Safins racquet

[david aames]

BTW Grant, looks like Andy was using Babolat overgrips back in 02/03. I found pictures where you clearly see the Babolat finishing tape.

Also, I know it's off topic but could you tell us about AR's travelling habits in regard to his gear. How many sticks would he travel with to a major? Is he shipping everything beforehand? Checking in his racquets or keeping them as carry on?

I read the story about him going to a match with 2 left shoes or something in Brad's book -- is there anything funny you could share?

 

[Grant Morgan]

- Hey Ken, this is Grant. Can you please call Tournagrip cause we are running short of XXL.

- What's up Dude? Tell the kid I just finished taping American Idol, tapes are in the mail. You wanna hear the best part? I used BG's Fedex account... Ha!

Andy yelling in the background -- 'SHOW MEEE THE MONEEEY'

First tell me how you got this

 

[Mike Cottrill]

I read the story about him going to a match with 2 left shoes or something in Brad's book -- is there anything funny you could share?

Man, you mean pro's do that too. I wonder if he has opened his bag and said, where’s my sticks :O>

 

[david aames]

Haha. All public record, man. All public record. ; )

First tell me how you got this

 

[Grant Morgan]

Haha. All public record, man. All public record. ; )

Like I said Where did you get it. I would like to look myself

 

[Mike Cottrill]

Haha. All public record, man. All public record. ; )

Grant, Check you bags for a recoding device >

 

[david aames]

I was messing with you... But I know Meyerson had to send American Idol tapes transfered to DVD to Andy, last year while in Europe during the clay court season...

Like I said Where did you get it. I would like to look myself

 

[Colpo]

Why not just sell overgrip, like Tournagrip, on a maxi-roll (like an approximate 30-grip job) but without pre-cutting the grips? I've wondered about this for awhile. This way, the user, be it any one of us or if done for a pro, can cut only as much as he needs without too much, if any, waste. The Roddick/JCS/XXL Tournagrip scenario described above sounds like the height of backwards thinking (as in, "This one goes to 11.") - JUST DON'T PRE-CUT THEM!! What the hell is Tournagrip's 25-year obsession with shorting their grips?? They need a special request on the behalf of the best player in the world (once, anyway) to squeeze a bit more fake blue shammy out of them?? A special call, this requires?? Don't get me wrong - I wholly believe it's true, and it just sounds mad!!

 

[Grant Morgan]

You are talking about a grip 97.5 ft long on 1 roll. Do you think you could hold that in 1 hand and the rkt in the other and pull the grip (tight or easy like the player likes) and get it right? I am not trying to be a smart ass. I just thinking this could be a great Idea or to much trouble

 

[Colpo]

Grant, why not unroll without cutting enough slack grip to do the grip in question, and rest the roll on a nearby table or other surface. Once you've finished the grip, cut it and just re-roll the unused part. Over time, an experienced stringer/customizer would get a feel for the thing, master the art of slack amounts, and this would reduce a messy re-roll.
Or, sell the configuration in smaller, un-precut rolls, like approximated 3's, 5's or 10's. That would be easier to handle than my original 30.
Of course I understand that holding the entire roll in your off hand is impractical, for the reasons you state. But, don't you think it's silly that Tournagrip had to make a longer/thicker grip by special request? What will be the next special request, 'cause you know it's inevitable. Just don't precut the damn thing and there'll be plenty of grip to go around! Tournagrip has always shorted their grips, and typical grip lengths have changed over 25 years (yes, I know, there's an XL). Call me crazy ...
By the way, want to emphasize that this whole posting is really derived from access posts by folks like yourself, David Aames, etc., which I do enjoy reading very much!

 

[Grant Morgan]

Well thanks, as for the role idea. I think it would work in a shop but if I am at a tennis court and think I need a new grip on and don’t have something to cut it with? Pulse I think you would end up with most people getting 8 or 9 good grips out of a 10 grip role.