Condition 10
10: New
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor | Rarity 4
10: Impossibly rare
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller
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About This Racket
Compared to Spalding, Slanzenger and Dunlop, Wilson came into tennis late. The company made the Duke football, which became the official NFL ball in 1941 and after the war in 1947 they asked Jack Kramer began on to the Advisory Staff. Kramer was selected to represent the US in the Davis Cup doubles against Australia in 1939 but only made it big in 1946 1947 when he won Wimbledon and US Open singles and doubles!
In 1947 Jack Kramer began working with Wilson as Advisory Staff. But don’t get too excited they offered him $75 per week. Kramer had some ideas but he didn’t really like the Wilson Don Budge. Don Budge had joined the Wilson team following his 1938 Grand Slam Year (when he turned professional) as part of a national tour with Ellsworth Vines to promote Wilson. He later served on Wilson’s Advisory Staff.The racket racquet was labeled “Strata-Bow” which was Wilson’s special laminating designation for racquets first introducted in 1939 based on their successful process developed for golf club heads. The Wilson Don Budge had an oval head and a concave throat, and the grip is wrapped in dark brown leather. The base of the head is painted blue and there are six shoulder wraps.
Jack Kramer used the Don Budge but felt it was too stiff and too confortable. He wanted a weapon not a club. So he filed down the butt of his Don Budge Autograph racket. He directed the factory to remove a few layers of laminated wood which he said would improve the “feel”. The “feel” of wood, was the big seller before 1980. That experience led to a change in the eventual best-selling Jack Kramer Autograph, although even Kramer says it was originally too stiff.
Together they made perhaps the best debut racket ever in the Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph (1947). The overall color scheme was a classic combination of cream, wood, gold, brown, black,and it achieved astronomical sales of perhaps up to 10 million units claimed to be the #1 selling Wilson racket of all time, in part because it was sold up to 1984!
Having signed Kramer Wilson slowly gained ground on Dunlop in Europe and Spalding in the US. But there was a problem, Kramer developed arthritis in his back in 1952, and he quit playing. Kramer then became a tennis promoter for the Association of Tennis Professionals and early TV. This helped Wilson even more, and in the 60s and 70s they began churning out wooden rackets, often outsourced to keep up with demand.
They also innovated. In 1968 they made the Jack Kramer Pro Staff which became the first of a long series of successful Pro Staffs and in 1976 the Jack Kramer Mid (1976). Wilson recognized more than any other brand the important of junior/youth market and also women’s tennis. They invested in upcoming stars such as Evert and Conners and released composite rackets early to become the number one tennis racket brand by sales.
Various imprints were released and this is an early original made for college students and the junior market. They also made the “mid” large head size. Later models achieved astronomical sales of 10 million units –the #1 selling Wilson racket of all time. In 1968 they also made the Jack Kramer Pro Staff which became the first of a long series of successful Pro Staffs.
Historic Gallery
Specifications (đź‘‹ not yet accurate….check back soon)
Measurements | Value | Performance | Score |
---|---|---|---|
Weight | 394g | Power | 33/100 |
Head Size & Length | 68sq in | 27inch | Control | 28/100 |
Balance | 8pt head light (220) | Spin | 26/100 |
Grip | Perforated leather | Handling | 30/100 |
Strings | 18 x 20 | gut | Comfort | 49/100 |
Flexibility | RA 49 | Consistency | 33/100 |
Gallery
About Wilson
Wilson Sporting Goods Company traces its origins to the “Schwarzschild & Sulzberger” meatpacking company, which later became “Sulzberger & Son’s”. Founded in 1913 to utilize animal by-products, the company initially manufactured tennis racket strings, violin strings, and surgical sutures. By 1914, it expanded into producing baseball shoes and tennis racquets. Thomas E. Wilson, a former meatpacking president, was appointed in 1915, renaming the company “Thomas E. Wilson Company”. He steered the company into producing a variety of sporting goods, including footballs and basketballs.Wilson’s entry into the sporting goods industry was marked by innovation and strategic partnerships. In the 1920s, the company introduced the Ray Schalk catcher’s mitt and collaborated with Knute Rockne on football equipment. In 1931, it was renamed “Wilson Sporting Goods Company”. The company developed the Wilson Duke football, which became the official NFL ball in 1941, a partnership that continues to this day.Wilson’s influence in tennis began in earnest in the 1950s with the partnership with Jack Kramer, resulting in the Jack Kramer Autograph racquet. This racquet became one of the best-selling models of its time, used by numerous champions including Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King. The 1960s saw further innovation with the introduction of the first steel racquet, the Wilson T2000, endorsed by Jimmy Connors.Wilson continued to innovate with the release of the Chris Evert Autograph racquet in 1975 and the introduction of wide body racquets in the 1980s. The company’s tennis balls became the official balls for the US Open in 1979 and the Australian Open in 2006. In 2021, Wilson returned as the official game ball supplier for the NBA and WNBA.
YEAR | EVENT |
---|---|
1868 | Thomas E. Wilson born in Ontario, Canada. |
1914 | Wilson Sporting Goods founded; first racquet crafted. |
1915 | Thomas E. Wilson appointed president; company renamed “Thomas E. Wilson Company”. |
1917 | Wilson’s catalogue included 28 racquet models. |
1922 | Introduced Ray Schalk catcher’s mitt, became the standard. |
1925 | Renamed “Wilson-Western Sporting Goods” after distribution agreement. |
1931 | Renamed “Wilson Sporting Goods Company”. |
1935 | Released original leather tennis handle wrap, Mahogany Leather Grip. |
1941 | Wilson Duke football becomes official ball of NFL. |
1946 | Becomes official game ball supplier for BAA (NBA predecessor). |
1950s | Officially partnered with Jack Kramer; created Jack Kramer Autograph racquet. |
1958 | Thomas E. Wilson passed away. |
1967 | Introduced first steel racquet, Wilson T2000. |
1969 | Released Billie Jean King Autograph racquet with Strata-Bow technology. |
1975 | Introduced Chris Evert Autograph racquet. |
1979 | Wilson tennis balls first used at the U.S. Open. |
1987 | Introduced Profile racquet, first wide body racquet. |
1990 | Introduced Hammer technology for recreational players. |
2006 | Wilson tennis balls began use at the Australian Open. |
2021 | Became official game ball supplier for NBA and WNBA. |