.5 level the type of racquet that a player uses should be the least of their concerns. Niko you would beat me using a frying pan lol. To anyone reading this considering getting into tennis but scared of the cost, just go out and buy the cheapest racquet and get out there and start swinging. Better than sitting on the sidelines and not playing at all.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Well said Luka

[@uchihadayne6506]

I don’t agree at all. I used to play professional table tennis, friends and I started picking up tennis recreationally. He went and bought 30 dollar rackets and eventually I said to him, think about what limitation we would have if we bought 10 dollar table tennis rackets from Walmart? I went and bought the 200 dollar Wilson clash and played 5x better immediately. It wasn’t my imagination, half of the people we played with asked what I bought so they could buy the same thing. Obviously results will vary individually, but to suggest that some stock racket is as good as good as other equipment is just ridiculous for anyone to say. You can always compensate with individual skill if you’re good enough, but that isn’t the case for most players

[@lukas.540]

@@uchihadayne6506 you missed the point of my post and of this video completely. Brand new and inexperienced/beginner players can’t tell the difference between racquets and they’re not necessary to BEGIN to LEARN the sport. Obviously you get better equipment as you progress, and that’s what is in the video. I’ve never played table tennis before. Would you recommend me a 200 dollar racquet to try the sport and see if I like it? Of course not. As a former professional table tennis player, you aren’t starting at the same level as other beginners to tennis because you have elite level hand-eye coordination and athletic abilities. But for my 63 year old mom who wants to start tennis, I’m not recommending a Wilson Clash lol.

[@robertservant1936]

Tennis is an expensive sport though. The equipment is not that expensive. It is the cost of club dues, court time, tournaments, etc.

[@melfox215]

@@robertservant1936 It depends on the location. I live in Eastern Germany and the price for a club membership is around 220 € a year. Some clubs have courts where you can play the whole year and some have only clay courts that can be used between April and October. So it's common here to play indoors during Oct to Mar and playing indoors is indeed expensive (20€/hour). In contrast, playing in the US is basically free as you'll find many public courts that don't require a membership. Plus you have the climate in many parts of the US where you can play outdoor the whole year. Flip side is, some of these public courts are not that well-kept.

[@cp4christo]

Many, many top pros used aluminum frames back in the day and won slams with them. Fiberglass was also popular. Eventually something will replace graphite I suppose. My first stick was a $20 Wilson aluminum frame and it was just fine. It all boils down to the archer not the bow. I spend much more time tweaking my string setups than anything else.

[@Fernwald84]

I'm 77 years old, weigh 142 and have been using the RF97 Autograph for about three years, with a break in between. In that break I've mainly used a Prince Textreme Tour 100 (310) and a Head Gravity Pro. Is the RF 97 "heavy"? This is a misleading question because you have to consider not only the total weight of the racket (the technical term is "static weight") but the distribution of the weight between the racket head and the rest of the racket. The RF 97 is very head light, meaning the distribution of weight is more towards the handle side of the racket than many other rackets (it is 9 points head light, which is a lot). One way of measuring the influence of this weight distribution is with the swing weight; this gives some idea of the relative effort needed to swing the racket horizontally. The RF 97's swing weight averages 333 which is pretty high. The Head Gravity Pro has about the same swing weight but is about 20 grams lighter. The other major factor in swinging a racket is the fact that you swing not only the racket but also your arm. The average 150 pound man' arm weighs a total of about 8 1/2 pounds. The forearm and hand together weigh about 2 1/2 pounds. A 355 gram strung racket like the RF 97 weighs about 3/4 of a pound. In 60 years of playing tennis, I've never heard of anyone complaining of their arm being too heavy to swing in that sport. I grew up playing with wood rackets and despite being probably less than average in strength for a man I have no trouble handling the RF 97. Playing with lighter rackets, like the Prince Textreme Tour I mentioned, did not improve my game even though it is a wonderful and versatile racket. You like light rackets and are used to them. To pick up a heavier racket and "evaluate" it without spending at least a few weeks getting used to it is prejudicial IMHO. With all your tennis experience, Nik, you should know that it takes time to become accustomed to a different racket and on the spot evaluations are not trustworthy.

[@uchihasasuke7436]

Very true! But also as an older chap you know that rackets back in the day were commonly 350 sometimes 360g+, the rf97a at 340 plus headlight balance definitely wouldn't feel heavy to you 😄

[@Fernwald84]

@Matej Juhás I think the point of the video was that an expensive racket might be a poorer playing racket than a cheap one. The RF97 was chosen because it is the most expensive mainstream racket available (there are more expensive ones that are, however uncommon). There was misleading information given, e.g., because the RF97 has a high static weight that is the reason it is hard to use. The important concepts of weight distribution and swingweight were not mentioned and these have as much, or more, to do with racket difficulty of use than static weight. There are advantages to lighter weight and lower swingweight rackets. There are also important disadvantages, the biggest one is that a very light racket can contribute to arm and shoulder problems because they tend to be stiffer frames to compensate from the loss of power with reduced weight. That combination of stiffness and light weight can be dangerous to people susceptible to joint problems.

