Yamaha Secret 04

[aceroberts13]

Ok, I have been researching a few older frames and I'm really hooked on this one. The reason I began liking this stick in the first place is because my tennis coach let me use his in high school and I have never really found anything else comparable to them. Do you guys think you can provide me with some exact specs and some possible modern day replacements?

Thanks in advance.

Ace

 

[max200G]

I don't have the specs but I think your best bet for a modern equivalence is the Babolat Pure Control.

 

[psp2]

Ok, I have been researching a few older frames and I'm really hooked on this one. The reason I began liking this stick in the first place is because my tennis coach let me use his in high school and I have never really found anything else comparable to them. Do you guys think you can provide me with some exact specs and some possible modern day replacements?

Thanks in advance.

Ace

STIFF FRAME!!! I had several 04s many years ago. ~79-80 on the RA scale, high 12 oz. racquet with a SW around 325 or so. 4-7 pts. HL depending on the grip (syn. vs. leather).

It hits a solid ball with absolutely no vibration.

 

[Ross K]

I would also love to get my hands on one of these legends! I got a few recommendations for it when I posted a thread about ideas for very stable, heavy, ball-crusher rods... a stiffness level of around 80?... ahem - that should crush some balls!

BTW, as well as stats, anyone got a picture?

 

[Bud]

I would also love to get my hands on one of these legends! I got a few recommendations for it when I posted a thread about ideas for very stable, heavy, ball-crusher rods... a stiffness level of around 80?... ahem - that should crush some balls!

BTW, as well as stats, anyone got a picture?

It will crush your elbow, shoulder and wrist, too :shock:

 

[psp2]

It will crush your elbow, shoulder and wrist, too :shock:

To each his/her own. I used to string the 04 with Pro Blend at 60# (in my younger days) and never had any elbow/arm problems.

 

[goosala]

Even though it's stiff as hell the heavy weight will keep it stable and vibration free with little shock.

 

[DangerDan]

I have one, had to get it when my buddy bought the (I believe it was called) Wilson Profile. He was overpowering me so I bought the 04 to level the table. Which it did quite well.

Couple of months ago I pulled it out of the garage and have it setting next to my stringer. Just bought some cheap string and thinking of stringing it up to use for feeding balls for my classes & high school teams. I'm kind of curious to see how it hits again.

 

[CliffH]

Too funny. I was playing in the local park yesterday and two slightly older gentlemen were playing fun singles. One was using a yamaha secret 4 - was a white frame with a green edge on one side of the head and red on the other - an international flag?

The other was using an oversize copper ace in mint condition.

They said the frames were garage sale purchases and that they were strung ONLY 5 or 6 years earlier.

They were wondering where they could buy the dunlop extra fort balls that we were using: "The ones we bought last month hardly bounce anymore"

They were having a great time, coaching the ball over the net and cheering on their opponents.

We smiled and continued our serve and volley drills.

 

[CliffH]

Too funny. I was playing in the local park yesterday and two slightly older gentlemen were playing fun singles. One was using a yamaha secret 4 - was a white frame with a green edge on one side of the head and red on the other - an international flag?

The other was using an oversize copper ace in mint condition.

They said the frames were garage sale purchases and that they were strung ONLY 5 or 6 years earlier.

They were wondering where they could buy the dunlop extra fort balls that we were using: "The ones we bought last month hardly bounce anymore"

They were having a great time, coaching the ball over the net and cheering on their opponents.

We smiled and continued our serve and volley drills.

 

[NLBwell]

The white with other colors was a Secret 10, I think. Could be wrong on the number, reaching back 20 years in the memory, but definitely not a Secret 4. (The 4 and 6 were grey, slightly different shades)

 

[JW10S]

The Yamaha Secret was a great racquet. As I mentioned in the 'garage sale' thread I talked a friend of mine into buying a never used one for something like $5 at an estate sale. He said he had never heard of it and I said, 'that's the secret'. He still uses today. I've offered to give him several more contemporary frames since then for free but he refuses them--he loves his Secret. That racquet was really fun to play with. Plus I liked the matte black, stealthy look.

 

[psp2]

The white with red/green was the Secret EX. The 04 is charcoal in color.

 

[kst]

Ok, I have been researching a few older frames and I'm really hooked on this one. The reason I began liking this stick in the first place is because my tennis coach let me use his in high school and I have never really found anything else comparable to them. Do you guys think you can provide me with some exact specs and some possible modern day replacements?

Thanks in advance.

