Your Favorite Racket Bags

kevin qmto

kevin qmto

Legend
Figured I'd put this thread in the Classic section, as racket-specific bags are basically non-existent anymore, and what branded bags companies do make, are of shameful quality to those of yesteryear. But forget about that, lets hear (and maybe even see) your pics for best bags! The racket itself doesn't have to be something you endorse, we're talking about the bags here!

(for instance, I think the coffin bags that came on Max Predator are amazing, I wish I had one with mine).


Let's get this started!

Yamaha always has top notch bags, the Secret 04 came in a well padded form fitting case that makes you feel like you've literally been handed some top secret prototype wonder frame. And it basically is lol. The pleather is thick and heavy duty, and little Yamaha branded 'Y' zippers complete the package.
vhqNrQq.jpg

tDf3X7g.jpg

k4S8HXw.jpg


Sticking with Yamaha, they did one better for the Secret EX. Definitely nothing subtle about this case.
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Likewise for this Donnay WST bag.
v5P0g3M.jpg


Spalding gets the nod for having actual denim for their trendy The Denim frame.
msG9C7l.jpg


Pro Kennex really made their Kinetic line feel high end with this case. it's so thick and heavy, total overkill but I love it. Pleather is top notch as well, plus all the graphics on the inside complete the package.
As59utw.jpg

iyvA1IZ.jpg
 
kevin qmto said:
Figured I'd put this thread in the Classic section, as racket-specific bags are basically non-existent anymore, and what branded bags companies do make, are of shameful quality to those of yesteryear. But forget about that, lets hear (and maybe even see) your pics for best bags! The racket itself doesn't have to be something you endorse, we're talking about the bags here!

(for instance, I think the coffin bags that came on Max Predator are amazing, I wish I had one with mine).


Let's get this started!

Yamaha always has top notch bags, the Secret 04 came in a well padded form fitting case that makes you feel like you've literally been handed some top secret prototype wonder frame. And it basically is lol. The pleather is thick and heavy duty, and little Yamaha branded 'Y' zippers complete the package.
vhqNrQq.jpg

tDf3X7g.jpg

k4S8HXw.jpg


Sticking with Yamaha, they did one better for the Secret EX. Definitely nothing subtle about this case.
lESF4Hj.jpg


Likewise for this Donnay WST bag.
v5P0g3M.jpg


Spalding gets the nod for having actual denim for their trendy The Denim frame.
msG9C7l.jpg


Pro Kennex really made their Kinetic line feel high end with this case. it's so thick and heavy, total overkill but I love it. Pleather is top notch as well, plus all the graphics on the inside complete the package.
As59utw.jpg

iyvA1IZ.jpg
Click to expand...

That PK must have been made by the same company that made the Wimbledon covers, being noticeably weighty material and with the removable wallet.
 
I just picked up that PK SMI 10g racquet at Goodwill, $7.99. Have yet to hit with it but strung it up with PT Rev. 100 sq in and 18x20 pattern.
 
retrowagen said:
My favorite is my 1986-issue Adidas Lendl pro bag. Traveled around the world with it, as a teenager, playing tournaments and having grand adventures.
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I think that’s a gearbag isn’t it? Sorry I was mostly referring to matching factory racket bags or cases in this thread, as means of looking at interesting graphics or logos for certain brands, models, or eras.

One nice case that just came to mind from the 70’s would be the wood Wilson advantage head cover.
 
I don't have a pic, and it's not really a bag, but back in the wood days Dunlop came up with a unique head cover that I always thought was cool. Back then there were no bags, people used head covers that zipped around just the head of the racquet. Looking at old pictures you see players walking onto the center court at Wimbledon carrying an armful of loose racquets. What Dunlop came up with was to sew 2 head covers together so you could carry 2 racquets together and not have them loose--it was genius! I was a junior and was sponsored by Dunlop and we'd only get 2 racquets at a time, but it was great to be able to carry them that way. Plus, it always got comments from other players.
 
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kevin qmto said:
I think that’s a gearbag isn’t it? Sorry I was mostly referring to matching factory racket bags or cases in this thread, as means of looking at interesting graphics or logos for certain brands, models, or eras.

One nice case that just came to mind from the 70’s would be the wood Wilson advantage head cover.
Click to expand...

kevin qmto said:
I think that’s a gearbag isn’t it? Sorry I was mostly referring to matching factory racket bags or cases in this thread, as means of looking at interesting graphics or logos for certain brands, models, or eras.

One nice case that just came to mind from the 70’s would be the wood Wilson advantage head cover.
Click to expand...
Yes. In my parlance a cover is a case, a bag is something else, larger and different. English-language brochures would usually highlight a “zippered, full-length cover” but would refer to the multiple-racquet carrying luggage items as a “thermal bag,” “pro bag,” “tournament bag,” etc.
 
It's not a factory cover, so technically it doesn't fit your criteria for inclusion, but this was not an uncommon sight at one point, so it is representative of an "era", kinda sorta. I vaguely remember seeing ads for these things in magazines. This particular one is "original" to the Dura Fiber that I found at GW. It is assembled using a separating zipper, so theoretically you can use any combination of front and back panels to advertise your personality and mood of the day.

TCvAjd1.jpeg
 
The old Pro Kennex head covers for the later Silver Ace models and later 25 inch long, Jr Ace that was possibly aluminum frame that used the same sized head cover. Those are some of my favorite head covers. Spalding had some similar silver ones that looked really nice from the same Era. Most of these smell like old Naugahyde that old vinyl smell but are in really good condtion.

