Rackets used by pro's from mid 80's to late 90's

LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
1980

Snauwaert Fibre -- 2 -- 3 -- 4

Dunlop Volley

Slazenger Plus

Head Pro -- Head Pro -- Head XRC/Royal -- Head Ashe

Malcolm Anderson

Pro Kennex Black Ace / Pic 2

Prince Pro 110 (Caroline de Monaco) -- Prince POG -- Prince Classic -- Prince POG grometless - Prince POG -- Prince Pro 110

Prince Pro 110 -- 2 -- 3 -- 4 -- POG

Yamaha Fiberglass -- Yamaha Fiberglass -- Yamaha

Fischer Coup - Fischer Superform

Kawasaki Graphite Ruler

Völkl Servo (x) -- Völkl Servo Soft (x)

Multiple rackets -- 2

Donnay Borg -- Donnay 3set Ladyglass

Adidas Metal -- Adidas Grand Prix

Yonex Graflex 9200

Austral X-2 (only cover)

Wilson Ultra PWS -- Wilson Ultra PWS

Bird (Kirk Douglas)

Lacoste Metal

Le Coq Sportif

PDP
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
1982

Dunlop Volley - b -- Dunlop Max 200G -- 2

Snauwaert Graphite Mid -- 2 -- Snauwaert Dino

Yonex R-7 -- Yonex R-3 - b -- Yonex R-1? -- Yonex Carbonex?

Prince Woodie -- 2 -- Prince Graphite Comp -- Prince Graphite Comp + Wilson Cobra -- Prince Boron

Head Graphite Director -- Head Comfort -- Head Edgewood -- Head Edge

Fischer Metal Jr. -- Fischer Superform Open 1983?

Rossignol F200 -- Rossignol F300

Adidas GTX Pro -- 2 -- 3

Emrik -- Emrik

Donnay Graphite Pro -- Donnay 3set Graphite GT

Donnay Mid 25 with a LCS stencil

Spalding GC-20

Wilson Galaxy -- 2 - 2/cover-- Wilson Performer (x)

Slazenger Vilas

Pro Kennex Black Ace
 
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coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
retrowagen said:
The photo of Yannick Noah with the “Le Coq Sportif” racquet is actually a blacked-out Donnay Mid 25 with a LCS stencil!
Click to expand...
Interestingly, such a deceptive practice would not be allowed in Pickleball. The regs require the proper brand and model number to be part of the graphics on the paddle face. Good catch!
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
1983

Dunlop Max 200G -- Dunlop Max 200G -- Dunlop Maxpower Perfection -- Dunlop Arpega: 1 - 2 - 3

Fischer Superform

Pro Kennex Bronz Ace -- Pro Kennex Golden Ace

Prince Pro 110 -- Prince Boron -- Prince Graphite Comp -- Prince POG

Le Coq Sportif Concept 3 Oversize

Adidas GTX Pro -- Adidas Magister 1 - 1b - 2 - 2b

Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Ultra 2

Head Edge -- Head Comfort -- Head Graphite Director

Donnay Graphite Plus

Snauwaert Ergonom (look at the Ergonom ad on eday)

Lacoste Top Fibre

Jimmy Connors testing Wilson rackets in 1983 and using Pro Staff Midsize in 1984. (He used the T2000 till 1986): 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Article about Wilson Pro Staff from Wilson
 
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Sanglier

Sanglier

Professional
Didn't know Sophie Marceau turned 'Pro' after filming "La Boum", and invented the modern windshield-wiper forehand with that 3/4 Western grip. :)

actrice-franaise-sophie-marceau-joue-au-tennis-le3-avril-1983-monte-picture-id950003762



How were you able to make out the exact models in some of these blurry photos? Are you using a published list as reference?

Also, reading that history of ProStaff on Wilson's website, one can't help but to wonder if there is anyone left in the company's marketing department who has first hand knowledge of (or is interested in) their own history. The original ProStaff had a 50/50 graphite/kevlar composition? It was only their third graphite offering after the "Galaxy" and "Sting"? How did these elementary errors make their way into an article about their most legendary product?
 