Ace

Hi Ace,

I wish this help:

TENNIS RACQUET SPECIFICATION TABLE
Brand: Yamaha Secret-04 Racquet
Short Description: Players with big ground strokes will appreciate the frame’s solid and predictable performance. Yet it also delivers nice touch on volleys and a comfortable overall playability. Its design and construction make the racquet surprisingly quiet with little shock or vibration.
(1988 Tennis Magazine)
Head Size: 100 in2 / 645 cm2
Length: 27 in / 686 mm
Unstrung Weight: 12.3 oz / 350 g
Unstrung Balance: 6 pts HL / 315 mm
Composition: High Modulus Graphite / Hi-Resonant Frame Design
Beam Width: 25 mm Straight Beam
Power Level: Medium – High
Stiffness: 81 (Very Firm)
Swing Type: Moderate - Fast
Swing Weight: 327
String Pattern: 16 mains / 18 crosses
Grip Type: Yamaha synthetic grip
String Tension: 50 - 60 lbs / 22.7 – 27.2 kg recommended

I got one from my ex-boss (saying more than 10years ago) which he left behind for me. (At that time I knew nothing about tennis!)

This racket is really really stiff! I gave it a RDC check few months ago while having a new string job and still records 72! (Original is 81!!!) Very stable frame and must use some soft string on it. Anyway, the material which YAMAHA using is really amaze me. It absorb most of the shock from playing which this technology / material is using in 20 years ago!

Unluckily I found some cracks on it after the string job!

Anyway, while using this stick, I will found myself feel like using a shock-less and heavier version of Babolat PD.... (Roddick PD + Cortex? I can't tell)

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Leelord337]

I would also love to get my hands on one of these legends! I got a few recommendations for it when I posted a thread about ideas for very stable, heavy, ball-crusher rods... a stiffness level of around 80?... ahem - that should crush some balls!

BTW, as well as stats, anyone got a picture?[/QUOTE]

I remember hitting with my friends yamaha secret. It was a cool stick, very little vibration, gobs of power.

 

[aceroberts13]

Anybody know where I can get one of these at?

 

[Ross K]

I would also love to get my hands on one of these legends! I got a few recommendations for it when I posted a thread about ideas for very stable, heavy, ball-crusher rods... a stiffness level of around 80?... ahem - that should crush some balls!

BTW, as well as stats, anyone got a picture?[/QUOTE]

I remember hitting with my friends yamaha secret. It was a cool stick, very little vibration, gobs of power.

Nice find Leelord... now there's one bad looking dude of a racquet!... yes, I'm liking that... actually, I'm squinting right this moment to see if the word 'Vader' is written anywhere on the frame!

 

[Pete.Sampras.]

I have an old Yamaha frame that looks like a PS85 with a 65sq head. It feels like 400gr+ and swings heavier than two K90s at the same time

Unfortunately I don't have any helpful suggestions for you.

 

[Leelord337]

Anybody know where I can get one of these at?

Either here on the classified threads or E bay

 

[hiltonhead]

Secret

I have what is called a Secret Carbon Lite which is made from the exact mold of the Yamaha Secret by Gosen. It is very stiff, in 5/8. Could dig up some pics if any interest. Have a couple deep in closet. (keene@roadrunner.com)

 

[hiltonhead]

Secret Lite

It is a very light and stiff racquet (that is why it is in closet).

 

[sargeinaz]

It is a very light and stiff racquet (that is why it is in closet).

I dont think 12.3oz is light. To each their own I guess.
________
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[paulmaben]

I played with those racquets for a few months. The 04 is an absolute beast, it had no give and was not very quick at the net. I remember selling them for like $40 a piece. My tennis team at the University of Pittsburgh was sponsored by Yamaha for awhile. I used the white gold 90 for a bit too....I went back to Prince though.

 

[aceroberts13]

I have what is called a Secret Carbon Lite which is made from the exact mold of the Yamaha Secret by Gosen. It is very stiff, in 5/8. Could dig up some pics if any interest. Have a couple deep in closet. (keene@roadrunner.com)

yes, please do d_rob_8@hotmail.com

 

[Martingale]

Glad to hear some other people like the Yamaha's. 04 is the stiffest. A bit more flexible are the 05, 06, 10 and EX, as well as the headlight versions, called the secret EOS. Beautiful frames, little vibration, little shock, awfully well engineered, no elbow or shoulder problems. I am still using them these days.

