Best items you found at thrift stores (Goodwill)?

[Bambooman]

Take the buttcap off and take a look. The grommets strip appears to be sitting on top of the frame on the sides near the yoke. Another telltale sign.

 

[Grafil Injection]

I don't know it, and WKU could suggest 2007, but I'd go 2017 because of the condition and it seems similar to the Federer Tour XP 103, which you can still buy.

 

[retrowagen]

Found a Head TXE in 8/10 condition and in my grip size, for $6 this afternoon. Made my day!

 

[Grafil Injection]

Found a Head TXE in 8/10 condition and in my grip size, for $6 this afternoon. Made my day!

Don't forget your safety glasses when taking to the court. 360-degree random grommet explosions guaranteed.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Many Maxplies and Forts show up in local charity shops, but the Tournament model is fairly rare around here, so I thought I'd take a closer looks at this one from the 1950s-early 60s. You can tell the date from the three different types of shoulder binding, rather than the uniform style from the mid-60s onwards. Hits surprisingly nicely with a stable hoop and taught strings. Must have been a serious player's stick with that diamond of string-savers that seem totally robust too.

 

[retrowagen]

Don't forget your safety glasses when taking to the court. 360-degree random grommet explosions guaranteed.

Thanks for the concern and warning, but this one does not seem too brittle at all! I cleaned and restrung the frame over the weekend and it now seems closer to 9/10 condition! A keeper.

 

[kevin qmto]

Absolutely stoked to add this Yamaha XAM 6 to my collection, a frame on my ultimate tennis racket bucket list can be checked off! Of that line I always thought the 6 looked best, it resembles a piece of expensive 1980's hi-fi equipment or a computer or something. It just has this feeling of unmistakable quality, or at least it seems like it does! For a frame from the mid 80's its a bit odd seeing individual grommets still, but maybe that was so you could slap on one of those weighted grommet strips on top of them. I love how that tunable weight fad of the time fit right in with Yamaha's musical instrument origins. The XAM 6 comes in at 358g strung so I don't think it needs to be much heftier. I'm not positive this example is strung to factory specs, its currently sporting a unique 16x17 string pattern, that bottom cross does seem a bit high so maybe that was just a stringers custom. I don't know what 'Super Graphite' is but this conceptually designed, resonance tuned, equilibrium balancing tennis racquet is chock full of it! Lots of pics incoming because just look at it, it deserves being seen from many angles. Love that beveled hoop edge.

FB link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/162...k/3297982933923021/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

 

[michael valek]

you'd think they could have got the word 'performance' on one line

 

[kevin qmto]

you'd think they could have got the word 'performance' on one line

Yamaha respects the intelligence of the public enough to format their blurb like it’s an excerpt from a classic novel.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Nice condition XAM 6. The XAM range came out in 1983 according to Kuebler (but 1984 according to UK magazines I've got), which kinda explains the single grommets. Still a bit late though.

Pretty sure Annabel used the XAM 8 then Ceramic Gold 100 from 1986-7 after her Ultra II, which was the top of the line of the normal size models. The XAM 4 & 6 were midsize, and the XAM 8 was slightly larger called large-midsize. XAM 10 was oversize. The XAM 8 had Boron in the layup, and had gold and red pinstripes. The Ceramic Gold 100 (which you can see her using at Wimbledon 1987) was similar, but just had gold pinstripes and the big 100 label above the handle, which could look like a XAM6 in B&W. In semi-retirement (Age 21!) in 1988, she went back to Wilsons.

 

[kevin qmto]

Ah ok yeah that does look more like the 8 in photos I found now.

Interesting, I didn’t know what the deal with the XAM 10 was, I knew the 4 was a graf/fiber comp, the 6 was all graphite, 8 was graf/boron and 10 was ? I guess it was just an oversize 8?

 

[Grafil Injection]

Ah ok yeah that does look more like the 8 in photos I found now.

Interesting, I didn’t know what the deal with the XAM 10 was, I knew the 4 was a graf/fiber comp, the 6 was all graphite, 8 was graf/boron and 10 was ? I guess it was just an oversize 8?

Graphite-Kevlar in the Xam-10:

 

[michael valek]

Gotta love 5 digit uk phone numbers from the 70s/80s. 22285 was my grandmothers number remember it very clearly.

 

[michael valek]

And answering the phone by saying the number

 

[retrowagen]

The Yonex UK HQ was just a couple postcodes away from my teenage summer home in SW14.

