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I went through a phase of buying up the TXD, thinking I could make a stiff, control-oriented OS my daily carry. It didn't take. Just couldn't get used to the snowshoe aesthetic of the racketface.

Nice racket! Volkl achieved a remarkably glossy and bright red on that and other frames.

I recall the RP being north of $200. Same for the Ultra 2 line, intro'ed a year prior. These were Wilson's top of the line frames with neither line having priority, though the PS was perceived as more playable because less stiff/Kevlar. Naturally both of these lines settled in the $140-$170...

These are nice! I remember summer 1990 coming across a full rack of these at a sports (not just tennis) shop in North Carolina, $99 each "closeout." Little demand for them there. I bought 3 and they were my daily carry for the next couple years.

Your only solution is individual grommets. I know this because I had a pair of T9 30 done up at ****. It irked me because the individual grommets were both costly and black-colored, which ruined the heavy red/white stock colorway of the frame. But I had no choice - the existing white grommets...

Quite honestly and not that I'm some big Wilson fan, but they saw the future early on and made some pretty classic graphites that were ahead of the curve. The Ultra in the late 70s, the Ultra 2 in '83, and the Pro Staff mid in '84 - not bad for bench strength.

Wilson did have a range but none of it resonated because their "opener" in the non-wood wars was the terrifically advanced Ultra/PWS. The graphite technique and stiffness were both off the charts. Trust me, they made plenty of mid-range metals and graphites, too. You are right that they didn't...

What was notable about the Ultra/PWS was just how early it hit the market. It would not surprise me to rediscover, though I'd have to hit the old tennis periodicals stacks to verify, that the Ultra/PWS was reviewed as early as end of year 1977 or 1978. This was an extremely advanced frame for...

Incredibly stiff bats but even with that these tension numbers are startling. Wow, 52 lbs on the (more like) 104 sq inch Largehead and still too tight? I'd hazard that no matter what number you choose, the frame's rigidity refuses to be put down for the count. I tried to make the Mid work for...

By today's standards was totally wrong for my game (topspin baseliner) but got one new from a pro shop around 1983 (I was a young teen and thought it looked cool plus the Connors factor). In retrospect must now remember that there were only so many models around then and that every model did...

Yes, exactly. Head carried over the Trisys branding for a period of time before just reverting back to the Prestige brand only.

Thanks much, tandayu. Nice to be remembered. I guess the fire came back, lol.

The pro shop where I worked carried the Prestige Tour variant as early as the first third of 1994, as the Trisys line was a 1993 make only. The earliest Prestige Tour models I believe contained the term "Trisys" on the side beams but the name had been by then retired as the principal name of...

This is excellent, and quite possibly given the passage of time the most authoritative, global comment on this topic. Well done!

Always thought of it as the earlier Graduate spiked with the throat gel insert. Hit great, no surprises. Capriati's frame when she first came up in '90, no?

WIP Panattas are a classic example of valuation based on what the market will bear. They're rare and pretty and kinda obscure and made in Italy but at the end of the day they're standard woods. You have to balance your interest in moving them out, as well - how much do you just want to be rid of...

No worries, Sanglier. Just means we're all scratching our heads on this, striving for consensus, ha.

First generation Dunlop graphite comp, pre-Max 200G. Thin-beam flex. A go-to graphite from that earliest era. Popular frame, mobile, more control than power. Nothing bad there.

One of four Head "Double Wedge" flagship widebodies. Comparable name only to the Elite Pro. Can't be CAP'ed though the original white grommet kit was a widebody CAP, no? Traditional buttcap, replaceable. Released with the 660 version and the Elektra Pro 600 and 660. The Elites were stiffer...

Still amazed at how thick these are - you forget. These were a very big deal back in the day, the flagship of Prince's CTS line and their head to head against the Wilson Profile. The sporting goods store where I worked would move major TStick tonnage to Brazilian and Italian tourists, literally...

Meanwhile I love how Secret smells but am always a little reticent to buy it because of how it's been marketed. This was a thread about *Secret*, after all...

Haha, that was a ballsy, "just for men" type deal there! The Vectris played beautifully with off the charts room temp softened butter factor but even they have moved on to their next home. Good memories, great thread.

retrowagen, I thought of this but informally ruled it out. I previously owned a DEMO WU2MS, US made. The DEMO marking was on the outside of the throat, above the grip collar. Of course, anything's possible but in that low-stress area inside the throat, I'd then expect to see all four letters or...

I'd conclude that's an aftermarket marking of some type. Could be an initial of a past owner or a marking to differentiate how the racquet was staged in a bunch of other WU2MS frames. However, I note that you described the marking as "stamped" so...? A photo of the marking might be of...

Agree with retrowagen and will offer that interestingly enough the Elite Pro reached its greatest prominence on the pro stage with a Spanish baseliner, Conchita Martinez. It's a special frame that offers both high maneuverability as well as great balance and feel. Together, the racquet offers...

I'll add that during his heyday, Muster was viewed as machine-like given his never say die attitude. A grinder with some pop. There's no doubt the racquet name touched on this.

This is really sad. What's almost as sad is that unless you are particularly vested in some of these guys, their careers can take this sort of hit and - guess what - the game goes on. I was floored to read it's been three years!

Never hit with one, but always well-reviewed by the industry media, particularly the panelists at World Tennis. Sub-11 oz. strung racquets were sort of a new thing, and their reactions suggested a future trend in that direction. Why not ? Easier to swing, etc. ... if one can get the balance...

Nicely veiled homage to the European workmanship of the era. I wonder if that "technology" is why Rossi composite grips, even when DECADES old and in my experience only, never have that creaking or wobbliness that can develop when the hardware starts to disintegrate. Never mind that the...

Wow, that is a nifty auction! Who knows what other gems lurk in the locals-only online auctions in farflung places like the Czech Republic! Putting aside of course that the Volkl World Cup series, that I've tried anyway, were very, very tough to get a good playing feel with.