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LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
Sanglier said:
How were you able to make out the exact models in some of these blurry photos? Are you using a published list as reference?
Click to expand...

I zoom on the photos, search for another pic, search on internet, TW, eday. The "Head Comfort" came after I looked at the vintage Head ad photos I downloaded from eday in 2019. Dunlop Volley (Evonne Goolagong) came after internet search.
After searching for photos of Sophie Marceau's Dunlop on eday.fr (without luck), i identified Fabrice Santoro's Dunlop from this image. It's a Dunlop Mach 2 Pro (Raquette Tennis Dunlop Mac 2 Pro) .

"Also, reading that history of ProStaff on Wilson's website, one can't help but to wonder if there is anyone left in the company's marketing department who has first hand knowledge of (or is interested in) their own history."

It seems they have information only from old Wilson catalogs.
 
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vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
LeoFulgencio said:
I zoom on the photos, search for another pic, search on internet, TW, eday. The "Head Comfort" came after I looked at the vintage Head ad photos I downloaded from eday in 2019. Dunlop Volley (Evonne Goolagong) came after internet search.
After searching for photos of Sophie Marceau's Dunlop on eday.fr (without luck), i identified Fabrice Santoro's Dunlop from this image. It's a Dunlop Mach 2 Pro (Raquette Tennis Dunlop Mac 2 Pro) .

"Also, reading that history of ProStaff on Wilson's website, one can't help but to wonder if there is anyone left in the company's marketing department who has first hand knowledge of (or is interested in) their own history."

It seems they have information only from old Wilson catalogs.
Click to expand...
The Wilson Pro Staff came out in 1984
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
1984

Prince POG - Prince Woodie -- Prince Boron -- Prince Boron -- Prince Boron

Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Ultra 2 Larghead -- Wilson Ultra 2

Pro Kennex Boron Ace -- Lo Kunnan + factory -- Pro Kennex Black Ace: 1 - 2

Adidas GTX Pro -- Adidas GTX Pro (x)

Wilson Pro Staff Midsize: 1 - 2 - 3

Wilson Sting

Fischer Superform Jo Durie (info from this fb. page) -- Fischer Superform

Dunlop Maxpower Competition -- Dunlop Max 200G

Snauwaert Graphite Mid or Pro -- Snauwaert Vitas Gerulaitis Graphite Mid

Völkl Servo-Pro Diagonal

Andrea Leand

Kneissl White Star

Donnay Graphite Borg

Browning 425 Mid

Slazenger - b

Head Edge
 
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Sanglier

Sanglier

Professional
VS and Retro are right, the 110 was developed first internally, but all three PS models were introduced simultaneously at the 1984 Miami trade show.

You have super human vision if you could make out what that big blur is in Fabrice Santoro's hand! :)

One correction for your 1984 collection above: Barazzutti is holding a Browning 425 Mid in this picture, not a Spalding. It's a weird aluminum frame with a stepped shoulder that plays like a contemporary graphite composite.

corrado-barazzutti-of-italy-during-his-match-against-colin-dowdeswell-picture-id673361948
 
Sanglier

Sanglier

Professional
I really like this photo that you found. I think it's the clearest picture we've seen here of the prototype Connors played with before the arrival of PS85. We've had at least one discussion about it before on this sub-forum, but all we had to go by was a Youtube video, which only gave us a rough idea of the frame's overall profile (e.g., a more rounded head than that of the PS85, and a smaller throat), with none of the details visible here.

eyJrZXkiOiJwcm9kdWN0LWltYWdlc1wvNDMxOWEwYzU4OTQ2Mzg0OTljYWExYWNjMzQwMzFlNjU4YjE0NjU3Y2YwYTU5ZmZiZTI4NWU0MjU1YTE3NzM0OC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJvdmVybGF5V2l0aCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJhcmNoaXZlLmltc3ZpbnRhZ2VwaG90b3MuY29tIiwia2V5Ijoid2F0ZXJtYXJrXzIwMTlfMjI1LnBuZyJ9LCJyZXNpemUiOnsiZml0IjoiaW5zaWRlIiwid2lkdGgiOjEwMDAsImhlaWdodCI6MTAwMH0sInJvdGF0ZSI6MH0sImJ1Y2tldCI6ImFyY2hpdmUuaW1zdmludGFnZXBob3Rvcy5jb20ifQ==
 