[@caryg4638]

It also matters how strong you are. This guy in the video seems weaker than most, and that’s not pejorative. It also matters how you play and who you play against. In the video, the balls being hit to him aren’t that hard, which means he can generate pace with little effort. However, if you are trying to return balls with a lot pace, the light racquet will get deflected easier and cause him problems. That’s the reason for the rf97.

[@Komta-w2w]

Heavy racquets are great.. only for the first set... After that is downhill for me 😢🎉😂

[@thefridgeman]

5:49 says 250 grams, corrects it on screen with 240 grams. The correct weight is 340 grams :D Played with RF97 for a year, weight was ok but at the level I was playing, against the equivalent of 3-4.0 in US, it was waaayy too powerful. Made too many mistakes. Used RPM Blast and natural gut in hybrid. Replaced it with a Ezone Dr98 and all of a sudden, the most mistakes/UE were gone. I think this racquet is for someone with a medium swing (length and speed).

[@ondybandung6096]

I am interesting. What kind of string & how much tension did you strung on Ezone DR98 ? I am already had DR100, want to restring it

[@meilstone]

I've been playing the Wilson Pro Staff 97 (315 g version) for five years now after going through a series of customized Head rackets (tuned to around 300 g, neutral balance). It took me some time to figure out how to serve properly with it. I also play a one-handed backhand and it feels great swinging through the ball - as long as you hit the sweet spot. This racket forces you to improve your technique and has helped me personally to get rid of shoulder and elbow pains as a welcome side effect. Whenever I switch rackets with friends for fun (Clash, Blade, Babolat, ...), I feel like I'm playing with a toy racket. Of course, the strings are another huge factor and make a difference as well.

[@Rodia8637]

Toda la razón del mundo, amigo.

[@dejsub117]

This is exactly what I went through, I usually use the babalot pure aero but switched to the rf 97 (340) and it forces me to use proper technique, I just cant figure out the serve for it some times.

[@yokoa3825]

Thank you for this video! I actually bought that exact Walmart racket for my bday a couple months back to try get into tennis and was glad that there was a vid like this to compare the quality in prices!

[@matthewsnyder9296]

As a coach and casual player, I've found the Artengo rackets from Decathlon to be outstanding. Much better than anything else in their price range for my needs anyway and competitive with the top of the line models from the big makers.

[@theypeedonmyrug]

The Artengo are practically 1:1 copies of decent rackets (only with terrible design).

[@withcoffeenoworries]

@@theypeedonmyrug actually the tr960 control tour is quite a good design for me.

[@alexzhou233]

The problem in Australia is they are expensive and no resell value

[@MatthewKhoory]

My coach plays with them 😅

[@SahanRavinder]

This is seriously an honest review. Thanks for posting this content. Saves a lot of time and myths about various rackets at the end of each spectrum. Keep them coming!

[@Patrick-rz9jn]

love the big message of this video. tennis really isn't a largely expensive sport (unless you're going pro), its a lifelong sport that you can easily play for a lifetime at the recreational level. I started tennis off with some old Walmart rackets I found in my garage and upgraded my gear as my level progressed. Now im playing college level as a freshman this year

[@jakewilliams5018]

Laughable when you add up the cost of membership, overgrips, restringing, tennis balls.. Yeah cheap sport… NOT

[@stockton350]

Racquets are cheap but access to courts can be expensive and proper instruction costs a lot. It's not a cheap sport for most people.

[@tennisteuton]

I love the guys in here that say "nope, tennis is very expensive". Makes it overall less stressful when so many people are taking themselves out of the competition before even playing. ;-)

[@tomsd8656]

That's why I never bought the newest model racquets. I bought older models that are on sale, which are $100 less than the newest models. For the really cheap racquets that he demoed , I played with them too, but I found that it's easier when the head is big, so your arm get some help, because if the head is small, with cheaper material, your arm will feel every vibration from the frame. But if you have a one handed backhand, it's not easy to use a big head racquet.

[@tomsd8656]

@@stockton350 It depends on where you live. Access to courts is not too hard where I live. I didn't have to pay. As for instruction, you can get a lot out of video clip these days. I joined my high school tennis team and was taught the fundamental there. Most high school coaches are not high level players, but if they are just 4.0 level players with good technique, they can show you. Remember that having good technique is not too hard to achieve. What's hard is consistent execution and movement. In college I took tennis as PE and there I was taught by a former D1 college player. It wasn't one on one but that's good enough for me. My goal was not to become a high level player, just as high as my skill and practice time allow. I suspect most rec players don't seek to be high level players. So it doesn't have to be expensive. The expense you can't get away with is tennis balls.

