Evolution And Technology Of Tennis Rackets
Today's tennis rackets have behind them a fascinating evolution and history which has its origins in the 11th century when French monks started lobbing balls across a net with their bare hands. After centuries of constant innovations and design changes, the racket in use today is a powerful piece of equipment. It enhances by a great deal the player's reach, power and precision.
Over the centuries, the racket has morphed from a crude wooden instrument to a strong aluminum racket and is now on sleek and lightweight graphite composites. The wooden racket started around 1874, when Walter C. Wingfield registered a patent listing the rules, equipment, etc. For lawn tennis. This era reigned for around a century before aluminum took over.
After that, it was the turn of the aluminum piece, whose first big moment was in 1967 when the T2000 make was launched by Wilson Sporting Goods. It got a huge boost when Jimmy Connors started using it. However, the wooden racket was ultimately buried by the change in head size.
The wooden racket used to have a standard 65 square inch head. An aluminum racket producer started putting out a racket in 1976 with a 110 square inch head, and this provided a whole lot more string area. There was no turning back and the wooden era was effectively finished.
This also lead to the availability of different head sizes. The 90 sq. Inch one was midsize and the 95 sq. Inch was mid-size plus. The difference is important, because the bigger one provides more power and a larger sweet spot. The smaller one, on the other hand, offers more control over the ball.
To add more stiffness while reducing weight, the aluminum was then replaced by graphite composites. Everything from Kevlar to titanium, ceramics, fiber-glass and piezoelectric materials are being tried out in a graphite mix. There's no telling where technology will take tennis rackets tomorrow, but it's come a long way already.
Over the centuries, the racket has morphed from a crude wooden instrument to a strong aluminum racket and is now on sleek and lightweight graphite composites. The wooden racket started around 1874, when Walter C. Wingfield registered a patent listing the rules, equipment, etc. For lawn tennis. This era reigned for around a century before aluminum took over.
After that, it was the turn of the aluminum piece, whose first big moment was in 1967 when the T2000 make was launched by Wilson Sporting Goods. It got a huge boost when Jimmy Connors started using it. However, the wooden racket was ultimately buried by the change in head size.
The wooden racket used to have a standard 65 square inch head. An aluminum racket producer started putting out a racket in 1976 with a 110 square inch head, and this provided a whole lot more string area. There was no turning back and the wooden era was effectively finished.
This also lead to the availability of different head sizes. The 90 sq. Inch one was midsize and the 95 sq. Inch was mid-size plus. The difference is important, because the bigger one provides more power and a larger sweet spot. The smaller one, on the other hand, offers more control over the ball.
To add more stiffness while reducing weight, the aluminum was then replaced by graphite composites. Everything from Kevlar to titanium, ceramics, fiber-glass and piezoelectric materials are being tried out in a graphite mix. There's no telling where technology will take tennis rackets tomorrow, but it's come a long way already.
About the Author:
If you would like to learn more about Tennis Rackets then head down to your local Tennis Shop for more information.