Bought a Rossignol F-200 Carbon today (no pics yet)

[Antónis]

This is one I was hutting for a long time, since it was one of my teens racquets, I have very good memories from it

It's the blue PJ with the white and red stripes, and a rooster with the France flag painted, like this one http://www.80s-tennis.com/pages/rossignol-f200_rooster-2.html

Pics will be posted once the racquet arrives here

 

[BorgCash]

The softest racquet i've ever played with.
Mats Wilander's lethal weapon.

 

[mrmike]

Ha, I remember having one of these also back in the day.

 

[PT630Wannabe]

I got one recently and it may be the most hilariously fun racquet I've ever hit with. A smidge too heavy for match play but for a casual hit, amazing. Like hitting with a Sherman tank made of oatmeal.

 

[Antónis]

So, we have some F-200 fans on TT, that's great

This was one of my favourite racquet back in the 80's, I remember it as a very spin friendly stick

That was a time I was jumping between one handed and two handed backhand, trying to figure how my BH would go, and the F-200 was my favourite stick for two handers, and that was time I was changing racquets all the time, buying and selling constantly, so I tested a lot

Still don't know if I'll get it restrung and go for a hit just to bring back that noodle like feeling

 

[BorgCash]

It's always fun (at least for me) to try new racquets. Even if they are old new. It's not good for consistent playing but i'm not a pro, i like to try different frames.

 

[Rock Strongo]

It's a racquet so soft that you could probably break it by hitting too hard!

I have a blue one in fantastic condition. Dare NOT restring it though because even though the racquet is in such good condition, it has the 80's white grommets of hell. Which is a shame because it's strung incorrectly and is at a way too low tension.

 

[galain]

Welcome to the love fest! I have about 12 of them, various iterations. Despite it's flaws, this will always be my favourite frame.

 

[Antónis]

My F-200 just arrived, and here's the promised pics, hope you enjoy them (sorry for my lack of talent there)

Not in a perfect condition, shows some natural signs of wear at the top, and a few paint chips here and there. easy 6+/10 condition

There's a black leather grip there, I removed the old crumbling purple Pacific overgrip, but it left visible signs on the leather, needs to be cleaned up (any suggestions ???)

The buttcap seems a bit loose, or a least there's an annoying little noise when I jiggle the racquet

Grommets seem to be fine, if I had a stringing machine I would take my chance and had her restrung, but I will not

I will see the static weight once the weather here allow me to hit the courts. I would say it's in the 360 grams range

DSC_0045_zpscn8tzvls by António Duarte, no Flickr

DSC_0046_zpsuhx9ausj by António Duarte, no Flickr

DSC_0047_zpss2ipewpx by António Duarte, no Flickr

 

[BorgCash]

Nice racquet! A classic one. Happy hitting!

 

[TadDavis]

Nice racquet, I have the same one. It's got a surprisingly big sweet spot, and I find it to be pretty solid all around. One of my faves from that era.

 

[DUROC]

One of the all time greats! there is a guy here in S Texas who still uses them for everything, and has like 10 of them.

 

[vsbabolat]

One of the all time greats! there is a guy here in S Texas who still uses them for everything, and has like 10 of them.

It's amazing he still playing with them all theses years later on hard courts. Is he using head protection tape?

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

I picked up one of these (grey, rooster version) recently that still had the original leather grip, etc. Anyways, I've hit with it a few times and enjoy it. Today, I hit about 7 warmup serves and on the last one, the racket and hairpin came flying out of the pallet/grip and skidded all the way to the net. I even got it on video, which was awesome because I was a little frightened and confused in that instant, which was hilarious.

Anyways, what's the fix? I now have a 35 year old tube of pallet/grip/butt cap in one piece, and racket with hairpin in another piece.

 

[PT630Wannabe]

Rossinols have a foam pallet, yes? Did it come off clean? If so, maybe try unwrapping the grip and seeing whether you can reseat the pallet. You might try to clean all debris and gunk off the hairpin at which point the pallet might slide back on. If it does so, you could put some sort of thin adhesive on the hairpin and then slide the pallet on.

 

[PT630Wannabe]

Probably don't need to remove the grip if it came off clean.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

It did come off clean and I am able to slide it back on. I guess the easiest thing would be to use some adhesive and then liberally use grip tape at the top of the grip to reinforce the bond to the frame. There is foam in the handle and handwriting on the hairpin that says "GP A623" if that means anything to anyone. Also, the hairpin is stamped with a big 25.

 

[frinton]

It did come off clean and I am able to slide it back on. I guess the easiest thing would be to use some adhesive and then liberally use grip tape at the top of the grip to reinforce the bond to the frame. There is foam in the handle and handwriting on the hairpin that says "GP A623" if that means anything to anyone. Also, the hairpin is stamped with a big 25.

Please share some pics and the video of the incident! thanks

...fail better!

 

[TadDavis]

I picked up one of these (grey, rooster version) recently that still had the original leather grip, etc. Anyways, I've hit with it a few times and enjoy it. Today, I hit about 7 warmup serves and on the last one, the racket and hairpin came flying out of the pallet/grip and skidded all the way to the net. I even got it on video, which was awesome because I was a little frightened and confused in that instant, which was hilarious.

