Took a Jack Kramer wood racquet for a spin...

[afunbee]

I'm relatively new to tennis. I started tennis about 5 years ago.

I recently purchased a wood Jack Kramer from the e_bay. My main racquet is the Wilson Millenium Edition Jack Kramer (graphite with a paintjob) which I should be displaying instead of abusing it on the court.

My impressions of hitting with the wood racquet:
1. Requires more concentration to hit ball at the sweet spot.
2. Requires more follow through.
3. Less forgiving
4. I had difficulty generating top spin and was hitting more flat in the baseline rallys.
5. Volleys required solid contact and guidance. I simply can't deflect the ball,


Perhaps it is a placebo effect, but the actually warm up with the wood racquet helped me play better afterwards.

I have a better appreciation to the older generation of tennis players who used wood racquets.

I'm probably stating the obvious but I thought I share this since it was fun for me.

 

[Deuce]

My main racquet is the Wilson Millenium Edition Jack Kramer (graphite with a paintjob) which I should be displaying instead of abusing it on the court.

^ Absolutely not.
Tennis racquets are made for playing tennis, not for hanging on a wall as a decoration.

My impressions of hitting with the wood racquet:
1. Requires more concentration to hit ball at the sweet spot.
2. Requires more follow through.
3. Less forgiving
4. I had difficulty generating top spin and was hitting more flat in the baseline rallys.
5. Volleys required solid contact and guidance. I simply can't deflect the ball,

^ 6. Has much better feel upon impact.

 

[gpt]

To me a wooden racquet always feels that the ball hangs on the strings longer giving more feel.

 

[dataseviltwin]

but... they look pretty good on a wall too...

^ Absolutely not.
Tennis racquets are made for playing tennis, not for hanging on a wall as a decoration.


^ 6. Has much better feel upon impact.

Regarding #6... Doesn't it though... :mrgreen: Always like taking an old stick out for a spin. Key on the woodies - the sweetspot is lower on the head - near where the lower 1/3 laminate meets the upper part of the hoop... (about where the "i" and the "l") are on the 3-point in the picture above...

This'n' has 7 points, but I used the 3-point crown back in the day...

I need to do a woodies tourney in NOVA (Northern VA...).

Got a mess of maxplies I can drop and scream YOU CAN NOT BE SERIOUS!!! :twisted:

 

[max]

It's interesting about wood racquets. About ten years ago, antique collectors began trying to build up a market for old wood racquets, hoping to drive prices up. That didn't happen. Most tennis players just want to actually USE the things.

I wish there were more woody tournaments. They're a blast.

 

[dataseviltwin]

It probably does...

To me a wooden racquet always feels that the ball hangs on the strings longer giving more feel.

The woodies have a flex to them - only thing I can relate it to is golf shafts - it's somewhat akin to a senior flex vs. a stiff - ball stays on the stick longer due to the flex. It's a neat feel - that "feel" is why so many guys/gals hung on to them for dear life at the advent of the Prince and Graphite era...

 

[Arafel]

The woodies have a flex to them - only thing I can relate it to is golf shafts - it's somewhat akin to a senior flex vs. a stiff - ball stays on the stick longer due to the flex. It's a neat feel - that "feel" is why so many guys/gals hung on to them for dear life at the advent of the Prince and Graphite era...

I was one of those gals. I had switched from the Evert to the Kramer Pro Staff in 81, and I used it till 84, well after the advent of graphite. The only reason I switched is because you couldn't get new Pro Staffs anymore.

 

[dataseviltwin]

Ditteaux

I was one of those gals. I had switched from the Evert to the Kramer Pro Staff in 81, and I used it till 84, well after the advent of graphite. The only reason I switched is because you couldn't get new Pro Staffs anymore.

I went from JK Auto to "whatever was on sale and wood in the pro shop" (there *is* an art form to the toss...) to a racket no one's *ever* heard of - the Fischer Coup - an aluminum frame similar to a Head Edge. Those could take "much abuse" but felt as close to wood as an aluminum/aluminium (hemisphere specific pro-nun-ci-a-tion, if'n you know what I mean...) as an aluminum frame could - it was the first frame (that I knew of...) that came with a vibra-stop. Kinda neat piece of gear... it was like a 2-button dealy - looked like a figure-8 from the top when you buttoned both sides over the 2 center mains. Hoping I can find one of those frames and vibrastops somewhere... Gorsch... I'm hearin' Archie and Edit(h) singin'... Dose were da days!

 

[afunbee]

I have newbie wood question. With the newer sticks, I can pick up a ball lying on the the ground with a sharp strike to bounce the ball up. I can't do this with the wood racquet. Is this due to the more flexible characteristics of wood or are the strings too loose?

 

[dataseviltwin]

took a good whack with a woodie...

I have newbie wood question. With the newer sticks, I can pick up a ball lying on the the ground with a sharp strike to bounce the ball up. I can't do this with the wood racquet. Is this due to the more flexible characteristics of wood or are the strings too loose?

But it can be done... like you said though - it's harder... most of the time we just used to pin 'em beteeen the head and the sneaker and pull them up that way, but if you knew just how/where to hit them with the woodie, it was doable. Just not as easy as with a newer stick .

