vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I used to read Serve & Volley form time to time. I enjoyed it.
Gone but not forgotten
- Thread starter desslok
- Start date
I miss my old Fred Perry canvas tennis sneakers! ($29.99!)
Pros and hackers with slice forehands (& backhands too)! The sweet sound of racquets strung with natural gut. Pick up matches on public courts - what a great way to make friends. Flexible tennis racquets. Having to concentrate really hard to make clean contact with tennis balls because racquets had a 68 sq. inch head. Flat ground strokes that stayed low and skidded on the court (and having to dig them out!). Remember getting a decent brand new graphite composite ProKennex racquet for $99? Aluminum tennis racquets that cost $35 and were very playable. Remember when tennis had mostly flat ball hitters and long rallies because the racquets were less powerful? Remember when most shots bounced at waist height - none of this bouncing at shoulder height BS!
Pros and hackers with slice forehands (& backhands too)! The sweet sound of racquets strung with natural gut. Pick up matches on public courts - what a great way to make friends. Flexible tennis racquets. Having to concentrate really hard to make clean contact with tennis balls because racquets had a 68 sq. inch head. Flat ground strokes that stayed low and skidded on the court (and having to dig them out!). Remember getting a decent brand new graphite composite ProKennex racquet for $99? Aluminum tennis racquets that cost $35 and were very playable. Remember when tennis had mostly flat ball hitters and long rallies because the racquets were less powerful? Remember when most shots bounced at waist height - none of this bouncing at shoulder height BS!
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Nothing like the smell of VS Gut just out of the package
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Yes...!! And the "grinding" that it makes when you replace the strings. Reminds me of some glorious hours of the 80s at the French when you could clearly hear that noise on TV on the GTX Pro, Rossignol F200, Puma, Prince etc.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
dunlop green flash shoes. i think there was also something even crapper called amber flash. prize for worst of all was 'Hi-tec tennis' shoes......awful
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
dje31
Professional
Leather tennis shoes
Indoor carpet courts, tournaments
Knee-high striped socks (no, not really)
Loading up on junk food, candy, soda in coach's van on the way to matches
Not relying on Aleve / Naproxen daily for all the aches and pains of aging
Ski MFRs making racquets for the off-season
As others have already stated: non-homogenized surfaces for pro tourneys
OHBH in the pros, men & women
Indoor carpet courts, tournaments
Knee-high striped socks (no, not really)
Loading up on junk food, candy, soda in coach's van on the way to matches
Not relying on Aleve / Naproxen daily for all the aches and pains of aging
Ski MFRs making racquets for the off-season
As others have already stated: non-homogenized surfaces for pro tourneys
OHBH in the pros, men & women
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Yes, I remember the Dunlop Green Flash shoes, I went through those in about a week. I also remember wearing Converse Skid-Grip shoes. Amazing to think we could play in those canvas shoes.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I wore the Nike All Court canvas shoes.
dje31
Professional
Yup, same.
DTA Dropshots
Rookie
Arriving at the courts a hour before daylight to get the rollers out from under Mike's house to roll the dew off of Court 1 of 6. We could not use the wheeled leaf blower until 8am due to city noise ordinance. Hang up the tennis can for people to put $0.50 in to pay for the balls. Early comers could get 3 sets in before the courts filled up & you come off and were subject to the "Lord of match making." Attendance raged from the 30s to 50s on the weekends. You know you have some fanatical players when the early groups show up wearing insulated coveralls and a wool sock taped just above the grip and tucked in at the wrists when the temp are below freezing. The group is still going strong, 2024 makes 77 years of mixed social doubles.
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StringGuruMRT
Semi-Pro
The highlight montage at the end the last broadcast of the US Open every year. I remember in the late 90's early 2000's they did "Go The Distance", "Mambo Number 5", "Rooftops", and "Our Time Now"
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Kooyong... I really liked the peaceful atmosphere of Kooyong. I feel the same when I watch old footage from the early 80s' Roland-Garros. The film "The French" is a typical example of what I'm thinking of.
