New Bosworth vintage racquets in

[joe sch]

Originally Posted by sargeinaz

Wooooooooooooooooow I was at work when the white star's went on sale. I wouldve bought 2 of them. Im so annoyed. Ive been looking for one for a long time.

Same here

[treblings]

Originally Posted by TW Staff

We have some new Bosworth racquets in stock! Get them while they are here. Most racquets only have one or two in stock!

Bosworth Collection:
http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/BosRacquets.html

Brittany, TW

how can you tell, whether the prestige pro was played by Muster or not?
do you have any provenance?

[joe sch]

Originally Posted by treblings

how can you tell, whether the prestige pro was played by Muster or not?
do you have any provenance?

Good question.

In general, any player racket should have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) verifying the source/story. The Bosworth collection rackets often have tags identifying them to players but its not a published or explained type of identification. You could keep your TW receipt as part of the source verification and the TW description.

[treblings]

Originally Posted by joe sch

Good question.

In general, any player racket should have a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) verifying the source/story. The Bosworth collection rackets often have tags identifying them to players but its not a published or explained type of identification. You could keep your TW receipt as part of the source verification and the TW description.

if TW writes a letter of provenance, stating explicitly that Warren Bosworth has told them, that the racket was not only customized for but also actually played by TM, that might be good enough. an actual letter from Bosworth himself would definitely be better.

[TW Staff]

Originally Posted by treblings

if TW writes a letter of provenance, stating explicitly that Warren Bosworth has told them, that the racket was not only customized for but also actually played by TM, that might be good enough. an actual letter from Bosworth himself would definitely be better.

treblings,

The racquet came directly out of Warren Bosworth's warehouse to our warehouse. On the racquet, there are two stickers one showing it was hit by Muster and the other showing it came from Bosworth's collection. Unfortunately, Warren Bosworth has passed away so we would be unable to get a letter from him or be able to write a letter that he told us.

Brittany, TW

[treblings]

Originally Posted by TW Staff

treblings,

The racquet came directly out of Warren Bosworth's warehouse to our warehouse. On the racquet, there are two stickers one showing it was hit by Muster and the other showing it came from Bosworth's collection. Unfortunately, Warren Bosworth has passed away so we would be unable to get a letter from him or be able to write a letter that he told us.

Brittany, TW

Brittany,

thanks for answering.

[retrowagen]

Hi friends! I was very, very lucky last week and was able to purchase two of the Bosworth 1986 Kneissl White Star Pro Masters frames. I was thrilled – I have a personal connection to this model, having used them when new in tournaments in Europe and the USA. I was even able to get the pair in my grip size (3)!

They arrived yesterday. It’s interesting; they are both very well worn, showing lots of use. One of the frames has deep “court rash” down to the fiberglass, but only on one edge on one side, as though the pro who used this frame used it all season, and had the habit of playing with one certain side of the racquet “down” (as I do religiously), and scraped it on backhands only! The other shows far less head rash, but surface scrapes and reddish dirt (clay?). Both frames have quite a bit of lead tape affixed at 9, 12, and 3 o’clock positions, and on the shaft just above the grip. The grips are a nice Fairway leather grip, slightly unusual as 1986 was the first year Kneissl White Star Pro Masters featured the house-brand “Topstar” top grain cowhide grips in lieu of the Fairway grips which came standard on the model in 1983-1985. It’s quite possible that grips were swapped out by the Bosworth shop, but who really knows?

There are a couple primitive stickers on one of the frames (one’s just a few initials on a strip of cloth athletic tape!), but nothing I can see to signify who used them. With the grip size and weight, it must have been someone who had average or smaller hands, and was fairly strong. I recall Kevin Curren, Helena Sukova, and Jakob Hlasek using this model in 1986, but I can’t remember anyone else.

[joe sch]

Originally Posted by retrowagen

Hi friends! I was very, very lucky last week and was able to purchase two of the Bosworth 1986 Kneissl White Star Pro Masters frames. I was thrilled – I have a personal connection to this model, having used them when new in tournaments in Europe and the USA. I was even able to get the pair in my grip size (3)!

They arrived yesterday. It’s interesting; they are both very well worn, showing lots of use. One of the frames has deep “court rash” down to the fiberglass, but only on one edge on one side, as though the pro who used this frame used it all season, and had the habit of playing with one certain side of the racquet “down” (as I do religiously), and scraped it on backhands only! The other shows far less head rash, but surface scrapes and reddish dirt (clay?). Both frames have quite a bit of lead tape affixed at 9, 12, and 3 o’clock positions, and on the shaft just above the grip. The grips are a nice Fairway leather grip, slightly unusual as 1986 was the first year Kneissl White Star Pro Masters featured the house-brand “Topstar” top grain cowhide grips in lieu of the Fairway grips which came standard on the model in 1983-1985. It’s quite possible that grips were swapped out by the Bosworth shop, but who really knows?

There are a couple primitive stickers on one of the frames (one’s just a few initials on a strip of cloth athletic tape!), but nothing I can see to signify who used them. With the grip size and weight, it must have been someone who had average or smaller hands, and was fairly strong. I recall Kevin Curren, Helena Sukova, and Jakob Hlasek using this model in 1986, but I can’t remember anyone else.

Glad to hear you got a pair of those frames since your an actual player playing them and appreciating their superb old school flex and weight. Sorry to hear that one stick had significant court rash which was not described in the listing. Sounds like they were used by a SV'er who made lots of low digs on the BH side. I really enjoy my WSP strung with vintage natural gut as it is one of the most buttery playing rackets ever. If you decide to part with one, please let me know

[MAXXply]

Originally Posted by retrowagen

With the grip size and weight, it must have been someone who had average or smaller hands, and was fairly strong. I recall Kevin Curren, Helena Sukova, and Jakob Hlasek using this model in 1986, but I can’t remember anyone else.