[@aaronp0324]

I upgraded to the $24.95 Wilson racket from Walmart.

[@daviehtf]

Me I went for a racket that was neither too cheap nor expensive as I wasn't fully sure I'd get into tennis as a beginner. I'm enjoying it much more and would definitely consider what ideal rackets to look for when my current ones break, probably one that has a good lifespan. Thanks for all the coaching tutorials

[@nathan-qx2ep]

all rackets basically have a lifespan mostly impacted by how you use it. if you rage and throw your racket it wont last long, if u treat it well, itll easily last you 5 years. what you really want to worry about are strings. those will break but also just need to be relatively frequently restrung

[@rfgattu00]

Thats why they have cheap rackets.

[@OfficialWorldChampion]

pro staff 90s, 88s and 85s that are new or in very good condition sell for around $700, often more, on ebay right now. The classic prestige mid would probably be in the same boat if there were any new ones left.

[@bonzwah1]

The steady cost of shoes, balls, and strings really add up. The rackets themselves are just a one time fee that last virtually forever. I think follow up videos about cheap strings and cheap shoes are needed.

[@Oddly-SatisfyMe]

Booking courts indoor is the cost for us here in the uk. £15 ph is not doable for most

[@Dubinski2382]

Nick's serves are kicking like crazy. The RF brings your game to a new level.

[@cyberjonesy]

I love the message that this video carries. Tennis, like a great many other sports in the world, is very accessible. All you need is a 14$ racket, a pair of shoes and a 2$ ball. You get better at soccer, you buy more expensive shoes, and maybe an official ball. You get better at tennis, not much more of a dent in your budget if you want high quality equipment.

[@cabforwardooo9983]

I had a heavy version of the RF97 about ten years ago. I demoed one and hit very well with it, so I gave it a go. After a while I found that too many of my shots were going just long and I blamed it on my inability to get enough topspin on the ball due to the racquet's heft. I ended up giving it to a friend and never looked back.

[@diegomelendez1263]

Wow what a great lesson. No need to spend a ridiculous amount of money to play this beautiful sport. Thanks Nick!

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@wasabiattack]

Great video - I needed this! I'd been going crazy trying to decide between all these 1000s of different rackets and specifications, and I'm only a 3.0 player. Thanks to this video, I'm just going to get a $100 racket and call it a day.

[@TimTheMusicMan]

Haha. Great video. A million tennis fans are going to rush to Walmart and Costco. Tennis warehouse is losing it right about now. You should do a review of the 1980’s wood rackets.

[@danielp6762]

first time I've heard the Rf described as flexible

[@antekokic4279]

That caught me off as well. Kinda made me doubt about his knowledge about the racket. The frame is only softer by like 3% than the bb drive he uses...

[@teniscoraisdepontanegra]

I once bought a Wilson SPS (Super Power Series) Centrix, which I bought at the Carrefour market for 15 dollars. My game flowed very well with this racket, I had a lot of fun!

[@EraseableCrab]

I have the Wilson pro staff 97 v13 and I am loving it, I switched from a head liquid metal 4 after 3 years because it was too light and I kept breaking strings. I used it temporarily until my racquet was restrung but the owner told me to keep it because I was doing so much better with it than my head racquet.

[@creativecatproductions]

By far the best tennis channel on youtube. Love this

[@IntuitiveTennis]

🙏

[@jamesball5743]

Agreed

[@ivanvelazquez2055]

It's funny, Nic - while you comment on the video that you feel a bit uncomfortable with the ProStaff RF97 and feel you're getting much less power, to the eye your shots look even better than usual (and of course they usually look great), like your command is much stronger. Yes, your shots do look flatter than usual (maybe to be expected with the weight and geometry of the racquet) but they seem to have nice "bite" and you seem to be putting the ball pretty much where you want. I sometimes think the bigger issue with these kinds of racquets is fatigue setting in as you play longer matches, particularly in singles (and particularly when you're older - I'm 45 and I think you're a similar age so wonder how you'd feel after a couple of sets). Great point about how racquet technology has gotten so good and efficient that even extremely cheap racquets are still more than adequate to play and have fun. Great video, thanks!

[@michaelscoots]

Yeah - his shots looked great. I never heard anyone describe the RF97 as a flexible frame.

[@iceman1125]

everyone with fatigue loses their legs first than arms. Blaming the racket weight is just an excuse. 20 -30 gms is not a difference in winning and losing

[@armandoanderson3536]

14:24 Hilarious! Great stuff Nick!

