Wilson Pro Staff X v14 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

The Wilson Pro Staff X v14 made an immediate impression on our playtesters from the baseline. Chris' history with the Pro Staff line dates back to the original Pro Staff 85 just over 30 years ago. For this playtest, he contrasted the Pro Staff X with the current line, saying, "Compared to the new Pro Staff 97, I found this X version to be more forgiving off the ground, and I also got the sense it had a bigger spin window. I felt like I could cut the ball at a more aggressive angle to generate spin without catching the frame and shanking my shots. I had fun exploring cross-court angles with this racquet, and I liked being able to get a topspin lob quickly up and over a net player to win the point. Unloading on forehands became another favorite thing to do with this racquet. I liked that the Pro Staff X felt fast, yet still came through contact nicely. I didn't have quite the precision on my backhand slice that I get with my Head Speed Pro or the 97 version of this racquet, but I was able to be consistent and hit with easy depth."

Because the Pro Staff RF97 has been Michelle's racquet of choice since its introduction, she was eager to try out a new model in the line. She said, "I am glad I got to playtest this 100-square-inch version of the Pro Staff next to its 97-square-inch counterpart. This Pro Staff X was an easier racquet to swing, which made for a delightfully fun playtest. The Pro Staff X v14 felt like the easy, breezy version of the Pro Staff. I was shocked to find out the specs were nearly identical. I had assumed the beam was going to be a bit thicker because I found it a little quicker to swing and easier to generate power with compared to the Pro Staff 97. What I loved was that the ease of use came with the same stability I expect from the Pro Staff line. The X v14 still had a nice amount of weight, so there was good mass coming through the ball. Honestly, this feels like a great entry racquet for getting into the Pro Staff family, or even an option for players who have been using the heavier RF97 and want an easier hitting experience without compromising any feel. Of course, when I transitioned back up in weight to the Pro Staff 97 and then the RF97, there was a noticeable difference in plow through, but that is to be expected."

"With the new Pro Staff X v14, it was totally love at first sight for me!" exclaimed Zsofi. "This is a great entry racquet into the Pro Staff line for those who are comfortable with a 315-gram unstrung weight. The precision and stability make it feel like a true Pro Staff, but this Pro Staff X comes with a nice amount of spin as well. It has easier access to spin than the previous generations of Pro Staffs I have hit with, so this was something I really enjoyed. The racquet provided me with just enough power, but not too much. I would say that to get the most out of the Pro Staff X I had to fully swing through the ball. I was rewarded with a lot of stability and shots that turned heads on the court."

Austin found the Pro Staff X to be stable from the baseline off both wings. He said, "The classic Pro Staff feel and flex are apparent in this updated package, and players familiar with the line will appreciate the heft. It is definitely not a typical 100-square-inch head size tweener racquet; it offers slightly lower power and spin levels but more plow through and control. It was easy to get the Pro Staff X v14 and myself into position, and the racquet felt solid against heavier groundstrokes. However, I did find it a bit difficult to generate the racquet head speed necessary to go from defense to offense."

Our playtesters in Europe were also impressed. Alex found that the Pro Staff X gave him a lot of control. He said, "I found more control than power with this racquet from the baseline. Additionally, the stability and precision were key features. My backhand slices stayed low and were difficult for my opponents to get back. However, I wasn't able to generate as much topspin as I wanted with this racquet. Overall, the Pro Staff X v14 is a good match for my game style because it gave me all the precision I needed to keep my shots inside the court and finish points aggressively."

Simon agreed with Alex. He added, "I really appreciated the control that this racquet provided and the plush feel at impact. I felt more confident with my groundstrokes and played more relaxed. The Pro Staff X v14 was also very stable, and I didn't have any issues returning heavier, harder hit groundstrokes. My favorite shot with the Pro Staff X was my backhand slice, which came off the racquet perfectly every time with a deep, low trajectory. I also really liked the maneuverability; it allowed me to increase my swing speed to gain solid levels of power and spin. Thanks to this, it was easier to target short, cross-court angles and put my opponent under pressure."

Volleys - Score: 85

As the playtesters transitioned to volleys, they were pleased with the stability and feel that the Pro Staff X v14 offered. The racquet exceeded Michelle's expectations up at net. She said, "Wilson didn't cut corners on this racquet. I assumed this is where the racquet might differ more from the 97 and RF97, but to my surprise, it was stable at the net. It held up no matter who I was hitting with or how hard they were hitting the ball, and there were no wobbles. I found it a little easier to get some pop off the stringbed, and it was easy to maneuver for sure. The Pro Staff X v14 allowed for some creativity at the net, whether it was big swinging volleys, short droppers or solid first volleys past the service line — no complaints here!"

Zsofi continued to gush over the racquet's playability. She said, "The stability I experienced on the baseline definitely translated into volleys! The Pro Staff X v14 felt extremely stable at net. Even against opponents who would hit a very heavy ball at me, the racquet did not get pushed around. I felt very connected to my volleys and had great confidence in my shots at the net."

"Incredible feel up at net!" added Alex. "The Pro Staff X gave me a lot of control, and it was easy to put the ball right where I wanted. I felt connected on every shot, even on very low volleys. I did find that I was able to be precise with overhead smashes and aggressive volleys, but I did not receive any extra power, so it would take an additional one to two volleys to finish the point."

Simon found himself approaching the net more often than usual with the Pro Staff X v14. He said, "I also benefitted from the stability and control provided by the Pro Staff X up at net. This is a racquet that I used a 'chip and charge' strategy with. I got to the net a lot more than usual, which by its properties naturally leads a player to this style of play."

