Federer's latest masterpiece is a versatile all-court weapon
Initially designed for the twilight of his playing career, the RF 01 Pro underwent exhaustive testing and tweaking by Federer, bearing the mark of insights gleaned over one of the most remarkable careers in tennis history. Compared to his RF97 Autograph, the RF 01 Pro has a slightly more forgiving head size, along with a lighter weight and thicker, more aerodynamic beam construction. The upshot is a more explosive weapon, one that is better suited to the speed, spin, and pop of the modern game. This racquet's design is appropriately named SABR, a moniker that epitomizes Federer's attacking style. It includes a powerful carbon fiber layup with Braid FORTYFIVE technology to enhance both dwell time and pocketing while helping the racquet bend in ways that complement the vertical mechanics of the modern game (think spin). It also features foam throughout the racquet to deliver a more solid feel, coupled with a reinforced shaft and yoke for more torsional stability (think less racquet flopping on volleys). Ultimately, the RF 01 Pro is not only a great snapshot of Federer’s evolution; it's also hard to put down.
Specifications
| Head Size: 98 in² / 632.26 cm² | ||||
| Length: 27in / 68.58cm | ||||
| Strung Weight: 11.9oz / 337g | ||||
| Balance: 12.75in / 32.39cm / 6 pts HL | ||||
| Swingweight: 331 | ||||
| Stiffness: 67 | ||||
| Beam Width: 23.2mm / 23mm / 22mm | ||||
| Composition: Carbon +Carbon Braid | ||||
| Power Level: Low-Medium | ||||
| Stroke Style: Medium-Full | ||||
| Swing Speed: Medium-Fast | ||||
| Racquet Colors: Black | ||||
| Grip Type: Leather | ||||
String Pattern:
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| String Tension: 50-60 pounds |
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Customer Reviews
Wilson RF 01 ProIt is a nice frame for advanced players. I would not recommend this frame for beginner or intermediate players. The frame is slightly heavy but does have the mass to plow against hard hitters. My grip is 4 3/8, and I ordered this grip size and felt a tad smaller than my other racquets, Yonex VCore 95. The color looks good with excellent detail design. I must say, Wilson could have paid more attention to the paint type used for the racquet. The pain for this racquet is brittle and easily chips.
A point finisherThis racquet is not for everyone and to some it may feel a bit muted but when you hit the sweet spot it really makes you feel like Roger. The ability to finish points quickly and put the ball away really feels like you are slamming balls. Some times it does feel jarring and you may be shanking more or less I recommend to string it in the high 40's low 50's anything higher than 54 feels like a piece of wood.
Not heavy due to good balanceI believe this is the best racquet I've ever encountered. It has a perfect balance, and its stiffness is precisely 65, making it soft while still providing the right amount of firmness. As some others have mentioned, the strings should be set at least to 55 pounds. I am using ALU Power Rough at 58 pounds, and it offers plenty of power while delivering a smooth hit. Even if you miss the sweet spot, the racquet has enough torsional stability to ensure the ball still travels well. This feature is particularly beneficial for slice shots. It seems especially advantageous for players who use a one-handed backhand, like Federer, who is known for his one-handed backhand.
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Amazing Evolution of Federer racquetI started tennis a few decades ago. I tried to copy Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi as my role models in tennis until Roger Federer came to the scene. As soon as he won his Wimbledon trophy, I purchased his racquet (Pro Staff Six.One 90) then followed him whenever he changed racquet until RF97. After a while I gave up RF97 as it was heavy for over three sets. Moved away to many great racquets and my latest was Yonex Regna 98 which has superb feel. Just recently tried RF 01 Pro and after a couple of sessions ordered a couple as it brought my best memories from RF97. Of course it plays different from RF97, however being at the age of 63 I think the switch is a great one. I am amazed that so many people say it’s not good compared to the lighter version. If you have good mechanics and technique, RF 01 pro is absolutely perfect. I love it for every shot and I find that the frame is more comfortable than RF97. I highly recommend it for advanced players. You can play with top spin or flat. It’s really not the racquet but you and your technique. I actually prefer the RF 01 Pro on forehand and backhand to RF97. The only area that RF97 is superior is at the net and serves at the cost of less manageability. Also RF97 is great until you miss time a serve or high backhand volley that causes injury. Just be aware that RF 01 pro is string and tension sensitive depending on your game style. So give it time if you are serious. It will pay off
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Hits the targets but I prefer the RF 97One thing with this racquet is it begs for a softer string like a natural gut, hybrid, or possibly a softer poly. I usually prefer frames with around this stiffness rating but like my Babolat Pure Aero Tour, Luxilon just feels like too much at impact. Like one of the reviews this racquet has some issues outside the sweet spot. It reminds me of a Yonex in that if you get the sweet spot it is deadly. It is also a very easy stick to swing, but it demands some time on court to get used to the feel. With the right string set up it is a great racquet, for me it would just take too much time to adapt to this particular feel.
