Classic Racquets: Which one to try out?

[peli_kan]

Currently I use leaded up Dunlops (Hotmelt 200g), but would like to add a couple of classic player's frames to my stable. First ones to come to mind include the Prostaff 6.0 85 and Dunlop Max 200g, but I can't afford to pay $200+ for secondary frames. What racquets should I try if I'd like to experience old school feel and plowthrough without breaking the bank?

A few I have in mind:
Dunlop Black Max
Pro Kennex Black Ace
Head Graphite Edge

Thanks all.

 

[peli_kan]

Hmmm, I'm a fool. Perhaps I should've posted this in classic racquet talk, if a mod could move it for me I'd be thankful.

 

[nfor304]

Muscle weave 200g

 

[furyoku_tennis]

i've hit with and own 2 out of the 3 you mentioned. they're definitely fun to hit with. if you're interested, you should try the ace series from pro kennex.

 

[goldenyama]

Trisys 260 and Twin Tube Radicals, MP or OS.

 

[Mdubb23]

Bumperless, single-stripe, POG (90 or 110). Truly a dream.

 

[fuzz nation]

I've recently settled in with the Volkl C10 Pro 98, which seems to be a bit of a modern classic - I used to have one of those hotmelt 200 G's and that was probably my first eye opener into the world of flexible graphite frames. Apparently the super-honey among the older Volkls is either the older C10 mid or the Tour 10 Generation I.

In case you see a Rossignol F-200 (wet noodle) or an older Yonex (maybe the R-7 or R-22?), those could be worth a go.

 

[Noisy Ninja]

The Wilson 6.1 Classic has plenty of old school feel & plowthrough and quite affordable on the used market.

 

[cadfael_tex]

Any of the ones you mentioned but there are so many worth of consideration. I like the Head GE personally but played as a teenager with the black max and liked it at the time. R-22 and R27 are good racquets that aren't hard to find that you don't have to pay and arm and a leg for. The Kneissls are also good but you have to look to find them (the association with Lendl on some of them jacks up the price considerably).

 

[ipitythefool]

Definitely you need a Pro Staff Classic 6.1 (either 16x18 or 18x20) to go with the HM MW200G. Also some other classics would be good such as PT630 and PC600, but they are in collectible status so can break the bank
P.S: and also Pure Control 2nd Gen (330 gr unstrung one)

 

[schu47]

peli kan,

I appreciate what you're doing, because I've done it myself. I think you should give a Wilson Sting midsize graphite a try. Nice weight and pop, very stable, a poor man's version of the Pro Staff 6.0 -- sort of its cousin from the wrong side of the tracks. It's 85 sq. in., a little more than 12 oz. -- very sweet. Plus, there are a lot of them, and they cost about $20 to $30 max on e b a y, about 20% of what a 6.0 would cost you. They were manufactured in the mid-80s. But don't get a Largehead version -- that's over 100 sq. in. Or the High-Beam, which is a 95-sq.-in that came out in the 90s. That's a wide-beamed, lightweight, cheap racquet, nothing like the original.

Other possibilities, from my experience:

Spalding Tour Pro Graphite or Spalding Graphite Legacy, both midsize, cheap and under-rated, IMO. They play as well as the Black Max or Kennex Aces or other mid graphites from that era.

Volkl Tour 10 or Tour 10 V-Engine mids

Gamma Tradition 20 midplus

Pro Staff 6.1 classic

Donnay Cynetic 1

Donnay Pro One International

If you would like to try a Pro Kennex Ace, I would suggest the Copper Ace, very affordable and the most comfortable, flexible of the Aces, in my opinion.

I think that the Donnay Pro One International plays the closest to the Dunlops you now use. It has almost identical specs, if you look it up on the Tennis Warehouse racquetfinder.

If you're thinking of other Dunlops, I'd also suggest the Muscle Weave 200G, which I like much better than the Hotmelt.

Good luck, and please report back to the group if you find something you like.

 

[peli_kan]

I would love to try out the Muscle Weave 200g, but it's so hard to find, even on the big auction site. I'm working on purchasing a great condition Dunlop Black Max and Wilson Sting Midsize at this moment, we'll see how that goes. It does sound like a Dunlop Black Max Tour may be a better pick, but I'm not wed to either of these new acquires by any means.

I'm still hoping that some Dunlop Max 200g drops into my lap from a local thrift store, it's not going to happen though.

