RECREATING PETE SAMPRAS WILSON PRO STAFF 85! HOW DID HE PLAY WITH HIS HEAVY AND TIGHT SET-UP?

[@tzmcneill]

I’m an old guy, and I think I can shed some light on what was going on back in Pete’s day. Back in the 80s and 90s, players has not yet adopted the ‘modern’ windshield wiper swings. Lendl was sort of the first. Why? Well, as kids, most of us learned on wood racquets that were even heavier and had large grip sizes. The result was that our ground strokes were built around heavy racquets. Second, pros of that era tended to use very heavy racquets to add depth to ground strokes, hit a heavier ball, and have more control and stability on serve returns. Finally, weight was the only way to generate power back then due to the equipment and technology. You really want to try a club, spec one of Rod Laver’s racquets, or Bill Tildens’s.

[@sebastianivascu5569]

Verry well put. At 46 I concurr

[@hehehehehahahaha2025]

Interesting. Although I don't know if Lendl's FH stroke could be considered a windshield wiper. He seemed to hit very much "through" the ball and had an unusually short follow-through, as if he stopped it abruptly. He also talked about how he doesn't get as much topspin as the other guys (he mentioned Borg hitting with more topspin) but rather he focuses on pace.

[@jonienglish3231]

I have a kneissl Lendl racket twin star very small sweet spot and flexible frame, difficult to play with

[@TimTheMusicMan]

The bottom line is the equipment was so much more to use , everything is given to then players today. They were more talented back then. Todays players don’t even know how to get off the baseline. It’s a terrible game today. Personalities are lost as well. Nothing better than the 80’s.

[@cavaleer]

He could swing that thing cuz he was a BEAST. No player as strong and powerful before or since, especially from '97-'99.

[@NickZoOoR]

Crazy that Sampras could serve so quick and hit massive groundstroke with a bloody 85 headsize racquet that weighs a tonne, I'm a long time tennis player so I know that a heavy racquet will always generate more power based on plow through and sheer weight howeverrr you have to be able to actually swing the racquet fast enough, even Federer as well, they all use such heavy racquets but swing them through the air like feathers, these guys really are made different from the rest of us

[@z1az285]

Actually the racquet weights (and swing weight) have come down a lot. Federer uses a racquet with high static weight like Djokovic (366 grams, Djokovic is 360-365 grams but extended length) but his frame is head light while Novak's is more even balance. Federer swing weight is 340-345 while Novak is ~ 360-365. Rafa has been adding more and more lead tape and though his frame is lighter than both (11.5 oz) his SW is massive 365-370. However most pros today are in the 340-350 range and sinner and kyrgios play 325-330 SW frames today. So the trend is towards fast and whippy frames today but really it's what works for them

[@davidcunningham7330]

I believe the Wilson K-88 was suppose to give the weight and specs of Pete's racquet without having to use any lead on it. I think I remember him saying the Wilson Kramer Pro Staff (wood) was close to the weight and specs that he used on the graphite Pro Staff.

[@tonygareth221]

Impressive that Lendl and Sampras could use a small racquet with so much weight! No margin for error and you’ve got to be able to wield this racquet for 3-5 sets!

[@bowsershark]

Dear Wilson, bring a retro revision of the Sampres/Fed racquet back in a 97 or 98 square inch form in a spin(open) and control bed(closed) style. 17mm/18mm hoop, head light, approximately 10.2&11.2 unstrung, medium stiff frame RA and new school graphics with old colors before Federer retires.

[@cavaleer]

That beam is too thin. They's sell about 300. Their current line-up is as close as we're going to get. Wilson is making a 95'' 6.1v13 and it feels GREAT. I have a few. Demo it and tell us what you think. This channel reviewed it.

[@oliverdesouza5741]

Back in the wooden racket era a standard (medium) frame was 13.5oz (380g) unstrung. A 'light' racket was 12.5oz (350g unstrung), so it wasn't really a big deal to increase the weight of the 338g PS85 by 20-30g, at least in the 1980s when most people had started with wooden sticks. Even towards the end of the decade when 95s were becoming more popular, some of them were 380g unstrung, like the PK Black Ace.