[@georgikorchev8574]

Thanks Nick very useful! I've got a Pro Staff 97 315 version so some of the insights you gave on the RF re stiffness are really useful. Would be great to see you review and play with different rackets and explain how they compare and their impacts on playing style. Cheers

[@alexnef5620]

You are so enthusiastic about this sport. Sooooo good. Thanks vor the video.

[@thatguyeli9565]

I always love these racket comparison videos.

[@ayushganguli3653]

I am an intermediatte player. I restarted playing tennis at office and they have a few rackets available which are very low quality from cosco and vertex. I wouldn't recommend anyone to play with such rackets. They shock your hands a lot. You become scared to swing as it leads to a lot of pain. I know people who become good at tennis due to their athletic ability. They hardly have any power and really low power but they are great athletes and always on the defence. Its difficult to develop serves with this racket again due to shock. As a beginner I feel the best option is to get a racket with oversized head and high power. Again he might be a coach and know better but I don't think starting with a $15 racket is a good advice.

[@SuperDriver07]

RF stifness is not low. I think the feeling you described is due to the difference in weight and swing speed. And perhaps strings tension and type

[@JamieSmith-fz2mz]

I found a really old ProStaff in the trash at a high school court that I rescued. Had it restrung/regripped, and it's vastly different from my RF97, but it's a lot of fun to play with. And I win just as infrequently with it.

[@asantesamuel13]

They string the cheap racquets really loose, not that they care much about what tension it's at, but when I used those cheap racquets, the string tension is way looser than what you'd normally choose. Yours sounds like it's about 38 lbs, possibly looser, which is what's giving you that zip and power on your shot. If that was strung at 50 or tighter, you'd get very little power or depth because of the aluminum frame/light weight, and your arm would be taking a beating.

[@warriorzentennis]

Great Video Nik. I have long said that you can hand a pro any Walmart or Target racquet (maybe even a youth model) and the pro would have no issues beating any recreational player. Also, a cool video would be seeing you play with a wooden racquet and with classic strokes vs one of your 4.5 students to further prove that proper technique and tactics can beat the most expensive equipment.

[@MadHolms]

for me, for the past 4 years, I'm playing with Wilson Clash Pro Tour 100, I find it the best for my game style, heck, it made me #2 in 4.0 Texas region LOL. Joking aside, I've tried mostly all of the racquets I could demo from TennisWarehouse, but could not find anything better. No elbow pain and gives you "free" power. Give it a try guys.

[@ntnnot]

There's also the non Autograph version of the racquet, which is lighter and probably more suited for the recreational player. 340g (Autograph) vs. 315g.

[@Dom-yv4nq]

I use the spin friendly LS version of the racquet and love it. I'm a player/coach with a level of 5.0 and I'm 53 yrs old.

[@DonRobberto]

I owned the lighter version, it's honestly still not very friendly. The racquet is just so demanding! need to have excellent technique which I definitely don't lol

[@Dom-yv4nq]

@@DonRobberto So go out and take a few lessons, work on your technique, develop your game. I'm 53, although I'm a stronger player/coach I'm constantly trying to better my game. No racquet is going to make you play better. Good luck and happy hitting my friend.

[@DavidNelsonATX]

I decided years ago that a good low mid price racket was what worked best for me. I've hit with the Babolat PureDrive and it's OK; but, I can't see the price difference being worth it. I play with the Head Ti-S2. I like its stiffness (which some hate) and lightness (which some hate). Here's the thing, I'm the one playing with it, so who cares what other people like. A few years back I tried making a shift to the similarly priced Babolat Pulsion102 and broke two frames just hitting ground strokes. Granted I hit a very heavy forehand; but, breaking two frames is unacceptable, so it was back to the Head. I also switched from synthetic gut to Luxilon ALUpower 125 Rough 16L and I'm not having to restring my racket constantly. In summary, play with what works for you. The price tag doesn't make the difference, you do.

[@Eliott-K]

I think I'm in the minority that plays with beefier rackets like the RF97 and VCore Pro 330 simply because I prefer how they feel. For a gag I started playing with wooden rackets for a few months and ended up finding a lot of enjoyment in the experience. Going back to my Wilson Blade after that time ended up feeling like I couldn't control the ball as well even though I was suddenly hitting far more in the center of the string bed. I switched around to heavier more control oriented rackets and have been playing my best tennis since, I find myself spraying far less than I ever did with my Strikes or Blades. That said, I tell everyone I ever try to get into tennis that I have seen a player make it to the High School State level using a racket that was free with rebate at Menards. It's all about personal preference and I love that that was made clear here.

