A wooden racquet for the future?
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
- epoktennis.com
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The perfect marketing strategy would be to get a Borg vs McEnroe 50th anniversary where they both use a "modern" wooden racket
uffffff
What are you on about. McEnroe has played competitive tennis for decades and Bjorg hasn't been competitive since he was 26. The match wouldn't be a match. It would be an embarrassment.
@@L.C.Sweeney that doesnt matter lol
please pin this
Mac would go for this in a big way!
Getting back into tennis after 40-50yrs away from it and my bicepts and shoulder were starting to take a bit of a beating (have been playing with my old Max 200 G, a Volkl C10 Pro, and a Wilson Prostaff v13). Dragged out my old Wilson Kramer Autograph (wood racquet) for yesterday’s hit session, and OMG what a difference. It felt like tennis again. The feels (from late 60’s) were back almost immediately. A few framed shots initially, but very quickly was finding the sweet spot. And no pain! Like I told my hitting partner, it’s my new religion! Cheers…
I loved my old Wilson Jack Kramer pro staff. I won many tournaments as an amateur and semi-pro in the 70s with it. As a national junior player in India I cherished the Dunlop Maxply. In my 70s these days I try to recreate the feel of these racquets. Senior tennis is a lot about control and feel, and less about power. I think these Wooden racquets can fill a great void on the Senior Circuit!
It’s about time. Get these rackets on tour. Make it requirement. Eliminate all
Artificial rackets and strings. Wooden rackets and gut strings. Bring tennis back.
100%
McEnroe v Borg was the height of tennis and the rackets were tiny wooden ovals.
The game was all about finesse and did not reward 6'4" power strikers from the baseline like every other sport in the world...
@@taketheredpill1452 tennis is not even a sport today and most of the players today playing on tour would not even be playing if they had to use ‘real’ equipment. They are there today because of the artificial rackets and artificial strings. It provides the control the power and the top spin for the player as opposed to requiring the player to produce those skills. It’s all artificial today played by non personality robots.
@@TimTheMusicMan - 100%
This video proves my point all along.
ruclips.net/video/bqeIyvlvfIY/видео.htmlsi=hjJEjlcPLKC5O_tf
yes, Tennis is dying if nothing changes.
As a lifelong artist of classical guitar and a dedicated recreational tennis player, I am very excited about the return of wood frames - IF they can meet the standards of the modern game.
Over the last 30 years the classical guitar world has combined Nomex and wood with great success. Perhaps this may be a unique solution for tennis racquets to combine modern power with traditional touch and feel?
Sounds like they need some investors, create maybe four different frame styles, mandate use of natural gut in the mains (mandated) and string of your choice in the crosses, and start an off season classic tennis league open to ATP players and local amateurs as well as retired pro's. Come on Billionaires, step up .. Let's get a classic tennis league going!!!!
My junior career was at the end of the wood era. It took me a long time to stop resenting losing the feel I had with my Rossignol Strato wood. There's nothing like centering the ball on the strings with a "standard" sized wood. I had been thinking about trying to find one of my old frames and seeing if I could recreate that feeling again. Of course, the strings would probably explode with the first hit.
I never stopped playing Tennis with my Davis 'Duke' raquet (a major rarity) which I found and bought many, many years ago with its original press (an 'absolute must'). It plays beautifully and fires-off returns with the force of a cannon, same with a well hit serve - (kapow!).
Yet, the 'Duke' is light and wonderfully maneuverable. So there; what your colleague said about the old Davis raquets is true, as a teenager, I played with my Mother's long vanished Davis 'Imperial,' the 'Duke' with which I play I immediately found superior to hers, conspicuously so. My theory has been that the Davis 'Duke' may have been the best model that company made, but I don't know definitively. Gods though, it plays more "honestly" a round of tennis than anything else I have ever used, and that is a quality that I think was lost when, in the 1980's the metals, graphites, et al. came in and swept all the wooden raquets away. Honestly, though, until one plays with a Davis 'Duke' in great condition, one does understand as most of the old raquets feel to me clunky with frustratingly small 'sweet spots' as such, Not the case with mine though, in my view and experience.