[@virtualyme7659]

Back in the day I played with a similar setup. I had an 85 inch Wilson Sting strung with 17g VS gut at 70 to 72lbs. It felt good but later I got the pro staff 85 with the same string setup and it was amazing. ☮️

[@JacObi-Wan-KenObi]

I knew Sampras had these specs but it’d be interesting to know about Jim Courier’s specs. He played with the same racquet but he had a much more powerful game with plenty of topspin. How in the world did he manage that with a head size that small?

[@vernonhurley1300]

Jim was more powerful than Pete? Great forehand but Pete had better and stronger game on all other strokes.

[@charlesgraves4565]

Courier was not more powerful than Pete, he was like a baseline grinder

[@charlieknoch5502]

Pete on a much higher level than Jim who was a workhorse grinder

[@dickybirdcch]

Both guys were my heroes.

[@kextrz]

Courrier had a much more powerful game? I don't what you're on. I sure want some!

[@RossBayCult]

Jim Courier setup next please?

[@williamdean9326]

What is he talking about. Gut is the softest string around. Stringing it at 70 pounds was common back then. I string my natural gut at 65-70 pounds and never had a problem. The reason it looks like it was going to break is either they shanked a serve or he kinked it while stringing. Even when natural gut looks like it is going to break it can last for weeks before it does.

[@Dasato123]

Do Borgs racket next, 80# in a smaller head. Or Lendls racket 72#s 14+ ounces for both. 70 # only seems high because because most rec players today use tensions that would have been considered ultra low 30 years ago. The recommended tension of the original Prostaff when it first came out was 65-70#. Prince oversized rackets had recommended tension ranges of 70-80# even for the aluminum models.

[@ronalddelrosario7405]

I'd be interested in seeing how Mac's racquet specs would play. A Dunlop Max 200G strung with natural gut @ 45 lbs (or somewhere around there) is what I remember. It's awesome that 2 all-time great players, Borg and McEnroe, had such extremely different styles of play and racquet setups...

[@kextrz]

I'm sure it's been mentioned before. Anyway, here I go. It's mostly about kinetic energy. The faster the ball is coming at you, the maximal pressure it still has, the more kinetic energy in your racket head you need to crush the ball, to change the direction, to avoid any back lash from your racket head upon contact. Kinetic energy is insufficient on your side? Your elbow will eventually pay the price. Other joints might too. I am talking about groundstrokes and volley. Serves and smashes are a bit more complicated.

[@enriquecamposano4853]

I was waiting for this video for a long time

[@berdi4berdi4]

Anyway, pros use heavier rackets then the stock versions we buy. Being 55, I'm trying to use a 305 g racket and still find it difficult to adapt. Although you can get power, you don't have the same stability as the heavier ones.

[@Eliath1984]

I can totally attest to this. We did definitely come from a time frame where we grew up playing with rackets about the same weight or possibly more so than modern day pros(even taking into consideration Tour versions) I'm 37 now and I hate playing with anything less than 320g(strung). I started playing again after about 16 years and figured it was time to upgrade my racket a few years ago because I was still using my old competition stick(Wilson Prostaff 6.1 Stretch) that I'd bought in 1996(strung weight 359g if I remember correctly). Other people I would play with thought I was crazy because they would take a few swings for memory sake and automatically tell me I should get a lighter stick cause they don't know how my arm holds up to that kinda punishment. Demo'd all the Babolats, Heads, and so forth of the new generation and I felt like I was just spraying the ball with no real sort of consistency. Now whether it was just because of how the demoplace(tennis warehouse) just had bad string combos on those rackets or what but I just couldn't like them. closest I came was on the Pure Strike. However I Did feel alot more at home with an RF97 v13 which is what I ended up buying but then again compared to the others it is much closer(Strung) to the old school feel. I still bring out the old 6.1 as my backup racket though because it still feels like home to me. You probably struggle with that same feeling

[@sebastianivascu5569]

I am 46 and started to play again after 20 some years of no play. My old frames were the ps85 leaded up strung tight. I tried 300g frames and have a hard time with it. It suits a different stroke. Also because of my tennis elbow (never thought I get one go figure) I am ecperimenting with very low tensions

[@berdi4berdi4]

@@Eliath1984 yes, I'm planning to demo the RF97. Heavier rackers absorb vibrations better than lighter ones, so you can also get tenis elbow with light rackets, especially if they are stiff.

