Becker world champion racket

tennistiger

Professional
Thought experiment for you all.

What frame could you see Becker using if he hadn't been with Puma/Estusa? Anyone think he would have naturally gravitated toward Völkl? Back in the day and let's say he was on tour today? What would suit his game?
He had a racket in 1988 that he liked:
The Head Graphite Pro (Black, white bumper and small Red/Blue cosmetics https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/head-graphite-pro-tf.596884/ ) was developed together with Becker. He played it in show matches with Connors in summer and it could have been his new racket that year but there were disagreements about money and sponsor activities so no contract was made.
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
He had a racket in 1988 that he liked:
The Head Graphite Pro (Black, white bumper and small Red/Blue cosmetics https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/head-graphite-pro-tf.596884/ ) was developed together with Becker. He played it in show matches with Connors in summer and it could have been his new racket that year but there were disagreements about money and sponsor activities so no contract was made.
Yes, it was the 1989 Graphite Pro TF
 

Play2win

Rookie
It's probably mentioned elsewhere, but I thought it was interesting that in the Berlin Tennis Gallery video Gunter Bosch said that of the first 200,000 units of the Vilas racket, about half were returned to Puma because of rattling in the handle area! He also said that Becker's racket was completely different from the retail version (implying different layup), and the rattling in his Vilas was stopped by injecting silicone into the handle. This meant the Vilas / Winner could no longer be marketed with the PCS function mentioned (presumably under German advertising law).
Puma would send frames for Becker to Uli who would have to reject like 78 out of 80 because of poor quality control. The lack of quality control and these issues continued at Estusa. When Uli visited the fa tory in Asia it was unbelievably bad. That is why they went to Head and he designed the racquet himself. The result was what ha played with until retireing in 99
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Is it yours? Also I don't think the rackets made for the general public had that "Made in Austria by Head" mention. Does this one belong to Boris?
That’s not mine. It was one of Boris’ frames. I do have BBWC. To me it does not play like the Estusa or Puma. The HEAD BBWC plays much more solid. Kind of feels like an open pattern Prestige. I wonder if it has Twaron?
 
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Grafil Injection

Hall of Fame
My Winner has somewhat loose strings, so I'm planning to restring with Tourna Syngut at 55lbs. Does anyone know if the rather flimsy looking grommet strip could disintegrate? They currently look fine with no cracks, but it is a somewhat delicate and irreplaceable looking strip.
 

galain

Hall of Fame
He had a racket in 1988 that he liked:
The Head Graphite Pro (Black, white bumper and small Red/Blue cosmetics https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/head-graphite-pro-tf.596884/ ) was developed together with Becker. He played it in show matches with Connors in summer and it could have been his new racket that year but there were disagreements about money and sponsor activities so no contract was made.

Thanks. I was actually picturing him with something like the original Prestige Pro. First I ever saw of him he was swinging that Adidas GTX.
 

tennistiger

Professional
Puma would send frames for Becker to Uli who would have to reject like 78 out of 80 because of poor quality control. The lack of quality control and these issues continued at Estusa. When Uli visited the fa tory in Asia it was unbelievably bad. That is why they went to Head and he designed the racquet himself. The result was what ha played with until retireing in 99
Thats not the only point. If the delivered Estusas had bad quality we have to ask why? There where rumors that Estusa wanted to get out of the Becker contract because it was too expensive. They had financial problems that time. And they had the great attention in 90/91, even more would not be possible in the future to justify more payments and the Becker Racket series itself was not a real success neither in Germany. And how to do it best? They stopped the payment in Februar 92 and - rumors - they delivered with intention rackets with bad quality...
The result was as wished that the contract between Estusa and Tivi was cancelled later.
 
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Ronin74

New User
Been loving all the info in this thread! Just had my first real hit with a BBWC this morning. Definitely my favorite of the design (I also have a Puma Super and Estusa PB). Something I've been wondering is how the BBWC were sold into the market? Did Becker have a distributor handle it? Did HEAD sell them directly? I read in another thread they were only available for purchase through a sporting goods store in Germany, is that correct? Does anyone have info on this?
 

Play2win

Rookie
Ulrich Kuehnel made the frame, Head made the molds, 500 for Boris, 3100 to be sold as replicas. The 3100 were sold to a german distributor who in turn would etc... nothing much came of it.Becker was a tennis player. He played with the racquets. Urlich was the one who intermediated the technical aspects wiTh Puma then Estusa and when the lack of quality control became too much of an issue he designed these red blue frames.
 

