Which frame would Lendl have used in his prime, if it hadn't been his Adidas?

galain

galain

Hall of Fame
Just curious about your opinions, because I've often wondered what some of the legends other options might have been at a time when there were so many.

For example, the way the Max 200G plays - I think it suits a Becker type of game much more than McEnroe. Mac I could easily picture with a Pro Staff or a Graphite Edge.

Any ideas for Lendl?
 
galain

galain

Hall of Fame
michael valek said:
It’s very hard to disassociate those players from their frames.....Becker with a max200g????? Can’t imagine it
Click to expand...

I know what you're saying! That's the reason i chose Lendl for my question - just because he was so synonymous with his GTX. Quite a few other players used the 200G or even the Pumas/Estusas.

Just from the 200G's playing characteristics, it seemed to be a better fit for a big hitter, because it's so satisfying. I picture McEnroe with a scalpel - it fits his game. The 200G is a bot chunky for a scalpel in my mind.

And Lendl intrigues me. In the 90's I could see him swinging a Prestige Classic, but in his prime?? I have no idea.
 
M

michael valek

Professional
but the pumas and estusas are scalpels! Those players are not just synonymous with the frames, they are the frames. sampras is a ps85. Borg is a black donnay borg pro. mcenroe is a 200g. an example of why its not comfortable to imagine otherwise - when navratilova used a blacked out max 200g - it just looked completely wrong. maybe its a consequence of the paint jobs being almost unchanged over 10 years. same with federer and rafa. switch the frames around and it would be just wrong.
 
T

travlerajm

G.O.A.T.
michael valek said:
but the pumas and estusas are scalpels! Those players are not just synonymous with the frames, they are the frames. sampras is a ps85. Borg is a black donnay borg pro. mcenroe is a 200g. an example of why its not comfortable to imagine otherwise - when navratilova used a blacked out max 200g - it just looked completely wrong. maybe its a consequence of the paint jobs being almost unchanged over 10 years. same with federer and rafa. switch the frames around and it would be just wrong.
Click to expand...
I felt like Michael Chang lost his mojo when he ditched his POG OS for a Longbody.
 
galain

galain

Hall of Fame
michael valek said:
but the pumas and estusas are scalpels! Those players are not just synonymous with the frames, they are the frames. sampras is a ps85. Borg is a black donnay borg pro. mcenroe is a 200g. an example of why its not comfortable to imagine otherwise - when navratilova used a blacked out max 200g - it just looked completely wrong. maybe its a consequence of the paint jobs being almost unchanged over 10 years. same with federer and rafa. switch the frames around and it would be just wrong.
Click to expand...
Hence my thought experiment!

There's a shot out there of Mac with a Yonex R22 at a clay tournament somewhere - perhaps in Paris. It's jarring to see!
 
dje31

dje31

Professional
Similar to my first time seeing Chris Squire of Yes playing a Fender Precision bass. Mind: blown.
 
dje31

dje31

Professional
Given that his original sponsor, Kneissl, was first and foremost a ski MFR, I'd say another ski MFR. Perhaps a Fischer Superform, Volkl Servo / C10 Mid, Rossignol F250.

And yes, I know his Adidas GTX is what was the White Star Pro.
 
galain

galain

Hall of Fame
dje31 said:
Given that his original sponsor, Kneissl, was first and foremost a ski MFR, I'd say another ski MFR. Perhaps a Fischer Superform, Volkl Servo / C10 Mid, Rossignol F250.

And yes, I know his Adidas GTX is what was the White Star Pro.
Click to expand...
Ok - now you've blown MY mind mate. Lendl with a Fischer Superform! What an awesome image that is.
 
dje31

dje31

Professional
Galain: You're welcome, old TTW friend...I can always count on seeing you on vintage '80s racquet threads, especially if Rossignol is in the mix. Cheers!
 
dje31

dje31

Professional
michael valek said:
I had a super form Stan Smith Awful.
Click to expand...
Perhaps, but it's pretty cool looking, IMHO. Hard to mistake it for anything else. I need to add one to my vintage collection, irrespective of how it plays. Always wanted one as a kid, never swung one, other than in a shop.
 
B

BorgCash

Legend
michael valek said:
but the pumas and estusas are scalpels! Those players are not just synonymous with the frames, they are the frames. sampras is a ps85. Borg is a black donnay borg pro. mcenroe is a 200g. an example of why its not comfortable to imagine otherwise - when navratilova used a blacked out max 200g - it just looked completely wrong. maybe its a consequence of the paint jobs being almost unchanged over 10 years. same with federer and rafa. switch the frames around and it would be just wrong.
Click to expand...
Edberg with PS85, Borg more with Allwood.
 
Sanglier

Sanglier

Semi-Pro
Given Lendl's unwavering faith in Warren Bosworth, and the connection the latter had with Fox and Snauwaert, he probably could have played with frames from either of those two suppliers if they had the wherewithal to sponsor him. Of the two, I think he'd have felt more comfortable switching to an offering from Snauwaert, as nothing made by Fox at the time behaved remotely like his Kneissl/Adidas frames. I do believe however that he could have adjusted to the internally-strung Fox ATP-Mid (called Magnum Fox initially) with Bosworth's help and become effective with it, and single-handedly saved that design from becoming an instant footnote in the history of racquet development.
 
teachingprotx

teachingprotx

Hall of Fame
retrowagen said:
He would have used the Wilson Ultra 2 mid: it was stiff, whippy, and manoeuverable. Hana Mandlikova probably would have lent him a couple of them to try, had he asked.
Click to expand...
Holy COW !!! I was just writing Wilson ultra II as well !!!
That’s so weird retro .. wow so cool
 
teachingprotx

teachingprotx

Hall of Fame
I know Becker almost signed with head . Now that would have been visual heresy for me , seeing him with a huge cocked up forehand back swing with a head stencil up near his head .. would have broken my eyes , I’m sure of it ..broke ..
 
R

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
Was thinking of other pros who switched from the Adidas GTX Pro to other frames...

Claudia Kohde-Kilsch went from the Adidas to the Wilson Ultra 2 mid, with no ill effects, evidently.

And Boris Becker played Wimbledon in 1984 with the Adidas, then came back in 1985 with a Puma G. Vilas in his hand, and swept it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top