How many people still play with rackets that are over 20 years old?
- Thread starter jimanuel12
- Start date
gold325
Hall of Fame
@kevin qmto
While I too love to dabble with old racquets with old strings (that they come with) - but its only because I dont string myself and it costs me more to do the same - and I have way more racquets that I should have - so I try to get away without changing strings.
But old graphite racquets (as long as weight and swingweight is under control) with modern poly strings is a thing of beauty.
For example
Dunlop Max 300i (poly) - Plays like a modern racquet with a small head, weight is the biggest issue
Prokennex Copper Ace (poly) - plays very forgiving very spinny mid size
I constantly see you praise Gamma Ocho 17 - I also see your strokes and game are pretty clean. Do you not use poly due to fear of injury? Because I get much longer usable life out of poly than I do multi and typically cost 1/3 to 1/4 of a multi.
Also in older low flex racquets it feels like the racquet itself absorbs a lot of the pace and "ball damage" and string life is even longer. I might be wrong on this point since I cant be sure on it.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Oh I'm not doubting they are or could be. I have strung rackets from the early 90s with poly before and had good results. I do occasionally get some arm pain when using poly too much, but that's from using it on my main rackets. I just think most rackets 'feel' better with a nice syn gut or multi and that's how I enjoy my retro frames when playing with them recreationally. When I play 'serious' or league tennis, I usually use my more modern sticks with poly.
Last night I played my first league match with my Adidas GTM, sadly this was the first match in a year that I DIDN'T film. Maybe I've been holding myself back by documenting everything as I played well above my normal level, even with modern rackets, perhaps due to the lack of pressure of filming myself. I won convincingly against a real speedster opponent, who could do a mean jumping 2 handed backhand that I was a little jelly of.
And that's after I started down 1-4 because I was trying to blast the ball like I would with my modern racket with poly, not this stick from 1985 with a multifilament. As soon as I took a little pace off the ball and came in more, I rattled off 6 straight games. Actually got broken early in the 2nd to break my streak, but resumed the streak afterwards and won 6/4, 6/2.
Big adidas guy here. Your GTM and my bag would get along just fine.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Would need to clean it up a tad first but yes.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
Very nice. What strings and tension do you run in it?
Frankc
Professional
Excellent - very special ... Enjoyed that beautiful frame for years - suited Tec 515 17 gauge perfectly for me...
Very nice, just enjoy...
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Thank you! I first switched to them in September 1993
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
I turned one in Sept 93, and now I’m starting to get grey hairs. But I still think that era of rackets is fantastic.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
It was! You had variety of different design of frames. You had 85, 90, 95, 97/98, 100, and 110. Now you’re left with 95, 98, and 100. Blue racquets are Pure Drive tweeners, red racquets are control Classic style rackets. Yellow racquets are Pure Aero spin racquets.
teachingprotx
Legend
Dude I hear you I too use flexy old rackets too. What is the spec on rossi 230?
NicoMK
Hall of Fame
Can't remember if it's your usual racket or if you switch from one frame to another...?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I had started using the Pro Tour 630 and Auxetic Prestige Pro but I always go back to the Classic and they are all matched. I always keep it in my rotation of frames. Playing with the Prestige Pro 600/Prestige Classic 600 is always going home to me. However when I played a tournament last year I used the Pro Tour 630 because I wanted a bigger sweet spot.
hanjulian
New User
Have been playing with Pro Tour 630 for a while now. Have been unable to find anything else that feels as good as the 1995 Pro Tour 630. I am married to this racquet for life. LOL
Started playing tennis with 2014 Pro Staff 90, then hunted for Prestige Classic, just had to get the PT630 after that, didn't really use it. Went thru so many modern racquets in between (Pure Strike, Graphene Radical, Pure Aero didn't like any of them), then one day in 2020 just decided to hit with PT630. Oh GOD! BOOM Perfect racquet !!!
Have always liked 16x19 pattern but 18x20 of PT630 is just exceptional .
Perhaps one day will pick up a PT57A 16x19 version.
Started playing tennis with 2014 Pro Staff 90, then hunted for Prestige Classic, just had to get the PT630 after that, didn't really use it. Went thru so many modern racquets in between (Pure Strike, Graphene Radical, Pure Aero didn't like any of them), then one day in 2020 just decided to hit with PT630. Oh GOD! BOOM Perfect racquet !!!
Have always liked 16x19 pattern but 18x20 of PT630 is just exceptional .
Perhaps one day will pick up a PT57A 16x19 version.
Winners or Errors
Legend
Had my Pro and White Star Twin on court yesterday. First time I bothered to hit them side by side. Interesting how much more direct the feedback from the Pro is on shots. Just ordered a second Pro off the Bay to have two matching sticks. Fingers crossed. Old frames are sometimes a crap shoot.
I don’t think I’d ever buy a Twin… it was a gift.
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