Prince interviewed me when they were getting ready to introduce the Mono. The thought behind it was that it was for players who grew up on wood and did not do well with the new racquets - players like Jose Luis Clerc and Jimmy Arias who needed a more flexible shafted racquet. Jimmy Connors used it because the old Wilson T-2000 was very flexible in the throat and neck. Prince actually introduced a 28" version of the Mono that was much stiffer. Lennart Bergelin was Bjorn Borg's coach. The racquet was designed to emphasize the playability properties of the strings and enable the user to tighten or loosen the strings during play.
One era that I did like was the fiberglass era: Yamaha had a really whippy frame that Peter Fleming used and I loved the sound it made going through the air. The Head XRC was a favorite too.
The Bergelin longstring: Völkl did the same stringing pattern very successfully in the 80ies. It was not supposed to not break the strings but to give you way more topspin! Lennart Bergelin was the trainer of Bjorn Borg for many years and brought out the Bergelin longstring. He endorsed the longstring as a revolutionary concept. Which it was and still is somehow. Never caught up but it has its place in racket history for sure.
Hart (the ski company) had a metal racket that you could change the tension on by turning a key in the handle. This one actually moved the yoke of the racket to tighten or loosen the strings.
Back in late 70's to the mid 80's Stan Smith played with the Fischer Superform. It started, the length of the main is about the same as today's racquets, later they introduce the Mid where the cross was expanded to enlarge the frame.
I have that WTF shirt! I always thought the Wilson T2000 was pretty weird -- tiny face, those metal loops. The double handled Natural Tennis racquet is wild too.
Did you know the asymmetric racket? I had a Tennismatch where the other guy was playing this asymmetric crazy racket in Germany 🇩🇪. I don’t know the racket company, but this was very confusing for me how it works. This man -around 50 years- bought 20 pieces of this to be safe to the end of his tennis career 😂. I expected this racket on your oddity table!
connors used that mono shaft long time...he must have liked it alot because i doubt prince was paying him after the first few years he used it..but he kept using it for like ten years or more
Lacoste LT301 (peanut head racket) with a dampener at the base of the grip, is a unique racket. Would be great if you could review that racket one day. That head was 83si approx (I think). I had a couple and sold them 20 years ago.
The Prince MONO was a joke, only Connors liked it when he was playing on thw seniors tour. I play tested it years ago and it was what I calles rhe Prince twister because it twisted easily on impact. Strange indeed
Great video You missed a weirdo racket Snauwaert Ergonom. Google it and you will see. Its looks kinda melted & deformed. Sadly I have only got to hit with that 90s Prince MONO and was probably worst racket I ever hit with. Twisted ever ball not dead in middle. I would have loved to have tried that Blackborne with one side looser than the other.
Prince interviewed me when they were getting ready to introduce the Mono. The thought behind it was that it was for players who grew up on wood and did not do well with the new racquets - players like Jose Luis Clerc and Jimmy Arias who needed a more flexible shafted racquet. Jimmy Connors used it because the old Wilson T-2000 was very flexible in the throat and neck. Prince actually introduced a 28" version of the Mono that was much stiffer. Lennart Bergelin was Bjorn Borg's coach. The racquet was designed to emphasize the playability properties of the strings and enable the user to tighten or loosen the strings during play.
Crazy mad scientist! 😅😅 I’m looking forward for your play test on Bergelin long string!
One era that I did like was the fiberglass era: Yamaha had a really whippy frame that Peter Fleming used and I loved the sound it made going through the air. The Head XRC was a favorite too.
I loved playing with the Yamaha racquet
I’d have to add the Wilson Spin models as well. The frame was 3/8 inch completely round
You should review the Snauwaert Ergonom and the Battistone double handle racket. Those are really weird.
The Bergelin longstring: Völkl did the same stringing pattern very successfully in the 80ies. It was not supposed to not break the strings but to give you way more topspin!
Lennart Bergelin was the trainer of Bjorn Borg for many years and brought out the Bergelin longstring. He endorsed the longstring as a revolutionary concept. Which it was and still is somehow. Never caught up but it has its place in racket history for sure.
Interesting to know. So, these cross strings give more topspin!?
@@tamiltennisdiary that was the point. If they indeed give mire topspin is a different matter and would be worth trying!