[@zeroelus]

I agree with the conclusion that tennis doesn't have to be expensive and that if you're starting out, any aluminum racket should be enough for you to know if this is something you're going to stick with. In my case, I also can't stand how light rackets feel after getting used to playing with heavy rackets. I'm not a competitive/pro tennis player right now, and I play mostly because it's the exercise I most enjoy having learned the game some 12 years ago, but in that same line, I don't have the pressure to hit good shots, I just want to move around and improve my technique, also my hitting partner is a wall. I bought a lightly used RF97 tuxedo and worked my way up to using it more and more until I grew used to it. I know have some Six-one 95s (ncode version) that are nearly as heavy as the rf and even more demanding from a footwork/sweetspot perspective, and that's ok for me. When I switch back to the other frame I used before (head microgel radical) I can't stand the tinny feel of it, and it's a good racket.

[@mikealbert728]

That racquet was actually $3 cheaper before the recent inflation. It was $11.95 maybe a year ago or less. I started with thrift store racquets for like $2. Then I bought one of these. It was cheaper than paying someone to string one.

[@BriasRocks]

Oh nah bro

[@georgegarcia566]

Great video idea. Great demo and great insights.

[@bbsamurai59]

This was a very interesting and different video of yours as far as content. I really enjoyed it! Love the $14.00 Aces! haha. This proves you should never buy a brand-new racket at retail prices that just came out on the market. Thank you Nic!

[@anthonydabaco8407]

Thanks Nik, racquets are definitely not a one size fits all. For me two key indicators a particular racquet becomes my choice is arm comfort and confidence in hitting balls where you need to attack, stepping into the court.

[@PaulI.Collins]

I’m so grateful for this video. Thank you 🙏🏽

[@experientialtennispickleball]

I'm in complete agreement with you: playing tennis as a hobby is not expensive at all. You can spent 100-150€ for 2 rackets 40€ for 2 new string sets and stringjobs Add a couple of cans of balls, let's say antoher 15€ All you have to do then is find available public courts and some friends to play with.

[@hhcurieux]

Nice for summer but it becomes very expensive if you want to play more than 5 months in country with a winter. And I find that the shoes are becoming a lot more expensive.

[@experientialtennispickleball]

@@hhcurieux I'm talking about casual tennis playing. As a hobby, not professionaly. You can wear your regular sneakers if the court is acrylic. For winter, yes, rain and cold weather is an issue.

[@rogerfloyd852]

Finding people to hit with is the expensive part. Have to join a club basically at least in Arizona

[@kylebeng]

for the most part i agree. if youre playing in NYC, USA, or maybe other metropolitan areas, you may not be so lucky. Court fees and reservations are a god send. the "if" to finding public courts is non-existent in the area unfortunately.

[@Mikrokozma33]

Public courts? In Europe? Where?

[@harleybk3]

Another excellent source of beginner rackets is yard sales. Bought a Prince Shark 110 for $3 and the guy threw in a grocery bag of about 30 used balls.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

💯

[@turdferguson1070]

String type and tension is orders of magnitude more important than the racket itself.

[@dejpsyd0421]

I have a feeling you could play great with a broom stick Nick! 🌞

[@lasseva1n]

You are truly hones "online" coach, that's big thing for sure. Thanks for the video Nick

[@lasseva1n]

Honest ...

[@humanentity2214]

That Antwerp open trophy is forever etched in my mind. What a gorgeous golden racquet embedded with thousands of diamonds and million dollar plus paycheck added to the trophy. I remember Lendl winning it 3 out of 5 years and the look on McEnroe face when he lost to lendl was priceless

[@davidc9256]

I am guilty of having an RF97 that is sitting around collecting dust for reasons explained in this video but until now didn't know why. I just knew If I hit exactly right it was gold, otherwise it was a pain in the neck to use and became frustrating. Not all of the racquets fault as my eyes weren't always on it but even with that I win more now with another lighter, stiffer racquet and even in losses it's just more fun to play without the RF97. I need some forgiveness in a racquet although aforementioned eyed on the ball has vastly improved. I will not go back to the RF97 though. Thankfully I did not buy that RF97 new.

[@jayteegamble]

My first racquet was a cheap one i bought 25 years ago and i swear that i still play better with that thing than any of the expensive replacements i've bought. Plus all of the dings and dents add character.

[@cukoo4legos]

I’m used to playing with my Clash 100 v1. About a month ago at my school I saw someone biking who had two tennis rackets. I asked him if he wanted to play and I was using a cheap little kid racket. I was shocked at how many shots I was hitting good. Really made me realize that I’m not just good at tennis because of my racket.

[@MyChevySonic]

For the affordable racket, it's a lot like a Pure Drive to me. Big serves. 100 sq in. It's designed to do a lot of the work for you, somewhat like the thick frame of the PD. When I moved from aluminum to the PD2018, it was a pretty natural transition. I just had to get used to the opposite balance.

