FAREWELL TO MY BELOVED PUMA/ESTUSA BECKER

 

How hard is to let something (someone) you love, go. You may think I’m crazy, but as some fictional TV character once said: “My mom got me tested… I’m not crazy”; same applies to me.

 

My romance with PUMA started back in 1985 when I saw a young teenager take over the Wimbledon Championship. Of course I’m talking the redheaded German Panzer, Boris Becker. He then played with a 1984 Puma Guillermo Vilas model, re-branded after his win as Boris Becker Winner. The upraising star was under Vilas-Tiriac management. Becker’s racket was 50% graphite composite and 50% fiberglass, which made it stiffer than the average frames at the time, even though it was less for the version on the market that contained only 30% graphite.

 

The following year Becker would move on to his truly own Puma Boris Becker Super (still Vilas’ development with the German company). This particular frame was exactly the same in composition, but now the vast majority of the amateur players would be able to use the same specs: 50% graphite, which made a whole lot of a difference versus the prior version and with new more appealing cosmetics (red and blue). Before the end of the ’88 season Puma quit Becker contract; but Boris kept playing with them until 1990 without the official logo. In March 1990 the Taiwanese firm Estusa got a contract with the native from Leimen, and started developing a copy of the Puma BB Super. It took them about a year of testing and trials until they were able to cook a frame that pleased the German. Estusa brought a few evolutions to the original frame that added more stiffness without changing much the fantastic balance and maneuverability that made them so famous.

 

 

Personally, I got my eye on a Puma Becker back in 1987 when I was playing at the Asociación Alemana de Cultura Física de Quilmes. There was this cute blond girl that was hitting with great ability from the back of the court beside. I absolutely loved it. I was too shy to ask her permission to examine the racket but after a few weeks I had the opportunity of playing a doubles against her and had my chance. Her brother, Patricio “Pato” Durrels was a great junior player, once ranked #1 in the country, and was using the same frames. When he decided to move to another brand he put his on sale, something I would not miss. Got one for me and started experiencing an explosion in my arm. My service was like a catapult and my backhand improved a thousand times its previous form. The Puma became an extension of my arm. Played with it from ’88 to back end of ’89 when I realized, after a training session, that the frame had started to give in. I was devastated, no chance to get another one in Argentina. Back then you had to travel abroad to get that kind of products. Nobody was importing them anymore and I was forced to switch the following year to Yonex.

 

Pato’s former racket was carefully stored as it deserved. Waiting like Excalibur to be awaken when it would be needed the most…

 

Years went by, rackets I flirt with as well… Yonex R-50, Dunlop Revelation, Pro Kennex Kinetic 15g,… but none felt remotely like the Puma. Until one day in 2003 when I found the Estusa frames (already discontinued) at Tennis Warehouse. What a blast from the past! I got 3 of them and loved them from the start, had to tweak the balance a little bit but other than that they were awesome to strike the ball thru, yet less forgiving than the Kennex due to head size.

But the best was that I got someone with enough knowledge to attempt a repair to the old Puma. And it succeeded… sort of. The balance and weight now were out of scale, but still manageable and good enough for a fourth racket. By now, 2004 I was in fact hitting on a regular basis with Pato as part of my in-court training. One day I brought the old frame to our session, there was a spark in the corner of his left eye. A very emotional moment. “That was one of the best frames I’d ever played with” there was this light on his face...we were kids once more…

 

But time takes a toll both on materials and players and we have to accept the fact that the frames will be less responsive with time as our body also slows down (even a fraction). In my quest to try to extend the lifetime of my rackets, I started purchasing any available frame on eBay. Got 2 Becker Winners in pristine condition from Holland, but were the earlier models and the stiffness was very low so to match the rest of the frames, a lot of lead had to be added to their heads. Yet they became lovely to use on clay courts. Got a Estusa ProVantech from someone in Texas. Another Puma BB Super from Germany, also in excellent condition. I worked hours to match all the frames and be able to use them without much thought. I played and compete successfully for a few more years. Very happy years. But with time running out of those frames I started years ahead trying different choices and see how eventually replace them. Wilson n-Code 95, Volk Catapult V-10, yet nice frames and much more forgiving for my body, but none could not match the German artillery.

 

Last December, after I finished training and evaluating what to do to move up that next step in terms of level, I decided it was time to give up the old frames and look for a modern, yet classic new weapon. Talked a lot with Maher Diab and did even more research… and again more trials, and testing, and playing, and analyzing… until we got a winner, the Head Prestige MP. This is a frame used by many pro players on tour for quite some time now, it is the right choice for me, gives me plenty of head speed, comfort, control and power, and let’s face it… is more forgiving than the Puma frame. Transition has been smooth, the results support this decision.

 

I wanted to give my racket an honorable farewell… and certainly did so. Got the Fall Double league at Parc Jarry in December and Semis at Boucherville in January. Everywhere I played, they were praised and admired… and feared.   

 

Haven’t hang my Puma/Estusa frames to the wall yet, still hesitant… they are still in a tennis bag, ready to go if I need them. But like when King Arthur ordered one of his knights to throw Excalibur back to the lake… I’m sure that day will come and will be emotional. And I will be a kid once more.

 

See you in the hunt.

 

 

Iron Gaucho