By: Dennis Bray
(December 30, 2011) Let me start by saying that I’ve been playing with the Prince Diablo MP for about eight years now and have given up on trying to find an alternative. I’ve gone through demo after demo over the years and nothing quite feels the same.
You could say I like a stiffer feel as I also string my racquet with Kevlar for the mains and synthetic gut for the crosses at a comfortable 61 pounds. Never really being a huge fan of Wilson racquets, I was hoping for a change. To my surprise, that’s just what I got.
Wilson Pro Staff Six-One 95 BLX
Specifications:
Length: 27”
Head Size: 95 Sq. inches
Weight: 11 ounces unstrung
String Pattern: 16 x 19
Balance: 7 points HL
While I normally notice small, if any changes in Wilson racquets from year to year, it seemed the Wilson Pro Staff Six-One 95 BLX did have apparent improvements. I really noticed the newer technology in the handle of the racquet, AmpliFeel.
It gave me a better feel and when I made off-center contact, the racquet held its ground firmly. I really enjoyed the decreased vibration on the racquet as well. Whether it was the AmpliFeel technology in the grip or the frame itself, Wilson got it right with decreasing stress on the arm.
Ground Strokes:When playing from the back of the court, I was really impressed with the solid, stable feel. You might guess I really took advantage as it felt a lot like my Diablo MP. Shock absorption was above-average on minor miss-hits; again I must credit the improved grip.
The weight was perfectly balanced throughout the racquet and dealt with all types of pace very well.Spin was easy to come by on both sides of the ball. I felt like it was much easier to slice the ball rather than to put traditional topspin. However, if not struck directly in the sweet spot, I found my slice to fall short and lose pace as well.
This racquet does a great job of utilizing the sweet spot, but if I didn’t connect perfectly, I was a bit disappointed in how the frame reacted. With this racquet being 7 points head light, I found considerable maneuverability.
I was surprised at the flexibility of the racquet from the baseline because it did feel stiff as well. The power level seemed high when made with perfect contact, but again, if even slightly off the power level dropped considerably.
Volleys:
The weight of this racquet really solidified the net game. Upwards of 11.5 ounces strung, this frame provided excellent punch and depth on volleys. Again, the very head light balance kept maneuverability decent and I found it easy to direct shots one way or the other. I did find it tougher to hit drop volleys and short angles. Overall, this is a great racquet to have around the net.
Serves:
I was hoping for improved feel and power on my serve and I really felt like I received it. The 95 square inch head size left me minimal room for error, but with a few practice serves I quickly became accustomed.
Once comfortable, generating spin with the open string pattern was great, and fairly easy. While some might not like the stiffer feel on serves, I enjoy it and use it to my advantage. Spin and control are my most important things on a serve and this frame catered to that nicely.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, this racquet really performed and exceeded my initial expectations. It is an exceptional control racquet with plenty of pop to please the big hitters. Stability is top-notch and spin can be achieved easily as well. This is definitely a racquet for the more advanced player who has already established consistent ball-striking abilities.
The Wilson Pro Staff Six-One 95 BLX will really impress any new users and keep long-time Wilson fans satisfied. Advanced players should take advantage of the amazing stability and control, while mixing in power to assist. I’d definitely give this racquet a try again; it just might be the frame to sway me away from my Prince Diablo MP.
My views on the Wilson Pro Staff Six-One BLX 100
Specifications:
Length: 27.5”
Head Size: 100 Sq. inches
Weight: 10.1 ounces unstrung
String Pattern: 16 x 18
Balance: 3 points HL
I can see what Wilson was trying to do here as they extended the length, enlarged the head size, and dropped the weight considerably on this model. The sweet spot was bigger, and the low head light balance made this an option for players wanting more power than control.
Personally, I felt the weight did not properly correlate with the head size, making miss-hits and off center hits rattle the racquet too much. I will say from a power perspective I definitely received a lot more and worked far less to get shots deep in the court.
Overall, the 100 steps up in the power department, but decreases in the control and spin category. A little heavier weight might’ve swayed me in its direction, but for now I’d take the 95 out of the new Six-One models.