[@berdi4berdi4]

@@sebastianivascu5569 PS85, what a great racket. Pete Sampras used an extremely heavy version. The only thing I wouldn't like today is the head is too small. You can also get tennis elbow using light rackets as they don't absorb vibrations as the heavy ones. Low tension could help

[@Eliath1984]

@@berdi4berdi4 if the Vibrations bother you you might like the Babolat Pure Drive(Tour) if I'm being honest I disliked it for this reason but if you have Tennis elbow issues it might actually work better for you..You can barely feel it.. very Muted.. I disliked it.. but alot of people love it.

[@pelehound]

What the heck Harry! C'mon man. What was the weight of the Sampras racket after all the lead?

[@TimTheMusicMan]

Exactly. I have a similar setup with same exacts specs. And mine comes in at 13.2 to 13.5 ounces.

[@srinitaaigaura]

400g. 14 oz 😅😅😅

[@markwhelan1414]

I strung for Kenneth Carlson in 2003 at the XL Capital in Bermuda… Babolat Soft Drive, 14oz strung with uncoated 15g babolat gut at 74lbs…Scared the hell out of me on every pull… Strung on a babolat sensor…Definitely a war club

[@waingro5834]

Cool man!

[@danieljoseph255]

I spec’d my 85 to Pete’s, out of curiosity as a fan, and found thing totally impossible to play beyond a set or two, and my mechanics and footwork needed to be picture perfect to make it work in that brief time of play. Unbelievable what he was doing out there using that brick his entire career. PS, the lead at 3 and 9 were three progressively smaller pieces, centering the mass

[@eckateckat3449]

can you do a video exactly seeing where to put the lead on sampras racket on the head and the grip pallet to copy the specs on his pro staff midsize?

[@pdiseris]

Coach Andrew's laugh as he smashed that forehard winner LOL

[@nCode1]

When I played in college, I tried for the heck of it, get one with a layer of lead on the fre and grip, it was still the hardest racquet to play with. I do not know how to customize it properly as it had a very small sweet spot. Iconic racquet for the collection though

[@pierre-marc.gareau]

I worked for a stringer who used to string Pete's racquets and he told me he had to add tubes in every grommet at the top mains to prevent the gut from popping at 70 lbs. 384g strung.

[@movdqa]

I used the KPS (K-Pro Staff or K Pete Sampras) for a couple of years but had to give it up due to golfers elbow. That was one of the heaviest racquets stock back then with pretty high swingweight. It had a wonder crisp feeling and was great for SnV. A lot of people would have trouble just hitting with racquets these heavy and with such high swingweights as it takes people some time to adjust to them if they've never hit with similar racquets before.

[@z1az285]

I.have the KPS 88. Fantastic frame but heavy and stiff. Not suitable for long baseline rallies unless you have the strength and conditioning

[@OfficialWorldChampion]

the music during the hitting session really made this video

[@matthottonn3880]

Do you know Skuotball? It is the first team racket sport on the planet. An Argentine invented it and I want to contact him to bring it to the USA. If anyone knows how and can tell me I would appreciate it.

[@sultanabran1]

pete used to go through strings like it was out of fashion. there was a story from one of his stringers that he was working flat out during a match to keep up with the strings he was breaking.

[@Eliath1984]

yeah part of that was because of Pete's Serve.. the bigger your serve the faster you wear on strings(ESPECIALLY NAT GUT and ESPECIALLY strung tight). It was borderline Tennis ball and String abuse. Back in my competition days(definitely no where near pro level) I had a huge serve and while I didn't break strings near as much as Sampras I normally brought at least 4 fresh rackets to each tournament(single day tournaments) because 1 or 2 of them would be popped if I made a run in them. But yeah the more rackets I went through the bigger I served that day. I had team mates and practice mates that while they were great players didn't have as much on the serve side as I did and their strings lasted WAAAY longer even though they were similar setups and actually probably had more spin on their groundstrokes than I did. During my time I actually had to switch off Nat Gut because unlike Sampras.. I wasn't rich. Nat gut gets expensive when you are replacing 2-3 sets a week. I had to play with Hybrid beds of Synth Gut and Kevlar(Prince Pro-blend) which held up alot longer but wasn't near as live.

