In this article, I look at the racket specs of the Wilson Pro Staff 97 and Head Speed Pro to see how these two rackets compare to each other.
General Info
Below is some general information on the Head Speed Pro (or “HSP”) and Wilson Pro Staff 97 (or “PS 97”) tennis rackets including their brand, version, composition, and colors.
| General info | HSP | PS 97 |
|---|---|---|
| Brand: | Head | Wilson |
| Version: | 2022 | V14 |
| Composition: | Graphene 360+/Graphite | Graphite braided with aramid |
| Color(s): | Black and White | Black |
Racket Specs
Below is a comparison of the technical specifications of the Speed Pro and Pro Staff 97 tennis rackets.
Main Differences: The Speed Pro has a bigger head size (100in vs 97in), a less HL balance (6pts HL vs 7 pts HL), a more closed string pattern (18×20 vs 16×19), a slightly lighter strung weight (326g vs 332g), a heavier swing weight (326 vs 321), a lower frame stiffness rating (62 vs 66), and a thicker beam width (23mm vs 21.5mm).
| Racket Specs: | HSP | PS 97 | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head Size (sq cm) | 645 | 625 | 3.10% |
| Head Size (sq in) | 100 | 97 | 3.00% |
| Length (cm) | 68.58 | 68.58 | 0.00% |
| Length (in) | 27 | 27 | 0.00% |
| String Pattern | 18×20 | 16 x 19 | – |
| HL or HH1 | HL | HL | – |
| Strung Balance (cm) | 32.49 | 32 | 1.51% |
| Strung Balance (pts) | 6 | 7 | 16.67% |
| Strung Weight (grams) | 326 | 332 | 1.84% |
| Strung Weight (ounces) | 11.5 | 11.7 | 1.74% |
| Swing Weight | 326 | 332 | 1.84% |
| Unstrung Weight (grams) | 310 | 315 | 1.61% |
| Unstrung Weight (ounces) | 10.9 | 11.11 | 1.93% |
| Frame Stiffness | 62 | 66 | 6.45% |
| Beam Width (mm) | 23 | 21.5 | 6.98% |
1 Head Light or Head Heavy
Pros and Cons
Below are what I think are the main pros and cons of these two tennis rackets.
| Racket: | HSP | PS 97 |
|---|---|---|
| Pros: | Good stability, control, and feel | Offers tons of control, has decent maneuverability, and is a great racket to use on slices, volleys, and drop shots. |
| Cons: | A relatively heavy frame that beginner to intermediate players will struggle to play well with | A low-powered frame that is best suited to advanced tennis players |
Head to Head
Below are my recommendations in terms of which racket is better in terms of Power, Control, Spin, and Arm Friendliness.
| H2H | HSP | PS 97 |
|---|---|---|
| Power |  | – |
| Control | – |  |
| Spin | | – |
| Arm Friendliness | | – |
Player Recommendations
Below are my recommendations for recreational players at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
| Player Level | HSP | PS 97 |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner |  | |
| Intermediate | | |
| Advanced |  | |
Pro Player Endorsements
The Pro Staff 97 is currently endorsed by Grigor Dimitrov, Ons Jabeur, Petra Kvitova, Reilly Opelka, and Roberto Bautista Agut, while the Speed Pro is endorsed by Novak Djokovic and Fernando Verdasco.
Where can you buy these rackets?
The rackets are for sale in most good online tennis shops and through the Head and Wilson websites.