Why So Few Top Players Used Adidas GTX Pro Racquet?

BorgCash

Legend
Always wondered why this racquet wasn't popular among top players. Of course it was Ivan Lendl with his famous head to toes & racquet Adidas contract, the same was with Jose Higueras and Horst Skoff. Young Boris played with this racquet also as a part of general Adidas contract, then Tiriac moved him to Ellesse ( along with his mega star Vilas), but Boris continue used racquet and shoes from Adidas. Then moved to Puma, we all know it. So, that's the question, the racquet was good, of course you should be a skillful player to used it, but there were many many such players. Even I use it now for training. So what is the case? Not so good feeling because of stiffness, small sweet spot or just marketing? Please, your opinions.
 

BorgCash

Legend
Too heavy
Those days you could choose different weight of the same racquet model, so it wasn't a problem. I have Adidas GTX Pro-T from 325 gr (SL) to 365 (M). I have some even heavier. For example Soviet copy of Kneissl White Star Pro called Master. I got one of 390 gr, I train with it.
 
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BorgCash

Legend
There was an Austrian WTA player called Barbara Paulus, she used the GTX Pro around 1988
Yes. And she also was all-Adidas contract player. I think that was the main case. I've seen many not well known female and male players "all-Adidas".
 

galain

Hall of Fame
What i remember of Barbara Paulus was that she was one of the first players I saw who had an extreme grip on her forehand. Like a very exaggerated western grip. I always wondered how she was able to get under the ball with that. I only remember her with (I think) Kneissl - didn't know she was an Adidas player.

The gtx wasn't unknown amongst European players but I guess head sizes got bigger fairly quickly and many players followed suit.
 

dje31

Professional
In '84 or '85, I saw an exhibition match between Ilie Nastase and Michael Chang. Nastase used a GTX-Pro.

I want to say Sampras used it as a junior, but it might have been the Kneissl White Star Pro.

I'm sure others did as well, but less famous / successful.
 

BorgCash

Legend
In '84 or '85, I saw an exhibition match between Ilie Nastase and Michael Chang. Nastase used a GTX-Pro.

I want to say Sampras used it as a junior, but it might have been the Kneissl White Star Pro.

I'm sure others did as well, but less famous / successful.
Nastase also was an Adidas contract player. Did not hear about Sampras, I know that he used Donnay before PS Mid, but it was almost identical racquet cause Donnay made early PS Mid for Wilson.
 

retrowagen

Hall of Fame
Sampras used the Kneissl White Star Aero (20) as a junior, circa 1985-6, and he still had a 2-handed backhand at the time!

Back to the GTX Pro: quite a few lesser-ranked pros and better juniors in Europe used the frame... Claudia Kohde-Kilsch was another, and Christian Bergstroem, if I recall correctly. I did too, as a 15-year-old junior, and found it too demanding. Even the L3 frame felt very heavy, and very stiff. The operator had to be very strong and precise to get the best out of it. I had an easier time with the Kneissl White Star Pro Master and Master 10, racquets from the same mold, but a little lighter and easier to use.

Really though, larger-headed frames were easier to play with, so more popular in the marketplace and with pros of the era.
 

JW10S

Hall of Fame
And who was that player?
A player who went on to earn a career high ATP ranking of 34 who is not a part of this thread as he did not use a Kneissl or Adidas racquet.

Getting back on track I'll add Swedish Davis Cup player Hans Simonsson to the list of players who used the Adidas racquet--he was another head-to-toe, and racquet, Adidas contract pro.
 

JW10S

Hall of Fame
Sampras used the Kneissl White Star Aero (20) as a junior, circa 1985-6, and he still had a 2-handed backhand at the time!
I'm not sure if it was the Aero, but Sampras was still using the Kneissl when he first started hitting a one handed backhand. And I have to hand it to him as when I first saw him hitting that one hander I didn't think he'd stick with it as it was pretty weak. I was not alone with those thoughts but he had the last laugh. You could see a carry over from that two-hander though because Sampras tended to hit his backhand closer to his body than most one handers typically do.
 

Dino Lagaffe

Hall of Fame
Another Swede, Thomas Högstedt, also used the GTX. He's probably more known today for his coaching (Nicolas Kiefer, Tommy Haas, Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Simona Halep, Madison Keys), but he had a pretty decent career with a highest ranking of 38. He played the GTX for quite a while, and in fact got sticks from Ivan Lendl's old stock, when Ivan changed racquets.

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jxs653

Professional
"Why So Few Top Players Used Adidas GTX Pro Racquet?"

Doesn't this question apply to any racquets? Replace the Adidas with--limiting to the 80s--Max200G, T2000, F200, BB Winner/Super, Magnesium Pro, PS Mid, Ultra, and what else.

Bigger questions is, at least for me because it is my favorite of 80's racquets, why Graphite Edge didn't win Grand Slam.
 
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BorgCash

Legend
A player who went on to earn a career high ATP ranking of 34 who is not a part of this thread as he did not use a Kneissl or Adidas racquet.

Getting back on track I'll add Swedish Davis Cup player Hans Simonsson to the list of players who used the Adidas racquet--he was another head-to-toe, and racquet, Adidas contract pro.
Yes, correct, i forget Simonsson.
Can you name this mysterical player (#34)?
 
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BorgCash

Legend
Another Swede, Thomas Högstedt, also used the GTX. He's probably more known today for his coaching (Nicolas Kiefer, Tommy Haas, Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Simona Halep, Madison Keys), but he had a pretty decent career with a highest ranking of 38. He played the GTX for quite a while, and in fact got sticks from Ivan Lendl's old stock, when Ivan changed racquets.