[@sanoska206]

I played with cheap Walmart rackets before because I didn’t have my racket with me while on vacation. But it takes a bit of adjustments to get used to loose strings. But the thing with light/cheap rackets, it will creat tennis elbow if you have fast strokes.

[@marykaykillam7284]

Thanks for comparing these racquets. I own the Walmart Wilson. I figured it was a good choice as an entry level racquet 🎾 to get started with You can always upgrade as you get better and progress in tennis. I'm glad you thought it was a suitable choice.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

True

[@kjfoehr]

Very informative and entertaining video, Nick. But I'd be very interested to hear what you think about the difference between more and less expensive rackets, instead of between the most expensive vs. the cheapest. I.e., is there a big difference between the Babolat Pure Drive or Aero and the Babolat EVO or Boost, which are still at least $99, but about half of the more expensive Babolat models? I have never bought the less expensive Babolats because I assumed they weren't as good, but are they really not as good?

[@51Dss]

Arthur Ashe played with the Head Comp I racquet towards the end of his career. It had a very small sweet spot and the frame was nylon with thin aluminum laminate on each side. The head of the racquet was oval - looked elongated. Of course in those days most of the tour pros were playing with wood racquets. Early in his career McEnroe used a Dunlop Maxply Forte and then Wilson came along and put the Kramer Pro Staff in his hands. Connors played with the "lightening rod" Wilson T-2000 - tiny round head all metal frame uniquely it had a wire twisted around the frame through which they ran the strings. There weren't many people who could string that racquet properly.

[@TimelyAdventure]

Great video, love the channel

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Thank you 🙏

[@SnazzyTaylor]

As an intermediate I think the RF97 has levelled up my game considerably in the way that learning to play in the way you have to to get the most out of the racquet has ironed out a lot of the bad habits I have as it’s very unforgiving. Also worth noting is I’m on the muscular/athletically fit side so the weight hasn’t really been so much of an issue

[@tomsd8656]

Yes if you play with a heavy racquet, you'd better be able to wield it. In my younger days I played with the Wilson Prostaff 6.1, which is even heavier than RF97, but as I got older I felt my arm getting cramp after just half way through the second set, and this was playing double, so I figured I needed to go lighter, switching to Head radical racquet, and there's no more problem.

[@SnazzyTaylor]

@@tomsd8656 Totally agree with you. I’m also only 23, so that’s probably also a factor. It feels like with the weight you get what you put into it in terms of learning and training to work with it. I definitely feel it in my arm when I hit lazy swings or try to muscle it but as I move away from that and try to get a full swing and good positioning my arm feels fine. It’s definitely not a racquet I think that can be entirely explored after picking it up for a quick play test. I also find that when I switch to some lighter racquets I get a bit better but part of it is just the good habits drilled into me from the RF passing over that I wouldn’t have built without it.

[@tomsd8656]

@@SnazzyTaylor yeah the general recommendation is to play with the heaviest racquet that you can handle easily. In the old days, wood racquets were very heavy, much more than any modern racquet, but there's no choice. Kids, women, everybody were playing with them. I actually played with a wood racquet when I was 10. I had to move up my hand on the handle, otherwise it's too heavy for a kid. So the weight of an RF97 for a young adult male should not be a big deal, unless the player prefers lighter sticks.

[@GSAirTherapy]

Long story short; I have just added a 97RF to my bag. Before that, I’ve played the 100” Blade (too light/sold both), Yonex 98 (still own 3/ 1 in my bag/ 2 for sale), Volkl 98 (have 1 in my bag), Babolat Puredrive (sold/hated it), and extensively demo’d Technifibre, Head, etc.….the one I demo’d and repeatedly came back to…was the 97RF Signature. The weight makes it stable, the slice is better than with any other racket I’ve played, and the power loss on my serve is made up with the predictability of setting the ball. I suppose, every player’s mileage may vary.

[@jennysmyth1439]

Tested all sorts of racquets. Always come back to the ProKennex heritage C93 Redondo. Smooth. Precise. Obliges me to prepare early, get the right rhythm timing tempo and swing through the ball.

[@frankojudoka]

I brought a RF 97 (340 g $249.99 CAD) and a hyper hammer 5.3(110). The hyper 5.3 (110 $117.99) is 100 grams lighter and still give you more power. The RF 97 is my practice racket.