 

[kevin qmto]

Gotta love 5 digit uk phone numbers from the 70s/80s. 22285 was my grandmothers number remember it very clearly.

I still remember all my childhood friends phone numbers... ah simpler times.

One more note about the XAM 6 is how well the grommets have held up. None are broken, they don't even have any stress marks on the corners. The strings in the frame are a mystery to me, the only text I can make out is "Graphite" printed on them and followed by 16 or 15L, every instance is smudged and I can't truly make it out. I think I've seen a black synthetic string called Prince Graphite before but I'm not positive it's this.

 

[eric42]

A little early 90's nostalgia in near pristine condition. Restrung and hit a bit with it. Sure don't make sticks like this anymore. 95 in, 359g and 359 SW strung, stiff and clubby. An absolute hammer once you get it moving.

https://imgur.com/a/1fJruVW

 

[legrandLeconte]

Absolutely stoked to add this Yamaha XAM 6 to my collection, a frame on my ultimate tennis racket bucket list can be checked off! Of that line I always thought the 6 looked best, it resembles a piece of expensive 1980's hi-fi equipment or a computer or something. It just has this feeling of unmistakable quality, or at least it seems like it does! For a frame from the mid 80's its a bit odd seeing individual grommets still, but maybe that was so you could slap on one of those weighted grommet strips on top of them. I love how that tunable weight fad of the time fit right in with Yamaha's musical instrument origins. The XAM 6 comes in at 358g strung so I don't think it needs to be much heftier. I'm not positive this example is strung to factory specs, its currently sporting a unique 16x17 string pattern, that bottom cross does seem a bit high so maybe that was just a stringers custom. I don't know what 'Super Graphite' is but this conceptually designed, resonance tuned, equilibrium balancing tennis racquet is chock full of it! Lots of pics incoming because just look at it, it deserves being seen from many angles. Love that beveled hoop edge.

FB link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/162...k/3297982933923021/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Hello. Congratulations on your purchase.
I have new XAM6, 8, and 10 models in my collection. My information indicates they are 88, 95, and 100 sq ft respectively. My XAM6 is still sealed and unstrung, but I understand the correct pattern is 16x19. It also came with a small bag containing the grommets for customization. I would love to find one to play with. Let us know how it performs. Best regards.

 

[kevin qmto]

A little early 90's nostalgia in near pristine condition. Restrung and hit a bit with it. Sure don't make sticks like this anymore. 95 in, 359g and 359 SW strung, stiff and clubby. An absolute hammer once you get it moving.

I don't want this post to get buried before I say hats off to you and your fine taste in Pro Kennex sticks. That candy apple red always pops and looks amazing.

Anyways, hope you're not tired of wayyyy too long posts with lots of pictures. You clicked on the thread, you know what you're in for!

I was absolutely stoked to see this sitting front and center at, yes, Play it Again Sports. New in factory shrink wrap, a Head Test frame. Sadly the sticker on the grip has all relevant text eroded. Probably sent out as a demo or press frame. Guess they never got any feedback on this one, it's probably never even seen a tennis ball in its life. No stats, or anything except a gloss piano black paint job and a gold Head logo, making it seem extra exclusive and important-like. The only colored bits are the head guard and grip, which helped narrow it down to the model its related to, which I'm fairly sure is the Graphite Tour 600. It has that throat dampener like other Trisys frames so I'm guessing this dates to around 1993-95. But it's also clear that it bares a strong family resemblance to my older Prestige Pro. If you lay them on top of one another they match up perfectly. The main differences being the beam on the Test is slightly thicker, has no cap grommets, and a bit of a concave throat taper, but besides that they're siblings. Wish I could find a new base grip in the right color. I do plan on opening this and hitting with it at some point.

FB Link:

Tennis Vintage and Classic Racquets (Rackets) Show, Buy or Sell | Probably one the of rarest pieces in my collection now is this Head Test frame | Facebook

Probably one the of rarest pieces in my collection now is this Head Test frame. Sadly the sticker on the grip has worn off all useful information over the decades. It bares closest resemblance to...

www.facebook.com

 

[vsbabolat]

I don't want this post to get buried before I say hats off to you and your fine taste in Pro Kennex sticks. That candy apple red always pops and looks amazing.

Anyways, hope you're not tired of wayyyy too long posts with lots of pictures. You clicked on the thread, you know what you're in for!

