Rorsach
Hall of Fame
They're Donnay's attempt to copy the Prince Graphite.
Post Pictures of your Racquets and Tennis Gear
- Thread starter POGO
- Start date
They're Donnay's attempt to copy the Prince Graphite.
NickJ
Professional
It's rumoured that the very first Donnays used by Agassi were paintjobbed Prince frames. I did read his autobiog & i'm sure he mentioned it but I cant remember exactly. Anyone?
WhereIsMacMac
Professional
Donnay Pro One 16x19
Customized grip shape & lead
Custom Gloss Varnish
Jack,
What is that thing that you used to modify the gripshape of your racquet?
Regards
BMcFarlan
New User
Seth
Legend
I don't get it... Explain?
When you originally posted the picture, it was upside down.
Internet joke that Australians are upside down because Southern Hemisphere.
BMcFarlan
New User
That's so weird, I posted it from my iPad last night and it was normal and it pulls up normal from my phone as well. But yeah, it's upside down on my desktop.
That's what I get for naming my daughter "Leighton."
BMcFarlan
New User
Rackets: approved!
I Love the Wilson 90's but my favorite PJ is the black/red BLX.
What are the Princes? Diabolo mids? How do they play, I have one, but need to take it out for some hitting.
And the Donnays... Oh man, I remember when I was a kid and a guy I used to play with had 2 of them, the orange/grey one, and I was so jealous 'cause I thought the were the best looking rackets on the planet! And Agassi played or endorsed them, right? I think he let me hit once and the felt really great too!
Beers: not approved :twisted: what I can see in the background...Heinecken and Corona... At least some Stella ;-)
Yeah, those are Diablo Mids. I transitioned from the PS85 to those and I loved the feel - similar feeling but with a little more pop. I definitely prefer the plow of the PS90s though.
And yes I was the same way with the neon Pro-One. I finally picked one up a few years ago to add to my collection to fill my 12-year-old self's wish list. The other Pro-One was my favorite racket as a kid in '94.
And actually the Heineken and Corona are left over from a pool party. Behind them are a lot of Sam Adams seasonals and mixed Irish beers.
BMcFarlan
New User
I don't remember coming out and saying that the Donnays were PJed Princes, but he did say that Bolliteri pretty much put the Donnay in his hand and said "you play with this now" and he absolutely hated them. It killed a little piece of my childhood when he said that because I used to dream of having one of those rackets from my posters.
But admittedly yeah - they were awful compared to top rackets of the same era.
N23
Semi-Pro
Good one. Brought a nice 5 second laugh today.
NickJ
Professional
You may be right, I knew he didnt get on with the Donnays (initially) and that's why I'm sure i read somewhere, maybe it was in his book, or somewhere else that to get around it was to get some Prince frames made up to look like the Donnay. I'm like you, as a tennis loving teenager, he was my hero. i had to have all the nike kit and the racquets. I managed to get sponsorship terms with Donnay UK and got 3 orange/grey Pro Ones as part of the deal. But All I ever wanted was a yellow/blue one . . . . just couldn't get one anywhere. I have one now but no grommet strip, it just hangs on my wall proudly and i love it!
At the time i was playing back then I didnt get to try many frames and so had nothing to really compare it against so to me, the Pro One was gorgeous! but I'm sure that Agassi could've have used an egg whisk and i'd have still bought one and thought it was brilliant . . . ! Looking back, I was very niave. Style over substance, but I fell in line with his tagline, Image Is Everything. Now I see sense, (and having a bit more disposable income, as opposed to none back then) and can try & buy the frames i like.
BLX_Andy
Professional
I had a few more PS85s but years of coaching and half volleys took them out.
Those Flame Pack Courtballistecs are beautiful.
Fuji
Legend
donnay is printed back on the frames, and replaces the "xenecore" in the hoop. not too bad looking
Pretty clean and straight forward. I really like it!
-Fuji
BMcFarlan
New User
I'd make fun of the "he's my hero" comment, but if you notice the pendant in my avatar I'm right there with you.