[@ronalddelrosario7405]

I've played with natural gut only a handful of times in my life. I do know that not all natural gut is the same. The first time I tried it, I was a teen and decided to splurge and get really expensive Babolat Vs. Best feel I've ever had and played excellent with it. But it only lasted a week. One of the very few times I've ever broken a string. I've tried a couple other brands much later (when I could afford it) including Klip and they didn't feel nearly as nice (but still pretty good). I generally went with synthetic gut until I got into polys. Syn gut still feels pretty good and lasts waaaaay longer than naturual gut, though tension maintenance is not nearly as good. Natural gut seems to play great right up until it breaks...

[@hh-uc3gr]

try nat gut poly hybrid.

[@BurnsTennis]

Thanks for the interesting video. A lot is made about the smaller head size compared to today's frames. But from what you are saying, the head size didn't matter because of the weight. For instance, in his whole career Sampras hardly ever shanked the ball. Have I got this right?

[@carlo8899]

Hello, So what is the final total weight of the frame?..

[@user-jv9qz2bu1r]

Pete's actual rackets were just under 400 grams.

[@mattfoley4128]

I spec'd my 85 with that weight but with synthetic.....it was a freight train. One of the best hits of a racket ever

[@eckateckat3449]

can you do a video where we can see how you exactly do the recreation to get to the exact specs of pete sampras in weight, balance point and swingweight. regards

[@nikapostol7954]

I don't get it Harry, why didn't you show us the finished weight, balance and swingweight? Maybe you can do a follow up video showing specs, recreating the Sampras frame?!?

[@michaelmalek3297]

What is the weight and Swing weight of the racquet after you modified it?

[@MikeSmith-yy1lv]

You could be tennis playaaa! Hahahah...dying.

[@garethcole5281]

Can you do agassi specs next and hit with it please

[@chrismdez]

What was the final strung weight on the Sampras Pro staff? Had to be close to 14 oz...?

[@srinitaaigaura]

400 grams. At 75 lbs! He was hitting 115 mph second serves with almost 5100 rpm of spin. Groundies were around 1500 rpm.

[@geraldboyer5298]

As a Junior using radicals in the late 90’s early 2000’s, I literally had to use tensions above 62lbs for my shots to stay in during comps. The iradicals from 2001 with the head intelligence would break on me during served at tensions above the recommended ratings. Had coaches tell me they’ve never seen racquets break at the handle from a first serve motion. Broke 3 in one year my last year at 18yrs old. Lol

[@acethis]

In the early 1990s, I used to play Agassi's Donnay Pro One (Made in Belgium) at 72 lbs, for a good 7 years. Back then, I don't have the deep pocket for Natural Guts. I mixed Ashaway Kelvar with Gamma Synthetic Gut 17 gauge. That setup works for me and some restringers refuse to string my racket at 72 lbs 😄 Wants me to sign a disclaimer, in case my racket caves it 🤣

[@Eliath1984]

I feel that... every time I tell a stringer my specs they are like.. "You want what now?" yes... I really want 70lbs.. Yes.. the racket will be ok.. no I won't sue you if the racket doesn't make it.

[@acethis]

@@Eliath1984 hahaha.. that's the standard reaction for me too 🤣 I am used to 72-73 lbs and my consistency drops when string tension drops. I don't get questions when I use my regular racket restringer, only at new ones..

[@RickOwensHeelDrag]

Andy Roddick's racquet would be sweet or Kim Clijsters...I just want to see a pro stock Pure Drive lol (Swirly or pre cortex fan)

[@TenisAmador]

I'm "still" rocking a Swirly (got back into playing after 20 years). Tried a Pro Staff RF97 315g yesterday... Did not like it at all (as a kid I played with the PS 6.0 85).

[@RickOwensHeelDrag]

@@TenisAmador I swear that the Swirly and the Subsequent generation the “Team” are the exact same racquet just under a different paintjob! They play identically and are the most comfortable racket I’ve ever used, but I’d love to know if they have softened up over two decades?

[@TenisAmador]

@@RickOwensHeelDrag That is a question I unfortunately have no answer for you. The possibility that it lost some of it's properties is why I'm considering changing (lookin at the Vcore 95), but to be honest, I can still play well with it (there are a couple of videos of me hitting on my channel). Next week I'll ask the coach to try it out and tell me something about it.

