What Is The Real Racquet under Courier's ''Stars & Stripes" pj

BorgCash

Legend
What Is The Real Racquet under ''Stars & Stripes" pj? Seems that it is regular PS 6.6 which is softer than a real Courier's PS 6.0. Correct? And Jim actually never really played with ''Stars & Stripes" himself.
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Ok, great. So all these "Stars & Stripes" are different from original PS? Heared that it's PS 6.6, softer one. As i remember it was Wilson stiffness index - 6.0, 6.1 - stiff, 6.6 - soft. Correct?
The star and stripe frames were different than what you like to call the PS 6.0 85. Courier used a matte paint job of Star and stripes on his PS 6.0 85. Does that make it simple and easy now?
 
Was there any truth to the story that did the rounds BITD that Courier pulled the pin on his 'Stars and Stripes' model very late, and subsequently Wilson were unwilling to give him continued use of the St.Vincent 'stash' that Sampras and Edberg were enjoying?
 

vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
Was there any truth to the story that did the rounds BITD that Courier pulled the pin on his 'Stars and Stripes' model very late, and subsequently Wilson were unwilling to give him continued use of the St.Vincent 'stash' that Sampras and Edberg were enjoying?
Never heard that story. Courier went back to his st. Vincent full cometic after playing a couple of bad tournaments with the star and stripe paint job.
 

BorgCash

Legend
The star and stripe frames were different than what you like to call the PS 6.0 85. Courier used a matte paint job of Star and stripes on his PS 6.0 85. Does that make it simple and easy now?
Yes, but what i want to know (and i want it simple and easy) what is the commercial racquet under "S & S" pj? Is it PS 6.6? That's the question. I have known that Courier played with real PS 6.0, the same as Sampras used, long ago. I could not get it anyway, the question is about racquet i could buy.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
85 was stiffer than the 6.0. 6.6 95 was 18x20. Owned both, unworthy, just like the Ultras. Ultra FPK 85, forgetaboutit
 

Rabbit

G.O.A.T.
The story I got on the Sampras - Courier ProStaff saga was that Sampras was the real devotee to the St. Vincent model and pretty much asked Wilson to reserve them for him. Courier really didn't care.

I'm not sure about Edberg, I do not know if he cared or not. I do know that Edberg left Wilson briefly and played with a new Adidas frame built specially for him. It was a great looking frame, white and just sleek. It was never made available to the public as it gave Edberg a mild case of tennis elbow. He returned, albeit without sponsorship, to the ProStaff. He went unstenciled for several years -- even as the #1 player in the world. He played with the Bow Brand logo on his string and nothing else. I remember in an interview, he was asked about his status with Wilson and he replied (with typical Edberg stoicism) "I guess they don't want me".

Edberg was restored to the Wilson fold, but at the point he was it seems that Sampras would have already laid claim to the St.Vincent stock remaining. It should also be noted that Sampras was kind of a head case about certain things. He claimed, and I don't believe it, that he could feel the difference in the amount of ink stenciled on his strings. I think Sampras was just really superstitious about his gear and as a result never changed anything.

Prior to Nike, Sampras wore Sergio Tachinni shoes. When he went to Nike, he had a couple of instances where he had pain in his Achilles. As a result, he wouldn't change shoes. The story goes that one of the designers at Nike tricked Sampras into trying the now signature Oscillates. He gave Sampras a pair to play basketball in. Sampras liked them so much, he kept them and the rest is legend.

BTW - I own one Chicago and one St. Vincent ProStaff - purchased back in the day and played with -- a lot. <sarcasm>I never knew one was better than the other until I joined the boards </sarcasm>
 
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vsbabolat

G.O.A.T.
The story I got on the Sampras - Courier ProStaff saga was that Sampras was the real devotee to the St. Vincent model and pretty much asked Wilson to reserve them for him. Courier really didn't care.

I'm not sure about Edberg, I do not know if he cared or not. I do know that Edberg left Wilson briefly and played with a new Adidas frame built specially for him. It was a great looking frame, white and just sleek. It was never made available to the public as it gave Edberg a mild case of tennis elbow. He returned, albeit without sponsorship, to the ProStaff. He went unstenciled for several years -- even as the #1 player in the world. He played with the Bow Brand logo on his string and nothing else. I remember in an interview, he was asked about his status with Wilson and he replied (with typical Edberg stoicism) "I guess they don't want me".

Edberg was restored to the Wilson fold, but at the point he was it seems that Sampras would have already laid claim to the St.Vincent stock remaining. It should also be noted that Sampras was kind of a head case about certain things. He claimed, and I don't believe it, that he could feel the difference in the amount of ink stenciled on his strings. I think Sampras was just really superstitious about his gear and as a result never changed anything.

Prior to Nike, Sampras wore Sergio Tachinni shoes. When he went to Nike, he had a couple of instances where he had pain in his Achilles. As a result, he wouldn't change shoes. The story goes that one of the designers at Nike tricked Sampras into trying the now signature Oscillates. He gave Sampras a pair to play basketball in. Sampras liked them so much, he kept them and the rest is legend.

BTW - I own one Chicago and one St. Vincent ProStaff - purchased back in the day and played with -- a lot. <sarcasm>I never knew one was better than the other until I joined the boards </sarcasm>
Yes, the Edberg Adidas was the Delta 3. I only remember him using the Delta 3 at the 1986 Masters. Also Edberg’s Pro Staff’s were bumper-less
 

Don't Let It Bounce

Hall of Fame
I was a Wilson-sponsored coach in Tokyo in the mid-90s and used to talk with a guy Amer Sports (Wilson's owning company) had sent there to be groomed for regional responsibilities, so I heard a few things about Sampras and Courier. There was some irritation at Sampras when he refused a great deal of money to paint his PS Mid aqua to match the retail PS 6.0 Sampras model that came out in the 90s — as noted above, he was really persnickety about his frames and felt that the aqua paint changed how they felt — but the real anger in Chicago was said to be directed at Courier.

