A great racquet from the past - The Head Vilas
When in 1977 I heard that Guillermo Vilas had signed a new racquet deal and was changing from the Wilson Jack Kramer Autograph, to a secret new Head Vilas racquet, I was intrigued. I was pretty sure that Head would have developed something special but I was truly impressed when the Head Vilas was unveiled.
The finish of the Vilas racquet was what you would expect of an expensive piece of furniture, a combination of lovely stained wood and polished laquer. The frame was laminated and had a strip of graphite inlaid between the laminates at the top. This gave the frame beautiful balance . The playability of the Head Vilas racquet was enhanced with an open throat which was very rare for a wooden racquet. If I remember correctly, the racquet in the UK came with a Fairway leather grip (the Rolls Royce of grips) as standard.
Vilas used this racquet to win a phenomenal number of matches, and the racquet proved to be as stylish as its endorsee.
Guillermo Vlias, Head Vilas tennis racket, Head Vilas tennis racquet, old tennis rackets
June 12, 2007 at 7:05 pm
2 Comments
Comment by tennishead
I agree that this was a top racket. Interestingly, Wilson had a racket with a very similar paint job which was out around the same time, I think it was called the ‘Advantage’. No open throat, but like the Vilas it looked a million dollars!
Comment by john key
You’re right - it was definitely called the Advantage. I used this racket for about a week and handed them all back to the Wilson rep. They looked way better than they played for my liking - they were really very flexible.
The only pro I can remember using them was Dick Stockton of the US although there must have been others.
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