favorite aluminum frames

[magnut]

I own and play with A LOT of different frames. My primary frames tend to be graphite based IE...Vacume Pro 90s, Various Pro Kennex, Wilson mid variations, Head XRCs etc. etc. I like them flexy and heavy. All vintage and many disussed here.

Sometimes I do like to go have a hit with some of the old and even economy aluminum frames of the past. I like the Head edge, Spalding Rebel, Wilson Performer and Ace, Kennex Power ace, Various Princes etc. Yesterday I was out with the Wilson ACE (gold one). I am always surised how well it plays for such a cheap frame. It is aluminum so it does have that certain aluminum feel (as they all have)but it plays well. The only real complaint I have of the aluminum frames is I always need to add a lot of weight in the handle and head to get things somewhat right (my graphite frames are all over 14 ounces most of the time). Once I get them dialed in they are good to go. I can always hit volleys and serves on a dime with the wilson Aces.

I am not saying I would move away from graphite but sometimes I find an older aluminum frame I like and get 2 or 3 because I use them for fun hits here and there. I actually used the Kennex power Aces as my primary for a few months last year just for the heck of it. They just felt really good for some reason (as do most old kennex frames).

So what are some of your favorite soda can frames? Dont be shy. Even the old Price Oversizes have there place. Not my favorites but they play pretty well...for an oversize.

 

[LeeD]

Head Master for controlled hitting. Blue.
Head Pro for power and a real game, Red.
Yonnex Gold for control.
Yonnex Green OPS for pure serving speed.... nothing beats it.

 

[magnut]

Head Master for controlled hitting. Blue.
Head Pro for power and a real game, Red.
Yonnex Gold for control.
Yonnex Green OPS for pure serving speed.... nothing beats it.

I have a few of those head masters. They are pretty nice once you get used to the balance. My experience with the Red Head was not that great and the red throught cracked in pretty short order. I like the edge the most of the three.

Never hit with the yonex gold ( maybe it was green) but did restore one for a little girl whose father (who had passed away) left it to her. It look pretty nice and felt good. I may have to track one down this year.

 

[LeeD]

Red Head, choice of several top 10 NorCal A mens, and as many A women. Big power, stiff.
Green Yonex OPS, choice of most of the serving competitors at GoldenGateway's fast serve contest in 1978.

 

[magnut]

I guess I need to get some then! Honestly I dont look for power all that much as I never really need more. I love good feeling racquets though. That Yonex I worked on seemd pretty flexible. Not sure why I liked the Edge more than the red head. Probably because the throught didnt break.

I had an aluminum frame once endorced by George Hodie. Who George Hodie was I have never been able to find out but it was a nice hitting frame. Dang throught went on that one too!

 

[coachrick]

We were probably the biggest 'Red Head' dealer in South Carolina during its heyday and I don't think I replaced even a half-dozen throats in all those years(replaced a few Masters and 'many' Standards). I never had to replace one in my personal rackets(quite a few over the late '70s...I'd switch and a few weeks later, I'd switch right back ). I even switched Chris Mayotte(#! for USC...the original...South Carolina) and don't recall ever dealing with a broken throat piece for him.

I've got a couple of box-frame Fischer rackets from the '70s...never strung. I was hitting with the #1 player in South Carolina one day and he said "I've never seen you hit this well" when I was using one of the Fischer Match Makers. It felt so soft, I thought I could just hold the ball and place it anywhere I wanted! That only lasted about 20 minutes until the frame bent like a spoon! So much for flexy aluminum frames.

For me, #1 is the Head Pro, followed very closely by the Yonex Goldie or Greenie, followed by the Edge or Vector. I'd mention the Rawlings Newk Tie Breaker; but I couldn't get one to last more than a week. Yes, I hit pretty hard back in those days .

 

[NLBwell]

Green Yoneyama (Yonex) 8500. I hit some really big serves with it back then. They went years before the welds finally cracked.

 

[rodracquet]

A few contenders for this link.
NLBWELL I also loved my first green 8500 they really looked different and matched the yellow green clothing of the time. Bad for elbows.