I was absolutely stoked to see this sitting front and center at, yes, Play it Again Sports. New in factory shrink wrap, a Head Test frame. Sadly the sticker on the grip has all relevant text eroded. Probably sent out as a demo or press frame. Guess they never got any feedback on this one, it's probably never even seen a tennis ball in its life. No stats, or anything except a gloss piano black paint job and a gold Head logo, making it seem extra exclusive and important-like. The only colored bits are the head guard and grip, which helped narrow it down to the model its related to, which I'm fairly sure is the Graphite Tour 600. It has that throat dampener like other Trisys frames so I'm guessing this dates to around 1993-95. But it's also clear that it bares a strong family resemblance to my older Prestige Pro. If you lay them on top of one another they match up perfectly. The main differences being the beam on the Test is slightly thicker, has no cap grommets, and a bit of a concave throat taper, but besides that they're siblings. Wish I could find a new base grip in the right color. I do plan on opening this and hitting with it at some point.

FB Link:

Tennis Vintage and Classic Racquets (Rackets) Show, Buy or Sell | Probably one the of rarest pieces in my collection now is this Head Test frame | Facebook

Probably one the of rarest pieces in my collection now is this Head Test frame. Sadly the sticker on the grip has worn off all useful information over the decades. It bares closest resemblance to...

www.facebook.com

This is the Graphite Tour 600 known as the Trisys 270 600 in the USA. These were given out to accounts as test hitters (seeding) in early 1993 before the launch Trisys Line in USA in spring of 1993. I got a Test frame of the Prestige Tour 600 AkA Trisys 300 600 in the USA in Jan 1993 and I got my Trisys 300 in March 1993.

 

[retrowagen]

This is the Graphite Tour 600 known as the Trisys 270 600 in the USA. These were given out to accounts as test hitters (seeding) in early 1993 before the launch Trisys Line in USA in spring of 1993. I got a Test frame of the Prestige Tour 600 AkA Trisys 300 600 in the USA in Jan 1993 and I got my Trisys 300 in March 1993.

And Head also provided “Test” thermo bags during the same campaign.

 

[kevin qmto]

This is the Graphite Tour 600 known as the Trisys 270 600 in the USA. These were given out to accounts as test hitters (seeding) in early 1993 before the launch Trisys Line in USA in spring of 1993. I got a Test frame of the Prestige Tour 600 AkA Trisys 300 600 in the USA in Jan 1993 and I got my Trisys 300 in March 1993.

Kind of surprised they’d pick both the 270 and the Prestige to make Test frames of considering they’re already so similar. I’d have thought if they’re selecting several different models they’d be ones you could immediately tell apart.

 

[vsbabolat]

Kind of surprised they’d pick both the 270 and the Prestige to make Test frames of considering they’re already so similar. I’d have thought if they’re selecting several different models they’d be ones you could immediately tell apart.

The reason was because they were actually brand new rackets for 1993. The Suspension Grip on the Prestige Tour 600/Trisys 300 was a new feature and the Graphite Tour 600 was a completely new frame from scratch with wider beam than the Prestige and the SAS dampening system for shock and vibration. SAS is a specialized rubber and carbon-fiber dampening insert located in the bridge of the frame. That was the sales pitch back in 1993

 

[vsbabolat]

And Head also provided “Test” thermo bags during the same campaign.

I had one. Lost it unfortunately.

 

[retrowagen]

I had one. Lost it unfortunately.

I had one as well. Sold it a few years back prior to a house move.

 

[kevin qmto]

Continuing whittling down my backlog. Found this Pro Staff Rok at a Play it Again for $9.99. Has a bit of head rash on the edge but its all in one piece still. I think this paint work looks better than the much more coveted Pro Staff Tour from that period. A 2002 release, and only 93sq in was starting to become a rarity by then, it appears they also sold a 102 version. The head shape is not quite your standard Pro Staff look, almost akin to the much later Babolat Pure Strike in its rounded edges, almost approaching Isometric but never quite committing to that life. But here the string pattern is dense, some might even say very dense. Despite its Rok name, it still feels softer than the Hyper Pro Staff 5.0 I have, even though I like that one quite a bit. Strangely this frame got so SI number at all, even though it was still very much in use on other frames, instead getting some Power Rating number that seems to make even less sense. Anyone here ever have a go with the Rok?
FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/162...k/3301396850248296/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

