Calling Coach Rick

galain

Hall of Fame
Coach Rick

This was posted on the "Worst Racquet to Win a Slam" thread on the main racquets forum.

Mats absolutely didn't use the flexi junk they sold. I gave the President of Rossignol a ride to the airport when I was the Head Pro at the Macci Academy (we all had to use that crap for 1 year). He confirmed that it was a custom stick and not the retail version. He asked me to keep it quiet - probably ok to spill the beans decades later!!

Please tell me my childhood wasn't a lie!
 

dak95_00

Hall of Fame
Coach Rick

This was posted on the "Worst Racquet to Win a Slam" thread on the main racquets forum.

Mats absolutely didn't use the flexi junk they sold. I gave the President of Rossignol a ride to the airport when I was the Head Pro at the Macci Academy (we all had to use that crap for 1 year). He confirmed that it was a custom stick and not the retail version. He asked me to keep it quiet - probably ok to spill the beans decades later!!

Please tell me my childhood wasn't a lie!
When you want to tag someone, it’s quickest to reply to one of their posts like I’m doing to you or by typing @ and their name without spaces like @coachrick
 

Ultra 2

Professional
If this is true, than it makes sense since Mats later moved to a CTS Graduate. My best tennis buddy hit with that Rossi so I am well aquainted with it.

That transition would be similar to that of Connors going from his T2000 to the Panther Pro Ceramic.
 

coachrick

Hall of Fame
Well, who am I to help spill the beans???
The early versions of the 100 and 200 had so many weak areas that improvements had to be made over time. Could be the "improved" sticks found their way into the hands of key players early.Considering the original 100 and 200 were available in summer '79, there is a darned good chance that the Wilander sticks of a couple years later were not only the updated versions but were a step or two more robust for the tour players.

Hey, it's an election year here in the States...might be tough getting a straight answer from ANYbody about ANYthing !!! :)
 

Frankc

Professional
Hmmm... Read (now I remember, a video on the Swedes)somewhere that Mats had his rackets stolen before an exhibition with Lendl. They could not be replaced and Mats was creamed totally by Lendl. Others saw it as "not nice" in an exhibition. If Mats had anything close to factory retail frames, then one would think thint a few could be gathered in time - add the lead tape and string. Mats maintained that the replacement frames were impossible - thus, he was Lendl fodder....
 

Don't Let It Bounce

Hall of Fame
In defense of the F200's flex, if not the engineering at those weak points, it came out when carbon composites were still a rare and expensive commodity. Carbon sheets with modern stiffness levels would likely have made it too expensive to take to market. (As it was, it was already too expensive for me to have one in high school, but it was easily the coolest thing I saw hanging in a tennis shop in 1981.)

And Rossignol may not have wanted it any stiffer; its flex was similar to that of the standard-size woodies that were its competition. Most of the less noodly graphite mids we are inclined to compare it to now came along a bit later.

I wish they still made rackets.
 

galain

Hall of Fame
I wish they still made racquets too, but it would have made me sad to see them try and compete and turn out hollow Pure Drive competitors. Nothing ever stays the same - I love the company for what it was and the frames it produced. I'm still a little surprised that Wilander may not have been feeling the same flex I loved so much when he was swinging his F200 though!
 

joe sch

Legend
Hmmm... Read (now I remember, a video on the Swedes)somewhere that Mats had his rackets stolen before an exhibition with Lendl. They could not be replaced and Mats was creamed totally by Lendl. Others saw it as "not nice" in an exhibition. If Mats had anything close to factory retail frames, then one would think thint a few could be gathered in time - add the lead tape and string. Mats maintained that the replacement frames were impossible - thus, he was Lendl fodder....
For sure a pros racket customization, lead, stringing, grip can make a major performance diff. Ivan sure did not help his future exo imcome with that performance. Same for his like'ness.
 

joe sch

Legend
I wish they still made racquets too, but it would have made me sad to see them try and compete and turn out hollow Pure Drive competitors. Nothing ever stays the same - I love the company for what it was and the frames it produced. I'm still a little surprised that Wilander may not have been feeling the same flex I loved so much when he was swinging his F200 though!
Agree and I do think they were made and played by tour players, as @coachrick stated
 
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