Odd thing a lot of people do not know is some of the Pro Kennex racquet head covers were made for the Pro Ace series of racquets with adult models and a few Jr getting them but mainly for the faux Titanium/thin Titanium coated models that got the heads. Too bad the heads were Generic for most of them, all getting the same head so some models had the head way too big for the model and other barely fitting, only a Pro Kennex aluminum or Faux Titanium frames had specific ones that were not in the Pro Ace series. These were the cheap head covers that often ripped when aging being entirely that crappy PVC material or a type of vinyl rubber and the look for all of them red words on black. Of course, you could in some models get them without the head cover for about $5-$10 less depending and some cheap Pro Kennex models on the lowest end never came with a head cover like the aluminum Power Contour Ace Pro/Jr series.
 
I've been recreating my 1980's 'me' recently having managed to locate three decent Head Graphite Pro Mid Plus rackets and was pondering the racket bag I had back in the day. I have found a couple on **** recently - they are called the 'Head Probag' - however I remember (misremember?) the one I had back in the 1980's as being silver in colour? The **** ones are white. Does anyone else recollect if there was a silver version? The one below is white not silver ... just shiny plastic! I like them ... I realise they are not head covers as such, but they are more racket shaped than a lot of other racket bags.
54549984249_c7b1a8ab64.jpg
 
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Retrovet said:
I've been recreating my 1980's 'me' recently having managed to locate three decent Head Graphite Pro Mid Plus rackets and was pondering the racket bag I had back in the day. I have found a couple on **** recently - they are called the 'Head Probag' - however I remember (misremember?) the one I had back in the 1980's as being silver in colour? The **** ones are white. Does anyone else recollect if there was a silver version? The one below is white not silver ... just shiny plastic! I like them ... I realise they are not head covers as such, but they are more racket shaped than a lot of other racket bags.
54549984249_c7b1a8ab64.jpg
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I’ll give it a pass since I like it lol.
 
emkayenaim said:
Wilson Pro Staff V2 dual taper beam

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This was the model only the colors actually would shift on the model my mom used for a bit in the 2000's getting it at a garage sale before selling it at a garage sale because at the time in 2009--2010 the model was not selling for more then $30 online becuse was the lighter ladies model (had the words Ladies on the inside) that was made 26.75 inches to get rid of .25 inch on the throat for lightening the model so due to being the ladies model it was less desirable. My dad his Hammer Head 5.0 Extra Wide Body was a rarer model at the time would be worth $75 now probably about $100 but it had the same gray on a purple to Mauve color shift so in the wrong light/wrong part of the colors changing it looked like barf. The got both plus a carrying hopper full of Tennis balls where the Dunlop and model that just said Open on it were the best, the worst was a green dot ball I just left at the tennis courts.
 
Here's a rare one... In the 90s, in Japan, I was a Wilson-sponsored coach, and they gave me the 80th anniversary version of the Hammer 2.7 they were selling that year.

(I know, I know... not a polite frame to mention in a Classic Racquet Talk. They weren't good for anything except winning fast serve contests — but to be fair, neither was I.)

Besides the pretty paint, these came with really nice, full-length, full-grain, black leather cases. My Hammers gradually disappeared over the years, but I still have four or five of those cases!

raket_tenis_wilson_hammer_27_1486180748_30693e2c.jpg
 
IMG-20251218-095946.jpg


This one is even cooler than mp version. Plus its ziped on the top and thats way easier way to put the racket inside
 
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Retrovet said:
I've been recreating my 1980's 'me' recently having managed to locate three decent Head Graphite Pro Mid Plus rackets and was pondering the racket bag I had back in the day. I have found a couple on **** recently - they are called the 'Head Probag' - however I remember (misremember?) the one I had back in the 1980's as being silver in colour? The **** ones are white. Does anyone else recollect if there was a silver version? The one below is white not silver ... just shiny plastic! I like them ... I realise they are not head covers as such, but they are more racket shaped than a lot of other racket bags.
54549984249_c7b1a8ab64.jpg
Click to expand...
Which color Graphite Pro?
 
Retrovet said:
I've been recreating my 1980's 'me' recently having managed to locate three decent Head Graphite Pro Mid Plus rackets and was pondering the racket bag I had back in the day. I have found a couple on **** recently - they are called the 'Head Probag' - however I remember (misremember?) the one I had back in the 1980's as being silver in colour? The **** ones are white. Does anyone else recollect if there was a silver version? The one below is white not silver ... just shiny plastic! I like them ... I realise they are not head covers as such, but they are more racket shaped than a lot of other racket bags.
54549984249_c7b1a8ab64.jpg
Click to expand...
The ones like this that I remember were also silver. They were owned by colleagues in Canada in the mid-80s, so maybe, as with the racquets, they made one color for the U.S. market and another for Europe/Canada?
 
Shaolin said:
Just found one of these. Had one back in the day when I was on the team and traded it away for something. Very happy to have one again.

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That’s so cool! I’d love to find that for a decent price! I have a 6 pack with the old logo in the royal blue, I think that was the last one before the logo changed in 03, funny enough I also have the exact same 6 pack bag with the new logo too
 
mavsman149 said:
That’s so cool! I’d love to find that for a decent price! I have a 6 pack with the old logo in the royal blue, I think that was the last one before the logo changed in 03, funny enough I also have the exact same 6 pack bag with the new logo too
Click to expand...

I haven't seen the one in royal! I looked a long time before I found this one. Brings me right back to the old days of late 90s/early 00s tennis I loved :)
 
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