 

[fritzhimself]

The reason was because they were actually brand new rackets for 1993. The Suspension Grip on the Prestige Tour 600/Trisys 300 was a new feature and the Graphite Tour 600 was a completely new frame from scratch with wider beam than the Prestige and the SAS dampening system for shock and vibration. SAS is a specialized rubber and carbon-fiber dampening insert located in the bridge of the frame. That was the sales pitch back in 1993

Post in thread 'Head Graphite Tour 600 or Head Tour 600'

Apr 10, 2026

I found a rare Head Graphite Tour 600.
The frame weighs 320 g with a low swingweight of 279 (unstrung), a very low balance point of 308 mm, and a stiffness rating of 67 RA.

• fritzhimself

 

[Grafil Injection]

According to Serve & Volley April 1993, the Graphite Tour (at least the 660 model) was 60% HM graphite, 30% (normal) graphite and 10% Twaron. So a similar mix to the Prestige except for the Prestige has 5% fibreglass in place of some graphite. The Graphite Tour was £30 cheaper, so perhaps the Prestige's graphite was all HM.

 

[thenewbig3]

Added a $10 Sting Largehead to go with my $10 Prince Graphite OS v1. Two 350SW beasts. So much fun (when hitting with people 0.5 NTRP lower)

 

[kevin qmto]

Added a $10 Sting Largehead to go with my $10 Prince Graphite OS v1. Two 350SW beasts. So much fun (when hitting with people 0.5 NTRP lower)

Those both play great, and at the time the Sting was a tremondous value considering it was like $100 cheaper than the POG and some might argue nearly as good.

Nobody here has used or know anything about the Rok PS?

 

[thenewbig3]

Those both play great, and at the time the Sting was a tremondous value considering it was like $100 cheaper than the POG and some might argue nearly as good.

For people who are interested

 

[kevin qmto]

Ok well the Rok sunk like a well... you know. But I can't expect eveyone to have some comment on every frame ever, sometimes its just a stick. Probably why Wilson never made the Rok a mainstay of the PS lineup.

So lets try another flavor of Wilson from around the same time. Hyper Hammer 5.9 in a nice matte paint job that isn't the dumb rubberized finish they've unfortunately decided to start using again despite its known deterioration issues that I doubt have been resolved. I decided to add some lead strips to the grip to make it a little less head heavy, taking it from 9pts HH to only 1pt HH at 304g strung. Condition is excellent, it was a goodwill find so only $4.92.

FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627103527677645/permalink/3299139170474064/

 

[Grafil Injection]

This Slazenger College Model wood is so clean and glossy, you'd think it was one of Grays latest sticks. But given the highly oval grip shape and leather butt-cap, it must actually be from the early 1960s or beforehand. With a simple 5-ply layup and not even a fibre layer, it seems to be similar in specs to the Royal Crown in the low-mid range. At just 357g, 32.5cm balance, I can imagine these being provided to schools by the score for new players to learn the game with. Beautifully rolled frame and gold treblings, I wonder if they made it in full weight.

 

[mavsman149]

I’ll have to look this up but I think I just found the real Thomas Johansson stick he used in his career in solid shape for 2.99.

It’s the Dunlop Revelation Tour Pro MP. I’ll take some pics later.

 

[kevin qmto]

Found Wilson's entry into the Titanium fad. It was a $12.99 Play it Again find, and its the less common 95sq in version, you really seem to see a lot more OS Pro Staff 6.6 Ti frames for whatever reason. For a thicker beam and Ti labeled frame you'd think it'd have a lower SI number but maybe its got a different layup than the traditional 80/20 graf to kevlar. Saw a NOS example with a 1999 copyright date on the leaflet, and no wilsonsports.com badge so I guess that does narrow it down to a late 20th century racket. Comes in at 308g strung and 5pts HL. Little light for my tastes but I'll see how the feel is. Pro Staffs usually feel right to me, even the more wild ones like the 4.5 widebody or the PS Extreme 6.7 which is sub 300g in weight. I like that buttcap design with the rubber jewel and trap door, but don't like how few of them have factory date codes. Not pictured, but when I picked it up I noticed the grip felt enormous, despite it being labeled a 4 1/2. Peeling back all the layers, it featured a layer of standard medical tape over the pallet, then a base grip, then an overgrip, then one more overgrip, and another layer of medical tape for good measure I suppose. Felt more like 5 1/4 at that point.
FB link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627103527677645/permalink/3313041865750461/

 

[Grafil Injection]

There's a Wilson Staff Tour on UKbay at the moment that I've never heard of. High-beam series and probably mid-range given the paint-job, but the nice grey leather grip does make me wonder what the layup was.