BMcFarlan
New User
Also if I remember Wimbledon 94 correctly it was when he went from Donnay to the classic Head Radical with the asymmetric black and yellow design. HDTVs weren't around back then but it was clear that the racket he was hitting with had the PJ but none of the Head decals. I owned a couple of those Heads as well, and they were a few mm thicker in head width than the Pro-One. While he claims to have hated the Donnays it looked to me like he was playing with them with a Head PJ there for a while.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
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NickJ
Professional
When you're younger, the word 'hero' can be over-used/mis-used. I just loved the Nike range and the Donnays, and so Agassi was my favourite. I remember watching the French open final when he wore the pink & black Challenge Court gear and had the yellow/blue Donnay, it was the first time I'd seen a player wear such colour ful stuff and it blew my mind. Up to then, being from England, at the time the only tennis you saw on tv was Wimbeldon and the all-white policy. PINK??? ON A TENNIS COURT??? What is this witchcraft?!? From then on, that was me all the way, and it didnt stop. Fan for life. Regardless of results, personal issues, racquet changes, anything, even Barbara Striesand . . . . Yes, I did notice your pendant . . . . !! Well done you sir.
NickJ
Professional
Had a yellow/black Head too. An oversive angry wasp.
BMcFarlan
New User
I dont think so.
As you can see its a real HEAD Radical Trisys 260 Oversize 18x19
You're very correct, that's clearly the Radical. Though my memory didn't fail me entirely that it didn't have any of the standard decals that both his and the retail version later had. This one was just the black and yellow PJ.
SpinToWin
Talk Tennis Guru
.... I'm puking rainbows, that's too awesome to be true (*_*)
yangster007
Professional
Why did you have to put a Dunlop and a Head in there to ruin the all Wilson collection
BeGreat awesome thin beam collection there except for the Skunk hammer 6.2
i played with that during high school like 15 years ago. trying to capture my youth.
Bluecapsule
New User
The branding comes full circle. Pure Control Zylon 360 -> Pure Storm -> Pure Control (2014)
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
with Federer:
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
KPS88:
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
XFeelPro95 with Gamma Glide:
movdqa
Talk Tennis Guru
KPS88:
Is the side delaminating or is that an illusion of the string channel?
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
Well it's not delaminating. That is a line of exposed graphite on the edge of the frame from half volleys, and maybe catching my balance with the frame on some aggressive net points.
zapvor
G.O.A.T.
with Federer:
who did the painting?????
Sander001
Hall of Fame
What Yonex are those?
MikeHitsHard93
Hall of Fame
Vcore tour 89
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
I am not sure, that was a birthday present last year from my wife (girlfriend at the time). Signature on the painting is illegible; looks like it starts with a Z.
Sweet-Spot
Rookie
XFeelPro95 with Gamma Glide:
Awesome frame indeed I just picked one up myself. How do you find Gamma Glide compared to other leading polys? What mains did you string up?
I'm still playing around with the weight/balance to get it right but right now I have them with 8 grams in the handle and a total of 4 grams at 3 and 9 o'clock. No complaints with this set up really. Pretty great access to spin but could use a little more mass for me to really wail on the put aways/ approach shots. I want to try to get them as close to my prestiges as possible.
meltedsteam
Semi-Pro
Hmm, wonder if you took the last 4 5/8 on TW...
I bought some of the Moto/Glide packs that were on sale, they came out to be 25% cheaper tahn just buying the Glide by itself. The picture racquet is using Moto 17 in the mains, which is a pretty good string. Glide is not a poly it is super stretchy and while stringing it really stretches. I feel like it adds power and softness to the stringbed. As a cross string with Moto, comparing Glide to iO 16 its a livelier bed, with as much spin and if I have less directional control it is marginal. At any rate, the Moto/ Glide string combo flies forward with nasty spin. I have had hitting partners shanking and also standing there and watching the ball go by. I am going to use some of the other Glide half sets with some Poly Force 17 next.
With the weight, yes they play pretty softly (on my arm at least). Without weight it was a little taxing on contact.
tonyplaystennisallday
New User
mrw
Semi-Pro
That cat is posed next to synthetic gut because it's about to become natural gut
darklore009
Hall of Fame
this cat will be later be in the production of cat gut
Overdrive
Legend
I see what you did there.
stringmaster
Banned
This is the coolest collection I have ever seen. I know I am not supposed to ask but how much would it take to buy it from you?