[@RickOwensHeelDrag]

@@TenisAmador I still use them today n so used to that plush feel, I have just bought the PureControl 95+, it’s my first extended length and it drove get a PD Swirly+ that’s on the way... What sting set up do you use? Cheers King

[@TenisAmador]

@@RickOwensHeelDrag Yonex Poly Tour Pro @48lbs.

[@overdrive_tennis]

Could you share with us the swingweight?

[@Shakermaker78]

thanks for the video! really really interesting! I am personally playing the 340g Federer racket with 16ich babolat gut (16) strung at 55 only... I also paint the red W and the two black stripes so it looks like a modern version of Pete's racket -;)

[@silviosarunic3234]

More weight more good everything. Lightweight frames are unhealthy frames.... That Prostaff is awesome to play with

[@TrentG23]

The st. Vincent prostaffs say to string at 65-70 lbs on the throat.

[@jjtcb7509]

Brings me memories of my old pro staff 95 which was used until 2010, when sports authority broke (PWS location was famous for collapsing during stringing) the racquet while stringing for me at 65lbs. Ended up getting $300 as compensation and moved on to two babolat pure storm ltd...great content as always, gotta get the cameraman a helmet next time!

[@hehehehehahahaha2025]

How did the transition from PS95 to Pure Storm feel like?

[@jjtcb7509]

@Hehehehe hahahaha ps95 felt like a brick, not good for elbow, but pure storm is very flexy, super easy for elbow. Other than that, they both are super head light, so not much power but very easy at the net

[@harryoliver4688]

Specs?

[@Phillip_Juricek]

Could you guys recreate djokovic racket with a more modern racket

[@youngsuit]

Putting Harry's mistakes in here makes this so much more relatable

[@youngsuit]

it's not that hard to get used to that racquet tbh. kick serves take a minute to get down but i got used to it. feel is great

[@Norrisxhuck]

What racket would you recommend a 18 year old, my hits are flatter. I love heavier rackets my current is 380g. What would be a good next racket?

[@Eliath1984]

you'd probably be most comfortable with an RF97. but it's all on what you like.. some people like more flexibility some like more stiffness.. some like bigger sweet spots. But weight wise the RF would be the closest thing to your happy place.. if you need to weight it up you'd still need to add some lead tape or weight in the grip but you'd be adding much less to the RF than everything else.

[@Norrisxhuck]

@@Eliath1984 i also thought it might be a good racket for me but it was a bit too expensive 😅. So i went with a head extreme

[@Eliath1984]

@@Norrisxhuck 1 recommendation I have. If you can get a v11 used it's cheaper and the same racket as the v13. That's actually what I did. Only difference is cosmetic

[@Norrisxhuck]

@@Eliath1984 good recommendations,but i already good a head extreme. So now im pretty much stuck

[@SirChris1372]

I play with an older version of the head speed pro, with a full set of poly strung (currently trying the rpm blast strings) out at 56Ibs it's strung weight is about 337g, and it feels like a dream to hit aggressively from the baseline I have a very spin friendly game, I originally went to a more closed pattern in order to gain more control, it was abit heavy at first but now I can definitely have that added control on more aggressive players I can return of serves more aggressively with more control, any racket below 300g and I've not really been a fan of the swing weight heavier is better, especially playing defensively but I can also generate alot more racket head speed with a heavier racket over a lighter one, and a more closed pattern I can still generate that heavy topspin, I don't think I could go back now to a more open string pattern and a lighter racket I sampled a pro drive and thought it was awful, went back to the heavier and more closed strings and felt like heaven

[@Eliath1984]

I felt like the thing I disliked the most about the Pure Drive was it was a VERY muted experience.. I play tested it a few years ago when I was looking at upgrading sticks because I hadn't done so since the 90s. I never felt like I could feel what was happening on the strings. But yeah I can agree.. especially if you are playing against someone that sends the ball to your side of court with force a heavier racket can definitely help redirect the momentum and turn it against them because you can swing through it instead of against it. a lighter racket almost feels like a heavy ball will push back against you more.

[@youngsuit]

we need a podcast where Harry just makes these horrible jokes and these guys respond

[@EndoftheTownProductions]

Sampras half volley at 5:44.