 

[michael valek]

having a clearout here, I'm not a thrift store, but lots to go cheaply, dm me if anyone wants

 

[kevin qmto]

There's a Wilson Staff Tour on UKbay at the moment that I've never heard of. High-beam series and probably mid-range given the paint-job, but the nice grey leather grip does make me wonder what the layup was.

Almost forgot to add the fb link above for you just in case you were curious. Grey leather? probably a 1989 or 1990 release then. Seems they phased out grey in the early 90’s from what I’ve seen.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Almost forgot to add the fb link above for you just in case you were curious. Grey leather? probably a 1989 or 1990 release then. Seems they phased out grey in the early 90’s from what I’ve seen.

Yep, it's definitely an early High-Beam model with the traditional white butt-cap too.

Your PS Titanium may have a date code on the inside edge of the body of the butt-cap when you remove the cover. I think my HPS had it there.

 

[kevin qmto]

Just got done hitting with this for an hour or so. Yonex RQ-320. It occupied the first page of Yonex's 1991 catalog along with the RQ-360 in the "Super Widebody Series" so I guess they're both considered co-flagship models. They use the same mold, but the 360 is supposed to be stiffer, and this one more flexible. Of course with a beam that wide it still feels pretty firm to me. Featuring a fairly unflashy paint job, simple fade and graphics. On the throat, the OPS is painted on the frame, and the Pat. Pend is a sticker, maybe to be painted on in future runs? Also wait I thought it was called IPS? What is OPS? The buttcap says 1076 US so maybe that meant USA region? Or did that mean something completely different? Unlike a lot of Yonex frames, I didn't struggle much to find the sweetspot. Slices were very fun, hit a few lasers with it. didn't try any serves because apparently I'm not allowed to hit them ever again, this might cause me to miss the next Woodie Classic next month where I'm defending champ Oh No.

FB link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/162...k/3282460042141977/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

just quoting this post because I met and played against a young college kid tonight who's staying in town over the summer. He uses Yonex so I thought I'd bring out one of my own too. After rallying for an hour we played a set, first set I'd played in over 2 months due to my shoulder. I've found hitting relatively weak 2nd serves up the T doesn't hurt much so that's what I did and even managed to hold serve a few times, though the set was dominated by each of us breaking the other. At one point there were 4 consecutive breaks but the level of play was quite high I'd say. This RQ-320 feels pretty great for compact swings with a spinny follow-through. The kid had a hard 1st serve and as a lefty he loved to bring it up the T to by backhand, and chipping it back with this was a breeze. Wish I'd filmed it, but I didn't even bring my camera.

I won the set 7/5 and it was quite grueling but a lot of fun too. Hope to play him again.

 

[kevin qmto]

In other news (maybe a bit pretentious to even call it news). I found a 3rd bumblebee Radical at a Goodwill, maybe some day I'll finally find a Pro Tour 280, I know they're out there, the other main thrift store racket collector in STL has found one (In addition to THREE SV Pro Staffs, ugh). This one is the Austrian OS, to go with my Austrian MP and late 90's reissue. Did the Trisys numbers mean anything in Head's marketing lingo? They went all the way from 170-300 at least, maybe higher? Credit to Head's Chinese affiliate (Marshall Corp?) as my two OS Radicals pictured weigh exactly the same to the gram, and have identical balance points. I always wondered why I could only find one specs sheet for the bumblebee Rad, and I guess that's because they really did match specs over each generation.

I actually recently read Agassi's book Open (yeah, yeah I'm sure everyone else read it years ago). Overall its good, I didn't like it quite as much as I thought I would. While it does a great job at communicating his unique, and frequently traumatic upbringing and intro into pro tennis, sometimes I felt like there was some glaring omissions. Like for instance, Andre mentions Prince a few times. Then he spends a few pages going over the Donnay sponsorship racket debacle, how he tried their frame and initially hated it, went to Miami using a blacked out POG with a D stencil, then eventually they made him a custom stick that was more or less a Donnay POG with no stabilizer bar.