The following specs are from the Yamaha '91 catalogue:

Secret-04 100" or 110":
Weight 321-350 grams / 12.2 oz. Avg.
5 pts. HL
Beam 25mm
Extremely Stiff #10

Eos 100" or 110":
260-280 grams / 9.5 oz. AVG.
4-6 pts. HH
Beam 25mm
Very Stiff #9

Eos RZ 100" or 110"
270-290 grams / 9.9 oz. AVG.
4-6 pts. HH
Beam 25mm
Stiff #7

Secret -05 RS 100" or 110":
321-350 grams / 12 oz. AVG.
6 pts. HL
Beam 25mm
Very Stiff #8.5

Secret-07 RS 100":
321-350 grams / 12 oz. AVG
Beam 25mm
Stiff #7

Secret-10 NIA

Secret-20 100":
322 grams/ 11.5oz. average
9 pts. HL
Beam 25mm
Medium Stiff

Secret-EX 100" or 110":
321-350 grams / 11.9 oz. AVG.
8 pts. HL
Beam 22mm
Stiff #7

 

[Ross K]

"All hail to the mighty Yamahas!"... in the pantheon of hefty, stable, ball crushing, felt ripping, monster club, plow producing, battering ram beasts, the Yamaha's a legend!

 

[Leelord337]

i found 2 more pics of the yamaha secret

 

[FedererClone]

Anyone comment on the Secret line of sticks? Some look kinda basic and others,, such as the secret, look exquisite in look and specs...

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Anyone comment on the Secret line of sticks? Some look kinda basic and others,, such as the secret, look exquisite in look and specs...

Gabriella Sabatini played with the 22 mm white/green/purple EX. I think I also remember her playing with a bright yellow model. But usually when people say "Secret", they mean the 25 mm stealth look.

At that time (1989-90), Wilson had taken the market by storm with the first widebody, the ultra-stiff Profile, and everyone wanted a piece of that market. Prince had followed suit with the Thunderstick and, according to tennis coach hearsay, avoided patent infringement by having it thick at the tip and thin at the handle (Constant Taper System) while the Profile was thick at the throat and tapered in both directions (Dual Taper System). If memory serves, Head eventually tried making tip and handle thick and tapering to the throat!

The Secret 04 came out as Yamaha's entry, and, according to distributors, was the racquet that had the big three sweating bullets. People loved 'em, and not just rec players, either. Wilson put a stop to the scare, though. They sued Yamaha for infringing on Wilson's widebody patent and settled out of court for Yamaha getting out of the tennis business. EDIT: I was mistaken here. The Wilson lawsuit that drove Yamaha out of the tennis business was over the Hammer patent being infringed by the Yamaha EOS series (more like getting to the patent office first, really), not the widebody patent.

Gosen bought Yamaha's racquet molds, and a few years later (presumably when the patent ran out) produced the Gosen Secret Carbon series. (The Gosen Secret Carbon Lite, mentioned upthread, was part of the series but was not the same weight as the Secret Carbon/Secret 04.)

I think they're beautiful racquets. I doubt my arm could take the 04, and it's hard to find the softer ones, but I sometimes daydream about putting that stealth sandpaper paintjob on a racquet I could handle.

 

[Il Mostro]

Gosen bought Yamaha's racquet molds, and a few years later (presumably when the patent ran out) produced the Gosen Secret Carbon series. (The Gosen Secret Carbon Lite, mentioned upthread, was part of the series but was not the same weight as the Secret Carbon/Secret 04.)

Funny you should mention the Gosen Secret Carbon -- I just saw several of them yesterday along with another Gosen "remake". All brand new. Was there to pick up another Agassi LE (new and still wrapped) on the cheap for my wife.

 

[goosala]

Hey Il Mostro, where did you see the Gosen frames?

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Hey Il Mostro, where did you see the Gosen frames?

I'd like to know that too!

Slightly off-topic, but has anyone heard if the more-flexible Secret 06 (like Javier Sanchez and, I think, Yannick Noah used) had the same rock-solid feel that everyone says the Secret 04 had?

 

[ibii70]

I have 2 yamaha racquetes,it's same as secret ex and 04.Why code name is proto?
they are very nice

 

[Tennis Dunce]

^^ ibii, Proto is the code name for Secret. And knock it off with the pics, will ya, THAT IS SO UNFAIR!!!!

I have 3 mint Secret 04's...but none of those...damn those are gorgeous.

 

[2handsbothsides]

I played the Secret 04 extensively for about 6 months when it first came out. Huge crushing power, very solid, no vibration, nice and heavy, surprisingly easy on the arm. Played great when I switched and slowly my strokes shortened up and control become a real problem.