Ronin74

New User
Ulrich Kuehnel made the frame, Head made the molds, 500 for Boris, 3100 to be sold as replicas. The 3100 were sold to a german distributor who in turn would etc... nothing much came of it.Becker was a tennis player. He played with the racquets. Urlich was the one who intermediated the technical aspects wiTh Puma then Estusa and when the lack of quality control became too much of an issue he designed these red blue frames.
Thanks for clarifying!
 

tennistiger

Professional
They were sold from Summer 1996 only at the Sport Voswinkel shops in Germany for 899 DM with the wooden box. I still have the order form. Customers could choose grip size and stringing tension. String job would be done by IPDS method with the Kuehnel Masterpiece.
Voswinkel was because Kuehnel had a good relation to them. Before his job with Becker he worked at sport shops in NRW. But the sales were not good so in autumn 1996 Voswinkel sold the racket strung with the Masterpiece and without Box but with a cover for only 199 DM. That was not much for a racket that time in Germany and also strung with one of the best multis. I bought my three ones at Sport Voswinkel Köln in September 1996. I remember it as yesterday. It was Christmas and Birthday together. At first I was there to buy the Lotto Becker Pro shoes. I never was happier to spend so much money. I still regret that I did not get more. I could have walked out of the store with 30 or more rackets!
The last rackets were sold at the ATP WM in Hannover in November 1996.
 
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Ronin74

New User
This is exactly the info I've been searching for! What great fortune to be at Sports Voswinkel in September 1996! Thanks for sharing!
 

tennistiger

Professional
This is exactly the info I've been searching for! What great fortune to be at Sports Voswinkel in September 1996! Thanks for sharing!
Yeah, it was luck to be in Köln in that shop at the right moment. Two month later all rackets were gone. And as a Teenager living in a small town you went to a big city for shopping only 2-3 times a year. I still remember searching the Lotto Becker Pro in Winter 1994 for the first time. It cost me one day and nearly ten shops to get a pair. It was the time without onlineshops and www! It was often hard work but after a shopping success I think I was happier than today!
 

Ronin74

New User
I remember those days. Scouring shops trying to find certain racquets or shoes. Calling distributors out of the back of magazines to place a phone order. Lol, so much easier now
 

Play2win

Rookie
There are still plenty of these racquets brand new on e bay in all grip sizes. I got mine there then sent them to Urlich Kuehnel to customize them
 

Ronin74

New User
Ok, I need some help. I recently scored an old Estusa Provantech with the cover off of the bay. It looked like it was in really bad shape but the price was so good I couldn't let it go. After it arrived it was covered in debris from the rotted out grip, that's why it looked chipped up in pics. After I cleaned it, it was near mint condition! I decided to clean the inside of the cover out so it wouldn't get covered in crap again. That's when I noticed that the cover had a faded autograph on it! It looks like it could be Becker's signed initials! I need someone I can email a pic to that can tell me if it is or not. Thanks!
 
Ok, I need some help. I recently scored an old Estusa Provantech with the cover off of the bay. It looked like it was in really bad shape but the price was so good I couldn't let it go. After it arrived it was covered in debris from the rotted out grip, that's why it looked chipped up in pics. After I cleaned it, it was near mint condition! I decided to clean the inside of the cover out so it wouldn't get covered in crap again. That's when I noticed that the cover had a faded autograph on it! It looks like it could be Becker's signed initials! I need someone I can email a pic to that can tell me if it is or not. Thanks!
Pics man!
 

Play2win

Rookie
I have a question though. Are these genuine rackets made for Boris Becker and sold on the general market for a specific occasion (what I seem to recall), I mean with real BB specs (weight, balance etc.) ? Or are they just the closest thing to Boris' actual rackets that you can find?

The other day I saw on the auction site a Bosworth racket customized for Boris, basically a Puma with an Estusa paintjob. Looked gorgeous but the price was far too high. It's still on sale by the way.
Yes, at least partially. The frames with just pallets are tge exact frames made for him, 500 in number as opposed to the other 3100 sold as BBWC. His were slightly longer, and no definitive specs as his racquet technician often changed the lead placement due to arious reasons. Also different teflon like plastic grommets and custom Babolat VS natural gut. But the world champion limited edition frame is basically what he played with after estusa (that is another story)
 
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