Anyways, what's the fix? I now have a 35 year old tube of pallet/grip/butt cap in one piece, and racket with hairpin in another piece.

That’s funny, the same exact thing happened with mine. Luckily, it flew right into the net and no harm was done. I brought it to shop and all they did was place double sided tape onto the pin and shove the pallet back on. The fit was really snug with the tape on the pallet, so I’m pretty confident that it was an adequate solution.

 

[therecanbeonlyone]

Thanks for that info, @TadDavis
Here’s the pics of the hairpin. Still working on that video clip.
https://ibb.co/go6VVR
https://ibb.co/nfsXc6

 

[Prg3k]

Wow. Just saw this thread. I have one of these too given to me by my dad. Red/white stripes with 'Mats Wilander' on the throat. Haven't strung it up or played with it yet but I always hear about the trampoline like flex.

 

[weelie]

Played with the oversize (size is maybe about 100) F-300 a few weeks ago in a doubles match, as we were down 1-6,0-6 in a BO5... we were actually leading the set by 3-2 and then had two points to go 4-3... but lost the last set 3-6.

Trampoline, yes, RA in the 40s, I read somewhere. Weight was 380g, I think, which is about the same as the racket I played with in the 80s as a teen. Strung with multis, I think it totally changed the way I played. It was a fun test, but would not play singles with it.

 

[teachingprotx]

Man... wanted to love this racket , can’t handle s heavy balance of the 13 oz or more strung weight, but that flex!!! Love the flex man!

 

[kalic]

I am disappointed with F200. It feels like there is no sweetspot, and feels unstable beside big swingweight. On the other hand, Dunlop Max 200G is similar in specs (flex, weight...), but feels rock solid with big sweetspot.

 

[PT630Wannabe]

I am disappointed with F200. It feels like there is no sweetspot, and feels unstable beside big swingweight. On the other hand, Dunlop Max 200G is similarad in specs (flex, weight...), but feels rock solid with big sweetspot.

I had the exact reverse experience!

 

[teachingprotx]

Yeah I can understand where kalic is coming from . F200 is a strange breed and there are 5 versions and for me all 4 feel different .
1. Gray with the throat piece / rooster
2 gray with the throat piece / the R letter
3 the gray one with out the throat piece with mats sig
4. The blue one
5 the white , the green, and the hot red color one - the lightest of all the others maybe made for Asia .
Now I may be missing some if so please correct me
The lighter ones for me felt only a few grams lighter . Don’t be fooled like me and think they are way lighter they ain’t . And still head heavy .
Which brings me to my unfortunate disappointment with the Rossi.
I wanted to love this racket so much . So badly . Because it’s incredibly difficult to find rackets in the 30’s RA stiffness category .
But most of the time when you find rackets with a really low RA they make them even or head heavy to offset the flex . Which I HATE.
If I could have it my way the Rossi would be much lighter and be head light .
But that Being said . Just to warn folks this thing any version is gonna be over 12 ounces unstrung no matter the grip size . So once strung and over gripped and dampner.. she’s 13 oz .
Can’t be done for me .
As for the 200g dunny... love it too for its flex . But it’s a completely different flex than other soft bendy flexy frames . And it’s head heavy again . Unfortunately .
Dunlop has what is referred to as “ dynamic “ flex which to ME / personally feels ... is just a fancy word phrase for flexing in the middle of the frame instead of the head . Like in the Rossi 200.
Both are flexy for sure . For example two rackets say flex out at a 42 stiffness RA on a Babolat Rdc machine But a frame that flexes in the head will invariably feel more flexible than the other that flexes in the shoulders or in the throat area..
So as others will concur . The RA only tells you part of the feel . A rough guideline to how it will tactile feel..
A great and one of the best examples is this .
First generation
Volk c 10 pro
RA - 61
But because it flexes in the upper part of the hoop/ head it feels
Like 51
I use this volkl a lot in trying to explain that to clients all the time . They still never really understand .

 

[joe sch]

One of the all time greats! there is a guy here in S Texas who still uses them for everything, and has like 10 of them.

They are great rackets for the old school player looking for comfort, control, and flex.
They flex about the same as a woody with more power ofcourse.
Below shows some of the RDC finding from @Dino Lagaffe measurements.
I love hitting these rackets especially with natural gut.
Also great for cases of tennis elbow, I played them for awhile when I was rehabbing and no pain and was able to keep playing

Rossignol F200 (Blue) 349/12.31/33/345
Rossignol F200 (Green) 340/11.99/36/340
Rossignol F200 (Grey) 405/14.29/42/383
Rossignol F200 (White) 344/12.13/36/326

 

[joe sch]

I am disappointed with F200. It feels like there is no sweetspot, and feels unstable beside big swingweight. On the other hand, Dunlop Max 200G is similar in specs (flex, weight...), but feels rock solid with big sweetspot.

