Jimmy Connors racquets through the ages
- Thread starter Ciaron
- Start date
hoodjem
G.O.A.T.
Was that a Kneissl or an Estusa or a Slazenger?
(P.S. Are there photos of Connors using a woody?)
Ciaron
Semi-Pro
Never saw him with a woody .. Although you would imagine he must have used one somewhere in the early days
Ciaron
Semi-Pro
There was mention somewhere that I saw ages ago that the PS 85 was designed with him in mind but yes he didnt like it
treblings
Hall of Fame
Ciaron
Semi-Pro
I did see these 3 pics ..
The dodge yellow one
http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums...D-C16E-4ADE-BC99-BF10ABD68FFA_zpsrrf9g76q.jpg
This unidentifiable white racquet
http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums...8-5444-4E66-AE4F-353E59BDD68B_zpsrycyw2hb.png
And then the Prince Mono
http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums...7-14DF-470A-9EBB-34A3BC5DC10E_zpsxx4xoskf.png
The dodge yellow one
http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums...D-C16E-4ADE-BC99-BF10ABD68FFA_zpsrrf9g76q.jpg
This unidentifiable white racquet
http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums...8-5444-4E66-AE4F-353E59BDD68B_zpsrycyw2hb.png
And then the Prince Mono
http://i1378.photobucket.com/albums...7-14DF-470A-9EBB-34A3BC5DC10E_zpsxx4xoskf.png
encylopedia
Professional
The yellow one was an Estusa.
The white one was the Slazenger Pro Panther Ceramic which he started using around 1986.
Yes he and Chrissie were to be the double fisted pro staff reps...she went on, he didn't.
The white one was the Slazenger Pro Panther Ceramic which he started using around 1986.
Yes he and Chrissie were to be the double fisted pro staff reps...she went on, he didn't.
here is what i remember:
1) t2000
2) wilson prostaff mid ('84-85)
3) back to t2000
4) slazenger panther pro ceramic (86-88?)
5) slazenger phantom (89-90?)
6) estusa (91-93?)
7) mono (95 -- til now)
i think i heard the estusa racquet he used at 91 us open was actually a paint job slazenger phantom but im not sure..)
1) t2000
2) wilson prostaff mid ('84-85)
3) back to t2000
4) slazenger panther pro ceramic (86-88?)
5) slazenger phantom (89-90?)
6) estusa (91-93?)
7) mono (95 -- til now)
i think i heard the estusa racquet he used at 91 us open was actually a paint job slazenger phantom but im not sure..)
Nacho
Hall of Fame
Big Ted has it right....T-2000 came out in 67' and he used it in college.....Not sure what he might have used before that
hoodjem
G.O.A.T.
I bet Wilson was marketing this racquet in the 70s just because of his name recognition. I doubt he ever used it.
not sure, if that´s the actual model that he used.
he also tried the Wilson Pro Staff 85 but didn´t like it
Yes, he did try and play with Pro Staff for a few months in the 80s, but immediately went back to his T2000.
hoodjem
G.O.A.T.
Slazenger logo on the strings.
Ciaron
Semi-Pro
Agreed on the woody with his name on it. I've got a similar one and the same story no doubt .
This list is correct. He used the Pro-Staff from mid '84 to spring '85. Right after he lost to Mac at '84 Wimbledon. But by Summer '85 he was disenchanted with it and went back to the t2000, which I always thought was a mistake. But, I'm not Jimmy Connors either. In late '86, he was using a mystery black frame, which I believe was a Slazenger prototype. If you look on You Tube, for the 1986 Transamerica Open final against McEnroe, that's the frame he is using. Come Spring '87, he has the Panther Pro Ceramic, wihc he played w/for a few years...at least thru the '88 USO. Not sure how long he used that Black Phantom; he had that during the '89 USO run. where he played very, very well. After that, it was the yellow Estusa and finally the Mono, when he started the Seniors Tour in the early '90's.
treblings
Hall of Fame
you´re probably right
I believe that is the prototype for the PS 85....he seemed to play quite well with it, watching this clip. It baffled me when he went back to the T2000. Connors claimed that the ball would "fly" on him w/the PS and he had more control w/the T2000. Maybe, but even the casual observer sees some better serves, volleys and ground strokes coming from the PS vs. the T. Oddly, the '84 USO was the only slam where he used the PS. And, he had a great tournament that year; narrowly losing to Mac in a classic semifinal.
DNShade
Hall of Fame
No. It's a much different prototype with a totally round head - much smaller and more like a graphite T2000 actually and quite flexible. Was around the time they were coming up with the PS 85 but this wasn't it at all.
From a similar thread:
Well, the mixed dubs video is from 1983, well before the PS came out. I suppose it could be a prototype that never made it to prime time....or they just moved on from that one to the PS. Evert was the smart one; she switched and stuck with it. She played very well w/the PS from '84 onwards...a few GS titles along the way.
DNShade
Hall of Fame
Actually the PS 85 officially came out in 1984 but JC was testing it well before then along with this other prototype as well. And in 84 after getting destroyed by Mac in the Wimbledon final with the T2000 Connors went with the PS 85 at the US Open and others so...
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If my memory is right, in early '85 he lost a couple of matches that probably rattled his confidence in the PS. One was the Masters SF vs. Lendl, after being ahead in the final set. Then, he played an awful final in Florida against Christo Van Rensburg, pretty much a nobody. I didn't think it was the racquet, just Connors being off that day. I watched that one. He was misfiring all over. By the time of the French Open he was back to the T2000; he reached the semis there and again at Wimby, losing both--badly. US too, but he got hurt prior to his SF, so hard to say if the racquet would've made a difference. I think he went thru all of '86 w/the t2000...and had a lousy year, before going over to the white Slazenger Panther Pro Ceramic...which seemed like a good choice for him. It was a pretty heavy racquet, for a composite...not my cup of tea.
DNShade
Hall of Fame
That sounds about right. I just remember how crazy it seemed to us when he went back to the T2000 in 85 and 86.
ItalianStallion
Rookie
Jimbo as a junior
