Tennis Racquet Technology by Lauren Campbell

Lauren Campbell Photographic Journalism Leeds Metropolitan University C3287456

ENNIS RACQUET ECHNOLOGY Lauren Campbell Thirsty to start playing tennis, yet just missing that vital instrument to help tune your game? Look no further, here you’ll find all you need to know about how to chose the best tennis racquet for you. Without a racquet you don’t have a game of tennis, and without the knowledge of how to chose the most appriate model, you find yourself lost within the extensive range of tennis racquets available today. When choosing your racquet you tend to take on board what the sales assistant is saying in general and not what you feel is correct for you. However, if you had a bit of knowledge about the technology and what is best for your game, your racquet choice could only be better, after all you know your game and body the best. It’s very important to choose the correct racquet for your game. If you are to pick a racquet that suits how you play, you’re less likely to suffer injury, and your game will improve. The tennis world thrives and builds through the next generation of technology and somehow we need to be kept up-to-date with all of the changes. To think we started off with a wooden racquet and we’re now playing with the top of the range graphite and Nano-technology racquet is extremely exciting. What could possibly come next? Everybody wants to continue on improving their game and with the insider knowledge here, you can make certain that your racquet is the nest one for you. From the history to injuries, to actually getting my trainers back on for a knock around on the court and I even managed to squeeze in a trip to the home of tennis, yes that’s right, Wimbledon. Lets make this summer a great one for tennis and start off with a suitable racquet. Now get on that court and smash some volleys!

Article name May 2013

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

Lob The Old, Serve Up The New. MEET THE METALS. Times started to change and more materials were being introduced. The metal tennis racquet was established in 1965. Being metal, the racquet was a lot stronger and this enabled customisation to start, beginning with the racquet head size. Unlike the wooden material, steel and aluminium frames were stronger so complications with string tension weren’t present when enlarging the metal head frame. The frame is lighter with a bigger sweet spot creating more accurate shots and equally important an improved decent amount of power being produced from the string tension. Combine all of these together and the outcome of the technology change creates an exciting new tennis racquet changing the state of play in tennis, no longer are the games slow, with long rallies, you’re now looking at high speed short, powerful rallies.

s we are all aware tennis racquets are forever evolving, and with every new technology another one is just around the corner, after all, new ideas make more money. And money, keeps the business going. With the tennis industry demanding top of the range technology to kept providing income, ideas are being thrown out all over the place including electronic racquets with electrical energy, could this really happen? Some say one day the manufactures have got to run out of ideas, could this really happen?. However, with my research I am going to expand on the current materials we have tried and tested through the years from wooden to graphite and even nanotechnology. I will be seeking the pros and cons and how these ideas came to be used. Maybe by the end of this evaluation a new technology could be within the pipeline.

“The day i’m not improving is the day i’ll hang up my racquet”

Serena williams

WOOD YOU TRY IT? What happened to the wooden tennis racquet and long rallies making up the game of leisure? When the wooden racquet was introduced tennis was played by the rich, mostly due to the cost of equipment. However, spare time was needed to play the game and those, working didn’t have that time. It was only a few decades ago the wooden racquets made an appearance to produce a somewhat slow, long and powerless game of tennis in comparison to today’s explosive powerful game. The most noticeable difference in the wooden racquet is the long handle and small head, this was due to the racquet needing to be stiff enough to hold and support the string tension needed when in contact with the ball. The wooden racquet was heavy.

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

Ideas are being thrown out all over the place including electronic racquets with electrical energy, could this really happen?

ners are also seen to be using this racquet as a way to make their entry into tennis easier also benefiting from the improvements. So whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or elite player graphite could be your racquet.

IT’S A YES FOR NANOTECHNOLOGY.

