teachingprotx
Legend
I thought he first played w the puma vilas. But the one in the above pic is the super mold with villas paint job.. so now I’m really confused.. ughh.
Becker’s 1st Wimbledon win racket not a g.vilas .. what is it ?
- Thread starter teachingprotx
- Start date
teachingprotx
Legend
Argh I know .. dang it .. so confusing man ..
the only way I think I could ever tell is if I could see how long the piece right above the grip collar is. If it’s long it’s a super mold . If it’s wide and short vilas mold . I think
the only way I think I could ever tell is if I could see how long the piece right above the grip collar is. If it’s long it’s a super mold . If it’s wide and short vilas mold . I think
daddabompa
Hall of Fame
I knew the same about first Wimbledon win by BB.
If I recall well the Winner was not released yet in 1985.
teachingprotx
Legend
Yes exactly. So if the pic above is accurate as 1984 /85 Becker’s first puma which I believe it to be . It was neither a vilas , or a winner or a super? Maybe the whole time he had his very own custom lay up? Aw man . So confusing. I was gonna say ‘ I wish someone was buddies with Boris as we could ask him ‘ but I would be surprised if he even knew at this juncture. Maybe his personal stringer would know , maybe bosworth ?
If only I could get that stick in the pic provided on a RDC machine all the Becker racquet riddles would be solved ..
or would it . The flex no question would be the most telling ..
as far as I know no one has ever had a true Becker frame from his own stash spec’d. How cool would that be to know ! Man.....
If only I could get that stick in the pic provided on a RDC machine all the Becker racquet riddles would be solved ..
or would it . The flex no question would be the most telling ..
as far as I know no one has ever had a true Becker frame from his own stash spec’d. How cool would that be to know ! Man.....
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
He played the G. Vilas in his 1985 win. Ion Tiriac was the agent of both Becker and Vilas at the time, and Vilas was just coming off a one-year suspension off the ATP tour. After Becker’s breakthrough win, Puma hastily renamed the racquet and sold them like hotcakes, especially in Germany.
Becker played the Adidas Lendl GTX Pro in 1984; he used the blue/red Puma Super paintjob from 1986-on, if I recall correctly.
Becker played the Adidas Lendl GTX Pro in 1984; he used the blue/red Puma Super paintjob from 1986-on, if I recall correctly.
teachingprotx
Legend
What’s weird is the above silver ish “ vilas “ frame ..
the retail vilas puma didn’t have that shared elongated neck going into the handle collar , like the super does ....so I guess that it was a super ? Painted in a vilas pj ?
the retail vilas puma didn’t have that shared elongated neck going into the handle collar , like the super does ....so I guess that it was a super ? Painted in a vilas pj ?
michael valek
Hall of Fame
The winners also had a grip extender thing which was even crapper than the super. You inserted plastic discs which made the buttcap further away from the head. Maybe the super long neck is just someone trying to fix it 
proracketeer
Professional
Others including me prefer the Winner/Vilas PCS. The best solution for Supers is to replace the PCS with Head pallets.The winners also had a grip extender thing which was even crapper than the super. You inserted plastic discs which made the buttcap further away from the head. Maybe the super long neck is just someone trying to fix it
Boris never used PCS rackets AFAIK. That might explain the long neck. (compare Puma Davis Cup w/o PCS)
michael valek
Hall of Fame
I’d prefer if it was fixed like the Becker World Champ frames, although I personally do not like the head pallet shape.
proracketeer
Professional
TK82S?
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Yes
teachingprotx
Legend
Ah ha !! Now i can totally see that ..
Thank you guys that makes a lot of sense , I never imagined at the beginning of his career he would of not used the regular plastic moving 2 part PCS telescopic system ..
Thank you guys that makes a lot of sense , I never imagined at the beginning of his career he would of not used the regular plastic moving 2 part PCS telescopic system ..
teachingprotx
Legend
Michael , are you still enjoying and playing full time with the Becker WC frame?
i would have to think I’m not the only one that loves these elusive beautiful babies .
Could ever find it in your heart to take some more up close and personal pics of it . I know you have before . But anymore you happen to have I d absolutely love to see them .
I’ve now seen one in person shortly . But I’d love a play by play if your experiences . Gosh what would be so cool is to have a video of you hitting balls with it ! I’d be so excited to see that !
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Email me mvalek@live.co.uk
I’d love to be playing tennis too!!
I’d love to be playing tennis too!!
tennistiger
Professional
Beckers Vilas was a paint job from the beginning, ist was always a Super!
daddabompa
Hall of Fame
I seem to recall you saying the same thing few years ago on another thread.
Do you mean that Puma made “Super” layup especially for Becker, way before to put it into a retail racket with that name?
I was thought he always used a Winner and never a Super. Even in the Blue/Red PJ frame he used was the Winner (or Vilas) underneath.
teachingprotx
Legend
Same here but according to tennis tiger it’s a super the whole time
!And he has a ton of German literature to back his stuff up with. He’s helped me and provided me with a wealth of his knowledge about estusas it’s staggering how much Info he has just laying around . Tennis tiger is a tremendous resource for me regarding the wide range of specs for all the dif estusa with the shared puma molds.
Same here but according to tennis tiger it’s a super the whole time
And he has a ton of German literature to back his stuff up with. He’s helped me and provided me with a wealth of his knowledge about estusas it’s staggering how much Info he has just laying around . Tennis tiger is a tremendous resource for me regarding the wide range of specs for all the dif estusa with the shared puma molds.
huh, learn something every day. So he used the slightly stiffer version then.. interesting
proracketeer
Professional
Mould is always the same. There is one mystery; composition!
Winner: 30% Graphite
Super: 50% Graphite
Vilas: I don't know! + there might have been differences between retail and pro stock
Winner: 30% Graphite
Super: 50% Graphite
Vilas: I don't know! + there might have been differences between retail and pro stock
tennistiger
Professional
Yes
tennistiger
Professional
Retail Vilas and Becker were the same, only different name. 30 Glassfibre/ 70 Graphite. Beckers frames always 50/50.Mould is always the same. There is one mystery; composition!
Winner: 30% Graphite
Super: 50% Graphite
Vilas: I don't know! + there might have been differences between retail and pro stock
daddabompa
Hall of Fame
Thanks to clarify that...quite surprising they made a special layup for him even though just 17 years old and not yet at the top of the ranking.
Don’t think it was a standard treatment at the time, when “Pro Stocks” were not so common and almost all normal/retail rackets just with different paint job.
teachingprotx
Legend
Ok so retail VILAS is the actual racket Boris Becker used on tour with the blue and red super paint job .. forever ? Correct ?
daddabompa
Hall of Fame
Nope, if I understood correctly both Vilas and Winner were 30/70 as for Graphite/Fiberglass percentage, meanwhile Boris always used a 50/50 percentage as a special layup made for him, which only later became the retail Super sold to us.
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tennistiger
Professional
Vilas and Becker Winner were the same.
teachingprotx
Legend
Sheesh louise! Man . Why they gotta make it all so hard for us ..
thank you too tennis tiger
And dadda for all the info ! Much appreciated!
thank you too tennis tiger
And dadda for all the info ! Much appreciated!