How about Milan Srjeber? (sp?) or Pavel Slozil?

[retrowagen]

Originally Posted by MAXXply

How about Milan Srjeber? (sp?) or Pavel Slozil?

Srejber used the White Star Mid. Then the Masters 30.
I think Slozil was using the Aero 20 in 1986.

[vsbabolat]

Originally Posted by retrowagen

Hi friends! I was very, very lucky last week and was able to purchase two of the Bosworth 1986 Kneissl White Star Pro Masters frames. I was thrilled – I have a personal connection to this model, having used them when new in tournaments in Europe and the USA. I was even able to get the pair in my grip size (3)!

They arrived yesterday. It’s interesting; they are both very well worn, showing lots of use. One of the frames has deep “court rash” down to the fiberglass, but only on one edge on one side, as though the pro who used this frame used it all season, and had the habit of playing with one certain side of the racquet “down” (as I do religiously), and scraped it on backhands only! The other shows far less head rash, but surface scrapes and reddish dirt (clay?). Both frames have quite a bit of lead tape affixed at 9, 12, and 3 o’clock positions, and on the shaft just above the grip. The grips are a nice Fairway leather grip, slightly unusual as 1986 was the first year Kneissl White Star Pro Masters featured the house-brand “Topstar” top grain cowhide grips in lieu of the Fairway grips which came standard on the model in 1983-1985. It’s quite possible that grips were swapped out by the Bosworth shop, but who really knows?

There are a couple primitive stickers on one of the frames (one’s just a few initials on a strip of cloth athletic tape!), but nothing I can see to signify who used them. With the grip size and weight, it must have been someone who had average or smaller hands, and was fairly strong. I recall Kevin Curren, Helena Sukova, and Jakob Hlasek using this model in 1986, but I can’t remember anyone else.

I'm the same way with my racquets.

[retrowagen]

Originally Posted by vsbabolat

I'm the same way with my racquets.

Yes, within the first few weeks of learning the game, I noticed the racquet felt noticeably different, one side to the other – mostly a combination of the interface between butt cap and the bottom few wraps of leather grip. I’m pretty obsessive about my tennis gear, so much so that even in the juniors, I would get new racquets, remove the grips and butt caps, and refit them so they felt “right”: the old Kneissls had an engraved serial number on one side of the shaft just above the grip (Head racquets of the same era usually had a stamped number in the same general location), and a grip size sticker on both sides of the shaft. I’d remove the sticker from the side opposite the S/N, and designate that the “up” side. The grip and butt cap would be refitted so that the larger bunch would be on the fingertip side (away from the palm contact side). Thus the tactile feel of the serial number, sticker, and grip would indicate whether the racquet was up or down. All my racquets only had head rash on the “down” side, mostly from low backhands, with the occasional tic from a low forehand volley on the other edge. The “up” side halves of the hoops were pristine.

I thought it was weird until I read Ivan Lendl’s “Hitting Hot” book, where he admitted he did exactly the same thing. Later, I noticed John McEnroe, at the height of his ATP career, had his Max 200g’s leaded up asymmetrically, so that one side of the head (the “down” side) carried weight, whereas the other side did not. Same phenomenon…

FWIW, I also think the old Kneissl butt cap design (also used on the Adidas Lendl GTX frames), with top and bottom sides squared off and left and right sides arced (without corners), is the most hand-friendly butt cap design ever made - it fits the pocket between the heel of the palm and the lower muscle mass of the thumb perfectly. The fully oval Rossignol design of the 80’s is also quite nice, much better than eight pokey corners fighting with the meat of one’s hand.

It's little details like that which set apart those racquets when they were new, and helps make them unique from the rather homogenous designs of today.

[droliver]

Brittany,

Can we get some hints at what might be coming down the road from this Bosworth collection?

[galain]

retro - Jimbo also used to 'off weight' his Pro Staff asymmetrically.

What was Juan Aguilera swinging back in the day? Somewhere in the back of my head I had him also being a White Star user...

[TW Staff]

Just in time for the holidays we have some new Bosworth racquets for you! This installment features a wide assortment of wood and graphite sticks. Some notable brands include Kneissl, Slazenger, Mizuno and Wimbledon. Most of these racquets have very low quantities so get them before they are gone!

Happy Holidays,

Brittany

[joe sch]

There was one Kneissl White Star Master that was snatched by I hope a lucky vintage racket player. If not, may see for sale soon.

Happy Holidays back to TW and all the boarders !

[mad dog1]

thought about picking up the kneissl white star for a sec, then realized i need another racquet as much as i need a hole in my head.

[retrowagen]

Which version of Kneissl White Star Pro Masters was up for grabs this time? The one with the red shaft graphics, or the all white with red and blue strip just above the grip? Guess I missed 'em.

I did bag what appears to perhaps be some sticks from one of my favorite pros of the 80's, NCAA champ and 1986 Roland Garros finalist Mikael Pernfors. Or were they from Joakim Nyström?

[v-verb]

The Wimbledon Borons sold out

[mad dog1]

Originally Posted by retrowagen

Which version of Kneissl White Star Pro Masters was up for grabs this time? The one with the red shaft graphics, or the all white with red and blue strip just above the grip? Guess I missed 'em.

I did bag what appears to perhaps be some sticks from one of my favorite pros of the 80's, NCAA champ and 1986 Roland Garros finalist Mikael Pernfors. Or were they from Joakim Nyström?

this was the one.