Switched to the Wilson 6.1 and never looked back. The 6.1 is a pretty stiff racquet by today’s standards but had way more feel and give compared to the 04. With the 6.1 my strokes got bigger and pinpoint control returned.

The stiff widebody craze died when players realized you got better long term results from a less stiff stick. Less is really more!

 

[Il Mostro]

Hey Il Mostro, where did you see the Gosen frames?

Shoot me an email and I will be happy to give you the direct contact info offline.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

I HATE trying to cut into the ether with that widebody!!! UGGGHHHH. But what an incredibly engineered frame nonetheless.

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Do you guys think you can provide me with ... some possible modern day replacements?

I've heard more than one person say nothing has ever felt quite like a Secret 04, but since you included the word "possible"... Vantage offers a 100 sq in headsize, a 77 stiffness (the Secret 04 was measured anywhere from 79-81), a range of weights, and from a web site illustration appears to be foam-filled. (I don't know whether the Yamaha was foam-filled, but people talk about its solid feel, and I could imagine foam helping to create that feel.)

I've never hit with a Vantage, but it *might* be a place to start looking for a modern replacement.

 

[charliefedererer]

I loved the power of the Secret 04, as well as the unique finish that made it look like a weapon. If only I could have generated some topspin with this incredibly stiff racquet and not hit everything long. I still have two Yamaha 04 frames, and two of the Gosen Secret Carbons.

 

[Tennis Dunce]

Topspin can be a challenge, you're right. But the depth on those volleys...and those crater inducing first serves. And the slice serves on a dime...and the...

 

[Don't Let It Bounce]

Correction to the above brief, ill-fated history of Yamaha's Tennis Division...

After looking through these forums, it appears that Wilson's lawsuit against Yamaha was not over the widebody patent; rather, one of the lightweight head-heavy Yamaha frames had somehow violated Wilson's Hammer patent.

It's a shame. Imagine if Yamaha were still making tennis racquets...

 

[pmerk34]

Correction to the above brief, ill-fated history of Yamaha's Tennis Division...

After looking through these forums, it appears that Wilson's lawsuit against Yamaha was not over the widebody patent; rather, one of the lightweight head-heavy Yamaha frames had somehow violated Wilson's Hammer patent.

It's a shame. Imagine if Yamaha were still making tennis racquets...

LOl. Exciting times if they were...

 

[mental midget]

my buddy played with this racket. my weapon of choice at the time was the wilson ultra fpk 95. i didn't like the yamaha, had very little feel in my opinion.

the ultra fpk, on the other hand, is one of the greatest frames of all time.

 

[goldenyama]

Pics!

Here is a pic of a Proto 03 (In Japan they were named 'Proto' not 'Secret'. It's 363g strung.



Here also is a gorgeous EX97S Tour - it's 333g strung.



And a Proto EX-110 - Sabatini's racquet, it's 326g unstrung.



I own an EX-110 and have played with an EX97S Tour - these frames really have a unique ZING to them!!

 

[goldenyama]

More pics!

Continuing the Japanese theme...

Here is a Yamaha EX-110g. I own and have played quite a bit with one of these. It has a box-beam and is more muted and lower powered than the EX-110. It's my favourite Yamaha.



Here is a lovely old Bridgestone ProBeam mid (95):



And a new Bridgestone X-Blade Zero MP...these are really expensive!



If any of you guys are interested in buying any used Japanese racquets email me at cameronbayne@gmail.com - I can help you buy them from a Japanese site, thats where I got these pics from. Some great frames can be fairly cheap.

 

[Aiyo]

How many versions of the Secret 06 were there?
I have seen one in same color/finish as the Secret 04 and some in white glossy finish.

 

[Martingale]

I have seen three versions of the Secret 06: grey metal powder coating (like the one on the Secret 04), grey smooth coating (I own those two versions, like on the Secret 10 or 10II) and I have seen on the big bay people selling unused white ones. Not sure where the white ones come from, they are a bit of a mystery to me [Of course Yamaha has produced many white graphite and ceramics rackets, but the Secret 06 and 04 in white are a bit of a shock]. Anybody who can put some colour (no pun intended) on this issue would be much appreciated.

 

[sandflea]

I hit with the Secret 04 today, I simply love this racket and will never sell it! It didn't have as much power that I was expecting from it, but just enough, soo solid.

 

[sandflea]

I picked up another secret 04 on e... and the weight and balance is dead on with the first beat up one... gotta love the quality control!!!

 

[T-ennis 888]

So what happened to Yamaha's Tennis Division. Someone mentioned an infringement of a Wilson Patent...did the legal costs deriving from that Claim clean them out financially?