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coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
All these Superform pics almost make me want to take mine out for a hit. I tied for first place in a !Yamaha! Fast Serve contest using that beast!!
 
vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
galain

galain

Hall of Fame
What an extraordinary thread.

Rochey, Newk and squad

This pic in particular got me because everyone but Newk is wearing Dunlop Volley tennis shoes. I've been looking for a pair of these for years since my old ones died but sadly the company as been sold and what is being made instead are really terrible versions of this classic Aussie shoe.
 
coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
galain said:
What an extraordinary thread.

Rochey, Newk and squad

This pic in particular got me because everyone but Newk is wearing Dunlop Volley tennis shoes. I've been looking for a pair of these for years since my old ones died but sadly the company as been sold and what is being made instead are really terrible versions of this classic Aussie shoe.
Click to expand...
Must have been a grass court shoe!! NOT for US hard courts! I remember trying a pair and they were less supportive than the Tretorn slippers!!! Is Newk wearing Lotto? Looks a bit like their logo.
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
1986

Völkl World Cup NS 14 -- Völkl World Cup NS 14

Pince Pro 110 (date 1986?) -- Prince POG

Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Pro Staff Midsize

Fischer Superform Open

Wimbledon Graphite

Head and Prince Po 110 -- Head Graphite Edge TXE -- Head

Yonex RX-37

Rossignol

Donnay Pro 25

Kneissl White Star Masters and Yonex R-22

Stringer at Roland Garros

Jimmy Connors black frame (Slazenger Panther Pro Ceramic?)

Snauwaert Graphite Orbit? -- 2

Adidas Magister (She was maybe the only player who used condom grip, similar to Tourna what a grip)

Adidas GTX Pro

Völkl (in stockings?)

Puma Vilas Power -- Puma Boris Becker Pro

Wudione
 
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RDM

RDM

Rookie
coachrick said:
Must have been a grass court shoe!! NOT for US hard courts! I remember trying a pair and they were less supportive than the Tretorn slippers!!! Is Newk wearing Lotto? Looks a bit like their logo.
Click to expand...
Absolutely zero support, but the soles on the original Dunlop Volleys, from my memory, had the perfect grip for the ubiquitous en tous cas clay courts that peppered the suburbs at the time. Very controllable and consistent slide with them.
 
RDM

RDM

Rookie
galain said:
What an extraordinary thread.

Rochey, Newk and squad

This pic in particular got me because everyone but Newk is wearing Dunlop Volley tennis shoes. I've been looking for a pair of these for years since my old ones died but sadly the company as been sold and what is being made instead are really terrible versions of this classic Aussie shoe.
Click to expand...
If you're really, really, really desperate for a pair of the original Dunlop Volleys, I saw a handful of NOS pairs a couple of years ago at VK Shoes in a suburb of Melbourne called Springvale. I bought a pair, but could only get black ones in anything close to my size. They're very good for walking around on a tiled house roof as well. Apparently they used to be pretty much standard equipment for all Australia Roof Tilers.
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
retrowagen said:
Helena Sukova is holding a White Star Pro Masters with a custom paintjob making it look like an Aero 20!

And the Yonex “R-27” in the photo of David MacPherson is actually the unusual ovoid RX-32.
Click to expand...

The end number on the racket is 7, so it must be RX-37 instead of R-27.
 
galain

galain

Hall of Fame
RDM said:
If you're really, really, really desperate for a pair of the original Dunlop Volleys, I saw a handful of NOS pairs a couple of years ago at VK Shoes in a suburb of Melbourne called Springvale. I bought a pair, but could only get black ones in anything close to my size. They're very good for walking around on a tiled house roof as well. Apparently they used to be pretty much standard equipment for all Australia Roof Tilers.
Click to expand...

