vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
He designed some cool racquets.
Best items you found at thrift stores (Goodwill)?
- Thread starter flashfire276
- Start date
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
He sure did. He had quite a bit of notoriety and yet I still think he’s underrated or not known enough by the tennis populace.
vandre
Hall of Fame
tyvm! i used the 660 cm2 version of the trysis 250 in college. my shoulder hurts just looking at your pics!!! 
Found this pair of 90's Head widebodys together for a whopping $5 locally! Both in very good shape, looking forward to hitting with them. They seem quite similar to each other. the Trisys 250 is a 110in-ish head and weighs 332g strung, the Discovery Classic is 107in (I’m assuming, it’s slightly smaller) and 336g strung.
As usual, chime in if you know anything interesting about either.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
I’ll say this, the discovery classic hit way better.tyvm! i used the 660 cm2 version of the trysis 250 in college. my shoulder hurts just looking at your pics!!!
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
After two hits with the Steffi Auto Graf, I'm impressed with what you get for a mid-low range racket in those days. Similar to the CS-160 it has ample power, and the 97sqi head with very open stringbed makes relaxed rallying easy. You do get a sense of the ceramic firmness (RA around 60) and at 357g it is a bit heavy on the arm when hitting ground-strokes, but not too bad on serves given the 6pt HL balance. The main concern is controlling the easy power/depth. Debating trying a soft poly like Revolve or PTP in one of these ceramic sticks just to see what happens. Probably better in the Steffi AG given it's bigger and heavier.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Question: How popular was the Wilson Graphite Aggressor 95 (mid 90s version, royal blue high beam series)? I seem to find one at nearly every goodwill / Play it Again Sports in my town. The only reason I haven't just bit the bullet and picked one out is they never seem to be in great shape, when the paint chips, the frame underneath is very light in color, almost whiteish. So any chips are very noticeable and look bad. It is a full graphite frame, not an alloy fusion.
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Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Do seem to be a lot for sale, but I only vaguely recall it. I think it is actually similar to the Auto Graf in a way: full weight and sensible specs, but stuck in no man's land being at the bottom of serious rackets (so no 'player' will use it) and at the top of recreational sticks (so too expensive for just fun users). Probably quite good, but unlikely to have any special qualities to make it become a classic. Probably worth trying if you find a nice one for <$30.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
I had to get this for £7.50, even though I could see the grommet strip and lack of drainage hole indicating that it wasn't IMF:
Identical dimensions to the Phantom IMF (and Challenge Comp IMF (although I've never seen that)): 19mm beam, 10mm cross section, 84sqi head, chamfered throat-bridge and nice leather grip. Handle shape and butt-cap is more rectangular than the IMF models, more like a Head. My specs: 350g, 32.75cm (5pt HL) balance. Glossy paintjob is ok, but not as classy as IMFs.
But string-bed is 16x19, although there is room to make it 18x20 like the IMF version, so may just have been incorrectly strung.
Minimal graphics amounting to just Slazenger in 4 places, and Graphite at the top. Very flexy and quite similar to Phantom IMF, but grommet channel is different and starts 1cm higher up. No idea what this is, other than an identical mould made for compression process. Very strange. Hits quite nice, but not as solid as IMF. Guessing a lot of fibreglass in it, and late 80s production, but I suppose it could predate the Phantom IMF.
Identical dimensions to the Phantom IMF (and Challenge Comp IMF (although I've never seen that)): 19mm beam, 10mm cross section, 84sqi head, chamfered throat-bridge and nice leather grip. Handle shape and butt-cap is more rectangular than the IMF models, more like a Head. My specs: 350g, 32.75cm (5pt HL) balance. Glossy paintjob is ok, but not as classy as IMFs.
But string-bed is 16x19, although there is room to make it 18x20 like the IMF version, so may just have been incorrectly strung.
