What did people used back in the 80s?

[THESEXPISTOL]

Now we got all this poly rave, but in the 80s polys were bad and unpopular. What did those who could not afford natural gut used back then?

Synthetic gut and kevlar/syngut hybrid for stringbreakers?

[monkey-ranch]

Synth gut or nylon strings were the most popular. I dont know if poly existed that time.

[db10s]

I think poly arrived in the mid to late 90s.
Nylon strings were used back then, if gut wasn't available...

[J011yroger]

Almost everyone used PSG, and the stringbreakers and top club players used Problend.

Gamma got big in the 90s.

J

[Bhagi Katbamna]

I used leonia 66. Most people just used synthetic gut. People also used Gamma gut(the synthetic one).

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by db10s

I think poly arrived in the mid to late 90s.
Nylon strings were used back then, if gut wasn't available...

Polys came around late 90s/early 00s. But those 1st gen polys were unplayable.

[oldschoolrules]

From the early 80's I remember seeing mostly stuff like the Leona 66 mentioned earlier and Victor Imperial (the one that had the blue spiral) being used the most often - both were widely distributed and inexpensive compared to VS or Victor's natural gut. By the mid 80's, Prince's original synthetic gut and "topspin" were very popular, along with (a little later) their "pro blend" that featured the kevlar mains. Was stringing for a shop by then and sold a lot of Gamma, too - mostly the new-at-the-time TNT - but also the different versions of "gamma gut" which were all good performers. Can't remember some of the specific brand/model names right now, but there were also a number of heavily textured sets by the late 80's that were popular with the kids and a pain (literally) to string. One had this extra single strand of material wrapped around it - for enhanced "bite" - that would just tear your fingertips up doing crosses!

[J011yroger]

Gamma TNT was the hot string when I was in my teens. I used Prince DNA Helix when it came out after years of Prince Syn Gut.

Never hit big enough as a kid to justify ProBlend.

J

[mctennis]

Originally Posted by Bhagi Katbamna

I used leonia 66. Most people just used synthetic gut. People also used Gamma gut(the synthetic one).

They still make the Leonia 66. Plus when you read the reviews they still say great things about it. I may try some for the heck of it.

[dennis10is]

cheap nylon reel, one dollar per racket.

[gameboy]

Mainly PSG for me since they were like $4 or $5 per pack. I also used Gamma Gut of all flavors (including spaghetti strings) back then.

[Say Chi Sin Lo]

Originally Posted by gameboy

Mainly PSG for me since they were like $4 or $5 per pack. I also used Gamma Gut of all flavors (including spaghetti strings) back then.

Not quite the 80's, but I used Prince Synthetic Gut Soft until the day it became "Elekton" string.

Loved the string. Being a teenager at the time, loved how it came in all kinds of colors, and it was dirt cheap so my part-time job could sustain it.

"Elekton" just didn't play like it, or maybe I stopped using it because I couldn't get it in purple/blue/green anymore.

[SteveI]

Originally Posted by mctennis

They still make the Leonia 66. Plus when you read the reviews they still say great things about it. I may try some for the heck of it.

Mike.. I used it for years. The 77 is the 16G and the 66 is a 15G. All I really used in the 80s. Still a nice hit.. but I bet with my newer strokes I would break it in under 5 hours. I also used to play a much smaller head.. and 18 x 20 pattern. The 66 used to last for weeks and weeks..

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Toal...GAMMA-LEO.html

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/feedback-LEO.html

If you hit with heavy topspin you are going to rip thru these. If you have an older type/flat game... these are really a nice hit.

[TonyB]

It's actually "Leoina" not "Leonia". And the 66 used to be what most of my friends played with because we were young and our parents didn't want to pay for restringing all the time!

Another popular string was Toalson Gold ("Toa Gold"). But again, only the 15 gauge lasted long enough to play with more than a few matches.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by mctennis

They still make the Leonia 66. Plus when you read the reviews they still say great things about it. I may try some for the heck of it.

Originally Posted by SteveI

Mike.. I used it for years. The 77 is the 16G and the 66 is a 15G. All I really used in the 80s. Still a nice hit.. but I bet with my newer strokes I would break it in under 5 hours. I also used to play a much smaller head.. and 18 x 20 pattern. The 66 used to last for weeks and weeks..

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/Toal...GAMMA-LEO.html

http://www.tennis-warehouse.com/feedback-LEO.html

If you hit with heavy topspin you are going to rip thru these. If you have an older type/flat game... these are really a nice hit.

Originally Posted by TonyB

It's actually "Leoina" not "Leonia". And the 66 used to be what most of my friends played with because we were young and our parents didn't want to pay for restringing all the time!

Another popular string was Toalson Gold ("Toa Gold"). But again, only the 15 gauge lasted long enough to play with more than a few matches.

If I recall, this current one isn't the same as the one you all used.

I was going to get some for my wood frames, and remember being told it wasn't the same as the one of old.

J

[SteveI]

Originally Posted by J011yroger

If I recall, this current one isn't the same as the one you all used.

I was going to get some for my wood frames, and remember being told it wasn't the same as the one of old.

J

Hey Jolly,

It pretty much seems the same to me.. but who knows. I strung up a set about a year ago..seemed the same to string.. but I did not play the frame it was for a customer. BTW Klippermate has the same string in their line up (16G). I used to buy it when I could not get the Leonia.

http://www.klipperusa.com/products/g...hp?catnum=S260

General Info:
"One of the oldest, most widely accepted strings on the market."

[vsbabolat]

I used leoina 66 then switched to Tecnifibre 515 and 416. Tecnifibre 515 was the first multi I ever played with. I also used Babolat VF and Fine Play. Gamma TNT did not come out until 1991/92. But Gamma Gut was hugely popular.

[J011yroger]

Originally Posted by SteveI

Hey Jolly,

It pretty much seems the same to me.. but who knows. I strung up a set about a year ago..seemed the same to string.. but I did not play the frame it was for a customer. BTW Klippermate has the same string in their line up (16G). I used to buy it when I could not get the Leonia.

http://www.klipperusa.com/products/g...hp?catnum=S260

General Info:
"One of the oldest, most widely accepted strings on the market."

Time to fire up the old Ektelon G!

J

[vandre]

Originally Posted by J011yroger

Almost everyone used PSG, and the stringbreakers and top club players used Problend.

Gamma got big in the 90s.

J

this. personally, my first experience with hybrid stringing was in college (early 90s). i never ran into anyone before that who hybrid-ed. not saying it didn't happen before then.

[vandre]

Originally Posted by Say Chi Sin Lo

"Elekton" just didn't play like it, or maybe I stopped using it because I couldn't get it in purple/blue/green anymore.

that's why it didn't play so well because you couldn't get it in purple/ blue/ green. lol!

i'll +1 what some have said about leoina 66 and breakage. i snapped that and psg like crazy and i've not really been much of a string breaker, well, ever!