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The best purchase I madeI love it
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BEST RACQUETWhen I play tested this racquet, it felt like Federer gifted me with his skills. The racquet felt REALLY good on the forehand and backhand, one-handed or two-handed, doesn't matter, the feel was amazing. Serves are like rockets and second serves had really nice kick. I wouldn't recommend this racquet to anyone below a 4.0 however and even then the regular RF 01 model might be better. This racquet is incredible and I would rate it 10/10!
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Great racquetI have played with almost every edition of the Wilson Pro Staff for the past 30 years. I just started playing with the RF 01 Pro racquet a couple of weeks ago and it's a winner. The power off this racquet is tremendous. I am also able to hit with topspin and slice. It's probably too powerful of a racquet for a beginner, but anyone with an advanced game that hits a variety of shots and spins will love this stick. I would suggest stringing with a higher tension (I am at 60) as the racquet is plenty powerful enough where you don't need to go lower for additional power.
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It’s interesting but a pass from me.I played with it for a couple weeks and it was just sublime for a one handed backhand and volleys. I hit more of a loopy modern forehand and you might as well not even bother if that is your technique. The string pattern is more favorable to flat strokes. Serve was okay, but again the string pattern tends to dump more of them into the net. I would play with it if I could hit forehand’s with it, but you know it’s a pass if you find yourself running around balls to hit backhands. Lastly, it’s super brassy if you catch it outside the sweet spot. It’s worth a demo if you like players racquets, but there are just so many other better racquets on the market.
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Definitely should buy!So smooth and powerful!! If you like the heavy racquets, you should not miss this.
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Fantastic RacquetI was demoing a number of racquets to replace my heavy RF97A and Wilson released this. This one is great! I put 3.5 grams of lead tape at 3 and 9 o'clock and can't imagine a better racquet for my attacking 4.5 level game. My serves are off the charts amazing with this racquet. Great combo of pinpoint accuracy, power, and spin on all shots. Great stability for my one handed backhand (the lead tape helps), and my backhand slice especially is much improved. Very easy to swing compared to my old racquet, easy to generate racquet speed. Perfect!
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Easier than Pro Staff RF97Found it significantly easier to play with compared to the Pro Staff RF97. Unfortunately, I also found it to be stiffer than the Pro Staff and even with Babolat VS gut my elbow said no thanks. Great racquet for those with no elbow issues and in my opinion an improvement over the PS RF97A.
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For a specific playerRacquet has an astounding feel. I definitely reminisced about my RF97 because of its foam filled tech. Feel is excellent. However, it is a hard stick to control. It has immense power and I think it is good for players who are 3.0 - low end 4.0 level who need to refine their technique. It’s not a bad racquet, it’s just for a specific player with specific needs.
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Sits between Pro Staff v14 and Blade Pro 98My favorite Wilson racquets of late are (i) Pro Staff v14, (ii) Blade Pro 98 v9 16x19, and (iii) RF 01 Pro. I own all three. All three racquets have nice feel. The Pro Staff feels the most crisp. The Blade has the warmest feel. All three racquets have an appropriate amount of dampening. They offer a connected feel, but I don't need to use a dampener in the strings, even with a sharper poly string. My impression is that the RF 01 Pro sits between the other two racquets in the lineup. The Pro Staff is absolutely designed for more traditional strokes and a flatter ball response. The Blade Pro affords very nice spin. The RF 01 Pro offers more spin that a Pro Staff, but not as much at the Blade Pro. Power levels across all three frames are very similar. However, the Blade Pro has the largest sweet spot. The RF 01 Pro is very similar. The Pro Staff is the least forgiving. My suspicion is that the Pro Staff will be kept in the lineup out of tradition (it's their Porsche 911). However, the Pro Staff seems less and less relevant vs. these newer platforms.