[Denver, Colorado]
Which Duke do you use and is there any difference between the tan Dukes and the black Dukes? I used a Davis Classic 3 in high school and loved it but would snap the necks. I still have one but baby it.
The problem is not a wooden frame, but the fact that people today do not have the proper technique. You get away with improper technique with modern racquets and strings, but a wooden will not let that happen.
Who decides what is proper? Different techniques have different tradeoffs. If it doesn't help you win it gets discarded.
@@rsmith02 Different techniques, what are you talking about? You either have the correct technique when it comes to hitting a tennis ball, or you don't. That's why today's racquets are said to be more "forgiving", compared to wooden or graphite racquets from the 80s.
Bamboo makes an excellent modern racquet. Jelinic's made the Canadiana racquet which I still own and use occasionally and it is indestructible, because, so is bamboo. The lamination of the bamboo was referred to as welded together. Puts on massive top spin. I was using topspin when only flat and slice strokes were respected.
Very cool! 👍
Upon my return to tennis in 2016 after playing as a ranked junior in Californa during the late 70's/early 80's, I was looking for the feel of my Dunlop Maxply Forte. The V8 Blade is my present racquet but it warms my heart to see these wooden frames in a modern design. Very cool.
I never played with a wood racquet, but I like the concept of a modern sized open throat frame. I will watch this space to see if it becomes more popular and accessible over the next two to three years.
I love the idea of wood racquets. In high school I played with the Rossignol Strato, Wilson Advantage, and Snauwaert Brian G. small head racquets. The Wilson racquet was a beauty. I mostly used Gamma gut synthetic and the green striped PDP gut hybrid setup.
Good luck to you guys! Believe in your dreams! Very nice looking frame and good project!
Remembering Kennex mixing wood and graphite to obtain sensibility and power respectively.
ProKennex in the old Ace line of Copper Ace, Black Ace, Pro Ace/white Ace and so on in early 1990's. You can still find a bunch of 95--98 square inch heads online mainly in Jr 94/95 square inch head on e-Bay.
Bring back the Sirt Supreme. It’s a work of art from Italy and cuts so easily through the air with a cushioned plow through. The Ferrari of wood racquets. Played with one in the 1980’s and luckily found one again on eBay!
SIRT from Bordighera,my birth Place
I used to be part of the design and manufacturing team with Wilson Sporting Goods..... Brings back memories.....
Thanks for the ideal of a wood tennis comeback.
Very interesting and cool video. I learned to play in the wooden racquet era, and have collected a few wooden racquets. Best wishes with your wooden racquets. They look beautiful, and seem to play ok.
Wood is so fun. In table tennis every racket is made of multiple layers of wood and it’s so much fun to be able to choose a blade. Every wood offer something different. There is hard wood, soft, flexible, stiff and wood with carbon layers in it.
I agree. TAD Davis Classic I and II are particularly gorgeous wood racquets. The Davis Imperial wasn't quite as nice (more plain), and there is another one below the Imperial called the Hi Point (even more "basic"), which I have in my garage. The trouble with these racquets is that their throats are narrow and thus more prone to breaking.
I'm 72 and I still have my two wood rackets from the 1960's. But they have been stored in a storage barn and neglected for many, many years and are almost falling apart. In 1975 I lost vision in one of my eyes and without depth perception, trying to hit the ball is like handing a tennis racket to a 5 year old child for the first time....lol..!!
Try it...get on a court and close one eye....it's crazy..!!
Of all the things that I miss with not having depth perception, not being able to play tennis has always been up there at the top of my list.
You should try ! I know a person about your age that also lost an eye and plays at least twice in a week ! Good luck !
@@AcesandWinners ...That is very interesting to read. I find it hard to believe and I would like to actually see ( no pun intended...lol..) this man play and find out just how he plays. There is no way that he can play full speed and play 'normally'. Is he completely blind in that eye or does he have enough partial sight that he can see enough to play a little bit at slow speed? Maybe some very slow lobs served at just the right spot for him that he has gotten used to. And yes, I tried many times to play, and without depth of field and stereo vision, normal playing is just not possible.