[@03erock]

I think the rf97 requires one to know good technique/basics. I use the rf97 v12 (tuxedo) to warm up, I usually use the pro staff team 100sq in. (the v12 and v13) most of the time. The weight of the rf97 does take some getting used to, but more importantly is the technique. I did buy it because I'm an RF fan, but do recognize my limitations and improvements needed to use the rf autograph more efficiently. Depending on what an individual is seeking (power, control, spin, etc), but this is more of a control racquet which is what i was seeking. String/ tension set up might help with spin/power, but in the end it's more for control and requires the user to be intermediate or advanced. I don't recommend it for beginners, unless one is willing to really put in the time and effort to learn to use it.

[@grzegorzkucharski4571]

best review i ve seen lately

[@kallebalik]

I feel like It is not about the latest and greatest but what you are comfortable with. If you look at the pros, they usually get an older racquet model that they are used to painted to look like the newer model (to promote the newer models).

[@gab_ale]

I used a combination of Wilson Pro Staff 6.1 95 Classic and Stretch for decades. Coming from those the RF97 felt great. Lots of feel and great balance. But the RF97 is indeed a heavy racquet by modern standards. Odd you find the RF97 "so flexible". It has a very similar stiffness rating to the Babolat.

[@timothy4664]

I played with the Wilson 6.1 95 Classic too. My dad had one and gave it to me when I started learning. I remember when Wilson stopped making them even though Sampras and Courier both used played with it. Sampras refused to change and would buy old stock. That was a heavy racquet already and he added lead tape. Crazy.

[@gab_ale]

@@timothy4664 I think Sampras mentioned he regretted not moving to a modern racquet sooner.

[@Myutation]

hey coach, as a current pure drive user yourself and old racket enthusiast, would be great to see you make a video comparing some of the original babolat frames (aeropro original, swirly pure drive, pure control, etc) to the ones out on the market currently. keep up the great content, thanks!

[@c0mpuipf]

incredible shots on the rise, amazing shot quality

[@ravidalal2982]

Hey! How about trying the same racquet with a lower 315 gm or 290 gms? 97, 97L. 290 gms is probably going to take care of the difficulty in swinging the racquet. I use the prostaff 97 315 gms and it works for me. Also is stiffness linked to the weight of the racquet?

[@agffth]

The bird at 4:30 scared the crap out of me. 😂

[@jty9631]

You know, I always like getting myself a freshly strung polyester or gut, but I think people should give various synthetic strings a try. That 14$ racket has nylon in it, I've never tried it, but I've tried various syn-gut and I found that when you string them tight, I like it.

[@benchen7626]

Could you tell me usually how many pounds your synthetic string strung?

[@metphmet]

In the 80’s I used to play with an aluminium racket . it was a Dunlop. A very powerful one.

[@rkane19]

Great video and comparison. Now you need to do strings. I was a coach for years and nothing bugged me more than a beginner showing up with RPM blast poly in their racket.

[@adnkhan]

Loved it. BTW just switched to a Rafa Aero - 100 inch, highly stiff racquet. Love the control and lower power. Serve is about as powerful but way more consistent. Had played with a Volkl Organix 3 (110 inch, very stiff) since starting to learn tennis a few years ago.

[@almoko]

as a total beginner I went to a Decathlon (sports store in EU), and bought the RF97, because it was black, cool and expensive (=very good). I suffered with it for a couple of months and switched to a Wilson blade (half the price). Later tried playing with the RF97 and I was too slow and too tired to play it well - it is very heavy and requires real precision (which I don't have at my level). So confirming the conclusions from this video 100%.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Didn’t know decathlon sells anything other than Artengo racquets?

[@aet96]

@@IntuitiveTennis the sell even babolats

[@hansolsson3409]

Nick says "i am definitely serving too good with this racket", i wish i had that problem! 😀😀

[@bigrobsydney]

I enjoyed this video. I would have liked to understand a little more though about the characteristics of the cheaper racket. Weight, swing weight, stiffness, and balance (head light). I have a sneaking suspicion that what works better is generally a lighter racket, allowing beginner players to develop their shots, without having to lug a heavy racket which may be cumbersome to swing and volley with.

[@Locoboy5150]

Thank you for this very informative video. I am picking up tennis again after about a 30 - 35 year break because my little boy started taking lessons. I'm having fun just being a weekend hacker now with my son because before I was playing tournaments every weekend on the junior circuit and I kind of burned out on the sport after a few years. I have been watching a lot of your videos lately and I was thinking that maybe I should upgrade my racket since today I'm using my old racket from when I was a teenager. After watching this and your other videos about rackets though I'll just stick with my old trusty Prince Precision Graphite from the 1980s. I don't need to have the latest and greatest racket that is endorsed by some pro that I don't recognize. That is just not important to me now like when I was a kid and I lusted after a Wilson Ultra or a Prince Graphite. What can I say...I love my Precision Graphite. It still plays as nicely now as it did when I was a kid. (I sure wish that I could say the same for my tennis game but it's coming back.) I like it so much that I bought another one recently as a backup just in case something happens to my old one. So, even though I am perfectly happy with my old racket I still love watching your videos. It's kind of mind boggling to me how much rackets have changed since my day! I am actually old enough to remember when people played with all of the rackets that you showed in your "Testing Old Tennis Rackets" video. (My first racket was my mom's old Prince Classic when she got a Prince Pro to replace it.) Thank you again for the great video and please keep them coming.