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Not a Pro Staff, but that's a good thing!4.0 Player, eastern forehand, two-handed backhand
Was in a market for a new racquet. Coming from a decade old Aero Pro Drive with a strung weight of 333 grams. Strung with RPM Blast 16 gauge at 53 pounds. Needed something with more control and less pop. Surprisingly enjoyed the racquet balance of the RF Pro. Making it head light makes it easier to whip on serves and forehands. I strung this racquet at 53 pounds on the mains with Wilson Natural Gut 16 gauge and 50 pounds with Luxilon ALU Power Rough. Felt great with this setup, might bump up the tension to 55 and 52 but wasn't a major issue. Able to drive the ball when I want, or play a high spin defensive ball. Spin isn't nearly as good as the Aero since the string pattern is more dense on the RF Pro. But everything about my game is better, biggest improvement on serve, forehand, and volleys. Much less power, but a lot more precision! Now in comparison with the RF97 Pro Staff, it has a lot more pop in comparison. It doesn't have the same plow through as it's not as heavy. If you already have the Pro Staff, I wouldn't switch. I enjoy the RF97, but it is a bit too traditional for me. The RF Pro is a bit more plush, not by much. Also its much lighter. 340g strung is probably the most I can handle. If you're looking at a 98 square inch racquet, this is excellent.
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More mortal friendly RF stickFinally a tour version of Roger's stick that mortals can swing! But choose wisely as the stick is better suited to certain styles over others, i.e. better for flatter hitters. I'm 4.0 player with a topspin, western forehand and a flat two-handed backhand, and am currently using the Ezone 98 Tour. Comparatively, the first most noticeable feature of the RF stick is how much stiffer it is (Ezone is 64, RF is 67). If you like a stiff racquet, this one will give you that direct feedback off the ball and racquet. What you put in is what you'll get out. But as someone who's more used to a softer racquet, the feel at impact felt more jarring that I'd like. On my forehand, I felt like the RF racquet is better when I'm more linear with my stroke, and hitting with a closed stance. When I try to whip it with heavy topspin and go open-stanced, the launch angle was just not quite there, so the ball just hung in a strike zone for my opponents. Like it more on my flat backhand, where the two hands helped to absorb some of the stiffness, and I could feel my shots penetrate more through the court. However, the sweetspot is not huge. Compared to my Ezone Tour, the RF 98 face felt tiny. Off-center hits will result in noticeable drop in power and depth. Got more power on serve. Really favors a flat bomb serve. Easy to swing through on contact point. Okay on volleys, but I prefer a soft RA racquet for volleys to absorb more pace. Overall, not the racquet for me as I'm trending more towards the softer, flexible feel of the modern racquets, but it's a worth a demo if you hit flat and it has solid mass.
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It is not a Pro Staff, and that's okay4.5 former 5.0 college player here. My main racquets are the RF97 and the Roddick Pure Drive. If these two racquets had a love child, this would be the result. This feels like the most natural evolution to the Pro Staff and by extension the RF97. You need to be able to handle the weight, and if you can, you'll be able to use what this racquet has to offer. Compared to the RF97, you are indeed losing that insane stability and plow through that the racquet is known for, but in exchange for access to better spin and insane placement capabilities, which seem to open up more angles I didn't have the confidence to want to hit before. I have champions choice in both and feel like I'm able to place the ball on a dime and if I'm playing aggressive and am able to get deeper into the court, the angles and shots I'm able to make open up more so than I could with the RF97. Serves also saw marginal improvements and with the oval design and lighter swing weight, I found myself adding more kick to my kicks and more slice to my slices. Flat serves felt mostly unaffected but with the confidence in serving that this racquet afforded me, I found myself going more for broke on my second serves as well, with more pop and much more ambitious angles. This racquet is made for attacking but you must have great racquet head speed generation and fully developed strokes to make us of what it has to offer. It is definitely a pro stick and requires a little more effort in terms of stroke quality than the "autopiloting" you could have with the RF97 for those that were able to handle it. 4.5s and above will have a great time with what this racquet has to offer.