When I hit the lotto, I will buy 4. Nothing like the the feel of wood
That’s what she said
1,200 euro... They need a hell of a marketing campaign, like Roger returning tennis with these and completing Grand Slam in a calendar year type of marketing.
I'm in my mid-seventies and my first tennis racquet was a wooden Wilson Maureen Connoly. It had to be braced when not in use to avoid warping. Recent tech in racquet production might solve warping, but I'm skeptical about the weight issue. Wooden racquets are typically heavy considering the frame was made of hardwood. For the younger generation, it might be a novelty but for unyoung like me, it might not be playable at all.
So true... I had a massive forearm muscle and an incredible grip that most non-wooden racket female players did not have. I dunno if that was a good thing or not... lol
I've bought a serie of collectors of the last graphite-wooden racquets produced in the early eighties, Kennex, Prince, head, le coq sportif, and they are still amazing, that's a great idea, the future is there. Don't neglect one detail: the outlets of strings on the inside of the frames were slightly alternated alongside the mid-axis of the frame at that time.
As a bass guitar designer in Sweden I use Purpleheart to reinforce the necks for tone and longevity. I wonder how a couple of these veneers in the matrix would stiffen up the head for a more consistent stringbed.
it looks perfect!!!
How wonderful to see people thinking of modern wooden frames. I was kind of hoping something might come out of the Lacoste Labs experiment a few years ago but nothing happened.
It's not a new concept. Prince had a wooden version of their famous graphite that Agassi and Chang used when they were playing in the 80's. Look up Prince Woodie. Would like to see how these compare to that one.
I loved the Dunlop Maxfly racket. Still he have a few in my collection. Rod Laver played with it in his prime. McEnroe as well.
This is an amazing venture. Results look outstanding. Hopefully they get in a position to increase production and reduce the cost. I’d love to own one of these, but cost currently prohibitive for me.
One thing I'd genuinely be curious about though is how these wooden racquets wear over time when they have no grommets? Won't poly strings just saw into the wood over time?
im not entirely sure but i think the only part of the string that moves significantly is in the bed. just inward pressure around the frame with little to no movement. a concern for sure though and they wont last forever, but wood has many more drawbacks that are more of a concern than these two materials interacting
also if it was an issue i bet they could put a very hard wood on theses areas to increase durability
If its wood the wearable parts can be replaced
Yes, but a modern Nylon layer synthetic gut or Nylon coated Kevlar would be ideal for said racquets. Also, one could add own grommets if they know how to make holes bigger using a hand non electric drill.
That’s all I used to play with, I’m so old
I don't know if other similar racquets were produced by other manufacturers at the time (around 1984), but I owned a pair of Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph Midsized wooden rackets. They were an interesting and different take on the classic Jack Kramer Autograph wooden racquets.
I used to play with a Dunlop Maxply Fort. Nice racquet. I like wooden things and wood in general.
I'm not surprised to see wood as a frame material being revisited; there's only so many modern materials that can be utilized in current racquet construction, that the mantra "what's old is new again" almost certainly would be applied to tennis equipment at some point. I hope it works for these entrepreneurs, even if it only gains a sort of "cult" status, maybe in a "Wooden-Class" type of match and/or tournament play.
I was interested in this racquet until I saw the price.... 😳
This is awesome!!
Some of the fastest serves were accomplished using a wooden racquet. Roscoe Tanner hit serves in excess of 150 mph. Equipment is only part of the equation.
The ATP should do what MLB does, pros use these modern wood racquets (restrict the type of material) just like MLB restricts pros to wooden bats (even though juniors can use aluminium bats). It will bring more variety back into the Men's pro game & make it about skill less about the tech.
pro tennis would be so much better if some tournaments had racquet restrictions. We no longer have punchers and counter-punchers. No one charges net regularly. Everyone tries to hit the ball as hard as possible from the baseline. You couldn't take such huge swings with Jack Kramers; you had to play odds and angles.
The issue is that they're handmade so that price isn't going to be going down anytime soon... and it's hard to imagine any normal tennis player plopping down over $1300 for a racquet that may be "modern" but is still going to be a step down in performance from the ProStaff or Pure Aero they're currently using at a quarter of the price.