Highest quality aluminium..... JOHN MOTT UK search Classic Racquets for a string on this.

WEED super oversize...135 sq in the first of there kind around as PRINCE through Howard Head had patented the oversize 125 sq in size. (this was the patent so Weed was able to patent larger)

ACRO Adjustable (also the SEAMCO by ACRO) really nice technology to adjust stringing tension.

 

[Autodidactic player]

Believe it or not, the aluminum Dunlop Mad Raq plays pretty well.

 

[purple-n-gold]

Prince Pro 110, Pro Kennex Mid that looked like the Prince Pro,,,but the T2000 was my favorite metal racket of all time due to learning how to play in '78-79.

 

[RiggensAuroraHO]

Head Master for controlled hitting. Blue.
Head Pro for power and a real game, Red.
Yonnex Gold for control.
Yonnex Green OPS for pure serving speed.... nothing beats it.

Yes!

I knew both designers of the Blue and Red. Unfortunately, the Blue's designer died summer of 2011 and the Red's left us too. They were both from and ID consulting firm in Princeton.

Just hit with the Green 8500 a few weeks ago. Used it during my soph/jr year in college. Can hang with today's frames. Awesome!

 

[max]

I"m with Coach Rick: the old red Head Pro. That just, for its day, was a nice performing racquet. I used a couple for most of my HS career, although also a woodie Bancroft.

About ten years ago I ran into a cheap Wilson aluminum frame at my parents house, took it to the courts with me: boy, it was the loosest, flexiest whip of a thing imaginable. Pretty amazing.

 

[magnut]

LOL. I think I figured out how to finally get rid of the aluminum twang feel. Pretty simple and suprised it took me this long as I have been tricking out frames for 15 years...everything to foam filling, de-weighting, reducing grips etc.

So the trick I found is kind of DUH!. Worm dameners on the sides of the stringbed. I never liked worm style dampeners and always just prefered a simple grommet O like what Pete actually used (not the unique version but the Lowes version). The worm dampeners actually have a purpose though. IFor some reason it never occured to me to use the sides of the stringbed. The worms make great dameners for tuning fork feeling alluminum frames. My Alluminum Spalding Impacts were feeling kind of graphitish today.

Not the perfect soft muted feeling of some of the classic vintage graphites but not that far off. I think I need to mess with the weighting again though.

I really need to find a way to get inside the frames and get some calk in the handles. That should get the vibation down to zero. I did this to some of the old wilson Matchpoints as the pallets were hollow (ala T1000s) and you could take them apart. I just filled them with calk and put them together.....poof....vibration gone! It was an experiment though. Wilson matchpoints were not real great frames to begin with.

 

[t135]

Wish I'd hung on to my PRINCE CLASSIC.

 

[PhxRacket]

I played with a Wilson T1000, "Red" Head and several Prince Pro 110s carried me through college tennis "back in the day."

 

[Hannah19]

Believe it or not, the aluminum Dunlop Mad Raq plays pretty well.

Basically the X-20 frame with Mad Raq stringing pattern. The X-20 was not a bad frame.

 

[Hannah19]

I've played with a few alloys back in the days. My first one was a Snauwaert, the one that TW sold recently from the Bosworth collection. I was visiting my relatives oversea in California in 1981 and picked it up in one of Irvine's racket stores.
My second metal was a Volkl Drive (Alu with wood core and PUR handle) and the last one was a Wilson Defender.

 

[coachrick]

Basically the X-20 frame with Mad Raq stringing pattern. The X-20 was not a bad frame.

I think you could put the Kennex Power Ace right next to it. Holy cow! We sold a lot of those frames.

 

[MAX PLY]

I played with the Head Master (round and blue throat piece) and then the Head Pro (the Red Head) for about 3 years through 2 years of high school and then 1 year of college tennis. Head had pretty good deals for ranked players in those days. But went back to trusty wood racquets for a couple of years after that. I actually thought that the Head sticks were nice but preferred the feel of wood. I still have a Head Master that has never been strung--I may need to try it out again. My brother liked the steel feel of the T-2000 (I hit with one of his old frames that I kept recently--not bad at all). Back in the day lots of Heads, a great many YYs (green and gold), tons of T-2s and 3s and occasional Seamco Rosewalls Rawlings Tie Breakers. Good memories.