Nanotechnology is the newest edition to be introduced intothe tennis racquet industry. Visually the racquet doesn’t appear different. Like the previous racquet changes in material, this transformation is within the graphite racquet frame and shaft. The idea of nanotechThe most expensive and currently most popular nology is to strengthen and improve the consistency of racquet in the stores and online right now is graphthe material inserted into the frame, these are called ite. Graphite is a combination of a variety of different Nano-tubes resulting in a lot more control and power composites beginning reflected making up “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and through to the ball. carbon fibres So there’s a quick treat those tw impostors just the same......” and plastic update or mind cap resin, which Rudyard Kipling for you oldies of the makes the racquet stronger, yet lighter. The stronger history of evolving tennis racquets. So much has come the racquet, the more accurate the rebound is from the on since the old and now valuable wooden star. Obvistring tension to the court, this racquet type creates ously when choosing a racquet now you will be only magnificent power, great feel and control of the ball. As looking at either aluminium, or graphite with nanotechwe established earlier, in today’s game of tennis the way nology, but its always fun to see how we started off the to out win your opponent is all about speed and hitting sport. There are many reasons why the tennis racquet that accurate shot right on the base line or neatly in the changed and injury is one of the biggest. The right tencorner these qualities of power, speed and accuracy are nis racquet can help you to avoid the various injuries greatly welcomed. Graphite racquets may be the most that the game can be responsible for. expensive, but they are also the most popular due to the larger racquet head, wider frame and stiffer material. You will notice elite players with this type of material benefit from all of the new technology; however, begin-

GRAPHITE, IS IT RIGHT?

There are many injuries, which can accrue from playing sports. The main diagnosis is over use. As you read the injuries listed below it should make them easier to understand and dodge as much as possible. Your choice of racquet has one hundred per cent helped decrease your chances of injury. If you follow my advice given below, injury will be a thing of the past.

YONEX Q&A

I got the pleasure of interviewing Jon Cooper from Yonek UK and this is what he had to say about racquet technology.

Head to Toe....

Tennis Elbow. Tennis Leg. The most common injury and the one, which everyone associates with the game is ‘tennis elbow’. Taking a guess I’d say this is the injury everyone knows about due to the name, just maybe! The name does confuse some people as not only do you suffer from tennis elbow through tennis, other sports and general manual labour such as swimming, waitressing, climbing and builders also suffer from this sore and tender injury. Tennis elbow is mainly linked with overuse but some investigations have also lead us to believe the way you of play reduces the chance of gaining discomfort in the outer part of the elbow. It has become apparent that in particular players who use a two handed backhand stroke, where the second assisting arm consumes the power minimizes the effect of ‘lateral epicondylitis’ (the posh word for tennis elbow). Not only is this injury the most common but also the most painful within tennis, you can gain the pain gradually throughout your game or instantly through a miss hit. Players over the age of 35 are most likely at risk and there is no doubt if you have it, simple day-to-day task will let you know. The house keeping, shaking hands and opening doors will be hard work.

Tennis leg is a complete rupture within the calf muscle. The pain occurs sharply and in an instant it creates a burning pain in the leg for example a short dash towards the net for a drop shot could trigger tennis leg. Recovery can take up to as long as 6 weeks. The best way to avoid tennis leg (calf muscle strain) is simply completing a full 10-15minutes warm up as well as wearing sensible clothing for the environment as warm muscles and tendons are better at withstanding pulls than cold tight muscles.

Heel Pain.

Heel Pain, or medically called Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spur. This muscle makes the arch underneath the foot and the injury occurs when over use, were the plantar fascia anteromedial attaches to the heel of the foot. Players who do a huge amount of jumping and sprinting are prone to heel pain (which is hard to avoid in tennis). A way of preventing heel pain is once again completing a full warm up and cool down taking around 10-15 minutes, wearing well fitted tennis shoes and appropriate training shoes.

1) Can you pin point one technology improvement within the tennis racquet that has helped improve the game of tennis today?

Knee Injury.

Medically known as The Osgood Schlatter and caused by overuse in younger players, mainly boys for some complicated scientific reason. The patellar tendon becomes exposed to a huge amount of pressure resulting in a very painful knee injury, which can be seen by symptoms such as a small swollen bump located just below the knee. In connection with tennis, any sudden pressure such as lunging forward, low volleys and sharp changes in direction encourage the injury. To prevent this injury occurring a well suited warm up and cool down should be completed, taking around 10-15 minutes. Another causion would be to make sure the correct footwear is worn with suitable shock absorption, sideways stability and grip. There are many other common injuries gained through the sport of tennis, these are listed below: • Ankle Sprain, • Achilles Tendon, • Wrist Tendinopathy • Loosing toe nails. It is clear to see above that all of these injuries can be reduced by a successful warm up and cool down before and after your game or training session and secondly your equipment including your racquet, footwear and grip.

A. The power and lightness that Graphite construction provides.

2) What is your current tennis racquet and your reasons for choosing this racquet?

VCORE Xi Team - light with good control and spin, inexpensive 100% GRAPHITE construction.

