How many people still play with rackets that are over 20 years old?

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
It's amazing how horrible the Tretorn Nylite shoes were. If you didn't have perfect feet(Borg), you were likely thinking you were playing in bedroom slippers. The Nike All Courts and Wimbledons weren't much better...like wearing the box with laces.

I had one pair of Tretorns... only one pair. That was quite enough. On hardcourts in California, the overall effect was that of having large bars of soap glued to bedroom slippers on my feet! Fortunately for me, not soon after, Adidas introduced the all new "Grand Prix," with leather upper and polyurethane sole, and I had a new favorite (although the poly soles on that series of Adi shoes wore out rather quickly on the hardcourts). Adidas even went as far as offering a version of the Grand Prix with high top uppers, calling it the "Tennis Spezial." I wore a few pair of those through a season of ankle injuries, looking like a style-less goon, I'm sure.
 

coachrick

Hall of Fame
I had one pair of Tretorns... only one pair. That was quite enough. On hardcourts in California, the overall effect was that of having large bars of soap glued to bedroom slippers on my feet! Fortunately for me, not soon after, Adidas introduced the all new "Grand Prix," with leather upper and polyurethane sole, and I had a new favorite (although the poly soles on that series of Adi shoes wore out rather quickly on the hardcourts). Adidas even went as far as offering a version of the Grand Prix with high top uppers, calling it the "Tennis Spezial." I wore a few pair of those through a season of ankle injuries, looking like a style-less goon, I'm sure.

Speaking of a bar of soap stuck on the bottom of your shoes, how about those Bata 'duck' shoes with the PU soles that were so slick that they didn't wear out(since they never gripped the court). I never could wear those but I matched your ONE pair of Tretorns! I remember the Adidas Grand Prix and the less expensive 'Wimbledon'(?), both with the red/blue stripes(?)...beautiful shoes. We sold a ton of Skidgrips...basically sticking a slab of rubber onto the bottom of your foot! And the Dunlop Green Flash...what a beaut!!! ;)

I remember when K-Swiss came out with the red stripe model of the classic. Our school colors were garnet/black and we sold the HECK out of the red stripes!

Fast forward a full decade and try to recall the Asahi 'Bones' shoes. I think everybody in Atlanta had at least one pair...then Asahi just disappeared.(As did the Sport Shoe...a multi-store Atlanta dealer who got all the Asahi closeouts).

In between was the gawd-awful Reebok 'tennis' shoe that kept ortho-docs in business during the mid-80s. Nothing like playing tennis in a high-heeled shoe!

Sorry to hijack the thread; but it sure is fun remembering equipment from the 'old days' ! ;)
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Speaking of a bar of soap stuck on the bottom of your shoes, how about those Bata 'duck' shoes with the PU soles that were so slick that they didn't wear out(since they never gripped the court). I never could wear those but I matched your ONE pair of Tretorns! I remember the Adidas Grand Prix and the less expensive 'Wimbledon'(?), both with the red/blue stripes(?)...beautiful shoes. We sold a ton of Skidgrips...basically sticking a slab of rubber onto the bottom of your foot! And the Dunlop Green Flash...what a beaut!!! ;)

I remember when K-Swiss came out with the red stripe model of the classic. Our school colors were garnet/black and we sold the HECK out of the red stripes!

Fast forward a full decade and try to recall the Asahi 'Bones' shoes. I think everybody in Atlanta had at least one pair...then Asahi just disappeared.(As did the Sport Shoe...a multi-store Atlanta dealer who got all the Asahi closeouts).

In between was the gawd-awful Reebok 'tennis' shoe that kept ortho-docs in business during the mid-80s. Nothing like playing tennis in a high-heeled shoe!

