With rumours that Roger Federer is again going to change his racket with footage of him testing out new equipment, I thought I would take a look at his existing racket, the magic wand that has produced 20 Grand Slam titles.
Federer currently uses the Wilson Pro Staff RF 97.
The 97 stands for the head size of the racket which is 97 square inches. Federer use to play with a 90 inch racket for a long time but moved to redesign it with Wilson for the Australian Open 2014. The reason for the switch was the fact that in 2013 he failed for the first time since 2002 to actually reach a Grand Slam final. Of course the decision to change was not radical compared to the status quo as most players were already playing with rackets around 97/98 sqm. It was Federer who was lagging behind and the switch took so long because why fix what isn't broken?
The argument behind a bigger racket is more margin for error due to a bigger sweet spot when striking the ball and therefore more consistent power. It seems to have worked as since his switch Federer has won 3 Grand Slams even with his ageing and came so close at Wimbledon this year to winning yet another! (He should have won with 2 match points!)
Many online shops sell the RF 97. Including Wilson Directly, Tennis Warehouse and Tennis Point.
The most useful reviews on the racket come from Tennis Warehouse though Wilson's direct shop are the cheapest place to buy the racket from if you are a US customer as it goes for $179.00 there. The reviews at Tennis Warehouse are overwhelmingly positive. Many do state that the racket is heavier than previous Pro Staff versions so if you have a weak grip, forearm and your overall arm strength isn't up to scratch, you will need to strengthen all of these to get the most out of it.
The racket can be considered one to use for both intermediate and advance tennis players but it's not really designed for beginners, especially due to it's weight of 340g!
A comparison of the RF97 and other Pro Staff Versions:
An excellent video review by Tennis Warehouse of the racket can be found below:
Watch Federer Win his Last Grand Slam with the RF97