The PS 6.6 Stars & Stripes was to be Courier's signature frame, and Courier had gone much farther along in the process than Sampras did. By the time he decided he couldn't play with the 6.6 after all — "He just couldn't get comfortable with it," I was told — the money was spent, the retail pipelines were filled, and Wilson had no way to avoid taking a bath on a frame whose sales plan had assumed one of the top players on tour would be using it.

I was never told that Courier was using a PS Mid under PS 6.6 paint, but a paintjob certainly would be logical to try to salvage the deal. If my friend made no secret of Sampras using a paint job, we may wonder why he didn't tell me Courier was, too. Speculation: It may be because the widebody retail Sampras PS 6.0 was so obviously different from the PS Mid (it might have been the must ludicrous paint job since Laver's "aluminum" Chemold) that it wasn't a secret worth trying to keep. The Courier PS 6.6 85, in contrast, was AFAIK indistinguishable from a painted PS Mid, so maybe no need to tell a lowly club pro!

I'd been previously told that Sampras got first pick of the St. Vincent stash and Courier second. He didn't mention Edberg, who was close to retirement at the time. I don't know about Courier's access being pulled after the PS 6.6 debacle, but they were angry enough to do something like that.
 

BorgCash

Legend
The story I got on the Sampras - Courier ProStaff saga was that Sampras was the real devotee to the St. Vincent model and pretty much asked Wilson to reserve them for him. Courier really didn't care.

I'm not sure about Edberg, I do not know if he cared or not. I do know that Edberg left Wilson briefly and played with a new Adidas frame built specially for him. It was a great looking frame, white and just sleek. It was never made available to the public as it gave Edberg a mild case of tennis elbow. He returned, albeit without sponsorship, to the ProStaff. He went unstenciled for several years -- even as the #1 player in the world. He played with the Bow Brand logo on his string and nothing else. I remember in an interview, he was asked about his status with Wilson and he replied (with typical Edberg stoicism) "I guess they don't want me".

Edberg was restored to the Wilson fold, but at the point he was it seems that Sampras would have already laid claim to the St.Vincent stock remaining. It should also be noted that Sampras was kind of a head case about certain things. He claimed, and I don't believe it, that he could feel the difference in the amount of ink stenciled on his strings. I think Sampras was just really superstitious about his gear and as a result never changed anything.

Prior to Nike, Sampras wore Sergio Tachinni shoes. When he went to Nike, he had a couple of instances where he had pain in his Achilles. As a result, he wouldn't change shoes. The story goes that one of the designers at Nike tricked Sampras into trying the now signature Oscillates. He gave Sampras a pair to play basketball in. Sampras liked them so much, he kept them and the rest is legend.

BTW - I own one Chicago and one St. Vincent ProStaff - purchased back in the day and played with -- a lot. <sarcasm>I never knew one was better than the other until I joined the boards </sarcasm>
As i know Sampras was played in Wilson Pro Staff shoes some period.
 

Equijet

Rookie
The retail version PS6.6 S&S 85 and PS Original Mid in 6.6 S&S PJ


image.jpg


image0%207.jpeg


image1%2014.jpeg
 
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BorgCash

Legend
Possibly was it a Concept Delta 1?
I found this pic and as I can see the racket seems to be a sort of white-ish color.

J0Z9olf.jpg
He tried Adidas because Wilson did not want to sponsor him and Adidas was his life-time sponsor for clothes/shoes but did not like the racquet. Played just one match with it.
 

daddabompa

Hall of Fame
He tried Adidas because Wilson did not want to sponsor him and Adidas was his life-time sponsor for clothes/shoes but did not like the racquet. Played just one match with it.

Thanks for the info.
I was just asking if model name was indeed Concept Delta 1 instead of Delta 3.
 
Oh wow . I thought the stars and stripe 85 mid was in fact a normal ole pro staff 85, under the paint ... although I never ever saw an 85 Stars and Stripes sold in my life ..
Had no idea it even existed until a few years ago from y’all on these boards
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Oh wow . I thought the stars and stripe 85 mid was in fact a normal ole pro staff 85, under the paint ... although I never ever saw an 85 Stars and Stripes sold in my life ..
Had no idea it even existed until a few years ago from y’all on these boards
Remember the 95?
 
Yes . I had the 95. My mom god love her. Bought it for me in hopes I’d “ get back “ into tennis. I hated that 95 ..
But . I hated it so much .. that it made me play awful which in turn made me want to practice with my old 85 pro staffs that had cob webs on them . So. I did just that and haven’t taken a break off tennis since . So mom...... it worked !!!!!
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
Yes . I had the 95. My mom god love her. Bought it for me in hopes I’d “ get back “ into tennis. I hated that 95 ..
But . I hated it so much .. that it made me play awful which in turn made me want to practice with my old 85 pro staffs that had cob webs on them . So. I did just that and haven’t taken a break off tennis since . So mom...... it worked !!!!!
She coulda bought the 85
 

pistolTY

New User
Around late 1996/early 97, the 6.6 stars and stripes were being sold off in cheap sports shops in the UK. They were marked at around £150 down to £40. I bought one.
 
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