Wood racquet buying tips ...
- Thread starter zipplock
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Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
You can always look at woodtennis.com and see what Joe has available. You can also look around at various thrift shops and get lucky. Often, you have to look through quite a few to get some that aren't warped. As for strings, I'd use something like Sensation 15L. I think wood rackets do a little better with a multi, although I'd guess most were strung with a 15L nylon or synthetic gut back in the day. Vantage was the main multi I can remember from back then, while Leoina 66 and Victor Statite were 2 nylons I remember being popular.
Thanks. Any brands better quality than others? Any trick to stringing or pretty straight forward?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
Icon wood racquets were the Dunlop Maxply Fort, Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph, Slazenger Challenge No.1, Wilson Jack Kramer Pro Staff. You could also try some Snauwaert, Donnay, HEAD Vilas, Rossignol Strato.
String them in the high 40’s low 50’s. It opens up the sweet spot a lot.
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Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I'd say you can't go wrong with the Jack Kramer Auto. Widely available in used but decent condition off of places like Craigslist for less than $20. Mines is currently strung with a thin gauge of a poly string in the low 30's and it hits beautifully. The poly string gives me familiarity with the impact feel and launch angle, and the low tension should be easier on the frame.
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
You’re going to get a first class lesson in what it means to be the short side. Make sure you start the crosses on the correct side. The strings have to fit inside the grooves.
I like the power so I string them around 35. My arm hurts thinking about Borg stringing in the 60s.
Just go to a thrift store and pick some up. Wilson Advantage and Kramer models have good reputations. I honestly couldn’t tell you one wooden racquet is better than any other. I’d sell you some Kramers for $5 plus shipping. I’ve got plenty I’ve picked up over the years.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
When I did take a wood racket out, I enjoyed my Rossignol Strato most. It's probably not much different than a Kramer, but I liked it. I also had a Wilson Cliff Richey Autograph that I liked. More modern woods like the Snauwaert Boronite II and the Garcia Graphite are laminated wood rackets that I've enjoyed in the past. Another really nice one is the Slazenger Challenge #1. Oh, if only we all used these again. I've hit with some Davis rackets, but never really got the hang of swinging a club on a chain (kind of the feel because the shaft was so flexible). Bancroft's Player's Special was a nice frame. The most exotic looking classic wood is probably the Wilson Advantage.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
I bought a couple to mess around with, still with the same strings from the 1970s. I can't say for sure if they'd hit a lot better with new ones, I think its more that I can't hit the sweet spot reliably.
I will say, a Prince Woodie with modern strings in the mid 50s hits wonderfully, it just weighs 382g!
I will say, a Prince Woodie with modern strings in the mid 50s hits wonderfully, it just weighs 382g!
WestboroChe
Hall of Fame
The biggest issue I have finding wooden racquets is that they are all sized huge for me. I play with a size 4 1/8 and a lot of wooden racquets are like 4.5 or bigger.
Aside from that one brand to avoid if you’re looking for a vintage frame to play with is TADavis. They have a tendency to snap in two apparently but there are a lot of them out there and they tend to look beautiful because they are and I think a lot of people put away their extras after the first one broke.
I would suggest looking at the Wilson Evert frames. They tend to be a bit newer and were marketed to women so they are lighter and have smaller handles.
Aside from that one brand to avoid if you’re looking for a vintage frame to play with is TADavis. They have a tendency to snap in two apparently but there are a lot of them out there and they tend to look beautiful because they are and I think a lot of people put away their extras after the first one broke.
I would suggest looking at the Wilson Evert frames. They tend to be a bit newer and were marketed to women so they are lighter and have smaller handles.
MAX PLY
Hall of Fame
Also, TW has some nice vintage wood frames for sale on the website--all appear to be new old stock--mint condition. And reasonably priced for what they are. You can probably find a variety of used frames (in various conditions) at thrift shops--look for the best frames you can find--no warpage, grips in decent condition. Stick with the higher end frames from those eras -- as listed above. Good luck.
i think I have a Bancroft Borg somewhere in clean shape. If you’re in the states, let me know, I’ll send it to you. As VS stated, high 40’s tension with something stretchy.. TF bi-phase, natty gut, or any soft multi. Have fun.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
It’s funny, I strung my wood racquets at 58lbs and I currently string my midsize and Midplus racquets at 55lbs. You were told you didn’t want to have the “trampoline effect”. That you couldn’t control the ball at low tensions. So funny how a lot of what they told you back then was just wrong.
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
Some things haven’t changed. There are still plenty out there giving bad advice when it comes to strings and tension.
Completely agree. Ideology & technology have changed over the years. Ball pocketing has become more important and technique has changed. When I first came back from a 25 year hiatus I quickly realized that problend @ 65lbs on a 93 sq in Prince was longer doable.
coachrick
Hall of Fame
Even with the open pattern....OUCH!
it was on a high beam frame graphtech db 90. Needed to tame the high power of that frame somehow.