Thanks RDM. I'll check them out and see if they still have any. The main issue now is that most of the younger folks working in these shops don't know what they used to be and will try and tell you that of course they have the canvas Volley shoe - and it's the nasty new Chinese made one that feels terrible. I think Dunlop in Oz was bought out shortly after I left in 2008. My Volleys were not only super comfortable but the perfect shoe for the clay courts here in Europe.
 
galain

galain

Hall of Fame
coachrick said:
Must have been a grass court shoe!! NOT for US hard courts! I remember trying a pair and they were less supportive than the Tretorn slippers!!! Is Newk wearing Lotto? Looks a bit like their logo.
Click to expand...

@coachrick - they were just the standard canvas tennis shoe of Australia - worked for both grass and our version of clay. You're right - not supportive but wear them in a bit and nothing felt better on foot. Newk was sponsored by Lotto in the early 80's. I think they even used his moustache on some of their sports apparel together with their Lotto symbol.
 
vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
LeoFulgencio said:
1986

Völkl World Cup NS 14 -- Völkl World Cup NS 14

Pince Pro 110 (date 1986?) -- Prince POG

Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Pro Staff Midsize

Fischer Superform Open

Wimbledon Graphite

Head and Prince Po 110 -- Head Graphite Edge TXE -- Head

Yonex RX-37

Rossignol

Donnay Pro 25

Kneissl White Star Masters and Yonex R-22

Stringer at Roland Garros

Jimmy Connors black frame (Slazenger Panther Pro Ceramic?)

Snauwaert Graphite Orbit? -- 2

Adidas Magister (She was maybe the only player who used condom grip, similar to Tourna what a grip)

Adidas GTX Pro

Völkl (in stockings?)

Puma Vilas Power -- Puma Boris Becker Pro

Wudione
Click to expand...
The Wudione is actually the Fila Wud1OneMy coach at the time used the Fila Wud1One. Beautiful wood racquet in person.
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
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vsbabolat

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
LeoFulgencio said:
1987

Head -- Head Edge -- Head Graphite Pro

Adidas

Rossignol

Dunlop Maxpower Super G

Johan Carlsson

Celebrity: Wilson Pro Staff Largehead -- Prince Spectrum Comp 90 -- 2 -- Head Graphite Director -- Wilson Pro Staff Midsize

Prince Spectrum Comp 110 -- Dunlop Maxply Mcenroe

Bridgestone

Völkl -- Völkl Diagonal -- Vőlkl FCS Cup -- Völkl

Snauwaert

Wilson Ultra 2

Adidas GMX

Dunlop Max 200G - b

Fischer Superform Open Pro

Prince POG
Click to expand...
https://imgur.com/a/oL8h3TQ
This is a HEAD TXP. Same racquet as the Prestige Pro. The TXP is how HEAD marketed the Prestige Pro in the USA.
 
coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
vsbabolat said:
https://imgur.com/a/oL8h3TQ
This is a HEAD TXP. Same racquet as the Prestige Pro. The TXP is how HEAD marketed the Prestige Pro in the USA.
Click to expand...
I had to string the HEAD rep's very first demo...with some really fat soft string HEAD was peddling at the time! This was BEFORE they considered widening the CAP gap where two(or more) strings had to fit(and we hadn't thought of using wax yet). MAJOR pain!!!
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
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J

JW10S

Hall of Fame
In post #86 Vijay Amritraj is using a Slazenger Steel, and in post #85 Mike Fishbach is using a Head Professional with a 'spaghetti' string job.
 
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coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
JW10S said:
Yes, that's it--X10. Back in the day we just called it the Slazenger Steel.
Click to expand...
Different from the "Plus" ???? Seems we sold a couple of those in the mid-'70s. Absolute beast of a racket!!! (I may still have one...I need to dig a little)
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
coachrick said:
Different from the "Plus" ???? Seems we sold a couple of those in the mid-'70s. Absolute beast of a racket!!! (I may still have one...I need to dig a little)
Click to expand...

