Wilson "S" racquets

[Rob ITST]

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned here before, but has anyone tried the Wilson Steam 99S or Steam 105S?

They have a unique string pattern - 16x15, which means they are the first racquets to have more mains than crosses. The pattern is meant to amplify the effect of poly strings, adding about 10% more spin. These racquets have been around since about March. These have been the "hot" racquets this season, but are definitely not for everyone - some at Wilson will even admit that they are not well suited for advanced players.

Last night I spent about 3 hours hitting with a new "S" racquet, due to be released in September. It's called the Blade 98S. This one has an 18x16 string pattern, so it feels much more like a traditional racquet - I play with the Blade 98 16x19, so I was quite anxious to try this one.

I have to say, imo, this is a much better racquet than the Steam "S" racquets. Much better feel and control, but still definitely upping the spin potential. If you've ever hit with the regular Blade 98 16x19, this one felt more flexible, and is about 0.4 ounces lighter. I didn't care for the lighter weight at all, but that can be fixed easily with some lead tape. I'm not sure if I liked the extra flex or not - I strung these for my Wilson sales rep, and was asked to not use my usual 49/46 pound tensions, so that affected my feel a little bit.

I also strung these up with a soon-to-be-released string called RipSpin - Wilson's answer to the RPM Blast, but at a much better price. It definitely felt a lot like RPM (I've used gut/RPM for the better part of the last 2 years), but slightly softer. I strung one of them at 58lbs with full RipSpin, the other at 60lbs with gut/RipSpin.

[Vieira151]

'Sup, Rob!

Quick question.

I've been using the Wilson ProStaff Six.One 95 for the past two years or so. Been stringing it with RPM Blasts at around 53lbs, and I've really liked the feel I've getting from it. I have a question. I'm looking to get a 2nd racquet, and I was wondering if it was worth getting the new ProStaff 95S. I was thinking of getting it strung with RPM Blasts straight from the factory, though I'm unsure what tension I should string it at. My intention was to try the Ashaway MonoGut ZX in the future as well, and if that doesn't work out then I'd just be returing to the RPMs.

Should I just buy one of the older 95s, since I am comfortable with the racquet, or would it be worth upgrading to the new 95S, and if so what would you recommend with regards to stringing?

[Rob ITST]

The new "S" models are quite a bit different from the standard models. The ball comes off the racquet at a different trajectory - basically, higher and with more arc. Some people have trouble controlling volley and flat shots with them. The spin they generate is impressive, especially the ones with the 16x15 patterns. The models with the 18x16 patterns are a good mix of the new technology and traditional string patterns. I use the Blade 98S - 98 square inches with an 18x16 pattern. A lot of my customers are liking the Six.One 95S - it's basically a lighter version of the old 6.1 Classic, with the string pattern turned 90 degrees - instead of 16x18, it's 18x16.

Prince has an entire line of a similar technology, called "ESP" - Extreme String Pattern. The difference is that supposedly Wilson is filing for a patent on having fewer cross strings than main strings - so Prince just has fewer crosses and fewer strings overall. 16x16 patterns and 14x16 patterns. Prince claims it's not important to have fewer crosses than mains, and Wilson claims it is.

I'm not 100% certain Wilson is right, but the old "spaghetti" string pattern had fewer crosses, and there are currently two ATP players using 18x17 string patterns - Dimitrov and Dolgopolov.

I'd definitely demo one before you buy.

[Vieira151]

A lot of my customers are liking the Six.One 95S - it's basically a lighter version of the old 6.1 Classic, with the string pattern turned 90 degrees - instead of 16x18, it's 18x16.

I'd definitely demo one before you buy.

When you say Six.One 95S, do you mean this or this? Purely because I'd be wanting the Pro-Staff version, since I'm a huge fan of the flat beam on it (and also the 90).

[Rob ITST]

The ProStaff is not a Six.One anymore. It's just called the ProStaff.

[Vieira151]

Yeah, I realised. It's confusing and a pain in the butt. It was the Pro Staff I got, though. Not had a chance to try it yet, though I'll be looking forward to wednesday when I can.


Or I won't be looking forward to it. My fitness has deteriorated to horrendous levels over the past year and a bit.