 

[dirtballer]

Anyone remember the aluminum Spalding Smasher from the late 60s? That was one of, if not the, first aluminum rackets.

 

[coachrick]

Anyone remember the aluminum Spalding Smasher from the late 60s? That was one of, if not the, first aluminum rackets.

You betcha! I had one of the early ones with the 'keystone' shaped throat bridge($36.00 out of my $40 paycheck!)...broke it rather quickly and took it back to K-Mart !!! to see what they would do. The fellow handed me the new and improved model with the 'S' reinforcement in the throat . I was a happy guy except for destroying the grip and strings in about a week. I proudly used that alu while surrounded by a sea of chromed steel ! I thought I was SOMEbody! I even bought Spalding Professional balls when I could afford them WHITE with colored seams for the 'PRO' look !!!

Also, the first Smasher had the plastic handle that creaked like crazy. The updated replacement had the foam handle. I still have one or two in my collection.

 

[joe sch]

I remember Pancho Gonzales playing the Spalding Smasher for awhile. I also remember the Head Master as the racket that Bobby Riggs used.

Those were two of the famous models.
Anybody remember the ProAm from Professional Aviation Industries I think out of Costa Mesa CA ? It was a solid aluminum thin profile racket that looked like a cheese slicer.

 

[Cesare]

Prince magnesium 90 by far

 

[Steve Huff]

PDP Open. More stable than the Red Head (which I played with for a while also), and had a bigger sweet spot. I played guys I was even with before, and beat them 2 and 2 or better when I started using the PDP. Of course, my game revolved around my serve, and that racket was meant for serve and volley players.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

I played against a guy in high school who used the PDP Open and had a nasty lefty serve. Maybe Tanner's secret was the stick.

It's cheating to cite the Mag Pro, Cesare, unless there was at least 50% aluminum in that alloy. (Was there?)

I miss the Yonex Greenie for fun hitting and for looking like it was left behind by a flying saucer. But for the fun of not losing, or not losing badly, it's gotta be the Prince Pro.

 

[wksoh]

Have a Slazenger Prodigy 98 that played better than my Dunlop force 98. The Slazenger had a deep scratch and I was surprised it's aluminium alloy. Thought it was graphite all this while, I couldn't tell the difference at all.

 

[retrowagen]

The Prince Pro was actually a decent frame, especially the Series 90, which was a rare racquet.

My favorite aluminum alloy frames however were the 1984-1985 Head Tournament Pro and Tournament Director. Really underrated, but solid and crisp.

 

[wksoh]

The Prince Pro was actually a decent frame, especially the Series 90, which was a rare racquet.

My favorite aluminum alloy frames however were the 1984-1985 Head Tournament Pro and Tournament Director. Really underrated, but solid and crisp.

Oh... I didn't know the Tournament Director was aluminium... wow,.. loved that racquet !

 

[recreationalplayer]

Was it possible to play with an aluminium for very long and not get tennis elbow?

 

[Steve Huff]

Was it possible to play with an aluminium for very long and not get tennis elbow?

Aluminum was soft compared to today's frames. Also, they were heavier. Both characteristics to being arm-friendly.

 

[DTA Dropshots]

Head Tournament Director only bad thing was I went through 4 fames in 16 months. I kept slinging them out of shape with kick serves. I would move on to the Graphite Director.

 

[wksoh]

Head Tournament Director only bad thing was I went through 4 fames in 16 months. I kept slinging them out of shape with kick serves. I would move on to the Graphite Director.

Ok I think I played and loved the Head graphite director

 

[wksoh]

Was it possible to play with an aluminium for very long and not get tennis elbow?

I had no problems.... I'll be trying some China made aluminium frames in competitive matches just for kicks

 

[coachrick]

Was it possible to play with an aluminium for very long and not get tennis elbow?