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
I used to string my Prince Graphite 90 at 65 with ProBlend. Now I play a Head Gravity S 104 at 48 with a full bed of 17 gauge synthetic gut. It lasts me about 33% of the time the ProBlend did back in the day. I guess I don’t swing as hard on every ball.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
TW has a Spaulding Tracy Austin Autograph in a 4 1/4. They're pretty nice
coachrick
Hall of Fame
I wonder if they sold more than 10 of those back in the day.
coachrick
Hall of Fame
Enjoy!!! BUT, I wonder about the 18ga pulling into the frame, even at that low tension. Might want to keep an eye on the shoulders in particular.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I've had a thin gauge of Signum Pro Poly Plasma in my Kramer for about many years and have had no problems. This racquet has been used a lot - I'm guessing well over 30 hours on this string. It had leather pads on the outside of the throat and I left those in place when I restrung.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
I had another Kramer that also broke but it had 17 synthetic gut in it. Took longer to cut thru the wood.
After that I started using pieces of scrap leather as power pads to protect the wood.No problems since. Maybe I’ll give poly another try on one of my wood racquets.
WestboroChe
Hall of Fame
The whole idea of poly in a wooden racquets is wrong. String it with cheap syngut or natural gut or even an over priced multi but leave the poly in the modern frames.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
Like you, I can't see any reason to put a poly in a wooden racket.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
That's the exact reason to do so. Confound the heck out of your opponent...
But what about the flip side? If polys are wrong for wood racquets but syngut is the right string for it, then why isn't syngut wrong for a modern frame?
In all seriousness, having an all-poly stringbed in a wood racquet creates a familiar response to anyone who uses poly in a more modern racquet. When I had my wood racquet strung with a synthetic gut, the low launch angle and springy response in such a flexy racquet just created havoc in trying to get the ball over the net and into the court. Poly dampens the power, which is nice when swinging 380 grams of racquet, and the ball comes off the stringbed in familiar ways.
I can pretty much transition from my regular racquet that has poly, to my Kramer with poly, and be getting the ball consistently in the court within just a few minutes.
WestboroChe
Hall of Fame
Ha ha. To answer your question. I don’t have a problem with syngut or anything in a modern frame. Personally I use prince premier control and have a glass elbow which poly wrecked in a matter of weeks.
However I just think that putting a low powered string in a low powered frame is not going to work for most and also just seems wrong. Like putting ABS in a 55 corvette. Sure you can do it. But the whole point of driving an old car is to do without the modern developments. Same with wooden sticks.
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
20 gauge hyper - g..... tube every string..... (j/k)
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
I guess my desire is to be able to take that wood racquet and with minimal adjustment period, be able to hit the ball consistently over the net and into the court. I couldn't do that with a synthetic gut in it - the launch angle and launch angle changes with different swing trajectories was just not something I am used to. With a poly string, it behaves mostly like I expect it to, and so I get to enjoy the hitting process with the wood racquet itself, which is that insanely small sweet spot, total deadness high on the hoop, but that solid and sweet sounding impact any time I caught it well.
I've also put a thin gauge round poly into my Arthur Ashe Comp 1, my Wilson Ultra II Midsize, and my AMF/Head Graphite Edge. They all play beautifully.
WestboroChe
Hall of Fame
I got it. Obviously you can play whatever you want. But to me the whole point is to experience tennis in a completely different manner. It’s an historical exercise. If you will.
Steve Huff
G.O.A.T.
Really better watch the AA with poly. I strung one with a regular 15L nylon back in 75 (when I was using it). The stringer said that a multi was recommended. The nylon pulled through the frame around the 6th-7th main at the top. Another warning: I accidentally left my 2nd one in my dad's car one weekend. The head curled into an L-shape.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
That is surprising. Visually, the Arthur Ashe metal racquet looks indestructible.
onehandbh
G.O.A.T.
I have a Jack Kramer Auto Midsize that has some graphite with the wood and is slightly bigger. Seems like it might be a good candidate for poly
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
The problem is I have a very limited ability to compensate so I need the familiarity of a poly string or I wouldn't win a game off this guy with this racquet:
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
All of the sharp bends are tubed, and the tension I used was around 30 pounds so it's holding well well.
When I was using it back in the day, I kept delaminating the metal pieces by scraping the head on the ground. My dad, who bought these for me, was not amused. Amazing what we put up with back then.
Injured Again
Hall of Fame
A friend acquired a brand new Wright and Dittson from around the turn of the century (the 19th century). He was going to try to find some vintage gut and hand pull the tension. I don't know if he ever did that, but that racquet was in amazing shape.
If I had that racquet, I'd never play with it. I think a couple of my Davis racquets are from the 1960's and even those I really hesitate to hit with. It's a 60 year old piece of wood!
coachrick
Hall of Fame
PLENTY of the AA series de-laminated and warped in the heat of the American Southeast back in the '70s. The cores were suspect also and many stringers would string the initial string job at 5# over "desired" tension to allow for the strings to 'seat' into the FRP. Pallets were squeaky, too! We offered tips to HEAD on how to cut down on vibration and squeaking. Shoe Goo was the answer to many problems back then
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