[@AngelCortes-wh9iv]

Yo tuve esa raqueta Wilson en 1886

[@Sandysand701]

I would be interested to see/know how the elastic band is tied-up on Andre's racket, I'm not a fan shop bought dampeners, I find they often fall off while playing! But an elastic band is tied on so won't fall off, also it's about a gram lighter and works just as well

[@bekindtooneanother6298]

Andre's was just a 64 size rubber band. Get it even around the 2 middle strings, keep it flat, tie a single knot, thread the ends back around the 2 middle strings, turn the racquet over, keep the rubber band flat and tie 1 more knot. Roddick and Sharapova had 2 knots on the 2nd side.

[@Sandysand701]

@@bekindtooneanother6298 Thanks, Iv'e been weaving the band around the 4 bottom strings then tying the knot around the middle two, will try it just around the middle two next.

[@bowsershark]

I put my dampener between the last cross and the second to the last cross in the middle of the racquet. Then, 4 strings help retain the dampener in the string bed. Also, i really like a worm🪱 dampener that fastens to the string or are kept on by their loop ends held between the cross and main strings. They are guaranteed to stay on the string bed.

[@bekindtooneanother6298]

@@Sandysand701 You're welcome :)

[@bekindtooneanother6298]

@@bowsershark That is great when you find something that works for you and gives you confidence. Just so you know you can not place any dampeners above the bottom string or below the top string. Only a problem if you are playing tournaments. have a great day James, enjoy your tennis.

[@N1ck-Ra]

It even SOUNDS like Pete Sampras’ racket !

[@verdellwright6303]

Could I send you my racquet to customize with similar specs??

[@SaqibSheikh]

Can you give weights in metric and imperial pls

[@chuckfriebe843]

He just said, “Nice thick load”. 😂

[@crsantin]

I just heard that as I was reading your comment LOL.

[@mattc5592]

What was its weight?

[@lololololololo3964]

Good vid

[@MinisterMindset369]

“He could be tennis playahhh” Coach Gu: *sigh* Never change Tennis Spin

[@bowsershark]

😆

[@livingtribunal4110]

Sampras + Wilson ProStaff 85 pretty much unstoppable until Safin + Head Prestige blew him off-court in 2000.

[@adelinopires4578]

I have an original rf 85

[@DarkStar3147]

He easily played with that racquet because of 2 reasons: he grew up playing with a Jack Kramer wooden stick, and learned how to hit the ball with proper technique. Today's racquets let you get away with a lot of imperfections, but a wooden (and the pro staff) will not forgive even the slightest mistake.

[@z1az285]

Exactly right

[@helmeteye]

How much did you pay for that racket? Is it a St Vincent? Watch yourself, if that string breaks the o dampener might put your eye out.

[@srinitaaigaura]

Man you had to be immensely strong to swing it and your technique has to be perfect. Nadal changed everything when he arrived with the Aero Pro Drive and whippy wrist lag.

[@z1az285]

Yeah but Nadal has beefed up his frame a lot to win faster points and play more aggressive tennis

[@alkathorat2859]

well nadal also change that you have to be strong to play with heavy racket and dead poly string and no power. Gut produce almost all power for old tennis players.

[@robertsmyth904]

build the raquet pete uses now

[@nathanmiller6051]

👍🙏❤️

[@blwm9206]

I mean...Pete was a machine ... let's not kid ourselves here, there's no rhyme or reason a non-pro should play for extended periods of time with such a heavy racquet.

[@z1az285]

Thats probably why he couldn't win the French open with such a heavy frame and thalassemia

[@LaoFarm]

...not St Vincent though.

[@davidglover9210]

Those serves look like they're going miles out.

[@paulc7804]

I respect this frame but I personally never liked it. I really wanted to like it but it felt more like a stiff board rather than a tennis racket.

[@jamesj7328]

70lbs back in the day is probably less than Today’s 70lbs

[@6thwatergateplumber]

17 gut strings entire bed at 70 lbs and my wallet would leave me homeless. I'd love to try it though.

[@nileriversoftware4070]

Sampras used to string at 80 pounds, bro.

[@youngsuit]

imma make 7:38 into a new meme

[@Emolga6274]

Coach your serve look like 30mph

[@guimov1984]

back in the day, racquets were farrr far far less assisted than today's.