You can see it on that video too: players are very laid back, there are trees everywhere, no noise except maybe balls and birds... it's really cool, even if it's obviously not shot inside Roland-Garros but at least you have the general feeling.
It also puts into perspective how much things have changed in 40 years, for good or bad, you tell me lol...
You can see it on that video too: players are very laid back, there are trees everywhere, no noise except maybe balls and birds... it's really cool, even if it's obviously not shot inside Roland-Garros but at least you have the general feeling.
It also puts into perspective how much things have changed in 40 years, for good or bad, you tell me lol...
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retrowagen
Hall of Fame
I also miss high quality tennis shoes with perforated white leather and Nubuk uppers, molded polyurethane soles and lower-density polyurethane midsoles… Adidas Grand Prix, Diadora Mavericks, and Puma Vilas Specials are three prime examples… great choices for clay, and, once worn down a bit on hardcourts, one could slide into shots as if on clay! The Adidas “Tennis Spezial” (a full high top iteration of the low-top Grand Prix) “Tennisstiefel” was my absolute favourite… with the Lendl ‘85 kit, my favorite outfit of my junior years.
dje31
Professional
Loves me some Adidas Grand Prix. Also had the Lendl Pro, which had great leather right out of the box. Bought three pairs with my employee discount at the end of a summer stringing / sales job in my college days.
Last week, I actually wore my full leather cap toe Superstars--technically low-cut basketball sneaks--for a hitting session. Honestly didn't feel any worse, support, traction, maneuverability, etc., than any of my current modern shoes. And I'm 59!
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dje31
Professional
Keeping the Lendl theme rolling...noice, VSB!
michael valek
Hall of Fame
That guy at Wimbledon who used to carry the bags for the players in the final
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Yup. String for them at Wimby one year. Good memories, all nice chaps.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Do you know why they got out of tennis?
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
The pictured Lendl Pros (I believe there were actually two distinct versions of “Lendl Pro” shoes, in addition to the Lendl Supreme, Lendl Comp (the actual model worn by the man), and Lendl Advantage) were the most exquisite of the line, IMHO. Made in France, kangaroo leather, and impossible to find where I lived in California and England, circa 1985-1987.
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Not for sure but basically it was a small strings brand compared to Babolat or Tecnifibre or even Head today and they were having difficulties to compete with those bigger brands. The relative decline of natural gut didn't help, I guess.
It happened the very same to Maillot Savarez. Once a solid company at least in France, today a world number one in the music industry but they don't do a lot in tennis anymore.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Yeah, Bow Bramd switched to the music industry too. At least they pivoted and figured out how to survive.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
They seem to be 'big' in the harp-string market today, mostly still using gut, and I noticed that the low notes require strings about the right length for a racket...
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Single tennis bags with useful pockets:
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Yes!! I really liked Boris' Puma single bags.
teachingprotx
Legend
God bless me too
teachingprotx
Legend
edbergs and lendls white adidas bag line . Glorious shaped racket bags then . Trim slim fit bags . Likey
Those kids are still there. It's just not average kids playing at the park.
My son played a club tournament on the weekend and a kid of 9 waxed poetic about the Speed 2022 model.
30T2
Rookie
I feel this one. I'm college age so not exactly the same range you're talking about, but even the club team guys I play with don't really nerd out about rackets or string beyond what their favorite poly is or if this year's aero pro/pure drive/blade/pro staff is any better than last year's. If I come to play with a midsize graphite stick, they react like its ancient technology (a slight exaggeration but still). I guess it makes sense on some level, because getting really deep into gear (especially old gear) really doesn't make you a better player. The best players at our uni club talk way more about their game/strokes/strategy than they do about gear. But at the recreational level, I guess I figured more people would enjoy sampling different stuff appreciating the differences in feel and performance.
Casey 1988
Rookie
I miss brands like ProKennex making a Jr racquet both cheap and good anymore for kids to use and why you see nobody as an adult really using brands except old people over 65--67 using ProKennex becuse they have oversized length racquets 27.25--27.5 that have more options in some closer to normal specs of a 100--105 square inch head size then other brands for long length racquets. Sorry I use an old ProKennex model for my racquets.
