Author: Michael Flanigan
-
How I saved My Classic Ektelon Stringing Machine From The Scrapheap
I string a lot of rackets, and believe it or not, I daily-drove a 1976 Ektelon Model D for quite a while. It certainly raised some eyebrows when other industry professionals asked which machine formed the backbone of my new stringing business, especially as we were well into the 21st century. I had a more…
-
The Best Volley Racket (In the World)
I’ve tried a lot of old rackets, and while it’s easy to get lost amongst a sea of classic frames that have built up over the years, it’s still possible to find something that stands out. Today it comes from an unlikely brand that’s been largely left behind: Slazenger. The Slazenger Pro Braided 95 is…
-
The Best Addition Yet To My Stringing Toolkit
After nearly two years using the Fine Awl from Klipper USA, I’ve concluded it’s one of the best upgrades I’ve made to my stringing arsenal. Klipper USA are best known for their dropweight tabletop stringing machines, but their tools are stocked by other retailers. I bought their Klipper Fine Awl in an attempt to make…
-
Opinion: Don’t String Rackets In One-Piece/Two knots
Apple versus Microsoft. Nadal versus Federer. Xbox versus Playstation. The debate of One-Piece versus Two-Piece stringing probably doesn’t sit amongst these great topics of internet forum discourse, but it’s more important for the performance tennis player or aspiring racket stringer to know which method to choose. In fact I’m going to save you some time:…
-
What is the best Natural Gut Substitute?
Natural Gut is still on the market after more than a century, but are there any cost effective alternatives worth trying?
-
Racket Review: The Uncompromising Babolat Pure Storm GT Ltd
The rarest of the Pure Storms: The Limited edition was one of Babolat’s most challenging tennis rackets. The uncompromising design made it tough to handle, but do the rewarding shots outweigh the unrewarding?
-
The Last Wooden Racket Of The 1980s
Racket technology evolved a lot in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with Yannick Noah being the last player who won a Grand Slam with a wooden racket in 1983. The Dunlop Maxply McEnroe was an evolution of the Maxply series of wooden rackets and endorsed as John McEnroe’s signature racket when it was released…