Breakdown

Groundstrokes: 8.3

Created with Federer's guidance, to offer players quick handling and controllable power, our playtesters found the RF 01 to be fast and easy to maneuver. Chris began the review by saying, "I found the RF 01 to be a very versatile racquet that allowed me to shape the ball and work angles. It was missing some of the plow through power of the RF 01 Pro, but it was very easy to move my opponent around the court. I found my shots sitting up a little bit when hitting on our slow indoor TW court, and my opponents were attacking my shots. When playing on faster outdoor courts, I was able to get the ball through the court more and push opponents into a defensive position. I would likely customize this racquet to split the difference, adding weight to get a little more mass-based power without taking away too much of the fast feel. I really enjoyed the spin I was getting on my shots. I was able to get lots of topspin to help me find good angles and pull my opponent off court. On my slice, I liked the grip and control I had on the ball. The feel at contact definitely had some classic Wilson quality to it. The impact felt crisp and clean, and I felt very connected to where my shots were going."

Jason could tell right away that this was a very fast swinging racquet. He said, “I was hitting a lot of topspin on my forehands due to the easy maneuverability and the open string pattern. I also thought the racquet helped me hit with pretty good depth, but that was both a positive and a negative. There were times when I would swing out to try to put the ball away and I'd feel like I was floating the ball long. However, it was easy to hit nice angled groundstrokes to pull my opponents off the court." 

Our testers in Europe hit upon a few more standout features. Alex said, "The stability and precision of the RF 01 gave me a lot of confidence when I decided to come to the net to finish a point. My spin shots, both slice and topspin, were more difficult for my opponent to control."

Benji found the perfect balance between power and control. He added, "I felt like I could play faster and faster during the rally while staying close to my baseline. The RF 01 is maneuverable, which made it easer to generate spin. I also thought it had good accuracy. Otherwise, I found the racquet quite stiff."

Rounding out the feedback off the baseline was our tester in Australia, James. He said, "Groundstrokes felt monstrous when I was able to time the shot and middle the ball. When I found that sweetspot the RF 01 felt very control-oriented, but with extra juice compared to traditional control racquets. I felt a slight drop off in power when I wasn't fully accelerating through the contact point. It felt like this racquet was most rewarding on groundstrokes when I was really going for my shots."

Volleys: 8.1

The speed of the RF 01 at the baseline was present at the net as well. Our playtesters found it to be maneuverable and fairly stable, which gave them the confidence they needed to finish points with volleys. Jason said, "I could get this racquet into position without much lag or delay, which made it great for reflex volleys and overheads. I noticed some instability on off-center shots, so that was the one downside for me here. I felt pretty connected to my shots and was able to gauge my drop shots and drop volleys well."

"I felt that my volleys were much more precise," added Alex. "The stability of the RF 01 made it easier for me to finish points."

James had no complaints here. He said, "Volleys felt great. I received lots of feedback from the racquet, and I had good directional control. Since the RF 01 is lighter than what I’m used to, it felt very quick and agile at the net. I liked the maneuverability a lot, and it was still able to maintain a high level of stability for its weight class."

Chris found the RF 01 forgiving and easy to use at the net. He said, "I liked how fast this racquet felt in my hands. Again, the crisp response had me feeling very connected to where my shots were going. I had ample feel to help me find my drop volleys and angles. I also found enough zip off the racquet face to help me punch my volleys deep and away. The RF 01 was a fun racquet to use in doubles play since I could react quickly with it while also having excellent control over my volleys."

Serves: 7.9

Our team agreed that the RF 01 offered great access to spin on serves. James thought the racquet shone brightest on kick serves. He described, "When I was really looking to get good shape on my serve, this racquet helped! I loved the accuracy, and I also found an adequate amount of power."

Jason also served really well with the RF 01. He said, "I don't think I was hitting any bigger than normal, but the spin, and more importantly the consistency, are what really won me over here. It's always a good day at the office when I'm not double faulting as much as usual!"

For Chris, spin was more impressive than outright pace when serving with the RF 01. He said, "I hit this RF 01 side by side with the Pro version, and this racquet simply couldn't match the plow through power of the Pro. With that said, I had decent pace, and I was finding my targets. The amount of spin I was getting helped me serve consistently, as I could give the net plenty of clearance and still get the ball to drop inside the box. My slice serve was cutting nicely, and I liked the amount of movement I was getting on the ball."

Overall, Benji liked serving with this racquet, especially on first serves. He said, "I had a better percentage of first serve than usual. It was a good first shot to start the rally and drive the point."

With the RF 01 in his hands, Alex was able to hit good flat and slice serves to get keep his opponents from going on the offensive. He said, "I found a lot of security on second serves because of the access to spin, which allowed me to get into the point without being attacked."

Returns: 8.2

Again, the speed of the RF 01 was a standout feature when returning serves, but there was also plenty of power, which left some of our team craving a bit more control. Alex explained, "I found so much power on my returns! When I was hitting the ball perfectly on the center of the racquet, my returns allowed me to control the point with a good advantage. On my opponent's powerful serves, I used my slice backhand to give myself time to get into the point in a more controlled way."

For James, finding the center of the stringbed was key. He said, "Returns would fly a bit on off-center shots, but as mentioned earlier, my returns had the ultimate combination of power and control when I was able to time the ball well and really middle it on a full swing."

"The fast feel of the RF 01 made it a fun racquet on returns," added Chris. "I was able to step in, take returns early and hit aggressively. I liked the spin I was able to impart on the ball. The spin combined with the precise feel to provide tons of control."

The RF 01's stable response helped Benji start points on the right foot. He said, "Again, thanks to the stability I felt super confident to start the point and be aggressive on the return. I never hit a neutral shot on my return and felt very aggressive when hitting my targets on the court."

Jason noted the nimbleness and mobility of the RF 01, which made it an asset on his returns. He said, "I liked that I was able to take full cuts at the ball, even against bigger servers and occasional first serves. When blocking a return back was my only option, I was left wanting a bit more mass to help me get better depth and overall frame stability."

Breakdown Summary