Wooden rackets are an interesting "What If" to me. What if modern materials had been banned like they did in baseball and the game was still played with wooden rackets? I love the modern game but it's played so differently to the wooden racket era, in a way I think it's sad they were allowed to die out.
That's awesome. How can I try one PLEASE....
Do they need a press? (to prevent them from warping when they are not being used)
Interesting review 👍 Ok, you said ...he's a collector with over 800 frames. Feel kinda relieved with only 68 of mine 😅
Pretty nice to find wooden rackets again. Maybe isometric wooden rackets sometimes soon?
I have a Pro Kennex wooden racquet that is modern in design. I am not sure when it was made.
The price is out of range, sadly. Wooden rackets tend to warp, that´s why the last wooden rackets in the 80s had graphite or boron inlays throughout all the throat and head. I don´t see any in these rackets.
it looks like the Head racket Vilas used in the early '80s
They're drop dead gorgeous !! and they beg for Nat Gut hybrid but from what I've seem the holes in the racket for the strings would not be very nat gut friendly as there seems to be hard edges in there...
Why not carve a channel in there (further reducing weight) and place some plastic grommets in there ? or make the drill holes match some common available grommets... is that feasible ?
VERY nice work, but I believe you can measure performance, balance, torsion, string pressure patern, and vibration. It would make it more interesting!
Don't some Decathlon Artengo racquets contain balsa wood? The racquets are very stiff but the balsa wood compresses upon impact with the ball resulting in comfort and feel. I miss wood racquets but it was a different game back then.
that racket looks awesome
how heavy is it?
What’s the weight ?
Jonas, how about a hybrid wood with graphite in the tip where it’s flexible? And use grommets.
Lacoste had the LT12, that played quite nicely
Prince woodie or slazenger challenge graphite
How do they compare with something like a Prince Woody Oversize? Or a Head Vilas.
Didn't catch the 370 gm reference?? Did you say Rafa?? I wish manufactures would go back to a flat beam racquet! Anyway the price point is ridiculous & this is just a silly novelty.
Even as a non-player I have long found the development of tennis racquet technology during the sixty-odd years of my life fascinating, so it was good to see this video come up. This Epok racquet did look more 'the business' than the old-style wooden racquets, from a superficial point of view, but the issues that were revealed through the video seem a significant drawback to its practicability as a matchplay racquet and the cost price is yet another drag. So, for the time being, certainly, wooden racquets are not 'the future', sadly and will remain essentially a niche curio. Things may change, but not for some time yet.
I would love to see a classic wood league but not with these rackets. These are modern rackets. Classic wood rackets change the pace of the game. Using these would be a lot more like modern tennis. The rackets look beautiful and fun to play with.
Can't wait for the new yonex review :)
First impressions up on Patreon or for RUclips members :)
You can tell they are not getting easy dependable power like graphtie/ stiffer rackets. Reminds me of the rosignol f200, Super flexible graphite racket. The stiffer rosignol f250 played much better imo
Only if it could be I would be happy. The price is just ridiculous however I realize it's handmade and limited production. I miss everyone playing with wood frames. I was happily surprised with stringing a wood frame of mine with a 18 gauge poly after usually playing with gut.☮️
How much? I want one. I loved the Wilson Stan Smith Autograph which morphed from the Tony Trabert Autograph. Was used by Vitas Gerulaitis and of course Stan Smith.
Thanks!
Gracias Enrique!
firmer upper hoop is essential to maximize control and the elastic energy release, feel and dwell time that usually only wood offers. I have some NOS 1970 Kawasaki PRO SHOT 85 inch versions with paint and finish that is beyond anything most have ever seen, pearl blues and whites that blow everyone away. Pity I cant post a jpeg for these gentlemen to get better ideas for the future by using what the japanese did in the past.
Sounds goofy but it would be cool to see a wood racket tournament. My high school baseball team would have wood bat tournaments every year and it was always so fun to watch!
I wonder if they ever plan to make new wood-carbon composite racquets, like the prince woodie, slazenger v24, prokennex golden ace, le coq sportif TCO, etc.
What if it gets wet from the rain
These have a wild price.