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Intetesting, especially the fact about using old Ivan's sticks. How did you get this info?
 

BorgCash

Legend
"Why So Few Top Players Used Adidas GTX Pro Racquet?"

Doesn't this question apply to any racquets? Replace the Adidas with--limiting to the 80s--Max200G, T2000, F200, BB Winner/Super, Magnesium Pro, PS Mid, Ultra, and what else.

Bigger questions is, at least for me because it is my favorite of 80's racquets, why Graphite Edge didn't win Grand Slam.
PS Mid was very popular.
T2000 and Magnesium were the racquets of the past at that time.
Puma was used by different well-known players.
 

Rosstour

G.O.A.T.
I'm not sure if it was the Aero, but Sampras was still using the Kneissl when he first started hitting a one handed backhand. And I have to hand it to him as when I first saw him hitting that one hander I didn't think he'd stick with it as it was pretty weak. I was not alone with those thoughts but he had the last laugh. You could see a carry over from that two-hander though because Sampras tended to hit his backhand closer to his body than most one handers typically do.

maybe that's why his shoulders come up/out of the stroke so noticeably.
 

BorgCash

Legend
"Why So Few Top Players Used Adidas GTX Pro Racquet?"

Doesn't this question apply to any racquets? Replace the Adidas with--limiting to the 80s--Max200G, T2000, F200, BB Winner/Super, Magnesium Pro, PS Mid, Ultra, and what else.

Bigger questions is, at least for me because it is my favorite of 80's racquets, why Graphite Edge didn't win Grand Slam.
I think it is more depending of the players not racquets to win tournaments.
 

BorgCash

Legend
Sampras used the Kneissl White Star Aero (20) as a junior, circa 1985-6, and he still had a 2-handed backhand at the time!

Back to the GTX Pro: quite a few lesser-ranked pros and better juniors in Europe used the frame... Claudia Kohde-Kilsch was another, and Christian Bergstroem, if I recall correctly. I did too, as a 15-year-old junior, and found it too demanding. Even the L3 frame felt very heavy, and very stiff. The operator had to be very strong and precise to get the best out of it. I had an easier time with the Kneissl White Star Pro Master and Master 10, racquets from the same mold, but a little lighter and easier to use.

Really though, larger-headed frames were easier to play with, so more popular in the marketplace and with pros of the era.
After training with 390 gr Soviet Kneissl copy i feel very comfortable with 360 gr GTX Pro-T.
 

galain

Hall of Fame
PS Mid was very popular.
T2000 and Magnesium were the racquets of the past at that time.

I wouldn't have said the Mag Pro came before the Adidas GTX. I think the Adidas was out before that. I remember the Mag Pro appearing toward the end of the mid 80's.
 

BorgCash

Legend
I wouldn't have said the Mag Pro came before the Adidas GTX. I think the Adidas was out before that. I remember the Mag Pro appearing toward the end of the mid 80's.
It was the last metall racqet player won a GS tournament with - 1987. And it wasn't top Prince model that time. I only remember Peter Doohan used metal the same year. Metal was past story then. Of course it was Pioline played Wimby final several years later with white painted Mag, but it was real surrealistic.
 

dje31

Professional
You could see a carry over from that two-hander though because Sampras tended to hit his backhand closer to his body than most one handers typically do.

I suspect that's also why he rarely kept the spare ball in his shorts while serving. Sometimes the ball in-pocket impede the swing. Happens to me when rallying with five spares in my pocket.
 

jxs653

Professional
PS Mid was very popular.
T2000 and Magnesium were the racquets of the past at that time.
Puma was used by different well-known players.
My point is it's not surprising that any one model including the Adidas didn't have larger share in the field.
I think it is more depending of the players not racquets to win tournaments.
Of course it's player that wins tournament. I meant why more worthy player didn't pick a fine racquet like it.
 
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BorgCash

Legend
My point is it's not surprising that any one model including the Adidas didn't have larger share in the field.

Of course it's player that wins tournament. I meant why more worthy player didn't pick a fine racquet like it.
I think it is more contract matter, especially today. Probably it was the same before also.
But not for all players. For example Stefan continued use PS Mid without Wilson contract.
 

BorgCash

Legend
My point is it's not surprising that any one model including the Adidas didn't have larger share in the field.

Of course it's player that wins tournament. I meant why more worthy player didn't pick a fine racquet like it.
Yes, i agree about sharing certain racquet models in the field back then. There were so many different racquet companies which racquets were used by pros. Big difference with today's situation.
 

Dino Lagaffe

Hall of Fame
Wow, what year?
When i first tried to play there were not available any junior racquets around, so i had to wait several years to handle 13 3/4 oz wood racquet.
That would be in the early 80s. My first racquet, that I used to play against the garage doors Borg style, was indeed my mom's old wooden racquet. If my memory serves me right, Dunlop had a model called Explorer. There was a decal with a viking ship on it.

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BorgCash

Legend
W
That would be in the early 80s. My first racquet, that I used to play against the garage doors Borg style, was indeed my mom's old wooden racquet. If my memory serves me right, Dunlop had a model called Explorer. There was a decal with a viking ship on it.

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I first tried to play around '74-'75. In '82 i was already able to handle that racquet.
 

Dino Lagaffe

Hall of Fame
W
I first tried to play around '74-'75. In '82 i was already able to handle that racquet.
Yeah, 1974 was a great year for Swedish tennis . Björn Borg won his first title at Roland Garros and me and Thomas Enqvist were born.

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