Tennis rackets or 'racquets' have a long and interesting history and an evolution that began in the 11th century. That was when French monks used their bare hands to lob balls back across the net. Today's racket, though, is a designing marvel with technology and material that provides a whole lot more power, precision and reach.
Over time, the preferred 'weapon of choice' has moved from wood to aluminum to light-weight graphite composites. The wooden era ruled for a century starting from 1874. This was when Walter C. Wingfield registered his patent with rules and equipment for what is now known as lawn tennis.
The aluminum racket's first real breakthrough was when Wilson Sporting Goods launched the T2000 in 1967. Once Jimmy Connors gave it his stamp of approval, it took off big-time. But the final nail in the coffin was the change in the head size.
This was around 1976, when the 110 sq. Inch head was introduced. As opposed to the 65 sq. Inch head on the wooden racket, the aluminum one offered a whole lot more string area. Once players found out how useful the extra head size on an aluminum racket was, the wooden racket was as good as dead.
The change also resulted in differing head sizes being offered to players. The options included 90 sq inch mid-size heads and 95 sq inch mid-size plus heads. The point being that a bigger head offers more power and a larger 'sweet spot' while the smaller ones provide more control.
The two biggest issues facing manufacturers were weight and stiffness, which run in inverse proportion. That was true, until they discovered how to use graphite composites with a mix of graphite and material such as ceramics, fiber-glass and titanium to create a lightweight racket that offers more stiffness than was thought possible. Some are even testing piezoelectric material. There's no telling what tomorrow's tennis rackets will look like, or be made of.
Over time, the preferred 'weapon of choice' has moved from wood to aluminum to light-weight graphite composites. The wooden era ruled for a century starting from 1874. This was when Walter C. Wingfield registered his patent with rules and equipment for what is now known as lawn tennis.
The aluminum racket's first real breakthrough was when Wilson Sporting Goods launched the T2000 in 1967. Once Jimmy Connors gave it his stamp of approval, it took off big-time. But the final nail in the coffin was the change in the head size.
This was around 1976, when the 110 sq. Inch head was introduced. As opposed to the 65 sq. Inch head on the wooden racket, the aluminum one offered a whole lot more string area. Once players found out how useful the extra head size on an aluminum racket was, the wooden racket was as good as dead.
The change also resulted in differing head sizes being offered to players. The options included 90 sq inch mid-size heads and 95 sq inch mid-size plus heads. The point being that a bigger head offers more power and a larger 'sweet spot' while the smaller ones provide more control.
The two biggest issues facing manufacturers were weight and stiffness, which run in inverse proportion. That was true, until they discovered how to use graphite composites with a mix of graphite and material such as ceramics, fiber-glass and titanium to create a lightweight racket that offers more stiffness than was thought possible. Some are even testing piezoelectric material. There's no telling what tomorrow's tennis rackets will look like, or be made of.
About the Author:
If you would like to learn more about Tennis Rackets then head down to your local Tennis Shop for more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment