What is your "regular" racquet?

galain

galain

Hall of Fame
Just a curious question because most of us on this board are collectors and/or enthusiasts - what do you all normally swing on the court? Have you stayed with a "classic" or are you using a more modern update?

I retired my F200's a couple of years ago, although I was still playing very well with them at what the Aussies know as "A" level (Div 1). Now my main choice is a PT 630. I"ve been trying poly strings, but they really just don't do it for me. I haven't noticed any considerable advantage to using them.

Anyone else willing to share?
 
My "everyday" frame is the 1988 Head Elite Pro. I still have four of them; still play tournaments with them. Started playing this frame when they were current; Head has since not made anything that is a close enough equivalent in weight, balance, flex and feel to satisfy me. I have since tried the Trisys 300 Mid / Pro Tour 600, the Prestige Classic 600, the Ti radical Midplus, and several others in between, but these models were not close enough. I am happy stringing my tournament racquets with better multifilament stringsets.

I also have some Fischer Elliptic -series frames (from the early 1990's) which are brought out at the beginning of the season and/or after longer periods of time off. The larger head gives me a little more margin for error as I sharpen up when training begins for the season, and the added power from the tapered beam is a useful crutch for me as I get back into the swing of things.

Otherwise, I have a smaller collection of interesting classics from the 80's-90's which are brought out for fun hitting sessions. Mostly Kneissls, Snauwaerts, Rossignols, and Head models.
 
I've found myself enjoying the aluminum sticks from the mid-'70s up to the early '80s. Great for just hitting. Good conversation starters.

But, IF I had to play a 'money match'(no, thank you :) ), I would likely go to my last 'playing' racket...the DNX 9. Could go farther back to the Tour 10 mid.
 
My go-to since last summer are three Roddick Pure Drive Cortex (std. length). I get a nice hitting area with lots of torque and a respectable stock weight. But I cheat on them all the time.
 
Great thread. I've wondered the same thing about what people who grew up on older frames are using these days.

I was a decent player in the mid to late 80s, and tried many frames in that time, but my favorite was the Wilson Ultra II standard. Of course there isn't anything remotely like it around now.

A few years ago when I started to hit again, I gambled on a brand new Fischer VT Pro 95 off an auction site. I'd never hit a Fischer in my life, but it was super cheap and I thought maybe it would be a slightly larger version of what Stich used, which I knew was acclaimed.

Very surprisingly, I really liked it. But I've never seen another one like it for sale.

Recently I demoed the Yonex RDS 001 90, but was kind of meh on it. I might try the Dunlop Aerogel 100, but I don't know that I'd like it any better. Obviously I'm looking for something with as small a head as possible. :)
 
Hello,

I've only used 2 racquets in my 'career' (lol). I've been playing for 21 years now (I'm 34), and I mainly used F200s until 1997 I'd say, switched to Head for a short period of time (destroyed my arm) and moved to the Pro Classic by Fischer... Still using them now, love them...
Still have plenty of F200s too... Sometimes I could it with them, they play great but I think they're just too tender for today's game...

Good thread mate ;)
 
ChocoLab said:
I gambled on a brand new Fischer VT Pro 95 off an auction site. I'd never hit a Fischer in my life, but it was super cheap and I thought maybe it would be a slightly larger version of what Stich used, which I knew was acclaimed. Very surprisingly, I really liked it. But I've never seen another one like it for sale.
Click to expand...

The Fischer VT Pro 95 is the Great White Whale of 1990s players' frames. For me, maybe Fischer's best racquet ever. Lucky guy!
 
Currently I am using the Made in Austria PT 630 as well. Its a great stick. I love the feel of the racket. I tried going back to my graphite pro but I seem to have moved in to the PT 630. but I still like using the Head Graphite pro.
 
For me it depends singles or doubles, and serious or fun etc!

Basically I use quite a few different racquets:)

Singles - Use my Max300i or my Max200G, but recently coming into the modern age with the Slazenger Phantom 95 (a widebody from 1989).

Doubles - Yamaha Focus, Head Graphite Pro and of course my Head TiElite sometimes:)
 
My main racket is PC600 - Austria, strung with Head Rip Control 17 for tournaments. For fun and drills, I rotate among these rackets: PK Copper Ace, Head Graphite Pro, Head Comp Tour, PS85, Wilson Graphite Force. I do not have any modern rackets.
 
The 1 stripe POG OS has been my go-to racquet for most of the past year. What a nice stick!


I'd love to find a 95 (for better quickness/less drag through the air) that plays similarly, but no luck yet. I thought the Dunlop 4D 200 Tour might be it, but its high sw makes it makes it slower than the OS. :(
 
My regular right now is TXP. I have 4-5 of them with different strings and play all my competitive matched with them.

My back up racquets are Prestige Pro/PC 600, Pro Staff 85/95 and Pro Cynetic 1.
 
PK Redondo 93 & BlackAce 93 here ... Sometimes the Volkl 10VE Mid.

I've retired my Dunlop Revelation Tour 90 to its collector's item status.
 
Started playing again about 2 months ago after a 9 year break (!). I have a couple of different rackets from back in the days but usually play with a pair of Fischer Pro Number One rackets from the year 2000, leaded in the mid and upper hoop to about 12.6 oz and swingweight of about 350. There's a really nice solid feel to them but swings a bit slow on kick serve.

Although recently I used an old racket in the 10.5 oz with an even balance and 320-325 ish swingweight that felt surprisingly stable since there is enough mass in the head. Added some kick to my serve, so will be demo-ing/experimenting with some light weight rackets & lead tape. Probably will end up buying a new racket or two, good for TW I guess
 
Thanks for all the responses - interesting reading so far.

Jimbo - why am I not surprised you have a few different ones in rotation!

Anirut - could you post the link or PM me your thai message board again? It seems to have vanished from my favourites.
 
Colpo said:
The Fischer VT Pro 95 is the Great White Whale of 1990s players' frames. For me, maybe Fischer's best racquet ever. Lucky guy!
Click to expand...

Really? I didn't know that. I've put a few posts up on boards about it (one or two here, even) and didn't get much response about them. Thanks for the info.
 
For single, I normally use prostaff 85 like St vincent, Taiwan, China, and prostaff 6.6 star and stripes also.

For double, I use volkl catapult10, puma devis cup finalist, yonex RQ180 wide body.
:)

Now...I am in Madison, I use BLX and K6.1 tour (pro stock).
 
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I teach and play as my vocation. I am advisory staff for wilson and prince. I teach and play with (shhhh) a Rossi F200 or a Head club pro. nothing else out there feels as flexible and comfortable, at least that ive found.....................yet................:)
 
First regular frame was the wooden Jack Kramer, then went to PS85 which was my regular racquet until about 2005 at which point i started the search for a more modern racquet, which went on for 5 years with the finalists being the pro staff tour 90 and PC600. I always went back to PS 85, as it just seemed to work best. My journey ended recently with the Ncode 95 18x20 which is just a solid racquet for doubles, and then as luck would have it, i ordered a Vantage 90 and I am a happy guy, Plays like my old PS 85 but much more forgiving, sweet racquet for singles, In short, Vantage 90 and Ncode 95 6.1 18x20 are my regular singles and doubles racquets respectively.
(Though i am happy with ncode i did order an 18x20 Vantage 95 for Doubles, I may like that even better.)
 
galain said:
Thanks for all the responses - interesting reading so far.

Jimbo - why am I not surprised you have a few different ones in rotation!

Anirut - could you post the link or PM me your thai message board again? It seems to have vanished from my favourites.
Click to expand...

Hi galain!

It's: http:// club . tennisenjoy . com (take out the spaces, of course)

I've made adjustments to the membership registration. It now requires admin approval. I've had too much spams that I can't stand it anymore.
 
Since the spring of 2002 my regular frame has been the PT 280. It doesn't appear that I will ever find anything that I like better.

I also have a few Pyramid Tours that I occasionally goof around with. And I still have the Revelation 200G's that i used before the PT 280. If something happened to all of my Heads, I suppose that I could live with the Dunlops.
 
galain said:
Thanks for all the responses - interesting reading so far.

Jimbo - why am I not surprised you have a few different ones in rotation!

Anirut - could you post the link or PM me your thai message board again? It seems to have vanished from my favourites.
Click to expand...

Yes, and I always like to keep a few different racquets in my bag, as well as my "regulars":)
 
vsbabolat said:
Can you count the PT57A as a modern frame? Sure it is still in very Limited production but it dates back to 1993.;)
Click to expand...

This has really confused me:shock:

But am I correct in saying PT57A is exactly same mold as the old PT630?

And the PT57E is exactly same mold as the iprestige 630?

What surprises me is how similar the PT630 is to the iprestige 630!

Almost the same racquet, with same head size/shape, and string hole spacing (can use same grommets on each).

In fact only difference i can see is throat corners are slightly different (PT630 shorter stubbier arrow points), and of course layups under paint/mold are different:)
 
ipitythefool said:
I guess the "modernness" of a frame can differ from person to person.
Jimbo considers the stick from 1989 as his modern frame hehehehe :)
Click to expand...

I pity the fool who thinks racquets made after 1988 are not modern:twisted:

And you know all about the PT57A and E stuff, being pals with players in the top 200 and all that:)

So have I got it right above?
 
ipitythefool said:
I guess the "modernness" of a frame can differ from person to person.
:)
Click to expand...

Indeedy, what shall we call 'modern'? For old timers like me, modern might refer to anything produced after the introduction of bumpers in the 1983,4,5 range. That puts the 200G on the cusp along with other frames(some that had NO bumpers when introduced but later added them, e.g.--R-22, Black Max, et al).

For us REALLY old timers :) , modern might refer to anything after the intro of the Prince Classic--indicating a sea change in approach to the 'purpose' of a racket. Of course, MANY rackets introduced after the 1970s explosion of materials and sizes still held on to traditional concepts while others are clearly born of a 'modern' approach to racket design.

Some might not think of the original Wilson Profile as a modern design; yet, it clearly heralded a still-held approach to power shown in many current models. That introduction puts us in the '87-'88 time frame.

Even the (US)government isn't consistent with an approach to 'vintage' or 'antique' in terms of age. Seems to me that 'vintage' used to refer to items older than 25 years(particularly automobiles) and 'antique' suggested an age of 100 years plus.
(Apologies to 'Old World'-centric folks who laugh at a reference of 'antique' applying to something ONLY 100 years old!)

Of course, as I look at my collection of early 1900s rackets, maybe I should use the addition of leather grips as the 'milestone' for 'modern' rackets. That would put us in the 1930s !

So....it's not size, material, weight, power, or even date of introduction that clears up the concept of a 'modern' racket. What the heck DOES tell us !?!?!
 
^^

Yes, the definition of modern is an interesting subject.

For today's (modern) teens, the PD could become a classic 10 years from now. The feel of the PD and windshield-wiper strokes could be considered 'old school' 15-20 years from now.

But, 10 years from now, once these (modern) teens get older and have a hit with 80's rackets ...

Tennis is probably like music. The 'truly' classic things will remain valued and appreciated, while the fads will eventually fade away when the truth is revealed.

(Well, some modern teens whom I know have tried my oldies rackets and, to them, the truth has already been revealed.)
 
jimbo333 said:
This has really confused me:shock:

But am I correct in saying PT57A is exactly same mold as the old PT630?

And the PT57E is exactly same mold as the iprestige 630?

What surprises me is how similar the PT630 is to the iprestige 630!

Almost the same racquet, with same head size/shape, and string hole spacing (can use same grommets on each).

In fact only difference i can see is throat corners are slightly different (PT630 shorter stubbier arrow points), and of course layups under paint/mold are different:)
Click to expand...

Does anyone know if I've got the above exactly right please? As I'd really like to know:)

VSBabolat?

Anyone?
 
Head Satellite Tour MP 102"
Twin Tube, made in Austria
CAP'd, with the bottom half of the CAPs trimmed to polarize weight at the top of the frame.
2 Strips of duct tape from 3-9
Overgrip
Rubber band
345g
BAM/Kirschbaum Touch 17g 52/54

Too much information!!!
 
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Used my Kennex Black Aces (Tennis Warehouse - Bosworth Collection) exclusively until a little over a year ago. They were wearing out (grommets cracking especially) so now I use MG Prestige Pro's with Luxilon Spin as primary rackets. Still use the Black Aces about 1/4th the time, but the spin I can get from the "cheater" Pros with Luxilon does significantly change the game on groundstrokes and passing shots. Still can hit bigger serves with the Black Aces.
 
goldenyama said:
Head Satellite Tour MP 102"
Twin Tube, made in Austria
CAP'd, with the bottom half of the CAPs trimmed to polarize weight at the top of the frame.
2 Strips of duct tape from 3-9
Overgrip
Rubber band
345g
BAM/Kirschbaum Touch 17g 52/54

Too much information!!!
Click to expand...

Always thought the Satellite Tour was one of Heads unsung heroes. Better for my money than the Radicals of that time - this is a beautiful stick to hit with.
 
Wilson Reflex mid. Tried a bunch of other frames, nothing compares. PC600 was nice though, if only it could hit a decent slice...
 
galain said:
Always thought the Satellite Tour was one of Heads unsung heroes. Better for my money than the Radicals of that time - this is a beautiful stick to hit with.
Click to expand...

It really is a hidden gem - as close to perfect as any frame I have ever used.

If this racquet was named 'Twin Tube Prestige Midplus' and came with CAPs I believe it would have a huge following. I am happy as it is though, just picked up a mint one for $30!!:)

I really like the later paintjob too - the one with the star trek font rather than the candycane.
 
matchmaker said:
Wilson Reflex mid. Tried a bunch of other frames, nothing compares. PC600 was nice though, if only it could hit a decent slice...
Click to expand...

Wow I always thought it was the player that hit the slice not the racquet...

Its the Wizard, not the wand dude... :confused:
 
For tourneys this summer, I'll be using the Pro Staff 88, or the Redondo when I'm feeling lazy. Before that, I used the Jack Kramer Autograph for about two years. And before that, I used the Pro Staff 85 for about 20 years.

In my mind, a modern racquet is any racquet made of a fibre that's not wood. I don't think racquets have really changed all that much since the mid 80's, and they haven't really improved all that much on the wood racquets of the late 70's.
 
Its weird i have more power with my Graphite Pro than my PT630. I've gotten really use to playing with the PT 630 and its hard to go back.
 
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