OT: tennis anyone?

[steelbikerider]

Used the Dunlop Maxply but still preferred The Kramer autograph, especially with gut strings(anyone else remember them). I liked the Stan Smith too but broke too many.

Went to Head AL racket after high school. Yes there was a AL vs. wood vs steel and later carbon debate.

[Louis]

Originally Posted by steelbikerider

Went to Head AL racket after high school. Yes there was a AL vs. wood vs steel and later carbon debate.

Composite rackets feel "dead." Steel is real!

[accordvsick]

Used to play in highschool, started hitting again now that my 9 year old is taking lessons. I have my original prince graphites (green and black) I still hit with. Some how I have accumulated 5 of them over the years ha.

Prince graphites with tournagrips were my go-to.

[Waldo62]

When people mention Wilson Pro Staff this is the racquet I think of.

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by Louis

Composite rackets feel "dead."

And they assplode all the time.

[osbk67]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

When people mention Wilson Pro Staff this is the racquet I think of.

Me too. The Pro Staff I bought from a collector in LA maybe 30 years ago and have kept it NOS. She kept the other one of the pair and had hundreds of rackets including many previously used by the greats.

The Autograph I bought at the same time and used from time to time for the next decade. Had I stayed with tennis I’d have saved a fortune since then…

Edit - dozens of JKPS rackets in good condition for well under USD100- each on eBay now for those seeking to recapture their youth...

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[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by Waldo62

When people mention Wilson Pro Staff this is the racquet I think of.

Misspent youth on the tennis court. Played in a $ tournament in Utica that Jimmy Conners won. Couldnt even get an autograph. Two huge bodygaurds swatted me away.

[veloduffer]

Originally Posted by wallymann

its winter...

so...after a 14 year hiatus, i dusted off my racquets and signed up for some group court-time with instructor feeding us balls in various drills. i searched the forum and didnt see any dedicated threads on tennis, but did see related threads and there are more than a few paceliners who play...veloduffer, spacemen, gooner, vt, dj...

who else plays?

and since we're all equipment geeks...here are my sticks...my tennis is a product of the early 80s...so i'm all about flexible, thin-beam, low-power racquets:

I play tennis 2-3x per week throughout the year. It consists mostly of 1.5 hr lessons with 3 or 4 similar level players (NRTP 4-4.5) doing a lot of hitting drills and games to improve consistency. It's a great workout that I can do after work at night. I play doubles about every other week with a group that has court time.

I took a 12-yr long hiatus after shoulder (rotator cuff) problems (plus getting hooked on golf) and started again after my son became interested. From an equipment point it was bewildering how many new brands and strings there were. Like many have posted, my early days were Jack Kramer Pro Staff and Donnay (Borg model) wooden racquets. I think my first composite was a Head Arthur Ashe that was fiberglass sandwiched between two aluminum layers.

My last racquet before the hiatus was the Wilson Pro Staff Classic 95 that Stefan Edberg used. I used a big grip, 4 5/8 and strung my racquets very high like 58-60 lbs; broke strings like crazy (Gamma Gut and regular gut).

After going through several racquets - Head Extreme Pro IG, Babolat Pure Drive, Babolat Pure Strike, Head Speed Pro and now Head Extreme Tour - I've gone from thick beam, stiff, high-power racquets strung high to thin beam, low flex, low power racquets strung at 45-47 lbs. Plus the head size is now from 100 sq to 98 sq. I don't need help with power and the new racquets are starting be thinner, more flexible have more feel. The string pattern is more dense in the middle to provide better control and consistency on the face (less launch, catapult outside sweet spot); also better for a slice backhand (I use a two hand BH most of the time) and flat shots.

Like carbon bikes, the new polyester strings can be found in all shapes and stiffness. Current favs are Luxilon Alu Power Rough and Head Velocity- good shaped strings (for more spin) and maintains tension well.

I'm learning to play platform/paddle, which is popular at my racquet club. No interest in pickle ball, though- too sedate.

[wallymann]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

Hmm, I think one of these was the last racket I played with and I still have it. I gather that they were made in more than a single factory? How can we tell which factory produced the racket in our hands?

st-vincent PS85 molds were different from taiwan/china...to identify st-vincents, just look at the ends of the channel around the outer perimeter of the head (where the strings are exposed)...the end of that channel will be squared-off for st-vincents and rounded for taiwanes/chinese production.

[veloduffer]

Wilson did bring back the old Pro Staff 6.0 85 used by Sampras, Courier and host of other pros. Sold here at TW - it's a limited run.

[vav]

Love love playing tennis. Played for the 1st time well into my 30s so never really played above the mediocre level
Like someone here mentioned, its hard to find the time and harder to find someone at your level.
I still have this Wilson beauty with me

[IMG]PXL_20230114_170011599.MP by VIAR VAPA, on Flickr[/IMG]

Going to be a while before a I can literally "get a grip" though. Nasty dominant hand, ring finger fracture. 2 months after I still can't wrap my fingers around my bike handlebars or racquets, etc

[IMG]PXL_20221128_173805491.MP by VIAR VAPA, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]PXL_20221201_192246265.MP by VIAR VAPA, on Flickr[/IMG]

[Saxon]

Originally Posted by vav

Going to be a while before a I can literally "get a grip" though. Nasty dominant hand, ring finger fracture. 2 months after I still can't wrap my fingers around my bike handlebars or racquets, etc

Ouch! That looks like it hurts! Heal quickly!

[tomato coupe]

Originally Posted by veloduffer

Wilson did bring back the old Pro Staff 6.0 85 used by Sampras, Courier and host of other pros. Sold here at TW - it's a limited run.

Funny side note on the TW page -- if it was on eBay, you would think it was a counterfeit:

This model is sourced in China . Please note there is a misprint on the frame for the head size in square inches (the misprint reads 635 sq in instead of 85 sq in).

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by wallymann

st-vincent PS85 molds were different from taiwan/china...to identify st-vincents, just look at the ends of the channel around the outer perimeter of the head (where the strings are exposed)...the end of that channel will be squared-off for st-vincents and rounded for taiwanes/chinese production.

Thanks for this info.

[Ken Robb]

I have a brand new Dunlop Max-Ply strung with nylon that I bought in Thirsk, England just around the corner from James Heriot's Veterinary Clinic. I bought it to admire the woodworker's skill required to make it.