3) Can you number from 1 (most important) - 10 (least important) out of the factors below, when choosing a racquet? Answer below. Colour 10. Weight 3. String Tension 6. Manufactures 8. Magazine Top Tips 9. Price 7. Grip 4. Vibration 2. Power5. Head Size 1.

5) Have you had any injuries related to playing tennis and the type of racquet you use? If so please state. No - some reports from friends of Tennis elbow when too small grip has been purchased - gripping too hard.

6) How do you/did you prevent your injury now?

Always select the right grip size and similar weight to my last model.

4) If you have used a wooden racquet before can you see any similarities now when playing with the most recently racquet? No similarity.

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

2, 3, 4, 5

Al-u-min-i-um... “Let The Racquet Do The Talking”

John McEnroe I’ve taken it upon myself to trial and test a variety of racquet, which have changed through out history (see changes in tennis racquets on page 4-5). I chose the best day we’ve had in our so-called spring. The sun was out and the air was feeling fresh. On I stepped to the court with six racquets to start testing. To prevent injury I started off with a gentle warm up, a slow jog around the court to increase my heart rate before stretching out my legs, torso, shoulders, arms and ankles. I wasn’t going to let anything stop my fun testing out decades of racquets. After I was all warmed up, I had a quick knock around with my friend with my latest racquet, which popularly wasn’t my best idea being as I went from there straight onto the oldest wooden racquet. And yes, that was a huge change. The reason I have decided to test out a few different racquets made from a range of materials is down to the fact that I have read it all in books, the Internet and journals. I’ve heard it all from manufactures and tennis players from the elite through to beginners. However, I felt the need to put my own stamp on the information, a real word test. And lets face it, on a sunny day it’s hard to get me off the court. Lets go…..

1 Wooden ages...

And first up is the one and only Slazenger, wooden and graphite infused racquet. The first thought to come into my head was how top heavy the racquet head is, making drop shots a no go. My first hit of the ball went straight into the net, the power just wasn’t there and the sweet spot was hard to find let alone hit. After weighing up the biggest difference the second would be the vibration that travels down your arm, once the ball is hit. After I worked out where about the sweet spot was and how to play with such an under developed racquet my rallies started to increase. However, playing against an opponent with the newest technology and top range racquet I found that, soon I started to feel an ache in my shoulder and wrist with the power in receiving returns compared to my powerless returns.

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

6 Na na-nanooo... The next racquet I tried out was a Head, nano-titanium. This racquet is one of the latest technologies around at the moment. The nano technology as you’ve read in the history section improves the strength of the racquet. The power was unbelievable, I could have tapped the ball and it would hit the end of the court but compared to the power I had to put behind the wooden frame, this was off the scale. Vibration was none existent (without a dampener) the only negative point I can direct towards this racquet is it was a bit too heavy for my liking, however, if you like a heavy racquet this should be your tool of choice. My game was becoming short and very quick.

After the wooden racquet I tried out four different makes of aluminium racquet. The idea behind this decision was to see if there is any difference with how the manufactures made each racquet with the same material. I started off with a Prince followed by Head, Dunlop and Wilson. The similarity through out the four racquets is the vibration. The strength of vibration had decreased from the wooden racquet, which you would expect, however it was still apparent. During the time of this material the vibration dampeners came about, which helped to decrease the vibration even more. The second similarity between the two was the head size, which in turn made the sweet spot larger, producing further accurate shots. With the ‘Head’ racquet I especially felt a good feel of the ball, once the ball hit the racquet the control was a lot more powerful than the other aluminium racquets. Surprisingly the Dunlop racquet had a fairly heavy head in comparison to the other three. My rallies with my opponent improved and the power I returned felt strong compared to the wooden racquet.

7The latest talent...

The last racquet I was tried was my very own Wilson, top of the range and the newest technology. This frame was very similar to the Head racquet I trialed previously, minus the weight in the head. Again vibration was no where to be seen, the feel of the ball was spot on, the majority of my shots were on target, this could be down to the huge size of the sweet spot or the practice I’ve had being as its my racquet. This racquet really is a dream to play with, and so so smooth.

to grow the perfect grass. Membership here wasn’t ruled by wealth but by the individual’s achievements and compassion towards the game of tennis. The last few steps to take were through the interview rooms and past the cash prize office, which unfortunately was closed. My visit to Wimbledon had come to end, I entered the museum thinking I was pretty clued up about tennis, but came out overwhelmed with new and interesting facts and figures. Beginners to elite players I can assure you the quote ‘you learn something new everyday’ is certainly true when visiting The Wimbledon Museum. I couldn’t leave without a little souvenir! To view all my images from my Wimbledon experiences, please visit www. lcampbell90.portfoliobox

Tiebreak!! So you think you know about the Wimbledon Championships...?