Minimal graphics amounting to just Slazenger in 4 places, and Graphite at the top. Very flexy and quite similar to Phantom IMF, but grommet channel is different and starts 1cm higher up. No idea what this is, other than an identical mould made for compression process. Very strange. Hits quite nice, but not as solid as IMF. Guessing a lot of fibreglass in it, and late 80s production, but I suppose it could predate the Phantom IMF.
5sets
Hall of Fame
Scooped up a Prince Magnesium Pro 90 and Dunlop Tour Revelation Pro w/ their original covers for under $4 each after Veterans Day weekend sale was applied.
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
The Mag Pro 90 is an excellent find! Those are actually quite rare.
5sets
Hall of Fame
@retrowagen @vsbabolat isn’t the two pieces of the frame not meeting together before the grip a sign of a cheap Kmart frame. If I remember correctly Prince Pro and others from this time the frame is all connected. If I didn’t read everyone on here regularly i definitely would have left her behind.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
No, it’s sign of an alloy or aluminum racket. The magnesium pro came out in 1984 when alloy rackets were still popular. That’s also the thing about the mid 80’s. You had variety. You had graphite, wood/graphite composites, and aluminum racquets all being sold as top end premium rackets.
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coachrick
Hall of Fame
As vsb said, there was variety in materials(actual variety in most cases, not just a new marketing name for the same old stuff) and the non-integral throat bridge essentially died with the Mag Pro. I can't think of another racket that had that feature that held on longer. There was little price advantage to the Mag Pro, compared with the difference between aluminum vs graphite composites. We had a couple of die-hard Mag users who were good players; but I was never drawn to it. It had a very shallow string channel and no bumper; so it was susceptible to damage from court impact(as were the strings, especially heavy gauges).
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
My dad had 2 mag pros that he used as his main from 1987-2002ish. He bought them because that what Pat Cash used to win Wimby lol. He is always very careful with his stuff so they had little wear. But for some reason I preferred how my moms Prince Classic hit over it.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
As others said, the open neck design has definitely been a sign of low range sticks for aboout the last 35 years or so. However, as well as the Mag Pro, Prince made the Precision Graphite in the Series 90 range of 1984 using the same 'mould'. It's a nice hit coming in at my favorite specs - 350g, 32cm balance. What are the specs of your Mag Pro?
5sets
Hall of Fame
12.5 grams strung; I just have a scale…As others said, the open neck design has definitely been a sign of low range sticks for aboout the last 35 years or so. However, as well as the Mag Pro, Prince made the Precision Graphite in the Series 90 range of 1984 using the same 'mould'. It's a nice hit coming in at my favorite specs - 350g, 32cm balance. What are the specs of your Mag Pro?
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Oz of course. So 354g.
5sets
Hall of Fame
Yuppers
East Lions
Rookie
Found this beauty locally really cheap, looks like it has never been used.
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
I had one briefly back in the day..... makes my elbow hurt just looking at it........
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Beautiful!Found this beauty locally really cheap, looks like it has never been used.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
^^^ most of them say that from what I've seen.
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Indeed, beautiful!Found this beauty locally really cheap, looks like it has never been used.
Frankc
Professional
Maybe nothin special here as far as rarity of finds, but peering up at me today at the Thrift was a Jack Kramer Auto with the 7 Crown Speed Flex Fibre Face, absolutely superb condition with a slight nick maybe here and there, all original with a perfect sticker, Medium 4 5/8, original leather and straight as a string. For $3.98 , I can revisit the exact frame for my late youth competition, college comp, and prime time until 1979 when I shifted to Mac's Pro Staff, a 4 1/2 Light for me. Too cool for me to hold this beauty again...
I have a NOS set of thin Imperial Gut or early VS ready for this Kramer - easy to forget how absolutely gorgeous was the craft in this era... Too many sweet memories...
( I still feel, with maybe an obvious bias, that the "game" was a far more interesting and varied one with this era tech - more of a battle of different tactics, feel and athleticism...)