[@ariurip3751]

Pre poly era

[@waingro5834]

The heavy weight is for defense. You cant return a 135mph serve with no weight. Pete played gut cuz thats all he knew. It would have been way too late in his career to swith to poly

[@Eliath1984]

it wouldn't have been too late he just was a creature of habit.. he said so himself.. his setup carried him to setting world records.. he really didn't feel a need to try anything else. after the fact he had to borrow someone else's racket(I believe it was Roddick's) and said he wish he'd tried a newer stick/string back when he was still playing because it felt great.

[@claude7473]

dudes, the ball goes a 2 mph !!!

[@guimov1984]

curious to see how you could play with such a heavy racquet!! you arm will break within the 30 minutes

[@Eliath1984]

@@guimov1984 nah if you are used to rackets like that it's not a big deal.. I'm 37 and still play with a heavy stick.. it was REALLY hard for me to give up my old Prostaff from 95 when I decided to finally upgrade after over 20 years of service. all the lighter sticks just feel weird now.

[@TimTheMusicMan]

No need to have the 500 rackets that came out after it, just use this one. Tennis is ruined due to the modern rackets..no need for more than an 85 SI as well. Everything you said was positive and you loved it, so why use any other racket. This is why tennis players have a bad rap, there is no need for the modern handicap rackets..Be men, play with a real racket. And strings.

[@progressivedemagogue8480]

How is tennis ruined? Lol

[@TimTheMusicMan]

@@progressivedemagogue8480 Today’s rackets are created to assist the ball over the net. Tennis is a small surface game. It’s only 41 feet away, the concept is very simple. And now there are hundreds of rackets and strings that assist in performing this operation. Tennis players today stand on the baseline, that’s easy to do, try S/V for 3 hours. Drop volleys drop shots meeting the ball at the net barely exist today. It’s fine I suppose for the mom and dad players and the armature tennis world but they are using a handicap, it’s added assistance. In pro sports you should be required to perform the function using the same raw equipment as previous generations. Otherwise it’s an artificial advantage. Golf is ruined too. The greatest golfers in the world in the 60’s and 70’s and 80’s up until the early 2000’s averaged 240 yards off the tee in a 420 yard par 4. Today the equipment allows the player to hit 380 yards off the tee on a 420 yard par 4. The players today are not more talented they are using golf equipment that performs the distance for them. Many of The players today would not be playing if they had to use the same equipment that Jack Nicklaus used in 1975. Same with tennis. The most complex and powerful sports still use the same equipment as was used in 1940. Not tennis and golf though. Also you have to accept pickle ball is now more popular than tennis. Courts are disappearing. Sports advance when the players use the same equipment and rules as previous generations otherwise it becomes watered down and it loses its appeal. Does pro tennis in the US exist today ? No, pro tennis has basically disappeared in the US and the US is the number one country on the planet in sports and athletics it’s not even close. It has been like this since the beginning of modern society. Colleges and tennis schools are full of foreigners. Tennis players may disagree but I am 100% correct. Why would they give up the modern equipment. I wish the tennis business well I hope they stay in business and succeed. But the game is not the same.

[@progressivedemagogue8480]

@@TimTheMusicMan You’re not living up to your name

[@monstertrucktennis]

@@TimTheMusicMan Spot on! Follow the money.

[@ajinkyathorat7502]

@@TimTheMusicMan I mean sports being irrelevant in america does nothing. no one watches american football it does not even come close to real football interms of popularity and being big. I strongly suggest people to keep using modern racket it has advantage there is reason peter sampras was not that good at clay. We are far over serve era.

[@stealthcat100]

Didn’t he play with 75 pounds ?

[@007FlipScot]

Play uhhhhh 😂

[@soupra22]

Background music 🤮

[@selfhelp69]

JFC Harry. I cant handle anything more than 55-56 pounds but then again I've never strung with natural gut.

[@matthottonn3880]

Do you know Skuotball? It is the first team racket sport on the planet. An Argentine invented it and I want to contact him to bring it to the USA. If anyone knows how and can tell me I would appreciate it.

[@matthottonn3880]

Do you know Skuotball? It is the first team racket sport on the planet. An Argentine invented it and I want to contact him to bring it to the USA. If anyone knows how and can tell me I would appreciate it.