The Yonex 7500 was particularly arm-friendly. I also never had any trouble with the Red HEAD Pro over a number of years.

 

[Steve Huff]

I used the green Yonex (8500) for quite a while. I really liked it too.

 

[Henry Hub]

Ref @rodracquet ‘s 6 April 2013 post (I may be a little late to this particular party…), this is a John Mott Wraith - a beautifully crafted aluminium racket but brutally unforgiving on the court.

https://imgur.com/a/f9t0I3M

 

[vsbabolat]

I liked the Le Coq Sportif Pro Maker

 

[BumElbow]

I played really well with the ProKennex Power Dominator. It was very headlight and cut through the air giving me a really good topspin forehand. I loved aluminum frames and miss that they no longer make them for serious players. They lacked the power of today's graphite frames but had good feel and were value priced.

My first frame was a Laver Chemold. Also played briefly with a hand-me-down Head Master. Both were good for flat and slice strokes but not for topspin.

 

[BumElbow]

Was it possible to play with an aluminium for very long and not get tennis elbow?

Yes. I really miss the aluminum era. They had good feel and were headlight making them good for topspin. Power was lacking but playability was not.

 

[coachrick]

I used the green Yonex (8500) for quite a while. I really liked it too.

I've got my brother's from the '70s...last strung in 1995 with matching ?Fine Play? or another Bab string.
Been a few years; but I had some juniors and a dad mesmerized when hitting serves with that thing!!!

 

[coachrick]

I played really well with the ProKennex Power Dominator. It was very headlight and cut through the air giving me a really good topspin forehand. I loved aluminum frames and miss that they no longer make them for serious players. They lacked the power of today's graphite frames but had good feel and were value priced.

My first frame was a Laver Chemold. Also played briefly with a hand-me-down Head Master. Both were good for flat and slice strokes but not for topspin.

That Chemold was an arm-wrecker...not just because of the material; but the metal on metal throat!!!
Power Ace and Dominator were sleepers...not bad sticks at all for the day!
I've got a dozen or so Yonex aluminums in various shapes and sizes, including the GlaFlex which was alu wrapped in fiberglass! Fischer Team or Coup was buttery feeling; but I bent one just hitting groundstrokes for 30 minutes!!!

 

[DTA Dropshots]

Maybe I missed it but what about the Prince Pro?

 

[coachrick]

Maybe I missed it but what about the Prince Pro?

Sold and strung a zillion of them; but not much of a racket, IMO.

 

[Autodidactic player]

These Birmal rackets were quite innovative and trendy in their time (1920's). Aluminum frames and steel strings. At least you never had to worry about breaking a string!

 

[Henry Hub]

They were quite the marketing sensation for from 1924 to 1925 and then were never heard of again (or at least were never mentioned in any UK newspaper after 1925)

https://imgur.com/a/9P2QBkc

https://imgur.com/a/Nm9sfTW

 

[Henry Hub]

Here’s the patent:

https://imgur.com/a/t4t8Umz

 

[Autodidactic player]

Another aluminum racket that made a bit of a splash in Europe but never really caught on in North America was the Tretorn 2-in-1 with interchangeable heads.

 

[chrischris]

PDP Open. More stable than the Red Head (which I played with for a while also), and had a bigger sweet spot. I played guys I was even with before, and beat them 2 and 2 or better when I started using the PDP. Of course, my game revolved around my serve, and that racket was meant for serve and volley players.

Same here. I prefered the first edition with the off White yoke rather than the 2nd edition that sported an orange one. No relation to the silly sad one..

 

[Ronaldo]

Used a Wilson World Class with a green yoke in the late 70s. Sweet. Any love for the Yonex red or black Glaflex 9200?

 

[chrischris]

Used a Wilson World Class with a green yoke in the late 70s. Sweet. Any love for the Yonex red or black Glaflex 9200?

The Black Glaflex... Had one of them once.. I think it had graphite overlay on it or was it fiberg lass??