Sorry to hijack the thread; but it sure is fun remembering equipment from the 'old days' ! ;)
That is great. I remember Asahi being popular and gone also. Loved the Grand Prix along with the Diadora Super Star, Kings Cup, and Original Maverick of 1987 not to be confused with the crap re-issue of today.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Speaking of a bar of soap stuck on the bottom of your shoes, how about those Bata 'duck' shoes with the PU soles that were so slick that they didn't wear out(since they never gripped the court). I never could wear those but I matched your ONE pair of Tretorns! I remember the Adidas Grand Prix and the less expensive 'Wimbledon'(?), both with the red/blue stripes(?)...beautiful shoes. We sold a ton of Skidgrips...basically sticking a slab of rubber onto the bottom of your foot! And the Dunlop Green Flash...what a beaut!!! ;)

I remember when K-Swiss came out with the red stripe model of the classic. Our school colors were garnet/black and we sold the HECK out of the red stripes!

Fast forward a full decade and try to recall the Asahi 'Bones' shoes. I think everybody in Atlanta had at least one pair...then Asahi just disappeared.(As did the Sport Shoe...a multi-store Atlanta dealer who got all the Asahi closeouts).

In between was the gawd-awful Reebok 'tennis' shoe that kept ortho-docs in business during the mid-80s. Nothing like playing tennis in a high-heeled shoe!

Sorry to hijack the thread; but it sure is fun remembering equipment from the 'old days' ! ;)

Recall the Bata Bullits with a canvas upper with soles so slick your feet slipped on the lines of a hardcourt. Best shoes IMHO were those Puma Vilas shoes. Not like the re-issued junk.
 

Tar Heel Tennis

Professional
i LOVED the adidas grand prix shoes....the only shoes i wore back in the day....now if TW could only get adidas to re-issue that shoe, i'd buy a closetful!

btw, Tretorn has re-released (if they ever stopped selling them) the NyLite...I saw a kid wearing a pair at a tournament a few weeks ago, and spoke with the mother about the shoes....sure enough, i started looking, and they are available again....white/blue as well as white/white!
 

coachrick

Hall of Fame
i LOVED the adidas grand prix shoes....the only shoes i wore back in the day....now if TW could only get adidas to re-issue that shoe, i'd buy a closetful!

btw, Tretorn has re-released (if they ever stopped selling them) the NyLite...I saw a kid wearing a pair at a tournament a few weeks ago, and spoke with the mother about the shoes....sure enough, i started looking, and they are available again....white/blue as well as white/white!

I wonder if the 'other' Adidas shoe was the 'Forest Hills'??? Hard to remember the mid-'70s in detail ;) .

My pair of Tretorns was the Leatha-Lite, super soft leather version of the Nylite. We sold the Nylite for around $15 and when the LeathaLite jumped over $20, we thought we'd never sell another pair! :) Of course, nylon strings started at $5 strung and gut was under $20 for everything except the best from Victor and Babolat. For perspective, my first new car--1973 Mercury Capri was $2300USD and a De Tomaso Pantera was $9999.

Remember the Head shoe that was off-white, matching the 'cream' colors from Fila. It was Kang-a-lon or some such...people thought it was kangaroo skin. Had to have the off-white socks to match, otherwise you looked like you were wearing the WHITE Wilson 'W' shorts with a CREAM shirt! Oh, the horrors!!!
 

coachrick

Hall of Fame
That is great. I remember Asahi being popular and gone also. Loved the Grand Prix along with the Diadora Super Star, Kings Cup, and Original Maverick of 1987 not to be confused with the crap re-issue of today.

I repped Diadora briefly in the mid-'80s. Absolute gorgeous tennis shoes that they COULD NOT SHIP because they put all their resources behind the Seb Coe running shoe with the vari-durometer plugs. Borg was wearing Diadora at the time and I attended an exo in Richmond, VA between Borg and McEnroe on behalf of Diadora(nice perk!). I had seen Borg many times at Hilton Head on clay but never on carpet. You COULD NOT hear his feet touch the court surface...he simply was gliding along...unbelievable!!!
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
That is great. I remember Asahi being popular and gone also. Loved the Grand Prix along with the Diadora Super Star, Kings Cup, and Original Maverick of 1987 not to be confused with the crap re-issue of today.

I rocked the blue Nubuk Mavericks for a year, courtesy of Diadora. Great shoe!
 

Tar Heel Tennis

Professional
my non-wood collection of 20+ year old rackets...

