Ten different gear obsessions.
-Do you have a particular tool that you use for your different jobs?
Shimada: For me, scissors and clippers are the same as a racquet, and the most important thing is that it looks cool.
Arai: That fresh! Just maybe that is the truth.
Nakamura: It's more about looks than ease of use, isn't it?
Shimada: That's right. Your hands get used to it quickly if you use it, so it's important to feel good and enjoy working with it. The technical part is not affected by the tools, so I use cool tools as much as possible to make my clients look cool. For example, I use American-made clippers, although I know that Japanese-made ones are lighter and harder to break. Scissors also look kind of cool when the blades are long (laughs). (Laughs) With that in mind, I chose the American "Wilson" for my first racquet. I am very satisfied. I am particular about choosing something that I think is cool.
Nakamura: I use a PC for most of my work, and I place importance on functionality when I consider software. Functionality is important, but I also like elegance and classicism when it comes to the visible parts. I prefer something quiet and functional to something flashy, so in that sense, I have been using "Pro Staff" for a long time.
Arai: Isn't someone making you say something (laughs)?
Nakamura: It really wasn't like that (laughs). (Laughs.) Actually, I had used a different maker a few times first, but "Pro Staff" just felt right. In the end, I became addicted to the grip, the elegance with a touch of ferocity and destructive power, and I couldn't flirt with anything else (laughs). I couldn't handle it easily, especially since I started playing tennis as an amateur, but perhaps that was a good thing. Mr. Arai, do you have any particular preferences when it comes to equipment?
Arai: I am a dressmaker, so appearance is important. Is it fashionable or not? I have an intuitive sense of whether it matches me or not. In terms of tennis, I can't become a pro at my age, so I want to choose gear that makes me feel like I'm getting better at tennis, even if just a little bit, and that I enjoy using. It's like a spell, so to speak (laughs). (laughs) For me, that is what "Pro Staff" is. I think "Pro Staff" suits people like us who love the 80s and 90s.
-What kind of image did you have of "Pro Staff"?
Arai: I used them when I was a junior. I was impressed by the unique "Pro Staff," whether it was the star-spangled banner design used by Jim Coulier or the later all-white model by Steffi Graf.
Nakamura: I had an image of elegance and refinement. Contrary to that impression, when I opened the lid, it turned out to be a rambunctious boy, which is why I continue to use it with the goal of becoming proficient in its use. I like Grigor Dimitrov's game, not Roger Federer's.
Arai: You are the last player using "Pro Staff" right now. Interesting that it's a great minority opinion (laughs).
Nakamura: That seems to be the case. I've been injured recently, and until then I was happy to see my ranking go up. I think you are very cool in terms of style. How about you, Shimada-san?
Shimada: When I started playing tennis, I just wanted to use a racquet that looked like “This is America. When I started playing tennis, I wanted to use a racquet that looked like ”This is America. I came up with the idea that "Wilson" would be the best racquet for America. Then I happened to see a video of a tennis player on Instagram that made a big impact on me, and when I looked it up, I found that the player was a legend named Pete Sampras, and the racquet he was using was the "Pro Staff.
-How did you feel when you hit the ball with the latest Pro Staff Classic, the 15th generation model?
Shimada: To be honest, I had no idea how it felt to hit or how easy it was to use (laughs).
Arai: What was the size?
Shimada: I think the X (100), which is the closest to the 105 I normally use, was easy to use. I still don't understand the differences in size and weight, so I would like to be able to understand those aspects as well.
Arai: It would be a lot more fun if we could choose our tools as well. I'm glad you asked me to praise the "Pro Staff" today (laughs). That was a joke, the feel of the hitting was pretty good. I also felt that the design, with the red and yellow lines, brought back the feel of the old days. As I got older and lost power, the size 97 felt the most comfortable. I originally wanted to try the 85, but I don't think that would be possible for me.
Nakamura: I have been using the 97 for a long time, and this time I tried the lighter model (97L), which was quite good. I thought it was for women, but it was easy to swing and quite easy to use. If I were to choose one from now on, I would like to include a light model in my list of candidates.