What year did Wimbledon Championships begin?

Top selling item in the Wimbledon gift ship in 2012 was? A- Yellow mini tennis ball keyrings B- Yellow big tennis ball.

As part of my research into tennis racquet technology I managed to squeeze into my diary a little day trip to Wimbledon, the home of English tennis. It’s a tough trip, but someone had to do it. And let me tell you, it was just wonderful, I felt like an exclusive member from the moment I entered the guarded gates. It was the sunniest day so far for months, the feeling in the air was full of spring and it one hundred per cent felt like Summer was knocking on our doors. As soon as I got through the gates I headed straight into the museum, I put on my headset and off I was into the world of English tennis. The ancient game of tennis was my first station of information as I wondered around the circular museum, kicking off with a vibrant and accurate quote by Wimbledon Ladies Champion Billie Jean King; “Tennis is the perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of tranquillity.” Starting off with the hand, followed by the glove and then the racquets came into play within the 16th Century, and this is where my excitement built and my nerdy side was exposed. The tennis racquets on display began from the very first wooden racquet, with long wooden handles, small heads and extremely tight string tension. Along the opening section of the tour I was engulfed with the array of wooden racquets on display and learning all about the technology as well as the pros and cons. The most impressive display of wooden through to nano-technology racquets was presented in an interactive wheel format. It was brilliant; each racquet had a huge amount of interesting information. I had 24 racquets to engage in and I was in racquet heaven, needless to say I was here for a long while. I was able to hold and evaluate a wooden and graphite racquet, test my reaction time with an interactive game and speak to a holographic John McEnroe, whilst roaming the dressing rooms, need I say anymore? After an overload of information filled by the wheel I entered a 3D cinema featuring an 8 minutes film discovering the ins and outs and the background work that is needed to create the championships. I found out the ball boys and girls are put through a flat out fitness test, the grounds manager had a lot of science to think about and that 3D was simply amazing. My brain was burdened with tennis memorabilia dating as far back as 1555 to more recent outfits and equipment up to 2011. One last place to visit and the closest I would ever get to have a photograph taken with one of the most famous trophies, the Championship trophies. But it wasn’t all over yet, the museum might have come to end, however I still had a tour of the club to go. The sun was shinning, with a chilly wind but off we went around the whole club (minus the changing rooms) with a tour learning a excessive amount about membership, the number of courts and how

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

What’s the strict dress code for all competitors at Wimbledon?

Last wooden racquet used in Wimbledon was the year?

5 6

Have tennis balls always been yellow?

7 8

What Wimbledon female competitor holds the record for the loudest grunt on court? Longest game played at The Championships is? The Championships came around when money was needed to be raised for which item? A- Tennis Nets B- Lawn Roller. The club Hawk flys over Wimbledon every morning for an hour during the Championships to warn off local pigeons. What is his name?

10 In 2012 how many tonnes of strawberries were served at Wimbledon? A- 23

1)1877, 2) A, 3) White, 4) 1987, 5) No, white also, 6) Maria Sharapova at 101.2 decibels, 7) 11 hours 5mins- John Isner & Nicolas Mahut, 8) B, 9) Hamish, 10) A.

THE

WIMBLEDON WONDER

Women 3 Top Facts & Racquets

Serena Williams

• • • • • • • •

D.O.B 26/09/81) Birthplace: Saginaw, MI, USA Residence:Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA Height: 5’ 9” (1.75m) Weight: 155lbs (70kg) Plays: Right-handed Turned Pro: 1995 Coach: Richard Williams

RACQUET- WILSON BLX BLADE TEAM.

Maria Sharapova • • • • • • • •

D.O.B : 19/04/87 Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia Residence: Bradenton, FL, USA Height: 6’2” (1.88m) Weight: 130lbs (59kg) Plays: Right handed Turned: 2001 Coach: Yuri Sharapov

RACQUET- HEAD YOUTEK IG INSTINCT.

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

• • • • • • • •

Victoria Azarenka

D.O.B : 31/07/89 Birthplace: Minsk, Belarus Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco Height: 6’ (1.83m) Weight: 145lbs (66kg) Plays: Right handed Turned: 2003 Coach: Sam Sumyk

RACQUET- WILSON JUICE 00 BLX.

