Wilson Pro Staff Six One 100 v13 Racket Review

Wilson has really tried to modernise the Pro Staff line of rackets with its 13th iteration of its most famous racket model. The Wilson Pro Staff has always been a racket aimed at old school players that like to play an all court brand of tennis.

So, rather than just crunching balls from the baseline, typical users of the Pro Staff will tend to like transitioning into the net, playing slice and drop shots as well as making the most of the incredible feel.

The traditional spec of Pro Staff rackets tend to be on the heavier side in terms of static weight, but they tend to be more head light in their balance to make them more manoeuvrable around the net.

This, combined with the high degree of torsional stiffness, smaller head size and thin beams make them great for control, precision and feel.

However, the downside of this is that they can actually lead to arm issues with some players, due to their low powered and stiff nature. In addition, they generally don’t have huge sweet spots, and therefore aren’t the most accessible rackets out there.

This means they require great timing and sound technique to get the best out of them. Miss time or miss hit a shot with a Pro Staff and you’ll definitely know about it!

However, Wilson has brought the Pro Staff right up to date with the Six One 100, as the specifications and technology they’ve used soften the racket a little and make it into a fantastic all rounder.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Wilson has not strayed far from their control oriented roots with this racket.

You can still expect a crisp response and that familiar low powered, direct and communicative feel from it. But, with the slightly larger head size, thicker beam and more rounded construction, it is just about forgiving enough to make it a lot more usable for a wider audience.

You’ll get a little more in the way of easy power with this version of the Pro Staff, which will be a welcome relief for players that enjoy the precision and control but perhaps lack the strength and technical ability to hit the sweet spot every time.

This makes the Pro Staff Six One 100 a fantastic all rounder which is perfect for the improving beginner or intermediate player that wants a more precision focussed, midplus racket.

Where the Babolat Pure Drive offers fantastic power for baseline ball crushers, and the Pure Aero is the ultimate spin machine, the Six One 100 fills the gap in that all rounder, accessible category for a racket with more control and a classic feel.

From the baseline, the racket plows through the ball with plenty of authority, but is still manoeuvrable enough to encourage an all-court game.

When you step on the court with this racket you can immediately feel that it’s a ‘goldilocks’ racket that has plenty of easy power and forgiveness, without sacrificing much of that classic feel or control that Pro Staff lovers crave.

A common issue that so many beginner to intermediate players have is lacking power or consistency on their backhand. It is a tricky shot to master at the best of times, but when playing with a racket that isn’t giving you much help to begin with, it can be a real point of frustration for the recreational tennis player.

The Wilson Pro Staff Six One 100 is very easy to swing and encourages you to hit through the ball with plenty of spin and power. This is also helped by its naturally control oriented specs, which reward aggressive hitters.

I found the racket gave a lot more easy power thanks to the larger sweet spot, whilst the Braid 45 construction and Perimeter Weight System give you that familiar old school feel.

The Six One 100 is also surprisingly stable for this type of racket, but still remains whippy and feelsome.

Given this racket is a great all rounder, the only reason it doesn’t score any higher is that it doesn’t really stand out in any particular area.

It is a blank canvas for customisation so you can definitely make it your own with added weight or by changing the grip.

Hitting crisp volleys is often synonymous with the Wilson Pro Staff. This is something that you can definitely do with the Pro Staff Six One 100 despite the larger head size and thicker beam.

This would generally reduce the feel and precision as a result of adding more power and forgiveness, but you really don’t lose much in the way of control or feel with this racket.

Compared to the stiffer and smaller headed versions of the Pro Staff, there is of course a little less stability. However, it would only really be noticeable to players that are used to playing with the much heavier, performance focussed rackets.

This version of the Pro Staff is much easier to swing thanks to its moderate swing weight. The open string pattern and larger sweet spot mean you can punch through your volleys with a lot of confidence and trust they will stay nice and low, adding weight to the ball.

This will be a reassuringly forgiving racket for players that want to play that all court, net focussed game but perhaps lack a bit of confidence with their volley technique.

Again, another area in which the Pro Staff Six One 100 puts in a solid performance is on serve.

The 100 sq in head size and thicker beam offer just enough extra power to make the racket more user friendly than the standard 97 sq in versions of the Pro Staff.

However, thanks to its classic construction and old school feel, you can still place the ball exactly where you want it with pin point accuracy and confidence, time after time.

The open string pattern helps generate plenty of spin too, so you get a nice combination of kick and pace on second serves.

The fact that the racket is only 305g makes it easy to swing above your head without getting tired.

This is a real benefit for players that want that classic Pro Staff feel but are maybe a bit intimidated by the added weight that these rackets usually carry.

You get a refreshing amount of pop from the racket which just brings it into that beginner to intermediate player’s wheelhouse.

To hit returns with, the Wilson Pro Staff Six One 100 is a very pleasant racket of choice.

Not only do you get a nice high launch angle from the racket thanks to its open string pattern, giving you plenty of margin for error, but you also gain plenty of easy power so you can redirect the ball with interest.

This makes it a jack of all trades that can punch above its weight and stands up to fast first serves with ease.

You do lack a little bit of precision when chipping the ball when compared to the heavier, more control focussed versions of the Pro Staff, but not so much that you can’t dial in and find your range.

The reduced weight and larger head size make it very easy to generate plenty of power when you need it, particularly when looking to step inside the court and take a second serve early.

Overall, the Wilson Pro Staff Six One 100 is practically the definition of an all rounder.

It is a fantastic midplus racket that ticks a range of boxes, making it a great choice for the beginner who is looking to improve their game.

The racket will also be well suited to an intermediate player that wants a bit of a blank canvas for customisation.

The slightly larger head size, reduced weight and thicker beam make the Six One 100 more accessible to a wider audience, which is something that fans of the Pro Staff line of rackets have been calling out for for years!