Probably I was wrong with Betty Stove. She played the Plus (at least in 1978). The clear difference I think between the two rackets is that the X10 has white plastic at the throat. On her pics from 1979 and 1980 that part of her racket is not clearly visible.
 
J

JW10S

Hall of Fame
coachrick said:
Different from the "Plus" ???? Seems we sold a couple of those in the mid-'70s. Absolute beast of a racket!!! (I may still have one...I need to dig a little)
Click to expand...
I'm really not sure--back then we had nicknames for racquets and didn't pay much attention to their actual names. We just called it the Slazenger Steel, like how we called the HEAD Professional the 'Red Head'. You said it was a 'beast' and as I remember they were indeed pretty heavy even though the looked so streamlined. And as I recall the throat piece was not plastic as stated above but metal.
 
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Sanglier

Sanglier

Professional
The racquet in Betty Stöve's hand (in post #86) certainly looks like a "Plus" to me (she seemed to have played with this model for quite a few years); as it appears to be chrome-plated all over, including its welded tubular bridge. The X-10 with its blue frame and riveted cast aluminum throat piece would not have produced all these bright glares.

Every "Plus" I've come across weighs just shy of 14 Oz (396 g) strung, with a swing weight falling somewhere between 380 and 400. At 67 - 68 RA, they are also some of the stiffest metal racquets I've measured, so @coachrick's "beast" characterization is quite apt. Stöve was big and tall; assuming she was playing with a production frame (I wonder what those bands are just above the grip, where the model name decal normally sits), it's still quite impressive how she was able to whip this thing around like it was a badminton racquet, especially by today's standards.

w.jpg
 
coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
Sanglier said:
The racquet in Betty Stöve's hand (in post #86) certainly looks like a "Plus" to me (she seemed to have played with this model for quite a few years); as it appears to be chrome-plated all over, including its welded tubular bridge. The X-10 with its blue frame and riveted cast aluminum throat piece would not have produced all these bright glares.

Every "Plus" I've come across weighs just shy of 14 Oz (396 g) strung, with a swing weight falling somewhere between 380 and 400. At 67 - 68 RA, they are also some of the stiffest metal racquets I've measured, so @coachrick's "beast" characterization is quite apt. Stöve was big and tall; assuming she was playing with a production frame (I wonder what those bands are just above the grip, where the model name decal normally sits), it's still quite impressive how she was able to whip this thing around like it was a badminton racquet, especially by today's standards.

w.jpg
Click to expand...
I remember working on the handle for one of those Plus models. Trying to cut it down for a lady customer...danged wood used must have been petrified Ipe or similar. I had trouble using a WOOD RASP to shape the bevels!!!
 
LeoFulgencio

LeoFulgencio

Rookie
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coachrick

coachrick

Hall of Fame
Leo, thanks for the flash-backs!!! Reminds me of how old I'm getting!!!! :)
I've got a fair number of '70s and '80s rackets in my w(rec)k room and the memories are flooding back!!!
 
R

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
LeoFulgencio said:
1988

Fischer Superform Open Pro

Prince POG -- Prince Magnesium Pro 90

Donnay ITT/18 - Völkl Bilastic - b

Wilson Ultra 2 -- Wilson Pro Staff Midsize -- 2 -- Wilson Ultra Ceramic

Head Graphite Pro -- Head

Adidas - b -- Adidas GTX Pro -- Adidas

Wilson Ultra Ceramic - Yonex R-24

Fischer Vacuum Pro

Dynaspot

Völkl FCS Match

Yonex R-22 -- Yonex RQ-180

Snauwaert
Fox

Donnay Pro Cynetic

Puma

Lacoste - b

Wimbledon HM-88 - Wimbledon Eclipse
Pro Kennex Silver Ace
Click to expand...
The 1988 “Head” picture with Nancy Roe shows the 1988 Head Elite Pro frame. Conchita Martinez used it, as well.
 
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