2rz55bd.jpg
[/IMG]

from left to right back: Head Graphite Edge, Wilson Sting 95, Prince Graphite II Mid Plus, Dunlop Black Max, Wilson Pro Staff Largehead 110, Yamaha YFG20.

Front: Head Arthur Ashe Competition 2, Wilson Ultra 2 Standard. Also shown, Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 85...2011 version
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
Lately I've been playing almost exclusively with the 1991 Fischer Vacuum Twin Tec Pro (with Charly Steeb autograph!) and Vacuum Twin Tec. Fabulous racquets; I don't have to work quite as hard as I do with my old Head Elite Pros, although I give up a little measure of control and manoeuverability in return for a little extra spin, power, and margin for error. I'd put these up in a blind taste test against any popular modern "tweener"...
 

6-2/6-4/6-0

Semi-Pro
How about an old Ellese tennis outfit, some Puma GV shoes, and a couple Kramer Autographs. That's how I'd like to hit the court one day - maybe do the Borg-style headband - have to be grass though. Go out and play with other similarly-preposterous people and have the time of my life serve and volleying till the sun goes down...
 

coachrick

Hall of Fame
How about an old Ellese tennis outfit, some Puma GV shoes, and a couple Kramer Autographs. That's how I'd like to hit the court one day - maybe do the Borg-style headband - have to be grass though. Go out and play with other similarly-preposterous people and have the time of my life serve and volleying till the sun goes down...

I just got a pair of these; but I wanted to use them for casual wear rather than on the court. Might be worth it to complete the outfit for my introduction to the 'geezer' group, then switch to something more court worthy...
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/si...le-d-solve-sneakers---organic/&colorFamily=02
 

jimanuel12

Semi-Pro
Play three sets with these shoes, then smoke them afterwards, eh?

MAN - i have not seem a canvas tennis shoe since 1980!!!
i wore about 3 pairs of them out each summer. i also had my nut hugger shorts (white of course) and those striped socks pulled up to my knees.
we were so cool back then - along with my jack kramer auto wood.
just don't have the nerve to try that again - but it would be fun to see what kind of reaction i would get on the court now.
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
MAN - i have not seem a canvas tennis shoe since 1980!!!
i wore about 3 pairs of them out each summer. i also had my nut hugger shorts (white of course) and those striped socks pulled up to my knees.
we were so cool back then - along with my jack kramer auto wood.
just don't have the nerve to try that again - but it would be fun to see what kind of reaction i would get on the court now.
My money's on folks pulling their small children abruptly away ... there's "good weird" and there's "bad weird," and I hate to admit that in my corner of the world in this day and age, that sort of outfit qualifies you as "bad weird!" Ha ha ha
...

That said, I was bummed a couple weeks ago as my remaining pair of Puma GV Specials (navy strip with Nubuk toe!), which I had only worn casually and had taken meticulous care of, self-destructed over the course of one day as I walked around home. The dual-density polyurethane sole somehow rapidly changed its properties to become brittle and not adhere to the midsole, coming off in large chunks all around the house. No amount of Super Glue could keep it together.

I have a pair of Adidas Tennis Royal reissues that are holding me over for now.
 
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jimanuel12

Semi-Pro
My money's on folks pulling their small children abruptly away ... there's "good weird" and there's "bad weird," and I hate to admit that in my corner of the world in this day and age, that sort of outfit qualifies you as "bad weird!" Ha ha ha
...

That said, I was bummed a couple weeks ago as my remaining pair of Puma GV Specials (navy strip with Nubuk toe!), which I had only worn casually and had taken meticulous care of, self-destructed over the course of one day as I walked around home. The dual-density polyurethane sole somehow rapidly changed its properties to become brittle and not adhere to the midsole, coming off in large chunks all around the house. No amount of Super Glue could keep it together.

I have a pair of Adidas Tennis Royal reissues that are holding me over for now.

yeah - they would more than likely have the police after me (ha ha).
i forgot to mention the long hair and head band!!!!!
now i don't have much hair left and the head band has been replaced with a white tennis cap!!!!
 