But his switch to the Radical isn't even mentioned. Hell HEAD itself is not mentioned at all the whole book, kind of shocking as he was still under contract with them when the book was published. No mention of his super dense string pattern he used for a while either, no mention of that clay season in 05 where he actually used a MP Instinct and seemed to do well with it. No mention of that RG '98 where he again used a blacked out POG... But he spends a bunch of time talking about switching from Pro Blend to Luxilon. Like Head, Adidas, is not mentioned a single time by name, Andre quickly drops a line about "no longer being sponsored by Nike", and chooses to omit them for some strange reason.. You might counter with: "well he only wore them the last 2 years of his career, is it that important?" And the answer is Not really, but Andre went into great detail about the story of him getting his first Nike contract; the nervous money negotiations, flying out to pick out the most radical clothes they had on offer, etc. I expected him to contrast what it was like to negotiate and sign with another major company later in his career, but nope, nothing. So odd considering he was signed to them through 2010 I believe. Actually his whole career post 02 flies by in a few pages (outside of the obvious 06 US Open) to my great disappointment, as those are the years I was watching him closely growing up and actually remembered without reliving via youtube. Brad Gilbert was on the Roddick podcast and spent a lot of time talking to Andy about how later in his career, nothing fired up Andre like when he had to play Hewitt. He'd go into a whole other level of prep and strategizing for Hewitt, and yet in the book Hewitt gets only passing mention a couple times. Agassi spent far more time talking about Todd Martin than Hewitt. Idk I could go on like this about many other moments, and there's a couple times my "this sounds made up" alarm blared in my head, but it's his story and I have no proof to refute anything. Like what really bugs me is when he singles out a few losses over the course of a season as if they each weighed on him and one match caused him stress and doubt in the next, but you look up his match history and you realize he played 7 matches in between them and won most of them. It just seems like he was weaving a narrative after the fact. I liked the stories with Gil and Brad. Didn't care much at all for the Brooke Shields drama or honestly even the Steffi courting, some of his tactics if done by a normal person, would come off as downright creepy.
I give the book a 6/10 overall.

Anyways, here's some pics.
FB LInk: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627103527677645/permalink/3301589403562374/

 

[djNEiGht]

I think I have x3 bumblebees. One MIA and a couple fr later generations. Those later ones were lighter and i tried to match it up to the original. I ended up making it back to stock (but with leather grip)

 

[lim]

In other news (maybe a bit pretentious to even call it news). I found a 3rd bumblebee Radical at a Goodwill, maybe some day I'll finally find a Pro Tour 280, I know they're out there, the other main thrift store racket collector in STL has found one (In addition to THREE SV Pro Staffs, ugh). This one is the Austrian OS, to go with my Austrian MP and late 90's reissue
. Did the Trisys numbers mean anything in Head's marketing lingo? They went all the way from 170-300 at least, maybe higher? Credit to Head's Chinese affiliate (Marshall Corp?) as my two OS Radicals pictured weigh exactly the same to the gram, and have identical balance points. I always wondered why I could only find one specs sheet for the bumblebee Rad, and I guess that's because they really did match specs over each generation.

I actually recently read Agassi's book Open (yeah, yeah I'm sure everyone else read it years ago). Overall its good, I didn't like it quite as much as I thought I would. While it does a great job at communicating his unique, and frequently traumatic upbringing and intro into pro tennis, sometimes I felt like there was some glaring omissions. Like for instance, Andre mentions Prince a few times. Then he spends a few pages going over the Donnay sponsorship racket debacle, how he tried their frame and initially hated it, went to Miami using a blacked out POG with a D stencil, then eventually they made him a custom stick that was more or less a Donnay POG with no stabilizer bar.