Yes, hard to beat the play of the dunlop max 200g which is similar as pointed out but quite diff in hitting because of that sweet spot and also the dynamic flex of "grafil" !

They are both great rackets for the old school player looking for comfort, control, and flex.

 

[galain]

True - the Max 200G is a more versatile stick because of it's flex. I never felt I lost any power or control if I connected near the top of the frame with the Dunlop, unlike the Rossi which was basically a no man's land area.

Still - for all it's faults, it'll always be my first love in racquets. There's nothing else out there with the same feel. I never felt it to be unstable (quite the opposite), the even balance which I usually don't care for, never troubled me, and the weight - well I first played this stick when I was 14 years old and i did well enough with it then.

I don't use mine regularly anymore but I so love to bring them out for a hit when the mood takes me.

 

[joe sch]

True - the Max 200G is a more versatile stick because of it's flex. I never felt I lost any power or control if I connected near the top of the frame with the Dunlop, unlike the Rossi which was basically a no man's land area.

Still - for all it's faults, it'll always be my first love in racquets. There's nothing else out there with the same feel. I never felt it to be unstable (quite the opposite), the even balance which I usually don't care for, never troubled me, and the weight - well I first played this stick when I was 14 years old and i did well enough with it then.

I don't use mine regularly anymore but I so love to bring them out for a hit when the mood takes me.

Well stated, I also look forward to any hitting session that I take out some classics including the 200g and rossi rackets for some flex stroking and super fun volleys !

 

[jmc3367]

This is one I was hutting for a long time, since it was one of my teens racquets, I have very good memories from it

It's the blue PJ with the white and red stripes, and a rooster with the France flag painted, like this one http://www.80s-tennis.com/pages/rossignol-f200_rooster-2.html

Pics will be posted once the racquet arrives here

I used that in Highs school. also used the 250 Graphite.

 

[Antónis]

Just refreshed my post, with the pics lost from photobucket

 

[Migelowsky]

I just bought one =).

Today I played with it thinking it was going to be super low powered, but I love it. I didn't have a problem with the flexiness and the small head.
I was just hitting with a lot of power and control, I'm tempted a little bit to use it as my main racquet. I play with the complete opposite,
a Völkl Organix 7, 104 sq in and 71 Stiffnes.

 

[frinton]

I just bought one =).

Today I played with it thinking it was going to be super low powered, but I love it. I didn't have a problem with the flexiness and the small head.
I was just hitting with a lot of power and control, I'm tempted a little bit to use it as my main racquet. I play with the complete opposite,
a Völkl Organix 7, 104 sq in and 71 Stiffnes.

I have never seen one in this dark blue, looks beautiful! Yesterday I have hit a few balls with one of my mine, it's white, with the white strings that it had when I found it. The experience was better than my last try, when I hit some balls with a grey/blue one... Was not a big fan then, but OK, the old gut strings it came with fell apart after 5-10 minutes [emoji23]... So that might not have been helpful.
Will hit some balls with it(the white one) again later on today, when my Dad and I will play. He's 81 years old and cant play much anymore... There is nobody left in his town who'd be in his age group and could still play decently... He's playing with the only guy around, 10 years younger, and he usually beats the guy easy... It's a bit sad [emoji17]

...fail better!

 

[joe sch]

I just bought one =).

Today I played with it thinking it was going to be super low powered, but I love it. I didn't have a problem with the flexiness and the small head.
I was just hitting with a lot of power and control, I'm tempted a little bit to use it as my main racquet. I play with the complete opposite,
a Völkl Organix 7, 104 sq in and 71 Stiffnes.

Looks like a nice setup with leather grip and hybrid string bed.

 

[mmk]

Played with the oversize (size is maybe about 100) F-300 a few weeks ago in a doubles match, as we were down 1-6,0-6 in a BO5... we were actually leading the set by 3-2 and then had two points to go 4-3... but lost the last set 3-6.

Trampoline, yes, RA in the 40s, I read somewhere. Weight was 380g, I think, which is about the same as the racket I played with in the 80s as a teen. Strung with multis, I think it totally changed the way I played. It was a fun test, but would not play singles with it.

Sounds like any number of wood racquets

 

[recsoares]

My F-200 just arrived, and here's the promised pics, hope you enjoy them (sorry for my lack of talent there)

Not in a perfect condition, shows some natural signs of wear at the top, and a few paint chips here and there. easy 6+/10 condition

There's a black leather grip there, I removed the old crumbling purple Pacific overgrip, but it left visible signs on the leather, needs to be cleaned up (any suggestions ???)

The buttcap seems a bit loose, or a least there's an annoying little noise when I jiggle the racquet

Grommets seem to be fine, if I had a stringing machine I would take my chance and had her restrung, but I will not

I will see the static weight once the weather here allow me to hit the courts. I would say it's in the 360 grams range

DSC_0045_zpscn8tzvls by António Duarte, no Flickr

DSC_0046_zpsuhx9ausj by António Duarte, no Flickr

DSC_0047_zpss2ipewpx by António Duarte, no Flickr

Mine is on the way too!
I’m a collector and this was missing on my bags!



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