I have a NOS set of thin Imperial Gut or early VS ready for this Kramer - easy to forget how absolutely gorgeous was the craft in this era... Too many sweet memories...
( I still feel, with maybe an obvious bias, that the "game" was a far more interesting and varied one with this era tech - more of a battle of different tactics, feel and athleticism...)
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graycrait
Legend
I played JKA wood till around 1985ish, starting 1960. I don't think tennis is now ess or more interesting but today it is nearly another game altogether with the use of "granny sticks," poly strings, the same size court and line placement as used in the wood racket era.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
I sold a racket locally, so you know what that means! Time to instantly replace it. This time I heard a calling from planet Pro Kennex in the form of the Graphite Jupiter. I picked it up for 2 reasons. 1. dig the space paintjob. and the squares looks straight out of a breakout arcade game.
Question: I could have SWORN, there used to be a thread here about the crazy history between Kunnan Lo and their factory over in Thailand in the 90's? Like some sort of criminal operation was happening under their nose there, and the end result was them shutting that factory down? Or at least no longer producing rackets there.
Frame notes: 92in head, wide contour, which I don't think is the same as widebody but correct me if I'm wrong. Constant beam, no huge taper like the Destiny or Presence. Haven't put it on the scale yet, strings feel reasonably tight. 14x18 string pattern, hope I like it more than the Prince Power Pro.
Question: I could have SWORN, there used to be a thread here about the crazy history between Kunnan Lo and their factory over in Thailand in the 90's? Like some sort of criminal operation was happening under their nose there, and the end result was them shutting that factory down? Or at least no longer producing rackets there.
Frame notes: 92in head, wide contour, which I don't think is the same as widebody but correct me if I'm wrong. Constant beam, no huge taper like the Destiny or Presence. Haven't put it on the scale yet, strings feel reasonably tight. 14x18 string pattern, hope I like it more than the Prince Power Pro.
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djNEiGht
Legend
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Even my garbage rackets get the studio treatment. Hopefully this one plays nicely. I've yet to be let down by a Pro Kennex racket (well except maybe the crappy aluminum one I had as a kid lol).
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vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I know a lot of Prince rackets were made in that factory in ThailandI sold a racket locally, so you know what that means! Time to instantly replace it. This time I heard a calling from planet Pro Kennex in the form of the Graphite Jupiter. I picked it up for 2 reasons. 1. dig the space paintjob. and the squares looks straight out of a breakout arcade game.
Question: I could have SWORN, there used to be a thread here about the crazy history between Kunnan Lo and their factory over in Thailand in the 90's? Like some sort of criminal operation was happening under their nose there, and the end result was them shutting that factory down?
Frame notes: 92in head, wide contour, which I don't think is the same as widebody but correct me if I'm wrong. Constant beam, no huge taper like the Destiny or Presence. Haven't put it on the scale yet, strings feel reasonably tight. 14x18 string pattern, hope I like it more than the Prince Power Pro.
graycrait
Legend
@kevin qmto ,
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
A "non-Pro" Kennex?
Newbie here. My sincere apologies if this topic has been covered elsewhere in the forum. Searching for this racquet by name only brought up posts mentioning the "normal" Black Ace. My personal experience with racquets only goes back to about 1980. As far as I can remember, the Kennex brand...
tt.tennis-warehouse.com
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Ah. Yes the water tanker filled with black market pro kennex rackets story lol. Hope it’s true, would love to find a news article about that.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
What is the 'wide contour' on that? Looks around 22mm?
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Good eye lol! By my tape measure, it’s either 22 or maybe 23mm at the very most.
I got around to putting it on the scale. Man this is a hefty beast. Weighing in at 374g strung, it’s my new heaviest graphite frame I’ve ever owned according to my list. Only things I own that weigh more are prince woodies and the Rawlings tie breaker, which is metal of course.