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RF 01First, this is not a modified Pro Staff, this is a new frame. The RF 01 has a lot of different characteristics. If you are a 5.0+ player it is an interesting racquet to play with. It is a take on a traditional players racquet combined with what a modern players racquet might be. If you play with the PS/RF or the PS this RF 01 has a much different over-all feel. The most noticeable is the micro string pattern in the middle of the string bed. PS's have a spin friendly string pattern in the middle and have a little more range in the sweet spot area. The RF 01, if you are not decisive on what you are doing with the ball you pay the price instantly with an error. If you prefer a little more comfortable spin capable players frame, stick with the PS or Blade. If you're looking to hit through the strike zone more and flatten shots out comfortably the RF 01 has the capabilities. As a 5.0+ player you can obviously create spin with the RF 01 and obviously hit flatter balls with the PS or PS/RF due to your skill level, it is more of a question of what you want more of out of with your players frame as a baseline/primary characteristic.
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Great modern player frame with some issuesWhat hasn’t been said yet? This is a very fun solid racquet, but there are a few things that need some tweaking. Most of my thoughts are in comparison to the RF97. I mainly use the red/black version. It must be the string pattern that’s making the string bed have very distinct zones. I would love a more classic Pro Staff string pattern and see what that does. Sweet spot is very sweet, it’s high in the hoop, but very small. I personally feel like it’s smaller than the RF97. The drop in 3 and 9 o'clock stability is very noticeable (is that twistweight?). On my forehand I noticed towards 3 o'clock off center it twists open and launches the ball. If you hit at the bottom and it twists a little, closing the face and it’s not as severe but drop in power is noticeable. If you hit low center towards throat it lacks control, but can easily be compensated but adding more topspin. You cannot hit late! The RF97 is more forgiving in that regard. I could use the stability to push the ball with direction accurately if caught late. Not with the RF01 Pro. Flat shots are no longer an option. This thing needs spin imparted on the ball. I think I can hit some fantastic high heavy balls and short angle balls. But I can’t hit through the court like with the RF97.
The slice backhand shocked me. This might be the best slicing racquet I have ever tried. I have a fairly weak topspin backhand. This racquet really helps me hide that. I really could do anything with my slice and crosscourt topspin was fantastic. The lighter weight (compared to the RF97) but with a healthy swing weight really made this a fantastic racquet for one handers. It’s really really weird that I feel more solid off my backhand side than forehand. I think I’m just used to punishing anything on my forehand and now I feel like I have to play safer. Volleys were great. Better than the RF97 because of the improved maneuverability. I was sticking volleys with ease. Second serves are great. I felt confident to go bigger because the spin was there. Slice and kick. Flatter serves were nowhere near the RF97. It’s the biggest factor of why I think the RF97 is better right now. Both racquets require aggressive play. I feel like the RF97 gives you more for the effort. The RF97's extra stability really allows for taking the ball very early and aggressively almost any ball (on my forehand). With the RF01 Pro I feel like I need to step back and hit heavy and try to produce a short ball. I’m going to have to work on more overheads because I’m not hitting clean winners like the RF97; opponent is sticking a racquet on those balls more.
It looks gorgeous. But the paint chips very easy. I have 5 little spots on the hoop where the white primer is showing. They need to fix that. To sum up. This racquet is for an advanced aggressive all court player who’s looking to work the point with lots of topspin to find angles, and beating their opponents with positioning. I can’t rush the opponent as much as the RF97, but I can still force errors with heavy spin and angles. It minimizes my weaknesses but tempers my strengths. And fix that paint, Wilson.
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Great playability with an interesting design!I was very surprised when I started hitting with this racquet. Compared to the previous racquets Federer has endorsed, this one has the most pop by far. The power comes much easier than the PS 90 or RF97. The feel was very nice, and I felt that it was easier to whip the racket through the ball, especially when I tried to hit the angle shots. Overall, it's a very versatile racquet that can suit multiple play-styles. The black/silver cosmetic is one of the coolest that Wilson has released, but I am not in love with the frame design (It looks like a cross between the Pro Staff and Clash, or something like that). I wish the new RF racquet was made a part of the Pro Staff or Blade series. I would forgive them for making a new line if they brought back the box-frame design they used to use for the Pro Staffs.