From what I have found quality control was higher on most of these older late 1990's to 2000's cheap aluminum and titanium frames before Switch to China from Tiawan from ProKennex brand then on most other brands cheap racquets save maybe Willson who on cheap end only cratered to beginners in there design even in the 2000's using a low tension or Wilson producing an oversized model where was for old people who do not like today.
From what I have found quality control was higher on most of these older late 1990's to 2000's cheap aluminum and titanium frames before Switch to China from Tiawan from ProKennex brand then on most other brands cheap racquets save maybe Willson who on cheap end only cratered to beginners in there design even in the 2000's using a low tension or Wilson producing an oversized model where was for old people who do not like today.
Casey 1988
Rookie
Or searching down an old model they like when is no longer available, is gone claiming nothing is close to the feel, specs or __ and high school/lower end university players force themselves to play using a new model, never ever buying a backup or 2 when on sale.
Some Do this already and have a backup but use a totally different model for backup that is not even close to model they use, some cheap titanium or graphite model not even like a 26 inch Jr graphite of model they are using just as a budget version of model they then make heavier. I have seen in comments on Amazon of players in high school/university buying a specific Wilson graphite under $80 for a replacement backup of a carbon fiber model much lighter and person never matches said racquets or even has similar specs in head. These players are not keeping one heavier racquet for playing in slick/slower conditions like some grass and clay can be or for heavy hitters so in first case they can get more power, so they have more time to react and second heavier racquet for less twisting but are using as a full-on backup. I say if buying said under $80 Wilson model as backup, buy another as main model if not keeping as a model for specific reasons.
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Casey 1988
Rookie
These are $35 each and playable one piece racquets based on an older 95 square inch frame. I do not use; however many players seem to be missing the tennis balls that come with the set.
Casey 1988
Rookie
I miss the old aluminum and early titanium ProKennex models you could find in big box department stores like K-mart, Walmart that were the non raw beginner racquets in the 2000's, now most aluminum models that are made now are a thin flexible frame made for raw beginners in aluminum where the nylon/synthetic gut is too lose for nylon gut to work even for a beginner, having all models like how most of the Jr/kids 23 and under aluminum models were from the 2000's. Then with titanium they are normal frames in terms of bending but they expect you to immediately replace the cheap poly strings that often come already slightly grooved in from transport. I have only found one unknown Chinese clone of an old model I mentioned in post above that is modern Aluminum and is not a beginner thin frame width whippy 100 square inch+ head size but is a 95--96 square inch head.
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teachingprotx
Legend
when ever that theme was heard in my house it was drop everything grab a racket and run outside during commercials and hit off the garage wall and run back in and catch the match .. another commercial run back out hit on the garage wall run back In to watch the match . Repeat and rinse . Until I was 17 and then I found chicks and booze .
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Shucks, if BBC had ad-breaks I'd probably have got decent at tennis! As it was, I was 12hrs a day glued to the screen!
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
A larger selection of leather shoes would be welcomed. Like most of these from 1982:
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Funnily enough after plugging in those prices in the Inflation Calculator, they match up almost perfectly with the price of higher end tennis shoes today. Good to see some things haven’t changed, except I think overall today’s shoes are much better designed than those 80s shoes. Maybe not better built or craftsmanship, but definitely higher performance.
I still think the 2011 Adidas Barricade 6.0’s are the best and most durable shoes ever made.
I still think the 2011 Adidas Barricade 6.0’s are the best and most durable shoes ever made.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Yes, decent sticks like Black Ace, Graphite Edge, Sting and F200 were around $100 at this time, or twice the price of decent shoes. Most adverts didn't even dare to mention the POG or Boron, which would be 4 and 6 times the price.
Higher performance out of the box perhaps, but I doubt modern shoes are as good after 200+ hours of use.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Oh those barricades were up there, total tanks. The modern equivalents probably not, though I do love the Court Jam Control shoes.
teachingprotx
Legend
Rackets - 80’s 90’s for me
shoes strings accessories current
shoes strings accessories current
- White dominant clothes
- S&V
- John "You cannot be serious, man" McEnroe on TV (on court)
- A lot of tennis friends