Uphill... both ways... we played with wood, and we LIKED it!!! ;-):twisted:

 

[Deuce]

I have newbie wood question. With the newer sticks, I can pick up a ball lying on the the ground with a sharp strike to bounce the ball up. I can't do this with the wood racquet. Is this due to the more flexible characteristics of wood or are the strings too loose?

^ It's due to the flex and mono shaft.

If you want to pick up a still ball from the court with a wood racquet, just choke up a few inches on the racquet. This effectively 'decreases' the flex, and makes it easier to do what you describe.

 

[dataseviltwin]

True dat

^ It's due to the flex and mono shaft.

If you want to pick up a still ball from the court with a wood racquet, just choke up a few inches on the racquet. This effectively 'decreases' the flex, and makes it easier to do what you describe.

Had forgotten about that... :shock:

 

[Kemitak]

I wonder if the price of wood racquets hasn’t risen; because on fleaBay a new old-stock wood costs more than $100. Whereas about two years ago I bought (on fleaBay) two new (circa 1981) unstrung Jack Kramers for about $50 each; and about a year ago, I bought ten new old-stock Jack Kramers, painted and lacquered but not decaled, which I’m told were made for the pro tour but never found their way there, for about $17 each. I’ve capped, gripped, and strung with gut two of them, and they’re nearly as competitive as a graphite racquet. Playing with a good wood racquet is like going back to school or taking a free lesson with a pro: it forces you to swing properly, set your feet up, watch the ball, and all the little things you can forget when playing with a modern racquet. I’m playing in the 5.0+ draws right now, but I think I might enter the 4.5s and play with my Jack Kramers -- show them what it’s all about.

 

[jimbo333]

I say go for it

 

[Redflea]

I started my tennis career on a Bancroft, used Kramer Auto, Dunlop Maxply, Tad Davis, etc., before being seduced by the glint of brushed metal aluminum and moving on to the new Spalding and Head racquets.

I've collected about 8 or 9 woodies for "back in the day" tennis w/my son.

My son and I play regularly w/the old sticks, and have an absolutely great time. 100% S&V all the time, both of us frequently ending up closing on each other at the net madly volleying.

I just love "throwing" the tiny racquet head at the ball on my slice BH and watching my shot skid off the court on the opposite side, hitting a hard, flat forehand w/a continental grip, closing on the net and hitting a sharp volley on the...frame. Oops...dang, that head really is tiny, isn't it!

My current woodie collection includes the following (all scuffed/marked up from actual court time on a regular basis....

- Dunlop Maxply Forte (son likes this one the best)
- Jack Kramer Auto (Three point crown)
- Jack Kramer Trophy (Virtual twin of the JK Auto, not sure what the difference is other than cosmetics, didn't remember this one from my youth)
- Jack Kramer Court Star (brother picked it up for me at a local AmVets store - looks like a cheap version of a Kramer)
- Chris Evert Auto (two, but the head on one is cracked... )
- Slazenger S (looks a little like a Maxply)
- Donnay (not sure of the model name, has a bunch of tennis players names, including Borg, printed on it on the bottom 1/3 of the head)
- Bancroft Player's Special

I strongly recommend looking for cheap woodies at local garage sales or AmVet/used goods stores...it is really fun to get out and play tennis w/a hunk of tree.

(Oh - I also have a pair of Wilson T2000s for when I want to have a really retro feeling hit. Look at me, I'm Jimmy Connors! )

 

[dataseviltwin]

how to play it...

I wonder if the price of wood racquets hasn’t risen; because on fleaBay a new old-stock wood costs more than $100. Whereas about two years ago I bought (on fleaBay) two new (circa 1981) unstrung Jack Kramers for about $50 each; and about a year ago, I bought ten new old-stock Jack Kramers, painted and lacquered but not decaled, which I’m told were made for the pro tour but never found their way there, for about $17 each. I’ve capped, gripped, and strung with gut two of them, and they’re nearly as competitive as a graphite racquet. Playing with a good wood racquet is like going back to school or taking a free lesson with a pro: it forces you to swing properly, set your feet up, watch the ball, and all the little things you can forget when playing with a modern racquet. I’m playing in the 5.0+ draws right now, but I think I might enter the 4.5s and play with my Jack Kramers -- show them what it’s all about.

Warm up with a new stick (heck... may as well pull the wrapper off, a la a tour wannabe...), then pull the old woodie out at the racket spin and say "this one's good enough for you..." :twisted: Will be worth 2 games on the spot!!!

 

[Kemitak]

I did something like that at a league match, and people got upset.
Look for at the world's biggest tourney (Stanley Park Open) playing 4.5 with wood.

 

[VGP]

Why would they get upset?

I might raise an eyebrow or shrug my shoulders, but if someone want to hit wood, that's up to them.

 

[Kemitak]

I think they thought I'd play worse with the wood, and that I didn't have to try very hard to beat them so I could afford hit with a difficult racquet.

 

[mitch1340]

The Jack Kramer wood is my regular stick with which I've been playing for a long time. In 1985 or so, I found a whole bunch for sale in a small tennis shop for $5 each. They were in a basket by the door. I bought all of them.