The art of the turn - Page 3

Two of the greatest racquets ever ...

Agreed!  ;-)

hard to believe that "newer" Pro Staff is almost 30 years old.

And yet so, so similar to the stick Federer uses today. Hmm...

Is it a St Vincent's?

Nope, and it's a 95, not an 85. ( My one concession to old age. ;-)

I just had my old Chris Evert autograph in the garage... I usually hit with it about once a year or so. I don't think I did last summer, maybe I'll take 'er out for a spin today. It's a bit warped, but still feels so solid. A lot easier than trying to use my old skis, that's for sure. 

For a while I was doing "short court" and volleys for warm up with the Kramer, and then switching over to the Pro Staff once I went to the baseline and from then on. Worked out well - kinda like putting a doughnut on a bat.

When you connect with one of those old wooden sticks it is an amazingly solid/good feeling!

Couldn't imagine playing wih my 4 5/8 Head Vilas, instead of my Babolat Aero Pro-Drive 4 1/4. And good lord, strings alone are an entirely different ballgame! I don't even know what was in the Vilas, but the RPM Blast 17's are a whole new ballgame!

Personally I think strings are highly overrated/marketed, but get one of these and you can string whatever racket with whatever string you want!  ;-)

Best $150 tennis purchase I ever made! Great time/money saver!

You might not be able to compete at the same level using old equipment, but you can experience a lot of good/different sensations, and if you have a like-minded partner enjoy doing it together.

Sorry for the hijack, but then again there seem to be a fair amount of tennis players tuned into this thread, and it is that time of year, so...  ;-)

Nope, and it's a 95, not an 85. ( My one concession to old age. ;-)

Yeah, I realized that once I went back and paid attention. How is the weight, compared to 85? Swing weight?

When you connect with one of those old wooden sticks it is an amazingly solid/good feeling!

It is amazing. The problem is that the frequency of connecting does seem to diminish, a bit .... maybe even greatly ... 

Thanks for the tip. I saw an ad for that thing somewhere along the line.

I dunno, the babolt RPM blast string is definetly a different animal!

I think it depends on your style of stroke. It is a great string for topspin though!

Oh, and I meant to add ... this isn't really so off-topic. Same arguments with the new racquet tech. "Anyone can pick up a Babolat and hit a 100-mph serve..."

One more quick post on the tangent...   ;-)

Stumbled across the following, didn't know it was still online. Good reading for anyone interested in the Pro Staff 6.0; reviews and specs for both 85 and 95.

Complete Guide To The ProStaff Original 6.0

Also, this comment from a user reviews page is right along the lines of the territory we veered into...

Comments: I think people are looking at this the wrong way (i.e., good or bad). It was the premier racquet of its time, and still holds up relatively well to the competition. But to compare it in terms of better or worse makes no sense. It's like comparing a Ferrari from the 60s to the sports cars of today. In terms of performance, the Ferrari cannot compete. Still, I would love to have that Ferrari. And like this sports car analogy, you could use these sticks to make your tennis game better. This is how you do it: Buy a modern racquet that is somewhat similar in terms of weight, beam width, and balance. Then, practice a lot with the Pro Staff 85s. Your game will sharpen considerably, as there are no free rides with this stick. You must prepare early, step in, and hit through the ball. When you finally switch back to the modern racquet, a few weeks before a major tournament, you'll be hitting like a champ.