[@toomasvendelin]

My reasoning to buy a Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 was this: if I play poorly, the racket will tell me; if I play well, the racket will tell me. Or so a review in some tennis magazine promised. And this is exactly what happened in the long run. I was forced to improve my footwork, timing, etc. quite brutally - if you miss the sweet spot, it's a bone-shaker. It's a physical pain. But it was very rewarding, when things started to work out. Then, one day, I've tried my coach's racket. Wow! Playing tennis felt so much easier. It wasn't a $15 Walmart racket, of course, but the experience was close to that in the video. In the end, I think my little experiment has worked out, despite everyone and his brother did their best to prevent it. The shop owner almost refused to sell it to me! My coach asked me, how can I even play with this "piece of plywood". An of course, some form of Sampras-fetishism was suspected. I'd say: don't make your choice based on the big names, but if you want to challenge yourself, go for it.

[@dotdotzoom]

When I started tennis a few years ago I saved up for the RF97 instead of getting a beginners racket because I wanted something nice quality that would last. This made me realize i should definitely get an easier to use racket as my technique could be hindered by such a hard to use racket. I'm a 2.5 player still, no way I should be using such an unforgiving racket. I still have a lot of technique to learn. Thanks for the great video as always!

[@hansolsson3409]

I love this kind of test, Wilson will win no matter what! Thank you Nick!

[@Mrdat3232]

What a nice video comparison. Please try to compare the yonex ezone and vcore editions. 💪

[@JuanHuitztech]

When you were using the RF97 I was even doubting your playing abilities and how suitable you were for these kind of videos (had never seen your channel). Then you took the cheapo racket and started serving bombs and delivering nice forehands. That really goes to show how difficult it is to wield such a heavy racket combined with the “small” head. I am a coach and play with the RF97 because I love the feel and control it gives me, but I am always fast to tell my clients against using this racket, specially for the beginners or people who lack the physical fitness required for such heavy equipment.

[@TextbookBoxingGB]

Don't know if this is just a me thing but I've always found that the best products are the one's that you don't need to think about when you're using them. When you've got a "power" racket you shouldn't be playing any more aggressively than if you had a "control" racket the racket should be there to compliment your game not the other way round.

[@jacksyyuen]

thanks a lot. It explained a lot why the tennis shop boss told me it was so hard to play RF97 well

[@marcelobarros5729]

RF97 isn't Babolat stiff, but it isn't a particularly flexible racquet.

[@VL1975]

Fascinating review. I liked it. Love to see what you'd do with a wooden racket! lol

[@ntnnot]

Nic has made one video where he tried different rackets used by past top players. Borg's Donnay Allwood wooden racquet was one that was featured. A few others he tested were Connors' Wilson T2000 aluminum racket. And Dunlop Max 200G graphite racket used by McEnroe and Graf. And some others which I don't recall. Maybe Michael Chang's extended Prince Longbody... Was a cool video. Was interesting to see someone hit with a wooden racket using modern technique. IIRC he said he started to feel the weight of the Donnay Allwood in his shoulder after a few full powered serves.

[@vidpromjm]

I wouldn't call the RF 97 a flexible or soft frame, its RA is 68, the babolat maybe 71 I think? When I think of flexible frames its something in the low 60's.

[@MAELOB]

My first racquet was Prince Pro 110 aluminum the black one, i really liked it a lot.

[@IntuitiveTennis]

Pioline?

[@MAELOB]

@@IntuitiveTennis I think his was the magnesium pro 90, probably last player to use metal racket. Jay Berger used the pro 110 a few years earlier

[@connorarmstrong1308]

This is a very useful video as I am a beginner and got a really good deal on a demo model pro staff 97l, I love the racket but I have had issues with chips and drops so the swing radius tip is really helpful.

[@bc9459]

I smiled when he described the problem with the RF97 on chipping serve returns - when the problem was his feet were totally out of position. And he’s a good player! That stick requires you to be in position and a fast swing speed.

[@danieltowers9328]

I play with the lighter version of Wilson Pro Staff v13 at 305g and 100 square inches and it plays beautifully for me. Then again, I do play with a one-handed backhand

[@AltairCrysis]

Specs of the cheap Walmart racket: As per 1:24. 112 sq inch head size, 274 g (9.7 oz) weight