Pete Federer
New User
What was your first racket, what do you have now, did you change a lot?
YouTek Radical MP. Currently using the pro staff 95. Have had it since 2014, but as a 14 year old kid, I just wanted to play like fed and have his gear, and so moved to the RF97. Completely destroyed my strokes and my arm. Was far too heavy for a 14 year old. But I was too naive.
Whoah sounds really cool!Spalding Pancho Gonzales starter set. Boxed set with a wooden PG autographed racquet, a vinyl cover, a racquet press, one can of balls and a pamphlet entitled “Pancho GonzalesTeaches You to Play Tennis”. I was 8–have been playing ever since!
Impressive bro!Wilson Rally —> Wilson Sting (aluminum snowshoe) —> Donnay Wimbledon Mid —> Head Graphite Vector —> Kneissl White Star Pro Master —> Dunlop Max 200g —> Head Club Pro —> Head Elite Pro —> Fischer Vacuum Elliptic —> 150+ other racquets over 30 years !
Mine was a PG 'autograph' from Western Auto hardware. $5.65 Wore through the strings in a few weeks and then UPgraded to another PG 'autograph' from the Fort Jackson PX...about $9.00 Maybe a year later, I got the Spalding Smasher from K-Mart $36 All the money I made that week in a pallet-building company.Spalding Pancho Gonzales starter set. Boxed set with a wooden PG autographed racquet, a vinyl head cover, a racquet press, one can of balls and a pamphlet entitled “Pancho GonzalesTeaches You to Play Tennis”. I was 8–have been playing ever since!
Was it woody?Bancroft Wimbledon
Wood rackets being good memories...Mine was a PG 'autograph' from Western Auto hardware. $5.65 Wore through the strings in a few weeks and then UPgraded to another PG 'autograph' from the Fort Jackson PX...about $9.00 Maybe a year later, I got the Spalding Smasher from K-Mart $36 All the money I made that week in a pallet-building company.
In the interim, I used a friend's Aristo-rat wood racket...was a cheapy wood "Aristocrat" model with some of the decals worn off
Couldn't guess how many rackets I had in the next 35 years of playing, teaching and selling. Scores of them!!
That's alot!My first racquet was a KMart woodie - I can't recall the name. For my birthday the next year I moved to a PowerSport aluminium frame (Woolworths brand). My first 'real' racquet came after that - an aluminium Slazenger Panther.
From then on, in terms of what I used in competition play it's been - Yonex R10 > Rossignol F200 > Rossignol F230 > Head TXE > Völkl V5 Hotspot > Völkl C7 Comp > Völkl Catapult 10 > Prince Precision Response 660 > Head Pyramid Tour > Prince Magnesium Pro 90 > Head Pro Tour 630 > Prince Rebel 95 > back to the PT 630
I've pulled others out of my collection as well but can't say I've played with them often enough to name them as my main stick at any particular point in time.
haha.. we all had autographs, best marketing techinic. btw were are you from, are you greek?(just by the name)My first racquet was a steel Wilson TX-3000 back on early 80's, my second racquet was a wooden Snawaert Vitas Gerulaitis Autograph, that's how old I am...
we all remember wooden raquetsSpalding Pancho Gonzales wooden racquet - it was green.
I'm old, mate!That's alot!
Haha I'm notI'm old, mate!
Was it woody?
Hadn't seen this love it!The 5 wooden rackets that carried me from 13-35ish. From age 5-12 or so mom would give us a couple of buck to pick up a drug store racket which seemed to rarely last the summer in northern Iowa.
Pitiful...at age 13 Me and my red Pancho
Age 15 with my cracked Imperial, repaired with black braided fishing line and glue:
Wow you changed a lot of brands1st racquet-Prince Thunderlite
2nd Racquet- Wilson Hyper Carbon Pro Staff 6.5
3rd Racquet- Yonex Mp-1 Tour Mid
Now- Tecnifibre Tfight XTC 305 (up for sale)
I don't know any of them but seems great!My first was Chemold metal racquet. Played it till it cracked in the riveted throat. Then got a Head Arthur Ashe Competition 1 strung with oil filled nylon from a store called Levy's in West New York New Jersey. A great gentleman named Spider was always gracious and kind to string it on the spot for me....wonderful time in my tennis life back then!
My first was Chemold metal racquet. Played it till it cracked in the riveted throat. Then got a Head Arthur Ashe Competition 1 strung with oil filled nylon from a store called Levy's in West New York New Jersey. A great gentleman named Spider was always gracious and kind to string it on the spot for me....wonderful time in my tennis life back then!
@JW10SMy first racquet was a cheap no-name wood one bought for me by my parents using trading stamps (I know no one knows what I'm talking about). My first 'real' racquet was a Davis Hi-Point. Since then I've had far too many to list.
Didn't know those strings existed actually...I played with that Oil filled string when I was a kid in my Yamaha YFG-20. I think the theory was that it would dampen vibration. I recall snapping that stuff and I would end up with oil all over my fingers.
Wow you changed a lot of brands
Good Luck I guess!In hindsight I prob wouldn’t have switched to Yonex but I was obsessed with Hewitt at that time ... whichever brand I decide to go with next I’ll probably stick with for a while.
Didn't know those strings existed actually...
Ok thanks...Don't hold me to it as there has been quite a few beers between now and 1978 but I believe they were called Oilon strings.
Remember the oil was held inside by tiny metal pins at each end of the set of string...I played with that Oil filled string when I was a kid in my Yamaha YFG-20. I think the theory was that it would dampen vibration. I recall snapping that stuff and I would end up with oil all over my fingers.
Why did they use those, why did they stop them?Remember the oil was held inside by tiny metal pins at each end of the set of string...
I'm guessing to keep the oil inside. I really miss that string!Why did they use those, why did they stop them?
No sir, portuguese. Antonis is kind of a nickname, Antonio mixed with adonis, this was a silly joke that happened some 20 years ago, on drunk night outhaha.. we all had autographs, best marketing techinic. btw were are you from, are you greek?(just by the name)
Uh ok, interestingNo sir, portuguese. Antonis is kind of a nickname, Antonio mixed with adonis, this was a silly joke that happened some 20 years ago, on drunk night out
Remember the oil was held inside by tiny metal pins at each end of the set of string...
NiceFirst lesson in 2nd grade - Dunlop XLT-15 - aluminum with leather grip and so heavy it would be considered child abuse by today's light stick standards
In-between - too many various ProStaffs to count.
Today - Wilson Ultra Tour 2.0 @ 365g