Obscure/unpopular frames used by pros

[kevin qmto]

Just a fun thread idea that popped into my head. Got any picks for rackets in the hands of tour pros that seem out of the ordinary? Doesn’t necessarily have to be a small obscure brand, maybe just a model that not many other pros ever wielded (Kinda like Jimbo and his T2000, but also kinda not as I’m sure plenty of pros used it briefly in the late 60s).

Pictures of them using said frames are a plus!

like how many pros besides Gilbert used the Fox/Bosworth frames?

Or a modern example would be Seppi and Pro Kennex. Wonder if they’ll bother picking up another top 100 ATP player.

 

[michael valek]

Anyone who used a Fin frame

 

[michael valek]

Sportastic even if was Kneissl underneath

 

[kevin qmto]

Anyone who used a Fin frame

Did anyone use a fin frame lol?

 

[michael valek]

Chris Lewis I think

 

[NicoMK]

Can't remember if any pros using weird rackets (except all of those handling a Bab... ) apart from those Bosworth rackets or Brad Gilbert's Fox at some point. Vilas' Spaghetti was pretty unique but it's quite famous so I'm not sure it'd count here.

 

[jxs653]

Lendl's octogonal frame looks unique to me (although it's past his active career of course).

 

[HBK4life]

Whatever that thing Muster was using when he was making a run at being more of a multi surface player.

 

[NicoMK]

Whatever that thing Muster was using when he was making a run at being more of a multi surface player.

Kneissl's Tom's Machine, as discussed here for example : https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/thomas-muster-racquet.71604/#post-660142

Muster's experts will explain everything. All I can say is that I had one in hands once and it was a beast.

 

[HBK4life]

Kneissl's Tom's Machine, as discussed here for example : https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/thomas-muster-racquet.71604/#post-660142

Muster's experts will explain everything. All I can say is that I had one in hands once and it was a beast.

What a strange name for a racket. Sounds more like a name for a progressive rock band from Portland.

 

[NicoMK]

What a strange name for a racket. Sounds more like a name for a progressive rock band from Portland.

Haha yes!

 

[Steve Huff]

Stan Smith's Fischer was pretty unusual at the time, as was Jimmy Connor's t2000.

 

[kevin qmto]

Stan Smith's Fischer was pretty unusual at the time, as was Jimmy Connor's t2000.

Good example. The Super Form is a fascenating early graphite mono beam frame, difficult to swing, and even harder to hit the sweet spot, which on the original smaller diamond head version was about the size of a ball itself.

let’s think of some more!

 

[NicoMK]

Guy Forget's Lacoste Equijet...

 

[thanu]

Matt Seeberger using a Gamma Bubba 137 at the US Open:

 

[JW10S]

Anyone who used a Fin frame

John Lloyd did for a short while.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Jo Durie seemed to specialise in bonkers rackets, mainly long-string jobs from Fischer & SpIn. Pretty sure I have seen a picture of her using an Octogon and a MadRaq at some point too.

 

[Kemitak]

Matt Seeberger using a Gamma Bubba 137 at the US Open:

Matt tried stringing that thing skipping every other grommet, and then he would challenge others on tour to keep a regular groundie in the court. Somehow he could do it though. Or so he told me.

 

[aus89]

Magnus Norman with the Wilson Rok

Baby Verdasco with the Major X-One

Jurgen Melzer with Kneissl Red Star

Stepanek with the Bosworth

Seppi with his Pro Kennex Laver

 

[Idaho MEP]

 

[pedrogcr]

Jean Michael Gambill played with the 115 sq. in. / 28.5 inches long Prince ThunderBolt Oversize.

Head Size:	115 sq. in. / 742 sq. cm.
Length:	28.50 inches / 72.39 cm
Strung Weight:	10.60 oz / 300 g
Balance:	4pts HL
Swing Weight:	356

 

[kevin qmto]

Matt Seeberger using a Gamma Bubba 137 at the US Open:

Ok, this wins the thread.