I grew up playing with the Wilson wood rackets my dad had from either the late 40s or early 50s, so I’m very familiar with both the pros and cons of them. I was listening explicitly for what the plan was to prevent warping, which is the one thing ALL wooden rackets will do over time, and was surprised it was never addressed. By the time I was using my dad’s equipment (all throughout the 70s), the racket head press was a necessity rather than whimsy. I cannot imagine paying as much as these men are charging for this type of racket without the inclusion of a press to prevent warping. I’m seriously disappointed in their shortsightedness about this aspect despite loving the idea of a resurgence in the use of natural wood rackets. I’m of the opinion that when you see a great player who is using a wood racket, you know that they really are great, as most wooden rackets do not artificially assist the player the way the typical ‘modern’ rackets do. ;) jmho
1200 is a crazyyyyy price tag
yea i was about to ready my paypal but it looks like we waiting a couple years
Much more than I can afford but if it were priced right I would buy them!!
I hope these rackets go more main stream and affordable.
Likely not, these are handmade and it takes a week or so to make one racket.
Wood is coming back? That's what she said
wish they made one 90 Sq in. I would be in for sure. 98sqIn and wood seems too large. Nonetheless, exciting new product for the game.
At that price they wont be selling any.
Lol, right?!
Hello, what is this price...1200€???
but what's the point....in Wood??
I don't understand, can someone explain it to me?
I did not notice the name and website of these guys. Was it posted somewhere in the video?
Yes Epok and it’s in the description
As a tennis player and "racquet mechanic" for last few decades (wood and composite frames), I was very enthused up until I heard the price.
Those frames are sweet looking and appear to have good customisation potential (at least the way I customise my own open-throat woodies).
I am not fond of the "modern game", it's "unbalanced".
Too much power in the game, lack of appreciable amount of lobs, slices, touch shots, volleying; i.e. lack of "style", players "addiction" with the baseline ...
There is too much frame/string technology in the game and this is not really required.
What is required is for people having a broader range of reliable/accurate shots.
Wood frames would help with this.
I have more interest watching 1970's/1980's tennis matches than recent ones.
Major tennis associations should help fund/subsidise parallel "wood" tournaments.
poor trees. Come on make them from Hemp it's better.
Idea for golf club.
Great job🤗🤗
The material is inconsistent ie; knots and density. I’d say not ideal for pro’s ,as one racket will be different from the other. However nice for enjoyment.
And how much does the press to stop them warping cost?
Hanging a wood racket on a nail works fine when not in use. It's when you take them out that you need a press. An aluminun press like Zepher worked the best. Wood presses are like wood rackets and can warp.
Why would you spend 1200 euros for a racquet that is difficult to play with?
Why would anyone buy expensive handmade wooden furniture when they can buy cheaper particleboard furniture from Target or Ikea?
@@LunarEclipsism1 Exactly! That's why Ikea and Target are highly successful AND profitable, that being said playing tennis with a desk or dining table might be pretty unpractical🤣 Good try👍
What do you think playing with wood
Pleasantly surprised
😂😂😂
1200 WHAT..YEE HAW!!
i have a big collection of wood tennis rackets I agree wood is better but you need natural gut preferable Howwever I got a 98 sq inch Wood Spalding strung with nylon I Couldnt find a press for it nothing fit all my presses are small for a maxply or slazenger I was force to cut strings for the frame to mantain the shape If You are selling the EPOK without a Frame Will be a Problem or there is a layer of graphite in between the wood to mantain the shape without a press
Oh man they're over 1k I can't buy that and justify it lol.
Good as a novelty only to be honest.
1200 euros on the shop!
TIL: there are ‘racquet collectors.’
Not sure why that seems weird. But it does.
Pro Kennex Kinetic is the best tennis racquet
let’s all get our tennis elbow by using wood racquet!!
Interesting but I just don’t see the market for it. Particularly at that price.
They only need a small market for it.
@@pontusschroder8361how do you know?
@@ViaticalTree Luxury items and luxury prices, you dont have to sell as much of these as with low price-rackets
Probably it’s because of shortage of raw materials such as the graphite.
how stiff are these racquets? wooden racquets are notorious for their stiffness and elbow problems
I would like to see Johnny Mac smash these.