Mick

Legend
i grew my hair long (shoulder length) and my boss told me to cut it :-( so i cut it and now it is long again :)
 
How about an old Ellese tennis outfit, some Puma GV shoes, and a couple Kramer Autographs. That's how I'd like to hit the court one day - maybe do the Borg-style headband - have to be grass though. Go out and play with other similarly-preposterous people and have the time of my life serve and volleying till the sun goes down...

Preposterous?

Tacchini, Ellese, FILA and Diadora.
One-handed backhand.
Steel bike frame. Singlespeed.
Wooden Maxply.
Woolen socks and a cotton bandana.
Acoustic guitar.
All-court, attacking style of tennis with eastern grips.
Leather grips.
Drinking a glass of water on changeovers instead of some pink crap in a plastic bottle.
Naming your children with first names as first names rather than last names as first names.
Actually calling someone on the telephone.
Writing a letter to your grandparents or parents.
A campfire.
Sleeping outside in a sleeping bag without a tent and without a smartphone.
Holding a pencil properly.
Adding some numbers up in your head or on paper even though there's an app for that.
Knowing someone's telephone number.
Stopping by some kid's lemonade stand after tennis at the park.
Bocce.
Cooking dinner yourself, from scratch.

Preposterous.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Preposterous?

Tacchini, Ellese, FILA and Diadora.
One-handed backhand.
Steel bike frame. Singlespeed.
Wooden Maxply.
Woolen socks and a cotton bandana.
Acoustic guitar.
All-court, attacking style of tennis with eastern grips.
Leather grips.
Drinking a glass of water on changeovers instead of some pink crap in a plastic bottle.
Naming your children with first names as first names rather than last names as first names.
Actually calling someone on the telephone.
Writing a letter to your grandparents or parents.
A campfire.
Sleeping outside in a sleeping bag without a tent and without a smartphone.
Holding a pencil properly.
Adding some numbers up in your head or on paper even though there's an app for that.
Knowing someone's telephone number.
Stopping by some kid's lemonade stand after tennis at the park.
Bocce.
Cooking dinner yourself, from scratch.

Preposterous.

Lawn bowling, really?
 

jimanuel12

Semi-Pro
i grew my hair long (shoulder length) and my boss told me to cut it :-( so i cut it and now it is long again :)

long hair - man i miss my shoulder lenght hair.
i had some old pictures out the other day and my little niece said "i did not know you had long hair at one time?"
i miss the head band too.
those were the days (sigh)!!!!!!
 

jimanuel12

Semi-Pro
Preposterous?

Tacchini, Ellese, FILA and Diadora.
One-handed backhand.
Steel bike frame. Singlespeed.
Wooden Maxply.
Woolen socks and a cotton bandana.
Acoustic guitar.
All-court, attacking style of tennis with eastern grips.
Leather grips.
Drinking a glass of water on changeovers instead of some pink crap in a plastic bottle.
Naming your children with first names as first names rather than last names as first names.
Actually calling someone on the telephone.
Writing a letter to your grandparents or parents.
A campfire.
Sleeping outside in a sleeping bag without a tent and without a smartphone.
Holding a pencil properly.
Adding some numbers up in your head or on paper even though there's an app for that.
Knowing someone's telephone number.
Stopping by some kid's lemonade stand after tennis at the park.
Bocce.
Cooking dinner yourself, from scratch.

Preposterous.

can you imagine remembering someone's phone number?????
i still do not text very much - just can't bring myself to get into it.
my wife does all the time - she has a blackberry - i still have the old flip phone - no sense in changing - it still works just fine.
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
Preposterous?

Tacchini, Ellese, FILA and Diadora.
One-handed backhand.
Steel bike frame. Singlespeed.
Wooden Maxply.
Woolen socks and a cotton bandana.
Acoustic guitar.
All-court, attacking style of tennis with eastern grips.
Leather grips.
Drinking a glass of water on changeovers instead of some pink crap in a plastic bottle.
Naming your children with first names as first names rather than last names as first names.
Actually calling someone on the telephone.
Writing a letter to your grandparents or parents.
A campfire.
Sleeping outside in a sleeping bag without a tent and without a smartphone.
Holding a pencil properly.
Adding some numbers up in your head or on paper even though there's an app for that.
Knowing someone's telephone number.
Stopping by some kid's lemonade stand after tennis at the park.
Bocce.
Cooking dinner yourself, from scratch.