PBODY99
Legend
@Grafil Injection
That is an example of an early wide body control frame. It is a clone of the Prince design that was out at the time.
A Pro Staff were around 18 mm so an frame with that non box beam shape had different playing characteristics.
That is an example of an early wide body control frame. It is a clone of the Prince design that was out at the time.
A Pro Staff were around 18 mm so an frame with that non box beam shape had different playing characteristics.
I will say that the Wilson Hammer 5.0 Stretch that I mentioned a few posts back seems to be my holy grail find so far.
Wasn't really expecting that. It's the first racquet that I've found that seems to have it all. And that's playing with it with the strings that were on it, no doubt for years.
Wasn't really expecting that. It's the first racquet that I've found that seems to have it all. And that's playing with it with the strings that were on it, no doubt for years.
Found a Wilson Sting 95 HB in a Goodwill for $5.99. It's in pristine condition overall with just some wear. It also has the original leather grip and nylon strings. Was hesitating whether to get this because of the grip size being 4 5/8, which is much larger than what I normally use at a 4 1/4 (My actual grip size is 4 1/2), but I just couldn't place it back. Any thoughts on what I should do with this? Strings? Replace Grip? etc. Also anyone know a racket brand called ReD? There was another racquet that was silver outside, red inside, and had a crossbar like the Sting and like the Prince graphite, 16x18 pattern. It also had lettering on it in the Cyrillic alphabet.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
You certainly don't see many of the mid cycle Sting's. Lots of the early ones, maybe some crossbar-less SC's from time to time, but not those 95's.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
In that good condition, I would be loath to change the grip or strings, and just keep it as is. But if you really like the way it hits and want to use it regularly, then you should be able to carefully remove the leather grip, keep it, and use a single overgrip to get the size down to about a 3. I have a Sz5 MAX 200G with a single Kirschbaum Touch It (0.5mm) that equates to about a Sz3.5, and a PS85 Sz5 with just a 0.4mm Pro Overgrip Sensation, that actually feels fine despite being so close to the bare handle. I think the Wilson squarish grip works well for such reductions. Strings, best to check that the grommets are robust before replacing them. Similar syngut will probably play best.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Yes, at first I thought it was an early 90s design, but now given the weight Kevin mentioned, I guess it must be a mid-late-80s and hence one of the first wider models. Looking forward to the play-test.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
DISCLAIMER - I didn't buy this, just posting it here because this seems to be the best ongoing popular thread to ask historical related questions!
Anyone know what the deal with this specific Pro Kennex Destiny is? Called the HR Destiny, and there's a signature attached of someone who's initials are H.R. , but I can't make it out. It has a unique paint job, a Technifibre grip with the factory seal still on it, and a butt cap with no country of origin or Pro Kennex corp wording on it, unlike normal PK rackets of the time. Ideas?
Anyone know what the deal with this specific Pro Kennex Destiny is? Called the HR Destiny, and there's a signature attached of someone who's initials are H.R. , but I can't make it out. It has a unique paint job, a Technifibre grip with the factory seal still on it, and a butt cap with no country of origin or Pro Kennex corp wording on it, unlike normal PK rackets of the time. Ideas?
d-quik
Hall of Fame
That is Hete Rampras' early racquets during his prep school days.DISCLAIMER - I didn't buy this, just posting it here because this seems to be the best ongoing popular thread to ask historical related questions!
Anyone know what the deal with this specific Pro Kennex Destiny is? Called the HR Destiny, and there's a signature attached of someone who's initials are H.R. , but I can't make it out. It has a unique paint job, a Technifibre grip with the factory seal still on it, and a butt cap with no country of origin or Pro Kennex corp wording on it, unlike normal PK rackets of the time. Ideas?
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Yep, and it's well known that he later trained a guy called Hoger Rederer using it.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Lol, actual Pete had already been playing professionally for a year or so when this frame came out.
