any stiff, egg shaped midpluses with 18 mains? (Kneissl, Adidas, Puma, Estusa, Mizuno, or others...)

[d-quik]

I understand the Kneissl Star series ending with '35' were midplusses but i can not seem to find and specifications (especially in regards to flex/stiffness) and was wondering if any of those beautiful frames were made stiff. the original lendl gtx frames were really flexible (not to mention unhumanly heavy) but were there ones that played a bit stiffer?

Please let me know if any of your veteran racquetheads have any juicy, juicy information.

thanks a bunch

 

[flanker2000fr]

I do not have the stiffness rating, but here's what I know:

- original GTX frames like the GTX Pro or GTX Boron are actually pretty stiff, and really hard on the arm. It is the GTX Pro T that is more flexy. Their head is about 75 sq. inches, and they are anywhere between 350 and 400g

- the GTX Mid or GTX Mid T are fairly stiff, on par with the smaller GTX Pro, and stiffer than the GTX Pro T

- Kneissl's with graphite / kevlar set-up (White Star Mid) do not play as stiff as the adidas with graphite / fibreglass or graphite / boron set-up. I think what you want to consider is a Kneissl Red Star Mid, which has a graphite / boron set-up. This should play quite stiff

 

[d-quik]

lol i love it

specifically asks for midplus frames, gets unwanted information about the midsize frames.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

If I remember right, the Kneissl head size number worked like this : a "35" was 35% larger than the standard 70 sq inches, about 94 to 95 sq in, so it might qualify as a mid plus today.

My Kneissl days were in the mid-80s, when they used "Big", "Mid", "Twin", and "Pro" instead of 40, 30, 20, and 10, respectively. Only the Big would qualify as a mid plus by current standards. The stiffest Kneissl line, by far, was the White Star line, and though I do not have an RA rating for any of those frames, I can say that if the White Star Big is not what you are looking for — and it probably isn't, being a bit flexible by White Star standards — then none of the mid-80s Kneissls are.

I played with a White Star Big for a year, incidentally, but I never really liked it, and I eventually went back to the Prince frames that dominated the era. As Flanker2000fr pointed out, even the stiffer White Stars were not nearly as stiff as the Adidas frames they inspired, and the problem for me may have been that flexible WS Big upper hoop. The WS Big's 1985 paint job was beautiful, though.

Flanker2000fr is also right that the Red Star line contained boron, and the general rule in the 80s was that frames containing boron were the stiffest available, but the Kneissl Red Stars were an exception to the rule. They were noodles.

Here's a good thread on those sticks.

 

[d-quik]

If I remember right, the Kneissl head size number worked like this : a "35" was 35% larger than the standard 70 sq inches, about 94 to 95 sq in, so it might qualify as a mid plus today.

My Kneissl days were in the mid-80s, when they used "Big", "Mid", "Twin", and "Pro" instead of 40, 30, 20, and 10, respectively. Only the Big would qualify as a mid plus by current standards. The stiffest Kneissl line, by far, was the White Star line, and though I do not have an RA rating for any of those frames, I can say that if the White Star Big is not what you are looking for — and it probably isn't, being a bit flexible by White Star standards — then none of the mid-80s Kneissls are.

I played with a White Star Big for a year, incidentally, but I never really liked it, and I eventually went back to the Prince frames that dominated the era. As Flanker2000fr pointed out, even the stiffer White Stars were not nearly as stiff as the Adidas frames they inspired, and the problem for me may have been that flexible WS Big upper hoop. The WS Big's 1985 paint job was beautiful, though.

Flanker2000fr is also right that the Red Star line contained boron, and the general rule in the 80s was that frames containing boron were the stiffest available, but the Kneissl Red Stars were an exception to the rule. They were noodles.

Here's a good thread on those sticks.

liked for amount of effort put into informing a stranger, thanks a lot!

any chance you know anything about dunlop, slazenger, or any other lesser know manufacturers who made 18 main'd midplusses that isn't prestige/radical related? last question i promise

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

any chance you know anything about dunlop, slazenger, or any other lesser know manufacturers who made 18 main'd midplusses that isn't prestige/radical related? last question i promise

No worries, brother (or sister); I like talking about this stuff. My knowledge of Dunlops is superficial (but still greater than my knowledge of Slazengers). I know that the Dunlop 200 series has traditionally been 95 sq in and 18x20, though not at all stiff or egg-shaped, and that there have been many iterations of it. The old 200s do remind me of the old Radical MPs, though.

If you can be more specific in what you are looking for, there's a very good chance someone will come along with an answer.

 

[retrowagen]

The only Kneissl frame with “35” in its name was the Spark 35, which was a very unconventional model for Kneissl in that it, along with the midsize Spark 25, were the first mon-Austrian made models they offered, both being essentially rebranded Yamaha models, made in Singapore, and neither egg-shaped.

If you want an egg-shaped midplus, you have to look at the Volkl Gigant series of the mid-80’s, or certain Puma models, or the Adidas Delta series...none of which have 18 mains. Because of the narrowing headshape, and the general practice of the Germanic racquet manufacturers to like the Ballbeschleunigung (ball acceleration) that comes with longer strings, they seem to have stuck with the more open patterns.