By Robert Martin

(December 26, 2011) For better or worse, the days of a racquet staying in a manufacturer’s line for 10, 15, even 20 years, are largely gone. Outliers such as the Prince Original Graphite and the Volkl V1 Classic are still around for now, but today’s game has reached a point of constant evolution that has brought with it racquet life cycles as short as two years.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on how the manufacturer chooses to take advantage of the rapid progression of computer-aided research. For example, Roger Federer will have seemingly changed racquets four times since the start of 2004, but in actuality, the changes have been small, if at all.

Since the introduction and eventual phasing out of my personal favorite of Federer’s choices, the Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Tour 90, Wilson has brought a new version that featured some form of internal construction change, whether it be nCode, K-Factor, or BLX. With the newest version, the actual material composition of the frame remains unchanged.

So what exactly is different in the new version other than the name and the paint? This time it is something you can actually see, though you will have to take the grip off in order to do so.

If you do take the grip off, the normal tan colored foam pallet will look very different on the Pro Staff Six-One 90. The best way to describe it is that on the four main bevels, areas have been carved out of the traditional handle shape and then filled with graphite and basalt plates.

These pieces make up what Wilson calls their AmpliFeel technology, which is designed purely for more feel, as that is what most of the players answering their survey said they wanted in a racquet. The different material offers a distinctly different amount of vibration dampening to lessen the harsh feel that typically results from an off-center hit.

Since I have used the Hyper Pro Staff Tour 90 in the past, and subsequently tried each new version, I felt it only appropriate to test the “latest and greatest.” Since the material difference is so small between the two frames, I took the new frame along with the Six-One Tour BLX out to test, strung with my typical hybrid of Tecnifibre X-One Biphase 1.24mm and Yonex Poly Tour Pro 1.25mm, this time strung at 25/23kg.

Ground Strokes:
When it comes to baseline play, there are not many surprises to this frame. It is fairly stiff, so shots hit outside of the very small sweet spot will jar the frame a bit. The weight of the frame helps it to get through and absorbs a lot of the shock on the minor miss-hits.

The spin was surprisingly good off both the forehand and the slice backhand, but as with many Wilson frames, this one had the feeling of a dead upper hoop. What I mean by this is that any ball hit more than an inch or two above the center of the string bed fell short and lacked pace.

My return suffered a bit on the backhand side because I felt forced to slice most of the time, starting off the point in a neutral position rather than taking advantage. While all of these traits were pretty similar between both racquets, the newest version had a slightly different feel to it.

On off center hits, it was just slightly more muted, but on solid contact, it seemed to be slightly more powerful. While the extra power was a nice addition, it was not necessarily consistent and occasional shots would sail long.

Volleys:
The heavier weight, pushing 12.7 ounces strung with an overgrip, provides excellent stability and punch for volley exchanges, while the very head light balance allows it to remain maneuverable. One complaint I had was the firm flex did not provide the kind of feel I like at the net.

It is not excessively stiff, but it does not have the flex in the throat that I prefer for touch volleys and hitting sharp angles from inside the baseline. Even if I had some issues with hitting drop volleys, it was easily dealt with thanks to the directional control I could get on deep, punch shots.

Serves:
The reason I left all four of the Wilson racquets in my tennis history, the traditional Wilson head shape and my particular serve do not get along. From the time I started the game, I have always had the habit of hitting the serve about two-thirds of the way up the string bed.

While this is fine for some racquets, every Wilson I have used has had the problem of feeling dead in that area, dropping power quickly. It was not an issue on second serves as the spin generated on my kick serve was excellent, but it prevented me from using the first serve as a weapon.

This particular frame is no different than the very first version of the 90 square inch frame from Wilson in this respect. The power is adequate and the control and spin are excellent, but it holds me back.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, this is an excellent control racquet with some surprising pace at times. The stability is one of the best out there in stock form, and depth is easy to achieve when hitting in the sweet spot.

The stiffer flex and small sweet spot make it so that this frame is challenging to play with. It is definitely suited to advanced players who generate their own power and want a frame that prioritizes control and good ball-striking.

While the Wilson Pro Staff Six-One 90 BLX is sure to be popular among players of all levels thanks to Federer’s influence, it really starts to shine in the hands of the advanced. If you are in the market for this frame, do not expect it to give you any help if you are not on your A game.