The Pro Staff X v14 was an easy racquet for Chris to use at net. He said, "It felt like it had some player's racquet chops, but packaged in an easier-to-use frame geometry. Compared to my Speed Pro, which is also a 100-square-inch head size, the Pro Staff X v14 offered a crisper feel and a livelier response thanks to its Pro Staff lineage and more open string pattern. I lost some touch, but the open string pattern gave this racquet a forgiving feel and excellent access to spin when cutting under the ball for drop volleys."

Austin found the Pro Staff X v14 to be fast at net, but not as precise as his go-to Pro Staff 97. He said, "Given its traditional feel and head-light balance, the Pro Staff X v14 was right at home up at net. The hoop feels nicely crisp, and I didn't have much trouble responding quickly and fending off volleys. Since I am more familiar with the Pro Staff 97's string pattern and spacing, I did find myself losing a little bit of precision at times with the Pro Staff X, and those mistimed shots did tend to spray or launch on me."

Serves - Score: 80

The Wilson Pro Staff X v14 received some mixed reviews on serves, but for the most part our testers had a positive overall experience here. Serving with the Pro Staff X was Austin's favorite aspect of this playtest. He said, "I was confident placing first and second serves to either side, and I was able to achieve decent weight behind my shot. I did find myself having to really go 'up' toward the ball and actively focus on generating my own spin since the racquet doesn't offer me too much in this regard. However, this was not necessarily the worst compromise because it meant I was playing serves with a bit more margin as well. Leaning into the racquet's plow through, my favorite serves to hit were heavier first serves in the middle of the box or aimed at the body."

Chris appreciated how easy it was to start points with the Pro Staff X v14. He said, "I liked the spin and consistency I had on serves with the Pro Staff X. I never felt like I had to work hard with this racquet to get solid results on serves. My slice serve was working very well, and I was able to give the net plenty of clearance and still get the ball to dip inside the lines."

Michelle might have had a little too much fun when it came to serves. She described, "At the beginning of this playtest I took the Pro Staff X out just to hit serves. To my surprise, net clearance came all too easily. I felt like I couldn't miss a serve into the net. I had easy access to pace and spin and felt like it was an easy racquet to serve with. The slightly bigger stringbed and quicker-to-swing spec allowed me to ramp up my speed on serves. I would also say that spin and kick were easier to access. Similar to the Pro Staff 97 playtest, I prefer hitting bigger, flat serves with this family of racquets because it is so much fun!"

Like Michelle, clearance came very easy with this racquet for Zsofi. She continued, "I had a great amount of power for my flatter first serves, but I also felt like I could really make my kick serves pop up nicely. I have nothing negative to say about serves."

Arm fatigue started to creep in for Simon during match play. He explained, "On serve, I was surprised to find more spin than with the classic Pro Staff, which made my life easier on both slice and kick serves. On the other hand, the weight of the Pro Staff X v14 was limiting, and I found it quite demanding, especially during long games where the adjustment and acceleration of the racquet became more and more of a problem."

Alex was looking for easier access to pace and spin with the Pro Staff X v14. He said, "I was able to hit some good flat and slice serves with the Pro Staff X. Additionally, it allowed me to serve-and-volley with some success. However, it was a bit hard to get the ball to kick up on my second serve or to produce aces or service winners on my first serve."

Returns - Score: 82

The Pro Staff X v14 continued to make a statement on returns for our playtesters thanks to its stability and plow through. Zsofi was able to take her game to the next level on returns. She described, "One shot that tends to be a bit of a pain point for me is my backhand return. It can be tricky sometimes with my one-hander, but with the Pro Staff X, I felt stable enough to commit to those shots. Even on faster paced serves, I was able to step in, take the ball early and take control of the rallies, which made a big difference for my game. My confidence in my returns totally changed thanks to my trust in the Pro Staff X's stability."

Chris had a great time returning with the Pro Staff X v14. He said, "Another fun shot to hit with the Pro Staff X was the return. I liked the maneuverable feel of the racquet, combined with the fact that it still felt pretty solid at impact. As I did on my groundstrokes, I continued to explore how sharply I could hit my angles and how hard I could hit them and still make the shot. I liked the overall feel of the Pro Staff X v14; it was crisp yet comfortable, and I felt connected to my shots."

"While I might sound like a broken record, the Pro Staff X v14 was great when hitting returns," added Michelle. "It definitely swings faster than the RF97 and the Pro Staff 97, so angles were more accessible. But the flat, down-the-line return was widely available too! And because it was so maneuverable, I had fun attacking second serves when they were just hanging. I could get around a body serve and drill the forehand return. I found easy depth, and the Pro Staff X v14 was stable at contact. Pair that with the large sweetspot, and I was all set!"

On the other hand, Simon needed a small adjustment on returns during the playtest. He said, "I appreciated the racquet's stability when I was returning fast serves, because it allowed me to be very precise. However, on first serve returns, there were times I struggled to get the racquet around my body on first serve returns, and I had to put a little more effort into prepping early. On second serves, I was able to put a lot of pressure on my opponent by attacking the return, which let me start points from an offensive position."

While Alex wasn't able to hit winners off his returns, he still found success getting returns in. He said, "When I hit the ball perfectly in the sweetspot, my returns allowed me to control the point with a great advantage. I also found myself using a lot of backhand slices on returns to stay in a neutral position. While I was not able to produce returns with easy power, I could get the ball in consistently to start off the point."

Wrapping up the playtest, Austin found that returning serves with the Pro Staff X v14 felt good, but not great. He said, "I never got really pushed around when returning with this racquet, but I wasn't able to take as much advantage by hitting more attacking returns as I would have liked. I found a nice rhythm over time, turning my focus to rolling my returns back and simply getting the ball back in play, but generating racquet head speed from defensive positions remained challenging. For the returns I did catch nicely, though, the feedback and feel were just as crisp and solid as in any other dimension of the Pro Staff X."

Overall - Score: 82