Hart (the ski company) had a metal racket that you could change the tension on by turning a key in the handle. This one actually moved the yoke of the racket to tighten or loosen the strings.
Back in late 70's to the mid 80's Stan Smith played with the Fischer Superform. It started, the length of the main is about the same as today's racquets, later they introduce the Mid where the cross was expanded to enlarge the frame.
The Mono was a great racket, just made about 15 years too late… Yamaha had a similar design out at approximately the same time.
The Mono is still a fine racquet, suprizingly stable and no more "flexy" than any other modern graphite stick.
Jimmy loves it.
I have that WTF shirt! I always thought the Wilson T2000 was pretty weird -- tiny face, those metal loops. The double handled Natural Tennis racquet is wild too.
I'm surprised the Fox ATP Ceramic Pro WB-210 didn't make the list.
More of these please. Also can't wait to see you hit the mad scientist racket
Please don't forget the iconic Belgian brand Snauwaert with the Ergonom model!!!
Also want to note that the Prince Mono has a very odd 16x21 (yes,21) string pattern
head RADIAL had 22x23 pattern + Twaron in it (specs kind as PrincePhantom 93p of late)
Did you know the asymmetric racket? I had a Tennismatch where the other guy was playing this asymmetric crazy racket in Germany 🇩🇪. I don’t know the racket company, but this was very confusing for me how it works. This man -around 50 years- bought 20 pieces of this to be safe to the end of his tennis career 😂. I expected this racket on your oddity table!
I liked the Black Burn, you can have 2 different sets of string to use depending the shot you want, LoL!
connors used that mono shaft long time...he must have liked it alot because i doubt prince was paying him after the first few years he used it..but he kept using it for like ten years or more
Fischer also made a couple shaft racquet. They were called the Fischer Vacuum Mono
Becker's Puma was length adjustable on court. He said he just epoxied the nut in place.
That double string racket looks sweeeet
I want one!!
Bergelin (Lennart Bergelin) was Bjorn Borg´s coach.
A player on my college team used the Ergonom for a while..... It was actually a pretty good racquet.
You left out the Snauwaert Ergonom.
Lacoste LT301 (peanut head racket) with a dampener at the base of the grip, is a unique racket. Would be great if you could review that racket one day. That head was 83si approx (I think). I had a couple and sold them 20 years ago.
Jimmy Connors uses the Prince Monica now. He was using them when he was playing the senior circuit.
I enjoyed playing with Prince Mono rackets. Good enough for Jimmy, good enough for me.
One of the pros at the club I played at as a kid had a Prince Mono. I always wanted to try it.
The Snauwaert Ergonom was a really strange racket.
I always wanted to try the Mono. I still like the look of it.
I would go with the crazy mad scientist! And i would always carry a wrench in my bag for adjustments!
I used the Prince Moni for a while. I don't remember why I stopped using it. Maybe was too powerful?
Yeah the Bergelin was bizarre
Strangest , at least for me, was the Technort Katana.
Well, Jimmy C Used the Wilson T-2000!!!!!!
The Prince MONO was a joke, only Connors liked it when he was playing on thw seniors tour. I play tested it years ago and it was what I calles rhe Prince twister because it twisted easily on impact. Strange indeed
Where's the Ergonom?
What about those curve star tennis racquets? Shouldn't be at that list too?
My friend has the one in the thumbnail and we like to joke around and call it an egg on a stick, also it’s mostly a display racket, not a playable one
That's bs, i had the prince mono 1.5 years ago and it plays better than a bunch of current rackets.
is the blackburne legal nowadays ?
Yeah I saw Jimmy playin with that
Missing the ergonom !
Lennart Bergelin was the Coach of Borg
where's the handler?
O had two, and o like Very much.
Instead of asking for coffee donations, you could get a coffee machine...
Wear the fila...ha ha!
Hi buddy, you are wearing your t shirt backwards!
Just from looking at it (Connors' Prince) you can tell it doesn't play well.
You can stop coming now!
1
Great video You missed a weirdo racket Snauwaert Ergonom. Google it and you will see. Its looks kinda melted & deformed. Sadly I have only got to hit with that 90s Prince MONO and was probably worst racket I ever hit with. Twisted ever ball not dead in middle. I would have loved to have tried that Blackborne with one side looser than the other.