Preposterous.

So *you're* the P.I. who's been stalking me? :lol: Seriously, that's a pretty accurate snapshot of my lifestyle (and the Maxply doesn't get used much; lately I've been rockin' some old 1991 Fischer Twin Tecs).
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Preposterous?

Tacchini, Ellese, FILA and Diadora.
One-handed backhand.
Steel bike frame. Singlespeed.
Wooden Maxply.
Woolen socks and a cotton bandana.
Acoustic guitar.
All-court, attacking style of tennis with eastern grips.
Leather grips.
Drinking a glass of water on changeovers instead of some pink crap in a plastic bottle.
Naming your children with first names as first names rather than last names as first names.
Actually calling someone on the telephone.
Writing a letter to your grandparents or parents.
A campfire.
Sleeping outside in a sleeping bag without a tent and without a smartphone.
Holding a pencil properly.
Adding some numbers up in your head or on paper even though there's an app for that.
Knowing someone's telephone number.
Stopping by some kid's lemonade stand after tennis at the park.
Bocce.
Cooking dinner yourself, from scratch.

Preposterous.

Really, http://cambridgebicycle.com/wpdev/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Terry-Single-Speed-Conversion_01.jpg
 
can you imagine remembering someone's phone number?????
i still do not text very much - just can't bring myself to get into it.
my wife does all the time - she has a blackberry - i still have the old flip phone - no sense in changing - it still works just fine.

Hhahah, yeah. Same here, except my wife's got the iPhone4.

Wait a minute, flip phone? You've got a camera, I bet.
I velcro'd a Polaroid instamatic camera to my 1998 Nokia. It's now a camera phone.
 

6-2/6-4/6-0

Semi-Pro
Preposterous?

Tacchini, Ellese, FILA and Diadora.
One-handed backhand.
Steel bike frame.
Wooden Maxply/Kramer
All-court, attacking style of tennis with eastern/continental grips.
Leather grips.
Drinking a glass of water on changeovers instead of some pink crap in a plastic bottle.
Naming your children with first names as first names rather than last names as first names.
Actually calling someone on the telephone.
A campfire.
Sleeping outside in a sleeping bag without a tent and without a smartphone.
Holding a pencil properly.
Adding some numbers up in your head or on paper even though there's an app for that.
Knowing someone's telephone number.
Stopping by some kid's lemonade stand after tennis at the park.
Bocce.
Cooking dinner yourself, from scratch.

Preposterous.

With minor ammendment, pretty much me. Throw in a 5-speed car (though 3 on the tree would be even better)

One thing that I even take further is eating organic food - I don't trust all the new-fangled things they're doing to plants and animals...

Obviously we all have computers, otherwise we could be true curmudgeons...
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
With minor ammendment, pretty much me. Throw in a 5-speed car (though 3 on the tree would be even better)

One thing that I even take further is eating organic food - I don't trust all the new-fangled things they're doing to plants and animals...

Obviously we all have computers, otherwise we could be true curmudgeons...

Ditto; ditto; and (as a design professional), the computer is just a tool of the trade for me - I'm otherwise semi-Luddite by intention: too much information, too much speed equals too much stress. That's just unnatural. Taking time to enjoy the simpler things in life is so much more rewarding (discovered after spending two whole decades goin' for it in the Fast Lane of the Rat Race)...

slice bh complement said:
Retrowagen, haha, I'm with you. Actually, I'm just out front in the unmarked brown Ford Taurus. Being a PI is a little boring. We ought to hit one day.
Love to! If you're ever planning to be in the area of northern California near Yosemite, which is where I live, please drop me a line.
 