 

[film1]

I would love to try out the Muscle Weave 200g, but it's so hard to find, even on the big auction site. I'm working on purchasing a great condition Dunlop Black Max and Wilson Sting Midsize at this moment, we'll see how that goes. It does sound like a Dunlop Black Max Tour may be a better pick, but I'm not wed to either of these new acquires by any means.

I'm still hoping that some Dunlop Max 200g drops into my lap from a local thrift store, it's not going to happen though.

Kennex copper ace is still a very good frame. Not sure what they cost but my guess is around 40.00

 

[peli_kan]

As I can't seem to edit my posts, I'd like to add that I'm in the process of learning how to string. If any of these prospective frames are nightmares, please let me know.

 

[furyoku_tennis]

most of the classic frames are pretty easy to string. you just have to make sure you know which holes to skip as some racquets can be strung in multiple patterns. i've seen some black maxes with a dense pattern and others with an open pattern.

 

[matchmaker]

The HM 200g is a fun frame to hit with.

You may also like the Volkl VE mid, which is a little similar.

If you can ever lay your hands on a Prestige Classic, that may be interesting to give a go, but most are quite expensive, the same amounts for the Pro Staff 6.0.

The POG mid, was sold until recently and was not very expensive.

There are many less known classics from Wilson, Yonex, Donnay, Rossignol, ... that are probably a lot of fun to hit with.

 

[anirut]

peli_kan,

Now that you're stepping into the realms of the "classics", here's a warning for you:

You'll sooner or later develop a despite for the modern, gimmicky, stiff, spin monster rackets. And you'll be on a spending spree for the older classic rackets, or at least the modern ones with the classic (or close to) feel.

Well, well, the despite of the modern ones wouldn't be that bad, but the spending spree part ...

 

[peli_kan]

peli_kan,

Now that you're stepping into the realms of the "classics", here's a warning for you:

You'll sooner or later develop a despite for the modern, gimmicky, stiff, spin monster rackets. And you'll be on a spending spree for the older classic rackets, or at least the modern ones with the classic (or close to) feel.

Well, well, the despite of the modern ones wouldn't be that bad, but the spending spree part ...

No worries, it's hard to despise modern Dunlops especially when the AG100 is still making waves.

As for the spending spree part, I'm beginning to feel the hurt. Having a large set of racquets means I'll have to restring often, especially when I buy classic, so I'm on the hunt for a Klippermate right now. I've started with a pair of Dunlop Black Max, bought from BUD, and those will likely keep me entertained for a while. Next up on my list would be a pair of Stings, then a pair of Graphite Edges, then perhaps a couple R-22s. They're so cheap, I may just give extras out to friends and family once I settle on my favorites.

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'm already having a wonderful time learning about the greats.

 

[peli_kan]

Thanks to Bud, I now have a pair of near new Dunlop Black Maxes. Unleaded, with just a new overgrip and a layer of head tape, this racquet is AMAZING as a stock frame. I don't feel any need to modify it, since it's ~280g (I'll measure later today) and 5 pt. headlight and has all the plowthrough I need. I have it strung at 45# with Gosen OS Micro Sheep 17, and this is by far the most "plush" racquet I've hit with yet. Without a doubt it plays better than my Hotmelt 200g, which I'm going to depolarize. I'm very happy that I've gone this route, and these classics that I'd bought for fun are now my main frames.

 

[The_Question]

I want to throw in Pro Kennex Redondo Mid into the mix...

 

[ambitiousguju8]

I'm surprised no one mentioned a vibration dampener so far.. I've found that almost any racquet can be made to feel plush with a worm-style vibration dampener. I'm using the Gamma Shockbuster II and I'm convinced it can give any racquet that plush feel. I would highly recommend trying this simple modification before looking for other racquets. It could save you hundreds of dollars.

If you are looking for a new racquet anyway, then in general, Prince racquets have the most plush feel in my opinion (I've only played w/ Babolat, HEAD, Wilson, and Technifibre racquets). I've been looking for a bit heavier racquet (am playing w/ a tweener racquet) and have demoed about 16 racquets now. The Ozone Tour you mentioned is very plush. I would also say the Prince Graphite 100 is plush too. It's not very powerful at all though. I am still waiting to demo a few more racquets, and even though I haven't hit with it yet, I would suggest the Gamma T-7. I would suggest reading the reviews for this racquet. If I were to suggest 1 other racquet outside of Prince, I would suggest the HEAD YOUTEK MP (16 x 19). It has a thin beam like the Ozone Tour, and it has a lower flex rating (63) like the Ozone Tour does (60). Hope this helps.