4 • • • • • • • •

Agnieszka Radwanska D.O.B : 06/03/89 Birthplace: Krakow, Poland Residence: Krakow, Poland Height: 5’8” (1.72m) Weight: 123lbs (56kg) Plays: Right handed Turned: 2005 Coach: Tomasz Wiktorowski

RACQUET- BABOLAT PURE DRIVE LITE GT.

• • • • • • • •

Na Li

D.O.B : 26/02/82 Birthplace: Wuhan, China Residence: Wuhan, China Height: 5’7 ¾” (1.72m) Weight: 143lbs (65kg) Plays: Right handed Turned: 1999 Coach: Carlos Rodriguez

RACQUET- BABOLAT PURE DRIVE GT. Images courtasy of ATP Website, Getty Images and Tennisplanet.com

• • • • • • • •

Novak Djokovic

Top 4 Men 5 2

D.O.B: (22.05.1987) Birthplace:Belgrade, Serbia Residence:Monte Carlo, Monaco Height:6’2″ (188 cm) Weight:176 lbs (80 kg) Plays:Right-handed Turned Pro:2003 Coach:Marian Vajda

RACQUET- HEAD YOUTEK IG SPEED MP 18×20

Roger Federer • • • • • • • •

D.O.B: (08.08.1981) Birthplace:Basel, Switzerland Residence:Bottmingen, Switzerland Height:6’1 (185 cm) Weight:187 lbs (85 kg) Plays:Right-handed Turned Pro:1998 Coach:Paul Annacone

RACQUET- WILSON PRO STAFF 6.1 90 BLX

Andy Murray • • • • • • • •

D.O.B: (15.05.1987) Birthplace:Dunblane, Scotland Residence:London, England Height:6’3″ (190 cm) Weight:185 lbs (84 kg) Plays:Right-handed Turned Pro:2005 Coach:Ivan Lendl

David Ferrer

• • • • • • • •

D.O.B: (02.04.1982) Birthplace:Javea, Spain Residence:Valencia, Spain Height:5’9″ (175 cm) Weight:160 lbs (73 kg) Plays:Right-handed Turned Pro:2000 Coach:Javier Piles

RACQUET-PRINCE EX03 TOUR 100 (16×18)

Rafael Nadal

• • • • • • • •

D.O.B: (03.06.1986) Birthplace:Manacor, Mallorca, Spain Residence:Manacor, Mallorca, Spain Height:6’1 (185 cm) Weight:188 lbs (85 kg) Plays:Left-handed Turned Pro:2001 Coach:Toni Nadal

WOMEN Angelique Kerber (GER) Sara Errani (ITA) Petra Kvitova (CZE) Samantha Stosur (AUS) Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) MEN Tomas Berdych (CZE) Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) Richard Gasquet (FRA)

RACQUET- BABOLAT AEROPRO DRIVE Janko Tipsarevic (SRB)

RACQUET- HEAD YOUTEK IG RADICAL PRO.

Images courtasy of ATP Website, Getty Images & Tennisplanet.com

Rankings 6+

Tennis Racquet Technology May 2013

acquets

For years gone past tennis enthusiasts have been putting together a list of the most potent tennis racquets in the industry. And I can tell you something now; it isn’t easy with the vast array of frames, strings and grip. But at the same time it is great that it is so hard to pull together, and to see so many technologies coming through, proving the tennis equipment industry to be alive and kicking; a blooming example of today’s technology! We have looked all the way from the weak wooden ages to the latest hot-of-the press equipment. Old stiff strings and new rebounding excellence. Mixtures of old and new, wood with graphite infused. A metal introduced and manufactures struggling for the next enhanced technology. A few interviews have taken place over the past weeks with the intermediate, the retired, the manufactures and the nearly elite. So here they are, the results of the challenge. Let your eyes take in what’s written before you and feel free to rant or compliment the choices made by a mixture of influences on the top five racquets, at comments@tennisracquettech.com I’ll be eagerly awaiting your comments...

Tennis Racquet Technology May

TOP 5 RACQUETS Babolate Aero Pro Drive 2013

1 £189.99 Head Djokovic YouTek Speed

2 £157.99 Wilson Pro Staff Six. One

3 £139.99 Head YouTek IG Radical Pro

4 £144.49 Adidas Barricade 2

5 £134.99