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Nice racquet, not really a Pro StaffI'm currently 4.5 USTA (Used to be 5.0 a long time ago) and have been using Pro Staff for decades. Although this is not a Pro Staff, it is definitely a good racquet. It's stable, maneuverable (yet not head-light enough for my taste), somewhat spinny and powerful. Great for slices and volleys. I liked it with my two handed backhand and forehands were pretty good. Nice and low and with enough spin. Sometimes the ball flew on me, but I'm sure that's more because of me not being in position fast enough. I was not a fan of the serves though, due to it not being maneuverable enough. I started feeling soreness in my shoulder after a bit. I compare this racquet to the Ezone 98 Tour. If you hit on the flatter side, this racquet to me feels way better than the Ezone, but it is definitely less forgiving. The racquet was strung with ALU Power at 53 pounds and completely stock. It weighted around 349.5 grams strung, with a grip and Luxilon dampener.
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Very nice feel and control/ predictabilityMy initial impressions of this frame were dampened a bit by expectations on swingweight specs. In the end, after measuring four frames, I found that all of the racquets were:
- very consistent with one another (weight, swingweight, balance, twistweight)
- all close to TW's published specs for weight and balance
- all lower than TW's specs for swing weight. With 17 gram Solinco Confidential (which is a little thinner and likely lighter than TWs stock string), the four sticks I looked at came closer to 323-325 SW when strung.
My favorite SW is in the 328-330 range... so I was hoping to not need to modify these, but so be it. The TW tungsten tape looks good on these. I'll modify this guy later tonight.
OK, tennis nerd stuff aside, how does it play?
It plays beautifully. It has an exceptionally solid feel and is very predictable. When I say solid, I mean that:
- it plows through the ball nicely and is stable on slightly off-center shots
- even with 'pingy' poly, it does not need a dampener, the frame has some dampening in it... there must be foam in there somewhere
- it's extremely comfortable... no jarring sensations... it's highly satisfying
As for the predictable nature of things, it offers ample spin, but is not exaggerated in any way. A freakishly high percentage of balls will land in. It's quite easy to shape serves, for example. I tend to hit a heavier trajectory on groundstrokes. This does that nicely.
My favorite shots with this racquet are:
- One-handed, top spin backhand -- so easy -- so smooth
- All slice groundstrokes
- Spin serves... either spin or slice
The racquet has a great look and feel (good paint). It's quite nice. Unlike a Pure Aero, VCore, or Radical, this is not the racquet for you if you're craving attention. This is a subtle, classy beauty... more of a Princess Kate.
Where I'm left a little wanting are:
- Power on flat serves... this racquet has no extra help for pure pace... need to use spin, placement, and variety
- Just a dash more spin... we're not talking full Pure Aero or VCore spin... but more. I think they spaced the centermost strings just a smidge too close together.
Like many things, there are tradeoffs. This is a great racquet. It will do well.
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Amazing racquetAmazing racquet from the GOAT. Easier to swing than my RF 97A. Serves are better volleys are crisp and a faster swing generation on ground strokes. No more sore shoulder after long sessions. Plow through is excellent if shots are hit correctly there not coming back.
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Good but Personal PreferencesThe Wilson RF 01 Pro is a really good racquet for sure, but the balance is not to my liking personally. To me, this racquet performs the same as the regular RF 01-- and even with the added weight I can apply the same amount of plow through just fine. However, I find myself having a higher margin of error with the Pro if I hit off-center. In my opinion, I would prefer the regular RF 01 since they perform the same but easier. Furthermore, there’s much more room to change up the specs on the RF 01 versus the RF 01 Pro. In my case for example, I felt the Pro was at a good weight but 6 pts HL is not enough, so I’d adjust the RF 01 to the same weight but at 8 pts HL with leather grip instead to fix those high margin of errors. So, if you like the feel of this frame but also find the specs unfit to your liking, try playing around with the regular RF 01. However, if you find yourself pushing heavier than 12oz, then sure look into this one as I personally think these frames can handle heavier! Or, if you love collecting Roger Federer gear then this is absolutely a must!
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