 

[Steve Huff]

How can this be? I read it on the "Rackets" forum that anyone above a 4.0 rating has to use a 98sq in or smaller head?

 

[kevin qmto]

How can this be? I read it on the "Rackets" forum that anyone above a 4.0 rating has to use a 98sq in or smaller head?

I just love that he doesn’t just use the slightly smaller, but still relatively bonkers Big Bubba 117. Nope, the full 137. What a legend.

 

[georgeyew]

Back in the 80's Yannick Noah used a Le Coq Sportif racquet with a straight bar down the throat.

 

[kevin qmto]

Back in the 80's Yannick Noah used a Le Coq Sportif racquet with a straight bar down the throat.

Yes the graphite reinforced frame he used to win the French. Very cool looking frame, I hope to add one to my collection some day, but the only few I’ve seen pop up on the auction site are more than I’m willing to spend.

 

[BlueB]

Brian Battistone:

And search for a video of his serve. It's well worth it.

 

[aus89]

Nicolas Lapentti with the Jenro 2 piece racquet

 

[BorgCash]

Good example. The Super Form is a fascenating early graphite mono beam frame, difficult to swing, and even harder to hit the sweet spot, which on the original smaller diamond head version was about the size of a ball itself.

let’s think of some more!

It looks like but if you try it (did you?) it plays great. I had one early type (all-black) with very small head size, the racquet hits great, of course you need good footwork and timing, classic technique at all.

 

[kevin qmto]

It looks like but if you try it (did you?) it plays great. I had one early type (all-black) with very small head size, the racquet hits great, of course you need good footwork and timing, classic technique at all.

I’ll record myself using it one of these days and you can see if I handled it well.

 

[BorgCash]

Just a fun thread idea that popped into my head. Got any picks for rackets in the hands of tour pros that seem out of the ordinary? Doesn’t necessarily have to be a small obscure brand, maybe just a model that not many other pros ever wielded (Kinda like Jimbo and his T2000, but also kinda not as I’m sure plenty of pros used it briefly in the late 60s).

Pictures of them using said frames are a plus!

like how many pros besides Gilbert used the Fox/Bosworth frames?

Or a modern example would be Seppi and Pro Kennex. Wonder if they’ll bother picking up another top 100 ATP player.

As for 1987 there are pros playing with Fox:
Brad Gilbert, Hank Pfister, Glenn Layendecker, Steve Denton, Bud Cox, Hans Simonsson, Jacques Manset, Dick Stockton, Peter Johnson, Sandy Mayer, Jaime Fillol, Randall Nixon, Greg Neuhart, Sandy Collins, Ray Moore, Matt Doyle, Brian Teacher, Cary Stansbury, Michael Fancutt, Jeff Arons, Kelvin Belcher, Tracy Delatte, Dacio Campos.

 

[BorgCash]

Guy Forget with Lacoste Equijet. Also Roger-Vasselin.

 

[BorgCash]

Roscoe Tanner and Yannick Noah with Le Coq Sportif.

 

[tennistiger]

Jo Durie with Rox Pro Space: https://www.google.com/search?q=jo+...DHaSGBS8Q_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=360&bih=511&dpr=2

 

[BorgCash]

Wimbledon racquets - Rafaella Reggi, Sabrina Goles, Kathleen Horvath, Michelle Torres; Joakim Nystrom, Ken Flach.

 

[BorgCash]

Australian Emrik racquets - Evonne Goolagong - Cawley, Kim Warwick, Wally Masur.

 

[BorgCash]

Jo Durie with Rox Pro Space: https://www.google.com/search?q=jo+...DHaSGBS8Q_AUoAXoECAIQAQ&biw=360&bih=511&dpr=2

Ok, good find. Mostly she used Fischer racquets.

 

[McLovin]

What about Wilander's Rossignal?

 

[thanu]

Brian Battistone:

And search for a video of his serve. It's well worth it.