 

[ambitiousguju8]

Sorry.. HEAD YOUTEK Speed MP (16x19)

 

[ambitiousguju8]

I apologize.. this got posted in the wrong thread! I know NOTHING of classic racquets. Please disregard the last 2 posts :-(

 

[anirut]

I want to throw in Pro Kennex Redondo Mid into the mix...

And string it in the low 50's with 16g or 15g synthetic or multi strings ... or even with gut of similar guage to get that nice old school feel.

 

[Dave M]

I'd like to try the bosworth becker estusa frames, but 400 euros seem pretty pricey to me!

 

[Bud]

Thanks to Bud, I now have a pair of near new Dunlop Black Maxes. Unleaded, with just a new overgrip and a layer of head tape, this racquet is AMAZING as a stock frame. I don't feel any need to modify it, since it's ~280g (I'll measure later today) and 5 pt. headlight and has all the plowthrough I need. I have it strung at 45# with Gosen OS Micro Sheep 17, and this is by far the most "plush" racquet I've hit with yet. Without a doubt it plays better than my Hotmelt 200g, which I'm going to depolarize. I'm very happy that I've gone this route, and these classics that I'd bought for fun are now my main frames.

They are quite a bit more than 280g

I just measured another one I have and it's...

12.6 oz. (356 grams) and 9-10 pts. HL (strung)

 

[peli_kan]

Heh, I meant to write 380 grams, since my Hotmelts are a tad lighter. I weighed the black maxes on a university lab scale, they came out to 370g each. Coolios.

 

[Slazenger07]

If youre looking for a great "players" racquet you should check out the Slazenger Pro X-1. Best racquet Ive ever played with. Incredibly solid at net, feel like i can place even the tough volleys where ever I want. I think it excels at net because of its stiff throat and heavy weight, (12oz.) Yet it feels like it is lighter than 12oz. Excellent control, can generate serious power if youre a good ball striker. Head light balance allows you to put massive spin on the ball if you choose, which i frequently do.

Great Racquet, if you can find them I suggest you check it out. Ive got three of them now...set for life!

 

[vb2374]

If youre looking for a great "players" racquet you should check out the Slazenger Pro X-1. Best racquet Ive ever played with. Incredibly solid at net, feel like i can place even the tough volleys where ever I want. I think it excels at net because of its stiff throat and heavy weight, (12oz.) Yet it feels like it is lighter than 12oz. Excellent control, can generate serious power if youre a good ball striker. Head light balance allows you to put massive spin on the ball if you choose, which i frequently do.

Great Racquet, if you can find them I suggest you check it out. Ive got three of them now...set for life!

I tried X-1 recently (I've been using the original Pro Braided B&W frame since 2001) and also liked it. Haven't played a lot with it to form a solid opinion. It seems very similar to the original Pro Braided, but "softer".

Slazenger07 - what kind of strings and at what tension have you used with your X-1? On Pro Braided I liked Wilson NXT and NXT tour 17.

 

[cigrmaster]

guess I can't link to e you know who, but it is there.

 

[peli_kan]

The Yamaha sure is pretty. I'd be afraid of breaking it though, since even with the utmost care there's a good chance my hitting would take it apart.

I'm now hunting for a PS6.0 85 analog, likely in the form of a Wilson Sting or Pro Kennex Black Ace. I really want to try the Head Edge, but from what I've read disintegrating grommets would make this newbie stringer go bonkers.

 

[schenkelini]

I worked in a tennis shop when these rackets were current. Of the 3 you listed I liked the Head Graphite Edge the best. In fact it was my first graphite frame after I switched from wood. I had the Head Graphite Director next and liked it even better.

Currently I use leaded up Dunlops (Hotmelt 200g), but would like to add a couple of classic player's frames to my stable. First ones to come to mind include the Prostaff 6.0 85 and Dunlop Max 200g, but I can't afford to pay $200+ for secondary frames. What racquets should I try if I'd like to experience old school feel and plowthrough without breaking the bank?

A few I have in mind:
Dunlop Black Max
Pro Kennex Black Ace
Head Graphite Edge

Thanks all.