Mick

Legend
Last year I played indoor tennis on carpet during the winter.
During that whole period I played doubles with a brand new 1979 wooden Donnay Thierry Tulasne ( Black VS Babolat Gut, 54lbs), against worthy opponents using high tech equipment. We never lost a match...!!
I had forgotten what you can do with wood that can never, ever be surpassed by any other material out there. Dropshots to die for, backhand slices that make your opponents got nuts...:)

i took a jack kramer autograph midsize wood racquet to the tennis courts this afternoon and here is the video :)
the other guy was playing with some kind of prince racquet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbeCcDTpLZ4
 
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TMR

Rookie
The usual Stan Smith Autographs had a shield or emblem decal.
Yours has what I call a "silhouette" decal.
Does the writing beneath it say "Professional Select Model" ?
Some of these were made in the UK, not USA.
I have also seen the black leather grip on the Wilson Profile 3.6 s.i.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
The usual Stan Smith Autographs had a shield or emblem decal.
Yours has what I call a "silhouette" decal.
Does the writing beneath it say "Professional Select Model" ?
Some of these were made in the UK, not USA.
I have also seen the black leather grip on the Wilson Profile 3.6 s.i.

Saw quite a few Wilson Pro Select models in 1979. Recall they had the weight and balance on each racquet along with what seemed several coats of clear lacquer. Large grip sizes too, 7/8 and above.
 

flair

New User
I have been playing for the majority of this year with my friend's Wilson Profile 3.6si (this is an oldie, right?). Playing with this racquet 3-5 times a week for 6+ months straight has caused me to develop tennis elbow. Now I have to say goodbye to this racquet and use a less stiff frame starting tomorrow....
 

coachrick

Hall of Fame
I have been playing for the majority of this year with my friend's Wilson Profile 3.6si (this is an oldie, right?). Playing with this racquet 3-5 times a week for 6+ months straight has caused me to develop tennis elbow. Now I have to say goodbye to this racquet and use a less stiff frame starting tomorrow....

The 3.6 is a club. It's not JUST the stiffness(the 2.7 is stiffer, of course)...the 3.6 is a big, fat racket :) . Hard to believe it actually does qualify for the '20 year old' designation. Seems like only yesterday ;) .
 

joe sch

Legend
I wanted to find some of the old magic on my strokes ... its tough when the footwork does not cooperate ;)

I took out a rossi f200, kneissl white star pro, and max 200g, all strung with loose nat gut. It was really fun and worthwhile as I expected. The rossi was great from the baseline but not as good at serve/volley as the others. The kneissl was very smooth and enjoyable at everything. The 200g, was always my favorite and still is ... I can still play it today and it just changes my game into total allcourt SV attack. These stick also seem to revive my slice as they all are capable of extreme underspin. I just love moving forward with the max as it handles half and full vollies with the greatest of ease. Would sure love to see Mac play one of these again, as well as he is currently still playing. The challenge is the weight of these rackets since if your not use to 13+ oz, you can tire out or get sloppy. My current pc600s are all around 13 oz so this is not a problem for me. Looking forward to taking out some wood rackets in the near term ...
 

WilsonPlayer101

Professional
Almost 20 years. Was playing up to last year with a Wilson PS 6.6 Stars and Stripes from I think it was about 1994, so I was only playing with a 16 year old racquet back then.

I do occasionally hit with a T2000 which is probably 35 years old or so. Hit occasionally with my Head Arthur Ashe, about 30 years old. Also wanted to play with the Adidas Ivan Lendl I had since 1984 but the strings broke and have to restring it. But no, don't on a regular basis use these to play a set.
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
There were also two different aluminum-framed Directors ("Director" and "Tournament Director," which Tim Mayotte used for a while on the ATP tour, famously winning the inaugural Lipton with it), the Graphite Director, Composite Director, and the TXD - the highest-performance and most expensive of the Head Director line.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
There were also two different aluminum-framed Directors ("Director" and "Tournament Director," which Tim Mayotte used for a while on the ATP tour, famously winning the inaugural Lipton with it), the Graphite Director, Composite Director, and the TXD - the highest-performance and most expensive of the Head Director line.

These were mighty high-priced racquets. But so was the Ultra 2.
 
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