But his switch to the Radical isn't even mentioned. Hell HEAD itself is not mentioned at all the whole book, kind of shocking as he was still under contract with them when the book was published. No mention of his super dense string pattern he used for a while either, no mention of that clay season in 05 where he actually used a MP Instinct and seemed to do well with it. No mention of that RG '98 where he again used a blacked out POG... But he spends a bunch of time talking about switching from Pro Blend to Luxilon. Like Head, Adidas, is not mentioned a single time by name, Andre quickly drops a line about "no longer being sponsored by Nike", and chooses to omit them for some strange reason.. You might counter with: "well he only wore them the last 2 years of his career, is it that important?" And the answer is Not really, but Andre went into great detail about the story of him getting his first Nike contract; the nervous money negotiations, flying out to pick out the most radical clothes they had on offer, etc. I expected him to contrast what it was like to negotiate and sign with another major company later in his career, but nope, nothing. So odd considering he was signed to them through 2010 I believe. Actually his whole career post 02 flies by in a few pages (outside of the obvious 06 US Open) to my great disappointment, as those are the years I was watching him closely growing up and actually remembered without reliving via youtube. Brad Gilbert was on the Roddick podcast and spent a lot of time talking to Andy about how later in his career, nothing fired up Andre like when he had to play Hewitt. He'd go into a whole other level of prep and strategizing for Hewitt, and yet in the book Hewitt gets only passing mention a couple times. Agassi spent far more time talking about Todd Martin than Hewitt. Idk I could go on like this about many other moments, and there's a couple times my "this sounds made up" alarm blared in my head, but it's his story and I have no proof to refute anything. Like what really bugs me is when he singles out a few losses over the course of a season as if they each weighed on him and one match caused him stress and doubt in the next, but you look up his match history and you realize he played 7 matches in between them and won most of them. It just seems like he was weaving a narrative after the fact. I liked the stories with Gil and Brad. Didn't care much at all for the Brooke Shields drama or honestly even the Steffi courting, some of his tactics if done by a normal person, would come off as downright creepy.
I give the book a 6/10 overall.

Anyways, here's some pics.
FB LInk: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627103527677645/permalink/3301589403562374/

love these bumblebees. absolute return machines. after hitting with these immediately understood how AA was manhandling some of those servers back then haha

 

[kevin qmto]

These ultra wide Spaldings are too fun to leave behind when I find them at Goodwills. Now I've got the Assault 95, this Trident 100, and the Ellyp-Tech 110. Let's see how stiff Spaldings patented straight throat beam tech makes this aluminum widebody. It has an A/R rating of .76 which might mean something to someone, but not me. I think that had to do with flex or stiffness. I love the paint work and had to pick it up since the frame is in 9.9/10 condition and the original stencil is still in tact. This thing looks like the most play it ever say was bouncing a ball a couple times then on the shelf it went. I don't expect anyone to know what the factory buttcap codes for Spalding were, but this one is EX.

 

[mixtape]

Nice pick up! What year did these come out? Those Spaldings have that OrbiTech look to them. I guess more of an OVALtech. lol

 

[kevin qmto]

Nice pick up! What year did these come out? Those Spaldings have that OrbiTech look to them. I guess more of an OVALtech. lol

This one is interesting as it has a more traditional oval shape than the pure roundness that is the orbi tech and ellyp-tech frames. I think it was somewhere between 1991-93. The Assault and Orbitech frames came out in 1990 and these variations came after.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Happy to find a Challenge X10 so I can recreate the 1978 Slazenger advert. Despite there being a four-fold difference in prices from the No.1 wood (£37.50) to the Phantom Graphite (£150), all of these were considered top-of-the-range players rackets, such was the materials transition underway. At that moment many Pros were using the No.1 of course, and Orantes was using the X10. I think I've seen a few Pros with the Phantom, but not sure if any used the fibre-glass Grand-Prix, although that would be my pick.

The X10 with Tensilium was made in England because of the proximity to the coast where they could farm the oyster and clam shell ligaments required ( ). Pretty stiff, but not crazy like the Phantom. Decent vibration absorption, and not too girder-esque like most aluminiums. Very useable L4 specs of 370g, 33cm balance, and feels more stable and easy to hit than most woods at that level.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

https://imgur.com/dz3G1iZ

I am just learning to post a picture.
I started out buying thrift shop rackets that were gimmicky- like this Space T1 by Rox-Pro. I will try to improve as I go.

 

[kevin qmto]

Those Rox frames always look like they’re from the future no matter how old they are lol.

 

[fritzhimself]

Post in thread 'An odd find at at a boot sale : SP.IN G-300 anyone heard of it ?'

Jun 4, 2025

I also recently came across a Rox Pro 300.
Here are the data, strung, as in the picture:
Weight 337.5g SW 301.2, balance 320mm, RA 72.
Head size about 98 inch².
The last upper string is broken and was tied off rather unprofessionally.
In any case, I still measured an SBS of 38 DT.

Rox Pro G 300 — Postimages

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Detail 3 — Postimages

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Detail 2 — Postimages

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Detail 1 — Postimages

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• fritzhimself

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