Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Carbon 5.0 (12 x 16)

[Autodidactic player]

I just picked up an interesting variant of the Wilson Hyper Pro Staff Carbon 5.0. This one is standard length, 95 sq in head, 12.3 ounces strung, but drilled with a 12 x 16 pattern. I'm quite tempted to hit with it just to feel the spin from such a wide string pattern in such a stiff racket. But, since it's NOS, probably not. Does anyone have any information on this particular racket? It must have been manufactured when Wilson updated the original Hyper Pro Staff 5.0 ≈ 2000ish. Did Wilson ever release this particular string pattern commercially? Did some pro request this string pattern to try out after Mark Woodforde's Hi Ten experience? Thanks! Here are a few pictures:

 

[moon shot]

Woodforde played with that paintjob actually

 

[Autodidactic player]

Wow! Great picture and information. Thanks!

How do you know it's a "paint job" and what do you believe it is painted over? That sure isn't the shape of the Hi Ten 50 from his earlier days.

 

[moon shot]

Wow! Great picture and information. Thanks!

How do you know it's a "paint job" and what do you believe it is painted over? That sure isn't the shape of the Hi Ten 50 from his earlier days.

I'm slinging words fast and loose, I guess by paintjob I mean its a drill pattern I don't believe was ever released. Before this he played with a 7.5 95 and a 6.1 95, he later had a kSix-One 95 drilled the same. I don't know factually that any of those frames are not what is indicated but my intuition says probably when any player has a new frame from the same brand that is the same head size.

I belive the 7.5 was something like 60 or 72 RDC stiffness while the the 5.0 was a 74, so that would be quite a change.

edit: here is some further reading:
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...oodforde´s-wilson-racket.331094/#post-7846452
https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...ny-other-company-keep-up.480692/#post-7835316

 

[moon shot]

Does yours have a head guard? - http://media.gettyimages.com/photos...rates-a-point-during-his-67-picture-id1048155

 

[Autodidactic player]

Yes. Here's a close-up picture.



This one looks like a finished product ready for resale but don't think any of these were ever available for sale.

 

[moon shot]

@v-verb - I think from previous threads you had a frame like this, do you have an origin story?

 

[Autodidactic player]

No origin story, sorry. I collect odd/unusual rackets and got this one in a trade. I looked up some of V-Verb's posts. The racket(s) he/she has don't seem to have headguards either. Perhaps mine is a slightly later version? Maybe Wilson considered selling these but gave up the idea? As far as I know, the 99S is the closest stringing pattern Wilson ever marketed commercially.

In one of V-Verb's threads he/she shows a picture of Woodforde using one with a headguard (last picture):

Finally found my frame after endless buying (60 sticks since last November)



Wilson Hyper Pro Staff, Woodforde drill pattern 12 x 16

 

[moon shot]

No origin story, sorry. I collect odd/unusual rackets and got this one in a trade. I looked up some of V-Verb's posts. The racket(s) he/she has don't seem to have headguards either. Perhaps mine is a slightly later version? Maybe Wilson considered selling these but gave up the idea? As far as I know, the 99S is the closest stringing pattern Wilson ever marketed commercially.

In one of V-Verb's threads he/she shows a picture of Woodforde using one with a headguard (last picture):

Oh, I was using the tag @v-verb to see if they had a origin story of their frame to share with you.

 

[v-verb]

hi sorry been awol for awhile. I have a few of these but none has the headguard. I was just using one of them today. INSANE spin.

Where did you get yours? Looking at Woodforde's pic I don't see a headguard on his

 

[Autodidactic player]

I got mine from a fellow collector in a trade for a NOS MadRaq . Since I had two, I think I got the better deal but I'm sure he feels the same way. I like trades like that! I don't have any additional information about the racket.

In the third picture V-Verb posted below it looks like Woodforde's stick has a headguard but, maybe not, it's always hard to tell.

Finally found my frame after endless buying (60 sticks since last November)



Wilson Hyper Pro Staff, Woodforde drill pattern 12 x 16

 

[v-verb]

I got mine from a fellow collector in a trade for a NOS MadRaq . Since I had two, I think I got the better deal but I'm sure he feels the same way. I like trades like that! I don't have any additional information about the racket.

In the third picture V-Verb posted below it looks like Woodforde's stick has a headguard but, maybe not, it's always hard to tell.

Good catch - looks like typically he didn't use a headguard but that pic looks like one. Cool stuff