Anybody still using a "Classic" racket (1990s and earlier) as their main racket?

serveandvolE

serveandvolE

Rookie
Anybody actually use a racket from the 1990s and earlier as their main driver (not an occasional hit)? If so, which one and why? Please list the approx year it came out and the juicy details! I use a Head Graphite Edge (81 sq in) as my main driver. Used one since the early-ish 1980s (I think it came out in 1980) and it still feels better than anything I've tried since.
 
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vandre

vandre

Hall of Fame
i used to use belgian donnay formula pros and a pro one (all of them where the yellow/ blue versions) until my shoulder tied itself into a pretzel...:cry:
 
Winners or Errors

Winners or Errors

Legend
As a racquetoholic, several racquets are my main stick. I played with my White Star Pro Masters today. There are definitely advantages to that stick over my more modern ones.
 
Curtennis

Curtennis

Hall of Fame
shug said:
Wilson Hyper Pro Staff 5.0, Only racquets in my bag...
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Is that the dark green pro staff? During Wilson’s 25% off custom I built myself a dark green rf97 with the braided graphite on the top still. I figured I was still within PS realm because of the Hyper PS 5.0 :) I love dark green.
 
graycrait

graycrait

Legend
1998:

IhzPkVP.jpg
 
socallefty

socallefty

G.O.A.T.
Not sure when this came out, but I have done drills many times with the ‘Tennis Pointer’ aka tennis spoon.

www.functionaltennis.com

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A

Antónis

Professional
onehandbh said:
I use a Yonex 95D. Not sure if it came out in the 90s or after 2000.
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Those are mid 2000's to late 2000's (????), I would not call them "classics".
I remember back when my club was a Yonex rep here, and all the "V-Core" line was available for testing - all but the one I craved, the 89 sq.i.
The 95 felt like an 98 plus racquet, too much pop for my taste. That's the way Yonex feels, as long as I know
My coach use to strung his 95's at 28 kgs, just to tame the power. But he kept them for 2 or 3 years. That's a good testimony in my book
 
WINZOWAR

WINZOWAR

Rookie
Antónis said:
Today is the answer, still play with those?
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Yes, everyday racquet. Got three off the auction site, average price $30. Used the Bronze 90 in the 80s, wanted something bigger with the same flexibility. Put some lead on it to get over 12 ounces and a Babolat butt cap to get to 27 inches. All the Yamaha racquets I have ever had were 26 3/4 inches long.
 
shug

shug

Rookie
Curtennis said:
Is that the dark green pro staff? During Wilson’s 25% off custom I built myself a dark green rf97 with the braided graphite on the top still. I figured I was still within PS realm because of the Hyper PS 5.0 :) I love dark green.
Click to expand...
Nope, kinda a darkish red and carbon gray/black with white lettering
 
C

Connorsfan

New User
With modern string I don’t know why it wouldn’t play well. The CTS technology has held up at least reasonably well for Prince as they’ve gone through the various iterations of the company. If they were to reissue that frame with some small upgrades like a touch of Twaron etc, I’d buy one without blinking.
hadoken said:
This racquet is amazing. I used it from 1991 to about 2015 but age finally caught up with me.
[/QUOTE
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Frankc

Frankc

Professional
Yep - Fischer Vacuum 90 Austria - strung in the high 30s with the best natural gut that I can find. Amazing precision and power - consistent and can hit varied spins and types of shots. And beautiful to boot... (There is far more to tennis that how much topspin can I hit today...)
 
C

craigknz

New User
Cool thread! :)

I no longer own some of these sticks but have fond memories and would love to pick up again some of these old beauties:

Slazenger Mystique
Prince Graphite 100
Dunlop Revalation Tour Pro mid plus
Head Prestige Tour 660 (What Goran used from memory?)
Dunlop Revelation 200G Wayne Ferreira
Head Radical Tour - Agassi
Wilson Pro Staff 85

Still have and play with the Pro Staff & Prestige.
Also just picked up an old 80's/90's racquet by "Rex Professional". Started another thread in classic racquets to see if i can find anything out about it.
Had original strings on it!! lol. Off for a re-string now but frame felt nice so interested to see how it plays when it comes back.
 
vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
craigknz said:
Cool thread! :)

I no longer own some of these sticks but have fond memories and would love to pick up again some of these old beauties:

Slazenger Mystique
Prince Graphite 100
Dunlop Revalation Tour Pro mid plus
Head Prestige Tour 660 (What Goran used from memory?)
Dunlop Revelation 200G Wayne Ferreira
Head Radical Tour - Agassi
Wilson Pro Staff 85

Still have and play with the Pro Staff & Prestige.
Also just picked up an old 80's/90's racquet by "Rex Professional". Started another thread in classic racquets to see if i can find anything out about it.
Had original strings on it!! lol. Off for a re-string now but frame felt nice so interested to see how it plays when it comes back.
Click to expand...
Goran used the Prestige Classic 600
 
WYK

WYK

Hall of Fame
Was using a POG mid off and on as I used it back in college. Switched to a few various other sticks, and now settled on a 'modern' stick, the RQIS.
 
R

RAPiper6

New User
Head Prestige Tour 600, which converted me to Head frames (as a result I now also have the pro tour 2.0, which certainly isn't from the 90s) and I've a PT57A in the mail to me
 
A

AmericanTwist

Professional
While waiting to sell several of my R-27's I play with one from time to time with a bunch of head protection tape. I've read that some people think it is stiff but to me it only feels like 62 or 63RA, I have good power with it, but more importantly, it gives good spin and great control. In the past I've played with racquets up to 13 ounces. With head tape it weighed 13.37 oz. They are much lighter than this stock, however.
 
coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
AmericanTwist said:
While waiting to sell several of my R-27's I play with one from time to time with a bunch of head protection tape. I've read that some people think it is stiff but to me it only feels like 62 or 63RA, I have good power with it, but more importantly, it gives good spin and great control. In the past I've played with racquets up to 13 ounces. With head tape it weighed 13.37 oz. They are much lighter than this stock, however.
Click to expand...
It was fairly firm in its day...compared to the 22 in the same way the R-10 was firm compared to the R-7. The world was a simpler place back then(at least before Kennex introduced the Micro!!!). I never liked them much over 12oz.
 
Abel

Abel

New User
Still playing the CTS Approach, graphite II, and POG. I was able to find 3 mint approaches off the auction site and I can’t put them down. Can’t beat the quality and open string pattern of these racquets!
 
Diminic D'Coco

Diminic D'Coco

Rookie
on the rare ocasion i play these days, i mostly play a Volkl BB mid and a vintage yonex rq120. soft flexible and confortable for my aging soulders and elbows...
 
bcart1991

bcart1991

Professional
I still use my

PS 6.0 95
Pure Storm Limited
POG OS 4-stripe
picked up a Head Extreme Competition that I really like
Head Tour XL
my Trusty Rusty HPS 6.1 (just outside the '90s window).
 
T

TadDavis

Rookie
Frankc said:
Yep - Fischer Vacuum 90 Austria - strung in the high 30s with the best natural gut that I can find. Amazing precision and power - consistent and can hit varied spins and types of shots. And beautiful to boot... (There is far more to tennis that how much topspin can I hit today...)
Click to expand...
I still pull mine out from time to time. Nothing like it - especially with a full bed of gut. I did have to add 16 grams of lead to the hoop for it to feel solid enough from the baseline. Has tons of plow now.
 
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