Write Team: Bonzers and me

I was playing gobs of tennis in 1998 – played in tournaments and leagues. Everything was really fine-tuned and clicking.

I could hit the shots I needed to hit. I could hit hard and hit precisely with my serve – it’s a lot like pitching in baseball. My forehand could crank it away. My backhand was rock steady and very offensive. My volleys were good.

More than this, I had fine-tuned my gear. The first thing had been finding a solid replacement for my obsolete Dunlop Max 200G – such a classic, beloved by Graf and McEnroe – but sluggish on the serve, and I have a more aggressive serve. I opted for the Volkl C-9 Pro. I still use this model – I’ve gone through a number of them, and since it’s discontinued, I’m down to about four left.

With the racquet in place, next came the racquet’s string setup. What kind of string worked best for me? And how tight or loose should it be?

I bought a Klippermate racquet stringer. The racquet club just took too long to get string jobs done and charged too much. I was playing a lot and I needed strings more. With a stringer, I could cheaply test different strings and different tensions. So I tested. What I ended up with was a great racquet setup for my C-9. I found the right string and tension, and I added bits of lead weight here and there in the frame and under the grip, raising the weight and adjusting the balance of the C-9. Now I had the right package.

Next I turned to my shoes. They had to be light and plush and firm. I found the Reebok Bonzer ... a shoe used by Australian champ Patrick Rafter. These let me move easily around the court and get into the net for put-aways. Just the right shoe ... perfect.

BUT money is money and the market is the market, and, lo and behold, all this washed away! Times change. Gotta sell new products. There ARE no more Bonzers. There ARE no more C-9s. And no more Dunlop Max200Gs. Even the tennis string I Iove is no longer being made! Not all change is good and not all change is “progress.” Not by any means can a reasonable person say all change is for the better.

One great thing that you can still buy is a damn rock solid Klippermate stringing machine. It’s heavy and tough as a tank. I bought mine at the factory up in Elgin ... I stopped in to see the place, walk around, see the works. I love the thing and stringing is fun.

Pro Tip: Pickleball is a good first step toward tennis. Play some pickleball and then move on up to the big leagues!

Todd Volker lives in Ottawa with his wife and son, and they enjoy reading, kayaking, hiking, tennis and camping. He’s a lifelong learner with books in his hands.