It’s crazy, he’s still playing at age 43 (44 in a few months). Love it!

 

[jxs653]

It’s crazy, he’s still playing at age 43 (44 in a few months). Love it!

I have seen the two-handle racquet before but it's first time to watch someone actually plays with it. Not just the racquet but his serve is really unorthodox: tossing and serving with the same hand. Wow. He also does serve & volley. I wished the guy'd won but.. Thanks for the video.

 

[jxs653]

What about Wilander's Rossignal?

That inverted throat resurrected with William sisters' N3 and N4 in early 2000s, didn't it? The notable was their using what people call "game improvement" sticks just like a couple of examples mentioned above.

 

[BorgCash]

What about Wilander's Rossignal?

This Rossignol F200 Carbon is more unique to be very flexible racquet rather than about shape of inverted bridge. It's the most soft racquet i've ever tried, RA is about 22 or so. So it fits Mat's playing style perfectly, all his wins were with this racquet.

 

[daddabompa]

This Rossignol F200 Carbon is more unique to be very flexible racquet rather than about shape of inverted bridge. It's the most soft racquet i've ever tried, RA is about 22 or so. So it fits Mat's playing style perfectly, all his wins were with this racquet.

I think 32-34 RA is more accurate for F200.

 

[BorgCash]

I think 32-34 RA is more accurate for F200.

No, it's extremely soft, my data comes from this forum discussion.

 

[lefty10spro]

I once gave the Rossignol president a ride to the airport. I told him that there was no way Mats used that flimsy piece of junk. He asked me to keep quiet about the fact that Mats did use a much stiffer layup than what they sold. Probably ok to spill the beans now!

 

[vsbabolat]

That inverted throat resurrected with William sisters' N3 and N4 in early 2000s, didn't it? The notable was their using what people call "game improvement" sticks just like a couple of examples mentioned above.

It wasn’t inverted like the Rossignol. The head shape was round but the bottom of the bridge was inverted but the top was normal round.

 

[michael valek]

I once gave the Rossignol president a ride to the airport. I told him that there was no way Mats used that flimsy piece of junk. He asked me to keep quiet about the fact that Mats did use a much stiffer layup than what they sold. Probably ok to spill the beans now!

I always said that retail flexy 200 was too flexy to play with.

 

[daddabompa]

No, it's extremely soft, my data comes from this forum discussion.

I'm not able to find the original thread, but the following are data measured by @Dino Lagaffe about some of his Rossignols, where the flex is the 3rd value listed:

Rossignol F200 (Blue) 349/12.31/33/345
Rossignol F200 (Green) 340/11.99/36/340
Rossignol F200 (Grey) 405/14.29/42/383
Rossignol F200 (White) 344/12.13/36/326

 

[BorgCash]

I'm not able to find the original thread, but the following are data measured by @Dino Lagaffe about some of his Rossignols, where the flex is the 3rd value listed:

Rossignol F200 (Blue) 349/12.31/33/345
Rossignol F200 (Green) 340/11.99/36/340
Rossignol F200 (Grey) 405/14.29/42/383
Rossignol F200 (White) 344/12.13/36/326

I will try to find the data i was talking about.

 

[NicoMK]

I'm not able to find the original thread, but the following are data measured by @Dino Lagaffe about some of his Rossignols, where the flex is the 3rd value listed:

Rossignol F200 (Blue) 349/12.31/33/345
Rossignol F200 (Green) 340/11.99/36/340
Rossignol F200 (Grey) 405/14.29/42/383
Rossignol F200 (White) 344/12.13/36/326

I have some of the F200 mentioned above and a Babolat RDC and I can confirm those figures. My first gen F200 from 1982 is 37 as far as I can recall. The F200 with the "Mats Wilander" signature is a tad stiffer. I can't remember how much because I haven't used them for a while but I'd say 45ish... I don't have access to the RDC on a daily basis but I could check.